Deputy Principal Teaching and Learning

At assembly this week, the Year 12 Legal Studies students prepared an entertaining and informative presentation for the students on the Voice to Parliament. They explained referendums, the constitution and the changes suggested. They also examined the importance of being informed about what is happening in the world around them, highlighting that we should not use the excuse that there is not enough information. While most of these students are not old enough to vote, they are at a point in their life when they can be engaged in discussion on contemporary issues.

On my way to the Siena Centre for the last College discovery Tour, I followed a Gioia House student guiding new parents to the venue. As she pointed to the College banners of the Dominican Pillars and Santa Sabina’s motto she confidently articulated Veritas’ translation and with examples, how she lived this each day. It reminded me how lucky I am to teach at Santa Sabina with engaged, articulate students with a voice. 

Part two of the reconciliation assembly included a superb performance of a student’s work. Isabella Peterson, a Year 11 IB Diploma student, composed a song, Free to Dream with orchestration by Alex Palmer. This will be part of the Gala Concert in a few weeks. She was inspired by the words of Zelder Quakawoot, an indigenous poet, from her piece ‘Right to be Heard’. The lyrics were not only pertinent for Reconciliation Week, but how we educate our students. I was truly moved by Isabella’s musical and compositional talent. 

Year 10 students have now completed their Careers Avenue interviews and will now choose the subjects for their Senior Studies. We have conducted Information Sessions for the HSC and the IB Diploma courses both online and for the Year 10 students this week. Next week we will have an expo for students to meet with the Heads of each Department as they showcase the subjects on offer for 2023. We look forward to working with the students and the parents as they plan their patterns of study. 

On Saturday, Santa Sabina welcomed Gifted NSW Incorporated and the Teachers’ Guild of New South Wales, as they hosted their biennial Gifted Awareness Forum for Educators (GAFE). This was attended by our Dean of Gifted Education 5-12 Matthew Mountford and Coordinator of Gifted Education P-4 Caddie Ruster. Caddie presented, amongst other international and local experts in the field, on the work she is doing with our students in Del Monte using SOLO Taxonomy. 

Jacqueline Pugh
Deputy Principal Teaching and Learning