Dear Parents and Carers,

Congratulations to all our students who received certificates recognising their outstanding academic achievement and commitment to the College Expectations in Semester 1 at our Awards Assembly on Thursday 27th July. Over 70 family members attended the special assembly and joined us for a celebratory morning tea. Unfortunately, some parents did not receive their invitation to this event and I apologise sincerely for this oversight. The move to a new reporting system has not been as smooth as we hoped and consequently, new processes and checks are needed. Also in week 3 many parents and carers attended the Parent-Teacher-Student interviews, taking the opportunity to meet and discuss their child’s report from Semester 1. On display at both these parent events were the new school uniforms being introduced in 2024. We received a lot of positive feedback from parents and students, particularly around the options being provided and the change from the white sports shirt to a more manageable colour (blue & maroon with a little bit of white).

Current Uniform issues

Wearing our correct school uniform with pride and respect is part of being a student of McAuley and it is often discussed as a point of difference in interviews. Over the last few years, we have changed the rules around when the sports uniform can be worn and removed the requirement of changing into and out of the various uniforms, allowing students to wear their sports uniform when they have practical lessons as well as sports day (Thursday). Unfortunately, this has resulted in safety issues in Technical and Science classes as well as some students taking advantage of the change and choosing to wear their sports uniform whenever they feel like it. In addition, an increasing number of students are wearing excessive jewellery, incorrect shoes, jumpers and the like. The uniform requirements are clearly stated in the Student Planner and the Parent College Handbook. A uniform check was held last Wednesday (which is a non-sport uniform day for all students). A large number of students were placed on detention due to uniform infringements. Uniform checks will continue this term on a very regular basis. We will also be reviewing the rules around when the sports uniform can be worn. This will be communicated to students and parents. 

Events in Weeks 4 & 5 

We wish the many students involved in the various activities scheduled for weeks 4 and 5 all the best and I thank the staff for their time and hard work, as many of these experiences are overnight or early starts and late finishes. Students are participating in Debating in Port Macquarie, Yr 8 Camp, Yr 10 Reflection Day, and HSC Trial exams which continue for another week. Two students - Regen Howard and Ashton Pullen - have been selected to compete in the World Skills competition in Melbourne and we wish them and their teacher Dean Coggan all the best as they compete with other team members from the Diocese. Also in week 5, we will conduct interviews with all Year 10 students intending to return to McAuley for Year 11 in 2024, accompanied by a parent/carer. These are very important and worthwhile conversations to ensure our students are selecting the right subjects for their future and that they understand the commitment and expectations of their choices.

Attendance

Attendance at school is vitally important and a legal requirement for students under the age of 17. Regular days off affect continuity, learning, friendships and social wellbeing. I ask that parents support the school in ensuring their child/ren attend school each day. We understand there are genuine reasons for students to be away such as illness and family grief. When away, students should be able to access their work through Google Classroom.

In terms of attendance, all students are expected to attend all school events, as outlined in the enrolment contract. This includes excursions, camps, reflection days and retreats. However, if a student is on Stage 2 or above of the Behaviour Management System, they may be precluded from attending these events and will be expected to attend school. 

Year 11 Retreat & Leadership 2023 - 24

Year 11 recently attended their 3-day retreat at Camp Drewe. I have heard such great reports about the students and their participation, attitude and behaviour. Thank you to the staff who attended the Retreat - Mr Montford, Mrs Lee, Mrs Robinson, Mrs Kinny, Ms McInness, Mr Day, Mr Flanagan and Mr Smith. One aspect of the retreat is Leadership, as students from this year group are about to become the leaders of the College. Leadership nominations will open in the next week and this process will be coordinated by Mr Alex Montford as the Year Co-ordinator. 

OPALS

OPALS (Ongoing Participation & Application Log) are to be published at the end of Week 5 (18th August) through Compass. Students should have settled into Term 3 by now. This will be indicated by the OPAL score. 

Feast Day of St Mary MacKillop

The 8th of August is the Feast Day of Saint Mary of the Cross MacKillop, the first Saint of Australia. She is recognised for her commitment to the poor, helping those in need in any way she could. Along with our Mercy traditions and values we recognise and celebrate the life of Mary MacKillop.

