Principal’s Message

Month of Remembrance

The Catholic church has a beautiful tradition of inviting us to remember our family, friends and loved ones who have died, especially those who have passed in the last twelve months. This tradition, or Month of Remembrance, starts on 1 November with All Saints Day and is followed by All Souls Day on 2 November, where we remember and pray for the dead. 

On a personal note, my sister passed away on 21 November 2015. She was 63 years young and enjoying life, especially being a grandmother. Her cancer went undetected in its early phases and then spread rapidly. Fortunately, she was able to leave the hospital and come home, where she passed away surrounded by her two daughters, her son and her husband. I missed her by minutes as I had to travel to Canberra where she had made her home.

There is not a day when I don’t remember her. Her remembrance card is on my desk at work, her photo on my piano at home and I know with absolute certainty where she is right now. She is in Heaven, in peace, out of pain, out of discomfort, out of sadness, out of grief, and she is with our God who embraces her with love and gentleness. She is there with my dad who passed away in January of the same year and whose passing prompted my application to be Principal at St Ursula’s. 

I don’t share this with you so that you can feel sorry for me because, the reality is, we all feel or will feel the loss of a loved one in our lifetime. I share this with you today to highlight our common unity as humans who are able to empathise with and support each other, especially in times of loss and grief. I do this to remind each of us to remember that we are all sisters and brothers in one common humanity. Those whom we love are never forgotten, they live on in our hearts and in our minds and we will always love them. We will always remember them.

It is a beautiful tradition of the Catholic Church to include the names of those whom we have lost in a special book of remembrance and I invite you to remember your loved ones and include them in this online Book of Remembrance.

Eternal rest grant unto them O Lord and may perpetual light shine upon them

May they rest in eternal peace with You.

Amen. 

Year 12 students make our College proud

Our  Year 12  students looked resplendent as they arrived for their formal event on Tuesday. Despite some of them teetering on their very, very high heels, they laughed and danced and photographed the night away. 

For me, the most memorable part of the evening was that as they departed, each one of them thanked either Ms Sukkar or Ms Melas or one of the many teachers in attendance for organising the event for them. I am told by my newest members of staff that this has not been their experience in previous schools. This form of genuine gratitude is a hallmark of St Ursula’s students who regularly thank their teachers after lessons and the like. 

Our Year 12 students now await their HSC results which will be available on 15 December. Some girls have already begun part-time employment while others are enjoying a well-earned holiday.

More action from around the school

As I write this, our Year 7 students are enjoying their three-day camp under the watchful leadership of Ms Di Mattia, Year 7 Coordinator, and 11 other staff members. I am very grateful for the generosity of these teachers for giving up their own family time to be with your daughters to create a wonderful memory of their secondary school life. 

All in all, another busy term is well and truly underway:

• reports are being prepared;
• first HSC assessment tasks are being marked for the HSC class of 2023;
• the Year 10 transition program was announced this week;
• and of course, great teaching and learning is happening in every class. 

God bless each of you and your loved ones in the coming week and always. 

Mary Leask 
Principal 

Important dates from the Assistant Principal

As we are quickly moving toward the end of the year, I thought it timely to remind you of some key events coming up in the next few weeks.

Upcoming events

While these events signal that the school year is winding up, I want to assure you that classes are continuing as usual. Students are still very much engaged in their learning and are involved in many activities to deepen their understanding of content. Therefore it is important that students are at school each day until the end of term.

Many thanks in advance for your support of these activities.

Janet Cairncross
Assistant Principal

Feast of Christ the King

This Sunday’s readings bring to an end the yearly liturgical cycle and conclude with the great festival honouring Christ as King. This is quite a recent Feast Day, inaugurated in 1925 by Pope Pius XI. At this time in global history, the Great War was over but, in Europe, there were signs that peace was an illusion. The Feast Day was to be a reminder that, though world powers may fail, there is a power for peace within the world that will not fail. The reign of Christ has been established, and the values of peace and justice are possible for those who seek this reign of God.

