College Principal

As the term draws to a close and we approach Holy Week, we reflect on Jesus’ death and the celebration of joy that comes with his resurrection on Easter Sunday. It is a time that offers hope, new life, and the assurance that God never abandons us. We are challenged to let go of sin and selfishness and allow Easter to change our hearts and transform our lives.

I want to wish our entire community a happy and restful holiday. We look forward to welcoming our students back to school on Wednesday 26 April in winter uniform ready for another exciting term.

God Bless

Paulina Skerman
College Principal

Deputy Principal Mission and Pastoral Care

Lent at Santa Sabina in 2023

Lent has been marked in a number of ways at Santa Sabina since Ash Wednesday on 6 March. Each House in Years 7-12 has joined together for a Lenten Liturgy on Thursday morning in the chapel. These have been well attended and House Leaders have been focused on coming together as a community to pray and fundraise together. We were able to celebrate a Eucharistic Mass on Friday 17 March and other occasions we have marked with a Liturgy of the Word. Caritas fundraising for our students in Years 7 -12 has taken the form of pancake stalls on Shrove Tuesday and a staff vs student Basketball game. 

At Del Monte, students have also been supporting Caritas with the collection of funds, marking Lent in various ways in the classroom and during assemblies. Students from P-4 will also mark Palm Sunday and Holy Week together as a community next week. 

At Gioia House the Sacred Space in the foyer has continued to remind students of the opportunities Lent provides for us to reflect on and renew our faith. Our Years 5 and 6 students also organised a very successful cake stall to raise money for Caritas. 

Our Social Justice Leaders in Year 7-12, ably led by Ms Sulis, have been selling tickets for a Caritas raffle during Lent and all three areas of the school have given full support to this fundraiser.

The focus of Lent in all of our liturgical and fundraising initiatives has been on the transformative impact of this Church Season. We have been focusing in our prayers and actions on the hope that forgiveness will make us better people in a better world. 

Best wishes to the whole Santa Sabina Community as we celebrate the light of Easter after a season of transformation. We extend this blessing to our whole community:

May God surround us with gifts this Easter Season 

– the gift salvation, the gift of hope, the gift of joy.

May all who are gathered here find 

peace and goodwill in all that we do

May God bless and nourish us in the days ahead 

and may our actions reflect God’s love

Melanie van der Meer
Deputy Principal Mission and Pastoral Care

Deputy Principal Teaching and Learning

Naplan

Years 3,5,7 and 9 have now completed the National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) testing for 2023. In previous years, Naplan was held in May. With this change to Term 1 we hope that results will be available to the school before August. We recognise that these results are from a point in time, and they will complement the assessments teachers already conduct in the classroom. 

Learning and Expectations 

Education expert John Hattie wrote a book in 2008 called Visible Learning. Over the years, it has been a handbook for all pedagogy leaders and teachers. I was lucky enough to be part of a school-wide implementation of Visible Learning, and I continue to refer to it as a guide for supporting staff on best practice. Hattie has written a sequel that includes updated research and the stories from schools on the implementation. Hattie reminds us, ‘Every child is a learner, is teachable, can grow, and can be taught to love learning. Students have expectations, and the educator’s role is to help students exceed what they think is their potential. Students need to be taught to take on challenges, with safety nets when they fail.’ This will be on my reading list for the holidays. 

International Baccalaureate Conference 

Ms Skerman, Ms Harris, Dean of IBDP, and I recently attended the IB Global Conference in Adelaide. The theme for the conference was Education for an Inclusive Future. There were many inspirational speakers and peer-to-peer presentations on how the IB is facilitated in different learning environments worldwide. We learnt much from the three days, which we can use in our setting as we continue to grow and improve the Diploma Program for Year 11 and 12 students. 

As we conclude Term 1 and move into the holidays, I wish all families a safe and restful break. I thank the staff for their work this term, supporting our students’ learning, giving feedback, marking assessments, student/parent conferences and attending to their own professional learning and growth. I also thank our parents for supporting our teachers. Research shows that positive family-school relationships increase student motivation and engagement. Many Year 12 staff will continue through the holiday period with workshops for our students.

Jacqueline Pugh
Deputy Principal Teaching and Learning

Deputy Principal Operations

We continue to roll out new features in the Parent Lounge, with families now able to access their student’s Academic Reports from previous semesters. A copy of all reports that were once able to be downloaded from Veritas Online are now available in the Academic Reports menu in Parent Lounge. The College IT department is continuing to work behind the scenes to get the reports back on to VO.

With over 4000 staff, students and parents at Santa Sabina, protection of our IT network is of the highest priority. A feature that we have introduced to protect our network from international hackers is Geo-blocking. This means that the College will block or restrict internet traffic from outside of Australia. The implication for our families and students is that they may not be able to access College pages such as VO and Parent Lounge while they are outside of Australia. If you require access to College pages while overseas please contact itsupport@ssc.nsw.edu.au and the team will endeavour to assist you with your request.

I would like to highlight that Santa Sabina has a no dogs policy on the campus after school and on weekends. There have been situations at other schools in Sydney of dog bites while at sporting fixtures and we would like to avoid this situation. If you bring your dog onto the grounds, one of our staff will politely ask you to leave. Casper, the College wellbeing dog, has specific risk assessments around how he interacts with students and other members of the College community. 

Santa Sabina is in contact with both the Strathfield and Burwood councils to improve the traffic in and around the College during drop-off and pick-up times. Additional signage in the Kiss & Ride zone at Jersey Road has been installed to assist with the smooth flow of traffic and Council Rangers monitor the zones to ensure that motorists are being safe in these high traffic zones. I would like to also remind our drivers that students are unpredictable near the roads and small distractions such as phones or excitement to see parents at the end of the day can lead to unwanted incidents. Please slow down and stay under the speed limit in these school areas.

John Gilmore
Deputy Principal Operations

Head of Gioia House

As we draw closer to the end of Term 1 and prepare for Easter, we reflect on our learning and challenges. We celebrate our wins and our shortfalls as they are important part of human growth. In my previous newsletter article, I wrote about the importance of empowering our students by allowing them to take responsibility for becoming more independent and organised, and we (parents and educators) play a crucial role in creating opportunities for students to learn the skills and take accountability. In doing so, we must understand and teach our students that challenges and mistakes are a natural and critical part of the learning process. In Gioia House, students are given opportunities and encouraged to step out of their comfort zone by trying new things without being afraid to make mistakes. We know if students are scared of failing, they won’t try something new or think in a different way which prevents them from improving and being creative and critical thinkers. 

In Gioia House classrooms, while we work through new problems, compose texts or discuss topics, we expect students to make mistakes. We offer feedback, and they try again. And sometimes, students fail despite their best efforts, and it’s okay. The emphasis is on building resilience, learning new skills and asking questions. We know there is no success without failure. Fail is first attempt in learning.

Today we welcomed 35 parents for our Year 5 coffee and conversation morning tea. This was a wonderful occasion to connect with parents in a more informal setting.

We continue to focus on treating everyone with kindness and respect, show empathy and gratitude. I want to take this opportunity to thank our students for their commitment to school work and each other. Most importantly, I thank the students for the positive energy they bring to make the Gioa House a happy place.

A huge thank you to our dedicated staff who make the Gioia House a place where our students feel safe and valued every day. We are grateful for your support and partnership.

I wish all families a safe holiday and blessed Easter.

Today, as pilgrims in search of hope, we cling to you, Risen Jesus. We turn our backs on death and open our hearts to you, for you are Life itself.

Pope Francis

We have fun while learning.

STEM holiday workshops

The University of Technology Sydney is holding STEM workshops during the Easter holiday period which may be of interest to Gioia House families. Please find more information about them here.

Calendar dates

• 30 March – Gioia House Holy Week Liturgy
• 31 March – Year 6 Excursion – Royal Botanical Gardens & Art Gallery 
• 5 April – Last day of Term 1
• 26 April – Term 2 commences 
• 24-26 May – Year 5 Outdoor Education Experience at Tallong
• 1 June – K-6 Athletics Carnival
• 20 June – Reports are available to parents.
• 14-15 June – Parent-Teacher Online Interviews
• 13-15 September – Year 6 Outdoor Education Experience at Tallong

Stella Azizian
Head of Gioia House

Head of Primary P-4

This term has been a very busy term! 

Dr Dan Siegel and David Rock describe seven daily essential mental activities necessary for optimum mental health. They refer to these seven essential activities as The Healthy Mind Platter.

The Healthy Mind Platter has these essential mental activities to strengthen your brain’s internal connections and your connections with other people and the world around you. 

The idea around The Healthy Mind Platter is to become aware of the full range of essential mental activities, and as with essential nutrients, make sure that at least every day we are bringing the right ingredients into our mental diet, even if for just a bit of time!

One way to use the platter idea is to map out an average day and see what amount of time you spend on each essential mental activity. 

Like a balanced diet, there are many combinations that can work well. 

Here is a list of the seven essential mental activities according to Dr Dan Siegel and David Rock:

1. SLEEP TIME: When we give the brain the rest it needs to consolidate learning and recover from experiences of the day. 

2. PHYSICAL TIME: When we move our bodies, aerobically if possible, which strengthens our brain and contributes to our wellbeing. 

3. FOCUS TIME: When we focus closely on tasks in a goal-oriented way minimising distractions. 

4. CONNECTION TIME: When we connect with other people, ideally in person, or take time to appreciate the natural world around us. This activates the brain’s relational circuitry. 

5. PLAYTIME: When we allow ourselves to be spontaneous or creative, enjoying new experiences which helps make new connections in the brain. 

6. DOWNTIME: When we are not focused. Without a specific goal in mind and let our mind wander or rest, which helps the brain recharge. 

7. TIME-IN: When we quietly reflect on our inner-world of thoughts, feelings, images helps better integrate the brain and bring calm and relaxation. 

How much time each day do you give to these essential mental activities? 

On the Primary campus we aim to provide these daily essentials. 

In the Primary Campus section of this newsletter are snapshots of what has been happening in each of our grades.

Prep learning moments

We are delighted to share with you the introduction of ‘Prep Learning Moments’ on Veritas Online. This exciting new addition will allow for teachers to collect data about student learning and engagement in a variety of forms, ensuring that our students have a range of modes to communicate their understanding. Having our families connected will allow us to better engage families as active partners in their child’s learning. 

Families will gain a snapshot into what your child is learning in the classroom across a range of learning areas through viewing work samples, images, video recordings and other relevant learning materials. Through gaining an insight into your child’s learning moments, you will have the opportunity to leave a comment and engage in conversations about their learning in the home environment.

To access your child’s learning moments you will need to log into Veritas Online, via the app or using an internet browser. If you would like to receive notifications when a new learning moment is posted, you will need to visit your settings after logging in. From here, you will be able to choose how you would like to receive notifications, for example pop-up notifications or email. Please see a screenshot below of how this appears in your settings. 

If you are having difficulties accessing your child’s learning moments, please contact IT Support on itsupport@ssc.nsw.edu.au or 9745 7104.

Metal drink bottles

There have been a number of children bringing to school metal drink bottles. These are very heavy when full and can cause injuries if dropped. It would be fantastic if metal drink bottles could not be brought to school from Term 2.

Religious Education resource making

Friday 12 May 2023 9:00-11:00am 

On Friday 12 May 2023 we will be having a Religious Education resource-making morning. All families are warmly invited and morning tea will be provided. Come along for a chat with some other parents while making resources that all of the children from P-4 will be using in their classrooms. We look forward to seeing you on 12 May!

