Principal’s Message

Welcome to our latest newsletter. 

The Australian Catholic Bishops Justice Statement was published this month titled, Living the Gospel in Times of Division. Launching this document, Townsville Bishop Tim Harris encouraged Australians to respond to hatred and division in society with “kindness, friendship and a listening ear”. 

Taken from page 3 of the statement, practical ways to guide us on how we are called to live the Gospel in these times are offered.

First, by remaining close to Christ in prayer and the sacraments, allowing the Lord to convert our hearts before we seek to change the world.

Second, by practising a “culture of encounter”: listening before reacting, seeking to understand the fears and hopes of others and choosing relationships over caricature.

Third, by exercising restraint in what we say – especially online – rejecting gossip, slander, dehumanising labels and the sharing of unverified claims. Christians must be known as people who speak truthfully, argue respectfully and never delight in humiliation.

Fourth, by concrete acts of compassion and justice: standing with those targeted because of their faith or background, supporting families under economic pressure, welcoming migrants and refugees and working for the common good through parish, school and community initiatives.

This statement invites us to see our current social climate as an opportunity to witness to the Gospel.We offer Jesus and the hope born of his death and resurrection. When we choose forgiveness over enmity, hospitality over isolation and solidarity over vilification, we help to create the conditions in which a more peaceful society can prosper.

As a Catholic and Ursuline community, our prayer and liturgical life, our College motto of Serviam together with values of accept, respect, act, unite and empower are our ways of teaching our students how to live the Gospel with a focus on companionship, kindness and friendship. This statement is a great resource and I have provided a link to this document and encourage you to read through it. It is a timely message for us all. 

2027 NSW Premiers Teaching Scholarships

On Wednesday 12 August, our talented mathematics teacher Jessica Magee was awarded the prestigious Premier’s University of Sydney Mathematics Scholarship at a ceremony in Parliament House. This will allow Jessica to travel and visit schools and universities both in Australia and abroad as she researches problem solving approaches that will best engage girls in mathematics. We are very proud of Jessica and we know that her research will benefit herself as an educator, her peers and most importantly our students.

World Youth Day (WYD) 2027 

Students in Years 9 and 10 have been invited to apply for WYD which will take place in Seoul. This is a wonderful opportunity that brings young people from around the world to gather together for a faith filled experience that culminates in mass with Pope Leo.

Global Impact Summit

On August 5, Mrs Moroney and I travelled with a group of students to the Global Impact Summit held at the State Theatre. This was an opportunity for students to listen to leaders in the field of business, philanthropy, social enterprise, technology and culture. They gained exposure to real-world thinking, future focused leadership and an experience of Serviam beyond our school gates.

Two students reflect on on the Global Impact Summit and share their experiences in this edition of the newsletter.

Father-Daughter Bowling Night

Our St Ursula Parent Association (SUPA) has organised a Father – Daughter Bowling Night.The event will be held at 6.00pm on Thursday 17 September 2026 at Manhattan Superbowl, Mascot. This is a hugely popular annual event that I look forward to. The cost is $35 per person, which includes one game, shoe hire, pizza, hot chips and a soft drink. Tickets can be purchased here: https://www.trybooking.com/1634398

St Ursula Youth and Family Mass Sunday

Finally a reminder our college Youth and Family Mass is this Sunday at 5pm at Our Lady of Fatima Church Kingsgrove.

Warm Regards,

Vivienne Awad
Principal

Gospel Reflection

The Gospel this Sunday brings us into a moment of surprising tension: a Canaanite woman cries out for help and Jesus at first seems silent even dismissive, yet she persists. She refuses to believe that God’s mercy could ever be limited to certain people or certain boundaries. Her boldness becomes an act of faith so strong that Jesus stops, listens and responds: “Woman, great is your faith.”

This encounter reveals something essential about God’s heart. Isaiah tells us that God’s house is “a house of prayer for all peoples” and Paul reminds us that God’s mercy is “for all.”  The Canaanite woman shows us what this looks like in real life. God’s love breaks through human borders, cultural divisions and assumptions about who is “worthy.” Her faith is not polished or perfect, it is desperate, courageous and honest, and Jesus meets her there.

