McAuley Catholic College Newsletter

We have now finished week 4 and life is very busy at McAuley. In the last fortnight we have settled into classes with learning and engagement a major focus, and of course there are many other activities happening outside the classroom. I encourage all students to get involved in some way in the College. We are always looking for ways to enhance our community and for ways our students, parents and staff can engage in it. 

Our Swimming Carnival was held on Friday 21st February, and I hope all parents supported this major event in our school calendar by sending their child/children, and encouraged them to be involved in an aspect of the day. Thank you to Mr Humphries as the main carnival organiser, his team and all the staff who have worked hard to make this day a success. There will be more details and photos of the carnival in the next newsletter. 

This year Ash Wednesday falls on Wednesday, 26 February. We will celebrate an Ash Wednesday Liturgy at 2.30pm on this day, here at the College, where all students and staff will receive Ashes. All members of our community are welcome to join us.  A reminder that the Canteen will NOT be selling meat products on Ash Wednesday, which remains a day of fast and abstinence in the liturgical calendar. As many of us know, Ash Wednesday begins the season of Lent, a time of reflection, fasting and penance that prepares us for Christ’s resurrection on Easter Sunday.  When thinking about Lent I recall Pope Francis’ message from a few years ago, when he asked us to reconsider the heart of fasting in the Lenten season and I believe his message is still relevant this year. According to Francis, fasting must never become superficial. He reminds us that these activities must truly enrich others. So, if we're going to fast from anything during Lent, Francis suggests that even more than chocolate or alcohol, we fast from indifference towards others. The Pope writes "Indifference to our neighbour and to God also represents a real temptation for us Christians……..whenever our interior life becomes caught up in its own interests and concerns, there is no longer room for others, no place for the poor. God's voice is no longer heard, the quiet joy of his love is no longer felt, and the desire to do good fades……..We end up being incapable of feeling compassion at the outcry of the poor, weeping for other people's pain, and feeling a need to help them, as though all this were someone else's responsibility and not our own." (Lenten message 2015; EVANGELII GAUDIUM #54). So I ask you to consider fasting from indifference this Lent.  Jesus showed us the way to love others, as in his life and ministry, no one is excluded.  

Also on Wednesday 26th February we will be having our School Photos. All students will have their photo taken for school records. This means all students will have an individual photo taken. Parents have the option of purchasing school photos using the envelope provided or using the online facilities. Details of this are on the envelope.  Mrs Warby has outlined in more detail the dress requirements for Photo Day. 

We held our first  P&F / Parent Forum meeting for the year on Tuesday night and I thank those parents who came along to discuss plans for the year ahead – it was lovely to meet you all. At this gathering I took the opportunity to introduce myself (again) and some of the areas I wish to focus on as Principal. We discussed the format of the Parent group - will a P&F reform or do we stay as a Parent Group / Forum? It was decided that the P&F will not reform this year and the format of 2019 will continue into 2020. This means a meeting will continue to be held on the 3rd Tuesday of each month at 5.30pm. This will be a time where parents can hear what has been going on in the College, build community, ask questions, and offer assistance for events such as social evenings, parent information nights, College Musical and open nights. Working in conjunction with the Parent Assembly, we will provide opportunities for parent education, so a plan will be constructed and speakers, both internal and external, will be organised. I encourage all parents and carers to look for opportunities to be involved in the College and their child’s education. We are on this journey together and we acknowledge that parents and carers are the primary educators of their children. 

On Tuesday we had a professional photographer at the school taking photos for our promotional material that will be rolled out shortly as part of our 2020 marketing campaign. It was an exciting day and a wonderful opportunity for me to wander around the school and in and out of classes. There are great things happening in our College and I was reminded that learning can be so interesting and fun! I encourage you to have conversations with your child to find out what they are doing at school. As I mentioned in the previous Newsletter, our Open Night is Tuesday 17th March 5pm - 7pm.

Thursday was also an exciting day for our Year 7 students as they received their laptop computers! Each computer is labelled with a sticker which makes for easy identification and also assists staff when learning names of their students. The stickers are to remain on the computer and are not to be defaced. Technology is an important part of today’s world and is seen as common and necessary items which must be incorporated into and managed within the educational domain. It is vitally important that parents have clear expectations around the use of technology at home to support the use of it at school.

The Student Leadership Team is very active in their quest to make MCC an inclusive place where everyone can feel they belong and get involved. They organise a game of Dodgeball each Tuesday in the hall and this is open to all students. Their major event for the term is McAuley Fest which is set for Week 10, Wednesday 1st April.  This will replace the social and is being pitched as a family event where our talented students will be performing on a stage in a festival type format. Food and refreshments will be available. Stay tuned for more information soon!

