College Principal

Congratulations to our musicians across the College who performed at the Celebration of Music concert at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music recently. The standard of our students is something that sets Santa Sabina apart from other schools, and I am in awe of how our youngest musicians play alongside the senior students to create such beautiful harmony. Many schools have music programs for their primary aged students but there are programs and then there are programs. This email from one of our parents to our Music department staff sums it up nicely:

‘I just wanted to thank you so much for the incredible event you created on Saturday night. My wife and I  were simply amazed at the quality of what you are producing.

I am not someone that goes to many of these types of music events, but I honestly could have sat there for another two hours, waiting for you to feed me more of that beautiful music performance.

The most notable thing I felt when I looked at all the groups was how relaxed, confident, and happy they appeared to be…I am sure there was a lot going on in their minds and hearts, but from where I was sitting, they looked “concert ready”.

It is something that really sets this school apart, and it is always so important to have passionate, patient and inspiring leaders…thank you so much. Please pass this on to all the other tutors and conductors too.

Have a great week, and I hope you have the time to celebrate what you achieved. 

My only request…keep it coming!’

I am hopeful that many of you have had the opportunity to listen to our first Santa Dialogues podcast, The Joy of Reading, but if not, I would like to share that from next year our Year 7 and 8 students will all have a dedicated reading lesson each cycle and we are in the process of buying soft furnishings and a hot chocolate machine to provide a welcoming reading atmosphere where our students can read and relax. Our Year 9 students will meet with book buyers to help purchase books that they want to read for our Library and they will be able to participate in the Reader’s Cup. During the winter break, we will be providing students and parents in Year 8 with a copy of the same novel for them to read together to spark great conversation and connection. Sustained reading is important for developing concentration, imagination, vocabulary, punctuation and sentence structure as well as providing us with an insight into different people, places and perspectives thereby developing empathy. It is also good for health and wellbeing as it takes our young people away from their devices, away from their worries and into another world. Professor Jenni Hudson from the Black Dog Institute talks about research that is linking smart phone use to increasing levels of anxiety and depression in young women and I strongly advocate for our young people to take on academic, sporting and cultural pursuits to take their focus away from their device as much as possible. We will be putting a spotlight on reading and building a culture of reading at the College by introducing a number of new initiatives next year. If you haven’t listened to our podcast, it is a rich conversation with students and experts who provide great tips to support parents to encourage a love of reading in their child. As Mrs Lombardo, our Head of Library on the Santa Sabina campus says, ‘it’s not that your child isn’t a reader, they just aren’t a reader, yet’. 

It was wonderful to spend some time with our Primary families recently at the swimming carnival. This year’s carnival at the Ashfield Pool was a one-off event and next year we will resume our usual format with the Year 3-12 carnival to be held at SOPAC. Our Year 3 students enjoyed their very first outdoor education experience at Tallong last week and our Year 6 students presented their Gioia House Showcase which was a wonderful exhibition of their learning. Big congratulations also to our Year 3 and 4 students who received distinction and high distinction results in the Maths Challenge. This is a  problem-solving challenge organised by the Australian Maths Trust. We also welcomed a significant number of teachers from a range of independent schools who offer the International Baccalaureate to our campus for a full day workshop focused on deepening their understanding of the IB Diploma’s Theory of Knowledge course. 

I would like to advise that next year our Dean of Pastoral Care, Ms Whiley, will take on an additional role as Head of Year 7 in 2023. Ms Whiley will oversee Year 7 programs, Information Evenings and other Year 7 events. To ease the girls into Secondary, we will also have our Year 7 girls start the year in Year 7 only homerooms for Term 1. This will help them settle in and will provide more time to connect with incoming students before they move into their vertical homerooms in Term 2. We know that positive relationships are important for wellbeing and we want our students to feel they belong to our community and to each other as quickly as possible.

Some other changes that are planned for 2023 include altering the date of the Year 12 Formal to place it earlier in the year and we will let our students and parents know when this will be held in due course. We will also present our Year 12 students with their academic awards at their Valedictory Assembly rather than expect them to return for Speech Night in Term 4. This will allow them to make plans for life after exams without any pressure of having to return to the College once they are finished. 

I would also like to advise that three members of the College Leadership Team will be referred to as Deputy Principal moving forward.  Mr John Gilmore’s title will change to Deputy Principal – Operations (P-12), Mrs Melanie van der Meer will be Deputy Principal – Mission and Pastoral Care (P-12) and Mrs Jacqueline Pugh will be Deputy Principal – Teaching and Learning (P-12). These three leadership roles are student-facing and the change of title will just help our community understand the extent of their responsibilities a little more clearly. 

Over the past few weeks, we welcomed new families to the College for various Information Evenings while their children joined us for Experience and Orientation days. There was a lot of excitement and, of course, a little anxiety as those new to our community took the first step in becoming part of our family. I am sure you will join me in welcoming them formally to Santa Sabina in Term 1 when we host our Welcome Evening on Thursday 9 February where we will gather around Dom’s Plot for drinks and canapes. This will be a great opportunity to herald in the new year and to catch up with old friends and reach out to the new. This is an important school event and one to mark in your calendar. 

Until next time,
Go gently.

Paulina Skerman
College Principal

Deputy Principal Mission and Pastoral Care

Leadership opportunities are everywhere

Stephen Covey, author of the famed 7 habits of highly effective people has said that ‘Leadership is a choice, not a position’. This has been very apparent around the College over the past few weeks. We definitely have very clear Student leadership Structures at the College in Years 4, 6 and 12; however, leadership opportunities are available for all students to take advantage of. It’s important for students to experience leadership opportunities during their schooling, to learn the art of building relationships within teams, defining identities, and achieving tasks effectively. It also provides an opportunity to learn to identify and display effective communication and interpersonal skills. For this reason  we offer a multitude of opportunities and we encourage all students to seek out these opportunities.

The Principals’ Advisory Board, made up of a range of students, will see the fruits of their discussions and advice in action with their first Fitness Friday activities happening for Years 5-12 on Friday 18 November. The creation of the poppies by History classes for Remembrance Day on 11 November and displayed on Dom’s Plot provided students with a chance to drive an initiative and see the impact it had on growing knowledge and understanding the whole community. Our Year 6 students led the way on Wednesday evening at the Year 6 showcase with all girls working together to lead fantastic performances. Our Year 4 students are leading the way for the P-4 campus with advocacy and fundraising for those in need in the Philippines. A group of 20 students from the secondary campus undertook a two-day Ministry and Immersion Course in order to improve their capacity to lead our community in our faith growth and development. The leadership opportunities offered at the College are too numerous to list here and this does not include those incidental moments that offer students the opportunity to step up and demonstrate those skills that build community and confidence for all. We encourage all students not to see leadership as defined by a badge but to see leadership opportunities everywhere. 

Fitness Friday Years 5-12

As mentioned above we have a new initiative starting this Friday 18 November for all students on our 5-12 campus – Fitness Friday. Every Friday Week B students are all allowed to come to school in their PE uniform. On the day there will be a mass Just Dance party down on the small hockey field at lunch. The bell will also change to a different song each Friday Fitness day. We hope to see the activity options expand next year to include informal sports competitions across year groups every second Friday. We encourage parents to chat with their children about participating in this initiative and supporting the College in ensuring that your child attends school each Friday B in full school sports uniform if they wish. Please note that no tights or other elements of sport team uniforms are to be worn – only school sports shorts, tracksuits and red sports shirts. We are looking forward to our first Fitness Friday being the first of many. 

Melanie van der Meer
Deputy Principal Mission and Pastoral Care

Deputy Principal Teaching and Learning

Stage 5 Showcase

Friday evening in Week 5, the students of Music, Drama and Visual Arts held a recital, art exhibition and short play for the students and parents. Year 10 Music students performed a group piece Test Drive & Where No One Goes from How To Train Your Dragon by John Powell and Jónsi (arranged by students in the Year 10 Elective Music Class). This was followed by individual performances in voice or their chosen instrument.

In the Black Box Theatre Year 9 Drama presented an adaptation of the play Scoop by Sue Murray and directed by Vanessa Lee and Mia Papavramidis. Each student in the Drama class performed and when students were not on stage they rotated through the sound and lighting desk. Congratulations to the girls on a fine performance.

The Visual Arts team transformed the Drama room adjoining the Black Box Theatre into a Gallery. Year 9 Visual Arts students presented a selection of their Still Life pastel drawings and paintings and the Year 10 students displayed a selection of their artworks from Fashion for Bank Robbers and Choose Your Own Adventure. This is a spectacular evening celebrating the creative talents of our Music, Drama and Visual Arts students. Special thanks to the staff supporting these students throughout the year. 

Year 6 Showcase 

This week the students in Year 6 presented to the staff and parents the work they have completed in the Music, Drama and Visual Arts lessons. 

Year 10 

Year 10 students have now completed their coursework and assessments for the year. They are getting ready for their Senior studies with the course All My Own Work and Minimum Standards Testing before going on the Encounter Program next week. The All my Own Work program is focused on five modules unpacking the concept of academic honesty and integrity. The Encounter program looks fantastic and we hope this will complement the learning in the classroom this year. 

ToK Networking Day

Ms Julie Harris, the Dean of IB, facilitated Networking Day for 27 IB ToK teachers from 14 different schools across NSW and the ACT. I appreciate the time Julie put into this event, the knowledge gained by our staff, the students showcasing their ToK projects and myself was enlightening. I encourage you to read her article in this edition of Veritas Voice. 

Jacqueline Pugh
Deputy Principal Teaching and Learning

Deputy Principal Operations

The Boulevarde

In the past few weeks there have been reports of numerous cars running the red lights on The Boulevarde and putting pedestrians at the crossing at danger. I strongly urge all members of the College community to take extra care when driving around both campuses of the College at any time of the day.  I would like to also remind the community if you need to cross the road and are heading north on The Boulevarde (towards the Strathfield station) that all pedestrians should use the crossing bridge.

