Welcome to 2024

Welcome back to all our returning families and a special welcome to the McAuley Family to all our new students and their families. We have had several new enrolments together with our Kindergarten students and I look forward to getting to know each and every one of you over the year(s) to come.

Meet - The- Teacher and Welcome BBQ

Next Monday, 12th February, we will be hosting a Meet-the-Teacher afternoon, followed

by a welcome BBQ. From 3:30-4:30, the teachers will be in their classrooms, ready for you to come in for a quick chat. This is not the time for an in depth meeting with the teacher about your child's progress or any confidential issues you need to raise. Rather it is an opportunity for you to meet your child's teacher and to see the learning spaces where your children spend their school life. Children love to show their parents where they sit and explain the organisation of the classroom. You can make an appointment with the teacher if you need time for a more detailed meeting. Please then join us for a BBQ. The BBQ will go from 4-5:30pm. This is a good opportunity to meet the other parents and to renew acquaintances. The BBQ will be set up outside the canteen. We aim to finished by 6pm. I am looking forward to seeing as many of you as possible at this event.

Staff List 2024

Swimming Carnival

Our annual swimming carnival will be held on Monday, 19th February, 2024. All students from Years 3-6 will attend the carnival all day and Years 1-2 will come for part of the day. Reminder notes will be sent with the timeline and scheduled events. As it is so early in the year, Kindergarten do not attend.

See more information on the Sport News page.

Exciting News

The Catherine McAuley family is ever expanding with unexpected but welcome potential new students. Both Mrs Satterthwaite and Mrs Follent are expecting a baby later in the year. This will be Mrs Satterthwaite's first baby and Mrs Follent is adding to her family of 4, with a third baby.

Parent Engagement Group

This year we are convening a Parent Engagement Group. Last year we had an initial meeting of interested parents. I would like to thank those parents for their interest and invite other interested parents who would like to be a part of the group to send an email expressing interest to mcauleyorange@bth.catholic.edu.au . Our first job would be to elect the Parent Group executive and class/grade champions. I propose we meet on Monday evening, 19th February in order to do this. We can then set a date for the first official meeting after I meet with the elected group officers.

Blayney Book Fair

The Blayney Anglican Book Fair and Trading Table will be held on Friday 26 and Saturday 27 April and Friday 3 and Saturday 4 May. All donations of books in good order and DVDs

are most welcome and can be left in the porch of the side hall where they will be out of the weather. We do not want encyclopaedias or magazines. On Saturday 4 May we will have Kim Kelly from Millthorpe talking about the prize she won last year for her novella, and what she has been doing recently. Please let your pupils, parents and staff know. For enquiries please contact Elizabeth Russ on 0408 682122.

The teaching of reading.

A free seminar is being offered to parents as well as teachers. When I get the link, I will share it with you.

The date – Thursday 7 March 4-5.30pm (AEST) - please note this is Qld time

This free seminar/webinar is with Professor Catherine Compton-Lilly, University of South Carolina, proudly hosted by the Griffith Institute of Educational Research (GIER)

Topic: What we truly know about the teaching of reading

We know this is going to be a special session. In Cathy's latest co-authored article in the "Reading Teacher" the acknowledgement reads "We thank all educators who stand up for children". For more information about Cathy's career highlights, visit the university webpage:

https://sc.edu/study/colleges_schools/education/faculty-staff/compton_lilly_catherine.php, or access her Google Scholar profile: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=PLtO4fIAAAAJ&hl=en.

I'll send around a formal invitation with the seminar information and online webinar link when I receive it.

Have a safe and happy fortnight

God Bless,

Jo Flynn

WAM

Wellbeing at McAuley