Dear McAuley Families

Congratulations to Year 12 who have just completed their HSC Trial Exams. Early marking indicates that results are on track with expectations. Well done to our cohort for their study and preparation. The push is on now for completion of coursework and HSC preparation as term 3 comes to an end and they return to their last few weeks of normal classes.

Thanks to Tony Butler who has worked very diligently as our exam invigilator. It is vital that our students undertake exams in a controlled environment and with consistent conditions to prepare them for the real thing. Our students will join with Tumut High Schools students and sit their exams at the Tumut examination centre at the Valmar Building on Russell St early next term.

Welcome back to Megan and David Turnbull after their time on leave.  Thinks to Lillee Bellette who has covered Year 4 for Megan and done a fine job.  Grateful thanks to Anita Mason who has acted in the role of Assistant Principal (Secondary) and Religious Education Coordinator for the last few weeks.  Anita has certainly been busy! Thanks for her innovation and flexibility in what is a dynamic and challenging role.

I have had a number of people approach me with feedback about our students recently. Overwhelmingly they all highlight good manners, friendliness and cooperation. Our students are our best advertisement, and I am so proud that at school and in public they are displaying our Mercy values of hospitality and service. True hospitality is a virtue that extends not only to action but to thought also. Hospitality is the welcome to a stranger and in our intellect, means being open to other views, opinions and perspective. This can be challenging but an openness and generosity of spirit adds to a culture of welcome and acceptance.

Thanks to each of our students who offer their unique gifts and talents to the melting pot that helps create our unique and wonderful culture.

I spoke at Secondary Assembly this week reminding the students about safety in our uniform.  I seek your assistance at home reminding your sons and daughters not to wear earrings, chains and bracelets that are unsafe in working and sporting conditions. Whilst it is cold, it is also not correct uniform to wear hoodies under school uniform.  White socks are a part of our uniform also. Teachers will enforce correct uniform with reminders. Three reminders will trigger a letter from myself seeking your support at home for enforcing correct uniform. Loss of privileges is a consequence that we also ask you to reinforce.

This week I will be in Cairns at the National Catholic Education Conference with over 1500 Catholic educators from around our nation.  Please always remember our education leaders in your prayers as we work for opportunity and equity for our students in our various contexts.

Mary our mother, look after us.

Eamonn Moore

Principal

Over Weeks 3 to 5, our Year 12 students undertook their Trial HSC Examinations. This was a lengthy and demanding period, but the way in which students approached the trials was outstanding. They demonstrated maturity, focus and diligence throughout, giving their very best effort across each subject.

Now that the examinations have concluded, our Year 12 students move into the final phase of their preparation for the HSC. Teachers will be providing feedback on trial performances, guiding students in refining their skills and consolidating their knowledge. The coming weeks are crucial, and we are confident that our students will continue to apply the same dedication they showed during the trials as they work towards their HSC examinations.

Brains, Laughs & Sweet Treats!

A heartfelt thank you to everyone who helped make our Trivia Night such a success – the feedback has been overwhelmingly positive!

Congratulations to the winning team, BCHR! Perhaps they really are smarter than a PE teacher?!

• A special thank you to Lyn Bathgate for curating a fantastic suite of trivia questions and bringing such energy and humour to the evening in her role as MC – it truly made the night.
• Shout-out to our tally team – Anita Mason, Chrissy Massey and Anna Stubbs – for keeping the numbers straight and the competition fair!
• We’re also very grateful to our dessert auction donors, who added a sweet touch to the night, and to the Tumut Golf Club for providing such a welcoming venue and great atmosphere.

With just over $1,700 raised, we’re excited to put the funds toward brand-new basketball backboards and rings for our Primary Campus!

Last week our Year 3/4 students had an incredible day at the annual Trent Barrett Shield League Gala Day at Twickenham Oval. 

The sun was shining, the weather was perfect, and our students gave it their all in Mixed League Tag and Tackle Rugby League (Experienced & Inexperienced divisions, 7-a-side). It was a fantastic day of teamwork, skill, and fun!

This week, our students showcased their creativity and awareness in the Bullying. No Way! photo competition. We were thrilled to have Mr Tony Butler join us as the judge.

We received some incredible entries across both campuses, highlighting the importance of standing up against bullying and promoting kindness in our community.

Congratulations to our winning classes:

• Primary Campus: Grade 3 with Miss Sammy Wyers
• Secondary Campus: Year 7.2 with Mr Max Townsend

Both classes will enjoy a pizza party as a reward for their fantastic efforts!

A big thank you to Ms Roche and Mrs Ryan for coordinating this initiative, and to all students who participated. Your creativity and commitment to raising awareness make our school a kinder, safer place.

We are proud to share that two of our talented students achieved outstanding results in the recent SVC Writing Competition.

• Eva Proos -  First Place Ages 9-12 
• Talan Proos – Runner-Up Ages 6-8

This is a fantastic achievement, especially given that the competition received 53 entries showcasing an incredible range of creativity and storytelling.

Congratulations to both students on this wonderful recognition of their talent — and well done to everyone who entered and represented McAuley with such imagination and skill.

Our Year 7 students came together in the yarning circle to read and discuss Who Am I? The Diary of Mary Talence, Sydney 1937. The session invited students to listen deeply, reflect on themes of identity and belonging, and learn about the experiences of the Stolen Generations in a respectful, culturally responsive setting.

