Head of Primary P-6

Blessed is the one who finds wisdom, and the one who gets understanding.
— Proverbs 3:13

If the first three weeks of Term 3 are anything to go by, we are in for a term of wonder, wisdom and no small amount of well-earned pride. Our Primary students have been busy proving that faith, intellect and spirit are very much alive and well in our school.

Last Friday, staff, students and families gathered together to celebrate St Dominic’s Feast Day, honouring the founder of the Order whose motto To praise, To bless, To preach continues to shape everything we do within these walls. The Mass was a moving reminder that our school is, first and foremost, a community of faith.

The day carried extra significance this year, doubling as the formal commissioning of our new College Principal, Mrs Elizabeth Brooks. There is something rather fitting about a new leader being commissioned on the feast of a saint so devoted to truth-seeking and service – a symbolic passing of the torch that set the tone for the years ahead.

Arriving on time

A gentle reminder to all families about the importance of arriving at school on time each morning, with students ideally arriving before 8:25am. Punctuality sets the tone for a positive and successful school day. Students who arrive on time have the chance to settle in calmly, greet their friends and enjoy those valuable moments of social connection before the bell rings. Arriving promptly also means students are present for important morning announcements and organisational information, helping them start the day informed and prepared. Most importantly, every minute in the classroom counts: latecomers miss out on the very beginning of lessons, where new concepts are introduced and instructions are given, making it harder to catch up and fully engage with the learning that follows. We thank all our families for their support in helping our students arrive before 8:25am, ready and eager to make the most of every school day.

Teaching minds how to wonder

While the students were still finding their feet after the holidays, our staff were hard at work sharpening their own. In Week 1, the entire teaching team engaged in a critical thinking workshop with Dr Philip Cam, one of the world’s foremost voices in philosophical inquiry for children. The centrepiece of the day was deceptively simple: the difference between Should and Could questions. Could questions fling open the door to possibility – what might be true, what might be tried, what might be imagined. Should questions are more serious ones, wrestling with values, ethics and what ought to be done. Learning to tell the two apart and to ask each at the right moment is a skill that will quietly reshape classroom conversations, as teachers guide students not just to answer questions, but to ask better ones.

100 days of Kindergarten

In Kindergarten, milestones come in smaller but no less mighty numbers. Our youngest learners marked their 100th Day of Kindergarten in style, celebrating ‘100 Days Brighter’ with all the enthusiasm you would expect from five-year-olds who have just realised they can count that high. It was a joyful, colourful celebration of just how far our littlest members of school have come since their very first day at school.

Champions in spirit

On the sporting front, our Gioia House Soccer team gave us plenty to be proud of. Their run to the final of the Sydney Championship was no accident, but the product of a season’s worth of early training, disciplined practice and players who showed up for one another match after match. Finishing as runners-up is a mark of real dedication: this group listened, learned and lifted each other up, turning individual effort into genuine team strength. Congratulations to the team and their coaches on a successful season.

Grandparents Day

Today, Del Monte was filled with warmth and joy as we welcomed over two hundred grandparents to celebrate Grandparents Day. This year’s theme, ‘I will never forget you‘ (Is 49:15), chosen by Pope Leo XIV for the Sixth World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly to reflect God’s unfailing love for every person, even in the fragility of old age. It set the tone for a day of reflection on the quiet strength and enduring love grandparents so often embody. The celebration was brought to life by choir, string ensemble and poetry performances that reflected the love students have for their special family members. Smiles, laughter and a few happy tears filled the space as students’ presentations shone through in every song and step. Grandparents Day is more than an event; it’s a celebration of love that bridges generations and a reminder that hope is alive and well in the bonds we cherish most.

Gioia House Semester 1 Academic Awards

In Week 1, we came together at our Awards Assembly to celebrate the achievements of our Semester 1 Academic Award recipients. These students have shown consistent effort, curiosity and a genuine love of learning across a range of disciplines, and their commitment to personal excellence, perseverance and growth is a true credit to their character. It is also a reflection of the dedicated teaching and supportive learning environment that make such growth possible.

We also congratulate our Gioia House captains, Lina D’Arrigo and Jesicca Princi, who delivered inspiring speeches reflecting on what contributed to their success – a wonderful insight into the values and effort behind their achievements.

YEAR 5
Alissa Amiouni – PDHPE
Ashley Chow – Music
Eloise Crisafulli – English, Mathematics, HSIE, Science & Technology, PDHPE
Celine Daher – Religious Education, Drama
Irina Gao – Music
Anabella Gomez – Languages
Ahana Gupta – Science & Technology
Kianna Lai – HSIE, Drama, Languages
Kaylee Liu – Music
Valentina Macri – English, Religious Education
Charly Merhi – PDHPE, Languages, Drama
Evelyn Metledge – Mathematics
Michaela Nguyen – Mathematics, Religious Education, Science & Technology
Soraya Ronsisvalle-Obaid – English, Religious Education
Sophia Tadros – Religious Education
Ivy Wilson – Drama
Audrey Wong – English, Mathematics, HSIE, Science & Technology, Languages
Samantha Wu – HSIE

Action Girl Pastoral Awards
Romey Dib
Alana Tannous
Sophie Tsoukatos
Hannah Yoo

YEAR 6
Margaux Anderson – PDHPE
Mia Bogovic – English, Mathematics, Religious Education, Science & Technology
Alana Boumelhem – Visual Arts
Grace Calcagno – Languages
Soopia Chang – Science & Technology
Ariane Cutrupi – PDHPE
Lina D’Arrigo – Religious Education
Alexis Djordjevic – Mathematics
Olivia Gan – Science & Technology
Scarlett Ghossein – HSIE
Riha Han – Visual Art and Music
Amara Jeyaganesh – English
Madalena Khoury – PDHPE
Romee Lee – Visual Arts
Aria Leung – Mathematics
Amelia Lin – Music
Marie Metledge – HSIE
Jessica Princi – English, HSIE
Niamh Quinn – Mathematics, Science & Technology, Languages
Marley Seeto – Languages
Jennifer Stanton – Religious Education, English, HSIE
Khalessi Staveris – Visual Arts
Amelia Tan – PDHPE
Laura Touma – Religious Education
Lydia Wang – Music
Natalie Wong – Languages
Emily Zanella – Music

Action Girl Pastoral Awards
Mia Li
Jasmine Nguyen
Marley Seeto
Natalie Wong

Gioia House – IPSHA Debating

A word of praise for our most eloquent speakers. Our Debating team faced Loreto Kirribilli in the fourth round of the IPSHA Debating competition and came away victorious in both debates. Whether arguing for or against, our debaters continue to demonstrate the very skills — questioning, reasoning and making a case with both logic and conviction.

Vex Robotics

In a genuine first for our school, our Years 3–6 VEX Robotics teams competed in the opening round of competition at Trinity College. As a brand new initiative, there was no roadmap and no guaranteed outcome — only curious minds, some wiring, a great deal of trial and error, and a team of students willing to give it their all. They embraced the challenge with real enthusiasm and commitment. Congratulations to all students and a heartfelt thank you to Mr Wang and our parent volunteers, Mr Lin and Mr Wong.

View photos and more details in Mr Wang’s article.

Interacting with Commonwealth Games Athletes

Gioia House and Del Monte students enjoyed the delightful experience of interviewing Comonwealth Games athletes for broadacasting on YouTube.