Winter uniform next term

REMINDER: We return to commence Term 2 in Full School Winter uniform on Wednesday 26 April 2023.

Joanne Gianinni
Head of Primary P-4

Director of Mary Bailey House

Everyone Belongs

Across Harmony Week we spoke with small groups of pre-schoolers about harmony, inclusiveness, respect and belonging at Mary Bailey House.

In our initial discussion we asked the children, ‘What does harmony mean? How do we play in harmony?’, and this is what they said:

Lasya: ‘You can play with other people that are different.’

Lasya: ‘You can play with different people, not just white people.’

Nina: ‘Some can be white, and some people are black, and some are brown.’

Educator: ‘Yes and boys and girls play together.’

Educator: ‘Luca and Lola play together. They are a boy and girl, so different but play the same game.’

Nina: ‘I like playing with Teddy.’

Teddy: ‘Yeah, I play with Nina and Roger.’

Nina: ‘Sometimes girls have short hair.’

Florence: ‘Yes, my nana has short hair.’

Educator: ‘Jasmine and Ariana have curly hair.’

Jamison: ‘Fox has curly hair too.’

Educator: ‘Jamison, Phoebe and Laura speak Mandarin like Wendy. Layla and Alice speak Korean like Soon and Christina.’

Nina: ‘I say some Slovakian words.’

Educator: ‘Yes and Benjamin speaks Spanish.’

We read The Peace Book by Todd Parr, which talks about living in harmony, celebrating difference, acceptance and helping others. We asked the children to draw their understanding of what harmony is and this is what they drew and said about their drawing.

Lasya: ‘They are doing harmony. They look different.’

Miller: ‘My daddy has black hair.’

Natalia: ‘My mum is different.’  

Lasya: ‘It doesn’t matter if you are big or small.’

In another discussion we looked at the world map and talked about different countries and the languages and clothes people wear in them, and this is what they said:

Jamison: ‘Fox’s mum comes from America.’

Fox: ‘My mum comes from England.’

Nina: ‘My mum comes from India.’

Zendaya: ‘My mum was born in Sydney. My daddy comes from somewhere else. I can’t remember.’

Nina: ‘I was born in Slovakia. No, I was born in Hunter Street.’ 

Sophie M: ‘I have a Taiata.’

Nina: ‘My grandma comes from India.’

Jamison: ‘I speak Cantonese at home.’

Henry: ‘My dad comes from Australia.’

Fox: ‘I was born in England.’

Sophie M: ‘I was born in a hospital.’

Nina: ‘My grandpa was born in India too.’

Jamison: ‘Ariana’s mum comes from Brazil.’

Nina: ‘My dad comes from Slovakia.’

Jamison: ‘Fox’s mum speaks English.’

Following this discussion, we asked the children to draw their thoughts.

Nina: ‘I am drawing England. I’m drawing the land.’

Zendaya: ‘See how we are different. How can I draw that we are different? We make friends together.’

Fox: ‘We are jumping on the climbing frame. Jamison has flat hair and I have curly hair.’

Sophie M: ‘She is so cute (Sister Emily). She has light skin like me.’

Jamison: ‘We have different hair. We actually have the same skin.’

Jackie Baxter
Director of Mary Bailey House

Director of Tallong Campus

Last week at Tallong we were delighted to host our Year 4 students from Del Monte. These students participated in a range of activities that included mountain biking, flying fox, campcraft sessions and, for the first time in the history of the Tallong campus for a Year 4 program, Abseiling!

At the base of the campus we have a seven-metre cliff which hovers just above Barbers Creek. These brave Year 4 students walked backwards down the cliff using ropes and friction devices and onto a platform that sits within the creek. While the activity is essentially very safe it is the perceived risk that challenges and energises the students into pushing towards the edge of their comfort zones. It was truly rewarding seeing our Year 4 students manage their fear and overcome it.

Kendal Hann
Director of Outdoor Education and Tallong Campus Manager

Director of Community Relations P-12

Health and harmony for mothers and daughters

We are delighted to invite Years 6 – 8 mothers and daughters to our inaugural, overnight Health and Harmony retreat, to be held at our picturesque Tallong Campus on Saturday 27 May from 10:00am to Sunday 28 May at 2:00pm. 

The weekend retreat will focus on creating positive and strong connections between mother and daughter, with wellness at the forefront. Bestselling author and expert in adolescent girls, Madonna King will provide a keynote address. Families will also participate in activities including: bushwalking, yoga, basket weaving, embroidery, tree planting, painting, nutrition and wellness seminars, meditation and, of course, conversation and connection around the warm, winter fireplace. 

The cost for each participant is $350. The cost is inclusive of cabin accommodation, delicious meals and all activities. Places are limited and tickets are on sale now.

Book here

Join our Mother’s Day celebrations

All Mothers, Grandmothers and Carers are warmly invited
to join our celebrations for 
Mother’s Day on Thursday 11 May 2023

Mass will be celebrated in the Santa Sabina Chapel at 2 different times:

7:30am Mass 5-12
 This Mass is open to all  5 – 12 families. Refreshments will be served by our wonderful P&F in the Santa Sabina College Hall following this Mass.

9:15am Mass K-4
This Mass will be attended by all Primary students K – 4. Mothers who wish to attend Mass with their Prep students may walk them over to the Chapel and return them to Prep at the conclusion of Mass. Students in K – 4 may also accompany their Mothers to the Chapel.
Refreshments will be served by our wonderful P&F in the Del Monte Hall before Mass from 8:00am.  

Please book via TryBooking for catering purposes:

https://www.trybooking.com/CHGSI

An invitation for our Golden Girls and Boys

Ex-students who left the College in 1973 or earlier are invited to our special reunion:

Career Women’s Network Breakfast save the date

Our annual Career Women’s Network Breakfast takes place this year on Friday 2 June from 7:00am – 9:00am. Save the date!

Become a mentor

Our Career Women’s Network is an amazing opportunity for our community members to play an active and supportive role as Mentors for our current senior students as well as recent graduates. We are excited to invite you to our annual Career Women’s Network breakfast – our initiative connecting Year 11, Year 12 and recent College graduates with like-minded peers, career mentors and industry partner companies from the College community. This mentor program allows for ongoing support and networking opportunities and aims to create a path to success for our students as they become future ready. We will give them the opportunity to make connections with male and female mentors in their chosen industry, gain career development advice and encourage professional behaviour.

If you would like to become a mentor, please complete this form.

For any enquiries please contact me – y.graniero@ssc.nsw.edu.au

Yvette Graniero
Director of Community Relations

Director of Development

The College Business Directory is up and running!

It offers our College community members the opportunity to promote your business, company, firm or service to reach a wide College community audience.

BENEFITS OF THE BUSINESS DIRECTORY

There are many benefits of advertising your business on the College directory.

1. Amplify your presence.
2. Improve your local visibility.
3. Get discovered more.
4. Increase brand awareness.
5. Strengthen your business reputation.
6. It’s an inexpensive way to advertise.

PROCESS

To advertise your company, business, firm or trade on our Business Directory simply complete this form.

For a small fee this directory will become a valuable resource and we hope will grow to assist both your business, service, firm or trade and our community. We hope that you will find this a very worthwhile opportunity to display your logo and business information with us for the benefit of all in our community.

12 months advertising = $300.00
2 years advertising = $500.00
3 years advertising = $600.00

Please provide as much information as possible.

If you would like to know more or to register your interest to be involved in this exciting initiative feel free to contact me on 97450232 or giving@ssc.nsw.edu.au.

George Ayoub
Director of Development

IBDP Update

A number of the 2022 IBDP Graduates returned to the College for a morning tea to celebrate their outstanding results and collect their IB Diploma which just arrived from the UK. It was lovely to catch up and find out where they are and what they are all doing post Year 12.

A number are studying interstate – Bond University (Qld) for medicine and Monash (Vic) for pharmacy. Others are doing a range of degrees at USyd, UTS, UNSW and Macquarie – law, commerce, sport science, commerce, international relations, nursing, physiotherapy and teaching. It was lovely to catch up albeit for a very short gathering and we wish them every success in their future endeavours.

The year 12 IBDP students had an internal assessment writing day on Friday 24 March. They have a number of drafts due in the final weeks of term and it was decided that an intensive writing day with teacher support would be beneficial. Ms Lombardo and I supervised the day and the students used their time effectively to achieve whatever goal they set for themselves for the day. As a cohort they organised a plethora of pizzas for lunch which kept them motivated and energised for the afternoon session.

I attended the IB Asia Pacific Global Conference in Adelaide from 19 to 21 March – together with Ms Skerman and Ms Pugh. It was wonderful to have an opportunity to network with new teachers/coordinators and Heads from across the globe. Many IB staff from both Cardiff – assessment and Den Haag – curriculum design, were also present as was the Director General of the IBO – Mr Olli-Pekka Heinonen. The IB is in the process of doing a review of its 16+ courses – namely the Diploma and the Career-Related programme and it was exciting to be able to hear about proposed changes and be able to provide input. One of the highlights of the Conference was definitely the student voice that was given – with speakers and performers from numerous schools and Colleges across Australia.

Gabriel Henao – our Spanish ab initio teacher organised a wonderful outing for the languages staff and his Year 12 class earlier this term – more information below.

Julie Harris
Dean of IB

Colombian Culinary Excursion

On Thursday 9 March, the IB Spanish Ab Initio Year 12 class embarked on an after-school excursion to ‘Mas Tinto’, a Colombian cafe in Stanmore. Last year, we studied Hispanic cuisine and learnt how to read recipes in Spanish. However, as a result of COVID restrictions, we have been unable to put this knowledge into practice. Fortunately, we had the opportunity to change that last week, partaking in a cooking class to make arepas which were run by the cafe staff and entirely in Spanish. 

Personally, I had never eaten nor made arepas, let alone other Hispanic dishes and this definitely made a great first impression! Arepas are small, cake-like patties that are made out of corn dough. As a part of the experience, we had to make the dough ourselves and, in turn, get our hands (and some of the tables) dirty. There was a whole range of fillings that we could eat with it as well – beef, chicken, lamb, etc. However, what was especially nice to discover was how flexible Hispanic cuisine is, catering to all types of dietary requirements and preferences. I speak on behalf of the entire class when I say that we all truly appreciated how we were all able to eat fully and deliciously. 

This excursion was a fun and insightful experience for all of us. We not only learned to make arepas but also were given the opportunity to practise our listening and oral skills in the Spanish language. Holistically, IB Spanish has been so much fun so being able to explore the culture and language further was absolutely wonderful. To any students who are considering the IB but are afraid to learn a new language, I encourage you to take a leap of faith and start because as much as it can be daunting, there is a lot of support and encouragement from both your fellow classmates and your teachers. 

¡Sobre todo, muchas gracias a Señor Henao y Señorita Panetta para una experiencia maravillosa, divertida y interestante! Personalmente, apprendí tan mucho sobre cultura colombiana. Para la Señorita Panetta, muchas gracias por ser nuestra profesora de cocina. Tambien lo siento que nuestro arepas no fueran círculos buenos. Para el Señor Henao, muchas gracias por organizar todo y ser nuestro profesor de español. Aprender español estaríamos muy difícil sin ti. Finalmente, muchas gracias a mis amigas por ser una clase simpática y graciosa. Esta experiencia no sería divertida sola. Estoy muy agradecido por esta oportunidad de aprender con mis amigas y profesores asi que, una vez más, gracias. 