For us, this Gospel asks a simple but challenging question, Do we believe God’s mercy is truly for everyone? Not just for those who look like us, think like us, or live like us, but for the outsider, the overlooked, the persistent voice calling out for compassion. The woman’s faith reminds us that sometimes the people we least expect become our greatest teachers in trust, humility and hope.

May we be people who never limit God’s mercy and who, like the Canaanite woman, keep calling out to Jesus with confidence that He hears us.

Our Ursuline Connections

This week, I was shared the remarkable story of Sister Elisabeth Ansart. Ursuline Sister Elisabeth Ansart, a French Ursuline travelled to Calais, she stepped into one of the most complex humanitarian frontiers in Europe. Calais is a place where thousands of migrants gather, hoping to cross the narrow stretch of water that separates France from the United Kingdom. For many, it represents both the final step toward safety and a painful reminder of how difficult that step can be. In this challenging environment, Sister Elisabeth offered what she describes as “simple acts of dignity”, presence, listening and compassion.

During her ten days in Calais, Sister Elisabeth worked alongside volunteers who provided essential services, including hot drinks, clean clothing, showers, phone charging stations and safe spaces for rest. Yet her most significant work happened in the quiet conversations and human encounters that unfolded each day. She met young men fleeing conflict in Sudan, mothers from Somalia and Eritrea, and teenagers travelling alone. Their stories revealed the harsh reality of life in Calais; camps dismantled overnight, belongings taken, constant police pressure, and dangerous attempts to cross the Channel.

What struck Sister Elisabeth most was the resilience of the people she met. Despite fear and uncertainty, they held onto hope. She saw how volunteers, religious and non‑religious, lived the Gospel through solidarity, kindness and a refusal to look away from suffering. Her time in Calais reminded her that God is found not only in churches and classrooms but also in the peripheries where people struggle, dream and endure.

For our College community, Sister Elisabeth’s witness is a powerful reminder of the Ursuline tradition we inherit. Her courage was not dramatic, it was steady, compassionate and grounded in the belief that every person is worthy of dignity. In a world that often labels migrants as problems, she chose instead to see their faces, their stories, and their humanity.

Sister Elisabeth’s experience invites us to reflect on how we too can respond to the needs of others with presence, with kindness, and with the conviction that hope can grow even in difficult places.

Sister Elisabeth’s witness in Calais also echoes the heart of our College’s long‑standing relationship with the Sisters in Cambodia. Just as she offered dignity and presence to displaced people on the northern coast of France, our community continues to support the Cambodian ministries that accompany families facing poverty, instability, and displacement. The same Ursuline spirit that animates the work in Calais — compassion, solidarity, and a commitment to seeing Christ in those on the margins — is the foundation of our partnership with the communities in Cambodia. Her experience reminds us that whether in Calais or Cambodia, the call is the same: to stand with those who are vulnerable and to respond with courage, tenderness, and hope.

As a community, we gather on St Ursula’s Day to reflect and celebrate the courage of St Ursula and the way she stood up for what she believed in, even when the world expected something different. St Ursula shows us that faith can inspire ordinary people to do extraordinary things. We are encouraging every student to make a $20 donation which will directly support the work of the Ursuline sisters in Cambodia. The link you need is here.

Antoinette Nader
Religious Education Coordinator

Youth Ministry

Evangelisation Day

On Wednesday 12th August, students in Years 7, 8 and 9 attended an Evangelisation Day. Here is a student reflection on the event:

As a group of 32 students, we attended an Evangelisation Day at Mount Saint Joseph, joining Years 7,8 and 9 students, across Sydney Catholic Schools, for a day of prayer, music and faith. We began our day with uplifting songs, prayer and a special performance by John Burland, before taking part in a session that encouraged us to deepen our relationship with God. We also learnt about World Youth Day and were inspired by the life of St Carlo Acutis, the patron saint of youth and the internet, who showed us how to be modern day saints through our everyday actions.

