From the Principal

Prayer

We thank you Lord, for this term.

For our challenges, our successes,

and the mistakes from which we have learnt.

Be with us as we spend our time with family and friends.

Give us strength and courage to do what is right:

to be witnesses of our faith.

Help us to be a practical Christian these holidays,

to appreciate what others do for us,

to give time and effort to help others.

To be peacemakers in our family.

Keep us safe in our activities;

give us good rest and good fun.

Bring us back refreshed and ready for a new term. 

May we always be conscious of you in our lives.

Amen

Venerable Nano Nagle, Pray for us

Dear Parents, Carers, Students and Staff,

As we approach the end of the school term, it is timely to reflect on the myriad of experiences and accomplishments we have shared within and beyond the vibrant community of Domremy. The bustling activities and enriching engagements have made this term’s conclusion equally rewarding for both our dedicated staff and our eager students.

Speaking about learning, it is important to recognise the profound distinction between learning to learn and learning to think, concepts often taken for granted. Understanding that each individual learns and thinks differently underscores the significance of embracing diverse perspectives and approaches to knowledge acquisition. By empowering students to discern how they learn best, we equip them with the tools to amplify their capacity for learning and thinking, enabling them to adapt and innovate beyond conventional expectations.

In today’s era of exponential knowledge expansion, our focus extends beyond merely covering content to cultivating essential skills for real-world application. Education must transcend rote memorisation to foster independent, creative, and critical thinkers capable of navigating the complexities of our ever-changing landscape. Through nurturing a culture of inquiry, collaboration, communication, reasoning, problem-solving, and creativity, we prepare our students to confidently confront the challenges of an uncertain future.

Inaugural Italian language Tour

Yesterday marked the departure of our adventurous travellers embarking on a two-week journey to Italy, where they will immerse themselves fully in the Italian language and culture. We are confident that they will have an enriching and unforgettable experience.

I would like to extend my heartfelt gratitude to the teachers who are accompanying them: Mrs. Vitalba Clarke, Mrs. Serita Vari, and Mrs. Lucy Silva. It is indeed a significant commitment for these teachers to leave before the term ends and return just as it begins, to be away from their families, and to be on call at all times during the tour. Their dedication to their students and their unwavering commitment to providing the best opportunities possible are truly commendable.

We wish our travellers a safe and enjoyable journey filled with memorable experiences and meaningful connections.

Mothers’ Day Mass – Save the Date – Thursday 9 May 

Join us for our Mothers’ Day Mass, to be held in the Brenda Quinn Hall, followed by a light breakfast. Please mark your calendars and RSVP for catering purposes. We eagerly anticipate celebrating this special occasion with as many of you as possible.

Try Domremy Day Success

On Friday 5 April we had over 100 Year 5 girls from local and feeder Primary schools come along to Try Domremy for a Day. Students met our teachers, attended lessons across a variety of subjects and made many new friendships. It was a very successful day and feedback from students was extremely positive. You can read the report and see the photos later in this issue

We look forward to having Year 4 and Year 6 students visit our community and Try Domremy for a Day in Term 2. Registrations are essential via our website.

On a final note…

I extend my heartfelt gratitude to all our students and Domremy families for your incredible support throughout this busy and energetic term. On behalf of our College community, I express sincere appreciation to our outstanding staff for their tireless dedication. Please note that students return in their winter uniform on Tuesday 30 April.

Thank you for your continued support and wishing everyone a safe and relaxing break. 

Blessings on you and your families

Antoinette McGahan

Prayer ✟

Holiday Prayer

Thank you, loving God, for times of refreshment

and opportunities to have a holiday,

so that we may be renewed in body, soul and spirit.

We thank you for the gift of enjoying different and new experiences.

May our time away be one that is filled with fun and the joy of friendship.

May our hearts be filled with happiness and peace and may we laugh often.

We praise you for this special gift.

Amen.

Venerable Nano Nagle, Pray for us.

Pope Francis’ April prayer intention – For the role of women

Good Friday: Stations of the Cross

Thank you to the students who were available to present the Stations of the Cross on Friday 29 March at St Joan of Arc Parish Haberfield for the congregation. Many parishioners were grateful for the students who dramatised the 14 Stations of the Cross, from the altar.

We are grateful to Fr Thomas Kurunthanam for the opportunity to have visited his parish for this occasion. 