Ellie Nguyen
Year 12

Interdisciplinary Learning Year 7 History – Santa Sabina as a Historical Site

History at Santa Sabina is rich. Our College heritage is all around us and especially through our Charism and Christian beliefs that underpin our values. Aiming to make the study of History in Year 7 authentic this term History and Religious Education created an interdisciplinary learning challenge. The focus of this learning was to explicitly articulate the use of the historical site of Santa Sabina College and the material culture to reflect on the symbols and meaning of our shared heritage. Year 7 students in History demonstrated creative and critical thinking when examining sources of evidence from the site of Santa Sabina College.

Brigida Zagora
Head of HSIE (Humanities and Social Sciences)

Teacher reflection:

This term, Year 7 History students have been learning about the history and heritage of Santa Sabina College. In their History and Religious Education classes, they have participated in a tour of the College and completed an interdisciplinary assignment in which they investigated heritage items and reflected on the Dominican charism and pillars. Their study of Santa Sabina College as a historical site culminated in their visit to the Museum last week. 

Sarah-Jane Cartwright
History Teacher

Here are some of the students’ reflections upon visiting the museum:

The school has lots of heritage over the years and it’s very interesting to see it.

Deanna

I enjoyed looking at the old photographs and reading about different historical events. I also enjoyed looking at the awards won (house colour, sports events) and the old uniforms.

Asha

In the museum, I was fascinated by the uniforms. I loved the design of the uniforms and I loved that every uniform had a different meaning. I learnt that Santa Sabina students were very good at playing tennis. There were many old trophies for tennis competitions.

Oliniva N

Some of the uniforms were green and blue. It was nice to see the awards for sports, they looked very cool and it was engraved with the colour houses.

Summer

I love fashion so I really liked checking out the uniforms. I rated the uniforms out of 10 and my favourite was the beautiful green one (the most recent one). I also loved looking at the articles on the school’s history.

Olivia D

Seeing the uniforms that the students used to wear was quite fascinating, and also reading letters and pages of the students’ work, as well as seeing the old crockery kept in wonderful condition was amazing.

Abigail

It was a great experience, learning about how the school has changed over time to suit the needs of students at the time. The many artefacts inspired me to learn more about Santa Sabina, therefore giving me a great knowledge of the history of the College before me.

Zara

I learnt a lot about the path that had been made to create this beautiful community we have today, and I loved this opportunity and I can’t wait to visit the museum again.

Amelia

Global Politics – The Great Debate

To launch the Global Politics Club IB students in Year 11 and 12 studying Global Politics hosted a Lunch Time Great Debate. Students debated the proposition that AUKUS is a threat to peace and security in the Indo-Pacific. Many students from Years 9-12 attended the lunchtime event and showed great interest and enthusiasm in considering the ideas around this contemporary topic. A thank you to Dr Richardson and Ms Harris who prepared the debaters and Ms Jenkins for adjudicating the debate.

Brigida Zagora
Head of HSIE (Humanities and Social Sciences)

Teacher reflection:

Professor Rory Medcalf of the National Security College at the Australian National University has called the AUKUS Pact between Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America the moment Australia ‘comes of age’ in the Indo-Pacific, whilst former Australian Prime Minister Paul Keating has described the pact as ‘the worst deal in all history’. With a $368 billion dollar price tag and long term consequences for Australia’s relationships with the USA, our Pacific neighbours, and a rising People’s Republic of China, this is a debate that should concern all Australians. Today we were privileged to witness two passionate and informed teams of Santa Sabina IB Global Politics students as they argued the merits of AUKUS, taking into consideration the domestic and global ramifications of the treaty, exploring questions of nuclear proliferation and the security consequences of an increasingly assertive China. Adjudicator Ms Lauren Jenkins commended all speakers for their impressive arguments and keen rhetoric, but ultimately the Negative side carried the debate, rejecting the proposition that AUKUS is a threat to peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific. Rather, it was argued that the AUKUS pact – for all its eye-watering expense for the Australian taxpayer – is ultimately a source of stability and security in an increasingly unstable world.

Dr Christopher Richardson
Teacher of IB Global Politics 

Student reflection:

On 27 March, we held a Global Politics Debate to celebrate one year of running Global Politics Club and to pass the club on to the next IB cohort. The topic of the debate was ‘AUKUS is a threat to peace and security in the Indo-Pacific’, and this gave us an excellent opportunity to discuss the implications of this new tripartite security pact. 

As the affirmative team, we considered the possibility of the AUKUS Pact prompting aggression from China and weakening the deterrence value of the United Nations International Atomic Energy Agency safeguards, which would make nuclear proliferation more likely. The negative team stated that AUKUS will allow Australia to better protect nations in the Indo-Pacific region by contributing to regional security, deter Chinese expansion and strengthen Australia’s national security. Congratulations to the Negative team for winning the debate. Overall, participating in this debate stimulated our passion for global politics and provided us with a meaningful opportunity to practise public speaking and consider different perspectives on global issues. 

I am delighted to have been a part of this enriching experience as it has broadened my political knowledge and international awareness. I look forward to participating in future political discussions and I hope that the Global Politics Club at Santa Sabina will have a strong future. 

Rosanna Cartwright
Year 12

Year 12 Ancient History – Object Based Learning

Object based learning is a powerful authentic learning experience for senior students fostering deep critical thinking. The Chau Chak Wing Museum at the University of Sydney encourages students to carefully handle material culture to examine the value of the artefact in reconstructing past civilisations and the lives of influential ancient personalities. Santa Sabina students were able to carefully handle artefacts from the societies of Ancient Rome, Sparta and Egypt to complement their HSC studies and academic readings. Students were immersed in the museum collection, asked critical questions, and positively engaged in the learning process. 

Brigida Zagora
Head of HSIE (Humanities and Social Sciences)

Student Reflection

I found the visit to Chau Chak Wing museum at the University of Sydney beneficial to solidify myunderstanding of ancient civilisations in particular, Ancient Egypt, Rome and Greece. During this excursion, we were able to have hands-on experience in identifying material culture objects in a similar fashion to archaeologists. I found this to be one of those ‘ah-ha’ moments, having a piece of Pompeii in my hands after thoroughly researching and analysing the remains of this society last term. Having the opportunity to touch material culture that was thousands of years old really put my studies into perspective. I found the exhibition on Egyptian mummies to be most relevant given the strong connections it has to the current topics we are studying. Connecting images on sarcophagi and mortuary objects to historical concepts such as religious propaganda and nationalism really gave me the opportunity to visualise and challenge my learning. Along with this, being able to see conservation techniques such as 3D imaging being used in real life was really interesting. I found this excursion to be extraordinarily beneficial in establishing the importance material culture has in reconstructing antiquity and has given me the chance to challenge and solidify my understanding of ancient societies. 

Gabriella Lennox

As an Ancient History class, we visited the Chau Chuk Wing Museum at the University of Sydney which gave us an amazing opportunity to not only explore the vast exhibits they have to offer but also to handle material culture that dates from centuries ago. This session involved us receiving an item from either Ancient Egypt, Greece or Rome to individually investigate first-hand. Our goal was to approach the study as if were archeologists: carefully handling the artefacts with gloved hands, sketching them out with as much precision as possible and noting key information. I was given a small shabti figure from Ancient Egypt which had entirely survived the centuries that had past since it was originally made, some of the detailings of hieroglyphs still peeking through. It was such a profound experience to be able to hold this piece of history in the form of an intricately carved figure from an era that, as a class, we are currently studying. Personally, Egyptology and the study of Egyptian society is particularly interesting to me and one of my favourite topics, so getting the opportunity to handle this material culture was nothing short of amazing. Overall, this excursion gave our class such an amazing experience to witness the material culture of history and gave us insight into the workings of ancient societies.

Charlie McFadden

Texstyle excursion

Years 11 and 12 Textiles & Design students recently visited the Texstyle Exhibition at Gallery 76 to view exemplary Major Textiles Projects from 2022 HSC students. They explored both the supporting documentation and Textile Major Projects from a range of textile focus areas. Many thanks to our engaging hosts, The Embroiderers’ Guild of NSW.

Brittany Poynting
TAS Teacher

SantaStyle – Innovation and Entrepreneurship Association

The HSIE Department is very proud to launch a new and exciting co-curricular ‘Santa Style’. This social enterprise from the HSIE Innovation and Entrepreneurship Association aims to provide students with authentic learning through experiential learning, working creatively and collaboratively in a real-life digital start-up. A huge thank you to Mrs Vikki Cummins for developing and facilitating this authentic learning experience for HSIE students.

Brigida Zagora
Head of HSIE

Santa Style is the new social enterprise created by the Santa Sabina Innovation and Entrepreneurship Association. At Santa we cannot just be bystanders when it comes to our environment.  Once students heard the shocking statistic that Australia represents the world’s second largest pollutant when it comes to fashion pollution they wanted to do something to make a change. Santa Style was born as a way for Santa students to start a business from scratch by applying what they learn in the classroom to real life. There are 5 divisions in the business and students work towards key goals in Finance, Operations, Technology, Human Resources and Marketing. Students are in the driver’s seat of their learning, and they are using problem solving skills to make decisions for this business. Marketing created the business name, set up an instagram page @santastyle (photos of Instagram page are below). Operations have started processing donated clothes.

Vikki Cummins
HSIE Teacher

Student reflection:

This is a fantastic experience as students are in the driver’s seat of our learning and are making the day-to-day decisions for this business. The girls in Marketing created the business name, set up an instagram page @santastyle. Our Operations team has started processing donated clothes. Those in the Technology team are learning new skills by building a wire frame for our online ordering system. Most of all, as students, we have gained a rich understanding of how a business works, everything from employee motivation, marketing strategies and how the business functions are dependent on each other every step of the way. We are learning in a way that makes sense, is fun, engaging and motivating.

The business is currently in phase two, where we are now promoting the business and requesting all students donate good quality pre-loved clothes to be part of the change for stylishly shaking the world!

Lydia Kelly, Year 12 Business Management 

The Sixth Extinction

Well done to Kavitha Varatharajan of Year 10 whose stunning watercolour highlighting the endangered Hawaiian Monk Seal has been named a semi-finalist in the international student art competition: 2023 Science Without Borders® Challenge.

Kavitha’s artwork was one of 1200 entries received from around the world. The theme this year is ‘The Sixth Extinction’ and students were asked to highlight the plight of an endangered species through art. Kavitha’s watercolour creation features the endangered Hawaiian Monk Seal.

‘Hawaiian Monk Seals are a greatly respected animal in Hawaiian culture due to their title as “guardians over human souls after death” and also their role as guardians of the Hawaiian ecosystem’s balance’, Kavitha explained.

‘They are apex predators and thus keep many other sea creature populations under control. The squid and the tuna fish resting on and next to the seal show how reliant the ecosystem is on its guardian. The seal blends into the sand and background so that the fish and squid can stand out. Like how the seal protects the ecosystem from devastation and disarray. The seal brings life and peace to its ecosystem, which, though we can’t see it, is being slowly destroyed by the extinction of the Hawaiian Monk Seal. We need the Hawaiian ecosystem’s guardian to continue to protect its fragile balance and ensure the survival of many other species.’