While the world seeks power through pomp and display, Jesus displays the power of God’s reign on a Cross. The values of this world, which led to the horrors of Gallipoli, Hiroshima, Cambodia, Ukraine and more, need to be turned upside down for true peace to prevail. Wars begin with greed and selfishness, whether played out on a world scale or within a family home. Peace begins where there is generosity, forgiveness and concern about others. This is the “Kingdom” that Jesus came to offer and the power that we celebrate at Sunday’s Feast.

“Today you will be with me in paradise”

The cycle of Luke’s Gospel comes to a fitting end with the image of the crucified Saviour offering life in God’s gracious love to a dying criminal. Heaven is open for those who desire to live in God.

The Gospel of Luke is underlined by a message of hope for those who are afflicted, outcast and poor. In this Gospel, the message and ministry of Jesus are directed specifically to these lowly ones. The significance of the role played by the poor is highlighted by the framing of the whole narrative in this Gospel: the birth of Jesus is celebrated by shepherds and His death is accompanied by criminals. Shepherds and criminals – two classes of people on the absolute fringe of society, not dignitaries or wise men from afar – are witness to the birth and death of Jesus.

In response to the criminal’s faith, Jesus assures him, “Today you will be with me in paradise.” There is a certainty and immediacy about the response. Jesus does not tell him that some time in the future he will be rewarded for his faith. No, it is today that the criminal will join Jesus in paradise! It is an expression of the welcome and inclusion that Jesus has extended to the outsider which was undervalued throughout His ministry. It is a clear indication that the Kingdom of God that Jesus has worked to bring about is a kingdom of inclusion and welcome.

“Today you will be with me in Paradise.” These are the words that we all long to hear, words that are empty when coming from one who has no authority, but charged with power when spoken by the one who is King over us all.

As the liturgical year of Luke comes to an end, and Christ is proclaimed the universal King, may the Good News of Luke touch our hearts bringing life, joy and peace. God bless!

Prayer for the week

O Jesus Christ, we acknowledge you as universal King.
All that has been made has been created for You. 
You have shown us the way to you through service to one another.
May we see you in the broken lives as well as the breaking of bread.
Guide us in the paths of justice, mercy and peace. 
Help us to build your Kingdom.
For you live and reign with God the Father,
In the unity of the Holy Spirit,
One God, for ever and ever.

AMEN

Julie Monk
Religious Education Coordinator

Girls step into an IB student’s shoes!

The following report was written by Year 10 students, Annabelle Johnson and Natalie Petrykowycz.

On Monday 31 October 2022, eight Year 10 students embarked on a trip to our national capital, excited at the prospect of experiencing what school is like for girls doing the International Baccalaureate Diploma at Merici College, Canberra. This enlightening experience was organised to assist St Ursula’s students in making our final decision about our senior study pathway: the IB or the HSC. It was integral to allowing us to make an informed decision about our futures. 

At 6:00am, we met in the cold outside our school, got on the mini bus and began the three hour trip to Canberra, where we had a short stop at McDonald’s which gave us momentum and kept our spirits high. After the long bus trip, we finally arrived at Merici College where we were warmly welcomed by the girls undertaking the IB Diploma Programme. The best thing about this trip was that we had the opportunity to experience first-hand what it is like to do the IB on a daily basis. We were given the chance to follow the girls to all their daily classes and see how the IB changed their learning and their lives. Not only that, but we could ask any questions we wanted to! 

During our time at Merici College, we attended World Religions, HL Literature, Theory of Knowledge, HL Chemistry, and went to a community assembly. Although the assembly may seem the least important, it really opened our eyes to seeing life as an IB student, and established the idea that being an IB student doesn’t mean being separated from your school community. Seeing some of these girls inducted as senior leaders helped us feel comfort in knowing that we could still be important and active members of our school community and maintain a sense of belonging despite the different classroom curriculum. 