2020 Student Residential Address and Other Information Collection

The Australian Government Department of Education, Skills and Employment will be undertaking a residential address collection in 2020. As part of this project, we have to provide parental address information as well as student residential address information. A full letter explaining the information being collected and the process used for this collection will be sent to parents and carers this week. 

A statement of addresses contains the following information about each student at the school:

• Student residential address (not student names).

• Student level of education (ie, whether the student is a primary or secondary student).

• Student boarding school status (ie, whether the student is boarding or a day student).

• Names and residential addresses of the student’s parent(s) and/or guardian(s).

Newsletter Day

I have decided that the College Newsletter will be published on a Monday. It will continue to be emailed to all families and staff and it is available on the website as are past editions. If you require a newsletter to be sent via please contact the College office to make these arrangements.

Finally, I ask that we keep our former colleague, teacher and friend, Brian Elvery, in our thoughts and prayers. Brian was involved in an accident recently and has sustained some serious injuries. We wish him a speedy and successful recovery.  

Enjoy the fortnight ahead

Yours sincerely, 

Kate

Kate Thomson
Principal

Here are some reminders regarding School Photos:

• All students are to have their photo taken for school records.

• Please note - as our school photos are for our records, students need to be dressed according to the College rules:

• Long hair is to be tied back

• Jewellery is to be at a minimum 

o    Earrings – maximum two earrings  per ear – small stud or sleeper,

o    No nose rings or other piercings (small, clear plastic nose stud that does not show may be acceptable)

o    One thin chain allowed around neck

• Ties are to be tied correctly on Senior Boys and all girls - ie covering top button

•  All shirts are neat and tidy,

• Girls sleeves are rolled down

• No make-up required

Ash Wednesday 

On Wednesday, 26th February the College will be celebrating Ash Wednesday in the hall at 2.30pm. Parents and Carers are most welcome to join this liturgy which marks the beginning of Lent in the Church calendar. The distribution of ashes reminds us of our own mortality and calls us to repentance. The Church emphasises the penitential nature of Ash Wednesday by calling us to fast and abstain from meat. The purpose of this is to remind us to take stock of our spiritual lives during Lent. 

As Lent begins, we should set ourselves specific spiritual goals that we would like to reach before Easter and decide how we will pursue them. Some ways to do this are through prayer, self sacrifice, generosity to the poor or maybe actually doing something or taking some action in our lives. 

The College will participate in Project Compassion throughout Lent. This is an initiative organised by Caritas. Caritas Australia’s annual Lenten fundraising and awareness-raising appeal brings thousands of Australians together in solidarity with the world's poor to help end poverty, promote justice and uphold dignity. All Homerooms will have a project compassion box and students are encouraged to support this. 

Weekly Masses

Each Tuesday students will attend a Mass in our College Chapel at 9am. The students attend with their RE class with their RE teacher. Parents and families are most welcome to attend: 

25th February - 7.3 RE (Mrs Cureton’s class) 

3rd March - 7.4 RE (Mrs Warby’s class)

Through the mass we encounter Christ through his Word and through the Eucharist. An essential part of Catholic education is to know Jesus Christ and deepen our relationship with Him. This is undertaken through attending mass and receiving the Eucharist.

Transitus

Transitus is a retreat for invited Year 7 students from Parish Secondary Schools. It aims to create a smoother transition to secondary school and celebrate and nurture the student's faith at a diocesan level.  We participate in the Transitus retreat run in the south of the Diocese. 

The retreat will be a chance to bring students together to meet like-minded peers and to celebrate with other young people who want to grow and be supported in their Christian faith. The activities will be a mixture of large and small sharing groups as well as celebrating the Eucharist together. The program has been geared to meet the needs of these Year 7 students. 

The gathering will be an overnight experience that will allow students to build relationships with other students from throughout the Diocese as well as a chance for students to talk and share about their faith journey. 

What: Transitus – a youth retreat for Year 7 students from every Parish school in the Southern Region of the Diocese. 

When: Thursday 2nd – Friday 3rd April 2020 

Where: Valla Beach Tourist Park, Valla Beach 

Cost: Nil. All transport, food and accommodation expenses will be met by the Catholic Schools Office.

