McAuley News

This week the government made an announcement about a review of university tuition fees from 2021. The plan is to steer more young university entrants into the STEM fields.

The premise is that Australia needs more professionals educated in STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths), and indeed, we do. Study in these disciplines teaches us to be innovative problem-solvers, and helps us in our quest to live more healthy, sustainable, efficient lives. It embraces creativity and originality, and invites us to think intelligently about our futures. 

However, the substantial increase in university tuition fees for arts subjects is disappointing. The purpose of increasing fees in this area is to deter students from participating in studying religion, philosophy, literature, art, music, history, theatre. The arts teach us to be tolerant and to develop an ethical perspective on contemporary thinking and practices. They teach us to be critically literate: to perceive ‘fake news’, to promote robust discussion on futures and policies.

There seems to be an implication that students of the arts are not ‘job ready’, however many very successful adults are graduates of arts programs.

Therefore, we are surely in a much better position as a nation and a society when we have a variety of thinkers in our community. I propose that we do not privilege one strand of thinking over another, but that we embrace both, and encourage our children to participate in both, according to their skill and interest.

In the interests of keeping the arts relevant, and as the holiday period is approaching, I suggest the following novels for your daughters, recommended and reviewed by CMW English teacher, Ms Tyszkiewicz. Two novels are from the modern literary canon, and one from the young adult literary canon, a collection of works that remain relevant and cutting edge, even over time and changing contexts. I invite your daughters to read and be challenged and inspired by the ideas they convey.

This term we conclude with our Staff Formation Day. The focus of this day is for staff to increase their familiarity with the New Curriculum in Religious Education, a curriculum not only for the classroom, but for contemporary Catholic living. We look forward to the company and leadership of the following colleagues and friends:

• Dr Anthony Maher, theologian

• Fr Walter, Parish Priest

• Sr Mary-Louise Petro rsm Sister of Mercy

• Sr Maria Lawton rsm Sister of Mercy

• Teaching Educators Bruce Carr and Tanya Melkie, Catholic Education Diocese of Parramatta

• Gary Borg, Coordinator, Westmead Catholic Community

You may recognise Dr Anthony’s Maher’s name. We had planned to hold a parent and community session in Term 1 that was to be run by Dr Maher. We needed to postpone that event, but as COVID restrictions ease, we will reschedule it and let you know the details.

The first day of Term 3 is also a professional learning day for teachers, focussing on visible learning, a term coined by educational theorist John Hattie. CMW teachers will present and facilitate a number of sessions on this day, including sessions on the success of a variety of interventions we have put in place in 2020.

Semester reports for students in Years 7-11 are being distributed to students on Monday afternoon. The reports are a reflection of learning in a diverse and unusual environment. You will receive a letter with your daughter's report inviting you to participate in online video interviews with her teachers if you feel you need to speak to them about her progress. The online environment will not allow us to hold as many interviews as usual but please nominate to be involved if you need to.

Mary Refalo
Principal

As members of the Alliance of Girls Schools Australasia, our students are invited to take part in an exciting  student learning opportunity.  California Association for STEAM Education (CASE) partner, The Houston Health Museum, will host a Global Teen Medical Summit. CASE students in Years 9-12 are invited to participate in a 5-day virtual camp,  13-17 July 2020. They will join students from around the world online. At this camp, participants will explore innovation in medicine and Artificial Intelligence (AI) with a focus on pandemics.  Students will have the opportunity to take part in a virtual hackathon, work side-by-side with professionals who create life-saving technology, explore the challenges of a pandemic across industries, and leave with an innovation that could potentially change the world.  The classes for this year’s summit are free as they will all be held virtually. Please note, this summit is being held in America and so will run to American time. If you would like to know more about this summit and how to register for this opportunity you can access information here.

During Term 3,  we will be inviting students, teachers and parents to provide feedback on their experience of our school using an online survey. The surveys are an important part of our whole school evaluation and planning process.

We will be inviting you to complete the Tell Them From Me (TTFM) Partners in Learning survey. As we value the role of parents and carers within our school community we would greatly appreciate your feedback. The information you provide will be used to maintain our commitment to working together in partnership to further improve student learning and wellbeing at Catherine McAuley Westmead. 

The survey is anonymous and will take approximately 20 minutes to complete. Early Term 3, a link to the survey will be sent out via the Skoolbag app as well as emailed to all parents. 

I wish everyone a safe and happy holiday.

Ms Silvana Rossetti
Assistant Principal (Learning and Teaching)

‘Going to school’ online from home hasn’t been all that bad. We might have had that little bit of extra time to sleep in or even found ourselves being more productive. And even though we’re slowly heading back to the school grounds, we’re probably going to have to continue doing some kind of virtual learning.  

We are also likely to use similar tech tools and platforms in our workplaces as we get older. That means now is the time to get good at managing time online, so it doesn’t take over our lives completely.

Spending most of the day in front of a screen is easy, but too many uninterrupted hours on YouTube, Netflix or the latest games are probably not doing us any good.

Here are some tips to help you improve your online habits:

• Make a plan — set daily tasks you would like to achieve including study, exercise, socialising and rest. This may help you maintain focus during the day.