The day concluded with Adoration of the holy sacrament, providing an opportunity to reflect on the day’s events. It was a meaningful experience that helped us grow our faith, feel God’s presence, and encouraged us to continue living out our Catholic values everyday. 

Grace F
Year 9 student

Mary Said Yes… What About You?

August is a special month for reflecting on Mary, the mother of Jesus, and reflecting on the ways she trusted God throughout her life. Mary was young when she was asked to trust God with a future she could not fully understand, yet she responded with courage, faith and an openness to something bigger than herself. Her story reminds teenagers that having questions, feeling uncertain and not always knowing what comes next does not mean a person lacks faith or purpose. Mary reminds us that faith is not about having everything figured out; it is about having the courage to trust, to listen and to take the next step. Where might God be inviting you to say “yes” in your own life, is there something you are being called to do that requires courage, kindness or trust? Like Mary, perhaps your greatest moments can begin with a simple “yes.”

Nicole Katacos
Youth Ministry Coordinator

Semester 1 Awards 2026

Please click here to view our Semester 1 Award recipients.

Premier’s University of Sydney Mathematics Scholarship

Congratulations to Mathematics teacher, Jessica Magee, who was awarded the Premier’s University of Sydney Mathematics Scholarship at NSW Parliament House last week.

I am excited to share that I have been awarded the Premier’s University of Sydney Mathematics Scholarship, providing an opportunity to undertake an international study tour focused on an area of mathematics education. 

I am passionate about helping our students see mathematics as more than formulas and procedures. My study will explore how different educational systems teach students to approach unfamiliar problems, think critically, and persevere when there is no obvious solution. I am particularly interested in how these approaches can build girls’ confidence and engagement in mathematics and encourage them to pursue university study in STEM careers.

Throughout April next year, I will be visiting schools, universities and educational organisations in Asia, to observe classrooms, speak with educators and explore different approaches to problem solving.

Receiving this award at NSW Parliament House alongside my Mum, our principal Vivienne Awad, and fellow educators was truly special. I am grateful to represent St Ursula’s College in my professional journey and look forward to sharing these strategies with our Mathematics faculty to support our students.

Jessica Magee
Mathematics Teacher

Introducing 2026/2027 Student Leaders

This week we were pleased to announce the newly elected Senior Student Leadership Team (SSLT) who will be formally commissoned later this term.

Congratulations to the following students on their new roles:

Book Week 2026 – A Symphony of Stories

Library staff have once again organised a fun-filled week celebrating Book Week. The theme,  ‘A Symphony of Stories’ allowed us to delve into the great adaptations of books to film and TV in our competitions and displays.

Students used clues to match teachers to their favourite book to film adaptation. They also designed movie posters for their favourite books, created collaborative word poems and guessed the secret ‘book in a bottle’. The week’s bells were a collection of movie themes and students matched each clip to its movie and during Thursday at lunchtime they tested their knowledge of books to film in a Kahoot.

On Friday we hosted Felicity Castagna, author of Young Adult books ‘Girls in boys cars, and ‘The incredible here and now’. She has also written for stage and screen, and created a range of collaborative pieces for festivals. She shared her insights with Year 10 students and ran a workshop with our Book Club members. We are so fortunate to have such an accomplished local author spend time with us and to help us celebrate our love of books and reading.

Today was also our annual dress-up day where staff and students came to school as a book or film character. It was great to see the creativity of so many students, especially those that came to the library at lunchtime to show off their costumes and go in the raffle to win a new book. While the school was overrun by close to 90 dalmatians under the close eye of Cruella, I’m pleased that all dalmatians remained safe!

Elizabeth Lansdown
Resource & Information Coordinator

NAIDOC Week

NAIDOC week at St Ursula’s was a great opportunity for all students to learn more about Aboriginal and Torres Strait cultures, histories and languages and celebrate all they have contributed to Australian society.

