Principal's Page
Jo Flynn
An Invitation from the eSafety Commissioner
This is the same invitation that was sent out on COMPASS on Tuesday.
YOU’RE INVITED! PLEASE JOIN CCSP’S TERM 2 CYBERSAFETY WEBINAR
PRESENTED BY THE ESAFETY COMMISSIONER TEAM
Register using the link - See you online!
PARENTAL CONTROLS
USING PARENTAL CONTROLS TO HELP PROTECT YOUR CHILD ONLINE
For parents and carers of primary school students
Presented by eSafety Commissioner Team
Thursday 19 June 202512.30 – 1.15pm
Regards,
Cath Garrett-Jones
Executive Director
QUALTRICS responses
Thank you to all the parents who took the time to respond to the survey that sought your opinion on the areas of Faith, Learning and Stewardship at Catherine McAuley. We really appreciate the feedback and would like to address some of the issues you raised immediately. I will continue to address concerns in the next newsletters.
Many of you were of the opinion that Term 2 is too late for Parent/Teacher/Student Interviews. I raised this with staff and we agree that, just because it has always been done this way, doesn't mean that it should continue. We would like to change this for 2026. We will start the year with the informal Meet the Teacher afternoon and BBQ so you have the opportunity to put a face to the name. Later in Term 1 we will conduct more formal Parent/Teacher/Student interviews we you can meet with the class teachers to discuss your child's progress and set some specific learning goals for the semester. These may be academic, behavioural or social goals. In Term 2, you will receive the written report. Unfortunately, we do not have control of the format of the reports. This is controlled by central office. If you have feedback for central office about the report format, please contact the office on Upon receipt of the report, you are free to contact the class teacher for any clarification of what is written. It is my hope that the goals discussed in Term 1 are reflected in these reports and there are no nasty surprises. If there are any issues, the class teacher should have already spoken to you about these.
Communication was a big issue for many parents. There seems to be two main issues with communication. Firstly, there appears to be confusion about the platforms that we use and the second concern is around the timeline or amount of notice of events.
The main communication platform we use is COMPASS. COMPASS sends items out as News items with a backup email. It is the same news item. We try to use COMPASS as the main platform for reminders and notifications. At times, particularly on excursions, if there is a change to return times or there is a need to contact parents, coverage is sometimes patchy and a message cannot be sent via COMPASS. This was the case with the Year 6 excursion to see the musical Annie. I tried from Lithgow to Bathurst to send a COMPASS notification to Year 6 parents and was unable to. In Bathurst I was quickly able to call Mrs Cain who then sent a Facebook notification as she could not access COMPASS from home. I understand this is confusing but technology when it works as designed is fantastic but when not .... frustrating!
The main calendar of events for the term are in the fortnightly newsletters under upcoming events. Any additional details about an event or a change in date, times, or venue are then sent as a notification. It is important for forward planning to check the upcoming events in the newsletter. However, at times, an unscheduled event or learning opportunity presents which we think would be a good activity for our students to participate in. This might have a short turnaround in terms of notification.
Communication is always tricky and I take parental concern over this onboard and will endeavour to improve the issues that you have raised.
The School Band at the Conservatorium
Congratulations to the school band who joined with other schools from the Orange region to attend a workshop and combined performance at Orange Conservatorium. It was a great day for them. Thank you Mrs Allan for organising this.
Interschool Chess Competition
On Monday Catherine McAuley hosted the interschool Chess competition. Many teams from all over Orange attended. Our students played exceptionally well. Today, the second round of the competition was held at Orange Christian School.
Kindergarten Enrolments for 2026
If you have a child starting school next year, or know of any families who have a child starting school in 2026, please remind them to either pick up an enrolment form from our school office or download an enrolment form from our website. Information regarding our Kindergarten Orientation sessions is ready to be sent home so we are keen to have you on our mailing list.
Expert Tools for Successfully Managing Kids’ Anxiety: A Guide for Parents
Michael Grose
Practical tools to move your child from anxious to calm in minutes.
Anxiety is contagious.
When your child becomes anxious, you can easily feel anxious too.
Like the common cold, anxiety is catching, unless you take some precautions.
In this article, I’ll show you two frameworks that work simultaneously when your child experiences an anxious moment. First, the SOBER framework, which focuses on you as a parent, is a precautionary approach. Second - the Anxiety Response Plan - will show you how to respond when your child is anxious.
Stay SOBER when your child is anxious
Yes, I know, I know.
You should always be sober when your child is anxious. But that’s not the sober I’m referring to, although it makes a cool acronym.
It’s easy for stress to get in the way when your child is anxious, so it helps to adhere to the SOBER acronym.
Stop
Multi-tasking is a big part of the parenting gig, but when your child is anxious, they need your full attention. So, stop what you’re doing and focus on your child.
