From the Principal

Ms Silvana Rossetti

The start of 2024 saw the launch of our new Strategic Plan for 2024-2028. Capacity building, Connectivity and Consistency are the key focus areas which will drive our work over the coming years – all with the ultimate goal of improving student outcomes as we continue to keep our students at the centre of all we do.

Term 1 began with a strong focus on connectivity as we came together to celebrate the new scholastic year with our Opening School Mass. The Opening Mass is a very special event in our calendar as we witness our Year 12 students as they welcome the new Year 7 students into the Marist College Eastwood community.

Our Term 1 Parents and Friends (P&F) meeting was held onsite in the Learning Centre. This meeting was a time for parents to reconnect, plan ahead for the year and hear about our wonderful 2023 HSC results, our strategic direction for the next five years and a facilities update.  Our Year 7 Parent Welcome Evening was enjoyed by parents, students and staff and gave us all an opportunity to reconnect and be reminded of the wonderful community that we are. This event was followed by our Open Day where once again, the Marist College Eastwood P&F group, along with our staff and students demonstrated true Marist College Eastwood hospitality as we opened our school to our future students and parents. 

The Trivia Night fundraising event, organised by the P&F, was held in March this year.  This annual event is fast becoming a highlight of the P&F social calendar which we all look forward to each year.  A special thank you to Mrs Jody Patman, Mrs Vicki Tanner and the P&F committee for all the work behind the scenes, as well as the generous parents who donated various items to be raffled or auctioned on the evening.  A great evening was had by all and we are already looking forward to the 2025 evening. 

Our Year 7 students had their first Reflection Day where they were able to spend some time learning more about what it means to be Marist as well as getting to know their peers and their teachers.  Year 12 also travelled off campus to their last ever Retreat as Marist students.  Here, along with their teachers, they were  able to take some well deserved time out to pray, reflect and reconnect with one another and they have returned energised and ready for the last two terms of their school education. 

The College continues to be a hive of activity as students enjoy participating in the College swimming carnival, SCS sports program, CSDA Public Speaking competition, SCS Portrait Prize competition and Chess club just to mention a few. Our afterschool Homework Club and Tutoring program has been very successful and it is wonderful to see so many students use this opportunity to continue to grow in their academic life. 

The College has embraced the Marist Association theme for 2024, ‘First Light’  which calls us to recognise the world as the place in which we discover God- in nature and in human nature as we witness acts of kindness.  We can recognise and experience God’s Spirit through the beauty and goodness of everything that the world holds and reveals. The beautiful prayer below reminds us to see God in everyone we encounter so that we all may experience ‘first light’.

In a classical rabbinic story, the teacher asks the disciples:

“When do you know it is dawn?”  One says, “when you can distinguish a white thread from a black one.” 

“No,” says the teacher. 

“When you can see the outline of a tree against the horizon,” ventures another.

“No,” says the teacher — to this and all other efforts to answer the question. Finally, he says, “when you can look into the eyes of an ‘other’, a stranger,and see a brother or a sister, then it is dawn.

Until then, it is still night.”

We pray that the Holy Spirit illuminates our minds and hearts to recognise and know God’s presence in the breath-taking and ordinary encounters of our life. We pray that our lives will be transformed by God’s Spirit, making known the presence of God in the world and within us. 

Mary, Our Good Mother …. pray for us 
St Marcellin Champagnat ….pray for us
St Mary of the Cross MacKillop .… pray for us 
And let us always remember .… to pray for one another 

New Teachers

We warmly welcome the following teachers to the team at Marist College Eastwood:

Colm McCaughan

Our Religion Faculty is extremely fortunate to have Colm McCaughan at its Head. Colm felt a strong calling to become a teacher and hopes that through example, our students can develop their own relationship with God. Colm was awarded the Excellence in Teaching Award by the Teachers Guild of NSW in 2023 in recognition of his work as Assistant Dean of Ministry at Rosebank. Another great achievement was coaching his Rugby 7s team to the NSW Rugby School State Championships during his time at Patrician Brothers Blacktown. Colm also enjoys his sport and is a Rugby Union referee including officiating the Shute Shield and a variety of other fixtures such as GPS First XV. During the summer months Colm dones his gloves and pads and plays cricket.

