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- FROM THE PRINCIPAL
- ASK THE PRINCIPAL
- WELCOME TO POPE LEO XIV
- COMMUNITY COUNCIL UPDATE
- CANCER COUNCIL BIGGEST MORNING TEA
- ENROLLING NOW FOR 2026
- CONGRATULATIONS MISS BELLETTE
- WALK SAFELY TO SCHOOL 2025
- WORK EXPERIENCE
- YES PROGRAM
- RADIO NEWS
- BLAKENEY LODGE
- YEAR 8 ENGLISH ASSESSMENT TASK
- YEAR 1 LIBRARY FUN
- YEAR 5 & 6 SPORT
- YEAR 6 RETREAT
- WESTERN REGION CROSS COUNTRY
- ANZAC CEREMONY 2025
- PRIMARY CAMPUS AWARDS
- ICAS
- CAREERS BULLETINS
Dear McAuley Families
I was reminding our students about our “way” as I know staff are across our classrooms. At this time in the semester, it is important to focus on “engage”. That is to “engage with each other and with your educators… Focus on your work and get involved in College activities…” This kind of positive mindset will assist our students to be organised, motivated and hard working. Studies are clear that when we are engaged (in “flow”) we learn and achieve at a much higher level. Parents can assist by helping with planning, study routines and due dates clearly recorded and published at home.
In another couple of staffing announcements, I am happy to let you know Mr Tim Ryan, Ms Cat Dawson and Mr Michael Shanahann will be teaching various subjects on the secondary campus as we look to replace some staff leave and resignations. The college has a fine reputation which is attracting high level and expert staff to us. This is great news in a time of well documented teaching shortages and difficulty in recruitment.
Again, I remind you that it's enrolment time! 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 practising 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.
Our Primary Building Project continues to race towards its completion. We hope to have moved into classrooms by mid-June for the exterior works to commence. I know our staff are looking forward to working in these bright new spaces and showing them off to you all.
I remain very grateful to our primary students and staff for their resilience and patience as we work towards moving into our new facility. Restricted play areas and temporary classrooms have been a challenge. We are getting closer every day!
As always, we have had students at various sporting, educational and cultural activities over the last few weeks. I am always thrilled to receive an email or call to complement good manners and behaviour. The Year 7 group that visited The Pompeii Exhibition in Canberra recently earned a lovely message back to me from a lady who admired the very respectful way the students addressed each other and their teachers. Well done.
Our culture of good manners, respect and positivity are behaviours that become habits and then our way of being. As Catherine McAuleyy said “…if the love of God reigns in your heart, it will show itself on the exterior…”
Mary our mother, look after us.
Eamonnn Moore
Principal
Our very own Principal, Mr Eamonn Moore was interviewed for the Catholic Voice recently in their "Ask the Principal" section. Here is what he had to say:
Q: How does your school help students navigate the challenges of modern technology and media?
A: "McAuley Catholic College Tumut has a proud history of supporting students in appropriately using ICT tools. For some time, we have been a “bring your own device” (BYOD) school.
Students are encouraged and supported to use their personal devices in all classes to support their learning. Many classes make use of relevant subscriptions and e-texts. Each class has a Google page set up to allow access and flexibility for students for content and tracking. This also allows parents to be notified of upcoming assessments.
The ethical use of computers and the internet is supported with parent education sessions via the eSafety Commissioner. An ICT Acceptable Use Agreement is completed by our students to assure teachers and parents about correct and acceptable internet use.
Our access to the Archdiocesan Program of Virtual Learning has provided subject choice and expert teachers for our Year 11 and 12 students. A large part of this program equips students with the skills to use ICT and artificial sources ethically and responsibly. We believe we should not fear the power of AI but use it to enhance and strengthen our study and assignments."
Mother's Day Stall
Next Meeting
Please come along if you would like to get involved - all welcome!
Congratulations to Lillie Bellette who recently graduated from Swinburne University of Technology with a Bachelor in Education (Primary).
Lillie was a student at McAuley and is now a teacher on our Primary Campus!
On Thursday afternoon, Miss Groves organised for Kindergarten and Year 1 students to visit our wonderful lollypop man Ron Harms. Ron spoke to the students about what to do at the crossing to ensure they cross the road safely. We know to stop at the yellow line and follow Ron's instructions and signals. We even got to have a turn at crossing the road together. Kindergarten and Year 1 know exactly what to do to stay safe when crossing the road!
Today is Walk Safely to School Day and we were lucky enough to have a Police Officer from the local station to talk to students about safely walking to school and crossing roads. It was particularly exciting when the lights and sirens went on for us!
Zac is currently completing Work Experience as part of his Made for a Trade Program. Thank you to Gus Ashby at GEA Electrical for hosting Zac.
We're very fortunate and grateful to all the local business who host our students.
Hair - How to style your own hair or family and friends. How to present yourself for job interviews. This course aims to prepare learners who may one day want to enter the Hairdressing or Barbering industry. The course will provide basic styling techniques, product knowledge and communication skills to assist participants with their own presentation skills that can enhance their confidence in applying for jobs.
Year 9.3 visited our friends at Blakeney Lodge on Wednesday. They had a fabulous time chatting with the residents, finding out what sport they played when they were young, where they worked and all sorts of interesting things.
Our clever Year 8 students have done some magnificent poetry as part of their program. They'd like to share them with you, there is some truly wonderful work here!
