Deputy Principal Mission and Pastoral Care

The Lenten Season at Santa Sabina

Last Wednesday was Ash Wednesday and the beginning of the Liturgical season of Lent. This Holy Day was marked across the College with a range of student-run liturgies. In our Year 5-12 Liturgy we heard from both the Gospels of Matthew and Luke. Of particular significance was this passage from the Gospel of Matthew and the student reflection followed:

The first commandment is this, that ‘you will love God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ The second is this, ‘You will love your neighbour as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.’

‘Jesus’ answer sounds simple, but … the neighbour thing isn’t really about people we know, the people we like to be with, the people who are just like us. The neighbour thing, according to Jesus, is about everyone and especially those who are lonely, who face personal challenges and who find themselves in impossible situations that they often have no control over.

‘We are all conscious of the multitude of problems facing the world today, especially the inequalities that exist in opportunities for millions upon millions of people impacted by poverty and conflict. It is easy to say things like, ‘people in Ukraine are not my neighbour – let someone else deal with it’ or ‘it’s awful that there are so many homeless people in Sydney right now, but hey, I can’t fix it’. That is not what Jesus said in the Gospel today. He said everyone is my neighbour and it is my duty to care. 

‘This Lent as a College community and in our homes, we have a chance to respond to the Gospel in the spirit of Dominic by giving generously to the Caritas Appeal. Caritas is an international Catholic agency working every day of the year to assist those who have little or nothing. It can only fulfil its mission to ‘love thy neighbour’ if people like us give generously and unselfishly to show that we too are committed to the Commandment to Love. It is our way of showing 100% hope in a better world.’

Throughout Lent we will be supporting Caritas with our Shrove Tuesday pancake stall, a Bake sale organised by Gioia House and a new initiative ‘Carry for Caritas’ which is a relay organised in House teams to draw attention to the issue of water deprivation in communities supported by Caritas. At Del Monte and Gioia House students will be donating via Project Compassion collection boxes and these will also be placed at the canteen on the Santa Sabina campus.   

We look forward to keeping you updated on our fundraising progress throughout Lent. 

Child Safety and Behaviour Management at the College

On Tuesday 25 February all students from Year 7-12 met with their Heads of House and other House staff to discuss our Child Safety measures, behaviour management, anti-bullying policies and our student code of conduct expectations. 

Some of the key information coming out of these presentations:

  • All students at Santa Sabina College are our number one priority. Student safety and wellbeing are paramount. Everyone at the College has the right to feel safe, be safe and be protected. This positive and safe environment leaves no room for any words or actions contrary to what we stand for at Santa Sabina College. We are emphatic in ensuring that Santa Sabina is a child safe organisation.
  • We have structures and policies in place to ensure that all community members are able to build respectful relationships that respond effectively and sensitively to the needs of each person. 
  • Individual differences and diversity within the College are respected and accepted. 
  • Bullying is not tolerated at Santa Sabina College.

Consequences and/or sanctions for bullying behaviours may involve: 

  • restorative actions appropriate to the particular incident 
  • sanctions and loss of privileges. This could affect students’ involvement in out of College activities or co-curricular 
  • behaviour improvement plans constructed in partnership with families and the College 
  • monitoring of student behaviour following bullying incidents – suspension in-College or out of College 
  • removal from the College community at the discretion of the College Principal.

Santa Sabina College has such practices and policies in place because we value positive relationships and we encourage positive connections. We wish to support and protect all young people in our care. 

All of the policies and guidelines mentioned above can be found on VO and are also contained in the student diary. 

Melanie van der Meer
Deputy Principal Mission and Pastoral Care