Isabella Christenson

Bella Christenson loves all things English and Drama and is thrilled with her new role at Marist College Eastwood as Assistant Leader of Learning – English. Bella will very quickly tell you that she hopes to emulate the teachers that she had and engage our students in their learning, encourage them to do their best and look at the world through different perspectives. Bella has a passion for literature and theatre not only in the classroom but also in her spare time. In addition she loves baking – espcially cookies.

Christopher Ure

The TAS Faculty welcomes Christopher Ure to the team. Christopher decided to make teaching his career to help others and enjoys seeing students grow and enjoy their learning. When not teaching you can find Christoper playing and coaching rugby.

Kaitlyn Le

Kaitlyn Le joined the Mathematics Faculty this year. Kaitlyn is keen to see her students reach their potential in the fun world of Mathematics.

Gabriel Rulewski

(Temporary Staff 2024)

We welcome back Gabriel Rulewski to the RE and HSIE teams. Gabriel taughted at Marist Colllege Eastwood from 2012 to 2017 before heading off to the Northern Territory to teach at Murrupurtiyanuwu Catholic Primary School on the Tiwi Islands. Following his return to Sydney, Gabriel worked at the Sydney Catholic Schools office in the Mission & Identity Directorate. One of the most exciting and enjoyable aspect of Gabriel’s career has been journeying with students on opportunities where they can nurture, and live out, their faith beyond the classroom.

Joshua Formosa

(Temporary Staff 2024)

A high school tour of India where he worked with students convinced Joshua Formosa to move into the world of teaching and we welcome him to the Maths / RE teams. Joshua was very fortunate to attend World Youth Day in Portugal via the Holy Lands which further reinforced his love of teaching. Joshua is a keen collector of “anything” and if you are in need of a pair of socks just see Joshua – he has some 150 pairs of socks in his collection….so far.

Jack O’Halloran

(Temporary Staff 2024)

The English Faculty welcomes Jack O’Halloran to the team. Jack has a great love of all things English and is keen to share his English journey with students. Jack decided to become a teacher following his own very positive school experience. Jack also has a keen appreciation for all things sport.

Emmet Mc Kenna

(Temporary Staff 2024)

Emmet McKenna joins us in the Diverse Learning Team. Emmet will very quickly tell you that he loved his time at school and is very keen for his students to do the same. The most rewarding moments of his time in the classroom is seeing his students achieve beyond their expectations. Outside of the classroom Emmet has a keen appreciation for sport and enjoys the gym and reading.

Joshua Chasney

(Temporary Staff 2024)

Joshua has joined the PDHPE Faculty as a temporary staff member for 2024.

From the Assistant Principal

Mr Daniel Fallico

Our new Year 7 students were welcomed into the Marist College Eastwood community early in Term 1 and they have had a very positive start and engaged themselves in all aspects of College life.  This has not been achieved by just luck, but rather by the example set to them by the older students. What is most pleasing is to see this modelled to our older students by their parents who have supported the College at Open Day, College Swimming Carnival and the high participation and attendance at information evenings and College events.  This truly exemplifies how authentic it is when we speak about a strong sense of “Family Spirit”.

I often challenge the students to be of action, and for this action to align to our beliefs and morals. What aligns to this concept is high expectations. Keeping our students accountable for what they do and how they do it, not in an inspectorial manner, but rather to challenge and support them to be the best version of themselves as we walk with them and beside them on their learning journey. This support is evident in our afterschool library study with many staff members staying back to assist students as they complete homework or work on upcoming assignments. It is evident in the large number of volunteer coaches we have for every sport that we can possibly offer, agreeing on most instances to arrive at the College after the end of the day to support students’ sporting desires.  The opportunities given to our boys through various events and initiatives such as Duke of Ed, Year 7 camp, Year 12 retreat, Friday Chess and so on, are for their benefit; to grow and learn in our Marist way to be of Strong Mind and Gentle Heart.

As Term 1 concludes, I would like to strongly recommend parents to talk to their son about the term that has been. To ask them what they have learned and their reflections on the start of the year and also what successes they have achieved and affirm them.  Possibly ask them “how” or what led to this success.  We should never underestimate positively engaging with our boys on their learning journey and letting them know they have the support of both their teachers and parents.

