Dear McAuley Families

Welcome back to Term 2.  I trust all enjoyed an excellent break.  The beautiful Autumn weather certainly was a joy and made the break even more special.

COVID 19 continues to impact our school and community and I thank you all once again for your efforts to follow the rules and regulations that are imparted on us by NSW Health and Catholic Education.  There were slight changes announced by CE on Tuesday which were communicated to you by Compass early in the week.  Please remember always to notify the school and NSW Health of a positive test result in your home.  The rules about masks have been relaxed somewhat but I ask that all be aware of the suggestions for students returning after isolation.  Any visitors on site need to notify Office staff that they are a close contact and wear a mask at all times.

On Tuesday we were blessed to be able to gather with our own staff and those from the local TBAG Catholic Schools (Tumut, Batlow, Adelong and Gundagai).  The day was facilitated by Luke Maher from CE and focussed on the theme of “Flourishing”.  I have long been a fan of positive psychology and was intrigued to be able to add a biblical focus to the notion of our own wellbeing, personal success and “flourishing.”

When we say we want our children to do well at school and be happy in life we too are hoping they can flourish.  There are numerous articles, websites and books (Martin Seligman’s “Flourish” is excellent).

Kids Matter and Mind Matters have some excellent pointers and flyers on their websites about how as parents we can help our children flourish through a passion for learning. 

1. Focus on the intrinsic rewards of learning. List 3 great things about every day.  Frame positive conversations rather than negative.
2. Create a nurturing environment where our children feel safe in expressing themselves and their feelings.
3. Model your family as a team. Collaborate in family time each week and create and sustain traditions like Sunday lunch or movie night so they become important and regular.
4. Encourage choice. Allow children to have a voice and have a say… being careful they do not always get their way.
5. Build routines, homework time, relaxing time. Be organised and use a family calendar and map ahead what the days and week will look like so all feel organised and on track.

I know from 30+ years of school experience that the students I see flourish are the ones who have great family support and those who are helped find their “passion” be it study, sport, music or whatever.  That positive focus builds great self-esteem and helps in all areas of life.

There are a number of events coming up so please be sure to be on top of your family schedule and be well organised as this helps lower anxiety in children (ours too!).

I’m really pleased to see Year 7 be able to head off to Narrabeen Sport and Rec Camp next week and thank their teachers for their family time in planning and supervising the camp.  Our Agriculture Elective Class had a successful trip to the Royal Easter Show in the first few days of the holidays and returned with great memories of an exciting few days.  Thanks to Mr Ellison, Mrs Stewart and Mr Hughes for their time and care for our students.

Mary our Mother… Look after us.

Eamonn Moore

Principal

I love this quote by Iyanla Vanzant - "Comparison is an act of violence against the self.”

With internet access today at the fingertips from smartphone devices, it makes it easy to constantly compare things like body image, social popularity, academic or sporting achievements, and all the materialistic stuff. To be interested in and admire others is one thing, but to constantly compare yourself to others gives birth to the cancer of comparison.

 Social media feeds only show life ‘highlights’, not the ‘whole package’ (the highs and lows). If you compare your life (the ‘whole package’) to the lives of others (the ‘highlights’) as a measure of your own value, you will lose every time, because you will naturally be drawn to the things you don’t have that others do, rather than the things you do have that others don’t. It blinds you from seeing your uniqueness, and only feeds the bad wolf with confidence-crushing messages, leading to feelings of inadequacy. 

(extract from Get the Monkeys off Your Back)  

The grass is not greener on the other side. The grass is greener where you water it. Focus on watering and running your own lane. 

STRATEGIES FOR STUDENTS

The number one killer of procrastination is scheduling really small goals. 

Break large, overwhelming tasks into small bite-sized pieces to reduce the build-up of stress and anxiety. 

Breaking it up not only paves the way for immediate action, but also, by biting away piece by piece, increases your confidence levels when you see consistent progress. 

Whenever you feel stressed and overwhelmed by your workload, think of the watermelon principle. How do you eat a watermelon? One slice and bite at a time. Your bites are your confidence boosters. You’ll no longer need to cram and stress yourself out. 

