From the P&F Association

As we draw the curtains on another remarkable year, it’s a time for reflection, gratitude, and heartfelt farewells. We stand at the threshold of new beginnings while cherishing the memories we’ve made together.

Farewell to our stars

This year, we bid a fond farewell to our bright Year 4 boys, who are embarking on a new journey to different schools. Your growth and achievements at Santa Sabina College have filled us with pride. To our Year 12 girls, congratulations on completing high school with grace and excellence. You have blossomed into inspiring young women, ready to take on the world. Your contributions and spirit will forever be a part of our College’s legacy. For all other students leaving us we bid you fair winds and following seas as you continue your educational journey.

WhatsApp Year Groups major update

Unlike previous years the WhatsApp Year Groups will remain active over the Christmas break. Rather than deleting the year groups and creating new groups next year the current WhatsApp year groups will be renamed to reflect 2024 and the new academic year. However, the Year 12 WhatsApp Group will be deleted. We encourage you to save any cherished memories, media, or documents you wish to keep. Excitingly, we will be introducing a new WhatsApp group for our 2024 Prep cohort, welcoming new faces into our warm community. For new parents wishing to join the WhatsApp Year Groups, please click here.

Celebrating our successes

2023 was a year of vibrant community building and successful fundraising. We witnessed the immense success of our events, including the Mother’s Day Breakfast and Lunch, Father’s Day Breakfast, the exhilarating Colour Fun Run, joyous School Discos, and the inaugural Fra Angelico Festival of Arts. These events were not just celebrations but embodiments of our united spirit and dedication. A heartfelt thank you to each volunteer who contributed their time and energy to make these events memorable. The community spirit we’ve built could not have been possible without you all.

Gratitude to our Pillars

Our Parent Representatives have been instrumental in nurturing a sense of community within each year group. Your efforts have not gone unnoticed and are deeply appreciated. To the P&F Committee, your unwavering dedication and hard work have been the backbone of our community’s strength and growth. The commitment of the 2023 P&F team has laid the foundations for the 2024 P&F association to continue to strengthen bonds within our community.

A salute to our educators

We extend our deepest gratitude to the staff and teachers of Santa Sabina College. Your dedication to educating and raising our children in the Catholic Dominican values has been nothing short of extraordinary. Your efforts have shaped the minds and hearts of our children, preparing them for a bright future so that they can ‘Gently, Boldly, Fearlessly, Confidently, Justly, and Courageously Shake The World’.

Season’s Greetings

As we step into the festive season, let us take a moment to cherish our shared experiences and look forward to the new year with hope and excitement. We wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. May your holidays be filled with joy, peace, and precious moments with loved ones.

Stay safe, stay connected, and let’s look forward to an even more successful and fulfilling 2024 at Santa Sabina College.

Yours in friendship,

Daniel Pace
Communications Coordinator
P&F Committee

Past events

Fra Angelico

The Inaugural Fra Angelico Festival, held on 17 November 2023, was a spectacular event that brought together art, culture, and community in a memorable evening of celebration. The Parents & Friends’ Association and amazing volunteers supported this event by hosting the International Eat Street and Champagne Lawn.

The International Eat Street featured an array of food stalls that offered a culinary journey around the world. The Italian Food Stall, the Mediterranean Stall with its Lebanese and Greek delights, the Asian Stall, the Indian Stall, and the Gelato Stall provided a feast for the senses. Alongside these gastronomic delights, the Champagne Lawn added a touch of elegance, serving as a perfect spot for parents and friends to socialise and enjoy the festivities.

The success of this event could not have been possible without the generous financial and food donations from the SSC community as well as the dedication of over 60 volunteers who gave their time and effort to ensure everything ran smoothly. Special thanks are due to Alex, the P&F Vice President for Secondary, whose tremendous effort in organising and facilitating the event and coordinating the volunteers was instrumental in bringing this festival to life.

The Fra Angelico Festival of Arts was not just an event; it was a celebration of our community’s diversity, creativity, and spirit. It was a testament to the power of collaboration and volunteerism, and it set a high standard for future events at our college. We are immensely grateful to everyone who played a part in making this inaugural festival a resounding success.

Year Group catch ups

Year 6 Dinner Dance

The Year 6 Dinner Dance, held on the delightful evening of Friday 24 November 2023 at the Strathfield Golf Club, was a resounding success, marking a significant milestone in the lives of our Year 6 students and their families. The event, exclusively for Year 6 students and their parents, provided a splendid opportunity to celebrate the conclusion of their primary school journey in style.

