Dear Parents and all in the McAuley Community,

Peter the Rock: The readings in Mass this week are built around the words from Matthew: ‘You are

Peter, and on this rock I will build my church.’ In this way, Jesus appointed Peter to lead his church.

As the gospels amply attest, Peter was by no means the brightest or the best of Jesus’ disciples by any

normal reckoning. He was not top of the class or first XI material. Indeed, when Jesus was later on

trial and about to be executed, Peter would three times publicly deny that he was one of Jesus’

disciples. Later still, when Peter saw the empty tomb, he was slow to believe that the Lord had risen.

So often, Peter was slow to understand. In many ways, in Peter we see a little of ourselves: our

slowness to understand Jesus’ teaching, our failures and floundering, and the fragility of our own

faith. Like Peter, we often falter. But in his example we learn that what matters most is our love for

Jesus and our desire follow him; to learn from him and to walk in his ways. We don’t have to be

clever. We don’t have to know it all. It is our love and, like Peter, our willingness to accept

forgiveness and to press on in love and service. In Jesus and in Peter we are also reminded of a

distinctly Christian style of leadership, which is averse to any notion of dominion or lording it over

others. It does not seek power and privilege for its own sake, nor is it concerned for the trappings and

trinkets of power and wealth. Rather, it is steadfastly concerned to be of service to others and to the

common good. Adapted from Anne Hunt © Redemptorists 2014

Condolences. It was with great sadness that we learned this week that Sr Bev Noonan (R.S.M.) died

after a long battle with illness. Possibly known to many of you as Sr Christopher, she was well known

in the Lismore Diocese and beyond as an educator, a lecturer and also Supervisor of Primary Schools

in the diocese. Please keep her family and the Sisters of Mercy in your prayers.

College Activities. As mentioned often in previous newsletters, there is a constant stream of activities

happening in our College which provide multiple opportunities for our students. Apart from the Year

12 Trials, there has been the Year 11 Retreat, a youth ministry experience (CSYMA) at Coffs

Harbour, a Year 12 Drama evening and HSC dance exams. Many students travelled to Coffs Harbour

for the Diocesan Athletics last week and the results were exceptional. Our students certainly ‘punched

above their weight’. Year 10 participated in a Reflection Day lead by Michael Fitzpatrick, a Retreat

Leader from Queensland, who commented after that our Year 10s were one of the best groups he has

met. Our chaplain, Fr Bing celebrated the Assumption Mass in our Hall last Friday and Year 12

students enjoyed a ‘Wellbeing day’ this week where ideas and strategies for looking after themselves

during the HSC were discussed and practised, along with additional study skills and hints.

Social. This is scheduled for Tuesday 2nd September starting at 6.00pm. The P&F will provide ‘hot-

dogs’, chips and drinks during the evening. The finish time for Years 7, 8 and 9 is 8.45 pm for Years

10, 11 and 12 at 9.00 pm. This ‘staggered’ finish time is necessary for safety in the car-park.

Enrolments for next year. Any parents who have not submitted an enrolment application for their

Year 6 son or daughter for next year should do so urgently. Our existing parents may like to spread

the word about the benefits of an education at McAuley Catholic College. Any parents interested in

enrolling their child into the College will need to phone the Office on 6643 1434 to obtain an

enrolment package and to make an appointment for an interview.

Tuition Fees and Resource Fees. I am reluctant to do so but feel I must remind several parents that

the operation of our school is totally dependent upon families keeping up-to-date with tuition fees and

resource fees. We receive less government funding, combined Federal and State, than students in

public schools so we are forced to charge fees to make up the shortfall. (Check out the figures on the

MySchool website). Various payment options for fees are available to soften the impact of trying to

pay a large amount at a given time. Contact the College office for more information.

Proclaim Lismore Parents 2014. The latest Proclaim e-bulletin features a poignant and moving

story of happiness. As parents and caregivers, the greatest wish we have for our children is that they

experience lasting happiness and success. Our children spend a significant portion of their lives at

school, and so it is vital that as parents we ensure we do our part to create an education experience

that contributes to our children’s sense of happiness and achievement. Strong, happy children are

produced by strong committed communities, and we can only build these when parents and schools

work in partnership with each other. Make sure you also watch the latest animated e-bulletin featuring

the storytelling skills of one of our students from the Lismore Diocese at

http://proclaimlismore.com.au/july18.html.