Religious Education Coordinator

Mr Colm McCaughan

Many times I have heard the phrase, ‘hit the ground running,’ but I think ‘hit the ground sprinting’ would be more appropriate considering the whirlwind nature of my first term here at Marist College Eastwood!

Two days into Week 0 we began with our Opening College Mass celebrated by Fr Pawel. Although very warm in our hall, it was a powerful way to begin the year, particularly as we were encouraged to embrace our Marist characteristic of ‘Love of Work.’

Barely a week later Lent began with our Back to Parish Ash Wednesday commemoration, in which nearly 200 boys travelled back to their parishes with their families. We held our own liturgy at the College, where the boys were given a story of a former student of mine, Ken, who demonstrated extraordinary humility and charity by donating his bus and lunch money each day to Project Compassion and then walking home. Hopefully boys took on board the message, ‘This Lent, be like Ken,’ in discovering that true charity must cost us something.

Our Year 7 students were inducted into the Marist Charism on their Reflection Day where they were given the story of St Marcellin by Brother Joachim Fabbro, a vastly experienced and inspiring leader in the Marist community.  Along with many activities and learning the Sub Tuum, students were given the opportunity to sign up for our new Marist youth group, Game Changers, which was launched at the end of this term. We hope our Year 7 students truly understand what it means to be a Marist boy!

The absolute highlight for me in my first term was our Year 12 Retreat.  Retreat is a powerful way to be reminded of God’s love and presence in our lives as the boys were taken out of the regular schedules to visit the Benedict XVI Centre in Grose Vale for 3 days. The Retreat focused on relationships, first within ourselves, then with our families and friends, and then finally with God, because God always meets us where we are at. To sum up one boy’s description of it, ‘many tears were shed, many prayers were said, but to God my heart was led.’ 

We entered Holy Week upon return from Retreat, with our liturgy a powerful narrative re-enactment of Our Lord’s Passion, led beautifully by Toby Piccolo (Year 12) as Jesus and a handful of other keen volunteers in the other roles. We focused our liturgy on the theme of ‘abandonment’, in recognising all the ways Christ was abandoned in His suffering, but in this way showing us that He is closest to us in our moments of abandonment and suffering.

Throughout the term our regular Wednesday Prayer Group and Friday morning Mass have grown exponentially as more students and staff embrace the joy of maintaining a regular relationship with God. We launched the 10:10 Project for our Year 10 cohort and had nearly 50 students sign up for the regular events and formation offered by the team from SCS. I am so grateful to our Chaplain Fr Dan Drum, as well as the rest of the Evangelisation Team in Grace Mathews (YMC) and Maryam Mansoor (Asst. REC) for their hard work in building the faith life of the College.

With a brief respite now before another massive Term 2, I look back at the mountain we have climbed in just a few short weeks and thank God for the grace He has poured out on our community. May it continue to flow!

Director of Wellbeing

Mr Timothy Aussel

1st February, 2024 saw the Year 8 to Year 12 students of Marist College Eastwood walk through the familiar gates, past the Marcellin Champagnat statue ready and prepared for a new school year. We were also delighted to welcome the newest members of the College, the Graduating Class of 2029.

The term has been a busy one for Pastoral Care as students started to engage in their pastoral programs for the year and re-develop their positive habits to assist in meeting the challenges ahead for the year.

Year 7 students have eagerly engaged in Peer Support sessions which are facilitated by Ms Howes and a select group of Year 10 students. These sessions have assisted with the transition of Year 7 by focusing on what academic, sporting and co-curricular offerings are available as well as organisational, team building and resilience activities. Year 7 students also enjoyed their first Reflection Day which centred around the story of Marcellin Champagnat, the 5 Marist Pillars (Simplicity, Presence, Family Spirit, Love of Work, In the way of Mary) and how they can be lived out during their time at Marist College Eastwood.

This year the College has engaged The Resilience Project (TRP) for the Year 7 to Year 9 Pastoral Program. This is the first year of a three year trial of the program  and there is great excitement about what TRP can offer the students and the community. TRP offers engaging programs around mental health and resilience with a focus on Gratitude, Empathy, Mindfulness, Emotional Literacy and Building Connections. The aim of the program is to help students develop  positive mental health and promote students to train their mental health/resilience just as they would train for their soccer team or study (train) for their assessments. Fortnightly students will engage with the TRP journal and lessons facilitated by their homeroom teacher. There are parent/carer resources available on TRP to engage in with your sons and a podcast called the ‘imperfects’ which has had guests such as Pat Cummins (Australian Cricket Captain), Grant Denyer (TV Presenter) and Steve Hooker (Olympian).

