Prayer

Loving God, 

Today we gather to acknowledge all students here,

especially those who have demonstrated commitment to the College,

their learning and their faith.

May we make deliberate choices each day

to use the precious gifts that God has given us to find our flair,

whilst living and spreading the Good News of the Gospel.

Renew our spirit of wisdom and understanding so we can act as people of hope.

May we always have the courage to allow the light within us to shine in your name.

Amen

Venerable Nano Nagle, pray for us

From the Principal

End of Term Prayer

Dear God, 

As we come to the end of another term, 

we thank you for being with us. 

Thank you for giving us joy this term. 

Thank you for surrounding us with Your peace 

and thank you for another term to start over again. 

We ask you to bless our learners, their families and our staff. 

We ask for your richest blessings over our Domremy Community.

Surround us with your loving care, 

keep us safe and help us to return next term 

renewed and refreshed.

Amen

Venerable Nano Nagle, Pray for us.

Dear Parents, Carers, Students and Staff

What a Term! It has certainly seen a flurry of activity in and out of the classrooms with many highlights! Both students and staff certainly stepped up the challenge on all levels. 

Of course this term saw our successful Domremy Light Festival, and our immediate and extended community out in force for the event. I expressed my thanks to all in the last issue of our Newsletter, but in this issue there is a detailed report about the Festival, from its inception to delivery, and all that it captured in between. There are also reports on our Let there be Light Newman initiative with Year 5 students from some of our feeder Primary schools and our Year 9 students, (from which the Light Festival idea sparked), and the Solar Buddy social justice initiative, largely led by Mila our Environment Prefect and Aoife, our Humanities Prefect, which saw them engaged at the Light Festival with families and younger children assembling lights which will be delivered to communities in PNG as part of an initiative to tackle energy poverty.

In the last two weeks, our College Community has also celebrated:

• Sporting achievements – our Intermediate A Football Team and our Junior A Netball Team placing 1st and 2nd respectively in their respective SCS Conference 2 finals
• A personal accomplishment outside of school by Paris Dimos at AGT2024, which provides encouragement to others to step out of their comfort zones and step up, and lifts everyone 
• Our student vollies, who are generous with their time in service of others, by being involved in the Vinnies Sandwich Making and adjudicating at the All Hallows Primary School Public Speaking Awards
• Our students who got involved and used their voices at the Rosebank Ethical Explorations Day and the SCS Student Voice Consultation Forum at ACU
• the Year 8 Amadeus Music Showcase, which was an outstanding, professional and skilled performance 
• Our La Verite Assembly – which captured all the successes and achievements of our girls for the whole of Semester One
• Reports and Parent/Student/Teachers Meetings – staff have completed reports and interviews for nearly 800 students 

As you can see, our College community has certainly witnessed both enthusiastic involvement and commitment in showcasing the spiritual, academic, creative, artistic, musical and sporting talents that are so prevalent here, together with the service ethos which is front and centre at Domremy. Every event has been a testament of the girls’ fidelity in exhibiting teamwork, strength, diligence and resilience within both the competitive and non competitive arenas, and the Presentation values we uphold so strongly at Domremy, in their service to others. 

Congratulations to all our girls for their exuberant spirit in all that they do, and our gratitude for the tireless efforts of our staff for their generous support of our young women. I would also like to acknowledge our Year 12 Leaders for their exemplary leadership and creative direction. 

Our community is truly blessed with much generosity, compassion and spirit and I thank our College Leadership Team and our wonderful staff who have contributed in every way to make this term such a success.

I express my deepest gratitude also to our parents and carers for their support throughout and for placing their trust in us. 

I wish each of you a well deserved rest whilst enjoying the company of family and friends these school holidays. I look forward to welcoming everyone back for another exciting term. Our staff will have their Staff development day on Monday 22 July and I look forward to seeing all students back on campus on Tuesday 23 July.

We continue to keep all members of our community in our prayers. I thank you for your continued cooperation and support. 

Blessings on you and your families,

Mrs Antoinette McGahan

Domremy Light Festival Thank You Photos

Let There be Light- Years 5 and 9 working together – Domremy Newman Science and Numeracy Initiative 2024

The Domremy Newman enrichment program occurred this term over five sessions, with Year 5 students from four of our feeder Primary schools coming to Domremy College to learn, experiment and build their knowledge and skills in the fields of science and numeracy.

