Dear McAuley Families

Happy St Patrick’s Day! My Dad (who was Irish) used to say “…everyone is Irish on St Patrick’s Day!” St Patrick is one of the world’s most popular saints and I suppose celebrating this day reminds us all of the lovely Irish wit and sense of fun we all love to enjoy. It was always a sentimental day for my Dad thinking of home and family. God bless him and all our "Irish" friends and family. 

The calendars are full at home and at school and these busy times can test our resilience.  Whilst we can’t shield our young people from the problems of the world we can and should build their ability to cope with adversity and challenge. I often quote to you the writings of Linda Stade (lindastade.com) and have recently read about 5 powerful ways to build resilience in our kids.  She suggests these things:

1. Safe Adults: Every child needs a “safe person”, an adult who they can trust and feel safe with. For many young people this can be someone at school.  Work to help your child recognise who that person is or could be.
2. Ritual: in our busy lives we can lose track of significant rituals. We need to focus on those things that always happen (the way we celebrate birthdays, the school prayer, family celebrations, Sunday lunch and so on).  Ritual builds resilience.
3. Involvement in Communities: Belonging to a group and a place helps us all feel connected. Schools provide that through class groups, year levels, house groups and so on.  Our children should be involved in a number of teams and groups all with different connections.
4. Mindfulness: A focus on the “moment” helps us all lower our stress levels and be more rational in our decisions. Switching our negative thoughts can assist us feel calmer and more positive.
5. Model Resilient Behaviour: We all need to teach emotional regulation and resilience. We teach those things through modelling. Our kids need to see us work through and talk through our tough times by naming our feelings and showing them the good times will come.

Congratulations:  We have had some outstanding results from our Rep Swimmers and other sports over the last few weeks. Congratulations to them all. These excellent results show the success we can gain from hard work and perseverance.  We are lucky to be able to enjoy many opportunities and I thank the staff and parents who are involved as volunteers to assist.

Building Program:  There was a building meeting this week with representatives from Catholic Education, Architects and the Building Contractor to look at final plans and options. We anticipate that the works in the Primary School will begin by the end of the month and be complete in Term 3. As you know there will be construction and renovation on both campuses this year totalling somewhere in excess of $1.5m.  This is very exciting news and will no doubt massively lift the resources and facilities offered here at McAuley. I am grateful to the patience and flexibility our Year 5/6 classes are showing whilst using temporary “digs” until the works are completed.

Reconciliation: Thanks to the work done in class and at home the Year 3 children were well prepared for the Sacrament of Reconciliation this week. Thank you to our staff and families for their commitment to the sacramental journey of their children. My prayers and best wishes to all. Thanks to Miss Mason and best wishes also to our Eucharist Candidates who are doing their preparation this week and enjoyed their Retreat Day with Miss Mason and Mrs Bathgate.

Community Council AGM: A reminder about our Community Council AGM and election of office bearers to be held TONIGHT Thursday 18 March at 5.00pm. The meeting agenda was emailed out earlier this week. Please make some time to be involved in our Community Council as we work to further build our community and improve the resources of our school.

Mary our Mother… Look after us.

Meeting Agenda - AGM - Held THIS EVENING, Thursday 18 March 2021 in the Secondary Staffroom at 5pm. The agenda was emailed to all families earlier in the week. 

At McAuley we are taking part in The National Day of Action against Bullying and Violence as a school community this Friday 19 March. This is aimed at joining the national conversation to help address bullying. 

The National Day of Action against Bullying and Violence (NDA) is Australia’s key bullying prevention initiative, connecting schools and communities to find workable solutions to bullying and violence. 

The theme for the NDA 2021 is "Take Action Together". This theme aims to elevate the student voice, empowering young Australians to join the conversation.

At McAuley, the activities we will participate in include:

• Students will receive a wristband & orange ribbon 
• In classes, students will watch a video clip on the benefits of the NDA 
• Students will sign a banner reinforcing their undertaking to support  the NDA.

