Term 2, Week 3 - 7 May - 2021
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From the Principal
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Assistant Principal - Mission and Wellbeing
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Assistant Principal - Learning and Teaching
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NAPLAN
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Model United Nations Assembly (MUNA) 2021
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Careers
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From the Classroom - Food Tech
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Student Leadership News
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Happy Mothers Day
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Transitus - Photos
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Catholic Youth Summit - Photos
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Open Night - Photos
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ANZAC Day - Photos
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Girls League Tag
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Parent Education Opportunities
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Parent Assembly Flyers
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Prayer Time From The Soul
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Parish News
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Birthdays
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Advertisements
Dear Parents and Carers,
Last week we celebrated Catholic Schools Week. This year's theme is Faith in the Future, with a major focus on the 200 years of Catholic Education in Australia. Highlights of our Catholic Schools week were the “old style” games played at lunchtime, including skipping and quoits; the Assembly liturgy, and the Leadership Forum which involved student leaders from McAuley and our local Catholic Primary Schools - St Marys’ and St Joseph’s. Sister Jenny Hartley and Sister Colleen Brady joined our celebrations and it was wonderful to acknowledge, yet again, the Sisters of Mercy and their commitment to education in our town and surrounding areas. Faith in our Future also permeated our Proclaim Lismore Staff Development Day on Wednesday. This day was most worthwhile and inspiring as we listened to 3 well-known speakers, Fr Frank Brennan, Fr Richard Leonard, and Br David Hall. These presentations provoked interesting discussions on the Catholic Church and Education in the future. The data collected from this gathering will help us determine our Mission Goal for 2022.
Open Night
Our Open night, held last Tuesday, was another successful event, with 80 families visiting the College. All staff were present to showcase our facilities and practices and answer questions. In addition, 46 students were here to act as tour guides, demonstrators in classrooms, assistants, and performers. Our Captains - Jacqui, Ryan, Corey, and Hanna led a brief presentation to the families highlighting the opportunities McAuley has given them and encouraging all to come to MCC. Enrolments are now open via the school website and enrolment interviews will be conducted between the 27th of May and 18th of June. First-round offers for 2022 will be made at the end of this term.
Sr Julianna Dwyer
I take this opportunity to offer our condolences to the Sisters of Mercy and the Dwyer family on the passing of Sr Julianna Dwyer. She exemplified service, community, and dedication to her vocation as a Sister of Mercy. Sr Julianna taught at St Mary’s College and Holy Spirit College between 1955 and 1980. I attended her funeral last Tuesday at St Mary's Catholic Church Casino, to acknowledge her service and represent the school in which she spent many years educating young people of the Clarence Valley. The funeral was a beautiful celebration of Sr Julianna’s life
ANZAC Day
Thank you to all our families who supported ANZAC day this year. We had over 100 students attend ANZAC marches throughout the Clarence Valley, with representatives laying a wreath at services at Grafton, South Grafton, Maclean and Yamba.
Sport & Excursions Reminders
A reminder that payments and permission notes for all excursions and sporting events must be finalised before the day of the event. Students will not be allowed to attend the event if notes and/or payments are outstanding. Please contact the College Office if you require more information or assistance.
In the next fortnight, the following will be happening in the College:
NAPLAN
Tuesday 11th May to Friday 14th May for students in year 7 and year 9. More information is provided in this newsletter.
OPALS (Ongoing Participation and Application Log)
Our OPALS will be available on the parent portal at the end of next week. This is valuable communication on how your child is progressing midway through the term.
Year 12 Retreat
Our Year 12 Retreat is in week 5 this term, and we are looking forward to these 3 days, as this gathering is often named as a highlight of Year 12! Please contact the College if you have any questions.
Finally, Happy Mothers Day to all our mothers, grandmothers, and all women that care for others.
Enjoy the fortnight ahead
Yours sincerely
Kate
Kate Thomson
Principal
“We should be shining lamps, giving light to all around us.” Catherine McAuley
Proclaim Lismore Students aims to provide a comprehensive continuum of Intentional Student Discipleship Programs across the Diocese for students from Year 4 to Year 12. These gatherings aim to bring Catholic secondary students together to meet like-minded peers and to celebrate and meet with other young people who practice their faith.
