From the Principal

Dear Parents and Carers, Staff and Students,

The last two weeks have been particularly important in our College calendar, with Book Week celebrations, Father’s Day Breakfast, HSC Showcase,  Year 11 Leadership, and Year 10 Future Pathways. The next 2 weeks are just as important and busy, with our Feast Day celebrations and Music Festival. I thank the many staff, students, and parents who have contributed to the success of these wonderful events.

McAuley Fest - RU OK?

Tomorrow, Thursday 11 September, please come along to our 5th McAuley Fest, a night of music, entertainment, exhibitions, food, and a celebration of community! The evening starts at 5:00 pm in the College Hall, with tickets still available via CompassTix (see the link provided later in this newsletter). All performers and artists are from the College community (staff and students). This also coincides with RU OK Day - an important reminder to check in with our family, friends and colleagues every day!

McAuley Day

On Friday, 12th September, we will celebrate our Feast Day - a very special day in our school calendar. All students are expected to attend and are encouraged to bring along some extra money to participate in fundraising activities organised by each homeroom. All money raised will go to Mercy Works, who continue to help those in need. Helping others less fortunate than ourselves is an important part of our Social Justice message, so we feel very privileged to be able to assist Mercy Works with the causes they support.

Year 12 and HSC Showcase

Year 12 students are in their final weeks, and we encourage them to “finish well”. This is an important time to consolidate their work to ensure they are ready for their HSC exams next term. In addition, a number of activities have been organised for Year 12 which will culminate in their Graduation and Prizegiving Liturgy in the College Hall on Wednesday, 24th September at 9:30 am.

HSC Showcase

Congratulations to all our students who have recently completed their HSC major works and exhibited these in our HSC Showcase. It was a wonderful evening of celebration, acknowledgement and pride as we perused the works from IT - Timber, Multimedia, Visual Arts, Visual Design, Textiles & Design and Extension 2 English.

Thank you to Dianne McGowan and her team for coordinating this event. It was a privilege to be a part of the evening.

Book Week 

A week of activities culminated in a Book Week dress-up on Friday, 28th August. A number of students and many staff dressed as their inspirational character on an adventure and lots of fun was had by those who participated. Thank you to Mrs Gleeson and the Library staff and helpers for their organisation of Book Week.

Diocesan Athletics Carnival  

Our school was well represented at Diocesan Athletics in Week 7 and achieved outstanding results across many areas. As a school, we achieved second place, which is a huge feat as we are one of the smaller schools in the Diocese. Mrs Corcoran will summarise the results of the day at Assembly soon. Congratulations to all who attended and contributed to the best of their ability, and to those who have made it to the next representative level.

Father’s Day Breakfast

Thank you to all our fathers, grandfathers, and father-figures who joined us on Thursday for breakfast. It was a beautiful morning with great conversations over a bacon and egg roll! Thank you also to the many people who contributed to our reading conversation and who were prepared to video their description of their favourite book! 

Year 11 Leadership and Captain Announcements

Year 11 are finalising their leadership team for  2025-26. Congratulations to all students who have nominated for positions and maturely engaged with the leadership process. It gives me great pleasure to announce our Captains: 

School Captains: Liam Salvestro and Raimi Mortimer 

Vice Captains: Hudson Batinovic and Annabelle Hourigan 

House Captains will be announced next week.  Thank you to Mr Smith, Mrs Robinson and Mrs Warby for overseeing this process. I wish all Year 11 all the best as they start their preparation for Preliminary Course assessments, which will be held in Week 9. 

Please read through the many articles in the newsletter, that celebrate the many achievements of our students across so many areas.  

All the best for the fortnight ahead,

Kate

Kate Thomson
Principal

“We should be shining lamps, giving light to all around us.”

Catherine McAuley