Ultimately, TRP aims to  contribute to the overall well-being of students, staff, and the entire school community. By prioritising mental health and resilience, schools can create a positive and supportive environment where everyone can thrive.

Director of Learning and Teaching

Ms Melissa Williams

The 2024 Academic year began with a wonderful celebration of all the success and hard work of the Year 12 Graduating Class of 2023. The boys were welcomed back to an assembly held in their honour, where each student who demonstrated high achievement in their HSC was recognised. We were particularly fortunate this year to be able to hear from two students who achieved excellence and who shared many words of wisdom and encouragement to the entire College community.

“As iron sharpens iron, so [too does] one person sharpen another.” (Proverbs 27:17)

Matthew Nassif, who received the  2023 highest ATAR, included the quote above to impress upon the boys the importance of committing to collaboration with fellow students to increase motivation and build collective efficacy. In Matthew’s words, “it is certainly fitting that in this Marist school we recognise the importance of brotherhood. It is our duty to “sharpen” each other in mind and spirit, to see to the needs of others and support, inspire and motivate our fellow classmates to achieve both academic excellence, self-improvement and attain a sense of self-accomplishment.”

The staff learning focus for this year is on developing consistent classroom practices in explicit teaching and structuring lessons to maximise learning outcomes and student learning growth. In particular, we have drawn on the seminal work of Barak Rosenshine to embed opportunities for daily and/or weekly review into our classroom routines. This helps build fluency and reduces cognitive load for students, whilst also providing valuable feedback to the students and to the teachers on where they are at with their learning and what the next steps should be. The increased review opportunities have been noted by students and they are already reporting the benefits of this regular practice.

I would like to thank the learning team for all their work this Term in ensuring that all boys continue to develop good learning habits in the classroom and for leading each faculty with staff that develop rigorous assessments, provide quality feedback to students and develop structured quality learning each lesson.

Year 7

Mr Elijah Carlin
Leader of Wellbeing – Year 7

Year 7 have made a positive start to their high school careers. After the initial shock of new classmates, new subjects and having to find their way around a very large new campus had worn off, students set about the business of learning.

The pastoral theme of “Marist and Me” challenges our newest community members to discover what it means to be a Marist boy and what their place in our community is to be over the next six years.  This was reinforced at the swimming carnival where they experienced belonging to a House, to compete and to cheer on their teammates. The tug-of-war final was a particularly raucous affair.

The “Marist and Me” community theme was further developed during Reflection Day where the students learned the story of our patron, St Marcellin Champagnat, and his significance to all Marists.  The boys also thoroughly enjoyed their first time singing the Sub Tuum, accompanied by the very talented Mr Foong. 

As we approach the end of the first school term, our Year 7 cohort are very excited about their upcoming adventures on the Year 7 camp which will  take place early in Term 2.

Year 8

Mrs Sarah Davis
Leader of Wellbeing – Year 8

As Leader of Wellbeing for Year 8, it gives me great pleasure to continue to work closely with a wonderful, caring, generous and dedicated community.

Year 8……. the excitement and anticipation was etched on students’ faces on the first day of 2024. The excitement of no longer being the youngest year group in the College and confidence starting a new year knowing what to expect was on show for all to see. 

Students embraced the Year 8 themes of community and giving back to the College.  Students took their roles and responsibilities as Couriers, Flagraisers and Recyclers very seriously and always displayed  in Term 1 a ‘Brothers to Others’ and ‘Tolerance, Acceptance, Caring and Kindness’ (TACK) attitude with members of the College community.

In Term 1, old school practices had their place in Year 8 . The curriculum was not all exercise books, Education Perfect, Mathsonline and laptops. Students took the opportunities presented to them in our Opening College Mass, Ash Wednesday and Year 8 Liturgies to get to know God and trust one another. 