Kavitha Varatharajan

Matthew Mountford
Dean of Gifted Education

Year 8 History Medieval Museum Showcase

To understand the importance of artefacts and material culture in the process of examining and reconstructing the past, Year 8 History students designed and created a historically accurate artefact. Students used this artefact to practise and refine the skill of source analysis when showcasing ideas about Medieval European society to students from Gioia House and Years 8 and 7. This was a positive learning experience for students who demonstrated creativity and critical thinking. A huge thank you to Ms Cartwright for supervising the Showcases.

Brigida Zagora
Head of HSIE (Humanities and Social Sciences)

The History Exhibition on Monday 13 March was a great success. The Medieval Europe exhibitions about crime and punishment, military and towns, commerce and cities were extraordinarily detailed. There was a wide variety of displays from ducking stools to model castles. Everyone enjoyed presenting to the Gioia House girls who were able to come to see the exhibit. 

Here are some of our peers’ reflections: 

I admire the Gioia House girls’ passion and curiosity about medieval crime and punishment and dunking Barbie dolls in water.  

Maia

I enjoyed presenting to the Gioia girls, they were surprisingly inquisitive and made the experience so much better.

Evelyn

I really liked the open interaction; it’s a good way to introduce our grade to presenting.

Tanvi

I liked how they enjoyed learning about military and defence systems.

Eliza

I enjoyed the making of the project and having the option to pick a design. Although my favourite part was when we got the chance to demonstrate our model to the Gioia House students, and we got the chance to explain all of the information to the students. The excitement on their faces really made me feel proud of the hard work I had done.

Angelina

Frankie Martin and Charlotte Read
Year 8

Malala Foundation Bake Sale

On 7 March, the Year 7 girls hosted a bake sale to raise money for the Malala Foundation. The bake sale was very successful as we raised an outstanding $1207.20! It was such an amazing event and it felt wonderful to contribute to what Malala has done for all the girls in the world who are deprived of an education. Malala is an inspiring leader to all the girls who are afraid to speak up and have their voices heard, and we are inspired by her actions and her will to stand up for what’s right.  

Every dessert the Year 7 girls made was incredible; the brownies, cupcakes, and donuts were a hit. Many of our supporters were extremely generous, so a massive shoutout to them. A big round of applause to all the chefs and creators, this fundraiser wouldn’t have been possible without you. We would like to thank everyone who contributed to this cause. No deed goes unnoticed. Thanks to the executives who approved this fundraiser and to the staff who provided us with the necessary equipment. A massive shoutout to the kind volunteers who helped us sell all the sweets, it was very generous of you to give up your lunchtime. 

A special thanks to Mrs Wehbe for organising the bake sale and being passionate enough to create such a fantastic opportunity. As well as Malala, you equally showed us that we can make a change if we want to, and it is easy to say that you inspired many students that day. All in all, we found the fundraiser a big success and we really appreciate the Santa Sabina community helping Malala in her journey.

Harriet Hoogland and Mia Bouantoun
Year 7

Careers Spotlight @ SSC

Years 11 and 12 Cadetships Information Session

Last week, Alister from Professional Cadetships Australia presented to approximately 30 interested Years 11 and 12 students at lunch time on the benefits of pursuing a cadetship program whilst studying at university. Cadets combine study at the university of their choice in Sydney with paid work at either UBS, Barrenjoey Capital Partners or Macquarie Group in Sydney. 

As a cadet, students may choose from a wide range of degrees, including economics, commerce, business, actuarial studies, computer science & technology, mathematics and the humanities. In 2023, the Cadetships Program offers exciting cadetship opportunities in a range of business areas at participating companies. Students will work alongside world-class professionals and are well remunerated.

By studying and working at a leading company from the start of university, cadets earn a competitive advantage over students who delay work until after university. Students in Year 12 are encouraged to consider this opportunity and access further information on the University tile of the Careers Years 10-12 page on Veritas Online if they wish to apply. Applications for school assessment are due on Friday 5 May for Business Cadetships and 19 May for Technology Cadetships.

Year 10 Career Interviews

On Tuesday, students in Year 10 would have received an email from Career Avenues detailing the process to book their 30-minute one-to-one careers interview with a careers consultant as part of the second stage of their careers profiling. This is a wonderful opportunity for students to learn more about their profile and how to interpret the results with regard to their aptitudes and strengths, whilst also giving them time to explore their interests and possible career paths. Interviews will take place over Zoom from 4 May to 11 May and parents are welcome to join remotely by accessing the Zoom link from your daughter. Year 10 students are reminded to book their interview in a time that does not clash with any assessment tasks or days students may be absent for other school-related activities.

Year 12 UAC access

Year 12 students will receive their University Admissions Centre (UAC) pin via email on 5 April. This will enable them to commence their applications to university which are due on 30 September. Students are reminded that not all universities will have all of their courses uploaded to UAC as of April but will do so in the coming months.

Careers news and upcoming events

Please refer to the link for upcoming careers events and opportunities. 

Eva Guirguis
Head of Future Pathways & Partnerships

Pastoral and Wellbeing

Year 5 Interaction Day

On Friday 10 March the year 5 students participated in a Year 5 Interaction Day. The purpose of this day was to provide students with the opportunity to continue to form new friendships, develop teamwork skills and to collaborate with others. Students took part in a variety of activities throughout the day. 

We started our day identifying our unique and special qualities by creating a personal ‘treasure box’ which the students used at the end of the day to write special notes to each other and qualities they admired throughout the day. The students also took part in a Sports team-building session. Games such as the three-legged, or even six-legged race were held, followed by some obstacle course activities where we need to work in partnership or groups to succeed. 

The afternoon session contained a drama workshop where students were placed into groups and asked to complete a variety of drama tasks. Students then participated in a lego-building listening exercise, identifying how important it is to give the right information and listen carefully to each other. At the end of the day, the students were asked in teams to develop a strategy the team were going to use to build a cup structure without using their hands, only through the use of the resources and materials they were given. It was great to see the different ways each team went about finding a solution and succeeding by building the cup towers. At the end of the day, we reflected on the new connections which were made and identified ways we will continue to strengthen the new friendships made and still find other daily opportunities to reach out to others. 

Year 5 Interaction Day student reflections:

I loved Interaction Day! This made me step out of my comfort zone and make some amazing new friends.

It was great to meet some new people and realise I have things in common with them.

I had an amazing day. It was so good to be able to meet new people and take part in a variety of fun activities.

I enjoyed making some new friends and hope we can have many more interaction days. Thank you teachers.

Gioia House Caritas – Project Compassion fundraising

Thank you to all the students who have been giving generously and assisting with our Project Compassion – Caritas fundraising. Our Bake sale was a huge success and we give thanks to the students who brought in some cakes and treats to sell, those who gave up their lunchtime to sell the cakes to the students, as well as the students who bought the cakes and gave generously.

This week will be the last week for our Caritas Egg Guessing Competition and Easter Raffle tickets will be sold. We will be announcing the winner and drawing out the raffle at our Gioia House assembly next week. Please continue to find ways during this Lenten season to think of others, pray together and give generously. Our small acts of kindness and generosity can have a huge impact on other people and their community.

Harmony Week

Last week we celebrated Harmony Week. The students took part in a variety of activities and events throughout the week to celebrate being part of a multicultural society. Harmony Week is a time when we focus on our Australian values to respect and include everyone and develop a sense of belonging for all people, regardless of cultural or linguistic backgrounds. The students researched different countries, their customs, traditional food and cultural dress and learnt how to say hello in a few different languages. We also celebrated different cultures during Assembly Time, where students shared their different cultures through dance and music. Bethan Welsh in Year 6 delighted the school with her amazing skill at Irish dancing. During lunchtime, cultural music was playing and there were a number of students who took part in traditional dancing, where everyone joined in the celebration of multiculturalism.

Speak Up competition

Congratulations to all the students who participated in Speak Up co-curricular this term. The students were actively involved each session and continued to work towards their personal public speaking goals. On Friday 24 March, 12 students attended the Speak Up Inter-school competition at St Ignatius College Riverview. The Gioia House students presented their well-prepared speeches with confidence. Congratulations to Emilia Srdanovic for being the overall winner at the Speak Up competition. Well done to all the students for their outstanding effort during Speak Up this term.

Rock and Water

The students have been taking part in our Action Girl Pastoral Program: Rock and Water. Throughout the past couple of sessions, students have been learning how to ‘ground themselves’ through their bodies, mentally and breathing techniques. 

During the most recent session the students have an understanding that “Having a mental rock attitude means you go your own way. You close off from the opinions of others. In a positive sense, a rock attitude strengthens your sense of having an unshakeable point of view which can be a powerful weapon against peer pressure. Mentally, the weak spot of the rock attitude is that closing off from feelings and ideas of others may easily lead to closing off from your own feelings. So if you have to be a rock on the outside, still try to be like water in your inner world. This means you still try to reflect on your own thoughts, feelings and emotions. This self-reflection is possible when you are centred and grounded.” The Year 5 students have responded well to the Rock and Water program this term and have impressed us with identifying times in life when we would need to use some of the techniques we discussed during our Action Girl Pastoral – Rock and Water program.

With one week of school left for this term, I would like to wish everyone a blessed Easter and an enjoyable holiday break.

Marisa Maks
Assistant Head of Gioia House

Not the Orca

Congratulations to our young environmentalist Ava Anderson on winning the 9-12 years old category of the #SeaToSource Sea The Change Competition with her ingenious and striking artwork ‘Not the Orca’.

The judges at Conservation Volunteers Australia told Ava her entry was outstanding, adding ‘it is incredibly inspiring to see children so passionate about the environment…our entire #SeaToSource team thought your use of the miniature groceries/Little Shop items was ingenious, with an incredibly impactful tagline that made us all stop and think about the true impacts of plastic on our oceans. Excellent work Ava Mae!’

Ava’s artist’s statement was as follows:

Orcas, or Killer Whales, have been spotted in the Great Southern Reef of Australia. Orcas are said to be the ocean’s greatest predator. But with our littering and disposable plastic society, these things are NOW the world’s greatest ocean predators. Please stop littering and using plastic items, otherwise the whole unique ecosystem of the Great Southern Reef will be disposed of too.

This enrichment opportunity was provided by the College enrichment program.

Stella Azizian
Head of Gioia House

Year 5 – Indigenous Histories and Culture Excursion

On Tuesday 28 March, Year 5 students attended an excursion to Carss Park Flats to further develop their understanding of Indigenous Histories and Culture. The students were led by the Aboriginal Gumaraa Rangers, exploring the beautiful Australian bushland and learnt about traditional Aboriginal customs, such as what they ate, traded, their spoken language and how settlement changed one of the world’s oldest surviving cultures. The students participated in a variety of activities such as boomerang-throwing, string making and a traditional ochre and smoking ceremony. This excursion provided an opportunity for the students to build their thoughts and knowledge to begin their new Interdisciplinary unit ‘Australia’s Past, Present and Future’.

Stella Azizian
Head of Gioia House

Pi MATHS

                       
The Gioia House Pi Mathematics program was designed to ensure that every student is supported and extended in small ability groups across the grade. The program has a strong focus on number concepts and problem-solving strategies. 

Here is what students think of Pi Maths:

Being in the Pi Maths group helps us to be pushed out of our comfort zone to achieve our potential. We don’t learn what we already know. Also, we can work with like-minded peers.

Sienna Pirina

Being in Pi Maths group helps us to be pushed out of our comfort zone to achieve our potential. We don’t learn what we already know. Also, we can work with likeminded peers.

Madison Taouk

also appreciate how teachers set up the lessons, starting with a warm-up and moving on to challenging tasks.