In 2021, 4 Year 11 students from our school will join students from each of the other parish secondary schools in attending the Street Retreat experience in Brisbane. This experience will form, equip and empower students to return to their parish communities with a passion for social justice and greater sense of the call of Jesus Christ to serve the poor.
Participants in the Street Retreat will spend from Thursday night, 17th June to Sunday lunch, 20th June working with a range of social justice initiatives in Brisbane. Their participation may make a small contribution to those being served – but the event is first and foremost an exercise in discipleship formation.
Participants will find the activities on the street retreat challenging and possibly confronting. Many activities run either very late at night or very early in the morning. The retreat will culminate in a celebration of Sunday Eucharist. In addition, all participants must commit to a follow up Social Justice activity to be held in their own parish/school community following the Brisbane formation experience. Details of these activities will be made available to students upon their selection.
In discerning which students might participate in this retreat experience, the Diocese has recommended the following selection criteria:
- Catholic students who can demonstrate involvement in their parish.
- Catholic students who have attended previous student discipleship programs.
- Students who exhibit the following attributes:
o a strong sense of social justice
o initiative
o common sense and a mature character
A large number of students have already expressed an interest in this event. We can, however, only offer 4 places. Any student who would like to be considered is asked to write a brief statement supporting their nomination on the information sheets provided by Mr Montford, and available at the front office. Attention should be given to the stated selection criteria. Nominations should be handed to the front office no later than Friday, 14th May.
Successful applicants will be asked to make a contribution of $50.00 towards the cost of this experience payable to the school office, as well as provide $5.00 to be donated to a worthy cause and collected on Thursday evening at Street Retreat.
Transitus
Last week 8 of our Year 7 students and 2 of our Year 10 Leaders travelled with Mrs Tahni Day to Yarrahapinni for Transitus. Transitus is a retreat for Year 7 students to grow in their discipleship of Jesus Christ, membership of His Church and to strengthen their transition into Catholic Secondary School. The word ‘Transitus’ was chosen because it is the Latin word for passage, crossing, movement over, transition, transit.
Over the two days the students were involved in various group processes, student discussion, small groups led by Year 10 Youth Ministry students, prayer and celebration of the Eucharist. A wonderful time was had by all and some reflections from the students are below. Thank you to those students who gave up their time to attend and to Mrs Day for supporting them.
Transitus was amazing and the enthusiasm on Kate Nestor’s face when she was doing the activities really showed she wanted to be there teaching us, she had amazing stories to tell about her son. The area of the camp was great as there was a beach close by, a lot of nature and alot of peace and quiet. I made a heap of new friends on the trip, it was only 1 day but it felt so short because of all the fun we were having. The activities at night were the most engaging, we did the tallest tower, trivia and other fun activities. The free time was fun as we had a basketball court, handball court, cabin time, the hall and the firepit, the firepit had a cool setup, it was great that they let the year 7s and 10s help. This camp was educational and exciting, I want to come back in year 10 as a group leader because of the amazing experience and how much fun it was. (Mikayla Crapp, Yr 7)
"It was a great experience to attend Transitus. Thank you to the Year 7's for being very attentive when people were talking, when testimonies were being said, and when Mass was in motion.
It was great to revisit the Yarrahapinni Centre where Transitus was held. It was an honor to be able to be a part of the Year 7's experience and thank you to Mrs. Day for attending Transitus with us. It was amazing to meet many more Year 10 leaders from other schools and now we are all really good friends." (Paige Thompson, Yr 10, Transitus leader)
"Transitus was a really amazing experience. I loved the setout of the retreat. A massive thank you to Matthew, Paige and Mrs Day for helping and giving up their time to make our experience memorable. For anyone entering year 7, I would 100% recommend this retreat as me and my fellow friends have all come back feeling closer and more connected to God. I feel everyone in this retreat was included for their individuality, we all were given parts to play to make our retreat run smoothly." (Holly Swadling, Yr 7)
Kathy Warby
Assistant Principal - Mission and Wellbeing
One of the areas that staff have been working on with students is building Stamina.
Stamina involves sustained effort, perseverance, and resilience. The Stamina domain in the Berry Street Educational Model focuses on:
- Growth mindset,
- Emotional Intelligence,
- Resilience
- Stamina for independent learning.
It is hoped with parental encouragement, some or all of these following ideas will support our student growth and supplement what is happening at school.
- Develop a positive mindset – If I think I can do it, that is the first step in getting it done.
