Term 3 - Weeks 9 & 10 - 27th September 2024

Dear Parents and Carers, Staff and Students,

It is with sadness that we say farewell to our Year 12 students of 2024. Over the last few weeks, the Year 12 students have been busy revising their trial exams and preparing for the HSC examinations. They finished their time off with community service and a beach day together this week. The students have finished well and, we hope, will cherish the memories of their time at McAuley Catholic College. 

I wish all Year 12 students all the best in their preparation for the HSC examinations. During the holidays, staff will be running Study Sessions to help support our students in achieving the best they can. This timetable has been shared with students via their Year Group Google Classroom. I thank the staff for their dedication to ensuring all students are well-prepared. 

In Week 8, our Year 12 students and staff competed for the prestigious Salad Bowl, an annual event that is highly competitive and highly sought after. This year, when we awarded this trophy, we renamed it the Mark Bellamy Memorial Salad Bowl Trophy. Mark Bellamy was a much-loved staff member who left us far too soon last year. Mark initiated the Salad Bowl Trophy as a previous Year Coordinator and donated the bowl years ago as the trophy. It was lovely to have his wife, Mary Therese Bellamy, with us at Graduation to honour and remember the life and legacy that Mark left behind. Mark would be very happy that his salad bowl was named after him and that the staff won the trophy this year in a competition of netball, campbell soup and volleyball. Mark will always be fondly remembered. 

The Graduation and Awards ceremony held on Wednesday was a wonderful occasion to acknowledge the achievements of all our Year 12 students. We extend our heartfelt congratulations to all our graduates for their remarkable achievements. In addition to presenting each student with a well-deserved Graduation certificate, we had the pleasure of recognising several outstanding students with special awards. You can find the complete list of these awardees later in the newsletter, along with some captivating photos of our graduates.

The 2024 College Captains and Vice Captains gave a moving speech acknowledging those who helped them through their journey at McAuley Catholic College and shared some of their memories of their final year. They have been outstanding leaders supported by a very enthusiastic and dedicated student leadership team. We thank them for all their efforts. 

Please also enjoy later in our newsletter excerpts of our College Captains' speech and my own speech delivered at the Graduation ceremony. Congratulations to all students on their achievements and reaching the end of their formal education.

McAuley Day - Mercy Works Fundraising 

Congratulations to the staff and students who made McAuley Day so successful. A huge thank you to the homeroom teachers and the students in their homeroom for their enthusiasm and initiative in developing stalls to raise money for Mercy Works. 

McAuley Day raised $4,315.33 this year, which will be donated to Mercy Works - the development arm of the Sisters of Mercy in Australia and Papua New Guinea. They work in partnership with vulnerable communities and local organisations domestically and in the Asia Pacific region to build capacity, dignity and self-reliance. (Taken from the Mercy Works website)

Feast Day of the Sisters of Mercy 

On Tuesday, September 24th, the Sisters of Mercy celebrated their Feast Day. This is the day on which Catherine McAuley first opened the House of Mercy in Baggot Street, Dublin, Ireland, and dedicated it to Our Lady of Mercy.

We celebrated the day with the Grafton Sisters at the Mercy Centre. Our College Captains for 2025, Jasmine Chellew and Beau Thompson supported the occasion by serving the Sisters lunch and enjoying the celebration with students from St Mary’s Primary School and St Joseph's Primary School South Grafton. 

End of Term 

As this is the last newsletter for the term, I wish you all a safe and relaxing holiday and thank the parent community for their support this term. It has been another busy term with many activities taking place. I thank all staff and students for their continued support and participation in various academic, cultural, sporting, and spiritual events. Many of these are included in the newsletter. 

I also wish teachers, Tom Howard and Jessica Stainlay, all the best as they take leave next term and welcome Brendan Smith to the teaching staff for Term 4. 

Term 4 will begin on Tuesday, 15th October for all students. Monday 14th October is a Staff Development Day for all staff. 