The Proclaim Parent Gatherings will be an exciting opportunity for parents to have their say and be

truly listened to about how we can build the most vibrant, faith-filled and welcoming communities for

our children and their families. Register your interest in attending your local Proclaim Parent

Gathering at http://proclaimlismore.com.au/proclaim-parent-gatherings2014/

Vietnam Veterans March

2

From the Deputy’s Desk

2

Proclaim Parent Gathering

3

Daily Examiner Netball

3

Book Review 4

Canteen Roster 4

Volume 25 Issue 10

21st August 2014

McAuley Catholic College Newsletter LOCKED BAG 521

GRAFTON NSW 2460

PHONE (02) 6643 1434 FAX (02) 6643 2137

mccgraf@lism.catholic.edu.au www.mccgrafton.nsw.edu.au

(Continued over Page)

(From Previous)

Tractor Needed. This is a request to see if anyone has or

knows of a small second hand tractor for sale. Our Senior

Primary Industry students must gain competencies in tractor

skills. We are able to borrow a tractor at certain times and a

scheduled excursion soon to St Mary’s College at Casino

will provide some experience, but it is increasingly obvious

we need to purchase a tractor to provide the continuity in

experience so necessary. If you have any ideas on this,

please contact the Principal.

Leon Walsh, Principal

The 18th of August is Long Tan Day. It commemorates the

major battle fought by Australians in the Vietnam War. It is the

day where we remember all those who fought, were injured and

died in the Vietnam War. McAuley College participated in the

march from Market Square to the Vietnam Memorial at the

Boulevard. At the official ceremony Brandon Disson and

Ashlee Commerford laid the wreath on behalf of the College

community. We had an excellent turnout of students and the

Vietnam Veterans were very moved by their presence. The

Veterans Association have donated a book to the College

Library. Mark Bellamy and Matthew Lobsey

Chopper Day

Thank you to the students and staff for their participation in our

Chopper Day on 1st August. $475 has been sent to the Westpac

Rescue Helicopter in our local region. Many people in our

community have been assisted by this service so we are pleased

to be able to assist the rescue helicopter in this way

Special Awards Presentation Special Awards were presented at our Week 3 assembly in front

of the school and a large group of parents and grandparents.

These awards acknowledged students who achieved outstanding

academic achievement and displayed outstanding effort in their

first semester reports. Thank you to the families who were able

to join us for this special presentation and congratulations to the

students on their outstanding achievements.

Assumption Mass

The Feast of the Assumption was celebrated on 15th August. As

a Holy Day of obligation, a beautiful Mass was held at the

College. The students were very reverent and respectful as they

entered the hall and throughout the Mass. A highlight of the day

was our celebrant, Fr Bing Monteaguedo celebrating his first

whole College Mass.

Brainstorm Production

Year 7 & 8 attended a Brainstorm production called “Verbal

Combat” on Friday 15th August. This show addressed issues of

bullying, cyber bullying, use of technology and relationships

which complements the Pastoral Care Program of the College.

(Continued over page)

Year 10 Reflection Day

All Year 10 students participated in a fantastic Reflection Day led

by Mr Michael Fitzpatrick. Michael is a talented facilitator who

was able to engage students in discussion and song around

thought provoking issues. These reflection days are an important

part of our Pastoral Care and RE programs as it gives the students

an opportunity to explore issues relevant to them at this time in

their lives particularly relationships, decision making and risk

taking. Reflection days are preparation for entering senior school

and for the 3 day retreats they participate in Year 11 and Year 12.

Year 11 Leadership

Congratulations to the Year 11 students who participated in their

Week 4 retreat. One aspect of the retreat is developing leadership

in preparation for the roles the students take on in Term 4 of this

year as the senior students of the College. The selection of leaders

is an important process in our school year and students take these

opportunities seriously as they are seen as important and

prestigious positions to hold. Nominations for 2015 School

Captains have been accepted and speeches were given this week.

Congratulations to the 9 candidates who have put themselves

forward. All are worthy of the role of School or Vice Captain.

The Captain positions will be announced in Week 7, then House

Captain nominations will open as the next part of the process.

McAuley Day

On the 5th of September the College community will be

celebrating McAuley Day. This is our annual feast day where we

acknowledge our history and celebrate who we are through

liturgy, fund raising, and house challenges. The sisters of Mercy

are invited to join in our McAuley Day activities and all funds

raised are donated to Mercy Works.

"Mercy Works supports the local and overseas relief and

development activities that are part of the vision and mission of

the Sisters of Mercy of Australia and Papua New Guinea.

The programs engage in partnerships with communities to

promote justice, self-reliance and to support displaced people and

communities who are denied access to basic resources such as

education, health care and social welfare." This is from the

mission statement page of the Mercy Works website here.

Special Award Nominations

The Year 12 Liturgy and Graduation will be held on the 19th

September in the College Hall. This is a very special occasion for

the students, families and staff. More information will be

provided about this event closer to the date. However, part of the

graduation is the presentation of awards, including Special

Awards. Special awards are presented to Year 12 students that

have been nominated by staff and Year 12 Students. Year 12

students have received an email outlining the nomination

procedure and I encourage students to participate in this

nomination process as their input is highly valued.