Speech Night

Speech Night at the State Theatre promises to be an exciting night. All Years 5-11 students will be expected to attend the night and be marked present by their homeroom teacher. Prize winners’, dancers’ and musicians’ families will be notified about rehearsal details in the coming days and permission to attend these events will need to be provided via the Community Portal.

RAHTs and COVID-19

With the resurgence of COVID-19 in the community, the College will be again distributing Rapid Antigen Home Tests to all students. If your child tests positive to COVID-19, please contact the College and keep your child at home until all symptoms pass.

Carpark safety

The visitors’ carpark, Chapel carpark and Jersey road carpark are not pick up and drop off locations for students.  No cars should be entering these areas to pick up between 8:00am and 8:45am or 3:00pm and 3:45pm. Reversing cars pose an unnecessary risk to students and other pedestrians on campus. There are Kiss and Ride facilities on Jersey Road and Carrington Road specifically allocated for the drop off and pick up of students.

John Gilmore
Deputy Principal Operations

Director of Community Relations P-12

Join us at our end of year events!

We have a number of events in the next few weeks when we welcome our Santa Sabina community members. Speech Night and Speech Day will be livestreamed for those who cannot join us in person.

Further seats have also been released for Speech Night. Book here. A reminder to only book tickets for guests attending – students have already been allocated seats.

Yvette Graniero
Director of Community Relations

Head of Gioia House

Year 6 Showcase

Last night we held our first Year 6 Showcase with families in attendance to witness a truly magical celebration of students’ journey in Gioia House and the significant milestone in their transition to high school.

This year’s theme was ‘Through My Own Eyes.’ Every single student shone on the stage. Through their singing, dancing acting, painting and string ensemble, students explained how they see their world changing and how they build relationships, feeling various emotions on their journey. They conveyed different perspectives, developing respect for their diversity, finding joy in learning. 

Their performances glued the audience to their seats, making them laugh, ponder and even cry. We are very proud of all students for their collaboration, commitment and outstanding performance.  

I want to thank all the teachers, Community Relations and support staff who helped to celebrate students’ individual and collective talents. 

I also would like to thank Ms Skerman for her vision of Gioia House and her continuous involvement in all aspects of Gioia House.

Here are words from some of our Year 6 students. We are looking forward to sharing more photos and a video of the celebration.

It was great to see everyone come together to celebrate the Year 6 students and their achievements. I was thrilled to have my family, friends and teachers supporting and encouraging me to be the best I could be on this journey. I was honoured to begin the solo intro for the song This Is Me with Isabella and enjoyed the singing to lift everyone’s spirit. It was an unforgettable experience filled with joy, excitement and magic. It wouldn’t have been possible without our teachers and support staff, who made this showcase a true celebration.

Tiana Charbel

It was a great experience to perform in front of an audience which helped me build my confidence in acting.

Ella Mackie

I loved the opportunity to showcase our talents and deliver our message through our own eyes; I also liked that every performance was created by students and supported by teachers. Our voices were heard, and that was very important to me.

Ever Melvin

I liked working with scripts to express our perspectives and ideas through Drama. I also enjoyed using our voices to connect with the theme.

Olivia Toia

I enjoyed that the night was a celebration of all the Year 6 students and their journey in Gioia House. I appreciated the time to work together and devise our own performances. My favourite act was Drama because it helped us work collaboratively as a group to develop our own script that was engaging and humorous. Overall, I felt the night was magical which I’ll treasure for the rest of my life.

Scarlett Chidiac

The Showcase allowed everyone to shine and show their hidden talents. It helped me to step out of my comfort zone and gain confidence in acting in front of a live audience. I’m grateful for this opportunity and for all the teachers who helped us to celebrate our journey in Gioia House.

Alessia Mastroianni

Maths Olympiad and Challenge Games

This year 60 students from Years 5 and 6 entered the Maths Junior Maths Olympiad and Maths Challenge program. The program is specifically designed to stimulate and challenge students, teaching them major problem-solving strategies. Furthermore, it strengthens students’ mathematical intuition prior to starting high school.

The main aims of the program are to:

• Introduce students to important mathematical concepts.
• Teach major strategies and develop flexibility for problem solving.
• Foster creativity and ingenuity and strengthen intuition.
• Stimulate enthusiasm and enjoyment of mathematics.
• Provide for the satisfaction, joy and thrill of meeting challenges.

We congratulate all students for their hard work and commitment to the program. The following students are commended on their excellent results in the competition. 

Maths Olympiad Top 10% 
Miranda Lin

Maths Olympiad Top 25% 
Sienna Kim, Annie Cordony-Jones, Kyra Gomes, Olivia He, Josie Chui, Amelia Hone, Sienna Pirina, Olympia Russo, Stella Shin.

Gioia House Liturgy

We look forward to seeing you at our Thanksgiving Liturgy on 6 December at 9:00am, followed by a picnic. 

You are warmly invited to join in celebrating this important event signalling the end of your daughter’s Primary school years. The liturgy and the official ceremony will be held in the College Chapel. Then we will move on to the Labyrinth for the picnic. Students can bring food to share in a small groups. You can bring picnic mats and chairs.

May God bless you and keep you safe.

Stella Azizian
Head of Gioia House

Head of Primary P-4 Del Monte

Dear Families

As our Year 4 students’ time at Del Monte draws to an end, we would like to celebrate and farewell them with some special events that will include:

• Thanksgiving Mass, Morning Tea and Year 4 Boys Dancing on Dom’s Plot – 30 November (Santa Sabina Chapel)
• Year 4 Big Day In and P&F lunch – 5 December (Senior Campus)
• Last day of school and Guard of Honour – 7 December (Primary Campus)

The remainder of the term has many opportunities for our community to come together. Here is a reminder of some of these.

Thanksgiving Mass

On Wednesday 30 November at 9:30 am, a Mass of Thanksgiving will be held at the Santa Sabina Chapel. Students from Kindergarten to Year 4 will attend this Mass and all parents are welcome to attend. During this Mass, we will give thanks for all of our blessings in 2022.

Boys Dance on Dom’s Plot

Following the Thanksgiving Mass, our Year 4 boys will dance on Dom’s Plot as they did when they began in Kindergarten. The girls will have this opportunity in Year 12 when they graduate from the College. Morning tea for Year 4 students and parents will be served at the Grotto following the Year 4 boys dancing on Dom’s plot. All students will be required to wear their full College uniform on Wednesday 30 November.

Year 4 Big Day In and Lunch

Year 4 students will participate in a ‘Big Day In’ hosted by Motiv8Sports on Monday 5 December from 9:00am – 3:00 pm on the Senior Campus. Students are to wear their sports uniform or Year 4 commemorative jersey on this day. Lunch will be provided by the College P&F. This will be a fun day for our Year 4 students as their time on the Primary Campus comes to an end.

Guard of Honour on the last day

On Wednesday 7 December, Year 4 boys and girls will process down the stairs from the Year 4 Learning Spaces into the Piazza. The Kiss and Ride gates on Carrington Avenue will be opened at 2:50pm for parents to enter and join the guard of honour in the Piazza. Year 4 students will finish the day slightly earlier on this day following the guard of honour.  All other students will finish the day at the normal dismissal time of 3:15 pm.

Service Initiative led by our Year 4 Community Team

On Friday 18 November the students are invited to wear a splash of colour and bring a gold coin donation for the Majestic Christ Church Parish in the Philippines. The Community Team shared this information at our assembly last week and demonstrated what wearing a splash of colour could look like. Please note the students will still wear their normal school uniform with an added splash of colour. Some ideas for wearing a splash of colour:

• shoelaces
• hair ribbons
• socks
• scrunchies
• head bands
• hats

The children in Science City of Muñoz, Nueva Ecija, Philippines returned to their schools and classrooms in September and their parish is in need of supplies for the students to use in their lessons each day. The Community Team would like to raise some money to help these students.

Dear Santa

Kindergarten will be celebrating the Christmas season by inviting parents into their classrooms for an afternoon of carols, Christmas crafts, and writing letters to Santa.

Joanne Giannini
Head of Primary P-4

Director of Mary Bailey House

Before School Care

In addition to offering After School Care (ASC) and Vacation Care (VC), OOSH also offers
Before School Care (BSC). This program operates daily during school terms
between 7:00am and 8:30am from OOSH. It differs from our dynamic ASC and VC programs
and is a slower-paced program that supports children with their transition from home
to school. We offer breakfast and quiet indoor activities during BSC. Children are
greeted by familiar educators and asked what they would like to do. Families are
required to sign their children into BSC and a member of the OOSH team signs them
out and wishes them well as they head off to school.
 
With student supervision commencing at 8:20am on the primary school, BSC is the
perfect place for children to safely commence their day at school. If you would like
your child to attend, they need to be enrolled in OOSH and then booked into BSC.
To enrol your child, please email us at ooshmail@ssc.nsw.edu.au or call us on weekdays
between 7:00am and 8:30am or between 2:00pm and 6:00pm on 9745 7790.
 
BSC like ASC and VC is subject to Child Care Subsidy (CCS) which is the
government fee relief program. If eligible, families will have part of their BSC paid by
CCS. Families are encouraged to apply for CCS via MyGov.
 
If you have any questions about BSC, ASC and VC please don’t hesitate to contact
us. We’re here to support families to balance their work and family practices and
each child’s day at school.
 
Jackie Baxter
Director of Mary Bailey House

Director of Tallong Campus

Last week at Tallong we had the pleasure of hosting our Year 3 Del Monte students for the first time since 2020. The Year 3 students embarked on a series of problem solving activities, a nature walk, bush shelter building and for the first time, mountain biking. Earlier this year the campus purchased a fleet of mountain bikes built especially for our younger students. We now have a high-quality sequential mountain bike program that begins in Year 3 and finishes in Year 7. For some of these younger students, this is the first time they have ridden a bike.

A milestone in a young person’s life that the Tallong campus is privileged to be a part of.

This weekend sees the return of the Parent/Child weekend camp at Tallong. Our parents will get to experience a taste of what their children partake in while on camp at Tallong. Activities this year will include canoeing, mountain biking, a bushwalk, optional camping, high ropes elements and the flying fox. The renowned Cheffrey is putting together something special for dinner on Saturday night. So stay tuned.

Kendal Hann
Director of Outdoor Education and Tallong Campus Manager

‘Be the Light’

Twenty students from Years 9-12 participated in the inaugural two-day Student Ministry Formation Course themed  ‘Be the Light’. This course provides students with experiential opportunities for Catholic mission and development as school and church ministry leaders.

Sessions led by Sr Sheila, Ms Sulis, Mr Reyes and Claire Thomas from Jesuit Social Services focused on areas such as our Dominican charism, altar serving, Proclaiming the Word and the what, why and how of immersion.

On day 2,the Year 10 group were immersed in learning and service at the Ignite Food Store and Baabayn Aboriginal Corporation in Emerton.

For more information about the Food store and the ways you can help please visit https://jss.org.au/westernsydney/

This program was possible through the generosity of time by the session leaders and the enthusiasm of our students.

Ryan Reyes
Dean of Mission

Remembrance Day Commemoration

On the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month the guns fell silent and the Great War was finally over. Today in Australia Armistice Day is called Remembrance Day. The Santa Sabina community remembered this moment at the 11th hour with one minute of silence. The Flanders poppy was the first wildflower to bloom on the Western Front and has come to symbolise hope and regrowth after the devastation of war. To remember those who have been impacted by wars and soldiers who have paid the ultimate sacrifice of their lives a commemoration of poppies on St Dominic’s plot was designed by Year 8 History students. Senior students were invited to participate in the installation of the poppy design.

Brigida Zagora
Head of HSIE(History)

Screening of The Letter: A message for our earth

Humanity is at a crossroads, both the science community and the faith community are clear: the planet is in crisis and its life-support systems are in peril. The stakes have never been higher. May the world receive this ‘Letter with an open heart and open mind.

Pope Francis

On Friday 11 November, Santa Sabina welcomed the Dominican Sisters and students from St Patrick’s College to a screening of Pope Francis’ 2022 documentary The Letter: A message for our earth. This documentary follows individuals from around the world as they make their way to Rome to meet with Pope Francis and begin a dialogue about sustainability and the environment. This community gathering reinforced our ‘duty towards nature and the Creator’, which is an ‘essential’ part of our faith, as outlined in Pope Francis’ encyclical Laudato Si‘. This also provided us with a valuable opportunity to establish a greater dialogue regarding stewardship, a crucial aspect of our shared Dominican faith. 

We would love for all members of our community to watch this powerful documentary. In the words of the Laudato Si’ Movement chair, Lorna Gold, ‘once you know, you cannot look away’. To watch the documentary, please use the following link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rps9bs85BII 

We would like to extend a huge thank you to Mr Crittenden and Mrs van der Meer for helping to organise this wonderful event. 

Rosanna Cartwright
Year 12 
Environment and Sustainability Prefect

IB Update

TOK Networking Day 11 November 2022 

Santa Sabina hosted the first face-to-face networking day for Theory of Knowledge Teachers from schools across NSW and the ACT. The following schools were represented: Monte St Angelo, The German International School, St Andrews Cathedral School, Redlands: The Central Western Academy, St Ursula’s College, The Riverina Anglican College, MLC, Canberra Grammar School, Newington College, Queenwood and Narrabundah College. A mixture of 25 very experienced and some relatively new teachers of ToK had an opportunity to share ideas on how to teach and resource this critical part of the Diploma Core and how to prepare the students for the two assessment tasks – the exhibition and the essay. 

The first session was facilitated by Britta Jensen and Rod Studdert and focused on designing and resourcing the course including formative assessment, strategies for engaging with contestability and the how of critical thinking in relation to the knowledge framework and the 12 concepts. The second session was facilitated by myself, Natasha Kempers and the 35 Year 11 students who actually held their exhibition in the library for all the participants. This opportunity will have provided the students with some very useful insights prior to submitting their final exhibition draft. 

The two final sessions were dedicated to the ToK essay which is completed in Year 12. We were very fortunate to have an experienced examiner – Christine Volk – lead this session with the support of Annie Thomson. We all found the insights into what was actually expected in an essay – namely coherence, clarity and critical thinking very useful and our students will benefit from Christine’s very useful presentation of what makes a good argument and what does not. We all agreed that this networking day should become a yearly event as the sharing that occurred was invaluable. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the facilitators and the Year 11 presenters for a very successful day.

Julie Harris
Dean of IB

Experiential Learning in Year 7 History: The World of Ancient Rome

This semester, our Year 7 historians have participated in a range of experiential learning activities to build their understanding of daily life in Ancient Rome. They have been teaching themselves Roman hairstyles and make-up, preparing Roman feasts for their families, and playing Roman games. A selection of their work is included in the photographs below, featuring: laurel wreaths by Natalia and Suanne, ‘liba’ (Roman cheesecakes) by Lillian and Amelia, and Roman hairstyles by Allegra and Alannah.

Here are some of the students’ reflections:

‘The thing that I found enjoyable was learning what products they used in Ancient Rome and all the different facts, since they didn’t use actual makeup.’
Sarah

‘Blindman’s buff is a traditional game that has been around for thousands of years. A version of the game was played in Ancient Greece where it was called ‘copper mosquito’. In the Middle Ages, blindman’s buff was an adult game. Using a stick is dangerous so my little sister and I didn’t use a stick and just called out, “Come and catch me!”‘
Nour

‘Micare is the game I chose to play. In comparison to other Roman games, all you need are your hands and your head, which is fantastic since it allows us and other people from the 21st century to play the authentic version, unlike a game like knuckle-bones, where you have to use a sheep’s foot. Overall, this game was quite fascinating to play, and what’s intriguing is that after a few rounds, you can discover the other person’s methods, bringing you closer to victory. This game demonstrates that, unlike humans today, they did not use devices because they simply had not been invented yet. This enabled them to appreciate their surroundings and make games out of them.’
Angelina

‘I recreated the hairstyle of a young Ancient Roman girl for one of my friends. I really enjoyed it as I experiment with hairstyles for fun and like doing people’s hair. This hairstyle was quite simple as the hair only had to be parted into four parts, plaited and then tied into a bun. Compared to the coiffures of Ancient Roman female elders, this is much more basic, however it still looks very regal.’
Allegra

‘The hairstyle I recreated (with the help of a youtube tutorial) was Agrippina the younger’s from the early to mid 1st century AD. I really enjoyed creating the hairstyle on my doll because it was a unique and fun experience. The hairstyle is much more elaborate compared to what is generally worn today, but the same techniques (for example braiding) were used. This meant it was quite simple for me to recreate as I had previously practised these skills but I was doing it in a novel and therefore interesting way.  One major difference between Roman hairstyles and 21st century ones is that the Romans did not use hair elastics for the obvious reason – they were not invented. Instead they stitched styles onto their heads meaning that the same one could be kept in for about a week. As it would not have been easy to create it on yourself, wealthy people would have their slaves do their hair. I had a fun time using the needle and thread to create the hairstyle and it made me appreciate the many tools and equipment we have to do hair today so easily.’
Alannah

Sarah-Jane Cartwright and Ingrid Eza-Smith
Year 7 History Teachers

Prefect Afternoon Tea

On Wednesday, the student leadership team hosted our very own Prefect Afternoon Tea, inviting student leaders from other schools in order to make connections and reflect on our own leadership skills.

We welcomed nearly 80 students from other schools, and were very excited to meet everybody and discuss our plans for the year ahead. We were first joined by our guest speaker, Melissa Doueihi, who is Head of Strategy and Innovation at Endeavour Energy. She provided lots useful insights about her leadership style, and making connections through networking. This session was extremely useful and opened our eyes to a lot of new leadership pathways and strategies.

After this, we focused on making connections with each other and sharing our own leadership experiences and goals for the upcoming year. It was very fun to meet everyone and get to know each other, but also incredibly valuable to get so many different perspectives on leadership, some of which we can incorporate into our own leadership journeys at the College. Overall, it was an amazing afternoon and we can’t wait to meet together and discuss our meaningful takeaways. 

The Student Leadership Team

2023 Leadership Retreat returns to Tallong

At the annual leadership retreat, we as a College leadership team forged a vision of what the next 12 months would look like. The tranquil setting of Tallong was conducive to the critical thinking, collaboration and planning that we would undertake during this time. One of the core goals we established as a team was the concept of community; something that could be achieved through the encouragement of diversity and camaraderie. However, in order to move forward with this goal it was necessary that we embedded a sense of trust within one another, something we were able to see flourish during the retreat. In our first session, Ms Skerman emphasised the importance of understanding one another’s leadership styles, strengths and weaknesses and personal goals. In addition to the outdoor team building exercises, both sessions facilitated the development of trust amongst one another. Through the various planning sessions of the retreat, we were also able to flesh out what we realistically believed we could achieve both individually and as a team. 

At the heart of our developing leadership model was the notion of global mindedness. As leaders we vowed to the idea that we would engage with broader issues affecting our local and international community, using in-school initiatives to facilitate this awareness. In doing so we aimed to seek truth and justice for those seeking hardship around the world. This was something Sr Sheila guided us through as we came to further recognise the importance of coming to truly know our purpose as Dominicans. Finally, one of the overarching goals we developed as a team was establishing connection, especially within our College community. Our session on branding and ambassadorship helped us plan how we could live out this goal. We proposed the better use of our Veritas Online page and our leadership Instagram, creating morning announcements and regularly updating the community on events and outreach initiatives and formally rewarding the work of students in all domains on a monthly basis. Overall, the leadership retreat was a wonderful experience that enabled us to unite as a team and put forth concrete ideas that were reflective of our leadership vision for 2023. 

The Student Leadership Team

Pastoral and Wellbeing

This term we have continued to focus on the theme of Giving and Acts of Kindness through our words and actions each day. Mrs Sulis spoke to the Gioia House students about our giving initiative in buying grocery items/Grocery Gift Cards for St Paul’s Church in Burwood. St Paul’s Church will distribute the items to the families in the area who need our help and will bring a little Christmas spirit to their families. We have already started to receive many generous donations which are placed under our Christmas Tree in the Gioia House foyer area. This serves as a reminder each day of ways we can give to others who are less fortunate than ourselves.

We also continue our Acts of Kindness and have asked the students to give a ‘Kindness Shout Out’ to acknowledge the kindness we receive each day. It has been heartwarming to read all the thoughtful acts of kindness in our kindness bunting displayed around our Gioia House staircase.

Some of the Shout Out Acts of Kindness messages include …

A shoutout because …

• She is such a great friend, leader and role model and always lends a hand.
• You are so funny an always making people laugh and smile
• Always supportive and inclusive of others
• She is an awesome friend and always there when I need her
• She helped me in class when I didn’t understand a question
• Always reliable and kind to everyone

Marisa Maks
Assistant Head of Gioia House

Lessons with Sr Sheila

Sr Sheila’s visit

When Sr Sheila came to visit Year 5A, we learnt more information about St Dominic. How he walked a lot and how we could not only walk with our feet but with our hearts and minds. To resemble how we could walk in different ways we made a piece of abstract art inspired by an aspect of our own shoes. Then we put them together into a collage to make a beautiful metaphor of different ways of walking.
Jet Martin

Last week sister Sheila came to the 5A classroom to talk to us about different ways of walking. St Dominic did a lot of walking throughout his life. Sr Sheila asked us what different types of walking there are. Some of the examples are walking within our hearts, following in the footsteps of Dominic and through our faith. Our task was to use black and white paper (Dominican colours) and use one of them to cut the pattern of our shoes and stick it on the other paper. Then we put it together to make a collage. We thank Sr Shelia for spending time with us last week and have learnt so much after that lesson.
Lillian Scott

When we were making our artworks it felt as if I was with St Dominic on his Journey to spread the good news. Sr Shiela talked and showed us all the ways we could walk. Not just physically but also emotionally. She taught us that we can walk with our hearts, minds and even by following God in his footsteps. She made us feel connected inside to God and St Dominic. We looked at the patterns on our shoes from our open perspective and used this to create a totally unique design to represent St Dominic’s journey. We combined all of our art works sharing the love of God  amongst us. Sr Shiela guided us through this activity and on behalf of the class she showed us God that day.
Sybella El-Haddad

On Monday 7 November, we were visited by Sr Shelia and were taught about Dominican Saints. Sr Shelia explained about the values and traits the many Dominican Saints had and what was so important about their lives. Sr Sheila shared stories about some present day Dominican Sisters from around the world, sharing their missions and how they bring Veritas to their communities. We created prayer flags reflecting on the strength, courage and love of these Saints. 
Asha Millward and Allegra Afonso 6Milicic

Here are some of our prayers: 

Dear God,
Teach us to be strong like St Rose of Lima, 
Truthful like St Catherine of Siena,
Loving like St Dominic and 
Caring like St Martin De Porres. 
You encourage us to spread the Gospel like all the Sisters of Santa Sabina. Under the guidance of St Dominic,
Amen
Natalia Gardiner    

Dear Lord, 
We pray to celebrate diversity and equality like St Martin de Porres.
We pray to celebrate our faith like St Catherine of Siena.
We pray to show justice like Sr Dusty Farran.
We hope to show stewardship like Sr Mary Horn.
We will show Veritas to all
We will spread kindness throughout our world
We will spread the gospel and follow St Dominic’s path
Amen
Asha Millward   

Dear God
May you bless us to be like St Cathrine of Siena, a woman of fire and compassion.
She taught us to spread the Word of the Lord and to always show the right example, 
a woman of truth, courage and strength. 
May we walk in the footsteps of our beloved saints.
Amen
Noele Nader     

SWIMMING CARNIVAL

The Swimming Carnival was amazing! Throughout the day there was a range of swimming events that you could participate in. Everyone had a great time cheering and swimming but the number one highlight would’ve definitely been the Teacher vs Student relay where we watched the fastest student swimmers oppose the teachers. There was a real community spirit throughout the Years 3-6 who got to enjoy the day and it was really nice to see and experience everyone cheering each other on and encouraging them. All in all the day was amazing, from the racing to the chanting and the hugs to the clapping. Everyone was a winner.

Sylvia Banayan
Reception

Year 5 poetry writing

This term Year 5 is focusing on writing poetry using different poetry styles. The students have been writing Diamante Poems, Cinquain Poems, Limericks, Haikus and Reverse poems. The students have also developed their public speaking skills and recited poetry in front of their class. It is amazing to see and read the talented Year 5 poems they have produced. Here are some examples of our students’ amazing poetry:

As I feel by Ciara Darlow 5L’E

As I feel,
Sadness surrounds me like a big dark cave, 
No light, no way out.
I run, looking for an exit, a way out.
I am trapped, by myself, lost inside.
As I feel, I run looking for an escape, 
I find myself buried even further in.
No hope left.
I stop, I think, I breathe.
As I feel, not so lost, not so deep,
I see light, I find,
Hope.
I run towards the light, 
Making an effort, I run, I feel hopeful, 
I close my eyes, I breathe,
I made it out.
As I feel,
Brave, hopeful, empowered,
As I feel,
Fulfilled,
As I feel.

Avoca Beach By Jet Martin 5L’E

The soft sand 
Like silk
The water
A roaring beast
Magical the beach is
Floating 
Not a care in the world
Smooth
Extravagant balls take place
Underneath me
Turtles jellyfish dolphins
Attending
Scary, kind
Risks magic
The wonder of the water.

The wonders of the world by Naishe Mafunda 5L’E

Are the wonders of the world special or not
Are the wonders of the world supposed to be forgot
Do they shimmer and glow and perfectly flow
Are the wonders of the world real, nobody knows
Am I supposed to be right am I supposed to wrong 
Am I to go out far beyond?  
Should I believe the magical signs? 
Or should I just be normal like the neighbour’s child?
How far to go how far to reach 
How far will I go before I retreat
Should I go out into the sun 
Or Should I forever stay with my mum
The wonders of the world will hold the truth
Until you finally have to choose  
Do the wonders of the world hold the magic you seek?
Well just come and take a little peek

Marisa Maks
Assistant Head of Gioia House

Year 6 McLaren Science Lessons with our Pre-Service Teacher

Science Jar Experiment with Ms Mannah:

In this lesson, we made a model of cyclones using jars, food colouring, glitter and dishwashing liquid. It was really fun to see how the model cyclone spun like in real life and to see which jar worked the best for this experiment. We found that having the jar upright when we are spinning works better than if the jar was upside down. Also, having a lighter colour is clearer to see the cyclone rather than darker colours.

Sienna Kim and Daniela Bowden

I really liked how the experiment represented what a cyclone would look like in real life.

– Miranda Lin

I really liked how in this experiment you could be creative in the colours you choose. 

– Chloe Amendolia

I really liked how the experiment was fun but also gave us the opportunity to learn at the same time.

– Allegra Parisi

50 Words Creative Stories

Floods – Scarlett Chidiac

Hopeless. Trapped. The frozen touch of the rising water awakens my worst nightmare. Hypothermia wraps around my heart and I sink. The raging current sweeps me off my feet, thrashing my weakening body like a ragdoll downstream. Helplessly reaching out. Nothing appears! Bubbles explode towards the surface. But I don’t!

Ice – Mabel Clarke

Skating, like a bird across the ice. Feet barely touching the surface. Spinning, I look down, but do not see the ice. There’s nothing there. It’s too late. My head impacts the unforgiving surface. Freezing water surrounds me. The metallic taste of blood in my mouth. The world turns black. 

A Mind of Its Own – Isabelle Lee

The fog,, so dense I could cut it. A scream echoes in the distance. I should run. I should cry. I should turn back… But it’s too late. The scream travels through the thick air, choking me. 

I rise, only to see my cold, shocked shell sleeping on the ground.

The SES Evacuation Netball – Alessia Mastroianni

I was dreaming of shooting the winning goal, but that was not the reality. I watch the courts flood and my feet sink. The echo of girls’ screaming ringing in my ears, suddenly drowned out by my eerie laughter. A constant thudding on my door. The SES has arrived. Finally!

Stranded – Olivia He

Stranded! That was the worst decision of my life. I glance around and remember the terrifying moment right after I crossed the road. The water leaked through the cracks, slowly filling up the car. No matter how much I yelled, I knew no one could hear me.

I was helpless.

Heart-Shaped Cloud – Hayley Wong

I focus on the distant sky. The glowing sun, blinding my eyes. A heart-shaped cloud. A heart of love, support, community, trust and courage. Surely no coincidence on such a sorrowful day! A day of mourning and reflection. A day that means so much. Today is a time of faith.

That one beautiful cloud – Isabella Espino

Bright blue sky, clouds all above. A unique formation caught my eye. It was a beautiful love heart, way up high. Following me each step I took. I remembered all my loved ones and knew they were keeping me safe. Miss you guys so much, but I know you’re safe.

Under the Sea – Ever Melvin

Vivid memories flash past my eyes. My life. My journey. My home. I feel the water become so tight that my lungs squash together and almost collapse. I want to scream for help. No words can escape my mouth. Only the breath I have left can leak from my mouth.

Metropolis – Mia Sorial

In this town we have to wear a clean air helmet. It’s annoying, but to live it’s necessary. Each morning the blinding sun gazes into the metropolis. However, this morning was different. No one was around. Smashed helmets were on the ground. A shadow slowly approached. My life, forever changed.

Goodbye – Olivia Toia

The only thing I remember was that I was shifting. Now I’m here, standing on the edge of a cliff. I question whether  I should step out. This is just a dream, so I will be safe. Is it only an illusion? I fall… and my world turns black. Goodbye.

Alone – Tiana Charbel

Wind howled. Rain smacked my cheeks.  A thin string of blue light pierced the night sky.  I stood, quivering in the middle of the road. Barefoot. Alone. Wanting a family. Longing for a place to go. Thumping shoes caught my attention.

 “Officer Craige, we’ve found her” a sudden voice exclaimed. 

The Cloud – Sofia Livolsi

Amanda was having a miserable day, until she looked into the sky and saw a wonderful heart-shaped cloud. She thought she was seeing things, but it was an actual heart in the sky.  She felt instantly better, seeing such a beautiful creation lovingly looking over her. Her feelings were healed. 

In My Heart – Mikayla Zec

One call a million goodbyes,
How could this happen, all I remember is 
My hand laying gently on your cold body,
I still see you every day in the glowing sky
Until we meet again, you will always be in my heart
Something in the orange tells me we’re not done.

Kitchen Garden Club

Fundraiser at St Paul’s – Burwood (plant sale)

In support of the Gioia House Christmas Giving Appeal to St Paul’s Church – Burwood, the Kitchen Garden Club sold plants to the Gioia House Community. The plants were grown from seeds in the greenhouse and included tomato varieties, cucumbers and carrots.

I would like to thank the KGC girls for their efforts through the Semester. Through their actions, they managed to raise $140, as well as awareness for practical and sustainable garden practices.

Eamonn Dunphy
Gioia House Teacher 

Christmas Giving

Appeal for 2022

Over the next two weeks, the students will take part in lessons to introduce our Christmas Giving Appeal for 2022. They will listen to the story Four Feet, Two Sandals by Karen Lynn Williams & Khadra Mohammed, illustrated by Doug Chayka (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans Books for Young Readers, 2007) in class groups. The students will visit the statue of Mary and Jesus in the beautiful Del Monte front garden and reflect on refugees who flee their country and home because of fear of persecution, war or injustice. Students will discuss how they could help a person feel welcomed in our community. What would they say? What could they do in our school?

Over the next four weeks, we are asking every family to give non-perishable food donations to our Del Monte Christmas Appeal. The donations will go to the House of Welcome at Granville, a community service supporting refugees and their families who are not permitted to work while they wait for their visas to be processed. The House of Welcome provides holistic support that nurtures hope, advocates for justice and promotes self-reliance, whilst acknowledging the dignity and the rights of each individual. Donations can be send to school with your children and placed in their classroom. Our Year 4 teams will collect the donations each day.

Lord, no refugee is a stranger to You, and no one is ever far from Your loving care. Watch over children and families as they travel to camps or relocate within their country. Shelter their souls and their bodies. Heal the hearts of refugees who have endured unimaginable tragedy and trauma.

God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.

Psalm 46:1 (NIV)

Tina Nicotina
Religious Education Coordinator P-6 Pastoral Care Coordinator P-4

Swimming Carnival

On Tuesday 4 November Santa Sabina College held the Primary Swimming Carnival at Ashfield Aquatic Centre

The sun was shining and all students attended the event with a high level of team spirit and enthusiasm. Students from Years 3-6 spent the day competing in a number of swimming races, trying their best to earn points for their colour house. Whether it was in the pool or cheering from the stands, it was great to see so many students giving it all for their team. 

A highlight of the day was the 4 x 50 metre house relay which involved the inclusion of a teacher team. Congratulations to Mundawora who stormed home in the final leg to claim first place. (We’ll get them next time teachers!)

A big thank you to all the staff on the day who did a fantastic job on running the events or assisting the students in getting involved. Thank you also to the Year 10 PASS students who assisted on the day, without your support this event would not have been as successful.

The winning house will be announced to Del Monte and Gioia House students over the coming weeks.

Ryan Dunlop
PE Coordinator P-4/PDHPE Teacher 5-6

In the Prep learning space

This term Prep’s unit of inquiry has focussed on roles and responsibilities. The children have enjoyed engaging in role play to explore the roles and responsibilities of people such as fire fighters and healthcare workers. They have also used natural materials to create representations of some of the different staff members at Del Monte. 

Mrs Nebauer’s role is our art teacher and she is responsible for teaching us how to be artists

Joseph

Firefighters are responsible for looking after their equipment and the fire truck.

George

Our sports teacher is Mr Dunlop. He is responsible for teaching us sport.

Enzo

Clare Wood
Prep Teacher

Sculpture by the Sea

Year 3 recently visted Sculpture by the Sea Bondi. This excursion was a perfect provocation to their current Unit of Inquiry ‘Cultural understanding can be built through aesthetic appreciation’. Students explored various sculptures – many students were amazed at the detail, size and beauty. Some sculptures also got students questioning and wondering. Each student had the opportunity to sketch sculptures they admired and then identify the different aspects that contributed to the sculptures aesthetics. Many discussions stemmed from this excursion and all students said they enjoyed the beautiful scenic walk along Bondi Beach. 

Speech Day

College Hall (Secondary Years Campus) 2 December 2022 9:15am

On Friday 2 December we will be having our annual Speech Day at 9:15 am. Please note the College Hall will now be available and our celebration will take place there instead of in the Santa Sabina Chapel. The Primary Speech day will be live-streamed. This is the link to the live stream for your reference:  LINK

On the day we will congratulate our 2022 award recipients. Below is an outline of the awards that will be presented on the day.  Parents of award recipients will be notified on Monday 28 November 2022 via email.

We look forward to celebrating with families the achievements of our Primary students.

Christian Leadership Award

Australian Citizenship Award:

· Contributes positively to the classroom, school and the community 

· Contributes to problem-solving in peaceful ways

· Has demonstrated respect for diversity and the view of others

· Has an excellent attitude to education and school life

· An outstanding citizen of the school

Leadership Award

Community Contribution Award: Rotary

This award recognises a student who displays outstanding service and makes a

contribution within and beyond the College.

Sally Sitou Award

Recognises a student who displays

Friendship and care for others

Participation in community activities

Civic responsibility

Ex-student – Howard Brown Award

Recognises a Year 4 boy who has displayed the spirit of the four Dominican Pillars of Prayer, Study, Community and Service during their time as a student of Santa Maria del Monte.

Ex-student – Ashleigh Barnes Award

Recognises a Year 4 girl who has displayed the spirit of the four Dominican Pillars of Prayer, Study, Community and Service during their time as a student of Santa Maria del Monte.

Commonwealth Parliamentarian’s Distinguished Achievement Award

Presented to the student who displays an exceptional level of achievement in community involvement, leadership, academic results and sports.

Academic Excellence Award
Excellence in Music Award

Saint Cecilia Services to Music Award for Primary Years 

This award acknowledges a student whose performance across a range of music activities displays an outstanding level of personal excellence and exemplary commitment and attitude

Excellence in Physical Education

Excellence in Italian

Excellence in Visual Arts Award

Commitment to SSC School Sport and Team Spirit

Commitment to SSC Music Education and Teamwork

Dominican Awards:

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 Fra Angelico Award – Creativity

Acknowledges students who display outstanding performance in one or more of the following areas:

·           Visual Arts

·           Music

·           Drama

St Thomas Aquinas Award – Academic

Acknowledges students who:

·      Display outstanding performance

·      Are high achievers

·      Achieve excellence in single or multiple key learning areas

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

St Dominic Award –

Acknowledges students who:

·      Are enthusiastic

·      Participate to the full in school life

·      Have a positive attitude

·      Apply themselves diligently

St Albert the Great Award – Research

Acknowledges students who:

·      Problem Solve

·      Think Logically

·      Display a thirst for knowledge

·      Are deep thinkers

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

Joanne Giannini
Head of Primary P-4

Wild at Art finalist

Congratulations to Ava Anderson in Year 4 who has been selected as a finalist within the “Wild At Art” art competition run by the Australian Conservation Foundation. There were 4600 entries and 100 finalists!  Ava’s artwork is titled Blue Breasted Fairy Wren and her artist’s statement is below:

‘I decided to research and paint Australia’s Blue Breasted Fairy Wren because it is such a pretty bird. Blue is my favourite colour, and I love bluebirds.

‘The Blue Breasted Fairy Wren mainly lives in southern Western Australia where wheat is farmed. Even before I was born in 2012, it was predicted to be a threatened bird species, since the land where they live was logged for wheat farming. Sadly, they are now a threatened bird species. Farmers did not listen to stop wheat farming in the area.

‘Even though wheat is important, the Blue Breasted Wren is just as precious. I think getting the balance right between farming and Blue Breasted Fairy Wrens numbers is essential to stop our whole ecosystem from falling apart. Otherwise our beautiful Blue Breasted Fairy Wren may not exist anymore, which makes me very sad.’

Caddie Ruster
Gifted Education Coordinator P-4/Year 4 Teacher

Religious Education

Remembrance Day Liturgy

On Friday we gathered as a school and commemorated Remembrance Day through a prayer assembly. The last Post was played by Cordelia Highfield and Mr Gratton lead the Year 2 students in the reflection song. Thank you to our Year 2 students and teachers for leading our school liturgy last week.

Prayer

God of love and liberty,

we bring our thanks this day for the peace and security we enjoy, which was won for us through the courage and devotion of those who gave their lives in time of war.

We pray that their labour and sacrifice may not be in vain, but that their spirit may live on in us and in generations to come.

That the liberty, truth and justice which they sought to preserve may be seen and known in all the nations upon earth.

This we pray in the name of the one who gave his life for the sake of the world, Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.

YEAR 3 LITURGY AT THE TALLONG CHAPEL

During the Year 3 camp last week the students participated in a very special camp liturgy celebrated at the outdoor Tallong Chapel. This was a perfect backdrop for the children to spend some time in prayer and reflection. Prayer is an important part of our Catholic tradition. Sharing the scripture and proclaiming God’s word, is an integral part of whom we are as a community. The students are to be congratulated for the reverence and respect demonstrated in this time of prayer and reflection where they were asked to think about their role as stewards of our world. 

Tina Nicotina

Religious Education Coordinator P-6 Pastoral Care Coordinator P-4

Year 3 Tallong Campus Experience 2022

Outdoor Education Experience

Last week, our Year 3 students visited the Santa Sabina Tallong Outdoor Education Campus. The students had fun learning new skills and participating in new and exciting experiences such as mountain bike riding, shelter making, and campfire cooking. It was wonderful to see our students trying new things, strengthening friendships and growing as learners, all the while maintaining our school values of community, service, prayer and study.

Year 3 Reflections

We had the best food at Tallong, my favourite meal was the mushroom pasta!

Elena

I enjoyed all the activities at Tallong, my favourite was the group teamwork challenge trying to balance the plank.

Analicia

I enjoyed mountain bike riding. I challenged myself by going on the stunts.

Eden

My favourite activity was the group challenges, especially the low ropes because it was very challenging. 

Sophia

I enjoyed shelter building because I got to show off my nature skills.

Deon

I am also proud of building a shelter and participating in the group challenges. The most challenging thing was sleeping by myself. I didn’t give up on hard activities. Next year I want to get better at mountain biking.

Steph

Year 3 Team

Units of Inquiry curriculum update

Students from Prep to Year 4 are engaged in their final unit of inquiry for 2022.

Prep

Central Idea: Communities work together

An inquiry into:

• roles and responsibilities in our local community
• roles and responsibilities in our school community
• our role and responsibility as learners

They are developing social, thinking and communication skills.

Kindergarten

Central Idea: Guardianship of the planet is a shared responsibility

An inquiry into:

• reducing, reusing and recycling, renewing (Return and Earn, plastic recycling)
• the needs of living things
• how we can be guardians of our planet

They are developing thinking, research and social skills.

Year 1

Central Idea: Humans communicate with each other in verbal and nonverbal ways

An inquiry into:

• the effectiveness of different communication systems: electronic, spoken, written, action
• the relationship between participants: (speaker/ viewer/ listener)
• different ways of expressing ourselves

They are developing thinking, communication and social skills.

Year 2

Central Idea: Games connect people

An inquiry into:

• games people play
• history of games
• how forces are used in games

They are developing communication, social and thinking skills.

Year 3

Central Idea: Cultural understanding can be built through aesthetic appreciation

An inquiry into:

• aspects that contribute to aesthetics
• how culture is represented through aspects of aesthetics
• ways to manipulate aesthetic elements to express ourselves

They are developing thinking, research and sself-management skills.

Year 4

Central Idea: Commemorations and celebrations connect with identity

An inquiry into:

• how we decide what is significant to commemorate or celebrate
• commemorations and celebrations that are significant to Australia
• commemorations and celebrations of other cultures

They are developing research, thinking and social skills.

Karen Campbell
IB PYP and Curriculum Coordinator P-4

Director of Sport & Co-curricular Activities

The later part of 2022 has seen an increase in those signing up to play sport for the College which has been very pleasing. We have had a record number of students register to represent the College at CGSSSA and higher, while our SSC Volleyball and Basketball invitational at Santa has gone from strength to strength.

The following highlights show that students are returning and achieving great results both in the representative level as well as in the IGSA and IPSHA competitions.

Term 4 Invitational Volleyball/Basketball

This year a record number of teams have been entered into these competitions which includes 150 Volleyball teams and 45 basketball teams making it one of the biggest sporting competitions of any private school in Sydney. Each Saturday hundreds of students and their parents from schools across Sydney come to Santa to compete for their school and challenge our girls in these sports. All our community members are very welcome to come along and watch our students compete.

IGSA / IPSHSA

Term 4 has also seen our primary boys compete in Basketball in the IPSHA competition, our primary and Gioia house girls compete in Basketball and Tennis, and our senior girls compete in Touch Football, Waterpolo and Tennis in the IGSA competition.

Primary Swimming Carnival

Last week students from our Primary and Gioia House campuses bussed it down to Ashfield Aquatic Centre to compete and take part in the Primary swimming carnival. The carnival provided for students to compete and show their skills while at the same time it allowed for all students to enjoy and take part in the novelty events scheduled throughout the day. Thank you to Mr Ryan Dunlop for the work in preparing this carnival, to Ms Joanne Giannini and Mrs Stella Azizian and their staff for supporting the students and involving themselves in the activities. We look forward to the Primary and Gioia House students joining the senior students in a whole of College swimming carnival late in February 2023.

Last weekend 39 students ventured out on a Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Adventurous Journey and a special thanks to Brittany Pointing and Chris Walker for leading this camp. By all accounts it was a very successful weekend for all involved.

Term 1 2023

Registrations have been out for several weeks for any student who is interested in playing a sport in in term 1 2023. While registrations have closed there is still an opportunity to register to play a sport in Term 1 for a few sports, and this will be your final opportunity to register to play in Term 1. Please refer to the registration page in this VV publication.

George Ayoub
Director of Sport & Co-curricular Activities

Bronze Duke of Edinburgh’s Award – Adventurous Journey

Thirty-two students participated in the Bronze Adventurous Journey for the Duke of Edinburgh Award. They hiked in the Berowra Valley National Park and put into practice their skills from Year 9 Camp!

Christopher Walker
Coordinator of Outdoor Education & Experiential Learning (K-12)

2023 Term 1 sports Year 7-12

The following information relates to Registrations for TERM 1 sports.  Please read carefully and if you register for a sport it is your intention to play that sport for the entire season. Training will be compulsory as are attending matches that you are committing to.

Team entries are due to our external organising bodies in week 7 this term therefore we need registrations to be completed asap.

Please read carefully and Register for a sport if you are in years 7-12 in 2023:

Thank you to those who have already completed registrations for Term 1 Sport. There are a number of spaces still available in a variety of IGSA sports.

If you would like to play sport in Term 1, please complete the registrations ASAP.

IGSA Tennis – places remain in teams for all year groups

During Term 1 students will be playing Tennis against other Independent schools in Sydney. Students will be expected to train each week either before or after school on the College Tennis courts and play on Saturday mornings between 7:30am – 12:00noon. Mr. Magee, Head of SSC Tennis, and his coaches organise training and team selections which will be dependent on the number of students who register to play. Please read carefully and if you register for Tennis it is your intention to play that sport for the entire season. Training will be compulsory as are attending matches that you are committing to.

Tennis – PLEASE CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

IGSA Touch Football – places remain in teams for students from Years 8-12 (2023)

During Term 1 students will be playing Touch Football against other Independent schools in Sydney. Students will be expected to train each week either before or after school on the College’s main field and play on Saturday mornings between 7:30am – 12:00noon. Training and team selections which will be dependent on the number of students who register to play. Please read carefully and if you register for Touch Football it is your intention to play that sport for the entire season. Training will be compulsory as are attending matches that you are committing to.

Touch Football – PLEASE CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

IGSA Water Polo – places remain in teams for all year groups

During Term 1 students will be playing Water Polo against other Independent schools in Sydney. Students will be expected to train each week either before or after school in the College pool and play on Saturday mornings between 7:30am – 12:00noon. Training and team selections will be dependent on the number of students who register to play. Please read carefully and if you register for Waterpolo it is your intention to play that sport for the entire season. Training will be compulsory as are attending matches that you are committing to.

Water Polo – PLEASE CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

Rugby Sevens

During Term 1 Students compete at the Barker Invitational Sevens rugby competition against other independent and club teams. Students will be expected to train at the College either before or after school, play matches on Monday afternoon/evening at Barker College and attend a number of gala days throughout the term. Please read carefully and if you register for Rugby 7’s it is your intention to play that sport for the entire season. Training will be compulsory as are attending matches that you are committing to.

Rugby Sevens – PLEASE CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

Registrations for the following sports/activities will remain open until early Term 1

Invitational Volleyball at SSC

Students have an opportunity to play with friends in this competition which is played at Santa Sabina College each Saturday in Term 1. Matches may be scheduled between 7:45 am to 1:00 pm. Teams will play at the same time slot each week and it is a great opportunity to try this sport with an eye on selection into the Representative Volleyball Program in 2023. 

Students may begin to email the sports department with their teams for Term 1.

Volleyball – PLEASE CLICK HERE TO REGISTER  

Representative Dance Program

Students from Year 1 through to Year 12 have the opportunity to audition for the Santa Sabina College Representative Dance Program for 2023. Please click on the link to register your expression of interest and for further information.

Dance – Click here for Expression of Interest

Swimming Club

Students have an opportunity to be involved in the College swimming club which will train twice a week in the College pool. These times will be organised with the assistance of the Swimming Coach and students will be notified. The proposed times are Monday after school and Thursday morning before school but this may change depending on coaching. Please read carefully and if you register for swim clubs it is your intention to play that sport for the entire season. Training will be compulsory as are attending matches that you are committing to.

Swimming – PLEASE CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

Boxing for Senior Years

 Years 10, 11 & 12 are provided with an opportunity to be part of Boxing fitness on Friday morning before school in Term 1. If there are not enough students that register for this, we will not be able to provide this service.

Boxing Fitness – PLEASE CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

Fit Club 

Years 5-12 are provided with an opportunity to be part of Fit Club on Wednesday after school in Term 1. If there are not enough students that register for this, we will not be able to provide this service.

Fit club – PLEASE CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

Run Club

Years 5-12 are provided with an opportunity to be part of Fit Club on Wednesday before school in Term 1. If there are not enough students that register for this, we will not be able to provide this service.

Run Club – PLEASE CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

Netball 2023

Santa Sabina College competes in the Eastwood Ryde Netball Association (ERNA) Saturday Netball Competition that will run from Saturday 29 April through to Saturday 9 September 2023 (Finals). The competition is open to students turning 8 years of age or older in 2023. Games are played at Brush Farm Park, Eastwood (8-10 years) and Meadowbank Park (11+ years) from 8:00am to 4:30pm at the same allocated time each week. Training is held either before school from 7.00am-8.00am or after school from 3.30-4.30pm on the College Netball courts.

Netball Expression of Interest – PLEASE CLICK HERE

Please contact the Sports office if you require further information relating to the sports on offer in Term 1

Sport@ssc.nsw.edu.au

Sports Department

2023 Term 1 Sports Years 3-6

The following information relates to Registrations for TERM 1 sports.  Please read carefully and if you register for a sport it is your intention that your son or daughter will play that sport for the entire season. Training will be compulsory as is attending matches that you are committing to.

Please read carefully and Register for a sport if you are in Years 3-6 in 2023:

Thank you to those who have already completed registrations for Term 1 Sport. There are a number of spaces still available in a variety of IPSHA sports.

If you would like to play sport in Term 1, please complete the registrations ASAP.

IPSHA Boys Basketball (Years 3-4 2023)

Students have an opportunity to play Basketball for the College each Saturday in Term 1. Matches may be scheduled between 8:00am – 12:00noon. The IPSHA competition is played against other independent schools. If you register for this sport it is your intention to commit to training and matches each week. Training days and times are to be communicated once we have registrations.

Boys Basketball – PLEASE CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

IPSHA Girls Football (Years 3-6 2023)

Students have an opportunity to play Football for the College each Saturday in Term 1. Matches may be scheduled between 8:00am – 12:00noon. The IPSHA competition is played against other independent schools. If you register for this sport it is your intention to commit to training and matches each week. Training days and times are to be communicated once we have registrations.

IPSHA Girls FOOTBALL – PLEASE CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

Swimming Club

Students have an opportunity to be involved in the College swimming club which will train twice a week in the College pool. These times will be organised with the assistance of the Swimming Coach and students will be notified. The proposed times are Monday after school and Thursday morning before school but this may change depending on coaching. Please read carefully and if you register for swim clubs it is your intention to play that sport for the entire season. Training will be compulsory as are attending matches that you are committing to.

Swimming – PLEASE CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

Registrations for the following sports/activities will remain open until early Term 1

Run Club (Years 5-6 only)

Years 5-12 are provided with an opportunity to be part of Fit Club on Wednesday before school in Term 1. This sport requires a minimum number of students.

Run Club – PLEASE CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

Fit Club

Years 5-12 are provided with an opportunity to be part of Fit Club on Wednesday after school in Term 1. If there are not enough students that register for this, we will not be able to provide this service.

Fit Club – PLEASE CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

Representative Dance (Years 1-6)

Students have an opportunity to audition to be selected for the College Representative Dance program in 2023. Training times will be organised with the assistance of the head of the Dance program, Ms Williams, and students will be notified. Please read carefully and complete the expression of interest form in the link below

Representative Dance – PLEASE CLICK HERE TO REGISTER YOUR EXPRESSION OF INTEREST

Water Polo/Flipperball Years 3-6 (GIRLS)

Students have an opportunity to compete in Waterpolo/Flipperball for the College each Saturday in Term 1. Matches may be scheduled between 8:00am – 12:00noon. The IPSHA competition is played against other independent schools. If you register for this sport it is your intention to commit to training and matches each week. Training days and times are to be communicated once we have registrations.

Water Polo/Flipperball – PLEASE CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

If you require further information please contact the sports staff

Sport@ssc.nsw.edu.au

Sports Department

Netball competition 2023

If you haven’t already done so, be sure to register your Intention to Play in the ERNA competition in 2023. This information is used to provide you with additional registration details and links. Formal registrations will need to be completed prior to the trials which will be held mid-late February. At this stage we are looking at opening registrations via PlayHQ at the start of Term 1 but VO will be updated with all of the relevant dates and information as they become available, so please keep an eye out.

This year’s Year 12 and previous Santa students are encouraged to continue on their netball journey by forming their own teams and representing the College in 2023. Simply nominate one player to coordinate the team and email me with the names of the individual players and when registrations open I will forward a specific team link for you all to register via.

For our current students, I will be holding a Netball Shooting Skills Clinic during lunchtime for different year groups. Information has been posted outside the sports office and on VO. Depending on the level of interest from our new and or junior players, I will also hold a Beginners Clinic where we will cover off basic throwing, catching & footwork skills through a series of game based activities. This clinic will be aimed at Years 5 & 6 but all students are welcome to attend. I will look at running the second clinic after the shooting clinic which finishes on November 30.

We are also in the process of dusting off the game day bags which we will restock with our new balls when they arrive. This is also the perfect time to check your own equipment by making sure your netball shoes are in good condition and fit properly. If they are worn or you have grown out of them, then maybe you could add a new pair to your Christmas wish list!

Jo Gocher
Netball Coordinator/Sports Administrator

IPSHA Gymnastics

In Week 3 of this term, three Gioia House students travelled to Rooty Hill to represent Santa Sabina at the IPSHA Gymnastics Carnival. India Matheson, Verona Di Santo and Isla The competed against other independent schools from NSW in their respective Women’s Artistic Gymnastics levels.

India competed early in the day in the Level 5 competition and placed 3^rd on floor, which was an excellent result considering India has been intensely training in another discipline. (You might remember India’s impressive Acrobatic routine at Dom’s Day).

Later in the afternoon, it was time Isla and Verona to have their turn in the Level 3, with the other schools in the division. Both Isla and Verona have been very successful in their competitions outside of school, and they continued their great form and won the Level 3, Div 3 team competition for Santa Sabina.

All three were excellent representatives of Gioia House and the College and brought home some wonderful results. In 2023, we hope to send a bigger team of students who are participating in Gymnastics outside of the College.

Rachael Simmons
Representative Sport Coordinator

Drama Musical school holiday workshop

Join us this school holiday break as we explore the musical Into the Woods by Stephen Sondheim. It will be an unforgettable journey into the woods! This musical follows the classic tales of Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, Jack and the Beanstalk, and Rapunzel-all tied together by an original story and incredible soundtrack.

Rachel Hennessy
Speech and Drama

From the Artistic Director

Celebration of Music Concert – Congratulations!

Congratulations to our incredibly talented students, staff and helpers at our annual Celebration of Music concert last Saturday. Please enjoy the photos of the P-12 ensembles who performed. Also, a very special thank you to Mrs Suzanna Touma, Music Administrator 5-12, for her tireless work in the background, ensuring everything ran smoothly for the event, both leading up to and on the day itself. 

IB Music Masterclass with Veronique Seret

On Monday 7 November, the Year 11 IB music class was joined by Veronique Serret for a workshop on electronic music. As part of the IB music syllabus, a variety of experimentation and exploration is required, including a focus on music technology in the digital and electronic age.

Few of us have experience with this and it is not explored as often in traditional music study, so the workshop was greatly appreciated. Veronique is an accomplished violinist interested in the connection between music and technology and often performs pieces incorporating music technology. As an ex-Santa student, she opened our eyes to many new forms of music-making. As part of the workshop, we were taken through the technologies she commonly uses in performances, such as loop and delay pedals.

We were lucky enough to have Veronique perform two pieces for us and explain the technology and notation behind them. This experience was incredibly valuable, as we had the opportunity to ask questions and explore the diversity of music technology. In addition, we learnt how to use some of the technology, which will prove extremely helpful as we complete the required components of our course. Not only this, but we learnt how to effectively use these technologies in our compositions, which provided us with a lot of insight, and will provide us with new pathways for future compositions and experimentation.

Ruby Bron, Year 11

Years 5–12 Speech Night

Date: Thursday 24 November 
Performance Time: 6:30pm – 8:30pm
Venue: State Theatre, Market St, City
Rehearsal: during the day at the venue
Performers: Chamber Orchestra, Chamber Choir, Stage Band, Brass Ensemble

Advent Festival of Readings and Carols

ALL WELCOME

Date: Wednesday 30 November
Venue: Santa Sabina Chapel
Rehearsal: during the day and after school
Performance Time: 6:00pm – 7:30pm
Performers: Siena Singers, Laudare Singers, College Choir, Chamber Choir, Chamber Orchestra, Brass Ensemble

Chamber Choir performs with Consort 8

ALL WELCOME

Date: Saturday 3 December
Venue: St Paul’s Anglican Church, Burwood 
Performance Time: 5:30pm – 7:00pm
Tickets: available online or at the door via https://events.ticketbooth.com.au/event/christmas-lullaby/pre-sale

Tim Chung
Artistic Director

Introducing Brigida Zagora, Head of HSIE History and future Head of HSIE Social Sciences

Staff Story

Our energetic and passionate new Head of HSIE – History, Brigida Zagora, credits her Year 8 History teacher with sparking her to spend the rest of her life with the study, the teaching and sharing of history as her beacon and passion.

Brigida has Master’s and Bachelor’s degrees in Education from the University of Sydney and the University of Technology, Sydney, is a lead HSC exam marker and judge and has co-authored four school textbooks on History. She is involved with the History Teachers Association and the Association of Independent Schools in curriculum work. Her teaching career includes the roles of Head of House and Head of Gifted Education at other schools.

She is thrilled to be teaching in a school redolent of history and surrounded by the symbols of our founders. History Club has been revived under her watch and she has plans to make use of the many historical resources of the College, including the Archives of our 128 years as a school and the many active ex-students and Dominican Sisters who are part of our rich culture.

In 2023 Brigida’s role will expand to embrace social sciences as well as humanities – with the leadership of HSIE Social Sciences on top of her current role. She is not fazed by these expanded responsibilities as she has fulfilled this same role for nine years at another school. At Santa Sabina in 2023, subjects under her watch will include all of the Histories (of course), Business Studies, Economics, Geography, Legal Studies, Philosophy and World Studies, Psychology, Global Studies and Commerce.

In our conversation, every utterance from Brigida mentions history and the part it plays in the world around us.

‘I love the idea of Santa students “shaking the world’’’, she says.

‘I want to be part of the journey of using the College’s strengths to empower our girls to be people who are meaningful contributors to our society. A lot of our students have the capacity to be future leaders and we need to give them the skills to think critically and creatively to solve future problems.’

And it is the study of History which gives our students these skills as well as the 21^st century skills of collaboration and empathy. Studying history together with knowing our faith and participating in service learning prepares our students to make a difference in the world.

Despite living and breathing the teaching and learning of history – ‘who I am at school is who I am in my whole life’ – Brigida enjoys family life including walking her ‘COVID dog’ Roxy with her son in the bush near her home. She loves to eat out, spend weekends on the beach and at cycle classes with her daughter or kayaking with her husband. With her friends, ‘the musical gals’, she attends every stage musical that comes to Sydney, most recently the fabulous Moulin Rouge – ‘the most amount of glitter falling from the sky’. And inspired by her recent attendance at the Festival of Dangerous Ideas, Brigida is currently reading Strongmen, How They Rise, Why They Succeed and How They Fall by Ruth Ben-Ghiat.

Victoria Harper
Publications and Marketing Officer

Reach out at Christmas

Though commercialism has displaced many of the traditional Christian celebrations of Christmas, one of the enduring ideas is that, at this time of year, we reach out to help people in need. 

Across the College we will be collecting practical help for several different groups of people in need and you are invited to make a contribution of food and toiletries and/or a gift card which allows the recipients to have the dignity of choice. 

The Santa and Del Monte campuses are collecting basic non-perishable food for two agencies that support refugees: Jesuit Refugee Services and the House of Welcome. While refugees are waiting for the government to process their applications for asylum they are not permitted to work, and so they are dependent on the generosity of strangers. I wonder what the stress must be like not knowing where your next meal will be coming from – or how the  next nappy will appear. 

Gioia House is collecting for the Parish Pantry at St Paul’s, Burwood, which supports local people on minimum incomes. 

Mary Bailey House continues its long association with the Indigenous community and Sr Naomi Smith at the Baabayn Indigenous healing centre in Mt Druitt. 

Gift cards of course are welcome! If this kind of donation is your preference, please choose $25 or $50 multiples, rather than a larger single amount on a card, to be able to spread the joy around. 

Please refer to your campus list below for guidance about the most needed items. Send me an email with any questions (j.sulis@ssc.nsw.edu.au). (If you would like to be involved in delivering the food to either Parramatta or Granville we would love to hear from you!)

It is at this time of year when we celebrate his birth that I remember the words of Jesus: ‘Whatever you do for these, the least of my brothers and sisters, you do for me’.

Jane Sulis
Outreach Coordinator

Uniform Shop Extended Hours

The Santa Sabina Uniform Shop is located in the 1927 Building within the senior campus of the College at 90 The Boulevarde, Strathfield.

If you need wheelchair or pram access please come to the rear of the building between the 1927 Building and the Chapel.

Opening Hours

Trading hours during term time

Monday 8:00am-4:00pm
Tuesday 1:00pm-5:00pm
Wednesday 8:00am-4:00pm
Thursday 1:00pm-5:00pm
Friday 8:00am-4:00pm

Extra trading hours from November 2022 to February 2023

Tuesday 15 November: 8:00am-5:00pm
Thursday 17 November: 8:00am-5:00pm
Tuesday 22 November: 8:00am-5:00pm
Monday 5 December: 8:00am-4:00pm
Tuesday 6 December: 8:00am-5:00pm
Wednesday 7 December : 8:00am-4:00pm
Thursday 8 December: 9:00am-4:00pm – appointment required
Friday 9 December: 9:00am-3:00pm– appointment required

January Holiday Trading Hours – appointment and online order pickups only

Monday 9 January to Friday 13 January: 9:00am to 4:00pm
Monday 16 to Friday 20 January: 9:00am to 4:00pm
Monday 23 January to Wednesday 25 January: 9:00am to 4:00pm
Thursday 26 January: Closed

Term 1 Extended Trading Hours – no appointments required

Friday 27 January: 8:00am-4:00pm
Monday 30 January: 8:00am-4:00pm
Tuesday 31 January: 8:00am-5:00pm
Wednesday 1 February: 8:00am-4:00pm
Thursday 2 February: 8:00am-5:00pm
Friday 3 February: 8:00am-4:00pm
Monday 6 February: 8:00am-4:00pm
Tuesday 7 February: 8:00am-5:00pm
Wednesday 8 February: 8:00am-4:00pm
Thursday 9 February: 8:00am-5:00pm
Friday 10 February: 8:00am-4:00pm

Normal trading hours resume Monday 13 February 2023

Online Store

Enjoy the convenience of online shopping. Save time and energy by ordering your uniforms online in six easy steps.
New User Instructions
1. Go to www.midford.com.au
2. Select your school from the Online School Shops tab
3. New users to click the “Register New Account” button
4. Start the registration process by selecting your school from the drop down menu and add the unique school pass phrase: SS1894
5. Add your personal information, create a username and password
6. Order the items you need, select pick-up in store or option for home delivery.

Staff at the Uniform Shop can be contacted by phone or email:

Phone: +61 2 9745 7045 
Email: santa.sabina@midford.com.au

From the P&F

The P&F Association is looking forward to welcoming our whole College Community – Prep to Year 12 – at the Annual General Meeting at 7:30pm 28 November 2022. This is a great opportunity to hear from College Principal Paulina Skerman along with the P&F Executive about what is happening around the College. We also have a number of Executive positions to be elected at the AGM.  If you are interested in any of these roles please reach out to P&F President Joseph Gittani pnfpresident@ssc.nsw.edu.au .  

The AGM will see some changes to the current Executive. We would like to say a big thank you to those members for their time and commitment to the P&F and College. We offer our thanks to College Principal Paulina Skerman for hosting all the volunteers and Executive prior to the AGM. 

Gingerbread House Drive – orders close 30 November

Thank you to everyone who has already supported our Gingerbread House Drive by purchasing. Orders must close on 30 November 2022 to ensure delivery prior to Christmas. Don’t miss out, order now: https://share.gingerbreadfolk.com.au/SSC   

Year group events

P&F Comms

As the year draws to a close so will the 2022 year-group-specific SSC Whatsapp chats. The chats will cease at the end of Week 9 in line with the end of term. Keep your eye out for an email from the College in the new year to opt in to the new 2023 Whatsapp groups. We hope you have found the chats helpful and supportive over the past year.  

Parent Education – Debra Brodowski

End of year

The end of each year can come with a mixture of thoughts and feelings for the young people in our lives. There can be excitement in looking forward to what’s to come; there can also be a little sadness in what has finished (maybe finishing up with a beloved teacher and group of peers). There may even be some fears when thinking ‘what’s next?’ or even thoughts around ‘there’s so much going on, how do I even get through all the things I need to do in these next few weeks!’

All these feelings are completely normal. Whilst they might be ‘big’ feelings that can overwhelm our young people, helping them to keep them grounded can help. We can do this as parents and caregivers by helping our young people find purpose and meaning in what they do. Whilst this can seem like an adult concept to do we can support our young people by having supportive conversations at a moment of quiet reflection by asking any of the following:

What are you thankful for this year/this time of year?
What were some of your favourite moments?
What are you looking forward to ?
What’s most important to you right now/this week/this month?

Our young people show marvellous capacity for thought and reflection; by supporting them in having these reflective moments we can slow down all the different thoughts and feelings going on for them, give them the opportunity to pick out what they value most, and help them focus on these values as we head to the big holiday break.

Ex-Students’ Association

Annual General Meeting

We are proud to announce the 2023-23 general committee members of the Santa Sabina Ex-Students’ Association.

Executive committee:

Elizabeth Pooley (1971) President

Elizabeth Lamb (2002) Vice President

Sue Bell (1974) Secretary

Margot Clement (1974) Treasurer

General committee:

Damian Bridge (Del Monte 1979)

Howard Brown (Del Monte 1961)

Michelle Civitarese (1995)

Sara Crane (2000)

Odette Don (1995)

Julie Erskine (1968)

Elizabeth Mulcahy (1974)

Alexis Poole (1991)

Lorette Quinlan (1974)

Sister Pauline Riley OP (1951)

Trudie Rogers (1968)

Ashley Barnes

Ex-student Ashleigh Barnes from the class of 2011 visited our Year 4 students explaining the awards that will be given at Speech Day.

In late 2017 Ashleigh Barnes received a Rhodes Scholarship, with the outstanding achievement of being one of only 10 female recipients in NSW history, and the first from Santa Sabina.

We thank the college community for their participation in and support of the vote, the first public ballot in the association’s long history.

Melbourne Cup Luncheon

The Ex-students hosted another fabulous Melbourne Cup lunch at Angelo’s Cabarita!

Elizabeth Pooley

President

Kopanang Christmas Market

Please join us at this year’s Christmas market: Friday 18 November 3:00pm to 8:00pm and Saturday 19 November 10:00am to 3:00pm at Rosary Lodge – Santa Sabina College.