As they entered the front gate, a welcoming group of twenty students and teachers offered each student a bracelet made of red, yellow and black yarn and Aboriginal elder Aunty Emma Peel and her daughter, Coral Peel, greeted them with ‘yaama’ and gave them the opportunity to have ochre painted on the back of their hand. The 1100 bracelets were made over the course of last term by 75 volunteers. That day Aunty Emma spoke to Year 11 Studies of Religion students about her life and Aboriginal ways of living. She was also on hand at lunchtime guiding students in Aboriginal art symbols and skills for the artwork they were designing on wooden discs.

On Wednesday, every student had the chance to sample native jams of rosella, finger lime and quangdong flavour on pancakes cooked from your generous donations. On Thursday, students lined up for the chance to win an AFL ball by passing our home made possum skin ball through the NAIDOC back board showing skills of marngrook – the traditional Aboriginal version of AFL.

To cap off a tremendous week, on Friday students could try their luck at a kahoot quiz and watch a group of Year 7 students perform an Aboriginal dance in the piazza. They were also interviewed by College Co Captain, Olivia Holt, who made sure all the important movements were explained. Olivia added a Dreaming story she had researched to give everyone a taste of the wide range of roles played by people, plants and animals in living gently on this great land. 

Many thanks to all the student and staff volunteers who made these activities possible and of course to all the students who came with open hearts to learn and enjoy why NAIDOC is Fifty Years Deadly!

Karen Horder
Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Student Support Teacher

Beauty & the Beast – Introducing the cast

Charlotte D will be playing Belle as the lead in this production. As a Year 11 Music and Drama student Charlotte will combine exceptional singing ability with dance training and acting skill to bring this role to life. Charlotte has also been pursuing her interest in Musical Theatre outside the College by attending holiday workshops at NIDA.

Harry D from Marist Kogarah will be joining us as the Young Prince/Beast and brings with him recent musical theatre experience, having starred already this year, as Aladdin in Strathfield Musical Society’s production of Aladdin Jr and as Archie in 13 The Musical with Regals Musical Society.

William L has taken on the villainous role of Gaston with good humour and he is supported by Charlize M in the role of Gaston’s sidekick, Lefou. Gaston’s Fan Club Les will be played by Soraya A, Mia Fi, Stella S, Gia P and Isabel C. 

Rounding out the lead cast adding pure artistry to the role of Belle’s father Maurice will be Laura M, the Narrator will be played by Jennifer A and Jacinta S leads the mob in ensemble moments as Monsieur Darque.

The Castle will come to life with beautiful harmonies of Milla Cas Madame de la Grande Bouche, Catherine Sas Mrs Potts, Audrey Cas Chip, supported by Isabelle A as Lumiere, Gabriella S as Cogsworth, and Ereana P as Babette.

An Ensemble playing multiple roles from Bookseller to Laundry Lady involves the following students; 

Lucia C, Chrystalla K, Sophie S, Susannah J, Harriet C, Jiya T, Simran N, Ruby F, Jasmine J, Estelle C, Maria-Ella O, Lilie G, Lily-Rose A, Lucia N, Scarlett W, Ella R and Harrison M who joins us from Marist Catholic College Kogarah for this production.

A Dance Ensemble has been created to round out the movement direction in some key moments, scenes, and songs throughout the show. Bringing their dance skills to the stage for this production are Emily B, Alicia B, Artemis C, Victoria G, Georgia G, Mikah H, Charlotte J, Cadence L, Olive M, Amirah M, Charlotte S and Charlotte S.

The show will be produced by our CAPA Department with Ms Gemma Baldwin as Producer/ Production Design, Ms Che Walsh-Kemp as Director, with Vocal & Technical Direction by Ms Stephanie Josifovski and Musical Direction by Ms Sarah Olsen and Ms Danielle Buiaroski. Joining the team for this show is Max Walburn, as the Choreographer.

