Term 3 - Week 3 - 5 August 2022

Dear Parents and Carers,

This edition of our Newsletter is a comprehensive review of the last fortnight. Congratulations to all our students who received certificates recognising outstanding achievement and effort in Semester 1 at our Awards Assembly on Thursday. I take this opportunity to publicly congratulate Saskia McGrath (Year 12) for being one of 3 finalists in the North Coast & Mid North Coast VET Student of the Year awards and to her teacher Jasmine Organ. Congratulations also to Alex Salvestro (Year 11) for his artwork that made the finalist list in the UNESAP Let’s Hang It 2022 exhibition at NERAM (New England Regional Art Museum). Here is a link to the website. 

School Improvement

Thank you to the parents and students who participated in the School Review last week. As I have said in previous correspondence, the 3-day School Review was conducted by an external organisation - ACER (Australian Council for Education Research). The 4 person team spoke to at least 85% of the staff; parent representatives, and students from all year groups, as well as attended various classes. On the final afternoon, the team presented to the staff a list of commendations, affirmations and recommendations. When we receive the final report in a few weeks I will share the information with parents.

From here we will collect additional data to determine our Strategic Management Plan and an Annual Plan as part of our School Improvement journey. The Tell Them From Me survey is an important avenue to collect staff, student and parent voices about the school. Kathy Warby has written about this survey and has included a link for parents in the newsletter. We would greatly appreciate many parents completing the survey before the 31st of August. To analyse data and work towards the development of our strategic management plan we will have an additional Staff Development Day on Friday 14th October 2022. 

Parent Assembly Information Night - Chris Hudson - Motivating Teenagers - 9 August 6.00 for 6.30pm.

I encourage all parents to come along to this evening with Chris Hudson, organised by our Parent Assembly representatives. Chris is here to give parents strategies to help them motivate their teenagers!  Please support this initiative by coming along on the 9th of August at 6pm (See the flyer in the newsletter)

Senior Charity Ball

Our Senior Charity Ball is well underway in terms of organisation. Tickets are on sale for Yr 11 & 12 students and 3 family guests. Tickets need to be booked and purchased by Friday 12 August. The committee has been working hard to make this a memorable evening for all. Our Charity is St Joseph’s Primary School, Woodburn and our funds are supporting the stage 3 students to attend a camp, as so many families have been and continue to be severely affected by the floods in February and March. Please come along to support this worthwhile community event. Contact the College for more information. 

Week 4 

We wish the many students involved in the various activities scheduled for week 4 all the best and I thank the staff for their time and hard work, as many of these experiences are overnight or early and late finishes. Students are participating in Year 11 Retreat, Year 8 Camp, Year 10 Reflection Day, Schools Netball Cup, as well as PISA testing and HSC Trial exams.  

OPALS

As we have so many disruptions in week 4, OPALS will be delayed for a week, with the new publish date now the 19th of August.

Saint Mary of the Cross 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.

Enjoy the fortnight ahead

Yours sincerely

Kate

Kate Thomson

Principal

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

Catherine McAuley

Trial HSC exams

The year 12 students have started their HSC Trial exams. The first week has gone smoothly and I am sure that our students are relieved, that the bulk of their exams have been completed. A big 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 useful information to help HSC students prepare for their final exams including: 

• strategies to manage and reduce exam stress 
• top scoring exam answers in 2021 
• study and exam advice from past HSC students

Premier’s Reading Challenge

Premier’s Reading Challenge (PRC) ends at the end of August. The students who have embarked on the PRC had a gathering in the Library this week to get organised and have the rest of the month to finalise their books for the challenge. Reading is such an essential part of any learning and it is lovely to see this challenge participated in so fully at our school. Thanks to Mr Bellamy for his work in supporting such a great initiative. 

Technology in the classroom

The Literacy Growth with Digital Technologies Project implemented by Margaret Bertalli (Leader of Pedagogy) and Mark Bellamy (Leader of Learning Technologies) is supporting the development of a powerful culture of learning, fostering growth and high expectations to improve writing. In 2022 there is a whole school focus on writing as a major component of the School Improvement Plan. Our first big success has been the Vivi’s (new technology to support teaching) - these items were needed to facilitate the use of iPads across the school and connectivity with data projectors. We did not realise how much of a game changer these little blue boxes would be! Staff can connect to data projectors with any type of device (e.g. laptops Windows or Macs), iPads, Tablets and phones. 