Kristina Pawley

I like how teachers explain the strategies explicitly and the opportunity to be extended by doing hard questions.

Isabel Jin

I’m getting quicker at solving division problems in my Pi Maths group. It’s nice to experience having different students in my smaller Pi group and another teacher.

Verona Di Santo

I love playing Maths games as part of our Pi group warm-ups, and my favourite is multiplication bingo.

Eden Gregory

Every time we revise a topic, I get better at it. It’s great to work with friends from other classes and help each other to figure out the questions.

Charlotte O’Brien

I like Pi Maths because I can experience other teaching styles. Also, an opportunity to work with people who aren’t in my class.

Stella D’Onofrio

I like that we get to work on topics and skills that we need and get help in a smaller group. I also like that I get to work with people I don’t know from other classes.

Summer Vuk-Jones

Having Pi Maths groups allows me to extend my understanding of mathematical concepts and provides the opportunity to work with other peers. I always look forward to the next Pi Maths session.

Lara Chemodakov

I love Pi Maths because you learn at your own level which is not too easy or hard. My Pi Maths teacher organises maths games which makes lessons fun.

Jessica Galimi

Stella Azizian
Head of Gioia House

Descriptive Writing – 5 Anetter

Year 5 have been looking at ways to improve their narrative writing using descriptive language. Students were given an image and brainstormed words to describe this image. They then wrote a description of this image.

The dark, grey clouds formed over the majestic water. Everything was getting out of control and the dilapidated beach chairs flew away, snapped in pieces. Then there were petrified children’s screams. The sand turned black and even the adults were horrified to see a big gust of treacherous wind. 

Alexandra Nakhle

The bright piece of land was left abandoned. The eerie and concerning wave crashed onto the rusty, old boat. Nothing else was found but rotten and mouldy seaweed covering the discoloured boat. A slimy, wet and damp rock pool which seemed harmless with seeping moss, covered the large rocks. All that was left on the neglected beach was a little bridge which now had sunk into the depths of the sand. The handmade, dust-covered umbrella stood proudly on the splintered, broken pole. The eerily, silent waters never seemed to end but flowed into the steps of the unknown. 

Isla Choi

As I walked into the old, eerie, hair-raising forest, I was frightened as I stared at the tall curved trees. I started walking and heard a loud, frightening thump. I slowly, but carefully, walked towards the gigantic ear-breaking noise. I walked up to the sound and saw that a small, chirping baby bird had fallen from one of the large trees. As I was helping the tiny, pathetic thing, I looked around and saw a foggy, dirty gas coming towards me. I ran quickly, without catching a breath.

Sophia Mirarchi

Wendy Anetter
Year 5 Teacher

Narrative Planning Journal – 6 Taylor

Year 6 students are currently writing a narrative on journey. They are using a visual stimulus of a girl with a bright red scooter to help them with their thinking and planning. Each expert group was handed a different stimulus picture and in small groups, students unpacked the image and then presented their ideas to the class. This led to many discussions especially on themes and the symbolic colour red, which appeared on every page. Students then used their thinking and ideas to complete a narrative plan. Spending time planning helps students with structure and the flow of their narratives.    

Monique Taylor
Year 6 teacher

Medieval Exhibition – 6 Taylor

Year 5 and 6 students were invited to the Year 8 Medieval exhibition. Students were engaged and wrote a reflection on what they learnt about and found interesting. 

I found the exhibition interesting because they were lots of ancient designs and many torture devices. The Year 8 girls explained why and how they were used. There were a lot of hanging tools and nail designs.

Eloise Hall

I enjoyed learning about ‘Ordeals’ at the exhibition. It decides if you were guilty or innocent. There was a water ordeal, a fighting ordeal and the fire ordeal.

Sophia Lou

I learnt that many women were burnt alive because they were accused of witchcraft. Many were also burnt alive because they believed in God or Jesus. This happened around 400-500 years ago. 

Julie Zhu

I really enjoyed learning medieval times because there were so many interesting things. The one thing that I found interesting was the punishments. This is because there were some things that I never thought were possible and it really informed me about how harsh it was back then.  

Cadence Wong

I learnt that there were many types of execution, and the punishments were very severe, and some could mean death. Some of these included hanging by poles, hanging above platforms, hanging above fire or being tied to a pole and being burned to death. These were the punishments for stealing, theft, murder or just believing in your religion.

Ella Rixon

I learnt that they shot arrows and canons from the mediaeval castles especially in war times. They also got burnt in the fires when the gunpowder exploded. More than 900 people died from this type of torture. 

Sybella El-Haddad

Monique Taylor
Gioia House Teacher

Imaginative Writing – 6 Azizian/Dunphy

Throughout the term, the girls have been planning, drafting, editing and publishing an imaginative text. Using image prompts from the picture book, Journey by Aaron Becker, the girls used the imaginative scaffold to drive their creative ideas. They were pushed out of their comfort zone as they experimented with descriptive language and a variety of literary techniques.

Stella Azizian and Eamonn Dunphy (6AD class teachers)

Sizzling Start Samples:

The dark, murky clouds hover above. I sit there on the cold, lifeless stone steps of my house, wondering when things will improve. The gloomy city surrounds me. The mist and the heavy fog blocks the world’s potential. No one likes me! No one wants anything to do with me!

The sky dims and I head inside. No one moves a muscle. It’s like I’m invisible, just a nobody. I lug my weak, frail body up the stairs and lay on my bed. The wakening light from the door gleams into my room. My thoughts are lost. I’m so tired, but my mind is wide awake. I dream of exploring the world one day, yet I stay in my room. I own so little, but I want to conquer so much! My hopes and dreams are far away from my reality.
Madison Taouk

I hear the brown trees and autumn leaves rustling. I see the dull, grey colour hanging in the atmosphere. The tall trees stare me down like a scarecrow. The murky clouds cover the bright sun, turning everything into dark shadows. I feel lonely. I feel sad. Nobody wants anything to do with me, even my own parents and sister! 
Chloe To

Alone. Sitting down, hugging my legs as if they are my family. The lifeless steps under me make my legs ache from the cold. Surrounding me is a dull, abandoned street at the edge of London. Next to me is my red scooter, the only colour in my life. Inside my house, my family acts as if their lives are on a screen.. typing, playing and talking. My mind has blocked out all the noise, except for a family’s laughter from down the street. I wish I could laugh with my family, but I can’t, I am oblivious to them. 
Alegra Cencigh 

Sitting on my firm, rain-soaked steps with my head throbbing against my bony knees, deep thoughts cross my mind. Alone! The same phrase seeps through my mind, sending shivers down my hunched body. No one ever acknowledges me. The only thing I have to keep me occupied is my ruby red scooter, something that has helped me escape my oppressed reality. Lost! Lost in my thoughts and lost in this terrifying new place. Lost, my only friend who betrayed me for another. Lost, my supposedly supportive family. No one even knows I’m here. 
Sienna Pirina

The dull, harsh streets of London seem even colder. My chin aches from resting on my knees, everything around me is grey. I look up at my bright, red scooter and am reminded of a time when people didn’t forget me. A time when I felt I belonged.

It’s been four months since the bushfire. Since the furious flames burnt everything I loved to a pile of black, burning ash. Forcing us away from our friends and our home, Australia. 
Isla The

Months, weeks and days! I never thought we would actually be leaving our house in Australia and moving here to London. I really thought mum and dad were joking, but I guess they weren’t. Dad moved here for work. Everyone is busy, no one pays attention to me anymore. Here I sit, alone!

Alone! A word to describe how I felt. I sat on the hopeless, stone steps leading to our new house in London. The only valued possession I have is my scooter. I’m not used to this new place, I miss our old house. Alone…the same word every time. The gloomy clouds hover above, watching as I cuddle my aching legs. Lost…lost in my thoughts and my mind. 
Emmy Chen

Rock and Water – 6 McLaren

For the past term all of Gioia House has been doing a program based on mental health and martial arts called Rock and Water. This program teaches us how to focus on our breathing and control our emotions. As a group we do a series of exercises and stances practising grounding and centring ourselves.The rock symbolises staying firm and the water symbolises being calm and collected. Rock and Water prepares us for real life situations.  

Ciara Darlow and Naishe Mafunda
Year 6 McLaren

Science and Wide reading – 6 Milicic

Science experiment 

Recently our class undertook an experiment in Science to discover how physical conditions affect the survival of living things. We examined abiotic conditions by conducting a fair test to show the conditions needed for our seeds to grow and survive in its environment. There was a range of independent variables, such as too dry, too wet, too cold, too salty and too dark. 

Initially our seeds did sprout and there was some growth. However, due to intense heat during the weekends, some of our experiment seedlings died. We hope to have another attempt to see how these independent variables impact on living things. 

Wide Reading in the Library 

There is a proverb that states A child that reads will be an adult that thinks. We are very fortunate at Santa Sabina College to have access to a wide selection of literature in our library. Once a fortnight our class visits and discusses the latest novels with the Teacher Librarians and our peers. This allows us to broaden our reading choices and encourages students to try something new with their reading. 

Ann Milicic
Year 6 Teacher

Project Compassion

Please remember to return your family’s Project Compassion box in the first week of Term 2. 

You might like to invite your children to do some small jobs around the house, during the holidays, so they will have a bit more to bring back. It is your opportunity to talk to them about caring for poor people, just as Jesus did. 

Our raffle was drawn this morning and winners will be contacted about how to collect their prizes. We raised a substantial amount and are immensely grateful to our families for their wonderful support of Caritas. We will have an exact amount of funds raised to share with you next term.

Jane Sulis
Outreach Coordinator

­­­Religious Education Week 9­

Project Compassion update

Why do we give during Lent? During Lent we are encouraged to give to others as a way of showing compassion to others. We are encouraged to give both materially and of our time. At Santa Sabina College we give through participating in the annual Project Compassion campaign for Caritas. Caritas is an aid agency of the Australian Catholic Church and is recognised as a charity in Australia working to eradicate poverty and injustice in campaigns across the globe.

Students in classrooms are learning about the various projects that Caritas is involved in around the world and how their donations help those less fortunate than us.

St Patrick’s Day

Thank you to all our families and teachers for wearing a touch of green on Friday to celebrate St Patrick. The students were thrilled with the festivities celebrated throughout the day.

Holy Week liturgies

This year, we are proud to present our outdoor Holy Week Liturgies across the school.

They will be presented in the final week of this term, Week 10. This is a special time of the year, when all the students become involved in learning about our Catholic Journey with Jesus to the cross and His Resurrection. The students always demonstrate great reverence during these liturgies and is a privilege to witness.

All families are WELCOME to come along and watch the liturgies:

Monday 3 April 11:30am Del Monte Piazza
Tuesday 4 April 11:30am Del Monte Piazza

Palm Branch Request

Palm Sunday celebrates Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem and is the beginning of Holy Week. Could I ask that any families who have palm trees that need pruning share their palm branches for our liturgy on Monday 3 April?

An invitation to meditation for parents

Christian Meditation 

Be Still and Know That I am God …

Meditation is a form of prayer, a way to experience God through the stillness and silence of our hearts. Meditation has many benefits for the children: 

Over time, with regular practice, meditation changes us. The changes that take place can best be described as in St. Paul’s letter to the Galatians, ‘The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.’ (Galatians 5:22)

On Friday 19 May, Sister Jill Shirvington will join us in the Del Monte Chapel and lead a meditation for parents. All parents are welcome to come and join in the session at 8:45am after dropping off your children.

