Principal's Page

Dear Parents and Carers,

Welcome back from the Easter break. I hope the wonder and awe of this special time in our church year has brought you joy. 

Let us pray:

May the glory and the promise of this joyous time of year 

bring peace and happiness to you and those you hold most dear.

And may Christ, Our Risen Saviour, always be there by your side 

to bless you most abundantly and be your loving guide.

Anzac Day March

The annual Anzac Day March was very well attended this year with over 180 students marching to represent Catherine McAuley and pay tribute to are armed service men and women. Our delegation was proudly led by the student leaders and the band played a pivotal role in keeping us all together with their excellent drumming and percussion. Thank you to the large number of teachers who joined in the march. The School Captains continued to Robertson Park where they reverently laid a beautiful wreath at the cenotaph. Well done Catherine McAuley community - I am one very proud principal. 

Important School Matters

What you agreed to when you enrolled your children.

Parents are responsible for:

• completing in full an Application for Enrolment Form including it being signed by parents/carers
• providing all required and relevant documentation for enrolment to proceed
• providing information regarding all relevant learning/behavioural needs pertaining to their child
• meeting their obligations regarding the payment of school fees
• providing an explanation for student absence within seven calendar days of the absence 
• informing the school, in the future, if they are moving to another school.
• Completing an Exit Form when leaving the school
• if relevant, completing an Application for Exemption from Attendance at School for individual students, which may be granted if the Executive Director of Catholic Schools in the Bathurst Diocese, Consultant to Schools and Principals are satisfied that conditions exist which make it necessary or desirable, subject to conditions and limited to a period specified in the certificate.

I am happy to say that most of these conditions are meet on a regular basis by most parents. However, one area needs considerable attention and that is explaining absences from school. To date there are over 500 unexplained absences. This is unacceptable as absences need to be explained within seven calendar days of a student absence. This is a legal requirement. This includes partial absences. If your child has an unexplained absence from January to March, a letter has been sent home requesting you explain the absence. April absence letters will follow. 

If you are unaware of how to enter a note onto COMPASS, the instructions follow:

1. Open COMPASS to your child's dashboard. You will see a number of different Tabs
2. Select the tab 'Attendance'. A new interface will open.
3. Select the tab 'Notes'. Again a new interface will appear.
4. Half way down the interface there is a green+ 'Add Attendance Note'. Click this.
5. A text box will appear. Type the reason for the absence in the space provided.

Morning Arrival

School gates open at 8:35 am. Many students are arriving at school before this time. In some instances this is beyond the control of parents due to the bus schedule. We have opened Kenna Hall in the mornings so that these students do not need to wait outside the school gates until 8:35. However, many, many more students are arriving earlier and earlier. If you need to drop you child to school earlier than the 8:35 opening time, please consider using the OSHC facility for before school care. Please contact OSHC 0439631686.

Have a good fortnight 

Jo Flynn