Principal’s Awards

To acknowledge students receiving their second, third or fourth Principal’s Awards, we now have different coloured pins that are awarded to the students when they achieve these milestones. Students receiving their second Principal’s Award will receive a silver pin. Students receiving their third Principal’s Award will receive a gold pin. And students receiving their fourth Principal’s Award will receive a platinum pin. At last week’s Junior Assembly, we presented our first silver pins. I look forward to seeing the students proudly wearing their Principal’s Award pins with their uniform.

Congratulations to the following students who have received Principal’s Awards:

Congratulations to the following students who have received their second Principal’s Awards:

Congratulations to the following student who has received their third Principal’s Award:

Mrs Sue Cooper

Leader of Wellbeing and Learning

scooper@parra.catholic.edu.au

Year 10 Update – Term 3

A Strong Start to the Term.
It has been inspiring to see the commitment our Year 10 students have shown to their learning and personal growth this term.

In Week 1, students enthusiastically participated in the Careers Market, exploring potential pathways and connecting with industry representatives. A special thank you to Mrs May for providing this valuable opportunity, which allowed students to plan ahead and think strategically about their future options.

The momentum continued in Week 2 with subject selection interviews. I was impressed with Year 10’s punctuality, presentation, and thoughtful approach to their career choices. Thank you to both parents and students for taking the time to prepare and engage so meaningfully in this process. The next step will be the release of subject selection confirmations in the final weeks of Term 3.

Incursions and Excursions
To end Week 2, students attended their Year 10 Reflection Day, where they explored the connection between their faith, mission, and career aspirations. It was uplifting to see such open, respectful, and supportive conversations taking place. Thank you to the Religion Department for their hard work and organisation in making the day a memorable experience for Year 10.

Shortly after, Year 10 participated in the Be Street Smart excursion, where they witnessed a simulated crash scenario and learned about the many people impacted by road incidents. This was a powerful and practical reminder of the importance of safe and responsible decision-making, especially as many of our students approach the milestone of applying for their learner licence. Thank you to the PDHPE Department for organising and supporting Year 10 on the day to ensure everything ran smoothly.

Looking Ahead
As we move towards the end of Term 3, students will be taking part in Courage Week and R U Okay? Day. I look forward to seeing the grade’s participation in the activities planned by our SRC for these important focus weeks.

Uniform, Punctuality, and Respect
Our current focus areas are uniform, punctuality, and respect towards others.

Full winter school uniform is still required; boys must be clean-shaven, girls’ hair must be tied back, and jewellery and make-up must meet the college policy. 

If your child is late to school, please help us by recording the explanation through the Compass app. 

These expectations have been clearly communicated, and consequences will apply where necessary. If you have any concerns, please contact me via email or phone call.

I’m looking forward to seeing Year 10’s continued focus and effort, especially as we approach the final exam block in Term 4, Week 2.

Miss Breeze
Acting Leader of Wellbeing – Year 10
jbreeze@parra.catholic.edu.au

Dear Year 8 Community,

As we move into the middle of Term 3, here’s a snapshot of the enriching experiences our Year 8 cohort has embraced—and a few important reminders:

1. Inspiring Creativity with R U OK? Art Competition

Wellbeing time has taken an expressive and meaningful turn as students reflect on “What does connection mean to you?”, crafting thoughtful and creative artworks as part of the R U OK? Art Competition. We have been truly impressed by how well students connected with the prompt—Instagram-worthy artwork with heart!
Stay tuned as we share some of the most powerful and interesting entries in the upcoming newsletters. 

2. Harnessing the Power of Positive Emotions

Part of our wellbeing lessons this term focused on how positive emotions—like joy, gratitude, hope, and pride—can supercharge learning, resilience, and wellbeing. We encouraged students to notice, name, and grow these emotions through simple everyday actions, conversations, and reflections. These seeds foster stronger focus, motivation, and friendships—small steps that can make a big difference.

3. Respect and the Learning Environment

Term 3 has also seen a renewed emphasis on respect—towards teachers, peers, and the learning environment.

We’ve made it clear that defiance, disrespect, and disruptions to the learning  are not part of our culture. 

Instead, we're promoting a consistent, college-wide approach where respect is a clear expectation, and everyone plays a role in modeling it. These daily acts of respect help create a safe, focused, and thriving learning environment for all.

4. Attendance Matters Now More Than Ever

Our Year 8 attendance rate remains strong—a testament to your commitment to learning; however, it can always be improved to help meet our goals and targets. That said, this is the time of year when attendance can start to slip. Even missing one day a week can add up to many lost learning opportunities over time.

Please continue encouraging your child to come to school every day—on time and ready to learn. The habits formed now shape pathways for lifelong learning and success.