More information about the National Day of Action against Bullying and Violence can be found at https://bullyingnoway.gov.au/preventing-bullying/national-day-of-action-against-bullying-and-violence

- David Turnbull, Assistant Principal. 

New Covid guidelines allow us to hold our first Kindergarten to Year 10, End of Term Assembly for many months.

We will hold this celebration of student achievement on Friday 26th March from 2 pm until 3 pm in our School Hall. Invited parents (and immediate family) can attend the event but will still need to sign in and register on the Service NSW QR Code on arrival.

The Assembly should take no longer than 1 hour based on Covid recommendations, so this will be a simple Awards Ceremony with no extra class presentations. 

We look forward to seeing invited parents at this event next Friday.

A Franciscan Benediction

May God bless you with DISCOMFORT ...

At easy answers, half-truths, and superficial relationships,

So that you may live deep within your heart.

May God bless you with ANGER ...

At injustice, oppression, and exploitation of people,

So that you may work for justice, freedom, and peace.

May God bless you with TEARS ...

To shed for those who suffer from pain, rejection, starvation and war.

So that you may reach out your hand to comfort them

And to turn their pain into JOY.

And may God bless you with enough FOOLISHNESS...

To believe that you can make a difference in this world,

So that you can DO what others claim cannot be done. Amen

If any families would like to donate some Easter Eggs - our SRC students will be running a raffle to raise some money for some playground equipment. Thanks everyone

We advise the school community that we have made the decision to suspend school-student banking at McAuley due to various reasons, including objectives, benefits, effective learning etc. Please note, as from today, we will not be accepting any further deposits on behalf of the Commonwealth Bank. We apologise for any inconvenience. 

We appreciate those families who have been supportive of this program over many years. 

Yr 7-10 students are making good use of our refurbished and updated courts! What magnificent autumn weather to enjoy some great fun and games. 

A mysterious box arrived in Year 1B and 2M this week causing geat excitement!

It was from the Australian Museum and was filled with fantastic dinosaur artefacts. We decided to make our own imprint fossils .... which was lots of fun. 

NAPLAN preparation is beginning at all schools. McAuley have scheduled Online Practise Tests in the next few weeks, as directed by The Australian Government, for all the students in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9. As children progress through their school years, it is very important that checks are made along the way to see how well they are learning the essential skills of reading, writing and mathematics – skills that will set them upon the path to success as adults.

NAPLAN is a point-in-time assessment that allows parents to see how their child is progressing in literacy and numeracy against the national standard and compared with their peers throughout Australia. At the classroom level, NAPLAN provides additional information to support teachers’ professional judgement about student progress.

Federal, state and territory education ministers agreed to gradually transition NAPLAN online by 2022. NAPLAN Online is a tailored test that adapts to student responses, providing better assessment and more precise results. Your child’s teacher will be able to tell you in what mode your child will do NAPLAN and if you have any concerns in regard to your child’s participation, please conduct his/her classroom teacher.

BELOW ARE SOME HINTS TO ASSIST YOU AND YOUR CHILD. 

Literacy and numeracy are essential skills that children need to succeed in their everyday lives. As a parent or carer and your child's first teacher, you have the opportunity to make a significant contribution to supporting your child's learning — from the time they are an infant through to adulthood.

When your child starts school and throughout their education, it is critical for you to continue to play an active role in helping to develop your child's literacy and numeracy so that they can achieve the best possible outcomes. Ensuring that your child feels confident talking to you and their teacher about their school work will enhance their opportunity to thrive.

The first few years of reading is a wonderful time for your child. Books expose them to new ideas and new worlds, and their imagination grows. Talk positively about reading so your child also values it. Continue to read as much as you can with your child. When they feel confident, encourage them to take over some or all of the reading. Always be patient when they are reading and try not to emphasise speed. Also, try to read as much as possible yourself to model reading to your child.

These years are a time when your child will learn more about the world. Engaging them in discussions improves their speaking skills. As well as helping them understand the world and their place in it. In these years your child will also begin to write with greater confidence. The ability to write well enables your child to communicate effectively It will improve their chances of success at school and in their future careers. Encourage your child to write as often as possible, on a range of topics and interests. Literacy can always be fun and engaging. Let your child choose books and activities matched to their interests. Always encourage a healthy dose of fun and play in all activities. This will help foster in your child a love of reading, talking and writing.