It was a thoughtful, mature conversation, and we’re proud of the empathy and insight students brought to the text.

Last Wedneday, it was Year 1’s turn to visit our friends at Blakeney Lodge.

We had so much fun sharing what we’ve been learning in class, reading stories, and even putting on a little show. These visits are such a special way to connect with our community and share joy across generations.

During their Resilience Project lesson this week, Year 3 students have been focusing on gratitude — learning how to rewire our brains to be more aware of and thankful for the positives in life.

They reflected on the people around them, their own skills and talents, favourite places, food and drinks, movies, books, and special moments at school and in life. To support this learning, students also engaged in mindful colouring as a way of practising gratitude and positive thinking.

This week we welcomed the team from EnviroMentors at Keep Australia Beautiful, who spent two days teaching us all about FOGO – Food Organics, Garden Organics.

Through hands-on activities, games, and props, students discovered how to reduce waste and become environmental champions at home, sharing the message with their families and the wider community.

A big thank you to the EnviroMentors team for making sustainability so engaging and fun!

This week, our talented 5/6 White students have been exploring both the glockenspiel and the xylophone — filling the classroom with bright, joyful sounds.
From learning simple tunes to creating their own rhythms, they’ve been working hard to keep in time and bring their music to life.

It’s been wonderful to see their focus, teamwork, and excitement grow with every note. Who knows — we might just have some future musicians in the making! 

This week, our 5/6 White and 5/6 Red classes participated in the “Visit at Our House” program via Zoom. The program is a live, interactive and engaging way for students to explore the development of democracy, the levels of government and how the bicameral system works to make laws in NSW.

The students thoroughly enjoyed the experience and took away some valuable insights into how our government operates.

Billy reflected: “It was informative and interesting and taught us a lot about how parliament works.” Estelle added: “It was interesting to see and learn about which parties sit where. We even learnt a new word, ‘bicameral’, which means having two chambers.”

This program provided an excellent opportunity for students to connect classroom learning with real-world knowledge, helping them to build a deeper understanding of civics and citizenship.

In Kinder, students have been reading All Through the Year by Jane Godwin as their InitiaLit Storybook for the week. To extend this literacy learning into Visual Arts, they created artworks of trees in different seasons using oil pastels.

The results were colourful, creative, and very effective — a wonderful showcase of our Kinder students’ imagination and artistic skills.

Our curious Year 3 students have been investigating whether the capacity of store-bought drinks really matches what’s on the label.

It’s been a fun mix of science, maths, and detective work — with plenty of surprises along the way!

Students from Years 7–10 will have their artwork on display at the Five Ways Art Gallery. We encourage you to take the opportunity to visit and enjoy their pieces alongside other impressive works.

Week 3

Week 4 

 

Week 5 

Parish Officer – Part Time Position Tumut Mission (Tumut, Gundagai, Adelong and Batlow Parishes)

People are invited to apply for the position of Parish Officer Tumut Mission. This is a permanent part-time position of 12-15 hours per week and will be based in the Parish Office, Tumut. There may be some travel between parishes when required.

Essential Requirements:

Experience with database packages & Microsoft Suite

• Strong communication and liaison skills
• Strong organisational skills
• Ability to work on your own, as part of a team, and take direction
• Understand and administer areas of church and regulatory compliance (eg. Parish sacrament registers, Working With Vulnerable People, WHS, child protection, copyright)
• Understanding and respect for the Catholic Church and its teaching
• Current experience in an office environment

Employment conditions are subject to Clerks Award.

For a copy of the Duty Statement please email the Parish Office tumut@cg.org.au.  Applications addressing the Selection Criteria above and current CV to be
sent to Fr Yoseph (Joe) Neonbasu, Parish Priest yoseph.neonbasu@cg.org.au by 5 Sept 2025.

The Snowy Valleys Youth Council is inviting young people aged 12–24 to come along to Youth Connect, an awesome afternoon to chat about what matters to YOU, meet other local legends, and enjoy some free pizza while you’re at it.

When: Thursday 11th September
Where: Tumut Library
Time: 4:30pm – 6:30pm

We want to hear your ideas, plan cool events, and make sure youth voices are being heard in our community. It’s super chill, bring yourself or your friends and your thoughts!

Snowy Valleys Youth Connect

Engaging Adolescents online program, originally scheduled for Wednesday 10 and 17  September has been rescheduled to Wednesday 17 and 24 September.

Engaging_Adolescents_Online_Sept_2025.pdf

Parenting_Riverina_Calendar.pdf

Once again TAFE NSW are offering virtual subject selection information sessions for interested students and parents/caregivers. School personnel are most welcome to join.

Below you will find a schedule of sessions in August and September and the appropriate Microsoft Teams meeting link for each session.  There are four identical sessions- anyone can join the session that suits them by clicking on the purple link via this email.

Please forward this email to interested students, parents, caregivers, or Teachers.

Topics covered in the sessions will include: 

• TVET courses, types of courses and how they relate to the HSC
• Work Placement
• Pathway options to further study and a career
• School based apprenticeships and traineeships
• Attendance at TAFE
• Reporting to schools
• TAFE NSW website – how to navigate the TVET Guide and further information
• Next steps for a TVET or SBAT course in 2026
• Q&A Session​