From the P&F Association
Can you believe that we are approaching the end of Term 1 already?! It has flown incredibly quick, however, we know that many parents are looking forward to having some down time.
It is fair to say that Term 1 has been full of exciting events, meeting new families and reconnecting with returning families. Our Mums & Dads Nights were a huge success. It was great to catch up with so many people in a relaxed environment.
Term 2 arrives just in time to celebrate Mother’s Day. Grab your tickets to our Mother’s Day Lunch as they are selling fast.
Don’t forget to enter into the Easter Art Fundraiser Competition. This is such a special initiative and allows the children to really reflect on the Easter Story and support a great cause. The children should be receiving their pictures shortly.
We will also host our annual Trivia night on 13 June 2025 which is always a great night out for the parents. Keep an eye out for more details to come soon.
Please see the dates below for our upcoming events and put them in your diary!
Sustainable Threads Stall
The P&F led pre-loved uniform stall, Sustainable Threads, will be open before the start of Term 2 during the Parent Teacher sessions on both the Primary and Senior campus’. The stalls will be available 10:00 to 11:30am and 5:00pm to 6:00pm Monday 29 April. We will have a range of winter College uniforms as well as some winter cocurricular sports uniforms.
Donations
We are currently taking donations for gently used and freshly washed uniforms in particular winter sport and winter college uniforms. Donations can be dropped off to the clear tubs located in either the Del Monte reception, Gioia House reception or Student Services entrance during school hours. Please note we will not be able to accept donations over the school holidays.
Happy Easter
The P&F Committee hopes you and your family have a safe and relaxing break, ready to come back to another busy term. Wishing you all a very happy and joyful Easter.
Warm regards
P&F Executive Committee
Upcoming Events
Mother’s Day Lunch – 8 May 2025
Calling all dads for Mother’s Day Breakfast help – 8 May!
Hey Santa Sabina dads! We need your help to make the Mother’s Day Breakfast on 8 May a truly special event for all the amazing mothers, grandmothers, and carers in our community.
Date: 8 May 2025
Time: 6:00am to 9:30am
Location: The lawn between the Santa Sabina Chapel and the Sienna Centre on the senior campus
We are looking for volunteers to assist with setup, bbq, serving, and cleanup. Whether it’s managing food stations or helping set up, every bit of help counts and ensures we create a wonderful morning for everyone.
Please email VP Primary Daniel Pace vpprimary@ssc.nsw.edu.au directly if you can volunteer. Let’s make this breakfast a beautiful start to Mother’s Day! 
Upcoming dates
Year Group Catch Ups
Past events
The Prep, Kindy, Year 5 and Mums and Dads Nights Out were such a huge success! It was such a great night meeting lots of new mums and dads and mingle in with the old ones!
The dads night was full of competition and banter! Thanks to Daniel Pace and Ben Middleton for getting the dads together!
Special thanks go to Christina Metledge who organised such a fabulous Mums Night. Between the flowing of drinks, food and those quirky trivia questions, the mums had a great time, especially those Kindergarten mums – it has been said that they were the life of the party! 😊
Year Group Catch Ups
The past few weeks we have had a couple of year group catch ups and a few more are scheduled in the coming weeks. The parent reps really do try hard to organise these events and are grateful when the cohort comes together. We look forward to sharing with you the year group photos as they happen. Also don’t forget we keep updating our P&F page on VO with these wonderful photos!
Year 8 coffee catch up
Parent Education – Debra Brodowski
Fostering kindness and tolerance in our young people
Many of us have watched, and are talking about, the recently released TV series Adolescence. Watching the show was hugely impactful for me, gut wrenching and distressing at times. I also felt it was hugely insightful into the lives of our young people.
There have been many articles and pieces of commentary about the TV series, documenting themes such as social media use, the manosphere, and influencers who hold a strong online presence, compared against a time-poor world of well-meaning parents trying to do the best they can for their young people.
Another theme that I took away from the series is the importance of kindness and tolerance. These values not only help create and maintain harmony within a community, but also contribute to the social-emotional wellbeing and development of our young people. As parents and caregivers, we play a crucial role in shaping these attitudes in their young people. Below are a few ideas how.
Lead by example
Young people learn most effectively by observing the behaviour of their parents and caregivers. Demonstrate kindness and tolerance in your daily interactions. Show respect to everyone, regardless of their background or beliefs, and engage in acts of kindness. When our young people see these values in action, they are more likely to emulate them.
Encourage empathy and inclusion
Empathy and inclusion are key to kindness and tolerance. Support your young people develop empathy by helping identify and understand the feelings of others. Discuss situations and ask them how they would feel in someone else’s situation and encourage them to think about how their actions affect others. Coupled with this, maintain an inclusive approach with peers. Promoting behaviours that include, rather than exclude others (no limits to friendship group size, no rules for being in a friendship group, no gatekeepers to friendships), allows our young people opportunities to interact and learn from others. Helping our young people foster a tolerant attitudes towards others, and taking the perspective of another person can assist in ensuring that we are considerate toward others.
Teach conflict resolution
Disagreements and conflicts are inevitable, but how we handle them can make a significant difference. Teaching your young people healthy communication styles, supporting them to resolve disagreements calmly and respectfully will also help build tolerance and respect. Encourage your young people to listen to others’ viewpoints, express their feelings without aggression, and seek mutually beneficial solutions.
Developing kindness and tolerance is a gradual process that requires patience and consistency. Reinforce these values regularly and provide ongoing support and guidance. Remember, every small step contributes to growth for your young person. As parents and caregivers we play a pivotal role in nurturing kindness and tolerance in our young people. Adolescence showcased a community reeling from small behaviours that had huge catastrophic consequences. Kindness and tolerance towards others can help develop compassionate, respectful, and inclusive individuals who contribute positively to society.