College Principal

For the past few weeks, we have been going through a rigorous selection process to choose our College student leaders for next year. Our students had to submit an application, present speeches, engage in interviews with relevant staff, and then students from Year 7 had the opportunity to show their support for their choice of leader. With an impressive 68 applications for only 20 leadership roles, it is heartening to see our young people putting themselves forward for these roles, it takes courage, confidence and resilience to have a go! 

Congratulations to our newly elected student leaders:

College Captains:                  
Lucy Gee and Molly Hoogland

Faith & Mission Prefect:        
Rochelle Dias

Social Justice Prefect:           
Aditi Kamath

Wellbeing Prefect:                 
Alyssia Rostirolla

Environment & Sustainability:
Bronte Sprotte

Arts Prefect:                           
Lucia Juarez

Sports Prefect:                       
Charlotte Pugh

Gunagulla House Captains:  
Isabella Catalano and Ella Hodge

Kurrawa House Captains:     
Ava Karam and Georgia Long

Mundawora House Captains:
Tamara Haddad and Claudia Pickett

Teangi House Captains:        
Chiara Afonso and Julia Lancuba

Weelya House Captains:       
Lara Milward and Apostoleia Moulos

Yetinga House Captains:      
Claudia Care and Armani Jamieson

Last week we celebrated all things Science. Science Week provided a great opportunity for us to put the spotlight on Science and Technology and acknowledge the contributions of Australian scientists to the world of knowledge. Lots of activities were held during the week including Cool Science at lunchtime which involved liquid nitrogen, dry ice and rockets! Chemical experiments were conducted in Gioia House while our Primary students used Makey Makey kits to explore how circuits work by creating game controllers and mini keyboard devices. 

A highlight of Science Week was our inaugural Science Showcase, a new initiative developed by our Head of Science, Ms Kempers and Assistant Head of Science, Mr Connolly. We invited members of our community, parents and ex-students to take centre stage to present projects that they are working on in a broad range of scientific fields. It was an outstanding success and the audience were inspired by how members of our community are making an extraordinary impact in the world. We heard about technological developments in sustainability, pharmaceuticals, human health, land use planning and aerospace.

Isabella Salameh from the Class of 2020 who is studying a Bachelor of Aeronautical Engineering (Hons) at the University of Sydney shared her work as an intern design engineer with Airbus which has taken her to work in Bristol for the past year. She was incredibly impressive in sharing her work with Airbus to pioneer a sustainable future with their aircraft. 

We were also delighted to welcome parents such as Scott Partlin whose work as Head of Grid Connection sees him powering Australia and the world towards 100% renewable energy; Angie Corbo also joined us, her work with Roche Pharmaceuticals sees her in the technological innovation field; Natlie Curach also inspired, as the Senior Director, Business Development with Ginkgo Bioworks she took us on a journey of programming biology and the implications for health (and everything else); Susan Fox spoke about Disaster Management, she uses science to inform land use planning decisions in her role as Senior Manager Bushfire Planning with the NSW Dept of Planning and Environment; and finally, Christopher Hodge, a national clinical research coordinator responsible for clinical research development for the Vision Eye Institute where he works on many collaborations with topics including the novel treatment of corneal disease, talked us through the extraordinary medical innovations in his field. We hope to do this again next year, it was such an interesting and exciting presentation and we are grateful to everyone who volunteered to support this event. 

This Friday, our Gioia House girls will host more than 200 Year 6 boys from St Patrick’s College. This event aims to inspire, engage and educate students about the exciting possibilities within STEM disciplines. Throughout the day students will have the opportunity to immerse themselves in the range of technology, hear from guest speakers and participate in practical activities through workshops to encourage creative thinking, problem-solving skills and digital confidence. During the lunch break, students will come together to play mixed teams friendly soccer games on our oval. The event is also an excellent opportunity for girls and boys to establish connections and learn how to work together and form friendships that prepare them for the world beyond their school years.

The Primary campus will celebrate Book Week this week with author visits and the highly anticipated Book Week Parade on Friday. 

We look forward to welcoming fathers and carers to our Father’s Day Mass and Breakfast next Thursday, 31 August. This year there will be one breakfast for everyone between each Mass and it will be held in Siena Hall from 8:30am. Our Secondary Mass will be at 7:30am and Primary Mass will be at 9:30am. 

Wishing you well.

Go gently.

Paulina Skerman
College Principal

Deputy Principal Mission and Pastoral Care

The quality of life is determined by its activities.

Aristotle

This week, as we have seen on our social media and in Ms Skerman’s article, our 2023/2024 Student Leadership Team has been finalised and announced. It has been apparent to the staff and students at the College that each of the 60 or more students who put themselves forward for a position has been actively involved in a range of activities – both school-based and community-based. The benefits of involvement in co-curricular activities are well documented and a vital element of the holistic education offered at Santa Sabina. The impact of co-curricular activities leads to improved academic performance, multicultural awareness, cognitive development, psychological wellbeing, and leadership development.

Co-curricular activities are not just a great way to make friends and to have fun. They also play an important role in developing life skills. These are the skills that cannot be taught in a classroom but must be learned through experience. A report by the Australian Council for Educational Research has found that those students who participated in co-curricular activities have improved life skills over those who didn’t. 

The large majority of our students are involved in at least one school-based co-curricular activity over the school year. There is an enormous range of activities that all our students can access and be involved with. The large number of students who put themselves forward for a leadership position this term is a testament to the confidence, resilience and maturity that a full involvement in College life can produce. 

I encourage all families to speak with their children about their activities and interests and to give consideration to how their child’s holistic development is being complemented by their involvement in the co-curricular life at the College. 

Melanie van der Meer
Deputy Principal Mission and Pastoral Care

Deputy Principal Teaching and Learning

Year 12

Year 12 concluded their HSC Trials and IB examination periods recently. This was their final internal assessment for the HSC and formative task for IB Diploma.The students are now working with teachers on their feedback as learning  to improve their knowledge and skills prior to the external examinations in Term 4. We wish them well as they work towards their final weeks of their school life. 

HSC and IB Showcase

Year 12 Projects have been coming in for a few weeks. HSC and IB Music students presented their repertoire over the last two Friday afternoons. Textiles occurred earlier this term. The final showcase of projects will occur on 13 September. Starting at 4:15pm in the Boardroom with English Extension 2 students presenting an excerpt from their final work, this will be followed at 5:00pm with the History Extension students presenting their research and findings. From 5:15pm St Elizabeth’s and the rooms adjoining will open with an exhibit of the Visual Arts Bodies of Work and Design and Technology Projects and portfolios.

Year 11 Subject Selection for 2024

This week our Deputies and Deans conclude their meetings with students and parents to formalise their program in either the IB Diploma or HSC and their pattern of study. In these meetings we have discussed students post-school plans and how this aligns with the subjects they have chosen. I have encouraged all of the students who are thinking of University or TAFE to attend the University and TAFE Open Days occurring in the months of August and September. 

Open Days schedule

26 August Sydney University, UTS, Notre Dame and TAFE  
2 September UNSW
9 September Australian Catholic University

Science Week 

Science Week went off with a bang last week. There will be various articles in this Veritas Voice highlighting the different opportunities our teachers from Prep through to Year 12 and our community designed. It was a program that was innovative and I thank our teachers for their dedication. 

Jacqueline Pugh
Deputy Principal Teaching and Learning

Deputy Principal Operations

The Santa Sabina App is a key communication tool between the College and families. Parents can customise their App experience, so they receive notifications on their device of notices relating to their children, sporting fixtures and any important messaging from the College relating to sport cancellations, camp arrival times and more. All families are encouraged to download the app from the App Store or Google Play. Families can log in using the same manner as accessing Veritas Online.

To prepare our students for the challenges of the future workplace or tertiary studies, Santa Sabina offers a range of different software packages to students of the College. As well as using the Google Suite of programs in classes, students of Santa Sabina are all able to install Microsoft 365 and Adobe Creative Cloud to their personal devices and access these with their student email address. Details on how to access these programs and more is available in the College Information on Veritas Online by clicking on the Information Technology tab.

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. Santa Sabina regularly receives reports from residents of parents parking in driveways and performing illegal U-turns on the streets surrounding both campuses of Santa Sabina. 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

Gioia House update

This month at Gioia House, we have been truly inspired by the Matildas, not only for their remarkable performance on the field but also for the incredible character traits they embody. Their courage, humility, and commitment have left an indelible mark on us all. We hold onto their clear message that with hard work, collaboration, kindness and dedication, anything is possible. In a world that often imposes unrealistic body image standards, it’s important for us as educators and parents to reinforce the value of self-acceptance. Research shows that 90% of young people in Australia have concerns about body image. To address this, our students participated in an insightful incursion presented by the Butterfly Foundation. Through this, they learned about healthy body image and the importance of embracing their own individual journey.

As the last couple of weeks unfolded, our calendar has been brimming with exciting events. We celebrated the Feast of the Assumption of Mary and the Feast of Mary MacKillop, allowing our students to connect with the rich traditions that shape our values. Adding a truly special touch, we were graced with the presence of Sr Sheila Flynn OP, whose wisdom and warmth infused the class environment. Sr Sheila shared her insights about The Assumption of Mary to Heaven – an embodiment of the accomplishments borne from the work of Christ. As is her trademark, Sr Sheila’s creative spirit shone through, inviting our students to engage in composing prayers that resonated with the spirit of the occasion.

Last Thursday, our doors were open to prospective families as part of our College Discovery Tour. It was a moment of immense pride as our students led the tour with confidence, sharing information and showcasing their communication skills.

For our Year 6 students, a visit to the NSW Parliament House was a hands-on experience in understanding our government structure and the process of law-making. Engaging in role-play and asking thought-provoking questions, our students embraced this invaluable learning opportunity.