Happy holidays and God bless. 

Kathy Warby

Acting Principal

Term three is undeniably a busy period, marked by significant transitions and milestones as we celebrate various rites of passage. There is always a noticeable transformation with our Year 12 students after they complete the Trail Examination Period. The latter weeks of the term see Year 11 complete the Preliminary course and, in many cases, cement their study pattern for the HSC year. Our year 10s and 8s consider their electives and future classes, our year 9s are maturing and our 7s are also more aware of expectations and have found their place in high school... The school community begins to shift. 

Saying Goodbye to Year 12

As term three draws close, we sincerely congratulate the Year 12 students who completed their formal schooling this week. The staff have indicated that it has been a privilege to support and guide them throughout their secondary education, and we now look forward to seeing all they will achieve in their HSC examinations and future endeavours.

The school inevitably feels quieter once they have moved on, but they have left their mark on the school community. Over the past few weeks, Year 12 students have participated in various meaningful activities, including the HSC Showcase, Language exams, Community Service, McAuley Day and Teacher/Student sporting events. We also wish to recognise the commitment of our Year 12 students to finishing well. 

They have embraced the final weeks of their schooling, fully participating in the college's life and making the most of every opportunity.

Seeing them cross the stage with their graduation certificates on Wednesday was fantastic.

During the upcoming spring holidays, staff will offer optional study workshops to Year 12 students. Details of these sessions are available on the Year 12 Google Classroom.

Year 11

Our Year 11 students have completed their preliminary exams, which provide valuable preparation for their HSC year. Staff will return exam papers with feedback in the coming days, and students are encouraged to use this information to set clear academic goals in preparation for their HSC studies, which will commence in Term 4.

Any students considering subject changes must submit the required documentation promptly to ensure a smooth transition into their HSC year.

Thankyou

As we conclude another busy and productive term, I sincerely thank all staff, students, and parents for their continued commitment to the College community.

Dianne McGowan
Assistant Principal - Learning & Teaching

On Wednesday of this week, we farewelled our Year 12 students at their Graduation Ceremony, surrounded by family, friends, and fellow staff and students. Congratulations again to the class of 2024! The College and it's faculty wish them all the best for their future ambitions and adventures.

Please see below excerpts from key speakers, a list of special award recipients and photos of the event:

Special Award Recipients

McAuley Medals - Laura Hoade, Eva Patricks, Brooklyn Roach

McAuley Catholic College Awards for Christian Leadership in Year 12 - Laura Hoade, Theodore Lobsey

The Australian Defence Force Long Tan Award for Leadership and Teamwork - Eva Patricks

The Australian Defence Force Future Innovators Award - Laura Hoade

Best All-Rounder Award - Sienna Clifton, Charlie Imeson

Academic Excellence Award - Eva Patricks, Brooklyn Roach

College Awards for Commitment to Study - Lucas Becker, Amelia Cox, Lucy Day, Laura Hoade

The Reuben F. Scarf Award for Commitment - Lynai Cotterill

Sr Cecilia Moran Memorial Award for Contributions to the Cultural Life of the College - Lucas Becker

Good Citizenship and Community Service Award (Senior School) sponsored by The Rotary Club of Grafton Midday Inc. - Brooklyn Roach

Annual Awards

Mark Bellamy Memorial Salad Bowl Trophy - Staff

Neville Bryant Memorial Award for Extension Mathematics - Liam Perich

Jeff Charter Memorial Prize for Excellence in HSIE - Brooklyn Roach

UNE Vice-Chancellors High Achievement Prize - Laura Hoade, Molly Shaw

Principal's Speech - Delivered by Kathy Warby (Acting Principal)

"Good morning, parents, carers, special guests, staff and students. Today, we gather to celebrate the Prizegiving and graduation of our Year 12 students for 2024. This is a significant milestone, marking the culmination of your school journey and the beginning of a new chapter. It gives me great pleasure to give the address on behalf of our College Principal, Kate Thomson, who is currently on leave. She sends her best wishes for today and extends to all our Year 12 students the very best as they prepare to leave the routine and formality of school life. She sincerely believes the class of 2024 have developed into amazing young adults ready to take on the world in many different ways. The experiences you have had at McAuley will hold you in good stead. You should be proud of yourselves and the College from which you are graduating. 

