Principal's Report
Welcome to Term 3
Welcome back to another exciting and busy term at McCarthy! As always, Term 3 brings with it the final academic term for Year 12s, as well as beginning the conversation and discernment for Year 10s who consider their course options for Year 11 2021. I encourage all Year 12 and Year 10 families to keep up-to-date with the Event Calendar in the Newsletters and the McCarthy Facebook page, as there are many important dates and deadlines to be met across the coming weeks. Of particular note is the upcoming virtual delivery of information regarding Year 10 into Year 11 Subject Selection and the separate Vocational Pathways recordings. Check out the detailed information in the Curriculum section of this newsletter.
There would be no surprise that COVID-19 restrictions continue to impact on the type of events and gatherings that we are able to run in schools. As an example, we are running split Assemblies each Monday morning with half of the college (years 7, 8 and 11) in the Hall during Mentor Group and Period 1 and the other half of the college (years 9, 10 and 12) attending Assembly at the end of period 2. We also continue to investigate our external sports and cultural options. Unfortunately, the tight restrictions related to the pandemic have impacted our capacity to run the annual Walkathon and Athletics Carnival which have both been cancelled. We are currently investigating the feasibility of an on-site ‘Fun/Gala Day’ later in the term to ensure that we have some ‘community-building’ activities before the Year 12s leave. There will be more information in the next Newsletter.
Non-attendance when unwell
In that vein, can I once again reiterate the importance of keeping your children at home if they are unwell. We will be very firm in calling families to pick up any children who present at the college with coughs and fevers. The safety of all students and staff is a high priority during the pandemic and we cannot compromise their health by allowing students to remain on-site when unwell. This directive includes the sickbay which is a temporary ‘holding’ facility, and should not be considered as a full-day health care room.
HSC Trials
Good luck to Year 12 students as they enter the Trials period. While Trials have been rescheduled to begin in Week 5, the significance of these assessments has not diminished. After many months of hard work and preparation, these exams begin the ‘third leg’ of the journey from Preliminary Year, HSC School-Based Assessments and finally the full HSC Exams in Term 4. We wish them well and trust that those who have been meticulous and dedicated in their preparations are rewarded accordingly. Thank you also to the generous and talented staff who offered many hours of their recent holiday break time to deliver HSC Workshops.
Pupil Free Day
Please note that teachers will engage in professional development on Monday 17 August (Week 5). This is a scheduled Pupil-Free Day in the college calendar for Years 7 to 11 only. Year 12s will begin their Trial Exams in the College Hall on that date with external invigilators. For families with students in years 7 to 11, please make arrangements for your sons and daughters to be supervised at home or by another adult/family.
Road Safety
The recent review into child deaths in NSW, highlights the importance of Road Safety messages as transport-related injuries were the leading cause of death in young people between the ages of 5 -17 years, followed by suicide.
As a proactive step, the Australian Road Safety Foundation, in conjunction with the Australian Government, is proud to announce the launch of an interactive resource labelled - RoadSet. Aligned with the Australian Curriculum, RoadSet is a free, interactive online road safety learning experience and educational tool designed for Year 9 students.
Road trauma is the biggest killer of Australian children aged between one and 14 and to change these tragic statistics, we need to address road safety in a new way.
RoadSet combines original animation with gamified learning interactions to deliver immersive, engaging content across ten easy-to-digest modules including Road User Environments: Being a Pedestrian and a Passenger, Rideables and ultimately becoming a driver.
All schools are investigating ways to increase road awareness skills in young Australians and highlight strategies to help prevent crashes and reduce road trauma. I encourage all parents to familiarise with the resources and discuss the key issues and strategies regularly with your sons and daughters.
Resumption of Parents & Friends Association (P&F) and School Advisory Council (SAC) Meetings
The Armidale Diocese has approved the resumption of small parent gatherings from Term 3. Consequently, the scheduled P&F and SAC meetings will go ahead on Tuesday 18 August.
To avoid any potential cross-contamination the P&F meeting will be held in A4 (first classroom on your left as you approach the Administration building) beginning at 7:15 pm. Attending parents will be required to sign in and provide contact details, as well as following hygiene requirements such as hand sanitisation. Please do not attend if unwell. The School Advisory Council meeting is a smaller group and will continue in the Meeting Room from 5:30 pm.
Staff News
It is with an extremely heavy heart that I convey the exceptionally sad news of the arrival and passing of Xavier Flynn Bryant, infant son of Mrs Natahlia Bryant and her husband Daniel, on 11 July 2020. While respecting their privacy, please keep the family in your prayers and pray for the peaceful repose of Xavier's soul. Mrs Bryant will be on leave from her classes while suitably qualified staff will continue the delivery of lessons.
Welcome
We welcome Flynn Leech and Dallas Margetts (Year 7) to the McCarthy community.
Mr Geoff McManus - Principal