McAuley Catholic College Tumut eNewsletter

For this Newsletter I attach the speech I was proud to present at our Term 1 Awards Assembly yesterday. It was excellent to see a large crowd of parents in attendance…

I am thrilled that we can finally gather as a school and be together to celebrate the good work of these Award winners you have seen here this afternoon. I wanted to begin by thanking and congratulating you all on the magnificent support you showed Mrs Stewart, her mum and the charity “Carrie’s Beanies for Brain Cancer” yesterday. Today the website shows donations in excess of $7000 including the donations from our school community.

That truly is an amazing effort. I hope, like Mrs Stewart spoke to us yesterday that this money can go towards vital research into brain cancer and help to make the journey easier for people like MeMar and others – some of whom we might know in our own lives. Thank you all once again on Mrs Stewart’s behalf. I know she is very grateful for your support. Congratulations and thanks to Jacob and Liam who also entered into the shave very graciously losing their mullets for a very good cause. Well done boys.

As we return to normal I also say thanks to our Year 7 students, Miss Mason, Mrs Stewart and Mr Ellison for their great work at camp in Narrabeen last week. The feedback about your cooperation, behavior and good manners was very positive so well done and thank you.

Mr Ellison and Mr Hughes had great reports of the Royal Easter Show trip at the end of Term 1 and a great experience for those Year 9 and 10 students. Thank you to all there.

We have had a great many students attending sporting events over the last few weeks some realising notable results but all being excellent representatives of our school and community. Thank you and well done to all and to your families for their great support.

I wanted to particularly mention two groups today. Firstly our Year 10 class of 2022. It is pleasing to see you growing together as a group and working to support one another as leaders of our school. I know I keep saying it but it is my dream that you might be the first year 11 class of 2023 and indeed the first graduates of Year 12 2024. I’m learning that big wheels in education turn frustratingly slowly. It’s also exciting to be able to help plan your Tasmania trip in December. Thank you for a great start to the year.

A special welcome to our Kindergarten class. You are a friendly and happy bunch and we are so proud of the great work you are doing with Mrs Crane in “big school”. Well done to you all.

It is moments like yesterday that make all of us enormously proud to be a Mercy School. Our foundations through the Mercy sisters and Catherine McAuley and transmitted to you by our teachings and our actions come to life in those moments. When we receive such positive feedback from visitors and people we interact we know we are on the right track. We are showing mercy, humility in action. Catherine McAuley wrote “If we are humble and sincere, God will finish in us the work he has begun…” These acts of Mercy link so powerfully to our Mercy Values and our school motto “Believe, Strive, Achieve.”

As COVID has worked to keep us apart I am so pleased that we are so quickly getting back to normal which means we are able to be together. Each one of you brings a special set of gifts which in combination makes our school a great one.

I am continually blown away by the comments from new families and people seeking enrolment here that this is a “great” school. What makes us great is each of you so thank you for the little things each of you do to help make that happen.

Congratulations to our Award winners today. Thank you for your hard work and good example. A special congratulations to those who have received Principal’s Awards today. I try to present those awards to those students who impress me with their consistency, their great manners, their determination and most of all their commitment to our Mercy Values. Today’s winners show Mercy, excellence, hospitality and dignity. Well done and thank you to them.

So thank you all for your efforts in Term 1 and so far this term. Thank you all for your commitment to our motto – to believe, to strive and to achieve. A quote by Collier reminds us that “Success is the sum of small efforts repeated…” so keep doing the little things well because they soon become the big things.

As always, I close with the words of our school prayer.

Mary our Mother … look after us.

Year 6 and Kindergarten lead the opening prayer at our Term 1 Award Assembly.

In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit…

We give you our school.

We give you all the teachers and staff who work here,

We give you all the children who study here.

We pray our school would be place of great discovery, adventure and creativity.

May it be a place where we love to learn and where we learn to love,

A place where every one is respected and all are deeply valued.

We ask all this through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen

Our Term 1 Awards Assembly was held on Tuesday 10th May. Congratulations to all students who received awards on the day.

McAuley is extremely proud of the number of Bronze Awards have been presented by Mr Moore for students who have received 10 Mercy Awards. Mercy awards are given to students by teachers for displaying the Mercy values which underpin all that takes place at the School.

Mercy is defined as empathy or love that manifests itself in action that is practical and thoughtful, warm and open, respectful and enabling. The value of mercy is inextricably linked to compassion, justice, dignity, excellence, hospitality, stewardship.

Mercy … not only bestows benefits, but receives and pardons again and again …. Catherine McAuley

Compassion is a non-judgmental understanding of another’s need, which results in unselfish giving to meet that need.

Let charity be our badge of honour … so that it may truly be said, there is in us but one heart and one soul in God...... Catherine McAuley

Justice is the treatment of each person with fairness in relation to the equality of all, and the maintenance of a balanced and fair relationship with self and all members of the community.

