Principal's Report

Catholic Schools’ Week

Catholic Schools' Week (CSW) 2018 will be held from 27 May to 2 June and will involve the communities of all Catholic primary and secondary schools across the Diocese of Armidale. The theme for CSW 2018 is ‘Serve. Learn. Lead’. Similarly, the Spirit of Catholic Education Awards will be announced after the Celebration Mass in Armidale on Tuesday May 29. More news to come in our next newsletter.

Parent Information Night - Raising Teenagers in a Hypersexual Digital World

As many parents and teachers can attest, social media can and does cause significant distress and harm when used in the wrong way. Issues such as sexting and exposure to pornography are examples of disturbing online experiences that are not only illegal but can have a deep psychological impact on both boys and girls in their formative and teenage years. The key to dealing with such types of inappropriate behaviour is education for both young people and their parents on responsible and ethical use of technology.

As a 5-year cross-Diocese investment from 2018, an organisation called ‘Real Talk’ will be conducting Parent Information Nights and Year Level workshops across the schools in the Diocese to educate, inform and support a change in online behaviour. The first set of workshops for McCarthy students will be held on Tuesday June 19 for Year 9 and Wednesday June 20 for Year 7.

All parents of Year 7 and 9 students are encouraged to attend a Parent Information Night on Monday June 18 in the College Hall. An information flyer outlining the topics being covered, especially for parents, is attached to to this newsletter. Please RSVP via Qkr! before Wednesday June 13. Parents of students in other year levels are welcome to attend but need to RSVP so we have a good idea of potential attendance by Wednesday June 13.

Enrolment Information Evenings

The Enrolment Information Evenings conducted over the past two weeks were specifically directed at Year 6 students currently enrolled in our Armidale Diocese Catholic Primary Schools or for siblings of currently enrolled students. Nights such as these provide an opportunity to reinforce academic, behavioural, cultural and sporting expectations, as well as taking the ‘stress’ out of a ‘face-to-face’ interview process. For those students enrolling from outside the Catholic system, interviews with Leadership team members have begun in earnest to ensure final offers are sent out no later than the beginning of Term 3, 2018.

NAPLAN

As a Diocese, aspiring for ‘best practice’ in all that we do, I am pleased to report that the inaugural year of NAPLAN Online for Year 7 and 9 students went off relatively smoothly. Notwithstanding some minor technical glitches, a number of  students have reported their appreciation of being able to complete their NAPLAN assessments within two days. Most dissatisfaction surrounded the requirement to ‘type’ the Writing Task in contrast to hand-writing. We now await the results to not only ascertain whether the respective assessments were completed correctly, but how well have students demonstrated a pattern of growth in literacy and numeracy, both individually and as a year cohort.

Upcoming Exams for Years 7, 8, 9, 10

As McCarthy continues to move towards more formative assessments in the junior years, the formal exam period for Years 7 to 10 will be significantly reduced. At the time of writing, we should be delivering exams for no more than two or three days in Week 6 of this term. A schedule will be communicated to students this week.

Debutante Ball

Good luck to the Year 12 students who make their debut at the St Nicholas’ Parish Catholic Debutante Ball on Friday 1 June. After many weeks of practice, the students and their partners are excited for the opportunity to ‘trip the light fantastic’ on the dance floor at the Town Hall. While I am personally unable to attend due to absence at professional development, I trust that the students and their families enjoy a wonderful night of culture, dancing and comradery.

Assistant Principal - Teacher Learning

As a College committed to ongoing improvement in pedagogy in the classroom and in partnership with the Catholic Schools Office, the McCarthy Leadership Team has made the necessary decision to advertise for a second Assistant Principal to actively support the growing demands of leading a contemporary teaching and learning agenda. The advertised  role is specifically targeted to support middle leaders and teachers. Suitably qualified and experienced applicants are encouraged to investigate the role through online portals such as Teachers On Net, Catholic Jobs online, Jora, SEEK,  and the CSO website.

Pupil Free Day Friday 8 June

The annual Religious Education Professional Development day for McCarthy staff will be conducted on Friday 8 June. This type of professional learning for staff is set down annually to assist in the spiritual formation of teaching staff aligned to the Core Catholic Principles and Values (CCPV) of the Armidale Diocese. The theme for 2018 is ‘For the Common Good’.

There will be no classes for students on Friday 8 June and Monday 11 June is a scheduled public holiday. Classes resume for all students at 8:45am on Tuesday 12 June.

Skoolbag App Upgrade

We have recently upgraded the McCarthy Skoolbag App to the latest version. Parents will need to follow the prompts to set up a username and password when they next use the app.

Welcome

We welcome Tyanna Kerr (Year 8) and her family to the McCarthy community.

May God go with you.

Mr Geoff McManus

Principal