Welcome to week 10 - the final week of Term 3. I would like to take this opportunity to wish you all the very best for the student vacation time and I hope you all enjoy a lovely break with your families.

What a week we have for a final week. A gentle reminder that we celebrate McAuley Day tomorrow. Please see the Religious Education Coordinator's page for an outline of events. Friday, the last day for students, will be our book week dress up day. I look forward to seeing the many book characters come to life and to meeting as many of you as possible for the shared lunch.

Farewell Assembly to Mr Sheridan

Yesterday afternoon the school held a very special assembly to farewell Mr Sheridan as he is retiring. Mr Sheridan has had a long career in Catholic Education, the vast majority of this 51 year career spent here at Catherine McAuley.

On behalf of the whole community, thank you Mr Sheridan for your dedication, your generosity of spirit, and your enduring contribution to our “family”.

We wish you every happiness as you embark on this next chapter of your life. You leave with our admiration, respect, and very best wishes.

Social Media Ban

From 10 December 2025, age restricted social media platforms will have to take reasonable steps to prevent children under the age of 16 from creating or keeping an account.

Is your family ready?

Find out more about the social media ban from the eSafety website here!

or prepare for Australia's 'teen social media ban' with this FREE 1 hour webinar designed by psychologist and digital wellbeing educator, Jocelyn Brewer. LOGGED OUT: Navigating Australia’s Teen Social Media Ban takes a collaborative, non-judgmental approach to this transition.

Rather than treating the ban as a quick fix, the session helps families:

Understand why the ban has been introduced and what platforms are included/exempt.
Explore privacy issues and age verification technology.
Plan with their teens how to back up digital memories, audit current use, and manage alternatives.
Anticipate unintended consequences, such as circumvention, isolation, or reliance on riskier platforms.
Build family technology agreements and digital resilience that extend beyond social media.

Key details:

When: Thursday November 6th at 730pm AEDT/Sydney time
Who for: Parents/carers & educators of under-16s
Format: 1 hour, FREE, live online (not recorded)
Approach: Collaborative, participatory, non-judgmental
Registration: HERE

Schools are experiencing a rising number of issues caused by inappropriate social media use. We request support from parents in decreasing these issues by encouraging your children to disengage with social media. If you can find the time to listen to this webinar, I encourage you to do so or to visit the esafety website to read more about the ban.

Bullying and Teasing - What is the difference?

Teasing occurs between equals (age, power, intelligence, friendships) while bullying occurs between people who are unequal. Teasing maintains dignity and respect toward a person while bullying is done to embarrass or hurt the feelings of a person.

The primary difference is intent and impact, as bullying is repeated, intentional behavior designed to hurt or control someone, often involving a power imbalance, while teasing is usually lighthearted, reciprocal, and intended to be playful among equals. However, teasing can turn into bullying if it's not mutually enjoyed, if it causes distress, if it's repeated, or if it targets someone's identity, appearance, or other sensitive characteristics. If you are not sure if a person's feelings will be hurt by your words or actions, don't say it or do it.

When You Are Twelve!

The heading above is a link to a very interesting article by Mr Michael Grose, a prominent child psychologist, whose work and research I often share with you. This article I found particularly interesting and may assist parents of pre-teen children. Please read.

Have a Great Holiday.

Jo Flynn

School and Other News