The Sydney Zoo excursion took Science out of the textbooks and  provided a first hand experience of seeing  over 4000  animals including endangered species.  Students discovered DRSABCD were not letters of the alphabet but learnt how first aid and resuscitation techniques save lives and students acted as waiters at the P & F Open Day café, ensuring all parent helpers, staff and future members of our community were fed. 

The junior members of the College were introduced to The Resilience Project. The Resilience Project teaches students to identify and combine their strengths to build resilience, enabling them to  take responsibility for their own wellbeing and build competence to face adversity and deal with times of rapid change. During the term, Year 8 were introduced to Hugh (founder of the Project), developed Emotional Literacy and Empathy and throughout the year will be provided with opportunity to learn and practise positive mental health strategies to inspire happiness.

After another busy term, I wish to take this opportunity to wish all students and their families a well deserved, restful, relaxing and safe Term 1 holiday.

Year 9

Ms Emily Mattick
Leader of Wellbeing – Year 9

Year 9 have had a busy term both in and out of the classroom. As they commenced Stage 5, there was a notable increase in academic rigour which saw many students take a step up in their studies. In particular, Year 9 students have worked hard on delivering engaging, entertaining and persuasive speeches as part of the English Assessment.

They have also created models of Atoms in Science with many students finding creative and delicious ways to represent the structure and function of different atoms. Students who have chosen PASS as an elective studied the diverse needs and options for physical activity for different groups within our population and enjoyed trying Wheelchair basketball which was equal parts challenging and fun.

Outside of the classroom, but still pushing their academic boundaries and potential, students in Year 9 have been selected to participate in the Marist Mathletes, a group that works on Mathematical reasoning and problem solving at an advanced level. Our Year 9 Newman Science class and some select students also participated in a Science and Engineering Challenge and had a great day problem solving, working on team work, and meeting students from other schools. Once again, Year 9 were very well represented in the MCE Pi Day Challenge, with Aron Stapleton smashing his own record, reciting Pi to 470 places – 270 more than his previous record set in Year 8. 

In Co-curricular, Year 9 continues to be well represented, trialling for a range of teams and bands and volunteering to officiate for or manage representative teams in need. We have had some excellent results in swimming with Aiden Yang, Robert Tannous and Oliver Huang  representing the College in the CCC carnival. Robert Tannous has also been extremely successful in Athletics this term along with Manuel Lacson, both competing at a State Level. Robert will compete in Nationals later in the year. Jayden Gagliano has found success again this year in Bouldering, and will compete at Nationals later in the year as well. Sameer Kukade was also selected in the NSW CCC Cricket team. We wish all of these boys the best of luck. Finally, our newest Representative team at the College made up entirely of Year 9 students – the European Handball team – found great success this term, winning the SCS Conference 2 finals and will compete in the SCS Championships. We wish this team all the best in the Championship games. 

During Wellbeing lessons, Year 9 have been engaging in the Resilience Project. This program is designed to enhance students’ wellbeing by focusing on Gratitude, Empathy, and Mindfulness (GEM), and hopes to develop students’ social and emotional intelligence. By engaging in this alongside the development of reflective, mindset and study skills in Enrichment, we hope to continue to support Year 9’s holistic development. 

A big thank you to the Year 9 Wellbeing Team who continue to support our Year 9 students so that they can engage positively in the College and work towards their goals.

Year 10

Ms Linda Burland
Leader of Wellbeing – Year 10

Year 10 have enjoyed a very busy first term and have now started the senior stage of their schooling and understand the importance of this year which sets the stage for their future.

One of the most important events held during the term was the Subject Selection Evening.  They paid great attention to the information and guidance offered and now fully understand the requirements to complete each subject for the HSC.  The advantage of holding this event in Term 1 is that it gives our students maximum time to think about their subject choices.  Looking to the future, the boys also started preparing for work experience later in the year and set their personal goals, detailing what they wish to achieve during this year.

Year 10 most definitely enjoy their sport and this term provided them with many opportunities to involve themselves in a variety of sporting events.  These included the College Swimming Carnival and Sydney Catholic Schools sport, in particular basketball, water polo and touch football.  This particular cohort have a wonderful community spirit and this was exemplified in their conscientious efforts during Open Day preparations and their role as ambassadors during the event itself.  

