Class Teachers 2026

Class	Teacher(s)
Kindergarten	Natalie deGabriel
Kindergarten	Leila Agresta
Year 1	Kim Pellow
	Rebecca Follent M-T/Grace Lee W-F
	Deb Prestwidge
Year 2	Georgie Haydon
	Prudence Williams
	Monique Dunn M-T/Lisa Griffiths W-F
Year 3	Ashleigh van Kemenade
	Annette Short M-W/Jane Dellow Th-F
	Belinda Forbes
Year 4	Kate Wright M-W/Nicole Worland Th-F
	Clare Crum M-T/Jennene Carpenter W-F
	Shannon Cain M-T/Helen Croke W-F
Year 5	Catherine Neal
	Gabby Biviano M/Jacinta Belmonte
	Rowena Livingstone/Gabby Biviano ½ F TBC
Year 6	Sharyn Fitzgerald
	Will Bishenden
	Sophia Basha

If a conflict of interest exists, a special consideration request or a personal connection between the students and the proposed teachers for 2026 that you need the leadership team to be aware of prior to the finalisation of classes, please email mcauleyorange@bth.catholic.edu.au for the attention of Mrs Flynn or Mrs Cain by November 28th.

Student Leadership Formation Day

Each year the Year 5 students participate in a leadership formation day in preparation for them becoming the Year 6 school leaders. This year, this formation day falls on Friday, 28th November. After this day, the students decide if the would like an official student leadership position. The official leadership positions that we have are: 2 x school captains, 2 x vice captains, 2 x mission leaders, 2 x environmental leaders, 2 x media officers, 4 x sport leaders.

All students who would like to be considered for a leadership position need to a 2 minute speech outlining why they would be a good candidate for a leadership position and to indicate any preference they might have for positions. The speeches are listened to by the Year 5 and Year 4 classes and members of the school leadership team and class teachers.

After the speeches are finished, the Year 5 cohort and the staff vote for the student leadership team they would like to see in 2026. The students are informed of the decision at the final assembly on 12th December. Parents are informed prior to the assembly so they can be present when the team is announced.

If you have any questions about our process, please do not hesitate in contacting me.

World Kindness Day

This day was celebrated by Catherine McAuley School by doing random acts of kindness. Each class had a focus for their act of kindness and other class had to guess what the focus was for each class. The whole school came together the following day, showing a great act of kindness in raising money for Ronald McDonald House in Orange.

IS YOUR FAMILY READY FOR THE SOCIAL MEDIA DELAY ON 10 DECEMBER?

The Council of Catholic School Parents NSW/ACT asked Dr Michael Carr-Gregg, one of Australia's leading psychologists, author and broadcaster, to help educators and parents and carers with children under 16 prepare for the upcoming changes social media platforms.

In this 30-minute video, Dr Carr-Gregg explains what social media is, how the age restrictions will work, why it's happening and how it will affect families and schools.

We invite parents and educators to take time out for half an hour to watch this video so that they understand and are equipped to handle the impact of the changes on their families and students.

PLEASE WATCH THE VIDEO HERE ON OUR WEBSITE: 'The Social Media Delay: What It Means for Parents and Schools'

Scaffolding: The Critical Element For Your Child's Independence and Success

Michael Grosse

“I can’t do this. It’s too hard,” mumbled 10-year-old Zoe, pushing a cardboard box away in frustration.

The assignment—a complex diorama of an Amazon rainforest ecosystem, a major, multi-week school project—looked more like a mountain than the fun challenge it had seemed an hour ago.

The sheer number of elements, the detail required, and the blank shoebox were overwhelming.

She was about to give up, not due to lack of ability, but because she couldn’t figure out the first small step to take.

The Goldilocks Zone of Struggle

This story shows the difference between productive effort and destructive frustration.

Natural struggle is necessary; it’s the mental friction that fires the brain’s synapses, builds problem-solving skills, and deepens learning.

If a task is too easy, the brain doesn’t grow.

However, when a task feels too big—when the difficulty exceeds a child’s current ability to tackle it unsupported—that friction turns into a destructive burn.

Unsupported struggle leads to frustration, tears, and a feeling of failure, ultimately causing a child to withdraw from similar challenges in the future.

Your Parenting ‘Scaffolding’ Strategy

So, how do you help them get to the finish line without doing the work for them?

You use a brilliant strategy straight out of educational psychology called Scaffolding.

Think about a construction crew building a skyscraper.

They don’t just start balancing on the roof!

They first put up that temporary metal frame—the scaffolding.

It holds everything up, gives the builders a secure place to stand, and allows them to focus on the task: building a strong, lasting structure.

As soon as that building can stand on its own, the scaffolding is removed.

Scaffolding is the temporary support you provide to bridge the gap between what your child can do with help and what they can do all by themselves.

It’s not spoon-feeding; it’s smart, targeted support that leads to independence.

Three Guiding Principles to Scaffold Successfully

If scaffolding is your temporary support structure, you need to know precisely how to build it—and more importantly, when to take it down.

Good scaffolding doesn’t rescue your child; it gives them just enough help to succeed.

Here are the three essential principles to keep in mind when applying this tool.

1. Identify the Sweet Spot

It’s essential to find the sweet spot between what your child can do entirely on their own and what they can’t do at all, even with help.

Your job is to find the challenge that’s “just right.”

Too easy? They get bored. No struggle, no growth.
Too hard? They get frustrated and quit (like Zoe with the whole diorama).
Just right (The Goldilocks principle)? They need your help to start or solve a tricky part, but they can handle most of the work themselves. This is where real learning happens.

The key is to step back first to and identify their struggle.

Avoid rushing in with solutions; observe where they get stuck. That’s the sweet spot for scaffolding support.

2. Break Down the Task

Your child can’t build a skyscraper by starting on the tenth floor. They need the foundation laid first.

When you see your child getting overwhelmed, step in and act as the project manager, not the builder.

Model the first step: Instead of telling Zoe to “start the diorama,” sit beside her and say, “Let’s make a plan. Step 1 is figuring out the layout. You draw the river, I’ll label the zones.” Model the behaviour, then hand the tool over.
Use Checklists and Visuals: Complex tasks always feel more manageable when they’re broken into small, conquerable chunks. A to-do list that says “Create a list of 5 animals” instead of “Make a rainforest” is less intimidating and more doable.
Focus on Process, Not Perfection: If you focus on the outcome, you’re encouraging dependency. Scaffolding focuses on teaching the skill. Say, “How did you figure out the scale?” not, “That tree should be taller.”

3. Fade and Withdraw Support

This is the most crucial principle and the sign that your scaffolding is hitting its mark

Your support should be temporary, so know when to step away.

If you keep the scaffolding up forever, the building will never be able to stand on its own!

Your goal as a parent is Redundancy: You want to make yourself obsolete (but not irrelevant). Every time you help, think: “How can I make sure I don’t have to do this part next time?”
Shift Responsibility to your child: Start by doing 80% of the work and having them watch. Soon, they do 80%, then check. Eventually, you are just signing the permission slip and asking, “When do you plan to start?”
Embrace mistakes: If you withdraw support and they mess up, that’s okay! They’ll be learning a valuable lesson from the natural consequence (missing a deadline, getting a lower mark) rather than from your nagging.

These three principles—finding the sweet spot, breaking down the task, and knowing when to fade—are the foundation for raising capable, confident, and independent kids.

Have a great fortnight

Jo Flynn

Wellbeing At McAuley

Lucy Connor and Shannon Cain