Why is purple the colour of Advent? 

There are a few reasons why purple holds importance during penitential seasons. One reason is the historical signification of royalty. The making of purple dye during ancient times was rare and expensive, therefore it was the mark of someone rich and powerful... someone like a King.

We know during this same time, Israel longed for a messiah. Messiah means anointed one, which is another phrase for king. Israel was without a king and longed for the return of their kingdom.

The purple used throughout this Advent season signifies the coming of the 'One True King'.

Christmas for many of us is a time of happiness and celebration as we gather with our family and friends sharing meals, laughing and chatting as we open presents, however for people experiencing poverty and disadvantage, Christmas can be a challenging time. 

Each year during Advent, the McAuley community celebrate with our annual K-10 Gifting Mass. 

Unfortunately there are many in our community who are less fortunate and having a really tough time with their lives and an even harder time providing for their families. 

THANK YOU for donating generously to our Christmas Gifting Mass?  These generous gifts help create hampers for people within our own community.

Our upcoming volunteers for our last two days are: 

Friday 13th - Catherine Kelly and Jenny Parry

Monday 16th- Anna Mather

Thank you ladies for your support throughout this year - sometimes at very short notice to cover gaps! Please think about volunteering again for next year - remember without your support our Primary Canteen will not remain operational. 

Thanks everyone for your generosity. 

The following information has been provided by Simon, our IT Consultant. It may assist parents with their choice of device for next year....

"Chromebooks seem to be the best fit at the moment for BYOD. There isn't too much difference between Chromebooks, but there is no need to go for a high end one. If you decide to use a Windows based laptop I would avoid anything the 32 or 64gb eMMC storage and aim for 250Gb + hard drive space. Also Windows 10 S has proven to be a pain as you can't install Chrome and lots of actions are blocked without parent approval. Provided you are aware of this it may still be suitable - however we do suggest the device can run Google Chrome as the browser".

Please refer to the links for the:

• McAuley Schedule of Fees for 2020  https://mcauleyccstumut.schoolzineplus.com/_download/media/2015/2020schoolfees.pdf
• McAuley School Fee Calculator https://mcauleyccstumut.schoolzineplus.com/_download/media/2016/mccsfeecalculator.xlsx
• CDF Direct Debit Request Form https://mcauleyccstumut.schoolzineplus.com/_file/media/135/directdebitrequest.pdf
• CDF Change Direct Debit Form https://mcauleyccstumut.schoolzineplus.com/_file/media/134/changedirectdebitform.pdf
• Qkr! ‘How To’ guide for parents https://mcauleyccstumut.schoolzineplus.com/communication/qkr-app

Please utilise our School Fee Calculator to check the appropriate payment amount applicable to your family. Please note that you do not necessarily have to pay weekly, you may choose to pay fortnightly, monthly or quarterly. School fees are emailed out to families by Week 3 of each Term.

Payment Options:

Direct Debit: If you choose to pay your school fees via direct debit, please complete the Direct Debit Form and return it to the school office as soon as possible.

If you currently pay your school fees via direct debit, your fee payments need to be updated and increased annually – please calculate your payments using the school fee calculator.

BPAY: If you choose to pay your school fees via BPAY, your reference details will be at the bottom of your fee statement.

Qkr! app: The Qkr! app (pronounced ‘quicker’) by MasterCard is a secure, convenient and easy way to make school payments. Receipts are automatically generated on your phone or sent to your email. Qkr! is also very convenient for canteen ordering and school excursion payments.

If you have any queries about your fee payments, please do not hesitate to contact Tricia Taylor at the school office.

The McAuley Annual Awards Presentation Evening will be held in the school hall at 6pm this coming Monday 16th December. 

We sincerely thank the following business houses who have provided sponsorship for this evening.

Snowy Valleys Council, Australian Catholic University, Martin Farrell Memorial, Caltex Australia, Rueben F Scarf Foundation, Australian Defence Force, Snowy Hydro, G & J Groves Logging, Allan Kelly Solicitor, Pie in the Sky, Club Tumut, Tumut Newsagency, Mitre 10, Tumut Lions Club, Tumut Rotary Club, Tumut Vet Clinic, Goodes Coaches, Sportspower Tumut, Fulla Fresh Meats, Tumut Building Supplies, Panorama Accounting and Advisory, Snowy Smash Repairs, CWA Evening Branch, Dr Joe McGirr MP.

All students should receive their Semester 2 reports today, Thursday 12th December.

Our intensive swimming program continues. We have tomorrow, Friday 13th and Monday 16th December to go! The weather is finally swimming weather and the children are doing really well!

Remember all children will need to wear a rashie or a T-shirt while participating in this program. Students need to wear school shoes to school and change into their thongs if required. 

Please also remember no refunds will be given - even if your child cannot attend all the lessons. We thank Narelle Buckingham, Pool Manager, Snowy Valleys Shire, for her support with this program. 

Our Year 7 students for 2020 were given a note regarding the Orientation Camp at Borambola in February next year. Parents are asked to ensure all forms are completed and returned and the deposit paid by next week at the latest to secure their attendance at this very popular camp.

If you require any more information, or your child has lost their note, please contact the office for a replacement.

Toyota Dream Car Art Contest is a chance for tomorrow's engineers, designers and creative thinkers to let their imaginations run wild! Age groups 8-11 and 12-15 invited. For details and full terms and conditions visit toyota.com.au/dreamcar

DREAM CAR ART CONTEST