Never speak with contempt of any nation, profession, or class of people … Catherine McAuley

Dignity is the treatment of each person with respect and the recognition of their inherent value and worth.

Now and again bestow some praise. Catherine McAuley

Excellence is the state of achievement of the highest possible standards.

There is nothing of greater importance than the perfect discharge of our ordinary duties. Catherine McAuley

Hospitality is the creation of a welcoming, open, inclusive and respectful environment for all individuals, through word and deed.

A good beginning is of great importance. You must waste some time with visitors. Catherine McAuley

Stewardship is the grateful and responsible celebration of the sacred gifts God has given us to do the work he is calling us to do.

We can never say ‘It is enough’ Catherine McAuley

Service is the exercising and ministry of leadership in order to make a positive difference in the lives of individuals and communities.

If we are humble and sincere God will finish in us the work he has begun. Catherine McAuley

Anita Mason - Religious Education Coordinator

Thank you to generous families for donating and buying from our Mother's Day Stall last Friday. The stall raised $1147.30. A wonderful result considering we had children away at various sporting events.

A big thank you to Narissa Watts for coordinating the stall.

Also thank you to Alicia Welsh and Alana Farquharson for wrapping gifts and Fiona Dowling, Jessie Riethmuller, Marie Tinoyan and Rebecca Hartshorne for 'manning' the stall.

5/6MT working in their PDHPE survivor teams completing the cup stacking challenge. Students learning many teamwork skills including cooperation, communication, empathy, respect.

Thank you to the Watts family (Hunter and Angus Yr 6) and the Everingham family (Mitchell Yr 5) for their generous donation of some great, engaging books for our classroom libraries. The students are already enjoying reading them.

Very much appreciated.

What an AWESOME response our Maree Stewart received for shaving her head in honour of her mum! Stewie raised a total of $7500 (and still climbing) for "Carrie's Beanies 4 Brain Cancer". With over $1000 being donated by the McAuley community on the day of the shave.

Stewie was overwhelmed by the support she received from the local community and our school.

Students were eager to show their support at Stewie's head shaving, with lots of cheering, singing and dancing taking place whilst the shave occurred.

A couple of Year 10 students were so inspired by Stewie's shave that they decided to bravely shave off their locks as well and help contribute to Stewie's total!

There were some pretty amazing hairstyles for our "Crazy Hair Day" to support Maree Stewart in raising money for "Carrie's Beanies 4 Brain Cancer".

Primary students raising $218.70 towards this worthy cause.

5/6VT were lucky enough to have the opportunity to participate in an Artist Workshop on Friday 6^th May. The visiting artists are in our Snowy Valleys region for one week only to install sculptures as part of the " Sculptures By the Sea - but in the Bush " exhibition.

The International Artist Marina DeBris ( artistic name ) presented the workshop with Wendy Fraser and described how our marine waters are being polluted by debris and plastics. This artist uses materials recycled from the environment to create animals and fashion for her work. The children had a fantastic time creating and designing hats made from various items of debris that has washed up on our shores.

"It was very fun how we got to make our own hats and animals out of trash" Darcy Y6

"It was fun to learn that rubbish isn't just stuff to throw away-you can make it into art pieces" Stella Y6

"It was interesting to learn that anything you find anywhere, can be a masterpiece" Aidan Y6

"It taught us that we need to look after what we own and you can make anything out of rubbish" Gracie Y5

The McAuley students who attended the Western Region Cross Country carnival, on Friday 29th April, had a wonderful day with 8 students achieving top 6 status to continue on to the next carnival. Every student that ran and represented McAuley did the school proud, pushing through the unexpected heat on the day and running 2 or 3 kilometres. What a team!

On the day Lydia Salmon, Cody Johnson, Billy Roche, Parker Cini, Isabelle Fardell, Angus Watts, Chloe Pearce and Carter Hood excelled in their age races and had the opportunity to represent our school at Mt Stromlo on Monday 9th May.

A huge CONGRATULATIONS to Billy Roche and Cody Johnson who have now qualified for the Archdiocesan Primary Cross Country Team and have the opportunity to compete at the Mackillop trials in Sydney!

Students in Years 5 and 6 competed in the annual Mortimer Shield competition at Twickenham in Tumut on Thursday May 5th. Our teams competed in both league tag and tackle on the day, and played with sportsmanship and teamwork, demonstrating great skill and talent. Many parents and family attended to support our teams as they won and lost games throughout the day. Jasmine King, Lacey Thomas, Kyle Olivier and Noah Donghi were the teachers chosen players of the day.

On Friday May 6^th students from year 3/4 and 5/6 traveled to Wagga to compete in the next level of the Rugby 10's competition. Teams from all over the region attended and McAuley played strongly in both competitions. Both teams played pool finals for 3^rd and 4^th at the end of the day. Parents made the trip to support our teams and we are grateful for your help on the day. We are so lucky to have such a great community!

Kindergarten and their Year 6 "Buddies" spent time together in the garden last Friday afternoon. They then went back to the classroom to read together.