To Fr Joe Holloway from the Clarence Valley Parish, Sister Jenny Hartley and the Sisters of Mercy, Tonia Tamblyn from the Catholic Schools Office of Lismore and Chrissie Morison from the Parent Assembly, thank you for your continued support of the College and of our graduating students. We are grateful for the guidance and support you have given. 

To Year 12, this is it, the culmination of thirteen years of education. You have made it.  We genuinely hope you have been instilled with many great Christian Values during your time here. Take with you the Mercy Values of compassion, justice, respect, excellence, and hospitality, and draw on the strength that these Values can give you as you journey through life. As we draw on inspiration from the founder of the Sisters of Mercy, Catherine McAuley, be shining lamps, give light to all around you and as you do, take one day only at a time and resolve to do good but better tomorrow. 

As I reflected on our time together, especially our Year 12 retreat, I drew on the theme of finding hope for the future. A future that you will make your own. As unique and remarkable young adults, God has plans for each of you, plans for you to prosper, plans for hope and a future. Make wise and informed decisions about your life and follow your journey to be the best possible version of yourself. I have great confidence that you will do your best. Act with courage and, above all, integrity. As your captains have mentioned, in your time here you had to deal with adversities such as Covid, floods and fires and the disruption caused to your education. Life will not be a smooth journey at times, and you will need to show resilience, perseverance and endurance. Trust in yourselves and trust in the hope that God gives you.  

To your parents, thank you for entrusting us with the education of your child. True education will always be a partnership between the home and the school. Your parents are and have been, your first educators, and we know that they wish nothing short of what is best for you. Remember, your greatest counsel and admiration comes from your parents, and although you may not always think this,  they love you unconditionally.  If you achieve and end up being the type of people they would have you be, then you will have done well indeed.

To Mr Montford, Mrs Rouse, your teachers and the staff of McAuley College, thank you for your dedication and passion in supporting Year 12 in achieving the best educational outcomes. For upholding our College mission, that is, to strive to develop the whole person through spiritual, academic, cultural, physical, and well-being experiences, enabling every student to achieve the fullness of life.

So let our collective hope then, be that as seniors of 2024 you will be the men and women of your parents’ dreams – always striving ‘to know wisdom’ in your service to others and always taking each day to be better than the day before. I will leave you with a reflection from retreat taken from Dr Seuss' "Oh the Places You Will Go": 

Congratulations!

Today is your day.

You're off to Great Places!

You're off and away!

You have brains in your head.

You have feet in your shoes.

You can steer yourself

any direction you choose.

You're on your own. And you know what you know.

And YOU are the guy (or gal) who'll decide where to go.

Trust in yourselves and trust in your journey.  All the best, Good luck and God bless"

College Leaders Address

"Good morning and welcome to our peers, families, staff, students and (invited guests). My name is Eva Patricks, and this is Brooklyn Roach, Molly Shaw and Finla’e Cassidy-Thomason, and we have had the pleasure of being the college captains and vice-captains from 2023 to 2024. After 6 years filled with new experiences, friendships, laughs and many memories, our journey at McAuley has now come to an end. These years with all of you here have been some of the greatest of my life. Even through the challenges we have faced, like the Covid-19 pandemic, floods, fires and our Trial exams, we have persisted as a year group and developed the skills we need to move onto this next chapter of our lives. At this point now where we all part ways, we wish everyone the best, knowing that their individual talents and qualities will lead them to do amazing things. 

We would now like to take a moment to remember a few key memories from the last 12 months.