All the best for the fortnight ahead

Sincerely

Kate

Kate Thomson

Principal

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

Catherine McAuley

Year 10 Reflection Day

On Wednesday 9th August, Year 10 students will take part in their Reflection Day.

This day is a part of the retreat program at McAuley Catholic College and will be facilitated by Michael Fitzpatrick. Michael works as a Retreat facilitator in schools throughout New South Wales and Queensland. He has a wonderful understanding of young people and is able to challenge them to move beyond their present state. We look forward to working with Michael again for this retreat.

The day will be held in our College hall and morning tea and lunch will be provided. Neat casual clothing is allowed for this day; no school uniform is required.   However, appropriate dress is emphasised. All students must wear covered shoes and bring a water bottle and pen.

Year 8 Camp

Year 8 camp will be held at Coffs Coast Adventure Centre on Thursday, 10th and Friday 11th August.

Year 8 camp is an integral and important part of our Pastoral Care program. The camp aims to promote wellbeing, teamwork and leadership through challenging activities including a Commando course, Giant Swing, Skywire and Fencing. The camp also aims to remind students of the fundamental skills of common sense and the satisfaction achieved through positive thinking, effort and teamwork.

Mary MacKillop Feast Day

Mary MacKillop Feast Day is on August 8th, in honour of the revered Saint Mary of the Cross MacKillop. She was the first Saint of Australia, and her influence in the country has spread far and wide. Her impact on Australian education was remarkable.  She was a trailblazer and a leader who passionately advocated for the education of underprivileged children and children in remote areas where others either would or could not go.  For such children and their families, Mary opened a door of hope into the future.

Year 12 Trial HSC exams

The year 12 students have started their HSC Trial exams. The first week has gone smoothly, and I am sure our students are relieved that most of their exams have been completed. Thank you to the staff for supporting the examination process and Mrs Lee (Leader of Curriculum) for all her hard work and preparation leading into and setting up for the exams.

As they move into the final stages of year 12, please keep our students in your prayers.

NESA has produced a booklet that may support year 12 students' HSC study. This year’s HSC Study Guide has some helpful information to help HSC students prepare for their final exams, including: 

• exam advise from teachers and past students
• ways to nail the study routine
• strategies to manage and reduce exam stress 

Year 10 Future Pathways

This a reminder to all Parents of year ten students. McAuley Catholic College will be completing the Future Pathways interview in Week 5.  The interview will support prospective Year 11 students at McAuley College with their subject choice. The expectation is that all students will attend an interview (conference) with a parent or parents to discuss their future.

The aim of the conference will be twofold:

• to ensure that the pathway of study is appropriate to their needs and capabilities and that they fully understand the diligence and sustained effort that this commitment requires. 
• to support those students who intend to move into other areas at the end of the year, such as TAFE, apprenticeships or other work/study options

These interviews will take place in the College Library on Tuesday, 15^th August, by a senior staff member. Please follow the instruction sent via Compass to book a time.

Women in Trades

A workshop for girls in Years 9 and 10, considering a career as a Tradie, will be held on Friday, August 18 at McAuley Catholic College. The workshop hosted by the Regional Industry Education Program is free of charge and facilitated by Mr Paton. Students are required to see him to register their interests.

Academic Awards Assembly

At the end of each semester, the school acknowledges the students who have achieved outstanding academic achievement during Semester 1 (7-11) and the students who have diligently applied themselves across all of the College Expectations: Safety, Effort, Respect and Responsibility (7-10). 

Students who were awarded the Principal’s award for outstanding academic achievement (either all A’s or the majority of A’s in their subjects for the semester) were: 

Students who were acknowledged for their consistent display of the College Expectations on Thursday’s Academic Awards Assembly were:

Thank you Mrs Toovey, Mrs Lee, Mr Montford and Mrs Bertalli, who facilitated the running of the assembly. Congratulations to all of our students who have received an award. Any students who did not receive awards due to absenteeism will obtain them from their year coordinator in the year assembly.    

Dianne McGowan

Reminders for Students

Year 7 & 8 McAuley College Drama students, in partnership with NORPA (Lismore), invites the community to join them for their contemporary theatre performance project "THROUGH OUR EYES". Performances will be held at the school at 7pm on Thursday 24th & Friday 25th August 2023.