Tina Nicotina
Religious Education Coordinator P-6

Co-curricular activities Term 2

P-4 2023 Term 2 Co-curricula – external providers

On the Santa Sabina Primary Campus we will offer a variety of co-curricular experiences for our students before, during and after school throughout 2023. External providers have been secured for Art on Canvas, Bricks 4 Kidz, Chess, Little Boomers Basketball, Motiv8Sports, Speech and Drama, Super Sports and Young Engineers. Below is the list of offerings for Term 2 for you to discuss with your child/ren.  Registration links will be emailed home on Friday 31 March 2023.

Please note that each activity has a maximum number of availability and bookings are on a first-in basis. Please note that at the conclusion of the sessions students can be collected from the Carrington Avenue Kiss and Ride gate at 4:30pm.

If there is an activity not listed below that you would like to see in 2023, your suggestions for co-curricular experiences are always welcome.

We are very excited to have a new co-curricula commencing next term: Robothink!

ROBOTHINK
Students from five years old

Nurturing Geniuses Around the world!
RoboThink is a leading STEM, coding, robotics and engineering program nurturing geniuses across Australia to thousands of students each day. Our exciting themed STEM programs develops core STEM skills that students apply to school subjects and their future careers. Kids learn valuable 21st century skills such as engineering, robotics and coding at RoboThink. Our curriculum, educational robotics kits and coding software is designed for kids from 5 years of age.

• Monday dates: commencing Monday 1 May – 19 June 2023  
• Time: 3:15pm – 4:30pm

MUSIC PRIVATE TUITION
Grades: P – Year 4
The College offers private music tuition on most instruments. This is available to students from P – 4. A reminder that from Year 3 onwards, students continuing on the Violin, Viola or Cello must have private music tuition on their instrument either on campus or externally to support the development of skills on their instrument. 

MUSIC ENSEMBLES
Many opportunities are offered to extend and develop students in the ensemble setting. While learning privately is essential to introducing specific skills and knowledge, the best learning occurs when the musician can play and learn with others. There are several exciting ensemble and performance opportunities for Primary Students.

Primary Years Choirs
Grades: Year 1 – Year 4
There are two choirs for our Primary Years students:
Laudare Singers (Years 1 and 2) and the Siena Singers (Years 3 and 4)
Contact: Mrs Monika Plag (Music Administrator P-4)  m.plag@ssc.nsw.edu.au

Primary Years Chamber Strings Ensemble
Grades:  P – Year 4
Aimed at developing ensemble and solo playing skills, this ensemble offers an opportunity to extend our advanced players.
Contact: Mrs Cecilia Pensini (Head of Strings P-4) c.pensini@ssc.nsw.edu.au

Primary Years Camerata Strings Ensemble
Grades:  P – Year 4
Aimed at developing ensemble and solo playing skills, this ensemble offers an opportunity to extend our beginner players.
Contact: Mrs Cecilia Pensini (Head of Strings P-4) c.pensini@ssc.nsw.edu.au

Taiko Club Ensemble – Japanese Drumming
Grades: Year 3 – Year 4
There is one Taiko ensemble offered in the Primary Years. There is a small cost, and the numbers are limited.
Contact: Mrs Suzanna Touma (Music Administrator 5-12) s.touma@ssc.nsw.edu.au

ART ON CANVAS FOR KIDS
Grades: Kindergarten – Year 4
Art on Canvas for Kids aims to unleash children’s creativity and allow them to express themselves. Students from Kindergarten to Year 4 will have the opportunity to tap into their creativity while being guided by art loving staff.

• Wednesday dates: 26 April – 21 June 2023
• Time: 3:15pm – 4:30pm

BRICKS 4 KIDZ

Grades: Students from Kindergarten  – Year 4
Students from Kindergarten to Year 4 will have the opportunity to participate in Bricks 4 Kidz in Term 1.

BRICKS 4 KIDZ after-school workshops build on the universal popularity of LEGO® bricks to deliver a high quality of educational play. Each workshop is a fun, enriching experience for your child. Kids build a new project each week using the classic bricks loved by generations of children.

• Thursday dates: 4 May – 22 June 2023
• Friday dates: 5 May – 23 June 2023
• Time: 3:15pm – 4:30pm

CHESS
Chess club caters to players of all levels (Beginners to Advanced). Each week the Chess club runs a lesson to teach a new skill that is appropriate to the level of the children attending. Beginners will learn how to play and all of the rules of chess, progressing to learn some basic checkmates and strategies later on. Intermediate and Advanced players will learn about opening theories, tactics, strategies and endgames improving their game and expanding the calculation skills and foresight that they have already been developing. Children will also be given time to play friendly and competitive games against each other and to solve simulated chess puzzles.

• Monday dates: commencing Monday 1 May – 19 June 2023
• Time: 1:15pm – 2:15pm

• Thursday dates: commencing Thursday 27 April – 22 June 2023 
• Time: 3:15pm – 4:15pm

LITTLE BOOMERS BASKETBALL
The Little Boomers program was developed by Sports and Exercise Scientists from the University of Technology Sydney. The program is designed for complete beginners, as well as for children who already know how to play Basketball and will be offered to students from Kindergarten to Year 4.

The program helps develop more challenging gross-motor movements through shooting drills and other skills such as a lay-up. Every week, facilitators implement the program ‘CAPTAINS’ during a Basketball game, for those who display good sportspersonship.

Please note that Little Boomers Basketball accepts Active Kids vouchers.

• Monday dates: commencing Monday 1 May – 19 June 2023
• Thursday dates: commencing Thursday 27 April – 22 June

At the conclusion of the sessions, students can be collected from the Carrington Avenue Kiss and Ride gate at 4:30pm.

MOTIV8SPORTS
Grades: Students Prep – Year 4
Students from Prep to Year 4 will have the opportunity to participate in Motiv8sports.
Our Sports and Activities Clinics are designed to motiv8, encourage, build resilience and inspire children to be successful. We focus on effort and attitude, rather than ability. Over the course of the program, your child will experience many of our trademark hybrid (non-contact) sports, enjoy our creative challenges and games, along with many other awesome activities. Every child NEW to Motiv8sports will receive a FREE Motiv8sports jersey and hat.

• Dates: Tuesdays commencing 2 May – 20 June
• Time: 3:15pm – 5:00pm

SPEECH AND DRAMA
Grades: Kindergarten to Year 4
Students from Kindergarten to Year 4 will have the opportunity to participate in Speech and Drama. Speech and Drama classes provide the opportunity for students to grow, develop and become empowered with effective communication skills. This occurs in a variety of ways. Students learn about a variety of aspects of communication and therefore increase their ability to be more involved in class discussions. They learn techniques and skills to develop their communicative skills. 

Their voices develop as they understand how to use their voice to convey meaning, mood and atmosphere of a variety of texts. These range from poems, to prose pieces, character monologues, speeches, reading aloud etc. Students learn to speak in a variety of different forums, e.g. formally, informally and as leaders. Speech and Drama offerings will include small group and individual lessons as well as afternoon group sessions with Sydney Performance Academy.

Private and small group lessons TBC

HEAD ACADEMY KUNG FU
Grades: Year 1 – Year 4                                                                                    

Head Academy Kung Fu has been teaching Jow Gar Kung Fu in Sydney for over 20 years, in four locations. Head Academy Kung Fu aims to teach your children to build confidence, improve their coordination and movement ability as well as learn effective self defence. Each session will aim to teach these in a fast-paced, fun and engaging way where the students will build fitness and flexibility at the same time. 

Kung Fu is a great style of training for those interested in individual development and would like an introduction to martial arts. There will be plenty of skill-based games that aim to improve different facets of their training.                                                                 

• Dates: Wednesday afternoons 26 April – 14 June 2023
• Time: 3:15pm – 4:30pm                                                                    

Sydney Performance Academy (SPA)

Monday and Thursday: 

*A reminder that our SPA drama program is an opt-In system, there is no automatic rollover for students’ enrolments. If you want your child to attend our program in Term 2, you must enrol them for Term 2.

SUPER SPORTS 
Grades: Kindergarten – Year 2

Super Sports will be delivering the ‘Physio Play’ program during Term 2. Physio Play’s functional movement program is designed and delivered by Physiotherapists. This program will assist children to develop the necessary strength, control, cognitive skill and coordination to achieve age-appropriate developmental milestones which prepare them for future life.

Students will participate in a range of activities in order to develop fundamental movement skills required in a variety of sports. Students will also have the opportunity to develop important teamwork skills through participation in a range of modified team games. Maximum Registration Numbers: 20 students (please note: a minimum of 10 students is required for the program to go ahead)

• Dates: Wednesdays 3 May – 14 June
• Time: 3:15pm – 4:30pm

TENNIS
Grades: Prep – Year 4

Students from Prep to Year 4 will have the opportunity to participate in tennis lessons. Please contact Mr Jarrad Magee at tennis@ssc.nsw.edu.au or by phone: 0410 342 255.

YOUNG ENGINEERS
Grades: Year 1 – Year 4
Students from Year 1 to Year 4 will have the opportunity to participate in Young Engineers co curricular. Young Engineers offers STEM programs where children can learn critical skills for the digital age as well as having fun. All equipment including tablets and electronics needed for the lesson are supplied. Please note that there will be a class for Lower Primary and Upper Primary.

Two programs will be available:
Bricks Challenge BASIC STEM and Build:Ideals for students of Grades 1 and 2 Bricks Challenge ADVANCE STEM & Build: Ideal for students of Grade 3 and 4

•  Dates: Wednesdays commencing 26 April – 21 June 2023
•  Time: 3:15pm – 4:30pm

Joanne Giannini
Head of Primary P-4

Prep

These past few weeks the children have been learning about two-dimensional shapes. The children have had fun engaging in songs and rhymes about shapes to help them remember the different attributes. They have especially enjoyed identifying shapes in their environment, and creating shapes using rubber bands and geoboards, paddle-pop sticks, and modelling clay and match sticks.

Clare Wood
Prep Teacher

Kindergarten

This week during Mathematics, Kindergarten students have been learning about length. The students have been using comparative language to describe length. They have also learnt to compare lengths directly by placing objects side by side and aligning the ends.

Monique Evans
Kindergarten Teacher

Year 1

During Science, Year 1 is learning about ‘Living Things’. They are observing the external features of both animals and plants and investigating how living things can be grouped according to these features.

This week, students went on a living/non-living things scavenger hunt where they were asked to locate the differing features of the two. This involved exploring our immediate surroundings with a partner and reporting back to the whole class at the end of the practical component. The students had an incredible time inquiring and investigating different features, discussing their findings and applying new technical language they have explicitly been taught to work scientifically.

Joanne Giannini
Head of Primary P-4

Year 2

In Mathematics Year 2 students have been exploring the topic of length. We thought carefully about what the length of an object is and how we can measure length using informal units of measurement, such as paddle pop sticks, and formal units of measurement, including millimetres, centimetres, and metres. Students engaged in a variety of hands-on activities, measuring the length of objects and distances within the classroom, and in doing so, recognised the importance of placing the units end to end without gaps or overlaps to achieve an accurate measurement. 

Merissa Perivolarellis
Year 2 Teacher

Year 3

In Science and Technology Year 3 students are learning about ‘Heat, Electricity and Light’. Students are exploring how energy makes things happen and are describing the effects of heat energy.

They have also been exploring ways that heat can be transferred due to conduction. Recently, students conducted a scientific investigation into how heat moves through different materials. Students developed their Working Scientifically Skills by: hypothesising, recording observations, analysing data and communicating their understandings.