More importantly, teachers can grant access to the Vivi to allow students to display work samples sharing work with the class in a way that allows teachers and students to collaborate and provide opportunities for immediate descriptive feedback and peer assessment. 

Like many of the wonderful initiatives that happen at McAuley, the implementation of this project by Mrs Bertalli and Mr Bellamy has been so seamless that we have forgotten what teaching was like without this extra teaching tool. Thanks to both staff for their dedication to keeping the technology that we use in the classroom focused on improving student outcomes.

Di McGowan
Assistant Principal - Learning & Teaching

SHINE 

SHINE unites all Youth Ministry (CSYMA) students in Catholic secondary schools of the Diocese of Lismore. This year’s event will continue to honour the popular features of the annual gathering and will be a joyful celebration of youth, faith and music. The theme this year is No Limits (to God’s Love). 

Youth Ministry students in years 9 and 10 will attend SHINE at St John Paul College, Coffs Harbour on Thursday 18th to Friday 19th August. Mr Montford and Mrs Robinson will accompany them. All notes and money should now be handed into the front office. 

We wish you all the best at SHINE. 

And there is no limit to the blessings which God can send you – he will make sure that you will always have all you need for yourselves in every possible circumstance, and still have something to spare for all sorts of good works. 2 Cor 9:8

Year 10 Reflection Day 

On Thursday, 11th August, Year 10 students will take part in their Reflection Day.

This is part of the retreat program at McAuley Catholic College. The day will be facilitated by Michael Fitzpatrick. Michael works as a Retreat facilitator for both staff and students in schools throughout New South Wales and Queensland. He understands young people and is able to challenge them to move beyond their present state. We have worked with Michael for over a decade and we look forward to working with him again for this experience.

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 have covered shoes and a water bottle. 

Mary MacKillop Feast Day 

Mary MacKillop Feast Day is held every 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. She is recognised for her commitment to the poor, helping those who needed it the most in any way she could.

Australians pride themselves on being people who care deeply for their mates and believe in a fair go. Mary MacKillop emphasised the importance of never seeing a need without doing something about it. 

Mary’s leadership qualities and pastoral actions set her apart. A visionary woman of her time. Mary worked tirelessly to perform good works for all people regardless of their faith, gender, colour or socio-economic status. Her reverence for the dignity of the marginalised in society did not go unnoticed. Driven by her desire to show God’s love, her passion for education and helping the poorest of the poor was fierce. She wasn’t afraid to question authorities, was non-nonsense in her approach and focussed on deeds, not words.

(Gemma Thomson – Prayers and Reflections) 

Mary MacKillop Prayer 

God of the Pilgrim, 

Mary MacKillop trusted your guidance in her journey of life and deepened her confidence in your will. 

May we renew our trust in your Providence to lead us to hope as we bring our prayer before you. 

May we grow in the fullness of your love and the depth of your mystery. 

We ask this through Jesus Christ, our Way, our Truth and our Life. 

Amen. 

Year 12 Awards and Graduation 

Year 12 students have been asked to nominate students in their year group for the various special awards which are awarded at the Year 12 Graduation on Thursday 22nd September. 

This information has been shared with them by their Year Coordinator, Mr Tony Ellis. We encourage all students to consider worthy applicants for the various awards and have a voice in acknowledging their peers. 

Applications for the most prestigious award The McAuley Medal have also been handed out and we look forward to the applications we will receive. This is a special time for Year 12 and marks the end of their education in secondary schooling. Ensuring we not only capture the voice of staff but of the students themselves allows us to draw on a range of information so that we can award students accordingly for their various achievements.

Kathy Warby
Assistant Principal - Mission and Wellbeing

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 applied themselves with diligence 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 awarded for a consistent display of the College Expectations on Thursday’s Academic Awards Assembly were:

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 Thursday week 4. 