They have also been involved in the religious dimension of the College with their involvement in the Opening School Mass, Stations of the Cross and the Easter liturgy where their participation was excellent. During our Fundraising pastoral lesson all students were involved and gave generously raising $1000.00 for Caritas Australia. I would like to thank the Year 10 leaders for their leadership in this area. Their concerted efforts in goal-setting and assessment reflection indicates a commitment to continuous improvement and self-awareness, hallmarks of a mature and discerning senior student.

Year 11

Mr Mark Barroccu
Leader of Wellbeing – Year 11

Year 11 began the Senior School journey in such a positive way. Refreshed from time away from the College, our Leaders of 2025 returned ready for new subjects and new opportunities.

As well as students starting new courses, we have several participants in the TAFE NSW School based apprenticeship scheme and others studying a trade or practical subject at TAFE. We wish these students well as they transition to adult learning spaces and commence temporary work placements.

From a pastoral perspective, our focus is on self-care. This has seen students learning about organising their time according to study, extra-curricular and work commitments to achieve their goals during the first semester.  Our most fruitful pastoral time together to date was the launch of Project Compassion this year. Homeroom Leaders organised several activities in the classroom, as well as time to unwind playing sports. This included football, table tennis and basketball. The goal was to raise some much-needed funds for Caritas Australia’s charity work overseas. I thank the Leaders here for their diligence and effort. We also had a number of students generously donating their time to selling drinks at recess and lunch with all proceeds going to Project compassion. In addition to these, the Homeroom staff have rallied hard for their classes to donate what they could during this time. Overall, Year 11 raised approximately $2,500 towards Project compassion this year. A great effort by all.

Our Open Day was busy again with Year 11 leading the tours with our new students from Year 7. The day ran smoothly and many positive comments from prospective families were received.

Year 11 had the first taste of exam style privileges. Rather than exams, students attended the College only for skill development workshops in their chosen subjects. This afforded the students an opportunity to work from home to prepare for assessment tasks. Our TAFE and SBAT students were able to gain some further work experience during this time.

The tutor program is currently a slow burn for Year 11. Although the focus of this is our current HSC cohort, a number of students from Year 11 have been studying in the library and aligning themselves to the tutors for assistance. I am confident that these students will see some benefits in terms of their understanding of content and hopefully success in their first set of assessment tasks. 

Students had a number of excursions this term. Visual Arts saw the most recent HSC artworks at Artexpress, a showcase at the Art Gallery of NSW. The Geography class ventured to Mt Kiera to conduct fieldwork for their unit on Earth’s Natural systems and the Investigating Science students explored the new Penrith lakes precinct. This involved testing the health of the local ecosystem.

I trust you have a restful and quiet break and look forward to a busy Term 2.

Year 12

Mr Mark Holden
Leader of Wellbeing – Year 12

I would like to congratulate Year 12 for the way they have enthusiastically commenced the academic year. There is a sense of determination within Year 12 as each student has embraced every opportunity to maximise their potential for success in the forthcoming Higher School Certificate. 

One of the highlights of this term has been the Year 12 Retreat held at the Benedict XVI Centre Grose Vale when our senior students had an opportunity to escape from the rigour and routine of attending classes and completing assessment tasks. The retreat is an opportunity for our students to contemplate their own faith journey in the context of our Catholic faith and to reflect upon the five pillars of Marist Education, especially in the way of Mary!

A message that I have consistently reinforced with Year 12 is to never underestimate the power of prayer and to have empathy for those in need. It is our desire to instil these attributes in our Marist graduates to enable them to be proactive in social justice issues beyond Marist College Eastwood. 

This goal is the underlying principle of our senior theme for 2024 as emphasised during Ben Towle’s opening speech during the Academic High Achievers assembly – the last one!  The last open day, the last swimming carnival, the last retreat and the last opportunity to wear the College colours during representative sport. This message was embraced by Year 12 throughout Term 1 especially during the swimming carnival when there was full attendance by our senior students who enthusiastically embraced the theme of the day – superheroes!

I would like to congratulate our Leaders of Events, Joshua Brynes and Mina Moses, who laid the foundations for the Year 12 response by actively encouraging the cohort to participate in the superhero theme prior to the carnival. The sight of Year 12 students dressed as the Hulk, Super Mario and Bananas in Pyjamas added to the community atmosphere of the carnival for both staff and students.  A special call out to Toby Piccolo who looked splendid as King Triton. 

