From the Principal

Dear Parents and Carers, Staff and Students,

We have reached the end of Term 3, and we have held off publishing this Newsletter so that we could include a summary of our Year 12 Graduation, one of our pinnacle events of the year.  

Year 12 

It is with sadness that we say farewell to our Year 12 students of 2025.  Since their Trial HSC exams, students have received feedback from their teachers, highlighting areas to work on and skills to improve 

In the last 2 weeks, Year 12 have enjoyed several end-of-school activities, including their McAuley Day dress-up as Childhood Characters, teacher challenges, the competition for the illustrious Mark Bellamy Memorial Salad Bowl (staff v students), a parent breakfast, community service, Mass at St Mary’s, and a beach day together. The students have finished well, and we hope they will cherish the memories of their time at McAuley Catholic College. 

I wish our 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 their best. I thank the staff for their dedication to ensuring all students are well-prepared. 

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 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 2025 College Captains and Vice Captains delivered a moving speech, acknowledging those who had helped them throughout their journey at McAuley Catholic College, and shared some of their memories from their final year, offering well-versed advice to the students in years 7-11. They have been outstanding leaders supported by a very enthusiastic and dedicated student leadership team. We thank them for all their efforts. 

Feast of our Lady of Mercy - 24th September

Our Year 12 Graduation coincided with the Feast of Our Lady of Mercy, which is celebrated as the Feast Day of the Sisters of Mercy. 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. The theme of our Graduation was Mercy and acknowledged the legacy the Sisters of Mercy have left to the staff and students of our College.

Student Leadership

I welcome our new student leaders for the 2025 -26 academic year. We have now completed our elections and appointments, and the list of students and their appointments is included in the newsletter. Our new Year 12 Captains and Vice-Captains were inducted into their respective positions with the presentation of  badges at the Graduation ceremony as part of the handover of Student Leadership from the outgoing captains  

McAuley Day & McAuley Fest

Congratulations to the staff & students who made these two events so successful. A huge thank you to the community who supported McAuley Fest and made it a fantastic night, showcasing our talent across many areas of the College. McAuley Day was a highlight of the school year, celebrating our Mercy heritage and traditions while raising funds for Mercy Works. The day incorporated homeroom activities, a Liturgy, Homeroom fundraising activities, the McAuley’s Got Talent, and activities for year groups in the afternoon. A huge thank you to the homeroom teachers and the students for their enthusiasm and initiative in developing stalls to raise money for Mercy Works. 

McAuley Fest and McAuley Day raised $7,000, 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. They work with the people of these communities and organisations to build capacity, dignity and self-reliance. (Mercy Works website - https://www.mercyworks.org.au/)

Fr Frank Mulcahy

It was with sadness that we heard the news that Fr. Frank Mulcahy had passed away last week. Fr Frank was Parish Administrator then Parish Priest of St Mary’s Parish, Grafton, from 1969 to 1981 and made significant contributions to the Parish, the community of Grafton, the Clarence Valley and to the Lismore Diocese. Fr. Frank was my Parish Priest for most of my schooling. An obituary and a 1981 article from the Daily Examiner are included in this newsletter. May he rest in peace.

6R Leadership Program

Over the course of this year, I have been participating in the 6R Leadership Program with The Brown Collective, sponsored by the DLCS through a Growth and Renewal grant. This program, run by Dr Stephen Brown, a well-renowned leader in education, was held in various cities, including Brisbane, Melbourne and Adelaide, and brought together experienced Principals from Catholic schools across Australia. It was a wonderful opportunity to network with School Leaders, learn from each other and from the amazing array of guest speakers who presented to us across a broad spectrum of topics and areas of need. The 6Rs of the program were: Reflection, Renewal, Relatedness, Refinement, Refresh, and Reach-out.  This opportunity has given me the chance to reflect on my leadership journey and prepare for the years ahead. I thank my College Leadership Team for supporting me as I participated in this excellent professional development. 

Principal Leave

I will be on long service leave for the first 4 weeks of Term 4. In my absence, Mrs Kathy Warby will be Acting Principal, Mrs Sophie Beresford will be Acting Assistant Principal, Mission and Wellbeing. 

Reminders

Monday 13th October - Staff development day - Curriculum Focus

Tuesday 14th October - all students return for Term 4

Please note there is a Staff Development Day on Monday, 17th November 

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 would like to 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. 

All the best for the fortnight ahead,

Kate

Kate Thomson
Principal

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

Catherine McAuley