The spirit of Science came alive during Science Week, as students enthusiastically participated in a variety of experiments, celebrating the marvels of scientific discovery. Making us even prouder, 80 talented musicians from Gioia House graced the Town Hall stage as part of the IPSHA Arts Festival. Their exceptional performances in the choir, orchestra, and ensembles shone brightly.

Our debaters showcased their eloquence and reasoning at the IPSHA Debating Gala Day, and as we celebrate Book Week with the theme ‘Read-Grow-Inspire’, we continue to nurture a love for reading within our students. From our unique Accendo reading program to sustained reading times and engaging library visits, reading is a cornerstone of Gioia House.

Equipping our students for the future, our Term 3 Public Speaking program is in full swing. We invited Ms Hennessy, our Speech and Drama teacher, to impart invaluable skills for crafting and delivering effective speeches. With their compositions now finalised, we eagerly await their presentations next week, leading up to a thrilling competition against St Pat’s boys.

The anticipation is building for our highly-awaited Gioia House STEM Gala Day this Friday. Brimming with guest speakers, immersive learning experiences, and fun activities, it promises to be an event that will inspire curiosity and ignite passion. Most importantly provide an opportunity for students to collaborate and build connections.

As we reflect on the last three dynamic weeks, we’re reminded that at Gioia House, every achievement, big or small, is a stepping stone towards growth. Through character, knowledge, and unity, we continue to foster an environment where our students can shine brightly and reach their fullest potential. 

CALENDAR DATES

• 25 August – STEM Gala Day
• 29 August – Stage 3 Netball Gala Day 
• 7 September – Public Speaking Finals
• 13-15 September – Year 6 Outdoor Education Experience at Tallong
• 22 September – Term 3 concludes
• 10 October – Term 4 commences

We have fun while learning.

Stella Azizian
Head of Gioia House

Head of Primary P-4

Writing

On the Primary campus this year one of our major focuses has been the explicit teaching of writing to ensure that our students are confident and expressive writers. The focus in the classrooms is exploring the language features and structures of a variety of types of texts.

The students explore writing as a process from drafts to published pieces. They are encouraged to write for an intended audience and for real purposes and utilise a range of types of text such as factual texts, notes, recounts of events, narratives and poetry to name a few! They are explicitly taught to consider how to appeal to different audiences.

 Below are some tips for helping your child/ren at home with writing.

1. Focus on the Process It is important to talk to your child about the purpose of the work and what they learnt, rather than emphasise the errors. Tell me questions are great such as: Tell me about this work, Tell me how you did this… Tell me what you liked about this activity…
2. Encourage children to write, write, write! Provide many opportunities such as writing the shopping list, sending letters and cards to friends and relatives, writing emails, keeping a diary, publishing personal stories, and leaving notes. Locating writing apps such as Book Creator. Writing should be relevant and meaningful rather than writing for the sake of writing.
3. Give children opportunities to read their writing aloud (while you sit back, relax and listen). Listen for the message they are conveying. It is great to comment on what they have done well, for example: ‘I loved the interesting words you used especially …..’ ‘The character you created seems so real’ Leave comments about spelling, punctuation, and grammar to another time — they are important if and when it is to be published.
4. Draw children’s attention to how writing is presented, for example, on brochures, billboards, books, and electronic media — these are models of writing for real purposes.
5. Write together for fun Encourage family activities that make writing fun. Create jokes, riddles, stories, rhyming lists, and anything else you can think of!
6. Display writing done in the family Use the fridge, family noticeboard or calendar. This shows children how writing works in our lives and how important it is and how it is valued.

Next term our Learning Walks will focus on the students sharing with you their Writing! Below is a sneak peek of examples of students writing across the campus. 

Father’s Day Gift Wrapping

A huge thank you to all of the mums who have been wrapping the Father’s Day gifts ahead of our upcoming Father’s Day stall. The Father’s Day stall will take place on Tuesday 29 August for students in Prep to Year 4.

P&F Disco

At the end of this term we will be having a disco organised and run by the P&F. The disco will be in the Del Monte Hall.

The disco will be held on Thursday 21 September 2023 at the following times:

Prep-Year 1 4:45pm to 5:45pm and Years 2-3 6:00pm to 7:30pm. What a great way to celebrate the end of the term. 

Get your dancing shoes ready!

Instrumental Music Learning Walks

On Monday 11 September we will be having Instrumental Learning Walks! On this day families are warmly invited to come and watch Instrumental lessons.

• Year 2  | 11:45am – 12:05pm
• Year 3  | 12:25pm – 12:45pm
• Year 4  | 2:30pm – 2:50pm

Book Week Parade Date Change

Just a reminder that all families are warmly invited to join us for our Primary Book Week parade. Due to a clash with Sports Photography, the parade has been moved from Thursday 24 August to Friday 25 August.  

On Friday 25 August the students will come to school in their Book Week costumes. Parents are also welcome to dress up! The theme for Book Week this year is Read, Grow, Inspire!

Time: 9:15 am
Location: Piazza and Warami
Parent entry: Carrington Ave gate from 9:00 am 

We look forward to celebrating Book Week!

Upcoming dates

Joanne Gianinni
Head of Primary P-4

Director of Mary Bailey House

Science Week at Mary Bailey House

Belonging, Being and Becoming. The Early Years Learning Framework for Australia requires early childhood teachers to design a curriculum that integrates science and technology experiences safely regardless of gender, age, culture, or ability. Young children are natural scientists. They readily seek to learn about the world and how things work through self-motivated investigation in play.

To gain insight into their knowledge of paper planes we asked them, what makes a good paper plane? Zendaya, Sophie M, Julian, Fox, Phoebe, Natalia, and Iliana then discussed the question and responded with the following:

Zendaya said, ‘Some wings.’

Sophie M said, ‘Wind.’

Zendaya added, ‘A point.’

Julian said, ‘Sticky tape.’

Fox said, ‘How you hold it.’

Zendaya elaborated, ‘You need to hold it then throw it.’

Sophie M explained, ‘You need it big on the bottom so you can hold it and throw it.’

Zendaya then said, ‘The middle part needs sticky tape.’

Julian affirmed Zendaya’s comment, ‘You need a pointy bit. You can make different types.’

Sophie M declared, ‘You can draw on it.’

Zendaya agreed and said, ‘Yeah some designs.’

With the children’s ideas, Kathryn Graham (preschool teacher) then invited the children to make their own paper plane. Kathryn demonstrated and provided the children with instructions throughout the process. The children then decide to draw on them.

Once the planes were complete the children were then taken into the hallway to test their planes from a starting strip. After a few practice rounds each of the children threw their plane and marked the landing spot with a piece of masking tape. The children were asked to write their name on the tape and fly them again to beat their first attempt. 

When the first group had finished, a second group consisting of Lasya, Benjamin, Roger, and Luca went through the same process and tested their skill and theories with paper planes.

The experience demonstrated that the children had prior knowledge of paper planes. They can follow instructions and are able to fold and fly a plane. It also revealed that they’re starting to identify elements of aerodynamics when discussing wings and points.

Jackie Baxter
Director of Mary Bailey House

Director of Tallong Campus

The Tallong campus was back in action last week after a few weeks of winter hibernation. The campus hosted students from Emmanuel College Sydney for a week and this Wednesday we will welcome the Year 4 students from MLC in Burwood.

August is probably my most favourite month here at Tallong as the wattle amongst the gums and acacias around the campus is stunning, especially on blue bird days. There really has been quite a transformation in the vegetation at the campus over the last few years. Going from desert-like drought conditions to what you can see in these photos.

If you are curious about experiencing the campus and what it has to offer then you may be interested in attending the parent/child camp coming up in Term 4. The dates are Saturday 11 November to Sunday 12 November. Bookings will open this Friday at 5:00pm.

Kendal Hann
Director of Outdoor Education and Tallong Campus Manager

Director of Community Relations P-12

Generations Breakfast

An invitation is extended to all of our ex-student community (mums, dads, grandparents, uncles, aunts, cousins or siblings) with a student currently at the College.

We are celebrating the generations of families who have attended Santa Sabina or Del Monte and inviting them to join us for a special breakfast on the Senior campus. 

Please RSVP via this link

Father’s Day at Santa Sabina

All fathers, grandfathers and carers are warmly invited to join our Father’s Daya celebrations on
Thursday 31 August 2023

7:30am Mass will be celebrated in the Santa Sabina Chapel
P – 12 students and families

9:30am Mass for Primary Years
will be celebrated in the Santa Sabina Chapel
P – 4 students and families

This year the community will gather together as one for breakfast and all families are welcome to join us from 8:40am in the Santa Sabina College Hall.

Primary Years students and their families attending breakfast will arrive at the Chapel together by 9.15am, all other Primary Years students will arrive at school as per usual and will be walked to the Chapel by their class teacher.

Hospitality is generously provided by the P&F.

Discovery Day

It was a pleasure to welcome families to our Primary, Gioia House and Secondary campuses today for our Term 3 Discovery Day. Families heard from Ms Skerman and a panel of students about all that Santa Sabina has to offer before heading out on tours of the College led by staff and students. Our next tour is in Term 4.

Yvette Graniero
Director of Community Relations

Director of Development

Santa Sabina College Sport Lunch

The first Santa Sabina College Sports Lunch will be held on 10 November at Strathfield Golf Club, starting at 12:00 midday. Please join us at what we hope will be a spectacular event. We have a great MC, guest speakers and much more to entertain those attending this event. Click on the link to register for this great community event.

10 November, 12:00 midday at Strathfield Golf Club

Bequests

There may be many in our community who are not aware of ‘The Orange Tree Society” we have at the College; Therefore, I have included a brochure about the Society for you to read and understand. Named after the Orange Tree that sits proudly at the front of the school and without giving away too much, please have a read of the history behind it and a message from one of our ex-students who is a member of the society.