Our year 12 journey began in term 4 2023, with us receiving our Year 12 jerseys, which was a day we all looked forward to since we saw them on our first days of school. Then the SLT stepped up into their new roles, organising the Netball world cup. This event showcased some impressive talent across all years, but especially from Tracey house, being the only event they’ve won all year. 

In term 1 of 2024, Mrs Rouse stepped up to become our Year Coordinator, making a memorable first impression, literally stepping into a pair of Mr Montfords boots. We also had our swimming carnival with this year's theme being mermaids and pirates, where we saw many of the boys decide that being a mermaid was their calling.

Term 2 was a busy term, which kicked off with our Senior Charity Ball coming together beautifully, we then experienced a heart warming Year 12 retreat, learning about each other's hopes and plans for the future. Then we had McAuley Fest, which was a special night for many students who performed for the last time, and the Athletics Carnival finished off the term with the theme Aussie Icons.

In our final term of year 12 we triumphed over the trial exams and made many memories on McAuley Day with our character dress ups. We had a great end to the term with some entertaining teacher challenges, bringing us to where we are now; ready to extend some thank you’s.

The people at this college have given us opportunities, lessons, advice, friendship, motivation, support and courage throughout our years at McAuley. The gratitude we have is beyond words but I’ll try my best. You people in this hall today have shaped who we are and who we’re going to be. 

We can’t thank our teachers enough for the countless hours you have spent developing our character as individuals, and working everyday to give us the best education possible. We say thanks to our teachers.

To our Year Coordinator, Mrs Maria Rouse, goofy, funny and sometimes forgetful as you are, we are beyond grateful for your compassion, concern and dedication which has given us a final year which we will forever cherish. Through some hard and stressful days, you’ve been there for us and we thank you for your neverending support. Thank you Mrs Rouse.

We say you’re welcome to, the traitor, Mr Alex Montford. Who has had the pleasure of being our Year Coordinator from years 7-11; we know you have loved every second and are filled with tears knowing that your time with us is coming to an end… In all seriousness though; we won the jackpot to have someone as genuinely caring, supportive and compassionate as you have always been. You eased us into high school as nervous year 7 kids who couldn’t read their timetables or do up their ties; and have shaped us into young adults who may or may not be ready for life after school. Words cannot express our gratitude for you and everything you have done for us. Thank you Mr Montford.

We also owe a great thank you to our devoted school Executives. We understand that nothing happens without a great amount of time, organisation and effort from a number of people. So we want to say thank you to our Principal Kate Thompson, for your support of us and limitless dedication to this College. To our Assistant Principals, Kathy Warby and Dianne McGowan, who have stepped up on numerous occasions and guided us in our positions. To our Leader of Curriculum, Tiffany Lee, for transitioning us through each year, making sure we are prepared and equipped to do our very best. To our Pastoral Care Coordinator, Alex Montford, for your commitment to the students, compassionate ear, and friendly and approachable nature. And to our Leader of Pedagogy, Margaret Bertalli, for your leadership and support. For everything you all do behind the scenes to make this school a place that students want to come to, we say thank you to our Executives. 

Now to our own Student Leadership Team, who have brought so many amazing initiatives to the College over this past year. We are very grateful to have worked alongside a group of such creative and motivated individuals who have been dedicated to bringing this College community together. Thank you for all of your hard work and commitment.

We would also like to thank the Clarence Valley Parish and Father Joe Holloway for their continuous support of the College. We are very fortunate to have you alongside us as we have completed our high school journey, and for all our masses and special events along the way. You have played such a valuable role in instilling the Mercy Values in our school and in our lives, so we say thank you again to the Parish and Father Joe.

We would not have made it to where we are today without the boundless love, support, guidance and patience of our families. You guys have been our rocks throughout all the highs and lows of our high school experience and our number 1 supporters. Year 12 isn't just stressful for the students, but our families as well. It takes a lot to deal with the never ending whining and complaining about our trials and assessment schedules, so thank you all for being there for us in our final year of high school. 