Attending Merici College gave us an insight into what it’s really like to be doing the International Baccalaureate Diploma in Years 11 and 12: both the ups and the downs. After this, we felt that we could make an informed decision about our own pathways using first-hand experience and the experiences of other girls who have already begun this journey. It was great to see how the Merici College students maintained the relationships they had with other students in their grade and to get a glimpse of the diverse content and critical thinking skills that we will be learning next year. Not only that, but this excursion allowed us the time to bond with our own peers who were possible candidates for the IB Diploma and develop relationships which will help us to excel and enjoy the IB next year.

We appreciate this opportunity and the hard work that went into organising the trip and we look forward to being a part of the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme at St Ursula’s next year.

Year 11 students recognised at awards ceremony

On Monday 14 November 2022, we were very proud to acknowledge our hardworking students in Year 11 at a special Awards Assembly.

Please click on the following link to view all our Year 11 award recipients.

College marks Remembrance Day 

On Friday 11 November 2022, our College commemorated Remembrance Day, marking the 104th anniversary of the end of World War I.

A short history of Remembrance Day

The eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month attained a special significance in the post-war years. This was the moment hostilities ceased on the Western Front and became universally associated with the remembrance of those who had died in the war. This first modern world conflict had brought about the mobilisation of over 70 million people and left between nine and 13 million dead, perhaps as many as one-third of them with no known grave. The allied nations chose this day and time for the commemoration of their war dead.

Since World War I, Australians have been called on many times to serve in wars, conflicts, and peacekeeping and humanitarian operations. Almost two million men and women have worn with pride the uniforms of the Royal Australian Navy, Australian Army and Royal Australian Air Force. Tragically, over 103,000 names are listed on the Roll of Honour at the Australian War Memorial. Those listed were members of the Australian armed forces who died during or shortly afterwards (as a result of war service) in World War I, World War II and post-1945 conflicts, warlike service, non-warlike service and certain peacetime operations. Remembrance Day is a time for Australians to unite in solemn respect and remembrance for all those who served and died.

Working for peace

This year marks the seventy-fifth anniversary of Australia’s involvement in global peacekeeping operations. In 1947, four Australian military officers were deployed to the Netherlands East Indies (present-day Indonesia) as part of a multinational peacekeeping force. They were the first peacekeepers to go into the field. In the 75 years since that operation, tens of thousands of Australians have served on scores of peacekeeping missions around the world. Most have been military personnel, but peacekeeping also involves police and civilians. At our commemoration, we watched a short video biography on Major General Cheryl Pearce, a distinguished soldier who has served in two major peacekeeping operations. This video tells the story of Major General Pearce’s service as a peacekeeper in East Timor and Cyprus. She is only the second woman in United Nations peacekeeping history to hold the position of Force Commander of the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus. She was also part of the first all-female leadership team in UN peacekeeping history. Major General Pearce has received the Conspicuous Service Cross for her achievements. 

I would like to extend a special thanks to the students in the Year 9 Elective History class who supported and led our service. 

Lara Grimm
Assistant HSIE Coordinator

Year 10 Visual Arts and Photography exhibition

Year 10 Visual Arts and Photography students have exhibited their artworks and photographs in Le Grezze Gallery. These works were part of their final assessment tasks and the girls displayed them in a group exhibition for marking. We then opened the gallery for students in Years 7-11 to visit during recess and lunch, to celebrate and recognise the amazing work of their peers. The exhibition was well-attended over two days.

Year 10 Visual Arts students created artworks as part of the unit “Art Can Change the World”, which looked at artists who create artworks which conceptually have a political, cultural or social focus. Artists studied included Chinese dissident artist Ai Weiwei, Australian artist eX de Medici and artists who examine the role of women in society including Barbara Kruger and the Guerrilla Girls. Students were then tasked with creating their own postmodern or cultural artworks, focusing on a political, cultural or social issue of their choice. Students could choose their own materials and subject matter in creating this body of work. The task was an excellent taster for students looking to study HSC Visual Arts. 