The focus of the program was to investigate how light can be managed to suit various purposes in our world. Students engaged in hands-on experiments to deepen their comprehension of electricity, light, optics principles and light management and to promote collaborative problem-solving and communication skills.

Ms Janet Vogels, lead architect who led the design of our innovative Nano Nagle Learning Centre, spent one session with the students, where she informed them of the principles of light that direct architects’ choices and then supported their designing process of their houses. 

The project culminated in a celebration of students’ learning at the Domremy College Light Festival, where teachers, principals and parents met with the Years 5 and 9 students to view their house models and take part in a discussion about the process and their learning. 

Many thanks to the four primary schools who attended: St Mary’s Concord, St Joan of Arc Haberfield, Our Lady of the Assumption North Strathfield and All Hallows Five Dock.

A huge thank you to the Domremy teachers who worked with me to design this project, Mr George Lavidis, Mr Mark Pangilinan and to Mrs Kelly Smit who supported this project in many ways. (Report can be viewed here.)

Mrs Lucy Silva, Instructional Specialist

Solar Buddy Social Justice initiative

Energy Poverty is a major global issue; one which many of us have not deeply considered. As part of our responsibility as global citizens, it is important that we educate ourselves about issues such as these and consider how we can help. To that end, the following presentation was given to the entire school community at an assembly earlier this term: 

Nearly 10% of the world’s population live in energy poverty, meaning they have access to little or no energy. There are 789 million people in the world who live without access to an electricity connection. So, when the sun goes down, they are plunged into darkness. From the shanty-towns in Sub-Saharan Africa to the sprawling slums in India and even just a few kilometres away from our own country in Papua New Guinea, night time brings with it a noxious ritual of candles, gas lamps and fires. Energy poverty is a major problem! Without reliable energy, many facets of life are impacted.

Apart from not having the convenience we all enjoy every single day, fuel-powered energy is dangerous, expensive and not very bright. Imagine living in a home where the indoor air pollution is so bad that your family are getting very ill and maybe even dying. This is happening to 4 million people every year. Fuel-based lighting also leads to damaging carbon emissions which pollutes our environment and we all know about the dreadful effects of that. No wonder they call it dirty energy!

Imagine for a minute, what it would be like if you had gone home last night and not been able to use any electricity. At first you might feel slightly excited that you couldn’t do your homework. But, what if you had a major assignment due this morning, or a test. Or what if it was the night before your HSC and you couldn’t study? This is what many children around the world are faced with and their educational outcomes and opportunity to pull themselves and their community out of this energy poverty crisis are severely limited. It all sounds pretty grim. And it is! But we can help. YOU can help!

We are teaming up with Origin Energy Foundation who have very generously offered to sponsor us to work on a Solar Buddy light building project. We are looking for students who would like to learn more about energy poverty and then work together to build a solar light and write a personal letter to the children who will receive it .

We plan to build 50 lights and write 50 accompanying letters to send to children in Papua New Guinea, which is just 3.7km off Australia’s coastline. However, 78% of people in PNG do not have electricity and are, therefore, in significant energy poverty.

Next, we engaged volunteers from Origin Energy Foundation, led by Jelena Faine, mother of Mila, our passionate Environment Prefect. Mila organised a presentation at lunchtime and invited all students to come along and find out more about energy poverty and what we can do to help those in need. Many students came along to the event and then stayed into the afternoon to assemble lights and write to the recipients.

Finally, we continued to raise awareness of this important issue with our wider community as part of Domremy’s Light Festival. Student volunteers, led wonderfully by Mila and Aoife, our Humanities Prefect, assisted younger children and their parents with assembly, while talking to them about this important global issue.

We are very proud of Mila and Aoife’s leadership of this initiative and all students who gave their time to become more aware as global citizens and make a difference. Thank you to Ms Peros and Mr Tsanidis for their support and fine assembly skills. We built 50 lights which will be delivered to children and communities in Papua New Guinea and the bucket which is used to transport these will also assist the community as a water filter. 

We would like to thank Jelena and the team of volunteers from Origin Energy Foundation for their financial and personal support throughout this project. We hope to maintain this relationship and continue to make a difference in the lives of those in need.

Ms Sarah Thompson, Leader of Innovative and Global Connections

Domremy Students Adjudicate at All Hallows Public Speaking Awards

Lilly and Niamh (Year 10) attended All Hallows Catholic Primary School Five Dock last week to adjudicate at the Public Speaking Awards.  We were all very impressed by all the young speakers. Well done to all the students at All Hallows on their compelling public speaking!