This retreat is for students who: 

• Regularly attend Mass,

• Are involved in some other form of Church involvement either at school or in the parish,

• Show initiative, common sense and maturity and

• Are seeking to grow in these areas

A large number of students have already expressed an interest in this retreat.  We can, however, only offer 10 places.  Any student who would like to be considered is asked to complete the Student Application Form provided by Mr Montford, and available at the front office. Attention should be given to the stated selection criteria. Nominations should be handed to Mr Montford no later than Friday 13th March.

National Pilgrimage of the Relics of St Therese and her parents St’s Louis and Zelie Martin. 

On Tuesday 18th February our College leaders attended St Mary’s Church to lead the Relics of St Therese and her parents Saints Louis and Zelie Martin into the Church. This was a part of a pilgrimage of the relics that is taking place within the Lismore Diocese. 

St Therese of Lisieux affectionately known as ‘the little flower’, was a French Carmelite nun, born on the 2nd January 1873. She made it her mission to do “little things with great love”. 

Our senior leaders displayed great respect as they carried the reliquaries into the Church and participated in the mass with local parishioners. Fr D’Osa, a Discalced Carmelite Friar, from Coffs Harbour encouraged us to follow in St Therese's footsteps, to ‘do little things with great love’, by showing our love and care for all who we encounter in our daily lives. 

Loving God, 

As we remember St Therese and her holy family, teach us to 

live each moment as missionary disciples in love and generosity . 

May her little way lead us to discern your will in loving  surrender

to what the Spirit is saying, and we may know that with you

everything is grace.

Amen 

Assistant Principal

Hello Students and Parents,

I hope everyone is settling into the swing of the school year and enjoying what has been a fantastic start for both students and staff.

I have been having a few discussions with parents and students of late about why we are strict with our uniform policy.  I thought I’d try to explain the reasons in this newsletter.

This is straight from our Staff Handbook for 2020:

“McAuley Catholic College students are expected to show pride in the College by wearing the school uniform correctly.  Wearing of the school uniform is important for several academic, social and safety reasons. Most importantly, wearing a school uniform promotes a sense of identity and respect for the school. Wearing a uniform encourages school spirit and a sense of belonging and pride. It removes competitiveness and class distinction in dress and lessens ‘financial’ barriers between students.  In this regard, it can help to reduce incidences of bullying and peer pressure. Additionally, wearing a uniform creates a sense of orderliness throughout the school. It also models behaviour by helping students to prepare for when they leave school and may have to dress smartly or wear a uniform.”

I have had many discussions with people over the last few years about their extreme hairstyles, the latest, dangling earrings, walking around the school with expensive airpods, wearing skate shoes instead of school shoes, nose piercings, long flowing hair, excessive jewellery - the list goes on. 

I totally understand that people like to express themselves with their appearance.  At our College, we encourage a different sort of self-expression. We encourage our students to express themselves with their God-given talents, those special abilities that make them different from others.  That might be through their love of a certain subject, through a love of music or drama, or art, through a love of a particular sport. Some students are very community minded, some are great leaders. Self-expression is so important when we talk about developing our character, the theme of our Pastoral Care lessons this term.

I would encourage parents to talk to their children this week and ask them how they can express themselves at our College.  What activities / subjects / programs do we offer as a school that allow our students to express themselves and their unique abilities?  Ask them, are they proud of their school? I’d love some feedback on those questions.

I look forward to seeing that pride in our College by seeing our students walk in dressed appropriately every day.

I also look forward to offering help to any student or any family that has difficulty with our uniform requirements.  We are here to help so please, contact us immediately if we can assist.

Take care,

Rob Imeson

Leader of Pastoral Care.

Benefits to McAuley Catholic College include:

• Catering for a diverse range of students and learning needs 
• Information from employers regarding expectations and work tasks to facilitate a better match between employer and student 
• Engaged students who are able to put classroom learning into practice and contribute their experiences to classroom discussions

• Improving understanding of the work environment and employers' expectations
• Increasing self-understanding, maturity, independence and self-confidence, especially in the workplace 
• Increasing motivation to continue to study and/or undertake further training 
• Ability to put knowledge gained in the classroom into practice in a real world situation
• Opportunity for personal improvement through the development of employability and generic skills
• Development of networks and obtaining industry feedback and a professional referee 
• Enhancing opportunities for an apprenticeship, casual or part-time employment 
• Providing an opportunity to try out career choices before leaving school 

The Program provides benefits to employers by 

• Contributing to the development of workplace skills and entry level skills in their industry* Promoting to young people the career potential of their industry 
• Providing access to a pool of future paid apprentices, casual or part-time workers 
• Enabling potential recruitment of new employees who can be immediately productive 
• Developing the-training and supervisory skills of employees who will induct, train, supervise and/or assess MCC students 
• Enabling employees to mentor young people in their career decision making process 
• Encouraging students to become involved with businesses in their local community

Students are covered by CCI Insurance whilst enrolled in the program. However, they do not attend during school holidays unless they have their own insurance. To participate in the program there are expectations students must meet at the College and documents to complete and return before students begin. Students must complete a booklet as they progress and keep in regular contact with the Careers Adviser.