Year 10 Photography and Digital Media students created a portfolio of works focusing on the topic of light. They learnt how to use darkroom photography and continued to master the use of the DSLR camera, with digital manipulation and editing. Students explored a broad range of subject matter in their work and created a portfolio of photographic prints which they displayed as part of the exhibition. They had been studying the work of former St Ursula’s student and Oscar-winning artist and filmmaker, Lynette Wallworth. 

Well done to all Year 10 Visual Arts and Photography students, your work was of an exceptional standard!

Gemma Baldwin
CAPA Coordinator

Mia Topen nominated for ARTEXPRESS

Year 12 Visual Arts student Mia Topen is the latest St Ursula’s student to be recognised for the exceptional standard of her HSC major work. Mia has been nominated for consideration in ARTEXPRESS, as part of the HSC Showcase season in 2023. Mia’s artwork, a time-based video titled “DJARABA EPOCH (Epoch of The White Man)” explores the effects of British colonialism and imperialism on First Nations people. The video incorporated a powerful soundtrack, dance, layered and historic imagery and a strong use of symbolism. 

ARTEXPRESS is an annual series of exhibitions of exemplary artworks created by New South Wales Visual Arts students for the Higher School Certificate examination. Nominated works are those that have been identified through a rigorous examination process as excellent examples of students’ investigations of artmaking practice. The ARTEXPRESS exhibitions are curated from this pool of works. We eagerly await to hear whether Mia’s work is chosen to be exhibited as part of ARTEXPRESS. Congratulations to Mia and her Visual Arts teacher, Mrs Mary Hayman.

Gemma Baldwin
CAPA Coordinator

Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award

We would like to acknowledge the following students who have undertaken the Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award. To achieve an Award, each person must learn a skill, improve their physical wellbeing, volunteer in their community and experience a team adventure in a new environment.

Congratulations to Emilia Dann and Kira Bourke, who each earned a Bronze Award, and Alanna Lim, who earned a Gold Award.

Jaclyn Mott
Sports Coordinator

Thursday Sport results

Tara Jose selected to the U15 NSW Cricket Team

I’m proud announce that Tara Jose has been selected for the U15 NSW Cricket Team. She has played representative cricket for two years and selectors have witnessed her talent first-hand on the field. Tara played a number of trial games during the holidays and was recently advised that she had been selected for the prestigious state team. Tara has been chosen as a medium-pace allrounder and will be coached by Australian cricket player Lauren Cheatle. Tara will be playing 10 games in total and her championship starts at Drummoyne Cricket Oval with a match against Tasmania.

Tara, our school community congratulates you on your selection and sends you best wishes for the competition.

Jaclyn Mott
Sports Coordinator

Melissa successful at Bocce Championships in France and Monaco

Melissa Danelutti has had great success representing Australia in bocce competitions overseas.

A huge congratulations on your international success, Melissa.

Jaclyn Mott
Sports Coordinator

Back-to-school uniform sales

Taleb School Uniform Shop has requested parents and students make an appointment to attend the store in order avoid congestion and to enable staff to provide a high standard of service to every customer. 

The Shop will be open by appointment only from Saturday 26 November 2022 to Sunday 4 February 2023. 

Please make an appointment using the booking calendar at schooluniformshop.com.au.

Customers can also choose to order online at schooluniformshop.com.au.

Pick-up and delivery options are available for online orders. Appointments are not required to pick up online orders. For delivery to your home, select the delivery option and input your home address.

Online orders can also be delivered, free of charge, to the College every Wednesday during term time. To take advantage of this service, select pick-up and put the school’s address in the shipping field.

MyStrengths Parenting package

Members of the St Ursula’s community have been granted full access to the MyStrengths Parenting package. This package provides short parenting courses, workshops and resources which offer simple, practical guidance, drawing on a strengths-based approach to parenting.

The resources are online and free when accessed using this link: https://stursulas.mystrengths.com.au. Simply click the button that says “Access this course today” and create your own login.

We encourage you to explore the support the site offers.

Anne Sukkar
Leader of Wellbeing

Our Lady Of Fatima November Program

Our Lady of Fatima Advent Retreat