Dear Catherine McAuley Catholic College families

Welcome to Term 3.

Our Year 12 students have entered the final term of their formal secondary school education. As the term began and, in the lead up to the Trial HSC starting on Monday 4^th August, there has been a particular focus on this trailblazing group of students and on supporting them as they journey towards the end of thirteen years of schooling, the last five of which have been at Catherine McAuley Catholic College, Medowie. What a wonderful achievement and legacy they will leave when they “walk out the gates” for the final time a few months from now. The College community looks forward to walking that journey with them and their families and they will be in our prayers as they begin their HSC Trials next week.

Year 7 – 10 Parent Student Teacher Conferences

In Week 1 of this term, it was wonderful to welcome families of students from Year 7 to Year 10 to the Parent Student Teacher Conferences in the College Hall. These opportunities are vital to the partnership between school and home when it comes to supporting student learning and wellbeing and enlivens parent and carer engagement with the school.

Some data of interest from this parent and carer engagement opportunity include:

Students in Years 7 – 10: 697

Total Conferences booked: 1542

Total number of classes (Year 7-10): 254

Proportion of households with bookings; 30%

Average bookings per household: 2.26

There will be further opportunities this year for parent and carer engagement through Learner Led Conferences and it would be wonderful to see an even greater proportion of families taking up the opportunity to meet with teachers and educators to discuss our learner’s growth.

Some staff leadership updates for this term.

• Mr Robert Bain is the acting Head of House for Watha - Endeavour – (Years 9 and 10) in place of Mr Scott Warnock who is on parental leave.
• Ms Madeleine Stoneman is acting Leader of Wellbeing and Engagement for Year 10 while Mr Bain is acting Head of House.
• Mrs Alexandria Warnock has returned in part time capacity to her substantive role as Leader of Learning – HSIE and is in job share with Mr Alex Finall who ably covered the Leader of Learning - HSIE role during Terms 1 and 2.
• Mr Mat Bailey returned from parental leave this term to his substantive role as Sport – Leader of Learning and he was ably covered during Term 2 by Mr Chris Tyrie in that role.

Year 7 2026 welcome interviews and enrolments

On Wednesday evening this week twenty of the college’s staff leaders met with the newest members of the CMCC community - Year 7 2026.

This was a delightful occasion because the excitement and anticipation of becoming a CMCC community member was so evident amongst the incoming Year 7 cohort. The interviews and college tours led by our senior students were designed as an important step in the orientation for the next group of students to join the college.

My thanks to the families who attended and the staff who supported this important enrolment and orientation event as we prepare for next year and to welcome another 180 students to the college.

The Nest newsletter circulation

In Term 3 the college will trial publishing three editions of The NEST as opposed to the usual five while we continue to monitor the readership numbers of the newsletter and feedback is invited through the admin@medowiecmcc.catholic.edu.au email address on whether the three editions per term is suitable or not. The Nest will be published in Weeks 2, 6 and 10 this term.

I trust the beginning of Term 3 has been productive for all in the CMCC community.