Joanne Giannini
Head of Primary P-4

Year 4

Year 4 enjoyed meeting and spending time with their Kindergarten buddies recently. The purpose of our first visit was to find out interests that our buddies share and to see where their learning spaces are.

Ms Napper organised the buddies into their spaces: Gunagulla went to 4 Nepean, Weelya went to K Namoi, Mundawora went to 4 Cooks, Kurrawa went to 4 Daintree, Teangi went to K Murray and Yetinga went to K Snowy. Once we arrived in the rooms, we introduced ourselves and completed a get-to-know-you task.

With our buddies, we wrote our name, shared our interests and drew portraits of each other. We can’t wait to see them again!

Edward Wang
Year 4 Teacher

The importance of being a good male role model

The importance of being a good male role model cannot be overstated. Good males have a positive, lasting impact on their children’s lives, and serve as role models and mentors that help guide them through life. Male role models are the primary male influence in their children’s lives and play a vital role in their development. 

Steve Biddulph, a renowned psychotherapist, author, and public speaker, calls fatherhood ‘one of the great adventures of life.’ He writes, ‘Being a good father means being a loving, dependable, and supportive presence in a child’s life. It means providing guidance and teaching them important life skills. It means being there to provide emotional support and to listen when they need to talk. It means being involved in their lives, while at the same time giving them the space they need to grow and explore.’

Biddulph emphasises the importance of spending quality time with your children and being physically present in their lives. He suggests that males take the time to get to know their children, to understand their interests, and to really listen to what they have to say. Males should also be active in their children’s education, helping them with their school work and making sure they stay on track academically.

Good role models also provide a sense of security, stability, and unconditional love to their children. They foster healthy relationships, encourage self-confidence and personal growth, and teach their children important life lessons. They also serve as positive role models and provide guidance on how to be successful in life.

John Haydon
Assistant Head P-4

Artistic Director

Monday 19 June Gala Concert 6:30pm – Sydney Town Hall

Sounds from Santa – A Celebration of Women Composers

This unique concert will include 14 world premières of original compositions by elective music students, former students, and music staff. The original works include a cross-section of genres for symphony orchestras, massed choirs, advanced mixed ensembles, dance, technology (loop pedal, light show), percussion ensemble, symphonic wind ensemble, brass ensemble, stage band, chamber choirs, massed strings, and grand organ. The concert will also feature compositions by many Australian female composers. Original lyrics include inspiration from Dominican values, indigenous poets, Latin text, sacred text, and computer game music.The final list of ensembles performing in this concert will be confirmed in Term 2. Tickets will be on sale in Term 2 and all family and friends are most welcome to attend.

ARCO (Australian Romantic and Classical Orchestra) – Voyage of Discovery 

Thirty-two students signed up for Voyage of Discovery Excursions this year. This is three concert/educational concert series in the evenings by the Australian Romantic and Classical Orchestra. Venues include the City Recital Hall, Concourse (Chatswood) and ACO Wharf 1. We are so pleased that our musicians have shown significant participation and enthusiasm for learning beyond the classroom.

Friday Recital

Congratulations to the 23 students who performed at last Friday’s open recital (see below). Seeing so many students from P-12 take the opportunity to perform and hone their skills in front of a friendly audience is fantastic. 

Conservatorium of Music Students

Santa Sabina continues inspiring students to study music at the Conservatorium of Music. There have been three to four students every year studying music at the Conservatorium over the past five years. 

Class of 2022: Nicole Ghi, Bachelor of Music (Viola)
Charlotte He, Bachelor of Music (Cello) – deferred for Gap Year
Julia McGann, Bachelor of Music (Composition)

Class of 2021: Rosie Bennett, Bachelor of Music (Percussion)
Emilie Choi, Bachelor of Music (Cello)
Amelia Dillon, Bachelor of Music Education (Clarinet)
Charlotte Kang, Bachelor of Music Education (Piano)

ENCORE – Sydney Opera House Concert Hall

Here are more of our Elective Music students’ reflections on the recent concert showcasing the best 2022 HSC Music performances across NSW:

On Monday night, the Year 11 and 12 HSC music classes and year 10 elective music were allowed to attend this year’s Encore Performance at the Sydney Opera House. Encore showcases strong performances from the previous year’s HSC group across NSW. I thoroughly enjoyed seeing both the variety in the program and the instruments featured and found it inspiring as an HSC music student. Overall, it was a fantastic experience and a fun night!

Chloe Batchelor Year 11 HSC Music 2

The Encore HSC music performance evening was an exciting and fun event with its extensive range of styles and instruments ranging from piano to electric guitar to drums. It was an incredible evening with performances from beautiful and delicate to exciting and passionate. My favourite was a drum performance by Joshua Blythe, who played the Taylor Hawkin Tribute Duet. It was fascinating with its loud volume and speedy tempo. Overall the encore HSC was an entertaining event for me, and I recommend it to anyone who can go.

Ren Chao Year 11 HSC Music 2 

…It was an extremely sensational experience. Schools around Sydney performed unique pieces, from orchestral concertos to Broadway-style musical compositions to jazz. One of my favourite pieces was a song by a King’s School student titled “Run Away With Me” (Composers: Lowdermilk/Kerrigan), a piece from a musical named The Mad Ones. It was a fantastic song that utilised a tenor male voice which, like many other pieces in the concert, was enthralling and practically brought tears to my eyes in awe. The whole night was filled with the best, most grand and spectacular performances and compositions of the HSC music classes of 2022, and it was simply unforgettable. I hope to go again in the coming years.

Rose Hart Year 11 HSC Music 2

Consort 8 – a concert in the Santa Sabina Chapel on Saturday 1 April

Consort 8 and Mr Tim Chung (countertenor) will perform a beautiful and reflective concert of Lent and Easter music in the Chapel on Saturday 1 April from 5:45pm to 7:00pm (please note the change of start time – previously advised to start at 5:30pm).

This concert is free for Santa Sabina parents and students. Please email t.chung@ssc.nsw.edu.au if you would like to attend. The general public can purchase tickets via the Consort 8 website or the link below: https://events.ticketbooth.com.au/event/Lamento . Tickets are also available at the door.

Consort 8 is one of the College’s musical professional partners and is Sydney’s unique early music group. The Santa Chamber Choir performed with Consort 8 last December in their annual Christmas Concert. All Santa students and parents are welcome to this concert; entry is free for Santa Sabina families. For more information please visit: https://consort8.org/

Timothy Chung
Artistic Director

Tennis camp

Sport and Co-curricular activities update

College Athletics Carnival Years 7-12 – Championship Event Registration

The College Athletics Carnival for Years 7-12 will be held on Friday 12 May (Term 2 Week 3) at Sydney Olympic Park Athletic Centre. 

Any student wishing to take part in the Championship events must be registered by Wednesday 26 April. Please complete the registration form if you’d like to be involved.

NO LATE ENTRIES WILL BE ACCEPTED

NSWCCC Hockey Tournament

We have extended the Expressions of Interest for the NSWCCC Hockey Tournament in Bathurst. If your daughter is interested in participating, please complete the Expression of Interest Form by Friday 31 March. All communication regarding trials, training and tournament details will be confirmed in Week 10. 

Term 2 Sport reminders 

Hockey and Basketball

All teams are now live on the sports notice board! Please make sure your child checks to see what team they are in. Training and the draws will be made available once confirmed. 

IGSA Football

Trials will take place on 1 April.

Snow Sports (K-12)

If your child is interested in representing the College at the Regional Championships in Thredbo from 10-14 July, please fill in this Expressions of Interest form. Once filled in, the Sports Department will reach out to you in regard to your child’s interest. Please note if you have already completed this form, you do not need to complete it again. 

Co-curricular Expo

I would like to thank all students and staff for making the expo a very special event. The buzz and the excitement was evident as the staff ran their stalls with enthusiasm to welcome more participants into their clubs.

If students are interested in joining a club, please click on the Expressions of Interest form here as staff will be in contact when registrations are open (The form is also on VO going to ‘College Services – Co- curricular’).

Wet weather announcements

Please remember that ALL sport training is ON unless cancelled by the Director of Sport. If this is the case, I will post a message on the school app, so please make sure to download the app on your phone.

Luiz Ramalho 
Director of Sport and Co-curricular Activities P-12

Peter Pan Junior Drama Production

‘To live will be an awfully big adventure’

Welcome to the Junior Drama Production of Peter Pan! An adaptation of the original script by J.M. Barrie, Peter Pan is a playful adventure that teaches us to live with joy and curiosity. Don’t be afraid to try new things and let your imagination fly!

Tickets are available now!

Here is a peek behind the scenes at early rehearsals:

Nicole Ellis-Windsor
Head of Drama & Visual Arts

Rugby grand finalists

Term 1 has seen the Santa Rugby Sevens Junior team compete in the Chloe Dalton Competition hosted by NSW Rugby and Barker College. The season began with many new players confidently taking up the challenge to learn a new sport and push the boundaries of their comfort zones. With the guidance of some more experienced players, the team built their skills and, through teamwork, began to see great improvements and success on the field. After a string of victories, the Santa Rugby Sevens Junior team found themselves in the grand final against Barker College. Despite their best efforts, some strong defence and good tries scored, Barker proved too good on the day and we finished second in the competition. It was a fantastic season of growth from the team and we look forward to building on the success of this season in the Term 4 competition. If you would like to get involved with Rugby Sevens at the College then please email me to express your interest and look out for registrations later in the year.

I made new connections with people from other years and together we made a great team. Rugby was really fun and I look forward to playing again later this year.

Rebecca Succar

Alex Conolly
Assistant Head of Science
Head Rugby Coach

Sydney Catholic Schools Swimming Championships

Please see below the results from yesterday’s Sydney Catholic Schools Swimming Championships. All students listed below qualified for the NSW Combined Primary Schools (CPS) Swimming Championships.

The NSWCPS Championships can be live streamed here.

Ryan Dunlop
PE Coordinator 

Netball update

CGSSSA Netball Championships

Congratulations to all students selected to represent the College at this year’s Netball Championships which are being held on the last day of school, 5 April, at Blacktown Leisure Centre. Good luck to our Juniors, Intermediate and Senior teams.

ERNA Netball competition

Teams have been announced and will officially start training the week commencing 3 April. We are still looking for coaches for two of our cadet teams and managers for several teams.  We are also in desperate need of qualified umpires, so if you know anyone that would be interested in umpiring for Santa Sabina on a Saturday at Meadowbank please reach out to Ms Gocher via j.gocher@ssc.nsw.edu.au.  Umpires are paid based on their qualification.

Round 1 – 29 April. 

Team grades and playing times will be confirmed by the end of this week.

Joanne Gocher
Head Netball Coach & Coordinator, ERNA Selector
Invitational Volleyball & Basketball Coordinator

Years 3-12 College Swimming Carnival Results

Congratulations to all students who participated in the College Swimming Carnival earlier this term at Sydney Olympic Park. It was a fantastic day and there was plenty of school and house spirit.