Please view the brochure below.

2024 Santa Sabina College Giving Day

In 2024 the College would like to embark on a new fundraising format where we hope the whole of the community can join us for one day of giving. For 24 hours we will seek your support to raise funds for both the Scholarship and Building fund. As we get closer to this day, I will provide you all with information on how we can all get behind this day. I hope students, parents, grandparents, ex-students and community members will support us. Thank you to all our community for your continued and valuable support.

Advertise your business

I also want to remind you of the opportunity to advertise your business on the Santa Sabina website which is a great way to promote your business to our community.

Alternatively, please contact me in the Development office on 97450232 or giving@ssc.nsw.edu.au

Santa Sabina Community Golf Day

There is still time to register for golf. A great way to be involved is to encourage year groups to form teams and challenge each other on the day. Registration is still open so speak with your friends and come out to enjoy a great day at the golf. There are only a few spots available to register.

George Ayoub
Director of Development

National Science Week

Science is driven by innovation, and we can all be innovators if we can dream big, collaborate and keep asking questions. This year, Santa Sabina College kept this in our focus as we celebrated the theme ‘Innovation: Powering Future Industries’.

We used liquid nitrogen to flash-freeze delicious soft-serve ice cream treats, crush flowers, shrink balloons and propel bottle rockets on the oval. Dry ice (solid carbon dioxide) taught us about sublimation while blowing bubbles and changing colours in theatrical chemical reactions. Scavenger hunters shared selfies of themselves exploring science across all parts of Sydney. Homeroom groups competed to demonstrate their general science knowledge in the homeroom quiz. The summit of our celebrations was through the launch of the inaugural Santa Science Showcase, an evening event during which six scientists from our broader college community shared their expertise and opportunities for innovative change in their fields of medicine, genetics, environmental science, artificial tissues, sustainable energy and flight. All who attended were inspired by the insights and future directions ahead for science. A huge thanks to all who made this exciting week possible! 

Video highlights of the evening can be found in the College Principal’s article this week.

Hannah Truong
Science Teacher

Music in the Senior School (Curricular)

Years 9 and 10 Elective Music students are busily practising and rehearsing with their accompanists for their Term 3 assessment recitals being held in Week 6. Stage 4 music are fastidiously revising for their listening exams in Weeks 6 and 7. Year 12IB are finalising their portfolios for online submission at the end of the term. We wish them luck! We also wish Year 12 HSC the best of luck as they prepare for their final HSC external examinations being held in Week 8 and 9. 

Wicked!

Elective Music students are looking forward to attending the evening performance of Wicked on Wednesday September 20 at the Lyric Theatre. This is a fabulous immersive opportunity, supporting the topic ‘Theatre Music’ studied in Year 9 Elective Music, and offering further diverse perspectives.

ARCO

Elective and ensemble music students attended the final concert in the Australian Romantic and Classical Orchestra (ARCO) Voyage of Musical Discovery Concert series on Monday 7 August at the City Recital Hall. As one of Santa Sabina’s esteemed professional partners ARCO’s Voyage of Musical Discovery provides students with a unique concert series, with the final concert focusing on Musical Identities. 

Student reviews:

We were given the wonderful opportunity to attend the Voyage of Music Discovery concert series hosted by ARCO (Australian Romantic & Classical Orchestra). This is a set of 3 concerts which dives into musical worlds and explains how dynamics, instrumentation, and pitch combine to create an atmosphere. These concerts have allowed us to understand the thought process behind some composers and how the piece came to be. 

It was a fun learning experience that enabled us to learn about the process of composing and the beauty of uniting instruments together.

Celina Nguyen Year 9 Elective Music

The ARCO concert revealed an intriguing side of classical music which I personally have not experienced before. The large orchestra fascinated me, as different instrument players worked harmoniously together. The concert also explored the background of these composers through a narrated guide. Overall, it’s a great chance to experience the difference of classical music.

Christie Huang Year 9 Elective Music 

IB HL Recital

On Friday 11 August, the Year 12 IB Music students premiered their ‘Contemporary Music Maker’ projects and ‘Presenting Music’ performances, showcasing a selection of styles from Blues, Looping, to EDM composition and improvisations. The girls deserve a huge congratulations for their wonderful performance and exciting compositions! 

HSC Recital

We had a wonderful turn out to the Year 11 and 12 HSC recital on Thursday night. Year 11 used this opportunity to practise for their performance assessment later in the term. This was Year 12’s final recital before their external HSC performance examinations happening in September. We wish them the best of luck! 

Student Review

The Year 11 and 12 HSC music recital was a wonderful way for HSC students to exhibit all the talent and hardwork that goes into preparing their performance repertoire to their family and friends. It was also a great way for the students to practise performing in a friendly and welcoming environment. These students performed a wide range of repertoire from Debussy to Duke Ellington showcasing the diversity of their talents through music. Their renditions of their chosen pieces were all performed to an extremely high level and were laced with musicality and expression. Any audience member could see the hard work and passion that these students feel towards this subject and it was wonderful to watch the next generation of musicians perform amazingly.

Antonia Touma
Year 12 IB student 

More Music

Our Curricular Music programs in the younger years are alive and well. Be sure to click the buttons below for reports from each of our campuses.

Froukje Werlemann-Godfrey
Music Teacher | Head of Curricular Music 5-12

Learning in the Library

On 9 August, the Youth Review Forum was held in the Lecture Theatre, with a group of keen readers from Year 10 joined with students from St Patrick’s College and Meriden to discuss their thoughts on the 2023 CBCA Shortlisted titles with students from Year 9.

SSC was represented at the forum by Kate Fernandez, Cary Yeung, Isabel Marturia, Mehthini De Almaida-John, Grace Benedict, Benedicta Darkwa, Emily Guerreiro and Matilda Stephens. These students were articulate and thoughtful as they shared insights into the reading culture that exists for young adults and reflected on books that had made a particular impact on them.

The Older Readers shortlist for 2023 reflected the growth of graphic novels in Australia, with two graphic novels making the Shortlist. Another interesting inclusion was Ask No Questions, a memoir detailing the author’s journey from Poland to Australia during the Cold War. Completely Normal (and other lies) and The Side of Tomorrow were favourites with the readers this year.

Kate reflected:

Books truly can change your life.

The CBCA Older Readers Youth Review Forum was a fantastic experience where we were able to have an engaging discussion about the 2023 shortlist, talking on things such as what we enjoyed about the nominated books, what we didn’t necessarily like, and ourselves as readers. 

Overall, it was an eye-opening experience to converse with students from other schools, who all had unique and enriching perspectives that we were able to listen to and engage with. 

Kate Fernandez

We would like to thank Ms Melina Marchetta for moderating our discussion and for her insights into YA literature and the value of reading for young people.

Celebrating our inaugural open book afternoon tea – this winter a number of Year 8 mothers and daughters read the same book and enjoyed discussing it together in the College library.

Susan Lombardo
Head of Library 5-12

Year 10 Food Technology Incursion

On Friday 11 August the Year 10 Food Technology class had a visit from the Grilled Gourmet food truck as part of their studies relating to Food Trends. The owner Troy shared with us his experiences in relation to what is required to set up a food truck business and information about all the processes involved including legislative requirements. We were able to go on board to see the equipment and helped him to prepare a burger and chips meal from the truck to enjoy. We are grateful to Troy for speaking to us, the information will be very helpful as we develop our own concept for a food truck business as part of our assessment for this unit.

Debbie Bachmann
Head of TAS

Year 7 History Site Study at Macquarie University

On Monday 31 July, Year 7 students attended a Site Study of the Macquarie University History Museum. Accompanied by their teachers and educators from the University’s Department of History & Archaeology, they examined a range of historical sources and artefacts to understand significant historical concepts such as cause and effect, change and continuity, significance, empathy and contestability.

Here are some of the students’ reflections:

I learnt a lot of interesting information, but the thing I found most interesting was the hands-on process when you excavate.

Isabelle L

The most fascinating part of the excursion was the different weapons of a soldier and the requirements that had to be met in order to be a Roman soldier… I liked that everyone had the opportunity to try out a piece of equipment whilst learning about how each part of the equipment/weaponry protects a soldier.

Nicola D

I learnt that the reason as to why the Romans wore a red tunic under their armour was, other than warmth, to make them seem immortal and indestructible similar to Achilles.

Zahra A

I learnt the difference between identifying male and female skulls… I also learnt that special people had a decorated sarcophagus and those at the top of the hierarchy wore purple. 

Ella M

I liked the Museum Tour because there were so many interesting artefacts there including pots found from shipwrecks under the water, coffins made of lead, and there were everyday items that people would’ve had in their homes such as typewriters and home phones.

Isabella D’A

I found the artefacts that went missing or stolen or had a great backstory to be the most fascinating as they all have such different stories and purposes.

Thea W

I found the archaeology activity the most enjoyable because it was very hands-on which helps me as a learner to understand the role of an archaeologist.

Una Q

I loved the archaeology. I loved examining coins, bones, pot sherds, artefacts and excavating sand. Everything we were examining was about a person and we had to put all the clues together to find information about a person.

Olivia N

The History Mystery was my favourite program because we had to use all our knowledge and translate the Latin into English and figure out what job this person did. It was really fun and enjoyable.