• Set routine breaks — if you are using a device for an hour or more, make sure you take a short break. This could include stretching or a short walk.

• Turn off notifications for your social media or messaging apps on Apple and Android devices while studying.

• Monitor or limit your phone use if you are constantly distracted. Many phones have settings that allow you to track how long you spend on apps and set daily usage limits.

• Try limiting your gaming time if playing is beginning to affect your schoolwork or social life — organise some other activities with friends.

• Turn your devices off or put them on airplane mode at least an hour before bedtime to ensure you have the best quality sleep.

For more information go to the eSafety Commission website 

Ms Debbie Grigson
Assistant Principal (Pastoral Care/Administration)

Ryan and Mercedes Houses would like to thank all students and their families who contributed to the fundraising for the Parramatta Women’s Shelter. This is a new shelter in Parramatta which assists women and children who have been victims of domestic violence. In addition to the fundraising stalls held throughout the week each Homeroom was also invited to donate money towards the purchase of gift cards and/or bring in certain items needed by the shelter.

Thank you for the generosity from Catherine McAuley families!!

Fundraising stalls included a Sweets & Baked Goods stall organised by Mercedes and a Hot Chocolate stall organised by Ryan. The student leaders also sold purple ribbons throughout the week for a gold coin donation.

The school is very saddened to learn of the passing of Sr Dr Sophie McGrath rsm, former Principal from 1974 - 1977. Sr Sophie was the third Principal of Catherine McAuley and was appointed to this position after teaching and leading in a number of Mercy schools across the Sydney metropolitan area.

A great advocate for women, Sr Sophie was a founding member of the Golding Centre for Women’s History, Theology and Spirituality at the Australian Catholic University. Her university work as a researcher at ACU began in 1982 and she became a Research Fellow in 2000. The Golding Centre was established in 2003 and Sr Sophie has been the key contributor from the Strathfield campus. She has also mentored doctoral students. 

Sr Sophie is warmly remembered at Catherine McAuley Westmead for her contributions to girls’ education in the Parramatta area. The Sophie McGrath Building, known as the SM Building, originally built as classroom spaces but now the site of the staff study and common room, are named in Sr Sophie’s honour.

Sr Sophie recently reflected on her time as Principal in the school’s 50 years anniversary Book ‘A Book of Memories’ by writing, “The mosaic of my time at Catherine McAuley is dominantly made up of cooperative, generous teachers and developing young women with a wide range of talents, some more suited to the disciplined situation of school than others, and with usually interested and caring parents”.

We pray that Sr Sophie enjoys eternal life in the company of the many women about whom she researched and whose lives she shared with her audience. A funeral for Sr Sophie was held at the Sisters of Mercy Convent, Parramatta on Thursday this week.

Congratulations to all students who took part in the CSDA (Catholic Schools Debating Association) Public Speaking Competition which concluded on Friday last week. This competition was moved to an online competition for the final rounds held on Friday, 12th June and the grand final on Friday, 19th June. McAuley had two students, Victoria C., Year 10 and Akansha N., Year 11 who successfully made it to the top 12.

Miss Sangeeta Raja, Debating and Public Speaking Coordinator, has written the following:

CSDA's first ever online public speaking competition was held on Friday, 12th June via Zoom. The following students made it through the first round and participated in the zone finals: Elisha Z. (Year 7), Grace R. (Year 8), Michelle A. (Year 9), Victoria C. and Darby H. (Year 10), Akansha N. (Year 11) and Brooke B. (Year 12). 

Public speaking via Zoom was certainly a strange experience however the students rose to the challenge and the adjudicators praised the students on how they took the competition to another level with the high quality of their presentations. Each of our students are to be commended for the way in which they conducted themselves and represented Catherine McAuley.

The CSDA Public Speaking Grand Final was held via Zoom on Friday, 19th June. Victoria C. and Akansha N. successfully made it to the top 12 and spoke brilliantly however did not place. Regardless, both girls were grateful for the opportunity and said they thoroughly enjoyed the experience. Well done to all students involved in public speaking this year.

Miss Sangeeta Raja
Debating and Public Speaking Coordinator

All students were given a bookmark last week to remind them both of the Mercy value of ‘Hospitality’ and to follow in Venerable Catherine McAuley’s words to ‘Strive to do ordinary things extraordinarily well”.

The bookmarks were designed by teachers Miss Lisa Allen and Mrs Marianne Nakhoul as part of their project for the Mercy Formation Program. This program sees two staff members from each of the six Mercy schools in Sydney (Mercy College, Chatswood; Monte Sant Angelo, North Sydney; Our Lady of Mercy College, Parramatta; Our Lady of Mercy College, Burraneer, Emmaus College, Kemps Creek and Catherine McAuley) participate after being nominated by their school principal. The staff involved chose a project to work on which will deepen staff understanding of the Mercy charism.

As part of the project undertaken by Miss Allen and Mrs Nakhoul they also designed tea cups and postcards to be gifted to Year 12 students as a graduation gift and to new staff members.