Through such service as action experiences at Domremy, our students learn how to make a positive impact in their local community.

Thank you Lilly and Niamh.

Mr Matthew Ryan, Assistant Principal

La Verite Assembly

   

Vinnies Sandwich Making vollies

Year 9 Commerce – Exploring Product Sampling and Brand Differentiation

Year 9 Commerce students delved into the world of product sampling recently, to distinguish between various brands as part of their ongoing study on Promotion and Selling. Guided by their teacher, the students engaged their senses and applied their understanding of promotional techniques to discern differences among different cola varieties, cookies, and corn chips.

The practical session provided students with hands-on experience in identifying and analysing the distinct features of each product. Through tasting and observation, they explored how branding, taste, and packaging contribute to consumer preference and market positioning.

“This activity allowed us to connect classroom learning with real-world applications,” Lidia (Year 9) explained. “By sampling and discussing these products, we were able to gain insights into how businesses use promotion and pricing strategies to attract customers.”

The session also sparked lively discussions among students about the effectiveness of various promotional tactics, such as product placement and pricing strategies. This critical analysis encouraged them to consider how these factors influence consumer behaviour and purchasing decisions.

“This exercise wasn’t just about tasting snacks,” remarked one student. “It was about understanding why we prefer certain brands over others and how companies make their products stand out in the market.”

As part of their follow-up discussion, students explored the broader implications of product differentiation in competitive markets. They examined how businesses create unique selling propositions and adjust pricing strategies to target different consumer segments effectively.

This hands-on approach not only enhances their understanding of theoretical concepts but also fosters critical thinking and analytical skills essential for success in the marketplace.

Mr Greg Sciortino, Commerce Teacher

Ethical Explorations Day

On Wednesday 19 June, Domremy was honoured to be involved in the Ethical Explorations Day held at Rosebank College. Ten members of our Ethics Club from Years 10 and 11 attended the day, which was attended by 135 students from 14 schools.

The day’s focus was on Bioethics, and Dr Hojjat Soofi from the University of Sydney opened the day with an engaging and thoughtful presentation, providing context about Bioethics and offering the students some frames of reference for discussion.

Sessions 2 and 3 were facilitated by Terra Symposium, an organisation that provides curriculum and workshop resources to schools on philosophical and ethical matters. In Session 2, students engaged in Communities of Inquiry as a representative group in society— Government, Hospital, Research and Development, and Clinical Trials — exploring ethical dilemmas specific to each sector. In Session 3, the students remained in their sector groups and responded to a simulated national bioethical crisis, applying the principles and insights developed earlier in the day.

The day was a great opportunity to discuss ethics with students from a range of backgrounds, and consider the complexities of bioethics. We are grateful to Cheryl McArthur from Rosebank College for inviting Domremy College and facilitating such a valuable learning experience. 

Ms Anita Rombola,  Ethics Club Teacher 

Student reflections 

From this experience I have gained a new perspective into how different people view and react to certain situations. I learnt that through collaborating with others, many great ideas can be formed and new insights brought forward. Not only was this day an ethically eye-opening experience, but we also came out of it with new friends. – Miranda, Year 10 

The Ethical Exploration Day was infinitely interesting. We explored a multitude of ethical dilemmas that stretched our thinking. The collaboration with students from other schools allowed us to broaden our perspectives by hearing differing opinions. Overall, it was an enjoyable and enlightening experience. – Mimi, Year 11 

I am so grateful to have had the experience of the Ethical Exploration Day where I, along with several other Domremy girls, spent the day learning about and discussing bioethics. We got the opportunity to meet new people and share different ideas. This sort of open discussion, where people are encouraged to share their thoughts, creates an environment that inspires broad thinking and questioning the world around us. – Juliet Year 10

STEM Week

STEM week occurred during Week 8. This year students participated in a paper plane competition and were enlightened by our guest speaker, Tabitha Ong. Tabitha is a former Domremy student who is now completing her studies, Honours in Biomedical Engineering and Bachelor of Neuroscience.

The paper plane competition was run during homeroom and the finalists competed at lunch time on Wednesday. 

The well-deserving winners were announced at the STEM assembly on Friday. At the STEM assembly we listened to Tabitha give an inspiring speech about her journey in the STEM field. She spoke about her time at school and university as a student interested in the field of science and maths. 

