College Principal

I am writing this newsletter update after a wonderful day spent celebrating mothers, grandmothers, aunts and those significant women in our lives who care for us. I am so grateful to Fr John and Fr Gavin who gave so generously of their time to say Mass for us this morning and it was beautiful to see the number of mums who were able to join us for our Mother’s Day masses. With over a thousand mums and children at our Mother’s Day Breakfast, it was a huge success and though space was at a premium there was a buzz in the air as our community came together and connected in this celebration of the women we love. Our annual Mother’s Day Luncheon was also a very happy event and a significant number of  Year 12 mothers came out in full force for one of their last gatherings together as the end of their daughters’ time at the College is quickly approaching. I would like to thank and congratulate the P&F who made our breakfast and lunch events possible and extend my gratitude to our fathers who came along to serve breakfast.

I am thrilled to be able to share that Santa Sabina College has been awarded an Excellence Award and shortlisted for the Australian Education Awards 2024 in the category of Secondary School of the Year – Non Government. Along with this national recognition of our school, Brigida Zagora, our Head of Humanities and Social Sciences Department, has also been awarded an Excellence Award and shortlisted as Department Head of the Year. The overall Australian winners will be announced at the Australian Education Awards on Friday 9 August 2024. My deepest thanks to all of our teachers, as well as our support and professional staff who go above and beyond to provide our students with the very best educational opportunities underpinned by strong wellbeing, faith-filled and broad co-curricular and outdoor education programs. Congratulations also to Mrs Zagora for her leadership of and commitment to our Humanities and Social Sciences Department. 

We returned to school this term after a series of difficult events had taken place in Sydney during the break. I spoke to students from Years 9-12 at our first assembly about how they or their family or friends may have been impacted by these violent attacks which for many are difficult to process. I explained that it is normal for us to feel worried, helpless, confused or angry when senseless acts of violence take place.  At school we aim to create a safe environment for students and staff and as a community we are all here for one another to offer support and comfort during difficult times. Being able to turn to a trusted adult to ask questions or seek support to help process events is important. I also reminded them that these bad events are rare and that there is a lot of good in the world which it’s important to focus on to keep things in perspective. 

On top of this, it is difficult not to feel helpless in the face of the gendered violence deaths being reported in Australia on a daily basis. All of us have a responsibility to work towards creating a safer world for women. At Santa Sabina College, students engage with the PDHPE Curriculum as well as Pastoral Care classes in which we educate students on issues related to respectful relationships, coercive control, domestic violence, and gender-based violence. We work hard to make sure students are able to identify power imbalances in relationships and that they understand what is appropriate behaviour, how to build their capacity to use their interpersonal skills as part of safe relationships and very importantly, the resources they need to draw upon if they find that they need support to extricate themselves from an unhealthy relationship. This is a complex and deeply seeded cultural problem and solutions take time especially when we are up against toxic social media influencers and access by our youngest to harmful online content that glorifies violence against women. I am hopeful that a concerted effort from governments and agencies with changes in policies as well as targeted education programs will begin to make a difference for all women. As a school community we will continue to challenge harmful gender stereotypes and misogyny and educate our youngest students about respectful behaviours while making sure our students know who to turn to and what to do if they find themselves in a relationship where they are not treated with the respect they deserve. 

Many of our co-curricular opportunities have commenced for Term 2 and highlights include Eve Ardagna and Remi Apostolopoulos advancing to the State Semi Finals in the Plain English Speaking competition; Fencing has begun on a Monday morning as a new co-curricular offering; and St Dominic the Adventurer Award is also underway teaching our primary students to deepen their outdoor skills and knowledge. We are also thrilled to have launched our Community Choir bringing together ex-students, parents, staff, extended family and Dominican Sisters. Contact our Director of Music, Mrs Amy Richardson, if you would like to join. 

I am looking forward to welcoming members of our community, parents and ex-students to our Career Women’s Network Breakfast this Friday. We have been working to ensure our Year 11 and 12 girls will be able to connect with mentors from a broad range of industries who will be able to guide them in the world of work beyond school in those fields which are of interest. Ex-student and celebrity chef Justine Schofield is our special guest speaker and it is promising to be another fabulous community event supporting our Senior girls in their career choices. 

Go gently

Paulina Skerman
College Principal