Mia B

Sarah-Jane Cartwright, Ingrid Eza-Smith, Loretta Gilmore, Annette Janssen, Anthony Prestifilippo and Jane Sulis
Year 7 Teachers

Gioia House pastoral

‘Let’s Talk Body Image’ workshop

This week the Gioia House students took part in a workshop ‘Let’s Talk Body Image’ which was delivered by The Butterfly Foundation. The workshop provided students with an opportunity to focus on:

• strategies to build resilience and improve self-esteem and body confidence
• understanding the various influences on body image and ways to manage these positively
• media and social media literacy skills to develop critical thinking to challenge body and appearance ideals, messaging and language
• modifiable risk factors that underpin the development of more serious body image and eating issues; self-esteem, body dissatisfaction, appearance and weight based teasing, and body comparisons
• protective factors include the role of friends/peers, the importance of healthy relationships with their body, eating and physical activity, respecting diversity
• the importance of help-seeking if they are worried for themselves or a friend

Throughout the workshop the students were encouraged to appreciate their bodies and develop ‘Acceptance Talk’ strategies which focus on a positive mindset and appreciating what our bodies do for us. The students responded well to the workshop and the discussion and development of positive strategies will continue in class during Action Girl Pastoral lessons.

Project PEARLS Charity Collection for Manila

During Community Time, Ms Sulis and Scarlett Pane (Year 6 student) presented our Term 3 service initiative calling for donations to support a charity in the Phillipines called Project PEARLS. Project PEARLS stands for Peace, Education, Aspiration, Respect, Love and Smiles. They concentrate their efforts in an area called Tondo in Manila, Philippines. Tondo is a collection of temporary housing slums where people’s homes are mainly built on a rubbish dumpsite which is one of the worst slums in the country. There is no running sewerage, no fresh water, no daily showers and often their homes are severely damaged during typhoons and flooding. 

This term as part of the Gioia House service initiative we will be calling for donations of clothing, shoes, new underwear, new socks, slippers, games, books, novels, soap, dental care, and hygiene products for all age groups. Monetary donations are also accepted. The funds will be used to purchase food where weekly feeding programs are facilitated each Sunday. Mr John Pane is a volunteer for Project PEARLS and will organise the transportation of the donated items to Manila, Philippines. There is a collection tub in front of the Gioia House prayer space. If possible, please donate generously throughout the term for such a worthy cause.

National Day of Action Against Bullying

Friday 18 August was the National Day of Action Against Bullying. The eSafety Commissioner provided an online live webinar, student and teacher resources. As part of our Action Girl Pastoral program, the Gioia House students worked through a variety of scenarios and identified appropriate ways to deal with different situations. Through our Action Girl Pastoral program we encourage the students to communicate with adults, teachers, parents, relatives, friends they trust to help them work through situations as they arise. 

It is important to encourage open and effective communication at home to ensure you build an understanding and trusting relationship with your child. Dr Justin Coulson recommends the following ‘7 ways to really listen so your child shares more’

1. Begin with the end in mind. When your child wants (or needs) to talk, decide at the start what you want them to remember. Do you want them to remember your kindness and compassion? Do you want them to remember your listening ear? Unconditional love is shown by giving complete and unconditional focus.
2. Minimise distractions. Stop, look, and listen. Stop doing anything else. Put screens away. Be still. Look into her eyes. Your child won’t be able to focus on you if you are a moving target. When they invite you into their lives, they want all of you.
3. Be open to connection. You might say, ‘I really want to hear what’s on your mind. Tell me what you’re thinking.’ This ensures you send a signal that you’re ready to listen.
4. Have soft eyes. An elderly grandmother told me it was her favourite parenting advice. When she softened her eyes towards her children she noticed her voice softened, her posture opened, her words became more compassionate, and she stopped hurrying. Soften your tone, your posture, your words, and your timetable by seeing them through loving eyes.
5. Channel your ideal parent. Think about the best parent you know and listen the way they would talk to their child – or to you. Think how precious this child is to you. This will help your child feel like their thoughts, experiences, and opinions matter.
6. Aim to build. Regardless of whether your child has done something wrong, find something right and positive. Express appreciation.
7. Be flexible. Sometimes there’s noise or other interruptions at home. Be willing to go for a walk, grab a treat from the café, or do something together (plant something, water the garden, wash the car). Doing encourages talking.

Find out more at eSafety.gov.au/report/forms

More information about bullying and getting help:

bullyingnoway.gov.au/support-and-advice

bullyingnoway.gov.au/support-and-advice/for-young-people

eSafety.gov.au/kids/eSafety-help

Action Girls

It has been wonderful seeing so many Gioia House students displaying their Action Girl qualities each day. Our Action Girls are honest, caring, kind and respectful students who act with justice in including and supporting others. We continue to encourage our Gioia House students to strive to be their best selves in all aspects of their lives at school, home and during their extra curricular activities. We call for the students to continue to demonstrate compassion for others and identify ways we can continue to serve others, especially those who are less fortunate than ourselves. 

Congratulations to the following Year 5 Action Girls:
Ava Anderson
Krystelle Beaini
Pippa Dillon
Rose Dwyer
Annalise Elias
Leah Li
Jorja Matthew

Congratulations to the following Year 6 Action Girls:
Lily Dunlop
Emma Elphick
Eloise Hall
Milania Nader
Madison Rice
Emilia Srdanovic
Audrey Williams

Marisa Maks
Assistant Head of Gioia House

Music at Gioia House (Curricular)

On Monday, selected Gioia House students performed as part of a String, Taiko and Vocal Ensemble at the IPSHA Performing Arts Festival. This concert experience was held at the Sydney Town Hall and brought together schools from across New South Wales to perform and showcase their industry in their music lessons. Gioia House Strings & Singers performed, and it was a fabulous evening with a wonderful buzz created by performing music with schools from across NSW. I congratulate the girls on the speed with which they learnt their combined items, and for their commitment to personal and musical excellence within their presentation.

We now turn our eyes to the Fra Angelico festival later this year, and we have excitedly commenced new repertoire to prepare for our friends and families ahead of this inaugural event.

More Music

Our Curricular Music programs across other years are alive and well. Be sure to click the buttons below for reports from each of our campuses.

Froukje Werlemann-Godfrey
Music Teacher | Head of Curricular Music 5-12

Years 6-10 Japanese Kimono workshop

On 7 August, we had a guest speaker Ms Kyoko Hodgkinson from Kimono Australia and Years 6 to 10 Japanese classes had a Kimono workshop, learning about its history and etiquette. 

The Kimono workshop was very informative and exciting, I was deeply interested in the history and the nature behind kimonos, my participation in dressing up in the Kimonos was extremely fun and I hope to do it again!

Davina Rajkumar
Year 8

It was really nice getting to know the culture and history behind Kimonos. It was fun to learn how to put on a Kimono and all the intricate pieces involved. All in all I really enjoyed this experience.

Abigail Dawson
Year 8

Aya Shiragaki
Japanese Teacher

Science – fluffy slime

During Science Week, the girls in 5 Kostakis enthusiastically embarked on a hands-on adventure of creating fluffy slime, an engaging and educational experiment that combined fun with learning. Their faces lit up with excitement as we gathered the ingredients – a mixture of glue, shaving cream, and a dash of magical liquid.

With careful measurement and teamwork, they mixed the concoction, watching as it transformed from liquid to a satisfyingly (almost) fluffy texture. The result of it however wasn’t perfect and as a group we tried to adjust the measurements to see how we could fix it. Through this process, the girls learned about the principles of polymers and chemical reactions, all while enjoying a tactile and memorable experience that left them with smiles and a newfound appreciation for the wonders of science.

Tayla Kostakis
Year 5 Teacher

Elastic energy in Year 6 Science

Recently our class constructed paddlepop catapults, experimenting with elastic energy. We thoroughly enjoyed testing out our catapults with marshmallows. We hope you enjoy our reflections. 

During our Science lesson, we conducted an experiment concerning elastic energy. We had to construct a catapult that would project an item a long distance. A challenging aspect of this task was testing the elasticity and flexibility of the catapult as well as finding the correct level of tension prior to the final experiment. We were presented with the opportunity to oppose our classmates in some friendly competition testing whose catapult could project a marshmallow the furthest. Whilst we each had the same supportive structure of the catapult, it was a common quality of the catapults able to project the marshmallow the furthest had a balanced level of tension and flexibility both of which strengthened the rubber bands projection rate. Then, we answered questions by thinking theoretically to support our results.This task has deepened my understanding of the potential energy conversion into elastic energy and then kinetic (movement) energy.

Emilia Srdanovic

During class today we had a lot of fun doing a prac lesson on elastic energy. We had to create a Pyramid catapult using tape, a wooden dowel, and popsicle sticks. After carefully watching the instructions and completing our catapults, we went outside to have a competition to see who could launch their marshmallow the furthest – A great way to end the lesson!

Alicia Bouantoun 

Ann Milicic
Year 6 Teacher

Science Week in 5A

First we got an empty bottle and then we filled one third of the bottle with vinegar. Then we got a balloon and put baking soda into the balloon with a funnel. We then put the balloon onto the bottle of vinegar and tipped the balloon so that the soda fell in. A fizz then arose and made the balloon inflate. This happened because of a chemical reaction. The chemical reaction was caused from mixing an acid and a base. In this case the acid was vinegar and the base was the baking soda. Together they made carbon dioxide which is a gas. The carbon dioxide also known as CO2 was trying to escape the bottle but instead because the balloon was held on it inflated the balloon. 

Georgia G

This science week my class and I did an experiment. We had an empty bottle with vinegar inside. We then put bicarb soda into a balloon with a funnel and attached the balloon to the bottle. Once we did these steps the balloon started to blow up. This was because the gas in the bottle tries to leave the bottle. It then goes up into the balloon. Because the gas is now in the balloon it makes the balloon inflate.

Ines B

Coding and robotics

Students in the coding and robotics co-curricular used the Dash robot this week. Students first learnt to code on the app Blockly on the iPads, then they brought their virtual coding to life with the robot Dash. The students enjoyed controlling and directing their Dash robot around the classroom.

