Year 10 students are currently considering acquiring their learner’s driving permit and many will soon obtain their provisional licence. Considering this, it is timely that the PDHPE Department organised for all Year 10 students to take part in the Rotary Youth Driver Awareness Program (RYDA) on Friday, 7th August. This program compliments what the students have been learning in their PDHPE lessons for their Road Safety Unit.
Normally the students complete this program at Sydney Olympic Park but this year it was held at school. The program involved six unique workshops, delivered by road safety experts, that challenged the students to change the way they think about safety and empower them to be responsible road users.
Sessions involved the development of personalised strategies to manage and minimise distractions and improve hazard detection skills. Students examined the stopping distance at different speeds, explored car safety features and gained insight into the ramifications of unsafe road behaviours through conversations with driving instructors, the police and a crash survivor.
Through self reflection and involvement in the sessions, students were reminded that they are responsible for their choices, walking away with greater awareness and understanding of what makes a safe driver and how to reduce risk taking on our roads.
Jacqui Hamilton | School Development Officer
Catherine McAuley Westmead
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![IT Traineeship program for Catholic Schools Parramatta Diocese]()
13 Aug 2025
Become an IT Trainee and earn while you learn
If you are a Year 10-12 student, attend an information session on either 13 or 14 August 2025 (4pm-6pm) at Aengus Kavanagh Centre, 59 Railway St Rooty Hill NSW 2766 to get started.
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10 Jul 2025
From Facebook
AROUND THE CLASSROOMS ➡️ Year 7 Geography students spent Term 2 learning about places and liveability. Students of Mrs P. Relan had the opportunity to use the skills and information they had obtained in class to work in small groups to create their own community. Mrs Relan said the students worked very well together, with great enthusiasm and creative flair, to create their communities in only a short period of time. Year 7 student Michelle P. said she really enjoyed working with her teammates as they planned their city and thought about how their designated roles (town planner, Minister of Safety, etc) might play a part in supporting their build. Michelle said her group included items that would make their city liveable such as a hospital that also provides a retirement home, a large public school and university, restaurants, an apartment block, a beach, a police and fire station, parks, a town hall, a church, train station, museum, sporting ground and more. Michelle said each building was specifically placed in a position to create convenience as they had thought about things like placing the train station near the school and the police station near the hospital.
10 Jul 2025
From Facebook
KNITTED OR CROCHETED SQUARES WANTED! 🐑 The school's Charity Crochet Group is collecting 25cm x 25cm knitted or crocheted squares to be made into a collaborative blanket for the Parramatta Women's Shelter. Knitted squares can be brought to school for Mrs Malek.
07 Jul 2025
From Facebook
STUDENT ARTWORKS 🖌 Some of the amazing Year 10 artworks created so far this year - ‘Grace Disgrace’.
04 Jul 2025
From Facebook
END OF TERM 2 😀 Best wishes for an enjoyable break. The school office will be closed from 3pm today and will re-open at 9am on Monday 14th July for phone enquiries only. The school office will be completely open on Monday 21st July. School resumes for students on Wednesday, 23rd July.
03 Jul 2025
From Facebook
The Catherine McAuley Weekly Review for Thursday, 3rd July 2025 is now available:
03 Jul 2025
From Facebook
PARRAMATTA WOMEN’S SHELTER 💜 Thank you to all members of the Catherine McAuley school community who have donated items to The Big Give for donation to the Parramatta Women’s Shelter. The photo doesn’t truly capture the large amount of items which have been received but there are approximately $2000 worth of groceries!!
03 Jul 2025
From Facebook
Thank you to the guest judges for yesterday’s Lip Sync Final 🎤 Julia Fleming and Dannielle Miller from the Parramatta Women’s Shelter and the Walk the Talk Program. As a school, we have contributed a donation to Parramatta Women’s Shelter of $7000, an additional $3300 in vouchers, approximately $2000 of groceries and a number of crochet blankets prepared by the Charity Crochet Group.!! 🙌 🙌 Thank you to all students, families and staff for helping the school support this worthy cause! 😍😍 @parrawomensshelter @womenscommunitysheltersau
03 Jul 2025
From Facebook
Congratulations to the Year 12 winning performance ('The Ed Heads') at the Lip Sync Final yesterday. Highlight clip!
03 Jul 2025
From Facebook
LIP SYNC FINALS 🤩 Yesterday the Lip Sync Finals was held, the school’s last fundraising event this term for the Parramatta Women’s Shelter. Well done to all the student acts who were selected to perform and to the teachers who performed a final surprise act! 1st Place - Year 12 ‘The Ed Heads’ Runners Up - Year 11 ‘16 Teen Doing 16’ Additional acts were from Year 7, Year 9 and Year 12.
03 Jul 2025
From Facebook
YEAR 10 CAREER DEVELOPMENT DAY 👩💼👩🔬👩⚕️ Year 10 students recently participated in a valuable Career Development Day, designed to support them as they begin to consider their subjects for Years 11 and 12. The day began with an informative session from Ms McGlenchy, VET Leader, who explained how VET and EVET courses differ from traditional HSC subjects. She also introduced students to School of Now and Cluster classes as additional learning options for courses not offered through the school. Student Ambassadors from the University of Sydney spoke about course applications and a consultant from Turning Point Consulting helped students explore their strengths and personal characteristics, and how these can guide subject choices in line with individual goals and interests. To conclude the day, former students Lucienne, Halie and Andrea shared their experiences with subject selection, study strategies and senior school life, answering questions and offering encouragement from a peer perspective. Student feedback was overwhelmingly positive, with many walking away with a clearer understanding of their options and a sense of relief that there is no single path to success. Key takeaways included: “Choose the subjects you enjoy and are good at, not just what others suggest.” “The HSC isn't the end of the world, there are many pathways to university and careers.” “Be open-minded. It’s okay not to know your exact career yet.” “Subject selection is about what suits you, not what scales better.” “Your ATAR doesn’t define your future, passion and persistence matters.”
03 Jul 2025
Year 10 Geography Students Explore The South Coast On Overnight Field Trip
Geography students recently attended an overnight field trip to the South Coast.
03 Jul 2025
Creative and Performing Arts Celebrated At The Mid Year Showcase
The school celebrated the talents of students across both the creative and performing arts facilities at the annual mid-year showcase.
03 Jul 2025
School Gathers For The Blessing Of Statue and New Stained Glass Windows In The Mercy Chapel
A service for the blessing of the statue of Our Lady of Mercy and the new Mercy Chapel windows was held at the school.
02 Jul 2025
From Facebook
SPECIAL CELEBRATION! 🤩 The Catherine McAuley school community gathered together this morning for the blessing of the statue of Our Lady of Mercy and the new Mercy Chapel windows. Students and teachers watched a livestream of the service from their Homerooms whilst Sisters of Mercy Sr Margaret, Sr Barbara, Sr Margaret and Sr Patricia; stained glass window artists Gillian Brown and Karen Elengikal, from Stained Glass Overlay Penrith; students and teachers who were involved in the creation of the stained glass windows; and staff and student leaders, gathered in the Mercy Chapel. Father Walter Fogarty, Coordinating Pastor, Westmead Catholic Community, celebrated the service and gave the blessing. School Principal Mary Refalo thanked all those who contributed to the creation of both of the new beautiful works of art to be contained in the chapel. “I invite everyone in our school to take ownership of them and to look at them as evidence of our Mercy charism and a way of life that expresses mercy, hospitality, justice, courage, integrity and excellence,” Ms Refalo said. Stained Glass Overlay Penrith