5. Coming Soon: Evidence-Based Vaping Education

We are proud to be participating in a cutting-edge initiative from the University of Sydney’s Matilda Centre and Our Futures Institute—the OurFutures Vaping Prevention Program.

This four-week online module, delivered through engaging cartoon stories and interactive activities, equips students with knowledge, refusal skills, and resilience to resist vaping pressures.

Results from the Australia-wide trial show that students who complete the program were 65% less likely to vape after 12 months compared to those who received standard health education—an outstanding outcome (ourfuturesinstitute.org.au).

We look forward to rolling this out across Years 8 in the weeks ahead.

In Summary: 

This term has been rich with creativity, growth, and opportunities to build stronger mindsets—through art, positive emotions, and respect. As we move towards the second half of the term, let’s maintain focus on attendance and look forward to continuing our strong growth and development as we move towards the end of the year.

Mr Jarryd Leaves 

Leader of Wellbeing - Year 8 

Visual Arts Spotlight

At St Andrews, we have many creative students who step up to the challenge of “doing more and going beyond”. This year, we have had students participate in various competitions outside of school, sharing their talents beyond the classroom. 

Micaela Sibucao, Year 11 Visual Arts student, is no stranger to being in the spotlight for Visual Arts. Micaela has participated in every Visual Arts opportunity at the College in her years here at St Andrews. This week, we proudly received back her framed artwork from last year’s Operation Art exhibition. The artwork joins our collection of Operation Art entries in the foyer of Junior campus, accompanied by Micaela’s previous entry as well as fellow 2024 student entry by Rhythm Gupta in Year 9.

An Enchanting Garden Tea Party - Micaela Sibucao (Year 11)

A Mother to One, A Mother to All - Rhythm Gupta (Year 9)

More recently, Micaela was selected a finalist for the inaugural CSPD Alchemy Photography competition, from 300 entries. Her photograph for the category “Place” was exhibited amongst 64 other finalists on the opening night at Caroline Chisholm College. Well done Micaela!

Micaela Sibucao - Alchemy Photography Finalist

Earlier this year, Ethan Geevarghese (Year 8) was awarded the 2025 Blacktown City Young Artist Prize in the category of Most Creative Depiction of Renewable Energy. Presented alongside the 2025 Blacktown City Art Prize, this year’s young artists reflected on the theme Sharing our Skies – Visualising the power of our skies and all things that fly. From the animals that call the sky home to how we as humans harness its power for energy, participants were encouraged to get inspired by their own patch of the sky. Congratulations to Ethan for his achievements! 

Year 11 Mini Body of Work Proposals

In Term 3, our Year 11 Visual Arts students are challenged with consolidating what they have learnt this year in the Visual Arts course, but considering their material and conceptual practice in order to create a mini Body of Works, informed by the syllabus content area Frames. Mrs Sanders and I had the pleasure of reading many wonderful ideas documented in students’ Visual Arts Process Diaries (VAPDs) as a part of their formal assessment. See below for a selection of inspiring VAPD pages! 

Featured students: Amelia Korczowski, Izzy Borlongan, Mary Arshilo, Sofia Mabutas, Rowena Kubik

Mrs Claudia Harris

Leader of Learning Visual Arts

As we approach the end of Season 2, I’d like to share some exciting Representative Sport results from our school community. 

Yesterday, our Junior Girls Netball team finished their season on a high, taking home a well-deserved win in their final game of the season – a fantastic way to wrap up their dedication and teamwork this season. 

Our Junior and Intermediate Girls Soccer teams played their quarter finals with outstanding sportsmanship and determination. Our Intermediate Girls progressed through to the semi finals, while our Junior Girls unfortunately lost in the game after a hard-fought match. 

It was also a big day for our Junior and Intermediate Boys Soccer teams, who both won their semi finals and are now through to the grand finals next week. The boys displayed exceptional commitment, teamwork, and school pride. 

A huge thank you to our dedicated coaches – Mr Dela Paz, Miss O’Connor, Miss Breeze, Miss Britton, and Mr Dunaeff – for your constant time, guidance, and encouragement of our students. 

I look forward to sharing the grand final results with you all very soon! 

Thank you, 

Miss Ivana Nikitovic, 

Leader of Learning- Sport

Last time we had an update about our 2025 Drama Production, we left you all in suspense in regards to its name. After many a discussion with our performers, St Andrews College is proud to announce that our 2025 drama production will be Once Upon a Crime!

The Gingerbread Man has gone missing, crime runs rampant, the world is in chaos and shadowy figures lurk in the alleyways scheming. This original theatrical mystery will take audiences deep into the fairy-tale world, where familiar characters are thrown into an unexpected whodunit. With a clever script, a dash of humour, and outstanding performances from our talented students, Once Upon a Crime promises to be an unforgettable night of entertainment.