(extract from Get the Monkeys off Your Back)  

As we watch leaves fluttering to the ground in autumn, we are reminded that nature's cycles are mirrored in our lives. Autumn is a time for letting go and releasing things that have been a burden. All the religious traditions pay tribute to such acts of relinquishment. Autumn is the right time to practice getting out of the way and letting Spirit take charge of our lives. In Kinds of Power, James Hillman, the elder statesman of contemporary depth psychology, challenges us to learn from others about this: "For what the actor tries to achieve on stage is to 'get out of the way' so that the character he or she is portraying can come fully out. So, too, the writer and the painter; they have to get out of the way of the flow of the work onto the paper and the canvas." 

Buddhist teacher Sharon Saltzberg writes in Lovingkindness about one of the offshoots of letting go: "Generosity has such power because it is characterised by the inner quality of letting go or relinquishing. Being able to let go, to give up, to renounce, to give generously — these capacities spring from the same source within us. When we practice generosity, we open to all of these liberating qualities simultaneously. They carry us to a profound knowing of freedom, and they also are the loving expression of that same state of freedom." Autumn, then, is the perfect season to give generously of your time and talents to others.

An extract from: MERCY REFLECTIONS Anne Ferguson, Mission Animation for the Parramatta Sisters of Mercy

K-6 families are invited to donate a non-perishable gift suitable for a child to purchase at our Mother's Day Stall on Friday 6th May.

If you can help on the day, or can assist with the wrapping of gifts, please ring Narissa on 0407 931 610. Thank you for your generosity. 

Full line-up of speakers and panellists for FEEDBACK 2022 announced!

 In-Person tickets $25+bf: https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/294992238727

 Online only tickets $10+bf: https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/294992008037

If you’re aged 12-25 and wondering how to break into the industry, or trying to move your career to the next level, FEEDBACK is THE PERFECT opportunity to learn how to do it – how to get gigs, release music, build a fan base, get airplay, how to work with a publicist, booking agent or manager, or become one yourself. It’s all ahead of you!

FEEDBACK 2022 will be a hybrid of online and in-person sessions. Those in attendance at JMC Academy in Ultimo, Sydney will have access to a wide selection of talks and panels, as well as networking opportunities, while exclusive video content and live-streaming of the conference's main attractions will be available online, so you can tune in wherever you are!

All income from ticket sales will be donated to the Arts Northern Rivers Flood Support Fund to support musicians impacted by the NSW floods.

This is a Covid safe event. Event attendees are required to be able to produce proof of vaccination.

__________________________

LINEUP

Keynote Speakers

BARKAA

KIRA PURU

with...

ALYCE WEARNE - Artist & Label Partnerships Manager, Spotify

ANDY GARVEY - A&R Manager, Future Classic

ANIELA SWIATEK - PR Director, Thinking Loud

BEN PIERPOINT - Artist Manager, Maximillian Brown

CASEY O'SHAUGHNESSY - Senior Booking Agent, Select Music

CATHY NELSON-WILLIAMS - Wise Music Creative, Select Music

CECIL COLEMAN - Creative Licensing Manager, Remote Control Records

DAVE RUBY HOWE - Music Director, triple j Unearthed

ELIZA REILLY - Writer, Director & Performer

GABRIEL GASPARINATOS - Director, Entropico

HEATH BRADBY - Managing Director, The Fidelity Corporation

JINAYA WALFORD - A&R, DITTO Music

LUCY SMITH - Radio Presenter, triple j

MARDI CAUGHT - Head, The Annex

MELODY FORGHANI - Founder, twnty three

MIA HULL - Content and Marketing Manager, FBi Radio

MICHAEL SUN - Writer & Critic

NAZLICAN EREN - Artist Manager, Publicist & Radio Host

NGAIIRE - Artist

NICK WARD - Songwriter, Vocalist & Producer

NIKKI TUCKWELL - Writer Services, APRA AMCOS

REG HARRIS - Music Director, FBi Radio

RICKY SIMANDJUNTAK - Artist Manager, Becca Hatch, ONEFOUR

ROB GIOVANNONI - Booking Agent, Select Music

ROCHELLE FLACK - Music Content & Community Specialist, TikTok

SARAH CAMPBELL - Booking Agent, Seismic Talent Agency

SASHA PONOMAREVA - Business Manager, White Sky

UPPY CHATTERJEE - Managing Editor, WMA Media Brands, Warner Music

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