Phone

Reminder about our mobile phone policy

Phones, if brought to the College, must be switched off on arrival

at school in the morning and may be switched on again after

classes at 3.10pm.

If it is necessary for parents or carers to make contact during

school hours it can be done in the usual manner through the

School Office.

Students will not lend their phones to other students during

school hours.

Students found using phones during school time, either to make

or receive calls or messages, or if the phone rings during class

time, will have their phones confiscated and parents or carers

will need to come to the College to retrieve the phone.

The phone will be returned to parents or carers ONLY, and will

NOT be returned to students.

Kate Thomson,

Deputy Principle

FROM THE DEPUTY’S DESK

Diocesan Athletics: On Thursday 14th August the school took

a group of students to the annual Diocesan Athletics Carnival in

Coffs Harbour. It was a great day and probably the best results

the school has achieved in a long time. It showed that for a

small school we can still achieve great things against the bigger

schools of the Diocese. The following people need to be

congratulated for their marvellous efforts. Adam Kelly came

first in the under 13 Long Jump, 3rd in High Jump, 4th in

Discus and 5th in 100m. Ben Lambert came 3rd in U13 Long

Jump. Blake Carruthers came 4th in U12 Javelin. Elly Shipman

came 4th in the U15 Shot Put. Hamish Ellem came first U13

100m. James Bertalli came first in Senior AWD Discus, Long

Jump, and Shot Put. He also came second in 100m and 200m.

Lachlan Clarke came 3rd in U12 Shot Put. Mitch Christiansen

came 1st in the Senior AWD for 100m, 200m, 400m, 800m and

came 2nd in Discus, Shot Put and Long Jump. William Porter

won the U15 High Jump and Zane Cowen won the U14 100m

and the Long Jump. Congrats to all our athletes who went on

the day and represented the College with pride. A big thanks

also goes to Mr Nipperess, Mr Humphries, Mr Speed and Mrs

Robinson for their expertise and leadership on the day.

NRCC AFL: On Wed 20th August the school 9/10 AFL teams

travelled to Lismore to compete in the Northern Rivers Catholic

Colleges AFL Championships. Since we travelled the furtherest

we were given a bye in the first round which meant we played

the remainder of our games one after the other with no breaks.

This made for a difficult day. The boys played very hard and

learnt a lot on the day. Unfortunately, they were narrowly

defeated. They did win the second half of all the games, which

showed they played with great determination to never give up.

A special mention goes to Damian Ashby who was a stand out

for the team. The girls played all of their games with a lot of

spirit and determination. With limited experience the girls had a

lot of fun and learnt a lot about the game of AFL. Stand outs on

the day were Laetitia McLachlan, Niarei Bandy and Shakira

Tochel. A big thanks goes to Mr Humphries and Ms McHugh

who coached the teams on the day.

Jim Hand

DAILY EXAMINER NETBALL: On Wednesday 20th August

we had 2 teams compete in the Daily Examiner Netball

Challenge Finals, our Year 9/10 and our opens. The Year 9/10

game was incredibly close and going into the final quarter we

held a small lead. However, all credit to Grafton they finished

strong and were able to find another gear in the final quarter

that we couldn’t match, the game going right down to the wire.

Grafton High winning by 3 goals. It was a fantastic team effort

well done to; Zahli Bancroft, Lucy Howard, Emma Howell,

Cassie Elward, Elsie Clarke, Lucy Bindon, Katelyn Warby,

Sasha Smyth, Zahli Smyth. Next our Opens played against

South Grafton High and provided another nail biting game. It

was a game with extremely accurate shooting on both sides so

turnovers were hard to come by and opportunities to pull back

South Grafton’s early lead were rare. Going into the final

quarter the girls were down by 4 but calm heads and some

important turnovers allowed us to draw even with only minutes

remaining. 2 quick goals in the last minute and they managed to

secure a 43-41 win to see them crowned Daily Examiner

Netball Champions 2014. Every player made a significant

contribution to the game providing a key turnover or a precision

pass when we needed it to stay in the game. Ashley Warby was

voted Player Of The Series and Kelly Saye was named Player

Of The Grand Final. Congratulations to Lisa O’Donohue,

Kathryn Grainger, Alice Dougherty, Sarah Harre, Ashley

Warby, Skye McCutheon, Saje Butler, Kelly Saye and Chloe

Elward. A fantastic effort. From 2 very proud coaches Mrs

Robinson and Mrs Maybury.

Louise Maybury

St. Patricks Catholic Church

24th August 2014 5.00 PM

PROCLAIM PARENT GATHERINGS 2014

Proclaim Lismore Parents 2014 is an unprecedented opportunity

for parents to join with Catholic Education as partners in co-

designing an even stronger and more effective Catholic

schooling for each child – intellectually, emotionally, physically

and spiritually.

