From the Principal

Dear Parents and Carers, Staff and Students,

I have recently returned from 10 days in Los Angeles, where I attended the 2024 LA Religious Education Congress, along with 13 colleagues from the Lismore Diocese. I greatly appreciate the opportunity to represent the Diocese at this event, to nourish my faith and to be reawakened by the stories of love, compassion, and justice that were shared throughout the experience. I have included an article in this newsletter, highlighting some of the experiences I had in LA. These experiences have provided me with stories and messages to share with the students in Assembly. I look forward to also sharing these with the wider community through the newsletter in the weeks to come.

It was great to see the arrival of the new uniform on my return to the College. The students look fantastic! We will provide families with an update on the supply situation of the uniform and requirements for all students in the coming weeks.

At this stage of the term, all students should be settled into their school routine and have a clear focus on their learning progress. OPAL scores (Ongoing Participation and Application Log) should be published in week 8 to give parents (and students) an indication of areas of learning that are going well and areas that need improvement. Parent - Teacher - Student conferences, in week 10 (2nd April), will be an opportunity to discuss progress and concerns. 

Swimming Carnival

What an exciting Carnival we had this year! A great day was had by all and I thank the students for their behaviour and participation, and the staff for the organisation and management of the day, particularly Mr Hand as the coordinator of the day. We greatly appreciated being able to again use the Maclean Pool and facilities. A huge cheer greeted the announcement at our Assembly that mighty Champagnat had won the carnival! This win has been a long time coming for Champagnat! Congratulations to the Age Champions who performed at a high level across a range of events on the day.

Events:

LEAD

LEAD is a Diocesan Retreat for senior students and McAuley will be the host site of LEAD on the 21st & 22nd March. We are expecting over 200 students to attend from across the secondary schools. The Year 11 and 12 students will be equipped for ministry in their schools by nurturing their faith through music, prayer, liturgy and other faith-formation experiences. The TAS and VET staff of our College cater for the 2-day event, with the help of many of the staff from across the school and I sincerely thank them for their time and dedication.  

Parent Forum - Parent Gathering

I would like to invite parents and carers to our Term 1 gathering on Tuesday 26th March from 5.30 for a 6.00 pm start, finishing by 7.30 pm. We will also offer parents & carers the opportunity to join the gathering via Zoom. The Parent Forum is one way you can be involved in your child’s education and find out what is happening in the College.  

Open Night - 9th April 

Prospective and current families are invited to attend our Open night on Tuesday the 9th of April from 4pm. This is one of the highlights of the year and an opportunity to showcase our facilities, students, and staff. 

Remembering those affected by the 2022 Floods

It is important that we remember that two years ago the communities of the North Coast were hit by devastating floods. The impact of the floods on our schools, the staff, students and their families was traumatic and that trauma is still evident in many communities and will remain so for some time. I therefore ask that we continue to keep those affected in our thoughts and prayers. It is often the way that when issues are no longer front and centre of the daily news they can disappear from our attention or we think those affected are ok, which so often is not the case. This is why we are continuing to support our “sister school” - St Joseph’s Primary School, Woodburn with the proceeds of our Senior School Charity Ball, which will be held on Saturday 11th May. 

Lent - Project Compassion 

In the season of Lent I ask that all in our school community take time to reflect and pray, fast, and give to others (almsgiving) through our Project Compassion campaign. Thank you to the students and staff who have been enthusiastically rallying others to help this worthy cause. 

Enjoy the fortnight ahead

Kind regards,

Kate

Kate Thomson
Principal

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

Catherine McAuley