Monique Taylor
Year 6 Teacher

English/IDU Explanations

Year 5 have been studying human impacts on the environment as part of their Interdisciplinary unit ‘There is no planet B.’ They have researched the impacts of plastic pollution, climate change and deforestation. During their English lessons they wrote an explanation of this impact and its consequences. Here are the explanations from Faustine G and Leah L.

Wendy Annetter
Year 5 Teacher

IPSHA Debating Gala Day

On Tuesday 8 August we saw some of our debaters compete in the IPSHA Debating Gala Day held at Tara Anglican School. The topics were : That we should require all schools to have a student-maintained vegetable garden and That team sports are better than individual sports. We are immensely proud of their commitment and hard work in preparing themselves for the debates as well as the way they cooperated and worked well together on the day.  Here are the students’ reflections of the day.  

I really enjoyed the Debating Gala Day.  It was a memorable experience at Tara Anglican School, they were organised, friendly and welcoming.  The debates were challenging and intriguing.  This Gala Day was a great opportunity to learn new skills and receive feedback.  Overall, this was an unforgettable experience that I would gladly do again.

Madison Taouk

I enjoyed making new friends and meeting students from a variety of schools. We did well with our rebuttals and have all improved. We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.

Lucinda Oong

The IPSHA Debating Gala Day was exciting and full of friendship.  It is something I will never forget.  I participated in both the negative and affirmative debates.  It was a good experience to meet new students and receive personal feedback from the adjudicators.  All the schools were friendly, and I hope to experience more Debating Gala Days.

Stefania Zanin

We had the immense privilege of participating in the IPSHA Debating Gala Day.  A definite highlight was building and improving our teamwork as well as our debating skills.  It was an extremely enjoyable learning experience where we also got to connect with others, bonding through a shared interest, and also learning from each other.  Ultimately, this day was a great opportunity to acquire new knowledge proving useful for future debates to which I very much look forward.

Emilia Srdanovic

The IPSHA Debating Gala Day was a very memorable and challenging day where we needed to use our thinking skills. These helped us in our many other debates. Our debating teams felt welcomed as the students at Tara were friendly and hospitable.

Ovilia Chamoun

I enjoyed the IPSHA Debating Gala Day since it challenged my thinking, and I learned many things.  A highlight of the day was to meet all the students from different schools as well as versing other schools.  The debates gave us an opportunity to see how they competed and what their arguments were.

Michelle Ho

The IPSHA Debating Gala Day was very enjoyable and challenging. We accomplished so much and improved in many areas, building our teamwork skills.

Jorja Matthews

Magic Milk – Science Week

Students participated in the magic milk experiment. They hypothesised the reactions between the full cream and skim milk. Many thought the colours would spread for the full cream milk, but not the skim milk. We discovered that both the milks reacted to the soap and the colours danced, however the full fat milk was more effective. We discussed the soap molecules connecting to the fat molecules in the milk, which causes the colour to get pushed around on the plate.  

Monique Taylor
Year 6 Teacher

6AD – Levitating Paper Clip: Magnet Experiment

Gioia House Science Symposium

Everyone loves magnets, and why not? The way magnets attract metals and stick to each other looks like pure magic. 6AD made some ‘magic’ of our own and performed the floating paper clip ‘trick’ to celebrate National Science Week.

To build the experimental structure, we used Duplo blocks, paper clips, magnets, a metal ruler, fishing line and sticky tape. We built two Duplo towers and taped the metal ruler to connect the towers. We then stuck the magnets to the metal ruler. We taped one end of the fishing line to the table and tied the other end to the paper clip. The challenge was to find the ‘sweet spot’ where the magnetic force pulling the paper clip up was about equal to gravity pulling it down (tension).

The experiment truly showed us the pure science (not trickery) behind gravity and magnetism and gave us a greater deep insight into how these forces work. We enjoyed working collaboratively and found it fun, informative and creative.

Chloe T and Audrey W
6AD

Science 6McL

In Science we made a catapult and launched a marshmallow. We used paddle pop sticks, masking tape, wooden sticks, and rubber bands. We walked to the hockey field to launch the marshmallows as a class. We all pulled back the catapult and launched it as far as we could, some went very far and some didn’t go as far. It was such a fun experience to do and it helped us learn more about elastic energy. 

Anabelle Gittany and Cara Lutowski
6 McL

Religious Education news

PRAYER FOR THE ASSUMPTION OF MARY

Father in heaven,
all creation rightly, gives you praise,
For all life and all Holiness
comes from you.
In the plan of your wisdom,
she who bore Christ was raised body and soul in glory,
 to be with him in heaven.
May we follow her example
in reflecting your Holiness
and join in her hymn
of endless love, and praise.
We ask this through, Christ, our Lord
Amen

The Assumption of Mary

On 15 August, we celebrated the assumption of Mary. The day marks our belief that when Mary died both her body and soul were taken to Heaven. 

As a young woman, Mary made decisions to honour God by participating with God and doing her part in demonstrating love, the goodness of humanity and the importance humanity plays in God’s mission. In her humanity, Mary led others to recognise God’s holiness and she shows us that our humanity is sacramental. 

Perhaps Mary was taken body and soul, as Jesus was, to again remind us that being human is very good, so good that God chose humanity for God’s self to visibly enter our world. Every grade will acknowledge the Assumption of Mary with a class or grade Liturgy.

St Mary of the Cross Mackillop

During the liturgy on Tuesday, the students heard about her life. Mary was the eldest of eight children. Mary helped her mother look after her younger brothers and sisters. When she was 16, Mary got a job in a bookstore to help support her family. When she was 18, she went to live in South Australia with her aunt and uncle. She looked after her cousins and taught them. Mary wanted to be a nun.

Along with Father Julian Tenison-Woods (the parish priest at Penola) she opened a free school for poor children. Mary’s brother turned an old stable into a school room. Not all of them were from poor families. More than 50 children began attending Mary Mackillop’s school. Mary Mackillop wore black clothing and dedicated herself to God by becoming a nun. The children who went to Mary’s school were welcomed and treated equally. It didn’t matter if they came from a wealthy family or a poor family. Mary and her helpers showed kindness to everyone and helped many poor and sick people.

The Bishop of Adelaide did not understand the work that Mary was doing. He excommunicated her, ordering her to leave the Catholic church. She was welcomed back five months later. Mary Mackillop founded the Sisters of St Joseph. The sisters established many schools. Mary died in 1905. She became Australia’s first saint in 2010.

A saying that is commonly attributed to Mary Mackillop is to never see a need without doing something about it. As we ask her to pray for us, we ask that we may be guided to also see a need and do something about it for the better of others.

Sacramental Program of First Communion

In the sacrament of Holy Communion, we remember what Jesus did for us in his life, death and resurrection. We remember particularly the Last Supper, that final meal Jesus shared with his disciples. At that meal, Jesus gave us the Eucharist so that we could remember him in a special way. When we receive Communion, we believe that we receive the person of Jesus into our very beings. We become one with him, and we become one with each other. As a community, we become ‘the body of Christ’

 We pray for our students who have receive the Sacrament of First Communion during the last few weeks or will be receiving the sacrament very soon.

Tina Nicotina
Religious Education Coordinator P-6
Acting Co-Assistant to the Head of Primary Campus P-4 and Year 3 teacher

Music at Mary Bailey & Del Monte

Music at Mary Bailey House (Curricular)

Music education provides extensive opportunities for children to develop and refine their gross and fine motor skills, enhancing their overall physical development. In Music classes, the students use various percussion instruments, sing familiar songs and rhymes and learn dances and body movements to various music to further encourage this physical development. Students are continuing to count from 1-5 in various languages and are becoming more sound in recognising the difference between loud and soft, high and low. 

Music at Del Monte (Curricular)

We have so many wonderful music students in Del Monte who practise their instruments diligently and share their love of music with others.

Our Assembly is always accompanied by a rotating group of string performers who play the National Anthem, Happy Birthday, Warami, and the school song. They are also rehearsing for the Fathers’ Day Mass. (SEE PHOTOS)

Liam in Year 3 and Kingsley in Year 4 performed on the piano for their Music Classes. They announced their pieces, played with joy, and bowed at the end, demonstrating their understanding of the performance process. We enjoyed the performances very much and clapped enthusiastically.  (SEE PHOTOS)

Year 2 is working on adding dynamics to their music to make their music even more meaningful. We have discovered that playing fortissimo is easy, but playing piano or pianissimo is quite tricky! (SEE PHOTO)

Instrumental Music Learning Walks!

We are delighted to announce 30 minute Music Learning Walks will be taking place in Week 9 on Monday 11 September. Taking place in the Del Monte Hall, parents who wish to attend must assemble at the side gate where they will be checked in by Music Staff and ushered to sit in on these special ‘open rehearsal’ sessions. Our Curriculum Ensemble experiences greatly enrich other in class learnings as students apply the foundational music skills to an instrument to display what they know.  Many parents hear their children practicing at home, though we hope you will join us for the chance to hear your child’s music learning in context.

Please meet at the Carrington Avenue Gate at the times below:

Year 2 – 11.45am 
Year 3 – 12.25pm 
Year 4 – 2.30pm

See you there!

Curricular Music

Our Curricular Music programs across The Boulevarde are alive and well. Be sure to click the buttons below for reports from each of our campuses.

Phillipa Knight
Music Teacher | Coordinator of Music P-4

Cecilia Pensini
Music Teacher | Head of Strings P-4

Year 4 Assembly

Last Thursday, Year 4 hosted the Del Monte Assembly. We shared what we have learned in PDH about healthy, safe and active lifestyles with the school community. We started with a whole-school quiz about healthy and unhealthy foods. Everyone was asked to put their hands on their heads if the answer was “yes” and to put their hands on their shoulders if the answer was “no”. Some of the questions included: Is broccoli healthy? Is soft drink healthy?