- Drink plenty of water - healthy body, healthy mind
- Schedule short study breaks - each 30 or 50 minutes to improve concentration...try a short meditation exercise to refresh your mind.
- Perhaps when you hit a ‘mental blank’ - try another task, something that has a quick result and gives an instant feeling of achievement. It works!
- Consider your triggers for procrastination….stop thinking googling everything is research, don't be tempted to ‘check in’ with friends or look at your phone to see if you have any messages. If you are smiling at any of this, then you need to consider removing the causes….and address the triggers for procrastination.
- Break your tasks down into manageable chunks… a 1000-word essay can be broken down into an introduction, four or five main body paragraphs, and a conclusion.
- Set some goals in your classes to increase YOUR engagement and motivation. Goal setting such as - improving in-class tests in year seven Maths, asking three questions this week in year nine Science, or submitting your Legal Studies homework on Google classroom before it is due. All simple goals could lead to better habits and motivation.
- Motivational quotes - from famous achievers allow you to maintain focus. If they can do it … so can I.
- Create a positive working environment. By this, I mean making your surroundings as favourable as possible - for what works for you. Here you need to consider when you are most alert (are you a morning person), remove all the distractions from your study area and allow yourself a chance to develop some good habits.
The students at McAuley Catholic College, have an excellent resource in front of them every hour …. each of the teachers that you have every day will have their own motivational techniques of how they got through school, university, and postgraduate study while maintaining a career… I implore students to tap into that resource when they think they need support to increase their Stamina.
McAuley Open Night
Tuesday week two was an opportunity for prospective parents and students to visit McAuley Catholic College to see some of the many opportunities that our school has to offer. As a teacher new to the school this was my first Open Night and I was extremely proud of our staff and students who put together a wonderful display of some of the many great things that we do here at McAuley.
There was a sense of wonder and excitement as people moved around all of the areas of our school. Our Mercy and Marist values were also exhibited with students willing to stay back at school and help with the smooth implementation of the evening.
I would like to draw attention to and acknowledge our student ambassadors. They were involved in setting up activities and displays, supporting the experiments in science, hands on activities in TAS, helping on the BBQ, working within each of the KLAs and taking groups of parents and prospective students around the school.
A big thank you to the following students:
Paige Thompson, Tylar Donohoe, Molly Wiles, Amy Shipman, Janet Irwin, Taylor Powell, Corey Newbold, Savannah Cheney, Brooke Chapman, Amali Rainbow, Matilda Sheehan, April Irwin, Beau Thompson, Annabelle Hourigan, Eleora Nichols, Tahlia Newman, Alana Madden, Sheridan Sutherland, Paige Mackey, Dean Chapman, Matilda McEntee, Rhys Fletcher, Jacqueline Samms, Arliah Montague, Matthew Morgan, Hanna Tait, Bailee Hextall, Ruby Iredale, Heather McGhee, Alizandra McPherson Wil Cameron, Isaac Bibby, Peta Girdler, Brigette Jamieson, Jonathan Leung, Charleze Girdler, Gabby Solway, Ryan Dick, Ryker Montague, Hayley Liquete, Alex Salvestro, Jace Gilbert, James Beard, Lucas Westbury, Tom Mullins.
If your child was involved you should be very proud, on all accounts they did an exceptional job.
This school is more than the sum of its parts. The students are friendly and welcoming, and the staff are passionate. This enthusiasm and dedication as well as the genuine desire to support each student reach their potential is evident not just on Open Night but every day.
We are truly blessed!
Dianne McGowan
Learning and Teaching Assistant Principal
On Saturday the 1st of May, McAuley Catholic College sent a delegation to the Model United Nations Assembly (MUNA) 2021. Jacqueline Samms, Melissa Meier and Jack Bailey, accompanied by Mr Montford and Mrs Green, travelled to Tweed Heads to participate in the Rotary sponsored Assembly which provided students with a hands-on experience of a UN style debate.
MUNA requires students to select a country, research its history, politics, economics, people, international alignment and make real life stances on world affairs. McAuley students elected to research and represent Germany and participated in 4 resolutions, three prepared and one emergency. The topics included International Trade and Development, the Situation in the South China Sea and Regulating International Migration.
Students utilised and refined skills in diplomacy including debating, negotiating, communicating and collaborating to vote on amendments and additions and passing or denying the resolutions.
