Dear McAuley Families

Welcome back to Term 3.  You will have all witnessed the works beginning as we installed temporary spaces for the Primary BGA project.  We anticipate moving into the transportables during Week 2 for the demolition of the primary admin and toilet blocks sometime after Week 3 (05 August). 

The contractors for the project are Monarch Building Solutions and have quite some experience with school projects.  Of course, they are required to follow safe practices in line with required legislation and WHS requirements.

Early works will require the safe removal of some hazardous materials found in the existing buildings.  Air monitoring and exclusion zones will be in place to ensure the safety and comfort of our students and staff. The asbestos removal contractor selected will be expected to undertake the asbestos removal works in accordance with the following applicable New South Wales legislation:

• New South Wales Work Health and Safety Act 2011
• New South Wales Work Health and Safety Regulation 2017
• Code of Practice: How to Safely Remove Asbestos [SafeWork NSW 2022}

Please do not hesitate to contact me should you have questions or concerns about this part of the project.

This newsletter will contain the finalised building and renovation plans for the works to take place over the coming weeks and months.  You will see that we will end up with a total of 10 classrooms, library space, new canteen, and undercover areas.  This is an exciting opportunity for our Primary Campus to boast fresh, modern, and safe areas to learn and teach.  I am grateful already for the flexibility of our staff and students as they begin the process of relocation and “making do” in the areas we are providing in the interim. Thank you all for your continued support and commitment to making the College an outstanding place for our boys and girls to learn and our staff to work.

Over the next few weeks our Class of XXIV will begin the process of trials, exams, and assessments to complete their Higher School Certificate (HSC). I am continually reassuring our boys and girls that our entire community are united in prayerful support for them as they begin this process. 

Andrew Fuller (a well-known child psychologist) always has really practical ideas for us as teachers and parents.  See his Blog at www.andrewfuller.com.au/blog. His article on supporting students in the senior years recommends:

1. Develop a system. Work together to plan an ideal week – 8 hours sleep a night, time to relax, best breakfast foods, best study times, best times for part-time work, how to handle parties and events at exam time.  I like his notion of “study sprints”. That is 20-50 minutes study with a 10-minute break. Also negotiate some time away each day from social mediA.      
2. Steer students back to the system. Prepare for coping with ‘meltdowns’ by offering food, rest, exercise, or some social time.
3. Deal with catastrophic thinking. You will probably say the ‘wrong thing’ but… get back to basics. Don’t engage in long rambling ‘what if?’ talks.  Feed them, rest them, hydrate them.  Slowly rebuild confidence.
4. Know what to do when the system breaks down. August is the time for students to lose motivation and become disheartened.  This is also the time that the best study and learning takes place.  Help with organisation, note taking, charts & summaries. 
5. Keep in touch with teachers. Work together with the experts at school.
6. Deal with the ‘build up’. Keep things calm, fill the cupboards with good food, lots of water and allow for social time. Consider a break from part time work for your student – allow them time for study and revision. Think about delaying big family events until after exam time.
7. It’s not the end of the world… Remind your boys and girls that the result is not their future. Many of us built wonderful lives and careers after year 12.

Remain positive, upbeat, and calm.  Believe that your son or daughter is equipped to do their best.  “Adding an anxious parent to a panicking teenager is always a recipe for disaster…”

I look forward to our first cohort of Year 12 making us deeply proud of their achievements reflecting the excellent education they will have experienced at the College.

Mary our mother look after us.

Eamonn Moore

Principal