Swimming Age Champions

Primary Junior Champion

Boys – Aaron Duigenan
Girls – Genevieve Lloyd-Jones and Romee Lee

Senior Primary Champion

Chiarah Nguyen

Years 7-12 Age Champions

Junior Swimming Champion
Georgia David

Intermediate Swimming Champion
Madryne Lebeau

Senior Swimming Champion
Madeleine Loncar

College Open 50m Freestyle Champion
Armani Jamieson

College Swimming Champion 2023
Madeleine Loncar

Record Breakers 2023
Romee Lee
Vera Zhang
Genevieve Lloyd-Jones
Chiarah Nguyen
Georgia David
Olivia Toia
Armani Jamieson
Madeleine Loncar
Teangi Junior and Senior Relay
Weelya Intermediate Relay

House Spirit Award
Mundawora

Best Dressed Staff Member
Ms Blake

Overall House Swimming Champions

Luiz Ramalho
Director of Sport and Co-curricular Activities

Premier’s Reading Challenge

The Premier’s Reading Challenge has started and the school holidays are a good opportunity for children to read. They can borrow extra books for the school holidays and the library staff are ready to assist them in locating the PRC books. For more information please click here.

Salma Kaado
Library Assistant

Introducing Rowan Freeman, Drama and English Teacher

Staff Story

When Rowan Freeman was in Year 11 in a regional Victorian school a car accident caused him to think carefully about his future. ‘I was not sure what I was destined to do’, he says. His mentor, the school chaplain, gave him some important advice – to follow his dreams. And Rowan’s dream was to act.

In the years since then he has made the performing arts his cornerstone while complementing this career with successful creative writing and now, teaching. Rowan’s pathway so far includes acting on TV, on stage and on radio and helping to build the confidence of young people through drama education.

Initially heading to London to work in radio, Rowan also studied acting at the renowned Western Australian Academy of Perming Arts (WAAPA) and later creative writing at Macquarie University. He has acted in numerous television shows including the hugely successful Home and Away while a radio play he wrote, Safety Switch, was performed and recorded on ABC Radio National. He has taught in drama educational programs run by the National Institute of Performing Arts (NIDA), Australian Theatre for Young People (ATYP) and Sydney Theatre Company (STC).  In the STC educational program he taught drama skills to the full range of young people – from those in the ‘sad place’ of the juvenile justice system to others attending North Shore independent schools. And it was while working at STC that Rowan realised a new dream – to teach.

‘While I was working for the STC in the education program which goes out to schools I developed a real love for teaching’, Rowan says.

‘But the one challenge with that program was that it was seven weeks long. We’d go to a school for seven weeks and would see this program starting to work – inspiring young kids or changing the way that teachers would apply drama to the teaching in their classroom – and then you’d have to move on.’

Rowan wanted to build on that work, staying in a school to really make a difference.

Now at Santa Sabina (since the start of 2023), Rowan is our Drama and English Teacher and Acting Coach for our forthcoming joyful production of Peter Pan. The first thing he has noticed about the College is the delightful nature of our students and their strong engagement in learning.

‘It’s lovely to walk into a school where people smile and have a conversation. A place where getting an education is cherished. The kids have made me feel so welcome’, he says.

Rowan teaches Drama fundamentally to help build self-confidence. ‘I think this is one of the most important things that we need students to have, especially now they are in a space consumed by the small device in front of them. Presenting skills are really key in every class and then once you step outside of the education environment into work, being able to present yourself in an eloquent manner is incredibly important.’

Outside of the classroom, Rowan is writing children’s fiction and going for long runs – ‘to get away and get out’. He is renovating the home he shares with his wife and going to the theatre as often as possible. The production he has most enjoyed in recent months has been The Rocky Horror Show.

Why?

‘What we need now is simple joy’, he says.

Victoria Harper
Publications and Marketing Officer

Action Research Projects – how do we know we have a problem?

Earlier in the term, teachers worked in their action research teams to hone in on a ‘problem of practice’ by identifying some component of their professional practice that is not achieving the desired outcomes. From here, groups developed a research question to focus their investigation. 

With question topics ranging from reading engagement and imaginative writing practices to positive peer relationships and academic resilience, teachers have been busy gathering evidence, or baseline data, to help them identify the nature and scale of their chosen problem. Analysis of this data will help teachers understand the best strategies to put in place to address their problem as well as providing a benchmark against which to measure the impact of their change of practice.

While teachers are very familiar with the process of gathering and analysing assessment data, some of the most useful information can come from qualitative evidence where we attempt to get inside our students’ heads to understand how and why they think and act the way they do. Using a methodology passed on by our UTS action research partners, Professor Nick Hopwood and Dr Tracy-Ann Palmer, some of our groups have been applying the ‘Third Thing’ technique to their student interviews. Rather than asking students to talk directly about themselves, this technique is believed to encourage more honest, detailed and thoughtful responses by asking them questions related to a ‘third thing’ comprising physical objects or an abstract scenario. 

Using this technique to better understand the reasons why some of our students decide to withdraw from the instrumental program after Year 6, our music department recently posed this question to a group of Year 7s: ‘Imagine you were invited to be on a committee designed to develop strategies to encourage continuation in the instrumental program. What suggestions would you make?’ While some of the responses reinforced what the teachers already knew, there were some really creative suggestions that gave the research group some feasible ideas on how to change their practice. This technique was also used with a group of Year 12s students to understand strategies they use to maintain focus as they go into an exam. By asking ‘What advice would you give a friend on how to stay calm when going into an exam?’, they inadvertently discussed strategies that work for them without feeling like they would be judged on their answers. 

The next step in the action research process involves designing feasible and measurable changes of practice to address chosen problems. This will be the focus of our professional learning day at the start of Term 2. 

Kate Corcoran
Action Research Coordinator 

Uniform shop holiday trading hours

The Santa Sabina College Uniform Store will close for the Easter break on Wednesday 5 April at 4:00pm.

Winter Fitting appointments are open. Appointments can be made here.

Please use the link to make your appointment at  https://midford.as.me/SantaSabinaCollege or to make an online purchase. www.midford.com.au Online Pass Phrase SS1894

Online Orders are packed every day while the Uniform Shop is open and may be collected by students and parents throughout the day.

Please note the Uniform Shop does not accept cash. All major credit cards/eftpos accepted instore.

Please contact the Uniform Shop by telephone 9745 7045 or email santa.sabina@midford.com.au.

Professional accomplishments

An integrated approach to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander themes by Kate Corcoran

In this headline article published in the Geography Bulletin vol55 No 1 2023 (Geography Teachers Association of NSW Inc.) Kate Corcoran, our Action Research Coordinator and Teacher of Social Science, outlines the interdisciplinary approach to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories created at Santa Sabina utilising the concurrent teaching of the relevant themes across Geography, History, English and Religious Education.

You can read the full article here.

From the P&F Association

Counting your blessings this Easter

Term 1 2023 has come and gone in the blink of an eye. It seems that busy-ness is the new buzz word. But does being busy, and pushing through, support positive mental health and well-being. In short…No.

In a world where we are rushing through our days and weeks, our young people are also highly active. By rushing and pushing through, our young people are missing out on opportunities for:

• quiet time
• stillness
• reflection

For our brains, this means we, and our young people, are always ‘on’. Being switched on can be a positive, we have the hormones adrenalin and cortisol running through our bodies so that we can be alert and act. Too much adrenalin and cortisol though can mean fatigue and burnout.

Setting our young people up for success in life, and therefore mitigating the risks of fatigue and burnout, means looking for opportunities for quiet time, stillness, reflection. Over the school holidays, use the time with your young person to create these opportunities. One means of doing this is to reflect and count our blessings. Not just in a moment before we sit down for our Easter feast, but as a practice over the school holidays. For our brain, counting our blessings can boost the levels of our feel-good hormones, serotonin and dopamine.” Dopamine is our brain’s pleasure chemical. The more we think positive, grateful thoughts, the healthier and happier we feel. Serotonin in the synthetic form is the basis for modern anti-depressant medication. Having dopamine and serotonin naturally released through our bodies can have a powerful and positive impact on our wellbeing.

How can we count our blessings with our young people over the holidays, thereby boosting the feel good hormones serotonin and dopamine? Stop, and count our blessings for the moments of stillness that we create. This could be done by with our young person by:

• spending time in nature, camping or bushwalking
• volunteering for a local community service
• engaging in a hobby, craft, or activity
• having a digital detox, take time away from devices and social media

With the success of counting our blessings and finding time to be still and reflect, maybe stretch the goal and extend these feel good practices in Term 2.

Happy Easter!

Parents and Friends’ Association

Sacramental program 2023

First Holy Communion 2023 at St Martha’s Parish

To receive him for the first time we follow a six-week interactive preparation program involving candidates and parents/carer. Lead by our Parish Priest, Fr. John, we join together with Jesus in this sacrament… to receive him in Holy Communion… not only for the first time, but again and again!

To participate, prepare and receive this sacrament please download, complete and return an enrolment form, from below. Hardcopies can be found in the foyer of our Church.

ELIGIBIITY TO RECEIVE THE SACRAMENT OF FIRST HOLY COMMUNION

Your child must be in Year 3 or above in 2023 to receive First Communion.

Have received the Sacrament of Baptism and First Reconciliation.

The Enrolment Fee for First Holy Communion 2023 is $50.

(This fee covers the cost of workbooks, resources.)

FIRST HOLY COMMUNION 2023 – For Children in Year 3 or older and
who have received the Sacrament of Reconciliation.

1st lesson:  3:30pm Wednesday 2 or 3:30pm Saturday 5 August
2nd lesson: 3:30pm Wednesday 9 or 3:30pm Saturday 12 August
3rd lesson: 3:30pm Wednesday 16 or 3:30pm Saturday 19 August
4th lesson + Rehearsal: 3:30pm Wednesday 23 August or 3:30pm Saturday 26 August

Confirmation 2023 at St Martha’s Parish

Let us be filled with the Holy Spirit as we follow a six-week interactive preparation program involving candidates, sponsors and parents/carers. Lead by our Parish Priest, Fr John, we travel on the road with the Saints as we bear witness to the love of Jesus in our lives.

To participate, prepare and receive this sacrament… please download, complete and return an enrolment form. Hardcopies can be found in the foyer of our Church.

This sacrament will be for those candidates in year 6 or over and have received the sacrament of First Reconciliation and First Holy Communion

The Enrolment Fee for Confirmation 2023 is $50.

(This fee covers the cost of workbooks and resources.)

Confirmation 2023 – for children in Year 6 or older

Parent information Session: 7:00pm Monday 23 October 2023

1st lesson: 3:30pm Saturday 6 May
2nd lesson: 3:30pm Saturday 13 May
3rd lesson: 3:30pm Saturday 20 May
4th lesson: 3:30pm Saturday 27 May

Rehearsal: 6:00pm Friday 2 June 2023

Sacrament date: 6:00pm Friday 9 June 2023

For more information, please contact the Sacramental Team on 9746 6131 (option 3)
– or –
via email: sc@stmarthas.org.au

Women’s Night of Spirituality

We have received an invitation from St Mary’s Church North Sydney to join them at their Women’s Night of Spirituality on Tuesday 16 May at 7:00pm – a night of spiritual enrichment.

Now in its 26^th year, the evening promises fascinating speakers with uplifting live choral music and a light supper afterwards.

St Mary’s is in Ridge Street, North Sydney.

There is no charge and no RSVP required, and men are welcome. 

Melanie van der Meer
Deputy Principal Mission and Pastoral Care

We want your Lego!

Teachers in the Solomon Islands have asked for lego – particularly Duplo. We are having a packing day on Thursday 13 April so if you have any lego that your children have grown out of and you’d like to donate it please contact me on 0425 252 289.

Can you imagine the joy of children who have never seen Lego, receiving a box of assorted pieces?

Jane Sulis
Outreach Coordinator