The production will take place on Thursday, 25 September 2025 at 6:00pm, at our regular venue, The Polish Hall.

Tickets will go on sale from Monday, 25 August and will be available exclusively through the QKR app. Seats are always in high demand, so be sure to get in early and secure your spot.

We can’t wait to share this thrilling theatrical adventure with you – see you at the theatre!

All Year 10 students attended the Be Street Smart excursion on Wednesday 21st August at Qudos Bank Arena. This excursion focused on road safety and educating young people about the importance of being safe road users and included a real-life simulated crash scene. This valuable learning experience aligns with our unit of study this term on road safety, titled ‘Arrive alive’ as part of our PDHPE curriculum.

It was an incredibly eye-opening experience designed to educate students about staying safe on the road and expose them to a multitude of potential risks often overlooked in our day-to-day lives. From learning about situational awareness to understanding how to navigate unfamiliar contexts, the excursion provided valuable knowledge to enhance student safety but also left a lasting impression about how to stay safe and be prepared for any situation on the road as a passenger, pedestrian or driver.

A huge takeaway from this experience was listening to the detrimental impact that poor decision-making on the road had on people's lives from those willing to tell their stories about how being dangerous on the road led to a significant change in their lives. Students heard from speakers who are living with a brain injury and others who were left in a wheelchair as the result of people drinking and/or drug driving. They also heard from the perspective of a mother who lost her 17-year-old son after he chose to drive under the influence and killed 4 other people. We then watched an experiment conducted by a driving school demonstrating the impact of going only 10km over the speed limit and the impact various stopping distances have when braking (40kms compared to 50kms, 60kms and 80kms). This was a harsh reality check and reminder about the consequences of being dangerous on the road. We hope this experience has encouraged students to think before making decisions when driving or being a passenger as they learn to drive and work towards their provisional licence.

Thank you to Jolena and Amyllia of year 10 for their reflections below on the day.

Jolena:

Attending BStreetSmart was a memorable experience, and its lessons have already influenced how I approach road safety as a passenger and a future driver. I was particularly struck by the personal experiences shared by the speakers. Listening to real-life stories highlighted the critical importance of abiding by road rules and avoiding distractions while driving. It became clear that safe driving is not only about protecting yourself; car accidents can have long term effects on passengers, family, friends and even first responders. I was surprised to learn how much time, care, and safety measures EMTs, firefighters, and police invest when responding to a car accident.This experience emphasised that being a responsible driver means considering the safety and wellbeing of everyone on the road, not just your own.

Amy:

Attending BStreetSmart was an eye opening and powerfully moving experience. Witnessing a realistic car crash reenactment and observing the rescue process made the dangers of risky driving very real. The most powerful moments came from the speakers who shared deeply personal stories, marked by loss, pain, and the long road to recovery. Their words carried a heavy truth; that every choice behind the wheel holds immense responsibility, and safety can never be taken for granted. In particular, Melissa McGuinness’s story about her son, whose actions claimed the lives of four innocent people, left a lasting impression. Her message was clear. It doesn’t matter what your intention is, if the choices you make hurt people. Hearing her speak, and seeing how sudden and devastating road accidents can be, made me more conscious of my own habits. I know I will carry the lessons from BStreetSmart with me, especially when the time comes for me to hold a driver’s licence.

Mrs Kayla Brogan

Leader of Learning- PDHPE

On Wednesday 6 August, Year 8 students attended Taiko (Japanese drumming) sessions presented by Taikoz as part of their Japanese studies. The incursion offered a unique chance to explore the vibrant sounds, movements, and traditions of this powerful Japanese artform.

Students were introduced to the different types of Taiko drums and their roles in performance. A highlight for many was watching four lucky students try the Odaiko (a largest drum) learning how to stand correctly, maintain posture, and strike the drum with proper technique.

While the rest of the grade were given the role of chanting the beats with Kakegoe (“to give your voice”), they contributed to the energy of the performance and helped create a strong sense of unity within the group. Students also listened to a variety of traditional and contemporary Taiko pieces, gaining insight into the dynamic range of the music.

During the sessions, students were encouraged to ask questions about aspects that sparked their curiosity, from the unique clothing worn by the performers to the history and meaning behind each piece. It was wonderful to see so many students showing genuine interest and engagement.

To finish the day, three students had the chance to try another percussion instrument, adding more layers and depth to the group’s sound.

The sessions were energetic, collaborative, and a fantastic way for students to connect classroom learning with hands-on cultural experience which will be an unforgettable highlight of the term.

Thank you to all Year 8 students and teachers for participating and listening so enthusiastically during the incursion.

Miss Miho Matsufuji 

Japanese Teacher

College Leadership Team

Leaders of Learning - Wellbeing

College Leaders of Learning - KLA

College Leaders of Learning and Other Leaders