The aim is to design a stronger Catholic education for a new

generation of students. Please join the conversation of Proclaim

Parents 2014.

http://proclaimlismore.com.au/proclaim-parent-gatherings-2014/

Mon 25 J. Arnott, J. Miller

Tue 26 J. Hatgis

Wed 27 A. Girolimini

Thu 28 B. Walker

Fri 29 R. Mathews, A. Geary

September

Mon 1 C. Scurrah

Tue 2 L. Lougher, N. Carter

Wed 3 N. Carter

Thu 4 B. Walker

Fri 5 L. Duck, M. Ross

Mon 8 M. Creighton

Tue 9 J. Hatgis, L. Lougher

Wed 10 A. Giolimini

Thu 11 B. Walker

Fri 12 K. Barnett

DATES TO REMEMBER 2014 AUGUST

Tue 26 Announcement of 2015 School Captains

Wed 27 Mass

Thu 28 Diocesan Netball at Port Macquarie,

Year 10 Agriculture Excursion

SEPTEMBER

Wed 3 Mass

Fri 5 McAuley Day

Tue 9 Announcement of 2015 House Captains

Are You Seeing Me? by Darren Groth

This road trip will have earth-shattering consequences . . . Twins Justine and Perry are about to embark on the road trip

of a lifetime in the Pacific Northwest.

It's been a year since they watched their dad lose his battle

with cancer. Now, at only nineteen,

Justine is the sole carer for her

disabled brother. But with Perry

having been accepted into an

assisted-living residence, their

reliance on each other is set to

shift. Before they go their separate

ways, they're seeking to create the

perfect memory.

For Perry, the trip is a glorious

celebration of his favourite things:

mythical sea monsters, Jackie Chan

movies and the study of

earthquakes. For Justine, it's a

chance to reconcile the decision to

‘free' her twin, to see who she is

without her boyfriend, Marc – and

to offer their mother the chance to atone for past wrongs.

But the instability that has shaped their lives will not subside,

and the seismic event that Perry forewarned threatens to

reduce their worlds to rubble . . .

‘A funny and beautiful story about love, life and other

disasters, told with the help of Robinson Crusoe and Jackie

Chan. I think what we're “seeing” here is a writer at the top

of his game. Just wonderful.' MICHAEL GERARD

BAUER, author of The Running Man. Read a free sample: http://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/

darren-groth/are-you-seeing-me-9780857984739.aspx

Birthdays for the next 2 weeks

Morgan Parkin, Shakira Tochel, Daniel Smith, Riley

Bender, Jesse Day, Keiarna Hicks, William McNeilly,

William Bolte, Thomas Smith, Cassandra Elward, Darcee

Osborne, Kudzaishe Shumba, Caitlin Cooney, Isaiah

Durrington, Ebba McCosker, Chloe Adams, Molly Furlan,

Bernadette White, Hayden Baron, Ryley Cropper, Emily

Smith, Olivia Alford, Jack Lilly, Ella Martin

MASS TIMES

St. Mary’s - Grafton Saturday Vigil 5pm Sunday Mass 8am

St. Patrick’s - South Grafton Saturday Vigil 5pm Sunday Mass 9.30am

Cowper Sunday 8am Mass

Copmanhurst First and third Sunday of month at 10am

St. James - Yamba Saturday 5.30pm St. John’s - Iluka Sunday 5pm St. Mary’s - Maclean Sunday 8.30am

YEAR WEEK 6

21st

August

WEEK 7

28th

August

WEEK 8

4th

September

WEEK 9

11th

September

WEEK 10

18th

September

7

BOYS

VOLEY

BALL School

Cost: nil

AFL

Ellem

Oval

Cost $2.00

ULTI-

MATE Lower

Fisher

Cost: $2.00

SOFTBALL

School

TABLOID

School

Cost: nil

7

GIRLS

NET-

BALL Westward

Park

Cost $2.00

VOLEY

BALL School

Cost: nil

SOFT-

BALL School

ULTIMATE

Lower

Fisher

Cost: $2.00

TABLOID

School

Cost: nil

8

BOYS

ULTI-

MATE Lower

Fisher

Cost:

$2.00

SOFT-

BALL School

VOLLEY-

BALL School

Cost: nil

AFL

Ellem Oval

Cost $2.00

TABLOID

School

Cost: nil

8

GIRLS

SOFT-

BALL School

ULTI-

MATE Lower

Fisher

Cost:

$2.00

NETBALL

Westward

Park

Cost $2.00

VOLLEY-

BALL School

Cost: nil

TABLOID

School

Cost: nil

The School Stream App delivers McAuley Catholic College infor-

mation directly to parents and students on their mobile devices.

Click here to find out more.