The McAuley community would like to congratulate Saskia McGrath on her recent VET achievements. Saskia was runner-up in the 2022 VET in Schools Student of the Year Competition for the North & Mid North Coast Region. Saskia is currently studying a Certificate II in Hospitality as part of her HSC suite of subjects.

I nominated Saskia for the award as she consistently goes above and beyond her duties in our school cafe as well as supporting and guiding other students. She displays exceptional customer service and is confident in her abilities.

Even though Saskia did not win on the night, she deserves an accolade for taking on this opportunity with enthusiasm. She should be very proud that she was a finalist. 

Her commitment and persistence will take her a long way and I’m sure she will pursue her dreams of becoming a TAS and VET teacher. 

Jasmine Organ

Hospitality Teacher

Year 11 Primary Industries

On Thursday 21st July, the Primary Industries class attended an Agri-Food Masterclass at the Grafton Department of Primary Industries Institute.

The day was funded through Industry Training Hubs - an Australian Government Initiative.  Students were introduced to Emma Ayliffe, who was awarded the Young Farmer of the Year in 20-21. Emma spoke about her journey in agriculture, from her young days in South Australia to her current farm in Western NSW. 

Students were involved in drawing a picture of the different jobs involved in getting from a wheat seed to a loaf of bread. Emma used this to further our discussion on the diversity of skills needed in the industry. It was awesome to listen to someone so passionate about their industry. We were then introduced to a local presenter, Jack Mooney. He outlined his path, which is very different to Emma’s. Again, highlighting the diversity of skills needed. Our day concluded with a tour of the site with Tom Granleese, where we were shown the wide variety of activities and research that are taking place.  Huge thanks to Industry Training Hubs for organising the day.

Yr 10 Agriculture

On Friday 29th July, our Year 10 Agriculture students visited Yulgilbar Station Open Day.  It was a great opportunity for the students and a perfect way to finish off our Beef and Pasture unit.  We were able to view the bulls available for the upcoming sale, as well as trade stalls from Gallagher Fencing, Zoetis and Nutrien Ag. Brett Ellem welcomed all visitors to the farm before introducing a couple of guest speakers. 

Students learnt about genetics, nutrition, cropping and breed specifications.  It was a fantastic day out, and a huge thank you to Brett and the team at Yulgilbar.

This week our Indigenous students were invited to St Joseph's Grafton to participate in their NAIDOC week celebrations. A group of our Indigenous students performed their contemporary Aboriginal Dance for the primary school students at their NAIDOC assembly and helped the staff run activities for the children. Our students enjoyed answering questions from the St Joseph's students about their dance whilst participating in various traditional games with them. 

It was wonderful to see such respect and sharing of cultural experiences. We are very proud of the students for being so involved in extracurricular activities. They were exemplary in their behaviour and participation.

Thanks to Ms Ellee Munro for her work in ensuring that the excursion ran smoothly and the students for being such excellent ambassadors for the school.

COMPASS - SCHOOL COMMUNICATION PLATFORM 

As you are aware, we have moved to COMPASS School Manager, which is a new communication and school management platform. Please note this is a System based implementation, not a school-based decision. We are learning with you and thank you for your patience.

FEES

You recently received a request for payment of school fees via Compass. This was followed by a statement that was emailed to all families. The statement outlines the fees charged. A couple of things to note regarding the fees:

• You will be billed school tuition fees each term
• Resource fees will be once a year (term 2)
• You will receive notification via COMPASS
• You will receive a monthly statement via email
• You can pay fees using COMPASS, B-Pay (new numbers are on your statement), Direct Debit or in person at the Office

EVENTS (EXCURSIONS, SPORTS, ETC)

We aim to move to Event Management in COMPASS in Week 5 this term. This will mean organisation, communication, permission and payments can all be done electronically.

For this to occur each family must return the Event Management Permission Note ASAP.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            Parents and carers need to sign a document that indicates they will be using the online Event Management of COMPASS to give permission for their child/children to participate in College events. This will enable us to move to electronic organisation, communication and payments as soon as possible.

A copy of this letter is attached here. It must be signed by all parents/carers who will be providing permission. 

For more information, you can visit Compass for Parents. For further assistance, email the school at james.hand@lism.catholic.edu.au