Dear McAuley Families

This week we celebrate the excellent work and support given to our staff and students by our Classroom Support Assistants (Teacher Aides).  Our team of angels carry out high quality intervention programs and support to boys and girls in classes right through our school.  Thank you to Anna, Dora, Jackie, Jaime, Kimberley, Maree and Nakia for their care, professionalism and fabulous support they give to all at McAuley.

We continue to experience high levels of interest in enrolments for 2024.  Please continue to encourage friends and family to submit applications online for next year – especially in Kindergarten, Year 7, and Year 11.  Places are filling quickly.

NAPLAN results are being released currently, with particular emphasis in the press on the teaching and learning happening through our Canberra Goulburn Catholic Education high impact strategies and programs.  Early analysis of McAuley’s results reveal excellent rankings against local and national benchmarks placing us equal or above many of our Canberra counterparts.  This is an excellent reflection of the planning, teaching and assessment being carried out by our teaching staff. More detail will be provided in the coming weeks.

The McAuley Colour Run is certainly gaining some steam!  Our primary students are leading the charge in fundraising pledges.  We hope that our Secondary students can get on board for sponsors for what will be a fun way to raise money for our Community Council projects and student supports. Thanks also to many local businesses who are very generous in their prize sponsorship and support.

This week we began the process of electing our 2024 College Captains.  These leaders will hold the exciting roles of “Foundation College Captains” and lead our students into an exciting future as we grow and evolve into a K-12 College.  Their speeches to their peers showed humility, vision, and optimism for our future.  Thank you to Liam Buckley, Olivia Dean, Russell Guppy, Daniel Smith, and Lily Webb for putting themselves forward as future student leaders.

Elsewhere in this Newsletter you will read about the success many of our sporting teams have gained at local and regional events.  I am proud to always receive very positive and complimentary feedback about our student’s good manners and sportsmanship every time they represent McAuley.

We are also beginning the process of recruitment for staff next year as we continue to evolve and offer new subjects and pathways.  We are currently advertising for the positions of:

• Assistant Principal (Primary)
• Secondary teachers of English, Mathematics, Religious Education and Modern History
• Secondary Coordinators (x 2)

Please encourage suitably qualified friends and colleagues to enquire and apply to work at McAuley at a very exciting time in our history.

We continue to experience high levels of illness among students and staff.  Please be assured that we place a high priority on keeping classes and subjects running normally but there are times when this is not possible due to a severe shortage of relief staff and availability of existing staff.  Please bear with us as we navigate the last weeks of winter flu season.

Mary our Mother, Look after us.

Eamonn Moore

Principal