Congratulations to Jacqueline, Melissa and Jack for their commitment, participation, effort and representation of McAuley Catholic College, we are extremely proud of you all.
A big thank you to Rotary Grafton who sponsored the McAuley Catholic College team and attended on the day, also a big thank you to the Grafton Community Bus for providing transportation.
How is the ATAR calculated? What should I do for subject selection? And do I have to study maths? Join us for a fun and informative evening where we will answer your questions.
- Tue 4 May, 6-7.30pm AEST (on campus)
- Thu 6 May 6-7.30pm AEST (online)
Join us on campus to learn about course options, admission pathways and scholarships. Hear from current students about their experiences and discover why you should apply to USYD.
Tue 18 May, 4-7pm AEST (on campus)
Wednesday webinars
Join us online each Wednesday afternoon to learn more about what the University of Sydney can offer you! Upcoming webinars include;
- Which music degree is right for me?
- Design computing portfolio pathway
- Sydney Law School student panel
Thomas Noble and Russell Undergrad program
McAuley Catholic College - 20th May 2021
The Year 10 cohort will be having a day to prepare them for their career journey on Thursday 20 May. The Year 10 Future Pathways Planning Day will provide students with the opportunity to explore different career pathways by engaging with people from a wide variety of careers within their local community. The program is delivered in partnership with a number of organisations.
During each presentation, students will have the opportunity to hear about the presenter’s pathway to their current role, lessons that they have learned, and what their day-to-day job involves.
The day is designed to get students thinking about their future career and the planning necessary to get to their destination. One of those steps will be investigating subject selections for Year 11.
Rod Paton
Careers Advisor
The Student Leadership team is off and running with the start of a new term. We hope to continue with various initiatives including music concerts, lunchtime sports, as well as having a few big plans in the works. Stay tuned for more information!
On ANZAC Day, members of the SLT volunteered to represent our school in marches and lay wreaths in Maclean, Yamba, and Grafton in remembrance of those who sacrificed themselves for our country.
To commemorate 200 years of Catholic Education in Australia, McAuley took part in Catholic Schools Week in week 2. Student leaders ran a number of old-fashion games, like handball and ring-toss, during lunch and recess. This gave students a taste of the good ol’ days, having some fun in the process, and celebrating the unique and diverse history of catholic education.
On Tuesday 27th April, SLT members stayed back to assist in the organisation of MCC Open Night. Thanks to their eagerness in showing parents and students around our College, the night was a great success.
Last Friday, McAuley Catholic College entered two teams into the school girls League Tag challenge in Coffs Harbour. Most students on our two teams had not played League Tag before, so it was impressive to see these girls embrace this challenge the way they did, by having a go and learning a new sport.
Our under 14s team came away with one win against Woolgoolga highschool, securing the win with an excellent try from Year 7 student, Zahlee Kilduff. Other commendable players on the day included Jasmine Chellew and Alicia Boehme. All students played extremely well and showcased their developing skills as well as a positive attitude.
Despite not coming away with a win on the day, the under 16s team should be commended on their excellent team spirit and strong communication skills. Sahara Powell and Laynie Rheinberger were the most consistent and experienced players, with Sahara scoring a try in our first game against John Paul College.
Congratulations to all students who attended the carnival and thank you to all staff involved in the planning and running of this day, with special mention to our student coaches, Mitchell Dick, Noah Burchell and Rhys Berry, whose enthusiasm and knowledge for the game of league, supported our teams both on the day and during training sessions leading up to the carnival.
Katrina Don
eSafety's Guide to Parental Controls Free Webinar
This eSafety free webinar will look at how parents and carers can set up devices and apps to help kids and young people stay safe online. It is designed for parents and carers of children aged 4-13.
It will cover:
- the benefits and limitations of parental controls
- how to set up iOS and Android devices for safety
- how to set up popular games and apps like YouTube and Roblox for safety
- using family tech agreements and other parenting strategies to manage online risks
- how eSafety can help when things go wrong.
This webinar will include practical tips, demonstrations and advice.
Choose from one of the following dates/ times:
- Tuesday 8 June 12.30 to 1.30pm
- Wednesday 16 June 7.30 to 8.30pm
Parents/carers can register at https://register.gotowebinar.com/rt/9188680659348918543
Happy Mothers Day!
Please find attached the latest Parish Bulletins from Clarence Valley Parish.