Principal’s Message

Welcome to the start of the 2025 school year. A special welcome to our new students and families who have joined St Ursula’s College this year. We are thrilled to have you as part of our vibrant school community and we can’t wait for you to experience all that the College has to offer. We are also welcoming new staff to our College. Later in this newsletter you will find an introduction to each of them. 

This year marks a significant milestone for the Catholic Church as we celebrate the Jubilee Year, with the theme ‘Pilgrims of Hope’. It is an important theme for parents and schools to reflect on and it serves as a challenge to all who parent and live with, work alongside and care for teenagers, that we are hope filled people and we show our teenagers how to live a life filled with optimism and joy. 

It has been a busy start to our new school year with events such as the Year 7 Meet and Greet Evening, Student Leaders College Theme Launch, High Achievers Assembly and the commissioning of our Student Leaders in Years 8 to 11. Please enjoy reading about these events in this newsletter.

Year 7 Meet and Greet Evening

We thoroughly enjoyed meeting our new families at our  Year 7 Meet and Greet evening. Thank you to St Ursula’s Parent Association representatives – Marisa Corniola, Peter Shori, Deborah Cheung, and Sabean Chalhoub for setting up and cooking the BBQ for our families. This allowed our new families to meet and get to know each other before heading off to meet their daughter’s Pastoral Care teachers.

College Theme Launch

Congratulations to our student leaders on their successful theme launch. The theme for 2025 is “Together We Rise”. Here are some excerpts from the assembly that was led by our talented and inspiring student leaders:

‘Our digital symbol depicts a backpack, representative of the personal challenges, responsibilities, talents, and knowledge we each carry with us on a daily basis. …. the mountain reminds us that although the destination may seem far, the journey is rewarding. When we unite, we not only help each other through this journey up the mountain, but we help carry each other’s backpacks. We don’t have to know what everyone else is carrying, but by rising together the journey becomes easier.

Our theme emphasises that the journey isn’t about the final destination or reaching the peak alone, but about climbing together, facing setbacks with resilience. As we rise, we carry forward the legacies of those who came before us, and we carve the path for those who will follow. Every flag we raise, every milestone we achieve, is a reminder that no journey is made alone. Let this year be a testament to how when we rise together, we create a future that is brighter and full of hope. Together, we build a foundation for those who will continue to climb, and in doing so, we shape a Urshies sisterhood where everyone can rise to their fullest potential.’

High Achievers Assembly

On 12 February we celebrated our annual High Achievers Assembly and the outstanding success of the Class of 2024 in both the International Baccalaureate (IB) and Higher School Certificate (HSC). It was a delight to have so many family members and friends join us to celebrate the wonderful achievements of our high achievers. 

Our College’s 2024 HSC and very first IB results were of a very high standard and the students displayed excellent learning growth. Our students achieved results of which they and their families, and their school, can be very proud. You will find a separate article later in this newsletter however I wanted to share excerpts from the speeches given by IB College Dux, Annabelle Johnson and HSC College Dux Daniella Haklane, which they kindly agreed to share with us.

“Estoy muy agradecido por la oportunidad para hablar de mis experiencias frente a la comunidad”. It’s still so surreal that after the past 2 years I can now speak another language and am off to university next week. But more than that, it’s the greatest honour to be standing before you as a member of St Ursula’s first ever cohort of International Baccalaureate Diploma students and the first IB dux in our school’s history. Today I represent my little IB cohort of 7 girls who were strong enough and daring enough to take a leap of faith and do the IB.

When I sat in my first high achievers assembly in Yr 7, it became a longstanding dream of mine to be one of the girls up on this stage. But never could I have imagined that I would be standing here as a graduate of the IB, something I didn’t even know existed. 

When this opportunity came up in Yr 10, it wasn’t an easy decision to make. I’ve been asked more times than I can count why I picked the IB over the HSC? Why take that risk? And when it comes down to it the answer is simple – the IB made me excited. Excited that I would be a pioneer at our school; that the classes would stretch my brain and hold my interest; and that I would be a part of something on a global scale. The IB content being comparable to first year uni and the idea of small classes helped confirm my decision.  

The IB has been all of those things and more. In Theory of Knowledge I was challenged to consider “how we know what we know”, I learnt another language, read books from around the world in literature, and considered other cultures, other perspectives. My internal assessments, which are large research projects worth 20% of our final mark, taught me how to think outside the box and undertake academic research. And still today, one of my proudest achievements was finishing my 4000 word extended essay about the American legal system’s impact during the civil rights movement. During my IB years, I had more than ever, felt that I was an actual participant in my own learning journey. The International Baccalaureate was right, for me.
Annabelle Johnson

My family and my teachers taught me the importance of having a strong support system of people who believe in you, encourage you and inspire in you the confidence to keep going, even in moments of self-doubt and worry. I encourage you all to lean on those who support you when your confidence wavers, and just as importantly, be that support for others. Lift each other up, celebrate each other’s successes, and help build a community where everyone feels empowered to do their best.

While the support of my teachers and family gave me strength, I also found that there were moments when I needed something even greater to lean on. 

So the second lesson I learnt this year, more than ever, is the importance of trusting in God. Whenever I felt overwhelmed, turning to Him gave me the strength to slow down, regain my confidence, and keep moving forward. A passage that deeply resonated with me during this time was Proverbs 3:5-6: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight.” This verse is a strong encouragement to do our best, place our trust in God, and let Him guide the way. When you struggle to find confidence in yourself, have confidence in the Lord—He will lift you up.
Daniella Haklane

St Ursula’s Parent Association (SUPA)

I am pleased to introduce to our new parents and carers the St Ursula’s Parent Association (SUPA), established in 2024 to foster strong connections between the College and our parent community. 

Our first meeting for 2025 is on Thursday 27 February at 6:00 pm at the College. All parents are invited to come along and find out more. We will be seeking two to three Year 7 parents to join SUPA as Year group representatives. SUPA is a wonderful opportunity to connect with fellow parents and the College Leadership Team, and contribute to the College community.

Please make sure you read the newsletter article on our Insieme Service Program. It highlights the extensive opportunities our students have to demonstrate service within and outside our College community.

I look forward to seeing parents at our College Opening Mass on Tuesday 25 February, 10:00 am at St Mary’s Cathedral. The mass will also be live-streamed, and a link will be sent to all families for those who are unable to join us.

Vivienne Awad
Principal