Support your child's learning by giving them opportunities to discuss and engage in maths. Your child will begin to connect the importance of maths with everyday activities. Including navigating public transport, choosing the best item to buy, budgeting, and cooking.

Talk positively about maths so your child also values it. If your experiences in maths at school were less than ideal, avoid making comments like “I was bad at maths at school”. Comments like these can lower your child’s expectations of themselves. They can also perpetuate myths about people being good or bad at maths. If you did well at maths in school, avoid jumping in with answers or solutions. Encourage your child to talk about how they might work out maths problems. This helps boost their confidence and deepens their understanding.

Maths today is not about learning by repetition. Today, the focus is on recognising that there are many ways to get an answer. Rather, it is important to be able to explain how and why you chose the approach you did. There are many activities you can do at home to help explore maths with your child. When participating in these activities, avoid associating them with speed. Expecting your child to work quickly on maths can cause maths anxiety. Try to focus on the process and not the outcome.

- Mrs Libby Black, Primary Campus Coordinator. 

Cross Country: Our K-6 McAuley Cross Country took place today at the Tumut Wet Lands. The top 5 place getters at our school event in the 8/9, 10, 11 and 12/13 boys and girls age groups will qualify for the Western Region Cross Country which will be held at Boorowa on the 30th of March. Further information will be given to parents soon. 

Cross Country Yr 7-10: This run will be held on Friday 23rd April during Friday Activity time. 

Gala Days: We have gala days coming up in Week 9 for both Netball and Rugby Union for students in Years 3 to 6. Details have been sent home. If you require any further information about these days please contact lyn.bathgate@cg.catholic.edu.au

Primary Archdiocesen Trials: Students in Year 5 and 6 are able to trial to make the Archdiocesen team for many team sports (Cricket, Rugby League, Hockey, Netball, Football, Rugby Union and Touch). All nominations are to be completed online and parents are responsible for transporting their child to these trials. Details can be found at https://www.sport.cg.catholic.edu.au/nominations 

Last week, Primary boys James Halloran, Ian Kelly and Zachary Brown trialled for the Archdiocese Football (soccer) team. Although not selected for the team, all 3 boys had a great day of competition and said they will only benefit from the experience. Well done boys and thanks to generous parents for transporting the lads. 

Year 7 enjoyed an overnight excursion to Borambola recently with Mrs Dougherty, Mrs Croft and Mr Moore.

There were good activities and we all wished they could stay longer. The 'Mud Run' was the most fun! It was challenging and students could encourage one another in the teams that were competing.

'Minute to Win it' was also fun as a night activity with students getting to try skills that they did not know they could do before the night.

Sarah, Emma, Liam and Ollie were our instructors who were amazing. Thanks to everyone who helped make this camp happen, especially our teachers. 

- Thank you Lilly and Matilda for this article. 

In Library this term Year 1 have been exploring the exciting world of Dav Pilkeys’s Dogman series. Learning how to create a successful comic strip, what makes a good character and how persisting with what you love doing can work out in the end, it’s been a fun adventure. Learning how to draw Dogman and Catkid, the students have excelled.  

-Ms Kirsty Roche, Librarian.

Year 4 are learning about the solar system in Science with Mrs Schirmer and these students created a solar system in our school sandpit.

Another successful Primary Cross Country was completed today. The first five placegetters 8 year and up will represent McAuley at the Western Region Cross Country in Boorowa in Week 10.

SCHOOL HOLIDAY TENNIS  CLINIC - TUESDAY, 6th April. – FRIDAY, 9th April. Held at the Tumut Lawn Tennis Club. Morning classes for juniors (9.00 – 10.30am; 10.30 – 12.00mid). Limited numbers per class so bookings essential. Contact Bernadette Cahill 0427 343 904 EMAIL: birdietennis@bigpond.com