This project has been created by the Year 7 & 8 students and is an intuitive exploration of the future… our thoughts, fears, dreams, wishes, expectations, imaginings. It incorporates spoken word, movement and physical theatre techniques to create an experience that is honest, thoughtful and heartfelt

Students have been training and creating with Noa Rotem, a director, performer and choreographer based in the Northern Rivers. Noa has worked and trained extensively in Australia, Hong Kong, Israel, France, the Philippines and New York City both as a freelance artist and with companies such as Little Dove Theatre Art, The Human Theatre, The Danger Ensemble, and Anne Bogart’s SITI Company (NYC).

Tickets will be available via CompassTix in the coming week. Parents, carers and students will be notified via email once they are available.

Everyone loves a birthday, so what better way is there to begin Book Week celebrations than with a party for the world’s most famous fictional character - Harry Potter.

The Mercy Library hosted the famous young wizard’s July 31 birthday with a home-grown mix of “Butterbeer”, the wizarding world’s drink of choice. About 60 students came to the event after they borrowed a Fantasy book. Thank you to the lovely year 7 students who helped build the fantastic Fantasy-themed display; Olivia Lewis, Lily Barrett, Saidee Perich, Sophie Van Der Vlist and Keaira Alford.

Meanwhile, library staff are getting ready for Book Week commencing August 19 - 25.

Book Week is iconic for its Book Parade character dress up, and McAuley staff and students are even more famous for their enthusiastic participation in the event. This year’s Book Week theme is Read, Grow, Inspire and the McAuley dress up theme for Friday, August 25 is “Inspiring Character”. 

There will be a host of other activities during the week to encourage students to delve into the joy of reading. The activities include:

• Homeroom Challenge
• Writing competition (please find details on the Google Classroom (code: izs7xso),
• Drawing competition
• And, new this year, an Escape Room challenge.

Please take the opportunity of the Book Week festivities to encourage your son or daughter to read for growth and inspiration.

Fun fact: Reading has the most significant impact on vocabulary growth. Conversational English (reflected in digital entertainment) has a working vocabulary of about 2000 words, in comparison a well-read Year 12 student should have a receptive vocabulary of up to 50,000 words.

NSW All Schools Rugby 7s Championships

On Tuesday 1st August, our under 16s Rugby 7's Girls teams travelled to Coffs Harbour to compete in the All Schools NSW Rugby 7's Championships.

Both teams played well and got progressively better as the day went on.

Our 16s Red Team made it all the way to the grandfinal with our girls in front for majority of the game, but unfortunately, after losing two players to concussion, we couldn't take home the win. The team placed a very close 2nd to Toormina High, scoring 10-7 against our  girls.

 

Our 16s Blue Team had an excellent day as well placing 3rd for the day over extremely hard competition from the likes of John Paul College.

Both teams were lucky enough to meet some of the Waratah players and also made the Local TV News. A massive thank you to all involved, all players and staff had a fantastic day!

On Thursday 3rd August, our McAuley boys under 14s and under 16s teams travelled to Coffs Harbour for their competition day.

Both teams had an extremely good day, playing hard in all games and achieving excellent positions overall. 

Our U14s boys won all three of their games including the semi final, but unfortunately in the grand final game, they just missed out on the win to finish them in 2nd place overall.

Our U16s boys won two and lost two of their games, placing them in 3rd for the competition.

Mr Coggan and Mr Imeson would like to congratulate all players for their efforts at both training and on the field, and for how they represented McAuley.

Elevate Education

Elevate Education works with our students, delivering high-impact workshops on study skills, motivation, well-being, and exam preparation. This term's next Elevate webinar is on Wednesday, 16th August @ 6.30 pm. The focus will be on Technology and Focus.

In this webinar, elevate will be discussing:

• Technology addiction and how to reduce technology dependence
• Practical strategies and apps to minimise procrastination
• How to help your child use technology productively to enhance their learning

By tuning into their webinar series, you will learn how to help make Technology anally (not the enemy) for your children.