And finally, thank you to the class of 2024. We are so fortunate to have been a part of such a friendly, supportive, caring, uplifting and tight knit year group. The memories we have made together, growing up from being nervous year 7s, to compassionate seniors, are ones we will cherish for the rest of our lives. School may just not have been bearable without friends you can look forward to seeing every day - who support you when you need it and are there to make you laugh. Each of our journey’s here have been unique, but we have all come out of it as a close group and I’d like to say thank you to our wonderful year group that I feel so blessed to have been a part of.

All of these ‘lasts’  have opened up many firsts. From our last first day where the girls wore pigtails, to our last week, then our last class and now our last ever assembly, we thank everyone who has been a part of this journey with us. Without many of you we wouldn't have made it this far. You have guided us onto the path to where we want to be, you have genuinely changed our lives so thank you. And to the class of 2024, thank you, and good luck for the future."

During our Year 12 Graduation Ceremony this week, the current leaders handed over their leadership to the newly elected Captains for 2025. It gives us great pleasure to congratulate the following students on being elected into the following positions: 

College Captains: Beau Thompson and Jasmine Chellew

College Vice-Captains: Zethan Nichols and Alicia Boehme 

Ministry Captain: Grace Stackman  

Champagnat House Captains: Charlee Thompson and Izayah Walker 

McCarthy House Captains: Eliza Hughes and Isaac Bibby

Mercy House Captains: Abby Goodall and Kyran Nipperess

Tracey House Captains: Kayla Ellis and Bailee Hextall

Indigenous Student Leaders: Tracey Cassidy and Logan Cone

Next term, we will continue adding to our Student Leadership Team by electing leaders in current Year 10 and Year 9  who will lead with our seniors in 2025.

Year 8 History Medieval Day 2024

On Tuesday 3rd September,  Year 8 History students experienced Medieval Day presented by Celtic Thunder. Renowned for their interactive presentation, Ray and Colin engaged students with demonstrations of weaponry, lively and hands-on activities on Crime and Punishment, the Plague, the Crusades and modelling living experiences during the time!

A huge thanks to Ray and Colin for bringing the Medieval world to life at McAuley again and bringing students’ studies in the topic to life!

Catholic Faith in Action Community Service Day

On Friday 13th September, the MCC Catholic Faith in Action class came out in force to help the garden crew tidy up the overgrowth at Clarence Village, Queen Street. Over the course of the day our champion volunteers Wyatt Bullen, Lachlan Chard, Chase Corcoran, Izak Gordon, Eli Masters, Sam Waterhouse and Anthony Young, ably supported by our fabulous TA Kim Green, all got stuck into loading up a rake of cattle trucks with garden waste. 

It was a joyful day where students got to experience putting Catholic Social Teachings into practise, showing wonderful stewardship, affirming human dignity, working for the common good and being absolute models of the Mercy Values on which the school is based - excellence, respect, hospitality, compassion and justice. 

Congratulations to Mr Tom Howard for helping organise such a great day. A massive shout out  must be given to the wonderfully welcoming Clarence Village team of Penny, Roz, Bob, Pez, Ryan, Josh, Leslie and Duncan. We were catered for beautifully by Roz and the kitchen crew who made sure that everyone was fed, watered and generally cared for with a vast array of cakes, chocolate crackles, watermelon, cold drinks and, in keeping with the tradition of Catherine McAuley herself, a lovely cup of tea!

The residents of the Village all joined us at our breaks and it was so lovely to spend quality time with everyone. Hopefully this will be the start of a regular occurrence where our CFIA students can really experience putting faith into action. It was a privilege to spend the day with our students out of the classroom and they are to be congratulated for their hard work and awesome attitude throughout!  