Che Walsh-Kemp
Drama Teacher

Global Impact Summit

Aisha and Yvonne reflect on their experience at the Global Impact Summit.

Attending the Global Impact Summit conference was truly an eye opening and inspiring experience. We listened to a range of passionate speakers who shared their journeys, ideas, and solutions to some of the world’s most significant challenges.

One of the most valuable takeaways from the summit was gaining an understanding of the importance of collaboration and innovation when driving positive change. The day encouraged us to think of ideas about how we, as individuals, can create even the slightest impact within our communities. Whether this is through equity, health, education, or sustainability, the conference reinforced the idea that even small actions can have a lasting impact.

Overall, this experience broadened my knowledge of global issues and strengthened my understanding of how leadership is about serving others and taking opportunities that make a difference.

Aisha C
Year 10

An incredibly inspiring experience. We heard from several sharp minds, all different ages, from different places, with unique ideas, shared in an engaging story-telling way. The theme for the summit was “For the Love of…” and we heard many insightful speeches. Because the prompt let speakers fill in the blank, each and every guest had something unique to say; from mental health and equality, to stewardship and caring for the environment, we practically heard it all.

One of my favourite speakers was Daniel Flynn’s “For the Love of Humanity”, who used a perfect blend of comedy and impactful storytelling to deliver an incredibly strong start to the day. He set the atmosphere very well!

And as if the first few speakers weren’t motivating enough, we had the absolute pleasure of hearing from four high school students, in the section “A world I see.” It was so moving to hear visions from other young people with unbelievable amounts of passion and dedication!

I am honoured to have been a part of such an incredible event– I am hoping that the Global Impact Summit comes back again next year and that St Ursula’s can bring back even more ideas and initiatives for the College!

Yvonne P
Year 11

Olivia’s Artwork

Year 12 student Olivia R has spent the past several years (2022–2025) courageously undergoing treatment in the Oncology Department at The Sydney Children’s Hospital, Randwick, where she received Beads of Courage – each one symbolising a moment of strength and perseverance. The program honours the strength and resilience of young people facing serious illness. This year, Olivia and Mrs Markas collaborated on a special art project that transformed these beads into a meaningful mural. Together, they spent many hours thoughtfully arranging and threading each bead, creating an artwork that celebrates her courage. The finished artwork stands as a heartfelt tribute to Olivia’s journey and a beautiful reminder of the compassion, creativity, and connection that enrich our school community.

Joanna Markas
Visual Arts Teacher

SCS Conference 3 Athletics

Amelia’s Volleyball Success

Amelia (Year 9) recently represented NSW in Volleyball. This was Amelia’s second year representing NSW and her team took home the silver medal, narrowly missing out on the gold to Victoria. We congratulate Amelia on this fantastic achievement!

This year was quite different from my first year representing NSW All Schools. One of the biggest differences was that I played a different position, which gave me the opportunity to develop different skills and take on a new role within the team. I also had different teammates this year, creating a new team environment and experience for me. Last year, the competition was held in Adelaide, while this year we travelled to Melbourne, making both years unique experiences.

During the competition, we played seven games and finished second overall. One of the biggest highlights was beating Queensland 3–0 twice. Queensland was one of the strongest teams in the competition, so winning both games was a really exciting achievement for our team. 

Looking ahead, my goal is to continue developing as a player and work towards making the Australian U16 team for the Asian Championship. In the long term, I hope to one day represent Australia at the senior level and make the Australian women’s volleyball team. Representing NSW for the second year has given me valuable experience and motivated me to keep working hard towards my goals. I’m really grateful for the opportunity and for everything I’ve learned from this experience.

Amelia H
Year 9

Follow us on Social Media

Members of the school community are invited to follow St Ursula’s on Facebook and on Instagram. If you know anyone considering high schools for their daughter, you may also like to share our accounts with them. 

Our social media platforms feature photos and videos of our students’ many achievements and learning experiences, latest events and other exciting news from around the school.

Our handle on both Facebook and Instagram is @stursulascollegekingsgrove