Mrs Jane Sullivan, Religious Education Coordinator

Sacrament of Reconciliation

We extend our heartfelt gratitude to Fr Tom Stevens from St Patrick’s Parish Mortlake for his presence in our College Chapel, where he administered the Sacrament of Reconciliation to our students and staff. His gentle guidance and compassionate spirit provided a supportive environment for individuals to reflect, seek forgiveness, and renew their spiritual journey. Through his words of wisdom and encouragement, Fr Tom offered comfort and solace to those seeking God’s grace, reconciliation and inner peace.

The Sacrament of Reconciliation holds profound significance in our faith tradition, offering the opportunity for spiritual renewal and healing. Fr Tom’s dedication to facilitating this sacrament with patience and understanding exemplifies the true essence of pastoral care and ministry. His presence has left a lasting impression on our hearts and minds, reminding us of the importance of forgiveness, mercy, and reconciliation in our lives. May his words and actions inspire us to embrace the spirit of reconciliation in our relationships and communities.

Mrs Jane Sullivan, Religious Education Coordinator

Arrivederci a presto! … Buon viaggio ragazze! Divertitevi! ✈️ 🇮🇹

We farewelled our travellers on Thursday as they left for a two week adventure in Italy.

Our inaugural Italian Language Tour will see sixteen students from Years 10, 11 and 12 and three teachers embark on a two-week journey to Italy! This much anticipated trip will provide a unique opportunity for cultural and language immersion as well as the exploration of Italian traditions. Starting from the vibrant fashion capital of Milan in the north, their journey will take them all the way down to the enchanting seaside town of Sorrento in the south, and visiting Milan, Verona, Florence, Venice, Bologna, Sorrento, Capri, Naples, Rome and the Vatican.

We look forward to hearing about their trip on their return, but for the next two weeks keep an eye on our social media platforms, Facebook and Instagram, where we will be posting some much anticipated updates.

Mother’s Day Mass and Breakfast – RSVP 🌼🌺

Mrs Antoinette McGahan, College Principal, invites you to attend our Mother’s Day Mass and Breakfast, on Thursday 9 May 2024, 7:30 am – 9:30 am, in our Brenda Quinn Hall.

For catering purposes we ask you to RSVP via this link, stating how many people will be attending and confirmation will be emailed to you.

10:10 Youth Night 

On Thursday 4 April students from Years 7-12 had the opportunity to attend a Youth night at St Vincent’s College in Ashfield. This night was run by the 10:10 Program which is part of Sydney Catholic Schools. The event began by the students mingling with one another before taking part in some icebreaker games to get to know each other. The students were then given pizza and had a chance to play some games and communicate with other members of the community. 

A member from Catholic Mission, Luke Tobin, then addressed the students about the qualities Jesus wants them to implement in their everyday lives. It started with a re-enactment of the story of the Good Samaritan in which he explained to the students that they need to make sure they are disciples of Christ and help those who are in need. The students then took part in a group task where they needed to come up with a slogan for Human Dignity and its importance and relevance within our society. 

Finally, the students took part in adoration. We went to St Vincent’s parish where students were given the opportunity for reconciliation. It was great to see the level of enthusiasm and reverence that our Domremy girls displayed during the evening. There were approximately 80 students across multiple different schools that took part in this event and it was lovely to see how passionate they all are about developing their relationship with God and other members of the community. 

Ms Claudia Carbone, Youth Ministry Coordinator

Year 9 Jewellery incursion 😍

Year 9 Design and Technology students were treated to a special visit from Andrea Sahyoun, creative director from Aniday Designs. Andrea showed the girls various polymer clay jewellery-making techniques. It was a fun and engaging workshop and we are very grateful Andrea took time out of her busy schedule to share her creative wisdom with our girls. 

The students will use these newly gained skills when they begin designing and producing their own pair of polymer clay earrings. Keep an eye out for their work which will be on display in the TAS corridor early next term.

Visit Andrea’s website to see her amazing jewellery pieces aniday.com.au 

You can see some of the lovely designs made by the students during the incursion, in preparation for when they create their final designs.

Ms Stephanie Ricciuti, Acting TAS Coordinator

Hobart – Year 11 Design and Technology and Visual Art Excursion 🎨🖼️

Last week Year 11 Design and Technology and Visual Art students had the opportunity to travel to Tasmania to experience the wide range of architecture and galleries. We left on Thursday 4 April and began our journey exploring the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery viewing the history of Tasmania and its range of beautiful flora and fauna. 