In previous years students who were enrolled in SWL have gained apprenticeships. Students who are interested in SWL are encouraged to visit the Careers Office.

UNIVERSITY ROADSHOW

Thirty enthusiastic Year 12 students attended the University Roadshow at MCC on Tuesday, 19th February. Representatives from Newcastle University, Charles Sturt University, Southern Cross University and the University of New England were in attendance.

The OPAL program at McAuley Catholic College has been developed to provide information in a timely manner about the nature and quality of student participation and application across all curriculum areas. It is an opportunity to recognise, affirm and promote student effort and engagement. The OPAL program will also enable the College to identify students of concern and intervene in an appropriate and timely manner in order to assist and encourage improved engagement with their learning.

Teachers will assess students in Years 7 - 11 and provide an OPAL score in each term.

Students will be given a score from 1-10 for each subject based on the College Classroom Expectations

• Safety - demonstrates safe behaviours, follows instructions and procedures.

• Effort - prepared for class, is engaged and completes set tasks.

• Respect - displays attentive, co-operative and courteous behaviour.

• Responsibility - accountable for their own learning and behaviour.

The scores will be averaged out to provide a score out of 10. These scores will be available via the parent portal on Schoolworx. An opportunity for a Parent Teacher Interview will be available and these will be scheduled in Week 10 of Term 1.

This year, McAuley Catholic College has subscribed Year 7 to 10 students to a literacy website called WordFlyers. This interactive English program is designed to build students’ essential literacy and higher-order thinking skills. A new school year and new subjects often brings some learning challenges. This can be especially the case for our Year 7 students. So that our students can learn to the best of their ability, it is important that they acquire and practise literacy skills, such as punctuation, grammar and spelling.

BRAVISSIMO MUSIC EXCURSION

On Wednesday 12th February, fourteen McAuley music students travelled to Port Macquarie to see Bravissimo. This is a concert where HSC students from the previous year showcase their talents. We saw 19 amazing performers; some as soloists, a duet, a few trios and a number of bands. Styles of music included rock, jazz, pop, musicals, klezmer and even a Norwegian folk song with added beatboxing!

Despite the very wet weather on the day we had a really inspiring and enjoyable trip. Thank you to all the students who attended for their exemplary behaviour, and especially the HSC music class for the gift of a very good playlist!

Sarah Nicholls
Music Teacher

Last week’s Assembly had plenty of great announcements advertising events for the next few weeks. Nash Cooper, Mercy House Captain, presented a great video for this year’s Swimming Carnival, put together by the House Captains.

Evan Whitty, along with Ewan Whitty and Alana Madden, reminded the school about our new recycling initiative. Be sure to bring in your plastic bottle caps to recycle as they will be sent to envision.org.au to be turned into prosthetic limbs for those less fortunate.

We have started the year well as a team and the Year 12 leaders have great pleasure in welcoming our new Year 10 and 11 Leaders:

Year 10:

• Ewan Whitty, Jonathan Leung, Matilda Sheen, Beth Goodall

Year 11:

• Clare Campbell. Alana Madden. Corey Newbold, Ryan Dick 

To help us develop our leadership skills, build as a team and plan out the year, the SLT participated in a Leadership Day at the McCarthy Center on Thursday.Thank you to Mrs Robinson, Mr Bellamy and Ms Thomson for organising and running the day.  The SLT has set out plans for many new activities over the first semester, discussed and implemented strategies we need to be effective in our roles and determined our goal for 2020 - ‘Community through Servant Leadership’. This means we wish to serve the students of MCC to effectively make all feel not only welcome but a sense of pride in the school.

On Friday 14th February it was time to celebrate Valentine’s Day! It was a great hit with the School Community and it ran smoothly with Rachel Solomon’s amazing organizational skills and leadership, getting all the roses out to students in record time.

A major event for the Student Leadership Team this term is McAULEY FEST which will be held in Week 10. More information will be coming soon!