Caroline Doyle

Leader of Catechesis

MCC Gardening Crew 

During Term 3, the MCC Gardening Crew have been busy participating in an exciting hands-on gardening program, where they not only grew and harvested their own crops but also enjoyed the fruits of their labour in the kitchen. Among the various vegetables they nurtured, beetroot took centre stage in this season’s harvest.

The crew, a group of enthusiastic volunteers led by TAS assistant, Brett Bowling, began their journey by planting beetroot seeds and learning about soil health, watering schedules, and organic gardening techniques. Through their dedication, they watched their beets grow from tiny seeds into vibrant, hearty vegetables ready for picking.

Once harvested, the crew gathered together for a cooking session to turn their freshly picked beetroots into something extra as they experimented with pickling the beets for future enjoyment. The cooking experience not only highlighted the versatility of beetroot but also fostered a deeper appreciation for sustainable food practices.

The MCC Gardening Crew’s experience is a great reminder of the rewards that come from growing your own food. By participating in every step, from seed to table, the crew learned valuable skills while enjoying the fresh, earthy taste of their homegrown beetroot. Students involved were Molly Cosgrove, Grace Stoddard, Jaxon Sciberras, Henry Miller, Finley Waghorn, William West, Sebastian Willis and Tyler Taylor. 

Ignite Conference

Every year around the end of September, the student faith and formation marquee event of the calendar year kicks off - the Ignite Conference in Brisbane. This year, two of our Year 10 Ministry class students, Molly Dick and Eleora Nichols, decided to be brave, and joined with 250 other students and staff from all across the Lismore Diocese to experience this faith filled extravaganza. From Thursday 19 to Sunday 22 September, our girls  participated in the four day festival of praise, worship, keynote speeches, small group workshops, rallies, fellowship and friendship, all focused around the theme, this year, of “Rise Up”. 

Students and staff got to experience a flash boarding school with accommodation and breakfast provided by the very hospitable St Joseph’s Nudgee College. From 9am to 9pm each day we attended St Lawrence’s College enjoying high energy praise and worship rallies. As always it is a joy and privilege to spend time with our students and to get to see and hear all about their experiences. 

It would be fabulous to accompany more of our older (Years 10-12) students next year; so if you are wondering where or how to start exploring your faith a little deeper, Ignite Conference could be for you - as Jesus says, “Come and see” (John 1:38-39)

God bless!

Caroline Doyle (On behalf of Ele, Molly and Chelsea)

Leader of Catechesis 

NRCC Touch Football

On Tuesday the 10th of September, McAuley entered four teams in the annual Northern Diocesan Touch Football Championships that were held for the first time at Rushforth Park, South Grafton. 

Our U15 Boys team was the reigning champions and had to defend their title. The team started the day well with convincing wins against St Francis Xavier Ballina 11-2, St Marys Casino 11-4, and close victories against Trinity Lismore 9-6, then Mt St Patrick's Murwillumbah 12-7. The boys were getting complacent as the day went on and were slow starters in their last two games. They eventually clicked into gear to beat St Joseph’s Banora 12-3, and finally St John's Woodlawn 11-2. Every person in the team played exceptionally well with Cruz Sewell and Zaden Nipperess setting up tries for everyone in their pod. Mason Cone directed his pod around the field well and did a mountain of work.

Our Open Boys team was also reigning champions with their undefeated tag on the line. The team started the day on fire with victories against St Mary’s Casino 11-2, Trinity Lismore 17-2, Mt St Patrick's Murwillumbah 16-5 and St Joseph’s Banora 15-2. The final game of the day was against another undefeated team in St John's Woodlawn. The boys were very complacent to begin but eventually found their rhythm to take the win 7-6. The experienced pod of Zethan Nichols, Kyron Nipperess, Zeplan Davies and Austen Toyer were unstoppable throughout the day. They were very well supported by the older statesmen of Mitchell Dick, Jack Fels, Noah Gallagher and Theo Lobsey. This team has been together for a few years now and it was a fitting send-off for our Year 12 touchies. 

