Year 8 Geography students recently visited Manly Dam to investigate water quality and explore how human activity impacts local waterways.
Year 8 Geography students recently headed to Manly Dam for an exciting fieldwork opportunity where they applied their classroom learning about Water in the World to a real-world environment.
Students became real-life geographers for the day, conducting turbidity and water quality tests to investigate the health of the water at Manly Dam. They also enjoyed fishing and bushwalking around the dam, exploring the surrounding environment while investigating how human activities can impact water quality and the local ecosystem.
Through these hands-on investigations, students developed important geographical fieldwork skills, gained a better understanding of how geographers collect and analyse environmental data and developed stronger critical thinking skills as they explored how human use of natural environments can impact waterways. They also gained a deeper understanding of the importance of sustainably managing our water resources to protect these environments for the future.
Gloria Noud | Leader of HSIE - Social Science
Catherine McAuley Westmead
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11 Mar 2026
Year 8 Geography Explore Manly Dam
Year 8 Geography students recently visited Manly Dam to investigate water quality and explore how human activity impacts local waterways.
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Exploring Art and Photography at Cockatoo Island
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Celebrating a Historic Achievement – The Duke of Edinburgh Gold Award
A proud and historic milestone has been reached at Catherine McAuley Westmead, as Year 12 student Zoe K., becomes the first student in the school’s history to receive the prestigious Duke of Edinburgh’s International Gold Award.
09 Mar 2026
From Facebook
✨CELEBRATING STUDENT ACHIEVEMENTS ✨ A historic moment for Catherine McAuley Westmead! Year 12 student Zoe K. has become the first student in our school’s history to receive the Duke of Edinburgh’s International Gold Award. Over three years, Zoe has showed incredible dedication through volunteering, developing new skills like sign language and crocheting for miracle babies, improving her fitness through aerial workouts and dance, and completing challenging outdoor Adventurous Journeys. Presented at our International Women’s Day Assembly, Zoe’s achievement is a true reflection of perseverance, courage and service. Congratulations, Zoe, a truly inspiring milestone! 👏
09 Mar 2026
From Facebook
AROUND THE CLASSROMS 👩🏫 ⚖ Mrs Stevens' Year 10 Commerce class consolidated their knowledge of Australia’s adversarial legal system through conducting a mock trial based on “The Three Little Pigs” story. The defendant, “Mr Pig”, was charged with the crime of killing “Mr Wolf”. Both the Defence and Prosecution teams presented compelling arguments. A jury of 12 members deliberated for 20 minutes before returning a verdict of “Not Guilty” as at least 10 members were convinced by the Defence’s evidence that Mr Pig had not intended murder. Mr Pig was free to leave. A fantastic effort from all the students involved! 👏🏻
08 Mar 2026
From Facebook
STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT 👏👏👏 Congratulations to Year 8 student Kyra. P. who represented NSW at the School Sport Australia U15 Cricket Championship at the end of February. This event was held in Bunbury, Western Australia and the NSW Team won the silver medal. Kyra is very proud to have represented both NSW and Catherine McAuley at the national level. Congratulations Kyra on this great achievement!
08 Mar 2026
From Facebook
STUDENT ACHIEVEMENTS 👏👏👏 Congratulations to Year 12 student Jaaniya S. who played with the NSW CCC Cricket Team (Combined Catholic Colleges) in Tuggerah last week, winning the tournament, and has now been selected for the U19 NSW All Schools Cricket Team to play in the upcoming tournament in Queensland. Congratulations Jaaniya on this great achievement! Well done also to Year 9 student Lucy C. who tried out for the U19 NSW All Schools Cricket Team and although she wasn’t successful this time Lucy is the youngest player to be asked to trial for a senior team. This is a significant achievement in itself.
08 Mar 2026
From Facebook
YEAR 12 HOSPITALITY ☕👩🍳Year 12 Hospitality students spent last Friday at CBD College in Haymarket completing a Barista and Coffee Art Course. During the session, students developed their barista skills and were assessed on their coffee-making techniques. A great hands-on experience as they continue to build their industry skills. ☕
07 Mar 2026
From Facebook
AROUND THE CLASSROOMS ➡ Year 8 and Year 9 Japanese students enjoyed a creative cultural activity this week led by Rinno, our Japanese intern. Students took part in an origami workshop, learning the traditional Japanese art of folding paper to create shapes such as animals, flowers and other designs. It was a fun and engaging way for students to explore Japanese culture while developing their creativity and patience. 🇯🇵
06 Mar 2026
From Facebook
CELEBRATING 60 YEARS - How different things look today! An aerial photo of Catherine McAuley High School (as it was then known) in 1966. The raised platform at the front corner of the building had been set up ready for the blessing and opening on 6th November 1966.
06 Mar 2026
From Facebook
AROUND THE CLASSROOMS ➡ Year 8 History students stepped back in time today during an interactive session that complemented their study of Medieval Europe. 🏰 🛡️👑 Students listened, observed and took part in a presentation exploring daily life during the medieval period, as well as some of the significant events that shaped the era. A highlight for many was the opportunity to try on medieval clothing and learn about the weapons used during the time.
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From Facebook
POST SCHOOL OPTIONS ❓The Lunchtime Pathway Talks are in full swing, giving students the chance to hear directly from universities and industry providers about courses, entry pathways and career options. So far we’ve heard from: 🔹 University of New South Wales (UNSW) 🔹 Macquarie University Coming up: 🔹 Australian Catholic University (ACU) next week 🔹 MedEntry in the last week of term Next term we’ll also welcome: 🔹University of Sydney (USYD) 🔹University of Technology Sydney (UTS) 🔹University of Sydney - Women's College These sessions are for Years 10, 11 and 12 students and are a fantastic opportunity to explore degrees, alternative entry options, scholarships and campus life.
05 Mar 2026
From Facebook
LENTEN SEASON ✝️ This week, students were invited to take part in a shared community activity for the Lenten season. Using chalk, students wrote Bible verses or personal intentions on the Mercy Wall as a reflection for Lent. This meaningful initiative was organised by the Student Leaders of Liturgy.
05 Mar 2026
From Facebook
The Catherine McAuley Westmead Weekly Review for Thursday, 5th March is now available: