From the P&F Association

President’s Welcome

Welcome and a warm hello to all our new and returning families! This year has taken off with a flying start with the end of Week 3 almost upon us. Last Thursday evening I was honoured to have the opportunity to welcome on behalf of P&F the parents and carers of the College that turned out in large numbers to the Welcome Drinks. For those who were unable to attend, I thought it pertinent that I repeat here some of the key messages delivered within my speech in order to welcome the whole community whilst thanking our dedicated and hard-working representatives and volunteers who have signed up for 2024.

Background
As a parent of five children, I have officially been at the College for eight years now meaning I’m officially halfway with eight years to go. But with my wife’s family now in its fourth generation at Santa Sabina who’s really counting anymore? At the end of this year, like numerous families before us, my wife Rachael and I can claim to have been through every emotional rollercoaster ride at this school from Prep through to Year 12. This year alone we have a special year where my four daughters move into milestone years including Years 5, 7, 10 and 12.

Personal and P&F Goals
I joined the P&F with a simple aim: for everyone to feel like they are part of a community. A community where people are supportive of each other, where families look out for each other and where established families look after new families to the school. Where we have One College, One Community from Prep to Year 12. For 2024, our P&F goals for this year align with my previous statements – enable the College community to be as welcome, open, and inclusive as possible. 

Community participation
As great as the P&F is, we simply can’t achieve all our goals without you. So if you’re interested in better understanding the school, meeting new people, building community or simply understanding more what your kids are up to then please join us and volunteer. It can be for one event or for the whole year – Just reach out to a member of the P&F. All help is greatly appreciated, and we have already had a great uptake of both parent representatives for each year group along with volunteers.

We also understand that people are busy with work and other commitments, but we still want to provide that supportive environment. So, I therefore encourage everyone, to please take advantage of the opportunities to connect with other people – it will help you and your children to feel a part of the school. And, even if you are time poor, there are plenty of opportunities to contribute in raffles and other items should you wish to.

Community events
Please find below a short list of events that are either run by the P&F or are College-led that the P&F provides support for:

  • College 130th Anniverary Gala Dinner – I encourage you to organise your tables and buy tickets now or simply reach out in the ticket sales link and state that you want to be put with a year group when you purchase, and we will organise the rest for you.
  • Trivia night
  • Del Monte Disco and family night
  • College Annual Golf Day
  • Mother’s Day and Father’s Day events and gifts
  • Colour Fun Run for P-6
  • Tallong Parent Child Camp
  • And finally, Term parent get togethers:
    • These will be put together for each and every year by the year group representatives and will include a variety of events from coffee catchups to parent night outs
    • We will also have a focus on key new intake years including Kindy, Year 5 and Year 7
    • These get togethers are a key opportunity to forge relations early on that will continue throughout your children’s school career and beyond.

In conclusion, I would like to say a huge thank you to the P&F executive team for all their hard work in setting up this year to date for success and for providing a final welcome to everyone at the College. I look forward to meeting and catching up with as many of you as possible as the year progresses.

Ben Middleton
President SSC P&F

2024 Parent Representatives

We extend our heartfelt gratitude to everyone who has generously stepped forward to serve as a Parent Representative or Event Volunteer. Your willingness to contribute your time and energy is a testament to the strength and vibrancy of our community. Over the coming week, our newly appointed Parent Representatives will introduce themselves in the year group WhatsApp chats. We eagerly anticipate the positive impact they will have in fostering a sense of unity and engagement among our families. The dedication of individuals like yourselves is crucial in building and sustaining the warm, welcoming environment that defines our school. Thank you for your commitment to making a difference; we look forward to seeing the wonderful contributions you will bring to our community.

Upcoming Events

Parents and Friends (P&F) General Meeting

We’re excited to announce the upcoming Parents and Friends (P&F) General Meeting. We would love to see as many of you there as possible!

🗓 Date: Thursday 28 February

⏰ Time: 7:00pm

📍 Location: Benincasa, Senior Campus, Santa Sabina College

This meeting is a fantastic opportunity for us all to come together, share ideas, and discuss plans to support our school community. Whether you’re a long-standing member or new to the school, your input and participation are invaluable to us.

We’ll be covering several important topics, including upcoming events, fundraising initiatives, and ways we can all contribute to making our school an even better place for our children. If you have any items you’d like to add to the agenda, please send them to the P&F Secretary, Mary, via email at secretary@ssc.nsw.edu.au by COB on Friday 23 February 2024.

Please mark your calendars! Your involvement makes a real difference, and together, we can achieve wonderful things for our school and our children.

Looking forward to seeing you there!

International Women’s Day

Join us in celebrating International Women’s Day with a special event hosted by the Santa Sabina College Ex-Students’ Association, the Parents and Friends’ Association, and our College community. This year’s theme, ‘Count Her In: Invest in Women. Accelerate Progress,’ promises an evening of insightful discussions and panels, followed by a delightful supper and drinks on the Grotto lawn.

📅 Date: Thursday 7 March 2024

⏰ Time: 6:00pm

📍 Location: Santa Sabina College – Lecture Theatre – TAC Building, 90 The Boulevarde, Strathfield

Dads are welcomed and encouraged to join us in this celebration, highlighting the importance of support and advocacy for gender equality from everyone in our community.

Tickets are available for adults at $55 and school students at $35 (for the first 100 student tickets sold, $45 for tickets thereafter). Secure your spot now by booking at Trybooking.

