Dear McAuley Families

Next week we will begin a more formalised enrolment period at McAuley. We are able to offer places in Kindergarten, Years 7 and 11 for 2024. Demand for enrolments at our school is strong so please encourage friends and family to enrol by the end of July for next year.

Having a good idea of places for 2024 will inform our planning for staffing and facilities. There has been a great deal of work happening in the background on future grants and large school building projects on the Primary Campus. We are also working hard to have additional learning spaces ready for our Secondary students. We have almost completed and furnished a larger and more practical virtual learning space for our Year 11 students. As well consultation is needed on longer term future plans for the expansion of our school.

Please keep an eye (and ear) out for advertising about upcoming open days and information sessions for our classes of 2024.

Tuesday 13 June:

· Year 7 Information Session (McAuley Hall) @ 5.00pm.

· Year 11 Information Session (McAuley Hall @ 6.00pm.

Thursday 15 June:

· Year 7, 2024 Orientation Day (open to all current Year 6 students). Come along and try a day at McAuley.

It’s assessment and reporting time. Teachers are busy gathering information about your child’s progress and learning this term. Please support your sons and daughters by being sure they are well organised, on time with homework and assignments and are regularly reviewing class work. Details about parent teacher interviews will be published with reports to enable families to talk with teachers about their child’s successes so far this year.

A reminder that the “Tell Them From Me Survey” closes soon. Catholic Education have extended the closing date into next week. Our response rate is very low at the moment. Please take some time to respond to the questions and feed back about our terrific school.

It is interesting viewing a current TV show about parenting styles. Made more interesting by my adult daughter messaging me through the show asking what I thought about our parenting style as she and her brother grew up! Justin Coulson appears on the program and has some good advice for us as parents. I particularly refer to an article where he talks about “3 L’s of Parenting” being Love, Laughter and Limits. He says “Parenting is a lot like going on a hike. You can pack all the right gear, read up on the trail, and even hire a guide, but there are always unexpected twists and turns that you can't quite prepare for.”

He also writes often about the damage the “Hurry Up” lifestyle does to our boys and girls. The connection with our kids – no matter what their age and stage is vital. It is the same in schools. If a student feels their teacher “likes” them then learning and schoolwork seems so much easier.

As I said at our Kindergarten Information Session on Wednesday afternoon the defining thing about McAuley is that the teachers here really care about the kids they teach. This makes our school and our McAuley family so special and so successful. Thank you for all you do as parents and partners in education.

Don’t forget the next Community Council Meeting will be held next Thursday evening in the school library. Please come along and support the community and fundraising efforts of our Community Council.

Mary our Mother, Look after us.

Eamonn Moore