There are 6 Mercy values:

Mercy - Reach out to others in need and treat all with respect and reverence

Justice - Engage in action for social justice and celebrate our diversity and inclusiveness 

Excellence - Strive for our personal best in all we do

Integrity - Lead lives which integrate our personal beliefs and values with those of the school

Courage - Stand up for our beliefs by putting our values into practise

Hospitality - Create a community where all feel welcome

What does a Geography class do when you can't go out into the world to conduct your fieldwork....you bring the world into the classroom of course!

On Thursday, 18th June the Year 12 Geography class attended a virtual field trip into the Green Square Urban Precinct to study this as an example of the changing urban face of Sydney. They had the opportunity to see visuals of the changes to this space over time, and also listen to and ask questions of an expert in the field. The Green Square Urban Precinct is located in Beaconsfield and Zetland as well as parts of Rosebery, Alexandria and Waterloo. It is transforming what was once an industrial heartland into a vibrant, sustainable and connected community.

While the virtual experience cannot replace actually being out in the field and having first hand experiences of our changing world, it definitely provided the students with further insights into this part of their HSC studies.

Mrs Gloria Noud
HSIE - Social Science Coordinator

Year 11 Design and Technology students designed their own fabric print using Adobe Illustrator. Their designs were printed and the students then created a small textile item from the fabric. Each fabric design was to be inspired by a textile print designer and the students have made a variety of items from their fabrics including cushions, shorts, blankets and bags. 

The school was very fortunate to have History and Social Sciences Teacher, Ms Stephanie Dito, awarded a Gandel Holocaust Studies Scholarship late last year which gave her the opportunity to travel to Israel for three weeks during the Christmas holidays to study the Holocaust and how to teach it. Ms Dito has planned a number of lessons based upon what she learnt and recently took Ms Sally McCaul’s Year 9 Elective History class to help them understand the Holocaust through art.

Ms Dito says the students really enjoyed using artworks to help them understand the very complex experiences of the Holocaust and the students came to appreicate how art was used as a way to not only resist the Nazis but also as a form of expression of experiences and as a form of escapism. 

Year 9 Elective History student Mia B. wrote the following reflection:

During Week 6, Ms Dito took over our class to teach us about the Holocaust. We looked at Terezin, a ghetto from WW2 and looked at videos, artworks and a poem from this ghetto. I enjoyed it as we looked at different sources. It helped me understand the Holocaust in a different way as I saw a more creative side of the Holocaust and how a lot of Jews used escapism in art and writing. 

The Gandel Holocaust Studies Scholarship is run by Gandel Philanthropy, one of Australia’s largest independent family philanthropic funds. Over the Christmas holidays they sent a group of 30 teachers from across Australia for an intensive course to study the Holocaust.

As part of their ‘Urban World’ unit of work Year 9 Visual Arts students are experimenting with a range of drawing media to make postcard size artworks to capture and express what life was like living in suburbia during the recent social isolation restrictions. 

Selected artworks are from Mrs Finnerty’s 9VA2 class.

Year 10 Design & Technology students of Miss Catto have just completed an assessment task where they were to pretend they work for a marketing consultancy and had to re-design the packaging of a particular existing cosmetic product for their client. Students were able to choose the product for the packaging re-design with the aim being to increase sales. 

Students created their designs using Adobe Illustrator, printed it to scale and were then to use suitable materials to form the structure for their chosen product’s packaging. 

There are many more ‘Around the Classes’ which can be viewed on the school’s Facebook Page and Instagram Page. Search on both platforms for ‘Catherine McAuey Westmead’.

As Catherine McAuley currently has subscriptions to online careers resources, if students and parents have not yet joined, you are missing out! All students and parents are welcome, and it is never too early to access this information and be ready for the next stage of your daughter’s future.

These sites provide details on events, spotlights on various career areas and important information on industry trends and study areas that are worth knowing about.

The sites are:

www.studyworkgrow.com.au

Click on ‘Find your school’ and enter our school code: CATH19

Fill in your details to access the full site and also select your options for career news.

www.jobjump.com.au

Click on ‘I’m new’ at the top right corner. Enter our school name, and sign up using your school  the password: westmead

All students will benefit from receiving these events and articles, and are encouraged to attend careers events of an evening or on weekends, and the upcoming school holidays are also an excellent time to explore careers with family and friends.

EY are running an online webinar for secondary school Career Advisors, teachers and parents.

This event will share with parents, teachers and Careers Advisors, EY’s purpose as an organisation, how we are navigating disruption and what we believe are some of the key skills that the next generation of talent should seek to develop. We’ll introduce our opportunities for university students so you understand what their next steps could look like and we’ll open up for a Q&A so you can get answers to some of the key questions you’ve been considering in relation to your children’s and student's futures.

This webinar will take place on Tuesday, 11th August at 5.30pm

https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/ey-ready-to-launch-parents-career-advisors-tickets-110223984906

You can find out more about EY here and here.

Mrs Amanda Chahine 
Careers Adviser

A reminder that the school has a Catherine McAuley Parent Business Directory. This directory is a collection of parent owned businesses and is something you might want to consulate when you are next looking for a particular item or service.

If you would like to be included in the directory please fill out this form.