Thank you to all the students who participated in the homeroom sessions and in the final. Congratulations to the following students on their amazing flight demonstrations.

Distance:

1st place 11 m. from Nagle 5, Sophie and Leah 

2nd place 10.5 m from Nagle 3, Grace 

3rd place 9.5 m from Orleans 3, Jessica 

Fancy flight:

1st place, from Notre Dame, Sophia 

2nd place, from Nagle, Grace 

3rd place, from Martina, Makayla 

Mr Sam Fleri, STEM Coordinator

Year 8 Amadeus Music Concert

A huge CONGRATULATIONS to the entire Year 8 cohort on their Amadeus Music Showcase this week. Every student performed with skill, professionalism and enthusiasm. We are so proud of all of our students, including the guest performers in Year 7 and the College String Ensemble, on the Showcase performance.

A special thank you to our Amadeus Tutors for their hard work and dedication in preparing our students. We look forward to having every student in Year 7 and 8 performing at the end of year Music Showcase.

Mrs Romina Zappulla, Music Coordinator

Back of house hospitality at the Hilton Hotel

Year 12 Hospitality students were invited to tour the back-of-house hospitality areas of the Hilton Hotel.  An overview of the day from two of our students follows.

On 27 July Hospitality students enjoyed an immensely educational and enriching experience as we toured the back of house hospitality areas of the Hilton Hotel. We saw the practices we learned in our theory lessons, placed in real-life practical scenarios.

Members from the Hotel’s Human Resources department gave us a tour of the kitchens and various function rooms. We also talked with the Hotel’s Executive Chef, who shared his knowledge and experience in the hospitality industry. He was helpful in explaining the career pathways the hospitality industry offers and the essential life skills to have for other careers.

It was a very educational excursion, and we are incredibly grateful to have explored the reality of the hospitality industry.

A huge thank you to Mrs Forbes and Mrs Hagios for the excursion. (Kailtin and Katrina)

Ms Andriana Hagios, TAS/Hospitality Teacher

 

 

Year 8 Visual Arts+Science visit to Taronga Zoo

Year 8 visited Taronga Zoo as inspiration for their artmaking and also to consolidate their learning about classifications this term in Science. The sun shone brightly on the beautiful Sydney Harbour backdrop, as we visited as many animals we could including zebras, giraffes, lions, seals, penguins. A highlight of the day was an animal encounter experience in the Education Centre where we got up close to spiders, snakes, birds and cute marsupials! Thank you to our wonderful teachers for making the day possible and to our students for their cooperation and endless enthusiasm!

Ms Louise Smyth, Visual Arts Coordinator and Mr George Lavidis, Science Coordinator

Student Voice Consultation Forum at ACU

Domremy College was represented by six Year 10 girls who attended ACU Strathfield to take part in the SCS Student Voice Consultation Forum on 3 July. They were able to voice opinions, concerns and decisions about how to overcome issues through a religious perspective. Some of the questions that were asked were based on faith in school, mental health and confidence of students. 

These topics of discussion and questions allowed us to grow in understanding of our faith’s connection to our everyday life; it also assisted in having opinions and perspectives, our voices, to be heard.

The day was very enjoyable as we met new people from schools all over Sydney and listened to a variety of valuable insights.

It was a very enlightening experience. We are grateful for the lunch provided by SCS, along with the opportunity to discuss matters that are impacting our lives today, and we look forward to experiencing what SCS might be able to implement as a result of today’s sharing.

We would like to thank Ms Ribeiro for supervising us and Mr Lorizio for driving us to the event in the College Bus so we could take part in the day. (Sandra, Annaliese, Tiana, Antonia, Myra and Olivia)

Mrs Jane Sullivan, Religious Education Coordinator  

Intermediate A Football Team win the Grand Final at the SCS Football Conference 2

Congratulations to our Intermediate A Football Team who played in the Grand Final in the SCS Football Conference 2 last week, coming up against Casimir College. The first time this team went undefeated the whole season and they won the Grand Final!

Well done to all team members and to their coaches and Sports Department.

 .

Junior A Netball Team Silver Medallists at the Grand Final at the SCS Netball Conference 2

Congratulations to our Junior A Netball Team, Silver Medallists in the Grand Final in the SCS Netball Conference 2 last week.

Well done to all team members and to their coaches and Sports Department.