Year 12 have hit the ground running with their preparation for the Higher School Certificate as the majority of the students discussed specific strategies to improve their academic performance with their teachers during the Year 12 Parent/Teacher night. 

These strategies were further enhanced during the Year 12 mentor meetings where time management strategies, individual goals and organisational skills were discussed and implemented into their patterns of study. The mentor meetings are a wonderful opportunity for your son to take advantage of the expertise of the teaching staff who have the better interest of your son at the centre of all decision making. 

Once again, the pastoral care program has delivered a variety of informative wellbeing strategies ranging from setting smart goals, designing study schedules and sleep management techniques. At all times the message for our senior students is to maintain a balance between their studies and family life during their preparation for the Higher School Certificate to maintain their mental wellbeing and self-esteem. 

Year 12 listened to a presentation by Mithil Dixit during a pastoral care lesson about his experiences preparing for his HSC during 2023. Mithil’s presentation was most informative as he explored study techniques and note making strategies that improve a student’s comprehension of the content taught within their pattern of study. 

During Open Day many Year 12 students provided assistance to Heads of Faculty by exhibiting their expertise for a variety of displays designed to champion the College’s extensive curriculum. Displays for Music, Technics and the Visual Arts were enhanced by Year 12 students who proudly displayed their major works for the forthcoming Higher School Certificate. Moving forward hopefully their hard work will be rewarded with outstanding results for the Higher School Certificate. 

There has been ongoing support for the College co-curricular activities with the success of our senior Basketball teams and the emerging skills of our Water Polo team. 

A number of our senior leaders have also been able to enhance their leadership skills by participating in leadership initiatives offered within the Sydney Archdiocese. 

A special acknowledgement to Archie Kingham who has reinforced his leadership skills acquired during last year’s Max Potential initiative and the New South Wales Parliamentary Constitution Convention by being selected to participate in the 2024 Commonwealth Constitution Convention in Canberra. An outstanding achievement for a young and capable Marist leader! 

As we continue this journey together with your son may I take this opportunity to wish you all a restful and prayerful break. 

Senior Visual Arts Excursion

Year 11 and Year 12 Visual Arts students had the opportunity to explore the ArtExpress Exhibition at the Art Gallery of NSW. The exhibition is put on yearly to showcase exemplar HSC Major Works from all expressive forms. By having the opportunity to engage with the exhibition students are able to recognise the high standards of a HSC Major work and can gain inspiration for their own artmaking practice by discussing curatorial decisions, techniques and processes.

The students also had the opportunity to view the permanent collections in both the north and south buildings of the gallery to inform their understanding of art criticism and history. By allowing the students to interact with a gallery space they are also provided the opportunity to recognise what the art world looks like outside of the classroom and how it connects to not only their own world but the world around them. 

The Senior Visual Arts ArtExpress excursion was an opportunity for both Year 11 and 12 to be surrounded by Band 6 artworks gathered from around NSW. This excursion allowed us to become immersed in the artworks giving us a valuable benchmark for our Major Works. The ArtExpress, as well as many of the other works throughout the art gallery, allowed me to reflect on what makes art ‘good’, being exposed to such a wide variety of works and mediums allowed me to pick and choose what I liked and what I felt was a well-executed idea. From this, I was able to gain a newfound appreciation not just for the works but the stories/ideas behind them which drove and inspired the artist to create it. Having this opportunity to attend ArtExpress this year has greatly helped me in understanding what the markers of the HSC value when marking the bodies of work, which I can use to improve my own body of work as I develop it throughout the year. The overall experience I believe was valuable not only to my art-making practice but for us as artists as we can fully experience the artworks as the artist intended.

Bryson Mitchell – Year 12

Science Excursions

Sydney Zoo Excursion

The Year 8 Science class headed off to Sydney Zoo early in March to study, observe and discuss the behaviour and adaptations of animals in their environment. The excursion was linked to the first year 8 assessment task.

Students Review

I’m a Year 8 student who recently had the pleasure of visiting the Sydney Zoo, and I must say it was an unforgettable experience. The zoo offered a wide range of animals, including some of my personal favourites. From the moment I entered the zoo, I was amazed by how the zoo was designed.

