2023 Semester 1 Dominican Awards
A huge congratulations to our students who were presented with their awards today at the Dominican Awards assembly.
St Thomas Aquinas Award – Academic
Acknowledges students who:
- Display outstanding performance
- Are high achievers
- Achieve excellence in single or multiple key learning areas.
St Thomas was a member of the noble Italian family of Aquino.
He was born in the castle of Rocca Sicca in 1225. Against his family’s wishes, he entered the Order of Preachers at Naples in 1244. He was sent to Cologne to complete his studies under the direction of St Albert the Great. He devoted all his energy to the service of truth and shared this through his writing, his teaching and his preaching. St Thomas Aquinas is the Patron of all universities and Catholic schools. His feast is on 28 January.
| Grade | Name | Class |
| Kinder | Joseph Hoang | K Snowy |
| Year 1 | Shreya Panyam | 1 Niland |
| Year 2 | Audrey Wong | 2 Wrightson |
| Year 3 | Ashton Chung | 3 Lawson |
| Year 4 | Elly Tao | 4 Cooks |
Blessed Fra Angelico Award – Creativity
Acknowledges students who display outstanding performance in one or more of the following areas:
- Visual Arts
- Music
- Drama.
Blessed John of Fiesole (Fra Angelico) was born in Tuscany, Italy in 1386. When he was a young man he studied art in Florence. He entered and became a Superior of the Dominican Order at the convent of San Domenico in Fiesole. He showed his love for God through his creative works of art and paintings. Fra Angelico was called to Rome by Pope Eugene IV to decorate two chapels, one in the Basilica of St Peter and one in the Vatican. His feast is on 18 February.
| Grade | Name | Class |
| Kinder | Peggy Peng | K Murray |
| Year 1 | Brian Wang | 1 Gibbs |
| Year 2 | Woowon Cho | 2 Wrightson |
| Year 3 | Romee Lee | 3 Thiele |
| Year 4 | Kingsley Cheung | 4 Nepean |
St Martin De Porres Award – Social Justice
Acknowledges students who:
- Display citizenship
- Are fair
- Show empathy
- Are involved in Outreach
- Are inclusive
- Are selfless
- Recognise the needs of others.
Martin de Porres was born in Lima, Peru, in 1579. As a boy, he studied medicine. When he joined the Dominicans he used this knowledge to help the poor. He was a friend to the sick, ill-treated slaves, the poor, the marginalised, and stray animals. Martin de Porres is a patron of many things but particularly public education, public health service, and of interracial justice. His feast is on 3 November.
| Grade | Name | Class |
| Kinder | Victoria Abounajm | K Snowy |
| Year 1 | Isla Thompson | 1 Gibbs |
| Year 2 | Jude Sassine | 2 Lindsay |
| Year 3 | Karena Thompson | 3 Thiele |
| Year 4 | Emily Nguyen | 4 Daintree |
St Dominic Award – ‘Life Be In it’
Acknowledges students who:
- Are enthusiastic
- Participate to the full in school life
- Have a positive attitude
- Apply themselves diligently
Dominic de Guzman was born in Caleruega, Spain, around 1172-1173. After completing his studies at Palencia, he was ordained a priest and became a Canon in the Cathedral of Osma. From that time on he dedicated his life to preaching and to living simply. Dominic was very different from other religions who lived at the same time. Instead of staying inside monasteries, he went out amongst the people and traveled long distances on foot in order to take action to preach and teach to people who needed to hear about God. In 1215 at Toulouse, France, Dominic organised his fellow preachers into a new Religious Order to go out and spread the truth of the Gospel. St Dominic is the patron of many things, among which is being a patron of astronomers. His feast day is 6 August, the day of his death in Bologna in 1221.
| Grade | Name | Class |
| Kinder | Zara Fajloun | K Namoi |
| Year 1 | Sam Oli | 1 Niland |
| Year 2 | Sophia Tadros | 2 Pender |
| Year 3 | Madalena Khoury | 3 Lawson |
| Year 4 | Genevieve Lloyd-Jones | 4 Cooks |
St Albert the Great Award – Research
Acknowledges students who:
- Problem Solver
- Think Logically
- Display a thirst for knowledge
- Are deep thinkers
Albert was born in Swabia, Germany at the beginning of the 13th century. While he was a student at the University of Pavia in Italy he decided to join the Dominican Order. From 1242 until 1248 he taught at the University of Paris where Thomas Aquinas was one of his students. Together with St Bonaventure, he defended the right of the Dominican Order to teach in the universities. He was a distinguished writer and teacher and a very holy and charitable man. He is called ‘the Great’ and the ‘universal doctor’ because of his writings. He is a patron of those involved in the natural sciences. His feast day is 15 November, the day he died in Cologne in 1128.
| Grade | Name | Class |
| Kinder | Lorenzo Pensini | K Namoi |
| Year 1 | Sebastian Portelli | 1 Niland |
| Year 2 | Alana Tannous | 2 Lindsay |
| Year 3 | Rishaan Panyam | 3 Paterson |
| Year 4 | Aiden Park | 4 Daintree |
St Catherine of Siena Award – Resilience
Acknowledges students who:
- Are flexible
- Cope with maturity
- Deal with life’s complexities
- Bounce back
- Display a positive approach to problem-solving.
Catherine Benicasa was born in Siena, Italy in 1347 and was the youngest of 25 children. God challenged her to become involved in the world around her even though she preferred the solitary life of prayer and penance. In the face of adversity, she worked to bring about peace by influencing some important decisions being made by the church and government leaders of her time. She faced many problems in her life but never gave up and always worked to make things right even though it made things difficult for her. She is the patron of nursing services and of Italy. Her feast is on 29 April.
| Grade | Name | Class |
| Kinder | David Nader | K Namoi |
| Year 1 | Mila Hkeik-Nader | 1 Gibbs |
| Year 2 | Micah Sarayar | 2 Pender |
| Year 3 | Stefania Lazanja | 3 Paterson |
| Year 4 | Catalina Nader | 4 Daintree |
Blessed Jane of Aza Award – Faith Development
Acknowledges students who:
- Display prayerfulness
- Demonstrates spirituality through reflection and action
- Appreciate the goodness of God in their lives
- Are interested in and knowledgeable about Catholic faith traditions.
Blessed Jane was born into the prominent d’Azur family and married Felix de Guzman. She is the Mother of St Dominic. This truly Christian lady inspired her three sons to spend their lives in the service of the church. She had an outstanding reputation for her faith in her community. She was a person who believed in the power of prayer when seeking the answers to questions and after times of reflection and prayer took action. She died at Caleruega Spain at the beginning of the 13th century.
| Grade | Name | Class |
| Kinder | Samuel Chidiac | K Murray |
| Year 1 | George Rizk | 1 Gibbs |
| Year 2 | Edward Saade | 2 Lindsay |
| Year 3 | James Mason | 3 Lawson |
| Year 4 | Arianthe Vrastaminos | 4 Nepean |
Joanne Giannini
Head of Primary P-4