FROM THE PRINCIPAL
Dear McAuley Families
Enrolments for 2026 close this week. We are offering enrolments in Kindergarten and Year 7 2026 for the month of May. Please be advised that there are very limited places available in other year levels. Most year levels are at capacity (some with wait lists). Please encourage family and friends to get their applications sorted in good time prior to the close of enrolments at the end of May.
Places are not necessarily guaranteed as we encounter high levels of interest.
See below the priority of offer which complies with Catholic Education Policy:
Primary: Children who are turning five (5) before 30 April (ACT) or before 31 July (NSW) and:
- Are baptised Catholic who are members of the designated local parish communities and designated priority enrolment area or, where there is more than one primary school within a parish, the designated priority enrolment area within the parish as agreed from time to time.
- Are siblings of children already attending the selected primary school.
- Are children of staff in the selected primary school.
- Are baptised Catholic from other parishes or outside of the priority enrolment area who cannot obtain places in their local parish/in-area primary school.
- Are non-Catholic whose parents/guardians desire and are committed to a Catholic Education.
Secondary:
- Baptised Catholic children who currently attend a Catholic school; or are members of the local parish community in rural areas where a Catholic school is not available.
- Siblings of children already attending the selected secondary school.
- Are children of staff in the selected secondary school.
- Other children who have been enrolled in a Catholic school for a period of at least 3 consecutive years prior to commencing at the secondary school.
- Baptised Catholic children from schools other than Catholic schools. The family of these children MUST provide an up-to-date reference from their parish priest indicating that they are practicing Catholics in the parish.
- Baptised Catholic children from schools other than Catholic schools who cannot provide a reference from a parish priest.
- Other children whose parents/guardians desire and are committed to Catholic education.
We will next arrange interviews for those who have made applications and later make offers of places for next year. We are blessed to have high levels of interest in an education in our College. We offer science-based education models and high impact teaching across all year levels. Our teachers are subject specialists and teach to build the whole person in knowledge, skill and faith.
One innovation I am proud of is our adoption of the “Resilience Project” across the College. I am always grateful to the Community Foundation who sponsor the program materials and workbooks to help us provide these weekly lessons in “gratitude, empathy and mindfulness.” The statistics below provide sound explanation as to why we believe teaching resilience is so important:
- 1 in 4 primary students experience high levels of depression and anxiety
- 1 in 3 secondary students experience high levels of depression and anxiety
- 3 in 4 teachers are experiencing burnout
- 2 in 5 adults experience a mental disorder in their lives
These statistics come from various reports and make interesting reading. Please see below for links.
I encourage our families to make use of the excellent resources provided and to build some GEM into your daily lives and routines. Questions like these can guide grateful thinking, empathy and mindfulness:
- What went well today? What made you smile?
- What’s something kind I can do for someone today?
- What are you going to do to help you feel calm and relaxed?
Mary our mother, look after us.
Eamonn Moore
Principal