Dear McAuley Families

Welcome back to Term 4 after a restful break from the routines of school. I know many families and staff took the chance to get away and spend some time together.  This remains the most interrupted and incredible year and I am so proud of the way this community continues to support each other through the challenges and uncertainties we continue to face.

Term 4 always flies - often because there is so much to do! Unbelievably we are beginning to plan for 2021 in terms of staffing, allocations and budgets. These conversations will continue throughout the term as things become clearer. Teachers will be busy completing final testing, grading of assessments and report writing.  Please assist your sons and daughters by helping them plan and map what work items are due and when. Good study routines lower stress and increase optimism – a perfect recipe for good results!

This week Kerrin Henderson formally announced her resignation as Assistant Principal at McAuley.  Kerrin has given long and stellar service to the school and community and I am grateful for her personal advice and support to me this year.  Catholic Education are currently advertising for an Assistant Principal to begin in 2021 and a panel will select a worthy applicant.  On your behalf we will thank Kerrin more formally as a staff and wish her and her family every success in their move to Canberra.

Our Year 7 and Kinder Orientations are able to go ahead and we are busy planning for exciting and helpful days to best prepare our new students for the years ahead. Teachers will write to all new enrolments to introduce themselves and let people know dates and times when events are happening at school. Orientation Days and times will be advertised here and on our Facebook page so please keep an eye as dates have changed due to COVID regulations.

Our COVID Plan for Year 10 Mass and Presentation has been approved by Catholic education.  Staff will meet this week to fine tune the arrangements for the event. We will be in touch with final details and arrangements as soon as we are able. We continue to work to plan as many events as we can as regulations continue to relax.

I welcome any feedback any families might have on our two initiatives this term.  The new Student Welfare Policy (SWP) has begun well with students being very aware of the processes and expectations.  Uniform and behaviour has been excellent and the term has started well.  Secondary students are on time for PC/DEAR at 9.00am and I urge them to continue to do this as we work to align times on both campuses.

Special prayers for those of us who have Year 12 boys and girls undergoing HSC exams or final assessments.  What a year it has been for our graduating classes of 2020.  My reading tells me that this group will be the most resilient group of school leavers we will see in our lifetimes.  They will have learnt to deal with uncertainty and disappointment first hand.  They will have experienced deep loss and disappointment and they will have experienced the greatest and most rapid changes in education for centuries.  Future Life and study looks very different for them already and they may also be the first school leavers for some time who have been encouraged to focus so clearly on their own mental health and life journey. This beautiful prayer was shared this week by the Marist Association and I invite you to support all our leaving students in this prayer.

Prayers also for our First Eucharist candidates as they celebrate this special sacrament this week at Mass.  Thanks to the Year 4 teachers and especially Miss Mason for their preparation and work for our boys and girls. Thanks also to our families for your support and preparation at home.  This brings an end to the Sacramental program for this year and we hope to return to a more community based program with much richer celebrations in 2021.

Mary our Mother… Look After Us.

Eamonn Moore

Principal