Then, members from the Year 4 leadership teams presented role-plays about how to be safe and inclusive in the playground. The Service Team demonstrated how to be inclusive in a game of handball and modelled the routine of washing their hands at the end of break times. The Community Team showed how to play fairly and take turns in a game of connect four. Finally, the Stewardship Team highlighted how to keep the school environment safe and clean by packing away lunch boxes into the tubs and picking up leftover rubbish. 

The Year 4 team

Friendology

Year 1 has been enjoying exploring the ‘Friendology’ program at school and at home through homework tasks. They have all had so much fun implementing the ‘Friendology’ strategies, especially the recently explored ‘Friendship Fires’. As part of this, the students created little fires as a symbol to sit around and discuss ways they can put out their friendship fires by using the strategies outlined in the program. The students have been putting these steps into action, both in the classroom and out on the playground.

In this ‘Friendolgy’ session, the students explored the step-by-step strategies of how to resolve conflict with a friend, how to respond to hurt feelings and misunderstandings. These steps from the ‘friendology program’ are all about how students ‘Talk-it-out until the fire is out!’

Year 1 teachers and children

Year 3 Learning Walks

Year 3 engaged in a fun Poetry activity during learning walks this term and were able to show their parents their poetic skills in creating a diamante poem which compared two topics that are contrastingly different.

Students enjoyed showing their parents their work around the classroom and within their books displaying their examples of learning across all areas. Students were able to thoughtfully discuss the creative and collaborative process in completing their work throughout the term. Students were proud to share this opportunity with their parents and look forward to having them back in the classroom in the near future to share their new learning and achievements.

Year 3 teachers and students

Prep Learning Walk

On Friday 4 August we had our second learning walk for our 2-day families. The children were very excited to welcome their parents into their learning space and show them the different areas including the Home Corner, Art area, Block area, and Puzzle table.

The children enjoyed involving their parents in some of the learning experiences that they engage in during their morning Developmental Play sessions such as painting, building with the magnetic tiles, completing puzzles, dressing up and cooking dinner in the Home corner as well as constructing marble runs. One highlight for the children was sharing their workbooks with the parents. They enthusiastically explained each of the tasks they had completed over the past two terms and many parents commented on how wonderful it was to see the growth and development that had occurred from the beginning of the year until now.

Clare Wood
Prep Teacher

National Science Week 12 August – 20 August

This year’s National Science Week theme was Innovation: Powering Future Industries. Years 1-4 were encouraged to participate in the University of Wollongong’s T-Shirt competition. I received a range of original and innovative designs! Thank you to those who participated and submitted their designs.

To celebrate National Science Week, students from Kindergarten to Year 4 were invited to engage in interactive and rich science experiments. Each grade was invited on a different day during their play break to hypothesise, engage with and experience the magic of science. 

Kindergarten explored capillary action by watching water defy gravity and ‘walk’ up through paper towels. The addition of food dye brought this experiment to life, creating a rainbow. 

Years 1 and 2 explored the action of dissolving by watching what happens to Skittles when they are met with warm water. They also engaged with the Magic Milk Experiment, where they investigated what happens when coloured milk is interrupted by dish soap. The burst of colour was definitely a winner!

Year 3 watched the chemical reaction between bi-carb soda, soap and vinegar, to mimic a volcanic eruption. It took a couple of attempts to get it right, however, they learnt the importance of testing their theories and adapting their ideas to achieve the desired outcome.

The Year 4 Community Leadership Team assisted in facilitating the experiments and demonstrated exceptional leadership skills. Thank you to the students who participated in Science Week! It was a fun and inquiry-filled experience.

Kate Bakhos
Leader of Learning Technology

Deon in the City2Surf

Over the past 50 years, the City2Surf local road race has transformed into the world’s largest fun run attracting more than 85,000 participants from across the globe.

The City2Surf set the streets of Sydney alive on Sunday 13 August from 7:40am as runners made their way along the iconic course from the Sydney CBD to Bondi Beach. Our very own Year 4 student Deon Aldridge-Chow was one of 519 participants in the 9-year-olds’ category.

Deon finished the 14 kilometres including Heartbreak Hill in 1 hour and 24 minutes coming in 16th out of the 519 other 9-year-old runners.

Congratulations Deon!

Tina Nicotina
Religious Education Coordinator P-6
Acting Co-Assistant to the Head of Primary Campus P-4 and Year 3 teacher.

Sydney Catholic Schools Conference 2 Athletics Championships

On Tuesday 8 August, 15 students from Del Monte competed at the Sydney Catholic Schools Conference 2 Athletics Championships. All students represented the College with pride and enjoyed the challenge competing against students from schools across the Inner West area.

Congratulations to the following students who have qualified for the Sydney Catholic Schools Pre-Post Athletics Championships to be held at Sydney Olympic Park Athletics Centre on Friday 1st September.

Jayden Agius – 3rd Place Shot Put

Stefania Lazanja – 1st Place 100m

A special mention to Stefania who broke the Conference record in the 9 years girls 100m.

Ryan Dunlop
PE Coordinator P-4
PDHPE Teacher Gioia House

Year 2 Friendology

In Friendology Year 2 have been continuing to focus on how we can improve our friendship skills and solve friendship issues in a respectful way. Our recent lesson enabled us to investigate the difference between healthy and unhealthy friendships and how this notion can be represented in a Friend-O-Meter. Students engaged in rich discussion surrounding what healthy and unhealthy friendships look like, sound like and feel like, and explored the impact that body language has on their friendships.

Stephanie Yiorkas
Year 2 Teacher

Director of Music

The past few weeks have been filled with fabulous Music happenings across our school. Our senior students have completed their Trials; made IB recordings; performed in recitals for their peers and families; while on Monday I had the joy of watching some of our Gioia House musicians commanding the stage at Sydney Town Hall as part of the annual IPSHA Festival. To say I was proud is an understatement, and I offer my thanks to the Music team for facilitating our involvement.

The confidence of our young Santa Sabina performers was on resplendent display. Our singers were full-voiced; many then pivoting to make up the orchestra; string-players made a daring sound; and five Taiko drummers opened the show with panache. The Town Hall stage welcomed our girls like an old friend; and they performed with ease and joy. Though they may not realise it yet, their unshakeable confidence and their ability to take safe social-emotional risks is sure to pay dividends across every aspect of their lives ahead. Music is definitely the gift that keeps giving!

I look forward to seeing you at one of the many performances in the weeks ahead.

Father’s Day Masses

No matter which side of the road you are on next Thursday 31 August, you will find fathers joyously celebrated. Our P-12 Musicians are preparing diligently to serve our community for the occasion. We hope to see you in one or both of the Father’s Day Masses next week!

Recitals

In addition to the Masses, we have our Term 3 Recital series in full flight, and we invite you to peruse the offerings, paying special attention to Tuesday 12 September to ensure you have saved this date ahead of our annual Chamber Music recital In the Santa Sabina chapel. We will notify all performers and families of call times for this event shortly via email.

Honour Roll

Congratulations to the following students who achieved sound results in their recent AMEB examinations. Thanks to our team of specialised Music Tutors who continue to guide their preparation and development each week within our Extra-curricular Music programs.

Musicianship classes 

We are excited to have launched Musicianship Mondays, and numbers are rapidly growing! This pilot program is a trial offering and enrolment remains FREE for 2023!  These classes happen during Lunch in Holyrood, and are a wonderful opportunity to assist students as they:

• develop theory and aural skills 
• develop music reading skills
• build on what they are learning in lessons and ensembles  
• help prepare for AMEB exams, laying foundations for further musical exploration

Reach out to Ms Werlemann-Godfrey or music@ssc.nsw.edu.au for more information on joining this class.

External Strings Opportunity

A reminder about ‘The Metropolitan Orchestra Junior String Camp 2023’: a 3-Day Music Camp in the coming September school holidays for String players aged between 7-12, and playing at AMEB Grade 2 standard and above.

Find out more

If you would like to know more about one of our music offerings across the school (be it choirs, bands, orchestras or private tuition) please reach out via music@ssc.nsw.edu.au or reach out to Ms Suzanna Touma in the Music Office directly s.touma@ssc.nsw.edu.au and we will be happy to assist you.

Curricular Music

Our Curricular Music programs are alive and well. Be sure to click the buttons below for reports from each of our campuses.

Amy Richardson
Director of Music P-12

Sport and Co-curricular

Term 3 Sport Update

Term 3 sport is officially underway! It has been exciting to see the wonderful results from all teams across the primary and secondary campuses, leading into finals for IGSA Sport. Congratulations to the following teams who are currently sitting in first or second place on their competition ladder!

SAN02 IGSA Basketball 
SAN03 IGSA Basketball
SAN03 IGSA Football
SAN03 IGSA Hockey

Sports Awards Evening

I am pleased to inform you that on 7 September we will run the College Annual Sports Awards Night at the Sienna Centre (College Hall) from 5:30pm. It will be a celebration of the commitment our community has shown towards the College Sports Programs and the achievements of our outstanding sportspeople.

Please keep an eye out for an invitation to be sent by the College Sports Department if your son or daughter is an award recipient for the night. Please only respond if you are not attending the event.

Representative Sport 

Representative Team Competitions

Congratulations to Ava Sinot for Representing Mackillop at the NSWPSSA Football Carnival. She had a great week and the team placed third overall. Congratulations to Faith Ata who is currently representing Mackillop at the NSWPSSA Rugby Championships in Mudgee. We wish her team the very best!

Representative Team Selections

Congratulations to the following students who have been selected in various representative teams! We wish them all the very best at the next stage. 