Year 4 Class of 2023 Farewell Dinner and Disco

The Year 4 Farewell Dinner and Disco, held on Friday 3 November 2023 at the Canada Bay Club in Five Dock, was a resounding success, creating an evening filled with joy and lasting memories. This special event marked an important milestone for our Year 4 students and their parents, as they bid a fond farewell to Santa Maria del Monte. The atmosphere was electric with excitement as families gathered to celebrate the end of an era and the beginning of a new chapter. The night was a perfect blend of delicious food, lively music, and great company, providing an ideal setting for both students and parents to mingle, dance, and share stories. The energy on the dance floor was contagious, with students and parents alike showing off their dance moves, embodying the spirit of togetherness and celebration. This event was not just a farewell; it was a celebration of the friendships formed, lessons learned, and the growth experienced during their time at Santa Maria del Monte. As the evening concluded, it was clear that these memories would be treasured by students and parents for years to come, a fitting tribute to their journey at the school. A big thank you to Meaghan Aldridge-Chow, Remona Akkawi, Christine Portelli, Kathleen Magri, Cyndi Khawaja for all their efforts in organising this fantastic event and a special thanks to Giovanni Portelli for all the amazing photos.

Parent education

Tempus Fugit: Embracing the Swift Passage of Time as a Parent by Daniel Pace

‘Tempus Fugit,’ or ‘time flies,’ is an adage that resonates deeply with parents. As we navigate the whirlwind of parenting, it often feels like the days are sprinting by, and our children are growing up in the blink of an eye. Here are a few ways we can embrace this rapid passage of time, especially over the Christmas break, in a way that’s fun, meaningful, and insightful.

1. Savor the Small Moments
With time zipping past us, it’s crucial to cherish the small, seemingly mundane moments. Whether it’s watching your kindergartner’s concentrated face as they try to fit a square block into a round hole, or listening to your teenager’s animated recap of their day, these moments are the heartbeats of parenthood. Remember, in what seems ordinary today may become the most cherished memories tomorrow.

2. Quality Over Quantity
As parents, we’re often juggling a million things, but the adage ‘quality over quantity’ rings true when it comes to time with our children. It’s not about the number of hours we spend with them, but the depth of those interactions. A 15-minute game, a bedtime story, or a heart-to-heart talk during a car ride can be more impactful than an entire day spent together without meaningful engagement.

3. Grow with Them
As our children grow, our relationship with them evolves. Embrace each stage of their development. Be curious about their changing interests, supportive of their growing independence, and understanding of their need to explore their own identity. This doesn’t just help them; it enriches us as parents too.

4. It’s Okay to Pause
In our fast-paced lives, it’s easy to get caught up in the hustle and forget to pause. Remember, it’s okay to stop and breathe. Take a day off to just be with your kids, with no agenda. Let them lead the way – be it a lazy day at home or an impromptu adventure. These pauses are when some of the best memories are made.

5. Create Traditions
Traditions anchor us in time. They provide a sense of continuity and create anticipation for what’s to come. This can be as simple as Friday movie nights, annual camping trips, or a special ritual for birthdays. These traditions become the milestones that mark our journey through the swift stream of time.

6. Capture and Reflect
Documenting our lives – through photos, videos, or journals – is a way of holding onto the fleeting moments. Periodically look back at these memories with your children. It’s a wonderful way to reflect on how far you’ve come and to recount stories that may have been forgotten.

7. Teach Them About Time
In the spirit of ‘Tempus Fugit,’ instill in your children an appreciation for time. Teach them to value it, use it wisely, and understand that it’s the most precious resource we have. This not only prepares them for the future but also makes them more present and appreciative of the now.

8. Embrace the Present
Finally, amidst the rush of life, practise being present. It’s easy to get lost in worries about the future or nostalgia for the past, but the present is where life happens. Do you really need to answer that phone call? Do you really need to send that email now? Be there, fully and wholeheartedly, for your children and yourself.

In the whirl of parenting, where days turn into years in the blink of an eye, ‘Tempus Fugit’ is a gentle reminder to embrace each moment. It’s a call to slow down, savor, and appreciate the journey. Whether the kids are on their best behavior, or having temper tantrums, remember that ‘Tempus Fugit’ or ‘Time Flies’. With that in mind, embrace the time you have with your children because “all time is quality time” when it comes to them, they really do grow up so fast. After all, while we can’t slow time down, we can certainly make every moment count.