Observe
Shift to observer mode and see what your child is doing and saying. What do you notice? Are they edgy, hanging back or impatient? What are you feeling? Broaden your view to what’s happening around you? This will help ground you in what’s essential.
Breathe
Breathing deeply will dial down your fight-or-flight response (initiated by your child’s anxiety) and activate your relaxation response.
A few deep belly breaths are all it takes.
Expand
Are you now ready to broaden your awareness of the possibilities in the moment? Is this the best time and place to discuss this issue?
If not, let your child know that you will get back to them as soon as you can. If you can manage this, consider your options.
Respond
The previous five steps have ensured that you don’t emotionally react to your child’s anxious moment. Usually, that’s meant to reassure them, fix the problem, or just hope it goes away. You are now ready to respond. The first words to leave your lips should be:
“I get it!”
This is the empathetic response.
Kids want their parents to understand that they feel anxious, nervous, or fearful. You might not grasp the reasons why, but you need to realise that their feelings are genuine, which helps them feel safe.
If you don’t know what to say, simply start by saying, “I’m so glad you told me.”
It may take some time to put these thinking skills into practice when you’re responding to your child’s anxiety. That’s fine. These are stressful situations, so it’s hard to be rational.
Eventually, it will become automatic as you practise the SOBER response
Your Anxiety Response Plan
Knowing in advance how you want to respond to a child who is panicking or becoming overly anxious is beneficial. As you read the following paragraphs, consider how they might relate to your child and how you would respond
1. Recognise your child’s anxiety
The hardest part is recognising a child's anxiety or panic. It's helpful to know the situations that are likely to cause anxiety. If tackling new subjects at school has caused anxiety in the past, it’s no surprise that they may be hesitant to go to school at the start of the year.
It’s also helpful to understand how your child’s anxiety typically manifests—whether through anger, tears, avoidance, or sullen behaviour. Recognition becomes easier as you get better at tuning into your child’s wavelength.
2. Validate how they feel
Above all, kids want someone to understand their anxiety. You don’t have to fix the problem, but it’s important to show that you understand they’re feeling anxious. Match your response to theirs. If they’re really upset, speak with an energy and tone just below theirs, then gradually lower your energy and tone. This will help to calm their emotional response.
It’s also a great way to help your child develop a more nuanced vocabulary.
An “Ahhhh” statement is a brilliant way to validate how your child is feeling.
“Ahhh, you’re feeling anxious right now……..”
“Ahhh, you’re having one of this “I might mess up” thoughts….”
“Ahhh, you’re feeling nervous about tomorrow’s……”
3. Prompt deep, slow breathing
Encourage your child to take deep, slow belly breaths to help lower their emotional levels.
If deep breathing is new to them, breathe together at a steady pace.
Deep breathing is the quickest way to activate your child’s relaxation response and calm them down.
4. Bring their attention back to the present
An anxious child’s thoughts are always focused on the future. They worry about what may happen. It’s essential to redirect your child’s attention to the present. The easiest way to do this is through engaging the senses.
Ask your child to name five things they can see, then four things they can hear, and finally three things they physically feel (e.g. the wind on their face).
This simple mindfulness exercise should be the key tool in your mental health toolkit, positioned right at the top of your deep breathing techniques.
5. Guide them to take action that matters
When your child or teenager has calmed down, steer them towards the action that matters. If it’s a test at school that’s led to the anxious moment, then help your child make plans to tackle the test as best they can. Talk through how they can prepare. Remind them about what’s important - doing your best, playing with friends, enjoying sport—processes rather than results.
Do everything you can to relieve the pressure and stress in a situation, but don’t let avoidance be the default option.
A word about tolerating discomfort
Although not a standalone step in your Anxiety Response Plan, helping your anxious child to cope with their discomfort is an approach you can weave into your validation of their experience of anxiety.
Tolerating discomfort means being prepared to sit with uncomfortable or emotionally painful feelings.
Consider discomfort as a muscle that grows stronger through training. Opportunities arise frequently, such as when a child is:
feeling hungry
wanting something they can’t have
having to wrap up screentime
contributing to household chores
Tolerating discomfort doesn’t mean just toughing it out. It’s about teaching an anxious child to notice how they’re feeling, how to name their emotions, and to practise acceptance of those feelings in the moment, all while knowing that a warm and comforting parent lovingly supports them.
Couple tolerating discomfort with social rewards (such as praise or a shared fun activity) for coping behaviours, and you’re helping strengthen genuine resilience.
Finally…
Anxious kids often need help making the metaphorical step back to see the bigger picture. They need someone to assist them in perceiving things as they are, rather than through the clouded lens of anxiety.
As you gain a clear understanding of what’s happening in the moment with your anxious child, part of your role will be to consider what is hindering their progress, assist them in lightening the burden that may weigh them down, and encourage them to approach life one step at a time.
Have a great fortnight!
Jo Flynn