Following on from this, we caught a scenic ferry to the Museum Of Old and New Art. At the museum, we experienced a variety of interactive and eye-opening installations and displays. Personally, our favourite display was the Water display – Bit.Fall by Julius Popp. Bit.Fall is a waterfall creating a cascade of words sourced from live news feeds. In a split second, the machine releases of hundreds of drops, creating a ‘waterfall’ of words.  A play between technology and its relationship to nature. The water created a calming experience and made us think of how the design of the project was made possible. The aim of the artwork was to expose and push the boundaries of one’s creativity leading them to new and innovative ideas. 

Moving on, as a group we explored the Salamanca markets, participating in a scavenger hunt activity, aimed to encourage us to discover different products for sale that could spark a flame of inspiration within us for our own major works. We viewed a variety of innovative products such as handcrafted timber designs, homemade beauty products, and traditional food delicacies. Lastly, we spent the afternoon on an enjoyable architectural walk, where we discovered the history of Hobart with our amazing tour guide Diane. Diane showed us the most monumental aspects of the city and how it came to be. 

Overall this trip was one to remember as we created lifelong memories and bonds with each other and gained new and insightful learning experiences that we will never forget. 

Bianca K & Isabella H, Year 11/Ms Stephanie Ricciuti, Acting TAS Coordinator

Kids’ Lit Quiz 📚

The Kids’ Lit Quiz is a competition for students below the age of 14 years. On Friday 5 April, eight students took part in a team event against 21 teams and 10 schools across Sydney, in a Heat held at St Ursula’s Kingsgrove.

Domremy entered two teams and our Team One came second overall, narrowly missing out on competing at the National Finals.

There were 10 rounds of quiz questions based on particular themes in literature including kidnapping, captains, bears and others. Both of our teams won a round outright and received books as a prize.

On the day, a special guest author, Nat Amoore was there to oversee procedures and led several rounds of quiz questions. Nat is a highly acclaimed children’s author, with a number of titles, including her novels, ‘Secrets Of A Schoolyard Millionaire,’ and ‘We Run Tomorrow.’ (Nat appears in our photos taken on the day). 

Our Team One consisted of Edith, Celina, Chloe and Madeleine. Our Team Two included Liliana, Kimora, Isabella and Eva.

A special mention to Isabel who acted as a reserve on the day, running quiz answer sheets to the adjudicators for marking and assisting throughout. 

What an exceptional effort girls – we are so very proud of you!

Mrs Nicole Harada, Teacher/Librarian

Australia’s Biggest Morning Tea – Friday 12 April

Officially,  the Cancer Council’s Australia’s Biggest Morning Tea falls on 23 May 2024.

Domremy Staff annually get behind this worthwhile cause which, through its fundraising, can make an incredible difference to those impacted by cancer. 

This year Staff chose Friday 12 April to held their Biggest Morning Tea, a fantastic way to end the term.

If you wish to make a donation to this worthwhile cause, you can find the link here to the Domremy College Biggest Morning Tea.

18 soloists competing in the SCS Eisteddfod

Good luck to our 18 soloists!!!

These April school holidays Domremy College has 18 Soloists competing in the SCS Eisteddfod; a copy of the Eisteddfod Digital Program 2024 can be found here.

We wish the very best of luck to our performers.

Mrs Romina Zappulla, Music Coordinator

The Catholic Weekly “Inner West teens talk trust in God”

On March 22 the College hosted the Deanery Youth afternoon with some 30 students taking part including girls in Years 10, 11 and 12 and students from Holy Cross College, Ryde and Marist Sisters’ College Woolwich. Students came together to create relationships with one another and to further develop their relationship with Christ. You can read about this event in this week’s The Catholic Weekly Inner West teens talk trust in God.

Wrap-up of Year 5 – Try Domremy for a Day

On Friday 5 April, Domremy College warmly welcomed over 100 Year 5 students from twenty-two participating schools for our Try Domremy for a Day event.

You can read about the day’s activities and see some great pics in the following Try Domremy for a Day Report Year 5 2024.