Emma Wheadon – NSW All Schools Cross Country Team
Faith Ata – Mackillop Rugby Union Team

Conference 2 Athletics 

On Tuesday, 30 students from Years 2 to Year 6 participated in the Sydney Catholic Schools Conference Athletics Carnival held at the Ridge Athletics Track in Barden Ridge. Congratulations to the following students who have progressed to the Sydney Catholic Schools Pre-Post Championships to be held at Sydney Olympic Park on Friday 1 September. A special mention to Stefania Lazanja and Alessandra Ronsisvalle who broke the record in their respective events.

Jayden Agius 
Lillian Ayoub 
Alessandra Ronsisvalle
Freya Ingwersen
Stefania Lazanja
Isla The

Volleyball Schools Cup Results 

On Thursday, 17 and Friday 18 August SAN 03 (Year 9) and SAN 05 9 (Year 7) played at the NSW Volleyball Schools Cup. After a series of games competing with the best School Volleyball teams in the state, both teams made it to the grand finals winning silver. A great display of pride while representing Santa could be seen as well as a very high level of Volleyball played across the two days. I would like to thank Mr Lewis Jupp, the College Volleyball Coordinator and coaches Jasmine Mronese (SAN 05), Luisa Uzelac (SAN 03) for achieving such a great result with our Representative Volleyball Program.

NSWCCC Water Polo Championships Expressions of Interest

Santa Sabina will enter 1 open (Y7-11) team and 1 junior (Y7-9) team into the NSWCCC Water Polo Championships in Week 2 of Term 4. Juniors will play on Thursday 19 October and Opens on Friday 20 October at Sydney Olympic Park.

If you wish to trial for either team, and represent the College, please fill in the expression of interest form. Selected students will be required to commit to training sessions in the lead up to the Championships.

ERNA Netball 

Many teams celebrated their end of season last Saturday and enjoyed their individual mini presentations. It was a wonderful way to wrap up the regular rounds of the ERNA winter netball competition.  

Thank you to all the parents, carers, siblings, friends and relatives who supported our Santa teams throughout the season and a BIG thank you to all of our managers who coordinated the teams week in and week out. Also, a special thank you to the parents who volunteered to help with our duty allocations throughout the season, including BBQ duty this past weekend.

Congratulations to Isabella Kelly who achieved her ERNA Umpiring Badge having only just completed the umpiring development course this season and to Gianna Leonard who progressed and received her National C Badge. Gianna is currently our only active C badged umpire, so we encourage our senior players to consider participating in this program next year.

Finally, I’d like to congratulate the eight teams who have made it through to the semi-finals this coming weekend.  We have been fortunate enough to secure Paige Hadley, Swifts and recent Diamonds World Cup winner to help prepare these teams for their matches.

Best of luck to SSC03, SSC07, SSC08, SSC12, SSC13, SSC18, SSC20 & SSC22.

Joanne Gocher
Head Netball Coach
Invitational Volleyball and Basketball Coordinator

NSW Girls Team Chess Challenge – Secondary

On Friday, 18 August the College entered two Open teams to play at the NSW Girls Team Chess Challenge at the Sydney Academy of Chess in Burwood. The students competing to represent Santa Sabina College were:

Alicia Bouantoun, Year 6
Emma Gao, Year 8
Michelle Indra, Year 10
Nicole Wong, Year 10
Jayden Xie, Year 10
Kate Fernandez, Year 10

A great deal of focus and quality decision making was displayed throughout the day and the girls were very excited to represent the College competing against Schools such as Meriden, Abbotsleigh, Sydney Girls High School and Ascham.

CSDA Debating Finals

On Friday, 4 August I was once again fortunate to be present at the CSDA Debating Year 11A grand final at the Christian Brothers High School in Lewisham. The team composed of Lucia Juarez, Olivia Radford and Molly Hoogland was outstanding in debating if ‘We should ban HSC’. Their arguments were extremely convincing (they were the negative team) and well constructed giving them a great win after a close debate against the boys from St Patrick’s College Strathfield (In the words of one of the adjudicators: ‘We witnessed a masterclass in debating’).

I would like to thank Ms Sulis and Ms Simmons for their dedication to the College Debating Program and Congratulate the students for this great achievement.

Luiz Ramalho
Director of Sport and Co-curricular Activities

Top school-aged public speaker in Australia

Molly Hoogland of Year 11 has been named the national winner of the Plain English Speaking Award, organised by The Arts Unit of the NSW Department of Education.

Sixteen-year-old Molly competed against students aged 15-18 from government and non-government schools across Australia, progressing from early rounds and winning the NSW final along the way.

Molly gave two outstanding speeches – her eight-minute prepared speech – T-shirt Feminism – and a three-minute impromptu speech (with four minutes to prepare) on The Burning Question. In T-shirt Feminism, Molly explored the corporate exploitation of the feminist movement for advertising purposes. For the impromptu, Molly chose to speak on the digital literacy gap. Molly speaks without notes and in addition the competition requires competitors to speak without PowerPoints, microphones or lecterns.

Molly will travel to London in April 2024 representing Australia in the week-long international competition against the national winners of other English-speaking countries. Australia has not been represented in person in the international final since before COVID.

In the hours before speaking, Molly says she feels nervous but just before she stands up she doesn’t think about anything and the nerves abate – she has memorised her speech and practised numerous times.

With her favourite subjects a toss-up between Language & Literature and Global Politics, Molly is currently studying for the International Baccalaureate Diploma. At school and at home she reads widely including, for news, The Guardian, and for recreation, recent international literary fiction. She also enjoys watching documentaries and tv interviews, saying she is interested in the way people think and why they vote the way they do. Her career plans are focused on either law – as a barrister – or journalism – as a political reporter. To get her there she is hoping to study the double degrees of Law and International Relations at ANU.

Surprisingly, Molly had given up Public Speaking in recent years and it was only thanks to her Santa Sabina teachers that she found the confidence to take it up again.

‘I wouldn’t have been able to do this competition at all without the support offered by the school and the fact that they put me in the competition’, she said.

‘It made me free more confident about actually trying’.

Molly has won numerous other awards this year including the Premier’s Anzac Memorial Scholarship (a two-week historical study tour to Singapore and Darwin to learn about our nation’s military past and the importance of commemoration) and with her 11A debating team, the Year 11 Metropolitan Final of the Catholic Schools Debating Association of NSW.

Victoria Harper
Publications and Marketing Officer

Paige prepares 8 Santa netball teams for finals!

This week our netballers had the good fortune of a training session with Swifts and recent world cup winning Diamonds netball player, Paige Hadley, in preparation for the ERNA semi finals this weekend.

St Lucy’s Dom’s Day

On Friday 18 August, nine senior students volunteered to attend and support the St Dominic’s Day celebration hosted by St Lucy’s School, Wahroonga. St Lucy’s is a primary and secondary school for students with mild to severe intellectual and sensory disabilities. As the only two schools of the Dominican tradition in New South Wales, Santa Sabina College and St Lucy’s have an ongoing and special relationship.

Our students spent the morning in various primary school classrooms, assisting the students to complete a range of games and activities. This was followed by a liturgy, disco and barbecue lunch. The day ended with a performance by the Knox School Pipe Band.

As the student reflections below attest, volunteering at St Lucy’s is a challenging but highly rewarding experience. If you are interested in volunteering, you can find out more at volunteer@stlucys.nsw.edu.au. 

Here are some reflections on the day:

Volunteering at St. Lucy’s was an excellent opportunity to see the strength of the Dominican spirit come alive beyond our own College grounds which I strongly recommend to other students.

Aditi Kamath
Year 11

St Lucy’s was an incredible opportunity and a day filled with new challenges but most importantly lots of fun. I was lucky enough to see a student in my class use her hands for the first time to pick up her water bottle.

Zoe Kearns
Year 11

Volunteering at St Lucy’s for their St Dominic’s Day was an honour. The work which the teachers (and teachers aids) put into the students was beyond anything I could have imagined and put into perspective the community which they have built for the students and their families. Through this day it reinforced for me how hard our teachers work and I hope that this relationship that we have with St Lucy’s continues to strengthen in years to come.

Sofia Kearns
Year 11

Being a part of St Lucy’s Domicans’ Day was heartwarming and uplifting as I was able to witness the Dominican ethos and values being utilised in other school environments. I felt privileged to be in the presence of such lovely young children and to work alongside such wonderful teachers and volunteers.

Yasmin Hanna
Year 11

It was extremely rewarding, and I loved being able to interact with the young students and help ease the staff’s work day. We met some amazing women who dedicate their time and passion to helping those with disabilities. My favourite part of the day was dancing with some of the students and watching their faces light up in response to the music. It was an inspirational and heartwarming experience, and I thoroughly enjoyed being rewarded by the joy and happiness of the children.

Charlotte Pugh
Year 11

Lauren Jenkins
History Teacher and Assistant head of Mudawora House

Post World Youth Day Pilgrimage Reflections

After a week of recuperation, spending time with our loved ones, catching up on school work and getting over jetlag, the World Youth Day pilgrims recollected the spirit-filled experiences of the three-week pilgrimage through Italy to Lisbon, Portugal. We also read and unpacked together the homilies and exhortations proclaimed by Pope Francis during various events throughout World Youth Day week and ask ourselves, ‘What will we take back with us as we resume our daily lives?‘

We take back deep gratitude as we are overwhelmed by the many blessings we received, particularly visiting the many sacred sights throughout Italy and witnessing the universality of the Catholic Church first-hand. We take back the transformative experiences, and as ‘Mary set out and went with haste‘ (Luke 1:39), we too set out and go with haste in sharing our experiences with our peers and the College community. And ultimately, we take back the realisation that the group were ‘not here (on World Youth Day) by accident. The Lord has called you, not only in these days but from the very beginning of your days’ (Pope Francis) and that our pilgrimage is not over but has just begun because the ultimate destination of our earthly pilgrimage is heaven.