Congratulations to Paris Dimos (Y11)

What a performance! Congratulations Paris and Congratulations to all performers at Brent Street!

Year 6 Try Domremy for a day Report

Please find our Year 6 Try Domremy for a Day 2024 Report – Empowering Entrepreneurs.

Ms Sarah Thompson, Leader of Innovative and Global Connections

Allocating Grades to students in Years 7-10: an explanation

With Semester 1 Reports now distributed, this is an opportune time to take a closer look at how grades are allocated to students in Years 7 to 10.

NESA has adopted a standards-referenced approach, with Schools in NSW using this to report student achievement. The following 2024 Allocating Grades report explains this in more detail.

Mrs Kelly Smit, Leader of Learning and Teaching

Enjoy the winter holidays

Enrolments for Year 7 generally and Enrolments for Year 7 2027

Year 7 2027 (currently Year 4) students – The Enrolment Application period will be opened by Sydney Catholic Schools later in 2024.

Year 7 2026 (currently Year 5) students – Applications for Year 7 2026 have now closed pending receipt of Acceptance of Offers.

Enrolments generally – Please note: 

• • Domremy College enrols students for Year 7, two years before their start date, in accordance with Sydney Catholic Schools’ policy.
  • There is no automatic entry to the College for either families at feeder Primary Schools or existing families with older siblings already at the College. 
  • All families must complete and submit an Application to Enrol their daughter at the College.
  • More information can be found on our website’s Enrolment page.  
  • An Application to Enrol can be made either via an existing sibling’s Compass portal, or via the “Existing Parents (in Sydney Catholic Schools)” link found on our website’s Enrolment page. 

College Tours

Our smaller personalised group tours have always been very popular and well attended.

Our next College Tour is on next Term on Monday 29 July, 1.30pm and registration is online on our website.

We encourage all interested families to register to take part in a College tour. Please invite family members or friends to take up this invitation when considering secondary education for their daughters, which is an additional avenue to see the College whether of not they have attended our Open Day in March.

The tours take approximately 60 minutes.

Remaining 2024 College Tour Dates 

Term 3 – Monday 29 July, 1.30pm

Term 3 – Friday 6 September, 9.30am

Term 4 – Wednesday 16 October, 5.00pm

Term 4 – Tuesday 12 November, 9.30am

If you have family or friends who are interested in taking a College Tour please encourage them to register online here.

Connect with us: Follow and like us on social media

Follow and like us on our social media platforms, for the most up to date and regular news stories on what is happening at the College and what our wonderful students are doing. 

Our primary means of communication with, and information to, parents and carers, is via Compass and The Parent Weekly. Our social media platforms are not a source of communication to parents and carers about the day to day running, organisation or administrative matters of the College.

Both the La Verite fortnightly Newsletter, however, along with news on our social media platforms, principally highlight what we do at the College, our Domremy community and, importantly, acknowledge and promote our students and their achievements.

Let your family and friends know about our social media so they can be a part of what we love about Domremy College, our students and teachers.

Facebook: @domremycollege

Instagram: @domremycollege

YouTube: Domremy College, Five Dock

SCS News – SCS Holiday Camps

Sydney Catholic Schools (SCS) is providing a number of exciting opportunities for students to participate in during the upcoming Term 2 holiday period.
 
These programs cater for all abilities and are designed to provide students with a holiday experience filled with joy, growth and unforgettable memories with their friends attending these active offerings:

• Rugby 7s: Year 4 – 9
• Martial Arts: Year 4 – 9
• Badminton: Year 4 – 9
• Volleyball: Year 4 – 9
• Golf: Ages 9 – 14 year olds
• Cricket: Year 4 – 9

For more information regarding these holiday camps please see the SCS Sport Website here.

Connect Newsletter – Archbishop Anthony Fisher’s Newsletter

Please see the link to the latest edition of the Connect Newsletter by Archbishop Anthony Fisher, OP, dated 4 July 2024.

Alumnae News: Class of 1994 Reunion

The Domremy College Class of 1994 is having its 30 Year Reunion. Details about the event and for the purchasing of tickets can be found in the linked Eventbrite Invitation Domremy College Class of 1994 – 30 Year Reunion – Saturday, 14 September 2024.

This is not a College run event – all details are in the Eventbrite link provided. All enquiries are to be directed to the organiser as set out in the link.

If you know of someone from the Class of 1994 please feel free to pass on the Eventbrite link.