Dear Parents

Well meaning, loving and supportive parents can unwittingly contribute to their children’s anxiety

 When your child comes home from school with tales of mean girls, aggressive boys and insensitive teachers, remember that children feed off our emotions and can get more distressed when we’re distressed. We need to try to keep our own anxiety in check while sympathising with theirs. We have to be the emotional rock: the person who understands and supports.

 We all want to stand up for our children, but our eagerness to advocate can sometimes actually raise anxiety levels. If your child shares a school problem with you, your first instinct is often to march into the school and try to resolve it. This tells your children that you don’t have faith in them to fix their own problems. Your first priority should be to help them find a solution they can implement without your help, every time. 

Most of us get our confidence not from compensating for weaknesses, but on playing to our strengths. Children can’t always avoid their weak areas, but by focusing on strengths we build self-efficacy and confidence.

 Positive affirmation can easily turn to pressure. Compliment children when they excel, but don’t make their excellence a reason to expect even more from them.

Sometimes children make poor choices, and the thought of family finding out can seem like a fate worse than death. Let your children know that while values are important, you understand the realities and temptations they face. Don’t create a culture where your children are too anxious to come to you and admit they messed up. 

If we’re struggling financially or fighting with our spouse, we think our children are better off not knowing. But they suspect and if they don’t know the whole story, they can blow it out of all proportion. Should we pile our own troubles on our child’s shoulders? No, but it doesn’t hurt to be honest about what our concerns are and, more importantly, what we’re doing about it. By sharing what makes us anxious and how we deal with it, we’re modelling practical ways to resolve anxiety.

As you would be aware NAPLAN tests began this week and our school was selected to do the online version. There have been connectivity issues that have affected our school like many others across NSW. These faults are beyond our control, the education authorities have assured us they are doing everything possible to rectify these issues.

If you have real cocerns you can contact the NESA NAPLAN TEAM – 1300119556

Naplan.nsw@nesa.nsw.edu.au

You can now enrol online at McAuley by selecting the link on the school website (below). Alternatively, please contact the school for an enrolment form. To complete an application form you will need to submit the following information. Original documents will need to be presented at the time of interview.

We have some important information sessions planned for families commencing in 2020 in **Kindergarten and Year 7. 

Please refer to the advert below for full details: 

**The Kindergarten information session is aimed at NEW families. 

School fee statements have been emailed to all families this week. If you are paying by the term, the account is due to be paid in full by 14th June. 

We appreciate your support. If you did not receive your email, please contact the school. 

Some important dates for Year 6 Confirmation:

Saturday 18th May - Parent/child meeting - 5pm in the Church followed by 6pm Mass.

Saturday 25th May - Confirmation Commitment Mass at 6pm or Sunday 26th May at 10am

Saturday 1st June - Parent/child meeting - 5pm in the Church followed by 6pm Mass.

Saturday 8th June - Confirmation Candidates Mass at 6pm or Sunday 9th June at 10am.

Saturday 15th June - Confirmation Candidates Mass at 6pm or Sunday 16th June at 10am.

Thursday 13th June - Confirmation Student's Retreat - 9am to 3pm in McAuley Hall.

Saturday 22nd June - Sacrament of Confirmation - 6pm in the Church. 

If you have any questions regarding the Sacrament of Confirmation or about the process for this year, please phone the Parish House 69474599 or Anita Mason at school. 

Many parents are struggling to keep up with the emergence of ever-changing technologies, while young people seamlessly shift the way they communicate, engage and learn. Students have never been more connected, and yet have never felt so alone. 

We have provided some information below which may helpful to your family. 

Please keep an eye on our electronic calendar for important upcoming dates by clicking on the link below. 

Hands on Learning

In Year 10 maths, we had to create a sculpture using a variety of shapes, to meet the required volume of 4.35L. Most people measured their shapes separately and then converted their measurements to litres. We then stuck our sculptures together and decorated them to make them look appealing. If the sculpture didn't meet the required volume we had to make adjustments to our sculptures to then meet the required volume. These are some of our amazing sculptures.

A lovely hour was had by our Year 1's as their shared special time with their senior friends at Blakeney Lodge yesterday. 

McAuley acknowledged the great work of the 'Support Staff' this week - a sumptious morning tea was celebrated in their honour on both Campuses. 

Our Support Staff play a vital role in helping to provide a holistic education for students. Thank you: Trish Taylor, Trish Toohey, Maria Hughes, Anna Stubbs, Nakia Morriss, Jaime Hood, Jason Beavan, Joe Fava, Jo Little, Kellie Deudney and Libby McGruer. 

We have a confirmed case of Chicken Pox within our school community. 

We take this opportunity to remind parents of the need to keep children home from school if they are ill. Don't forget it is a legal requirement to provide a note to teachers explaining your child's absence on their return.

Thank you for your support. 

Can you help Kellie?

Kellie needs some help in the Secondary Canteen with some prep-work for just half an hour or so - on a Monday and Wednesday morning. Just easy jobs: preparing jelly, custard, yogurt & fruit cups. Making sandwiches & chocolate mousse and filling lolly bags. Please contact Kellie or the school if you can help. Thanks everyone.

Next week's roster for Primary Canteen:

Monday 20th May - Anita Davis. Wednesday 22nd May - Sam Phillips. Friday 24th May - Amanda Sutton and Narissa Watts.

THANK YOU LADIES. 

Thanks to everyone who is saving stickers from shopping at Woolworths supermarkets.

Please support us by placing your stickers in the box in store, or leave at either school Office. 

Thank you to the wonderful K-6 parents (and students) who supported our Mother's Day Stall last Friday. The children were able to purchase some beautiful gifts for their mothers, grandmothers and their special friends. A total of $1307.00 was raised on the day.

Thanks to mums Alana Farquharson, Jess Reithmuller, Jen Parry, Louise Kingma, Sam PHillips, Karen Clarke, Nic Keenan who were able to assist on the day. Special thanks to Narissa Watts and Alicia Welsh for coordinating the stall. Thanks also to those families who helped with wrapping. What great team-work!

Congratulations to Stella McGuffie who won the SRC Mother's day raffle. 

You will be aware our Community Council are holding their Stall in the main-street this Friday. Thank you Anna Stubbs for your efforts in coordinating this stall. Thanks everyone for purchasing tickets in our wood-raffle. Thank you Vicki Cribb, Catherine French, Ros Piper, Sam Phillips, Carmen du Plooy, Jen Parry, Anna Mather, Michelle Crampton, Anna Stubbs and Kate Stubbs for generously giving your time to sit and 'man' the stall. 

If anyone has cooking on the day they can drop into either office or take straight to the stall (outside 'House to Home' store). Thanks everyone. 

All parents and carers are reminded to please exit via the BACK GATE between St Mary's Hall and the Church. Please do not exit via the Bus Stop onto Capper Street. Thank you for your support. 

A hot-shot tennis tournament will be held in Tumut on Sunday 19th May from 10am to 12noon. $10-00 per person. 

A great opportunity for juniors under the age of 10 to enjoy a fun morning of tennis, in a round-robin format. Please bring your own racquet, snacks and water. A canteen will be operating. Registrations on the day or call Birdie 69474968 or 0427 343 904.