One of the things that stood out to me was the zoo’s commitment to animal welfare. The enclosures were well-designed and spacious, providing the animals with a relatively good amount of space. The staff were always kind and available to answer any questions I had. Overall, the Sydney Zoo was a fantastic experience, and I would highly recommend it to anyone looking for a fun and educational day out.

Ansh Sood

I recently had the opportunity to visit Sydney Zoo during a school trip and I have to say, it was an incredible experience. The zoo has an impressive range of animals from various continents including Africa, Asia and Australia. It was amazing to see the animals up close and in personx, especially my personal favourites, the cheetahs and lions from Africa.

One of the things that stood out to me was the well-designed enclosures for each animal. The zoo staff made sure that every animal had enough space to roam free and didn’t just put them in cages. The way the animals were organised by their countries of origin was another thoughtful touch. The staff were also very friendly and knowledgeable, making the experience even better.

Overall, Sydney Zoo is a must-visit for anyone looking for a fun and educational day out. I highly recommend it to anyone and I can’t wait to go back again.

Daksh Kumar

Science and Engineering Challenge Excursion

Marist College Eastwood participated in the University of Newcastle Science and Engineering Challenge at Sydney Olympic Park. Thirty two Year 9 students competed in eight STEM activities against teams from seven other schools. Students worked in teams of four to complete a morning and an afternoon challenge activity. Some of the challenge activities included building a wind turbine, a bridge, a glider and a earthquake proof structure. Teams were awarded points for each activity and the College achieved a 4th place. The day provided students with opportunities to develop their critical thinking, problem solving and teamwork skills. It was an enjoyable day and a worthwhile extra curricular activity which we hope to participate in again next year.

Amadeus 2024

About Amadeus

Sydney Catholic Schools’ (SCS) Amadeus Music Education Program is the biggest and most ambitious investment in music education ever undertaken in Sydney schools. It is a comprehensive, high-quality Year 3 to Year 8 music program that is being introduced across all SCS schools and taught by qualified music specialists.

The Amadeus Music Education Program has three essential elements:

Classroom Music

Mr Jhed Dela Cruz and Mrs Lisa Müller have been teaching both composition and theory skills during normal classroom music lessons. During this time, learning and assessment task planning takes place.  During the term we have been focussing on the Concepts of Music and preparing students to be able to compose their own musical soundscape (like a radio play). 

Small Group Tuition

Students, in groups of five to eight, spend 30 minutes per fortnight learning to play a string, woodwind or brass instrument with their specialised tutor. This occurs every Week B. 

Ensemble Rehearsal

Students play their instrument in an ensemble (String Orchestra or Concert Band) for one hour per fortnight. This occurs every Week A. 

The program is holistic and sees students engaged in listening, composition in addition to rehearsals and performance. 

Amadeus at Marist College Eastwood

The Amadeus Program is now well underway at Marist College Eastwood. Year 7 students have been given the opportunity to explore and learn about various musical instruments, providing them with a wonderful way to foster their musical talents and interests. 

Year 7 have had their instruments rolled out over Term 1 and have chosen either a string (violin/viola/cello), woodwind (flute/clarinet/saxophone) or brass (trumpet/ trombone/baritone) instrument to learn. 

The focus so far has been on fundamental skills such as caring for instruments, assembling and disassembling them, how to correctly hold instruments, and responding to conductor cues, lays a solid foundation for their musical journey. Additionally, learning basic notes and melodic patterns sets the stage for further musical development.

The differentiated tutorial groups are great to cater to the varying abilities and interests of the students, allowing each individual to progress and excel in their chosen instrument.

Performing a set piece for their Music Assessment Task in Term 3 will be an exciting opportunity for the students to showcase their progress and talents. It will also serve as a motivating goal for them to work towards throughout the program.

We would also like to take this opportunity to introduce our wonderful Amadeus staff:

• Ms Bronte Ellis – cello
• Ms Catherine Lukin – violin
• Ms Christine Young – clarinet and saxophone
• Ms Fezo Rantos – flute
• Mr Luke Craig – violin
• Mr Oscar Sweeney – trumpet, trombone and baritone

Overall, the Amadeus Program is providing a rich and supportive environment for musical learning and growth, and it’s exciting to anticipate the progress and achievements of the Year 7 students in the coming terms.

Mrs Lisa Müller