Our U15 Girls began their day with a convincing win over St Mary’s Casino 5-0, they backed up again with a close loss to St Francis Xavier Ballina 5-4. The girls followed this up with three back to back wins, beating St John's Woodlawn 7-4, Trinity Lismore 5-0 and St Joseph’s Banora Point 9-2. Their final game against Mt St Patrick's Murwillumbah was a close loss going down 3-4. This team consists of a solid lineup, being led by Abby Spears, Eleora Nichols, Kayla Hancock and Lacey Fahey. 

Our Opens Girls came out firing, defeating St Mary’s Casino 5-0. They followed this up with three losses to St John's Woodlawn 3-0, Trinity Lismore 5-3 and St Joseph’s Banora Point 2-7. Their final game of the day was a 0-0 draw to Mt St Patrick's Murwillumbah. Our team was led by Charlie Imeson, Ayla Howell-Mclachlan and Imogen Lee who have been the backbone of this age for the past 5-6 years.

NSWCCC State Athletics Championships

On Monday 16th September, eight students travelled to Sydney Olympic Park to represent McAuley in the NSW Combined Catholic Colleges State Athletics Championships. All students put in a tremendous effort for each of their qualifying events in some rather hot and challenging conditions and should be proud of their efforts in receiving multiple top 10 finishes and few personal best (pb) achievements for the event.

A special mention to Hazel Golding who received the silver medal in the Under 16s Girls 200m Race Final with a time of 13.13 seconds! Hazel also placed 4th in the 400m finals for the same age final. Congratulations to all students who competed with spectacular determination and consistent effort on the day. They all represented the College with fabulous sportmanship and should be proud of their efforts and achievements.

Please see summary of statisitcs below.

On Tuesday 15th October, our Junior AECG members from McAuley, along with students from Grafton High School and South Grafton High School, participated in an On Country tour of significant and sacred sites around the Grafton area.

Special guest speakers Brett Tibbett and Uncle Kerry Skinner shared their insights and the rich history of the sites we visited.

In addition to deepening their connection to community and culture, the students also held elections for the Junior AECG leadership. We are proud to announce that two of our students were elected: Izayah Walker as President and Peter Hammond as Vice President. Congratulations to both students for this incredible achievement!

Izayah Walker	Peter Hammond

The day was an invaluable experience for all students and staff, who thoroughly enjoyed being part of this wonderful initiative. We look forward to seeing the fantastic work and ideas the Jr AECG members will bring to Aboriginal Education.

A special thank you to the tour guides for sharing their knowledge, and to the staff from all schools involved for organising this meaningful event.

Wil Bancroft

Aboriginal Education Worker

October

15th Oct - 8th Nov: Year 12 HSC Exams

25th: Dio Volleyball, Coffs Harbour

         Yr 7 PAT Testing

25th, 28th & 29th: Yr 10 PAT Testing

28th: Yr 8 PAT Testing

29th: Yr 9 PAT Testing

31st: Jacaranda Thursday - Pupil Free Day

November

1st: All Saints Day

       Jacaranda Cup

5th: Yr 11 HSC Information Session & Parent Teacher Student Conference Evening

9th: Yr 12 Formal Dinner

11th: Remembrance Day

         Dio Golf Championships, South West Rocks

11th - 13th: Yr10 Camp GABC - Tea Gardens

12th: Year 6 Orientation Day + Parent Information Evening

13th - 15th: G.O.A.T Retreat

18th - 20th: Year 9 Camp - Tyalgum Ridge Retreat

                   STEM MAD National Showcase for qualifying students

19th: Dio Netball Gala Day, Grafton

25th: NRCC U16s Boys Cricket 

26th: NRCC U16s Girls Cricket 

As mentioned in our previous newsletters over the last few weeks, the College offers lunch orders online through the Flexischools app. Please see the attached flyer to get started.