Book here for International Women’s Day

Don’t miss this opportunity to engage, learn, and celebrate the vital role of women in our society. Let’s come together to support and accelerate progress towards gender equality. See you there!

🎉 130th Anniversary Gala Dinner – Friday 22 March – Fullerton Hotel

Dear Parents!

Santa Sabina College is thrilled to invite you to the 130th Anniversary Gala Dinner, a night of celebration, reminiscence, and community spirit.

It’s time to book!!

📅 Date: Friday 22 March

⏰ Time: 6:00pm

📍 Location: The Fullerton Hotel Sydney

This gala is not just a dinner; it’s a celebration of our journey, achievements, and the wonderful community that makes us who we are. It’s an evening to dress up, enjoy great food, and make lasting memories with the Santa Sabina community.

Table bookings:

  • Book a whole table for 10. A perfect opportunity to get together with friends, year groups or sporting teams!
  • Prefer to mingle or new to the College? Simply click on the link below and you will be able to detail who you would like to sit with or your year group that you would like to be seated with and we will organise it for you.
Book here for 130th Anniversary Gala Dinner

🌟 Don’t miss this chance to be part of our historic 130th Anniversary celebration. Book your spot now and join us for an unforgettable evening!

We can’t wait to celebrate with you. See you at the Gala!

Warm regards

SSC P&F Association

Past Events

Welcome Morning Tea

On 29 and 30 January, the Santa Sabina College Parents and Friends (P&F) Association hosted welcoming Morning Teas for new families joining the senior and primary campuses respectively, offering a warm introduction to our vibrant community. These events, marked by an atmosphere of warmth and inclusivity, provided a wonderful opportunity for parents and students to connect, share experiences, and look forward to the exciting journey ahead in their new school environment. Special acknowledgment goes to Sia, whose exceptional organisation and culinary talent, particularly her homemade welcome cookies, became the highlight of both days. These cookies not only delighted the taste buds but also symbolized the nurturing and welcoming spirit of Santa Sabina, making the start of the academic year memorable for everyone involved.

Information Night and Welcome Drinks

On the evening of 8 February, Santa Sabina College’s community spirit was in full bloom at the Welcome Drinks event held around Dom’s Plot. This gathering was a testament to the vibrant and supportive network that defines our school, providing an excellent opportunity for new families to blend with existing members of our community. Following the informative Parent Information Sessions for various year groups, the event allowed parents to mingle, forming new connections and strengthening old ones, under the beautiful canopy of camaraderie that Santa Sabina prides itself on.

Special thanks are extended to the dedicated members of the Parents and Friends’ (P&F) Association who volunteered on the night — Ben Middleton, Alex Cantali, Sia Zanon, Mary Reyes, Tatiana Rafael, Babitha Toal, Janelle Powter, and Daniel Pace — whose efforts in welcoming new families went above and beyond. Their warm presence and engaging conversations ensured that every attendee felt a part of our strong, united community, ready to support each other through all facets of the educational journey.

Parent Education

Starting 2024 by Debra Brodowski

It’s a start of a new school year. We have welcomed new families to the College and we have reconnected with familiar faces. Schedules are in filling up and the learning and studying has begun. For those of you who are new to the College, a warm welcome to you all. I hope that you have managed to attend some of the College events to meet some new faces and feel welcomed. For those of you who have returned for another year welcome back!

For those of you who don’t know me, my name is Debra (it’s Deb really, Debra only when I am in trouble with my mum!). I have been a parent at the College for eight years; I have a daughter in Year 8 and a daughter in Year 6. My day job is as a Psychologist, my all the time is being a Mum. I am part of the P&F, and my role is as a Parent Education Officer. Each newsletter I try and share some of my thoughts and experiences of my work life and parent life and share some ideas with you to consider. Make of it what you will.

The start of every school year for us as a family brings up a mix of feelings:

  • Excitement! What will the year bring?
  • Dread…. No more sleep-ins every single day…
  • Uncertainty – what might be different; again, what will the year bring?

This is all entirely normal, and I acknowledge that it can take a few weeks to settle back in to what a routine for the term might look like.

I asked my daughters what they thought of as being most important for the start of the year. They mentioned:

  • Being nice, friendly, and including everyone: some students may not know many people, others might have noticed friendship groups have changed. It is important to be nice and help others feel included and not feel left out, and not exclude.
  • Allow students to join extra co-curricular activities because you can meet new people and build better social skills.
  • Start building a good routine for the year for your children (start the year as you intend to proceed). This last one is my suggestion, it helps with family sanity.

What does this mean for us as parents:

  • Support our children with conversations that help them navigate through the year, rather than being overly directive. This is so valuable when it comes to in-school challenges that may occur. Asking questions such as:
    • What’s most difficult for you?
    • What is something that you think could be most helpful in fixing this situation?
    • What do you think is a step you could take?
  • Our children are masterful problem solvers and such questions as these can help them build skills that will help navigate them through life.
  • Co-curricular College activities are a great way of meeting new people, having your child engage with students who they may not normally spend time with socially, and helping build team skills. There are so many co-curricular activities on offer, discuss the options with your child and try one out.
  • A helpful routine allows enough time for unstructured play, rest, structured activities, and homework. Each family’s needs are different, so establishing a plan that works best for you and your needs is more important than adopting another family’s plan.

Enjoy 2024, all the best with all the good fortune that it may bring!