Mrs Kelly Smit, Leader of Learning and Teaching

A wee step back in time … some 70 years

Try Domremy for a Day – Year 4 Registrations open

Try Domremy for a Day – for students in Year 4 in 2024 – Friday 17 May

Successfully transitioning students from primary to secondary school can make a significant difference to a student’s achievement, engagement and wellbeing outcomes. Try Domremy For A Day is an opportunity for Years 4, 5 and 6 primary students to attend the College and experience aspects of high school for a day. 

We had an amazing response for Try Domremy for a Day for Year 5 students last week, which is reported elsewhere in this issue.

Registration for students in Year 4 in 2024 is open online.

Registration for students in Year 6 will open early May – keep an eye on our website and social media. Please note that registration is essential. https://www.domremy.catholic.edu.au/trydomremy

Enrolments for Year 7 – 2026 and 2027

Year 7 2026 (currently Year 5) students:

The College is currently enrolling students for 2026. Interviewing for 2026 has begun. (see below). 

If you have a daughter currently in Year 5 who you wish to enrol at Domremy College, please submit an Application for Enrolment as soon as possible.

If you have family or friends considering enrolling their daughter at the College, please let them know.

Please note that there is no automatic entry into the College from feeder Primary Schools – all families at feeder Primary Schools must complete an Application to Enrol their daughter at the College, even if they have an older daughter already enrolled at the College.

Please head to our website’s Enrolment page.

Year 7 2026 Interviews: Our Enrolment Officer will be in touch with you, over the coming weeks, about an interview time either this term or next term, for Applications which have been lodged and which have no outstanding information or documents. If there is any outstanding information or documents which need to be supplied in support of your Application, our Enrolment Officer will be in touch with you about this first, and once supplied, an interview can be scheduled.

Year 7 2027 (currently Year 4) students: 

Domremy College enrols students for Year 7, two years before their start date, in accordance with Sydney Catholic Schools’ policy.

Sydney Catholic Schools has not yet opened up enrolments for 2027 and will do so later this year.

We encourage you, your family and friends, to check back with our website regularly. As soon as SCS opens up the enrolment portal for 2027 it will be updated on our website’s Enrolment page.

We will also be advertising this in our Newsletter, the Parent Weekly and on our social media channels.

Enquiries:

If there are any enquiries about Enrolment please email our College Enrolments Officer at enrolments@domremy.catholic.edu.au or telephone on 9712 2133.

Catholic Schools Guide Competition – 1st prize offering $2000 worth of school fees

Domremy College is featured in the Catholic Schools Guide 2024.

As part of its 2024 launch, the Catholic Schools Guide is giving entrants the opportunity to win a number of prizes, including taking home the 1st prize – $2000 worth of School Fees paid directly to the school.

Domremy College families can find out more about the competition and how to enter at catholicschoolsguide.com.au/competition

Competition closes 5pm Friday 6 September 2024.

Parish Notices: Sacrament of Confirmation – St Ambrose Parish Concord West

St Ambrose Parish Concord West will celebrate its Sacrament of Confirmation on 24 May at 7pm and 25 May at 2 pm.

To register your child for their Sacrament:

• Registration forms can be completed online by accessing the St Ambrose website (www.stambrose.org.au) and following the ‘Sacraments Registration’ link 
• Send an email to sacraments@stambrose.org.au and request a registration form;

It is requested that registrations are returned by Monday 29 April 2023 so that group sessions and liturgies can be organised based on numbers.  Please do not hesitate to contact sacraments@stambrose.org.au if you have any questions.

Feeder Primary School Communications

Feast of Our Lady of Fatima Procession

The Catholic Archdiocese of Sydney invites our schools and families to join the Our Lady of Fatima Procession. This would be a great opportunity for staff, students and families to experience the power of prayer and honour Our Lady. 

Event Information:

Date: Saturday 11 May 2024

Time: 6:00 p.m. Vigil Mass followed by a candle-lit Procession around the Cathedral Forecourt.

Location: St Mary’s Cathedral, St Marys Rd, Sydney NSW 2000

Arrival: Attendees are recommended to arrive by 5:30 p.m. and be seated by 5:45pm. As this is an Archdiocesan Mass seats will fill up quickly.

Isabella Fichera, Religious Event Coordinator, Sydney Catholic Schools

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 April 2024.

Term Break – students return Tuesday 30 April

Enjoy your term break.

All students return on Tuesday 30 April. Students return to school in full winter uniform.