On behalf of the pilgrims, we thank College staff and students for their support and well wishes during our pilgrimage. Our bus group leader Christopher Neaves from Sydney Catholic Schools, for making sure we were safe during the day-to-day activities. Chaplin Fr Lewi Barakat and Seminarian Cronan Yu for their spiritual guidance and for making reminding us, especially while experiencing the more difficult aspects, always to remain focused on the ‘why’ of our pilgrimage and the accompanying staff from St Patrick’s College Strathfield, Rosebank College, Casimir College Marrickville, St Vincent’s College Ashfield and Domremy Catholic College. 

If you would like to read and watch Pope Francis’ homilies and exhortations during World Youth Day week and information about the next World Youth Day in Seoul, South Korea in 2027 please click the links below.

• Welcome Ceremony
• Stations of the Cross with Young People
• Saturday Vigil https://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/events/event.dir.html/content/vaticanevents/en/2023/8/5/portogallo-veglia-giovani.html
• Holy Mass for World Youth Day at “Parque Tejo”
• See you in Seoul in 2027!

Ryan Reyes
Dean of Mission

Year 12 Major Works Showcases

Please join us at our Year 12 Major Works Showcases evening
on
Wednesday 13 September 2023
beginning at 4:15pm

The Showcases will proceed as follows:

4:15pm – 5:00pm  Boardroom: HSC English Extension 2

5:00pm – 6:00pm Boardroom:  HSC History Extension

5:15pm – 7:00pm St Elizabeth’s: HSC Design & Technology

5:15pm – 7:00pm Rooms 1001 and 1006: HSC Art and IB Art

Official Opening 6:15pm

Refreshments will be served

All members of the Santa Sabina community are welcome to view these stunning projects before they are submitted to
the NSW Education Standards Authority for marking

From the P&F Association

Mid term update

On behalf of the Parents and Friends Association (PNF), we are delighted to bring you the Term 3 mid-term update, reflecting on the progress, achievements, and upcoming events of our community.

It’s been a wonderful term so far, filled with collaboration and growth. The PNF General Meeting held on 7 August was a significant milestone, where we successfully filled the vacant Secretary and Communications roles. We want to extend a heartfelt thank you to all who participated in the meeting and to those who have taken up these vital roles in supporting our College.

As we look forward to the rest of the term, we’d like to bring to your attention an important event for all dads, grandfathers, uncles, and male carers. The annual Fathers’ Day Mass and Breakfast will be held on 31 August. The details are as follows:

• 7:30am Mass: Celebrated in the Santa Sabina Chapel for P – 12 students and families.
• 9:30am Mass: For Primary Years (P – 4 students and families), also celebrated in the Santa Sabina Chapel.
• Breakfast Gathering: This year, we will unite as one community for breakfast. All families are welcome to join us from 8:40am in the Santa Sabina College Hall. Primary Years students and their families attending breakfast will arrive at the Chapel together by 9:15am, and all other Primary Years students will arrive at school as usual and will be walked to the Chapel by their class teacher.

We warmly invite all members of the Santa Sabina College community to be a part of this special occasion, celebrating the essential role that fathers and father figures play in our lives.

On behalf of the Parents and Friends Association, we thank you for your continuous support and engagement. We are looking forward to sharing more successes, growth, and joyful gatherings in the coming months.

Yours in friendship

P&F Committee

Upcoming events

Crazy Colour Day

Our Crazy Colour Day campaign is off to a great start and we are so proud of all our students for the efforts they have made to support the school in raising much-needed funds.

Congratulations to K-Namoi, 2-Wrightson and 3-Paterson for creating the most profiles in the first week of our fun run campaign. Ice blocks will be out to the winning classes this week.

Our second competition will be running until Friday 24 August – for every student who raises $100 or more, their names will go in the draw to win a free lunch order. Thanks to the generous donation from our canteen catering company Bon Appetit, 10 lucky students will be rewarded for their fundraising efforts.

Our Crazy Colour Day will be on Friday 15 September and we hope our Santa families will join us to celebrate the incredible fundraising efforts of our students.

Santa Sabina College Father’s Day Stall 2023

The Father’s Day stall will be held on two dates this year.

Gioia House will have their own dedicated stall at their campus on Monday 28 August and MBH, P-4 will have theirs on Tuesday 29 August 2023, allowing children from Mary Bailey House to Year 6 the opportunity to purchase gifts for their fathers, grandfathers, uncles and carers and/or any special father figure in their lives.

All gifts require one ticket each. Tickets are $20 each. A variety of gifts will available for your child’s selection for fathers and loved ones.

On behalf of everyone at Santa Sabina College, we wish to extend our deepest gratitude to our incredible volunteers who dedicated their time and energy to wrap presents for our Father’s Day Stall.

A big thank you to Marie, Honda, Amber, Pamela, Stephanie, Danielle, and Suzana – your skill, creativity, and joyful spirit truly made the event a tremendous success.

Thank you all for your generosity and for being part of this heartwarming occasion!

Del Monte School Disco

The Santa Maria del Monte will be held on Thursday 21 September, make sure you SAVE THE DATE!

Santa Sabina Golf Day

A great opportunity for parents and friends to connect across the College community and grow friendships over a round of golf.

When: Tee off at 7:30am; Thursday 12 October 2023

Where: Strathfield Golf Club

$189pp (inc. breakfast + 18 holes + lunch + drinks)

LIMITED SPOTS AVAILABLE

Any questions, please contact
George Ayoub: 0414 915 910 or Joseph Gittani: 0400 413 431

Year Group Catch Ups

Year 12 Family Catch Up on 10 September 2023

Year 7 Parents Dinner & Drinks on 15 September 2023

Parent Education

How do you want your young people to look at the world/be in the world?  by Debra Brodowski

In my day job, I see a lot people experiencing challenges with anxiety. These can stem from a need for control, a need for perfection, a need to ‘be the best’. As part of my role within the P&F, I hear similar challenges from families. I have even written previously on perfectionism, anxiety; as well as the benefits of supporting our young people in cultivating a growth mindset.

Feelings of anxiety, need for control, need for perfection, are still at levels higher than pre-pandemic levels. For our young people, this means that they are growing up in a world where there is more fear, fueling those feelings of anxiety and need for perfection. How do we shift this cycle of anxiety in the pursuit of perfection? There is no easy or quick fix; however one thing can help us is to reflect on how we look at the world and be part of this world. How is this possible and why is this important?

An example that I like to reflect on is the recent FIFA Women’s World Cup, hosted by Australia and New Zealand. For those that know me, I am quite obsessed with soccer, and I LOVE the Matildas (The Australian Women’s soccer team… Go Tillies!). I so very much wanted them to WIN the World Cup. They came fourth. I could be disappointed with this result and look at the campaign in a number of ways:

–        We were never going to win… There are too many other good teams.

–        Sam Kerr’s injury immediately before the start of the tournament… We were doomed from the start.

–        That game against Nigeria… What was the coach thinking? Awful game! The coach needed to be sacked?! This became media headlines.

–        The referee and the ‘mind games’ of our opposition in the Semi Final… It’s always easy to blame someone else/something else.

I could go on… What I will take away from this World Cup are the following:

–        What an amazing team we have. The Matildas played their hearts out, they tried their best, and they were such impressive ambassadors for sport (not just women’s sport, not just soccer… Sport as a whole). They are also placed 10th in the world, and came fourth! The number 1 team in the world (USA) were knocked out earlier in the tournament!

–        The nation came together to support our amazing Matildas and the World Cup. This was the highest attendance of any Women’s World Cup. The fans have been inspirational (I’m looking at you in particular Colombian fans…. Amazingly inspiring). We came together as a community and in a positive and inclusive way. It was a celebration.

–        Setbacks happen. Sam Kerr’s injury meant that the team had to learn how to play and win without one of the best players in the world on the pitch. Mistakes in the game also happened, both on the pitch with the players, and with the refereeing decisions… We accepted the situation, picked ourselves up, and kept playing our hearts out.

–        The Matildas didn’t win the World Cup… We didn’t even make the Final. The Matildas though, have become impressive ambassadors for sport and we are truly impressed by the manner in which they carried themselves both on and off the field.

So what does this mean for us and our young people:

–        We can teach our young people that circumstances may not be in our favour sometimes. We may get annoyed, frustrated, disappointed. That’s fine… We can acknowledge and accept our feelings and then choose to reframe our thoughts into something more helpful and positive. For example, I was so disappointed in the Matildas’ performance against Nigeria, but my goodness they turned it around and had an awesome following game against Canada (the current Olympic champions).

–        We can teach our young people that there is not only one thing to strive for; we can have multiple areas of focus that can help foster a more complete view of the world. For example, we wanted to win the World Cup, and didn’t. However, it was not all a waste of time, there are so many other positive aspects to take away from the event (more people following the Matildas, more funding for women’s sport etc).

–        We can teach our children that the way that we look at the world has an impact on our world view. Constantly looking at what might have been, what we missed out on, what we failed to achieve, what didn’t occur, can wear us down and have a negative impact on our wellbeing (anxiety, depression). Accepting that things didn’t turn out as planned, however searching for the positive, can lead us to feeling buoyed by a situation, hopeful, and even sometimes joy.

Choosing how we look at the world, and how we participate in it, has a powerful impact… We also get to choose whether it is a positive impact or negative impact.

Parent Child Weekend at Tallong

Santa Sabina College parents and their children from Year 3 upwards (and siblings) are invited to our regional campus at Old Wingello Road, Tallong NSW 2579 for a weekend in the great outdoors: Saturday 11 November 2023 8:30am to Sunday 12 November 4:00pm. The charge of $345 per person includes food, accommodation and outdoor education activities. If you book four or more places, the fourth and subsequent places will be discounted by 50%. Please note this is an alcohol free event.

Local parish invitations