A message to 2021 Year 7 students and their families

On behalf of Catherine McAuley College (CMC) and Mercy Education Limited I want to thank you for making CMC your school next year. You are showing a lot of trust in us and we understand that we need to make this transition as smooth as we can for you and everyone else who is starting.  We will do that as well as we can with the opportunities we have and hope that the start of next year is not interrupted again by COVID.

One of the great disappointments this year has been that we have not been able to meet you and show you around Catherine McAuley College before you start. The Transition Days and Orientation Day are normally an important part of the Transition Program, where you get to know more about the College and meet some staff and other students who will be with you next year.

For the start of next year, we are planning various events to help you with transition and school information. If there are changes to the COVID Guidelines and we can get you here this year, then we will jump at that opportunity and invite you to the Coolock Campus in the second week of December. We will keep sending information throughout the summer holidays if there are any changes.

The most important information we need is all about you. We need to know how we can best support you and your interests through your years at CMC. It is essential that the partnership between home and the College is strong and that communication and information is constantly flowing between us. Thank you for the tests that you did, they will be very helpful for us in creating a learning profile. In time we will also want more information to create your social-emotional profile. All this information helps the teachers and other staff plan and prepare for your needs and interests. The more your mentor and teachers know about you, the better your experience at CMC will be.

Next year we will commence with over 300 Year 7 students. This is our biggest intake in recent years, but please don’t worry and feel nervous about such a big number. At the various events next year, we will explain how we will ensure that you get the individual support you need.  In your time at Coolock you will see four new ovals, a stadium and cricket facility built; you will see a lot of new classrooms and facilities built at the campus that are being developed to ensure you have the best facilities to learn in. All these things will be important, but they are not as important as our learning culture, where you will be learning the Mercy story and live the values of respect, courage, compassion, hospitality, service and justice.

Our touchstone statement, “Inspiring members of our community to be learners impelled to thrive and serve”, is something we stand by and we will constantly be seeking your feedback and support with this goal. It is critical to our reGEN direction, which encourages our students to care for our environment and reduce our impact on climate change. You will come to understand and know this program well through your years as a CMC student.

The Year 7 teaching team and all the Coolock staff look forward to meeting and working with you as soon as we can. In the meantime, enjoy your final weeks in Grade 6 and remember to thank those who have helped you through primary school. Have a safe Christmas and summer holiday and hopefully we can start 2021 with some normality.

Mr Brian Turner, Principal

A Transition Update has been emailed to parents and carers of Year 7, 2021 students. This is Mr Brian Turner’s message to families. To view the full newsletter, click on the link below.