Growing up
Who knew that growing up could happen so fast
There has been so many moments I wish could last
Growing up with thee like a blossoming tree
I always felt so wild and free
One moment I was small, I closed my eyes
and all of a sudden I was so tall
Growing up can be hard
sometimes we wish we could freeze time
Pause for a moment and everything would be fine
Growing up can be fun if we enjoy the moments
there are many times to shine
Hide and seek feels like the past
Its Crazy how we grew up so fast
The songs were about stars, the moon and Mars
now there about flowers and stupid love that leaves scars
Back then we wanted to grow up
But now i long for the days when I was small, all
we did was laugh and play with toy cars
Oh how i wish to rewind the clock
Go back in time to be a small child again
Back then everything felt fine,
Everything will be perfect again.
Drifting Away
Love is sweet
It makes my heart skip a beat
We used to talk all day long
I thought our love was strong
We walked the sunny beaches
The breeze went through your hair it left me speechless
I helped you up when you fell down
I thought I found the one.
Every time I heard your name
You gave me butterflies
I looked you in the eyes
They remind me of the sunrise
We started talking less
It made me a mess
I started to overthink
My heart started to shrink
I saw you talking to other guys
And you started telling me lies
I missed talking to you
I missed laughing with you
The day I will always remember
It was the last day of September
You shattered my soul
You said we should just be friends
I cried all night
I tried to fight
I thought you were the one and only
Now all I am is lonely
I love you
Let me show you the ways.
I love you to the extent I am always
missing you. My love for you grows bigger
And beyond everytime I think of you.
Your beautiful eyes hold my gaze for hours at a time,
And your smile is second to none other I've ever known.
I love you a little more when your name comes
across my mind, you are truly the only one that I want.
You always know how to make me laugh, you really are
my other half. I love you even if you are on the other side
of the world. Your touch calms and soothes the night away,
And your voice awakens the beat in my heart.
The day I Saw you, I knew you were the one. You are my
love, my other half, my soulmate, my world and my
everything. You will forever have a place in my heart, I will
Forever love you.
A love spell
By the deathless who reign in Olympus's heights
And the powers that rule the Great Silence below,
Let the knot that I tie round a lock from his brow
Bind the soul of my love to the worship of me
Let the tears that roll out of my eyes keep his own
From all sleep till they find no sight fair but my sight;
Let this sacrificed drop of my maidenly blood
Heat his veins to a seethe with desire of myself;
Let the pink and the red flee his cheek and his lip;
Let the strength fail his arm and the wits leave his head;
Let him shake, let him ache, let him burn in the day,
Let him rave in the night, till he's under my sway.
Let him be until he is mine when its night he turns into mine
Let him sway till one day he will be mine
Let him be thankfull till the end
For Those Who Built Me
You guided me, you taught me,
And oh, the amount of things you bought me,
You pointed and explained,
You laughed but never shamed,
You were the flower, I was the seed,
You gave me everything I might need,
Through candle light and sunshine you were there,
And before school, you would braid my hair,
You were always the same person to me,
Full of happiness, full of glee,
When I cried, you wiped away my tears,
You comforted every stress and solved every fear.
However slowly, I learned how to pick myself up when I fell,
That when things didn’t go my way, I didn’t need to scream and yell,
How to stand my ground when I knew I was right
How to push through darkness, to find the light.
What to do when life stabbed me in the back,
How to get my world back on track.
These were lessons no one could ever have taught me,
These were things that helped me discover who I wanted to be,
I would not be the person I am today without
having gone through these times,
I would not have enjoyed my life without these difficult climbs.
However even now I still admire you,
How you pushed through, hardness, sickness and flu,
The bold and risk filled choices you made,
How you taught me there is more to life than getting a good grade,
The way you threw yourself in the deep
end and taught yourself how to swim,
How you found happiness and fullfillment when things seemed quite dim,
The way you learned to grit your teeth and push through,
And most of all, the way that you were always unapologetically YOU.
So, thank you.
Ode to the Planet of Sand
The Planet of Sand it was very bland
it had folk which would choke
and as he looked at the sand on the land
he saw all the oak covered in smoke
and he scanned and planned beforehand
splitting the land into strands
he also made tribes strive and be alive
but there was still sand where they stand.
He granted them plants to grow like a hive
and animals to throw festivals
they loved it but some shoved
the land was falling dark
people made sparks, it hurt the land
turning it back into sand
they stopped believing but they kept achieving
they turned wood to fire and sand to land.
Here in the land of sand it is not a fairy land
if you dont treat it right it turns into a barren land that you cannot stand
but if you have hope you will have sense like an African Antelope
and if the ground goes soft with the texture of honey
the land will be pleasant there and the people will be able to cope
everyone will be happy and the land will be chubby.
So the people listened and the world glistened
but the people cough and they start to layoff
they turn around and look at the ground and listen
Its black, the land was about to drift-off
It was all an illusion, there was no exclusion.
Our Year 1 class had so much fun in the library this week reading "a monster wrote me a letter".
Students in Years 5 & 6 made the most of the amazing Autumn weather we've been having by playing sport down at the Riverglade Oval.
Last week, Year 6 students from St Patrick's in Gundagai and St Mary's in Batlow gathered with Year 6 students from McAuley to participate in a ‘Journey with Jesus’ Retreat Day. Journey with Jesus is a faith and ministry experience that delves into core concepts of the Catholic Faith and is linked to the Year 6 Religious Education curriculum. The retreat, which is based around the basic Gospel message of love, salvation and forgiveness is designed to support the curriculum and then lead the students into opportunities for leading missions within their own school communities.
We received a letter from the Tumut RSL Sub-Branch thanking our College Captains for their attendance at the recent ANZAC Ceremony. We are proud of them for representing McAuley so well.