Visit the link below to register before the start time:

eSafety Parent Webinar

Dates to note:

August:

7th - 11th: Year 12 HSC Trial exams continue

8th: Debating competition in Port Macquarie

9th: Year 10 Reflection Day

10th: Yr 12 2024 Leadership nominations open

10th - 11th: Year 8 Camp

14th: Principal Appraisal

14th - 18th: Yr 11 Work Placement Week 1

15th: Year 10 into 11 Future Pathways Interviews (Student and Parents)

15th: Feast of the Assumption

18th: OPALs released

18th: Female Tradie workshops

21st - 25th: Yr 11 Work Placement Week 2

21st: Yr 12 2024 Leadership Interviews

         Yr 12 Special Awards Close

         Yr 8 HSIE Medieval Presentation

24th - 25th: Yr 7 & 8 Drama Performances

25th: Year 10 RYDA

29th: Parent Forum

30th: Yr 12 Business Studies HSC Study Day @ SCU Lismore

31st: Yr 12 Leadership Speeches & Voting

Click the link below to purchase tickets:

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

Prayer from The Soul this week has the Theme of Comfort. We used part of this reflection at our Staff Development Day on Monday 31st July.

The work we are doing is good work. Not very often do we take comfort in knowing we are having an impact. Know that you are, and you do offer comfort to so many in your school community. Our prayer today, adapted from The Soul focuses on the theme of comfort. You might think that comfort is just a warm hug or a listening ear, though comfort is strength, support, and even consolation. Let us pray together and be comforted, knowing you are held in the palm of God's hand.

When we think of comfort, we often picture sitting by the fire, enjoying a home-cooked meal or receiving a warm hug from a loved one. And there's nothing wrong with that; it's wonderful. However, the fullness of comfort can only be truly understood when we unpack the entirety of its depth and meaning. 

The scriptures present an intriguing perspective on comfort and the role of a comforter, provided we comprehend the context and purpose behind the word.

Etymologically, the term comfort alludes to strengthening relationships during difficult times or providing consolation to those who have experienced loss. In Matthew's Gospel, during the famous Sermon on the Mount, Jesus calls us to embrace comfort after a period of mourning, stating, "Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted." In this sermon, He guides people towards a fulfilled life through qualities like meekness, purity and peacemaking.

The profound nature of comfort lies in Jesus' presence when we are broken and feel utterly lost. We can experience His presence when we mourn and deeply feel the impact of what has been lost and the love that has been cherished. Comfort affirms the heart's longing for love, which explains why losing loved ones is so devastating. The Book of Psalms beautifully expresses this, saying, "When sorrow was great within me, your consolation brought joy to my soul" (Ps 94:19). Comfort is Jesus reaching into our lives, offering a helping hand and lifting us to a state of comfort. It's a promise of more, the assurance that we are still deeply loved, as He emphasises, "you will be filled… you will see God… you will be shown mercy."

This understanding aligns closely with the mission of the Church. Our calling is to be a source of comfort to those in need, serving as Jesus' hands and feet on this earth. By embodying this role, we can truly bring solace and hope to those around us.

Therefore, let us embrace Jesus' guidance and become bearers of comfort to those yearning for it, spreading peace and love in a world too often burdened by sorrow. As a school community, let us comfort and harness its transformative power to serve others selflessly.

Praying With Music

Wildfire

• Hold On (Proclaim Lismore Wildfire)‘Hold On’ is a song of great comfort in knowing that no matter what happens in our lives, God will never let us go.

Anthem of My Soul (Chloe Mack & Circuit Rider Music)- In this gentle, comforting ballad, Chloe Mack and Circuit Rider Music explore how God’s love for us is so great, that we could sing of His love forever.

Please note COVID-19 is still present in our community. 

Please be reminded that students and staff CANNOT attend school if they are showing any symptoms of COVID-19. 

Students who are unwell

If a student is unwell, displaying any COVID-19 or cold and flu-like symptoms at any time, they CANNOT attend school and should undertake a rapid antigen test. 

If the rapid antigen test is positive and the student is unwell and/or experiencing any symptoms, they CANNOT attend school.

If the rapid antigen test is positive and the student is not feeling unwell and not displaying or experiencing any symptoms, they CAN attend school under the following conditions:

• the school office is informed of the positive test result, AND
• the student (over 12 years old) wears a mask for a period of 7 days in all indoor settings.