I would like to take the opportunity to thank our staff for the professional manner in which they have assisted the learning at St Andrews and the continual assistance demonstrated to me in my role as Assistant Principal. Congratulations to the many students at our college who have shown the required effort needed to succeed, especially those who have not received awards but who have achieved their personal best in 2024.

Thank you to the many parents/guardians who supported the numerous Information Evenings, Parent-Teacher meetings and a range of other events that were conducted throughout this year. Your support and feedback is always greatly appreciated and viewed as an essential component to assist us as educators ensuring that what we do is relevant to the community that we serve.

As the year concludes I pray that you have time to spend with family & friends and celebrate the coming of Christ at Christmas.

College Timetable 2025: A Final Reminder

Students will have access to their 2024 Timetable on Monday 20 January via Compass.

Please direct any questions regarding classes, courses etc to pfinnerty@parra.catholic.edu.au

Thank you to the 2025 Timetable Committee for all of their planning, communications and consultation.

Thank you for your continued support

God Bless, 

Mr Patrick Finnerty

From the Assistant Principal – Systems, Data and Professional Learning

Everything Counts. 

Throughout the year we have continued to remind students that everything counts, and this has culminated in the Grades that appear on their report. This approach is based on the most up-to-date research that states learning is a continuous process, not just limited to formal assessments. Every class participation, homework task, group project, and even informal learning opportunity contributes to your child's overall understanding and skill development. Through your Canvas login, you can view your child’s engagement in class work, effort in completing tasks and ability to apply feedback. 

This holistic view of learning ensures that the final grade reflects not just test scores, but your child's growth and learning progress throughout the entire academic year. This culture of learning is focused on encouraging consistent effort and engagement, preparing students for lifelong learning beyond the classroom. We hope that parents and caregivers will contact their child’s class teacher if they have any questions about their child’s achievement this semester.

Ms Josilin Kalifa

Assistant Principal Teaching, Learning and Wellbeing

ST ANDREWS DAY

Thanks to all the staff and students in making St Andrews day a great day. It was great to see all the students and the teachers enjoying the rides and lunch. Congratulations to all our leaders who received their badges in the St Andrews Day celebrations.

END OF 2024

As the end of the year approaches, there are some important events that parents and students need to be aware of.

FINAL DAYS OF SCHOOL CLASSES

Year 7,8,9,10 and 11 Monday 16th December

Prize Giving (recipients only) Tuesday 17th December.

The final Christmas Liturgy will be held on the Junior Campus and all Year 10 and 11 will walk over to the Junior Campus and be dismissed from there after the liturgy.

Year 10 started their transition Monday 9th December and will be on the Senior Campus for the remainder of the year. 

ALL STUDENTS ARE EXPECTED TO ATTEND SCHOOL UP TO THESE DATES.

PRIZE GIVING 

College Prize Giving will be on Tuesday 17th December at 8.45am in the Junior Hall. 

START OF SCHOOL AND DATES FOR TERM 1 2025

Year 7,10,11,12 Tuesday 4th February 2025

Year 8 and 9 Wednesday 5th February 2025

WHAT IS IN THE PLANNER?

Social networking is a big part of our lives. Learning to use social networking sites requires us to be ethical and sensitive in what we do and engage in online. Many people say that they are unhappy being permanently switched on and constantly watching others thoughts rather than their own. We need to be mindful that our devices are not controlling out lives.

Procrastination is something that effects everyone. It stems from avoiding tasks, being afraid of unpleasant outcomes, being a perfectionist or a lack of time management skills. To overcome procrastination, you should identify tasks that you delay, create a list of things you need to do, use positive self talk to tackle difficult tasks, beak tasks into achievable parts, set time goals on tasks and set some self expectations to guide you. 

Plagiarism is when you use someone else’s intellectual property without acknowledging it. If someone pretends that they created the work, it is unfair and is in breach of College and NESA guidelines. Intellectual property includes writing, artistic work, music, inventions, designs, images, symbols, names and computer-generated images. 

Ways to avoid plagiarism include:

Paraphrasing- using different words to express the meaning.

Citing- listing other authors names and publication year of sources used

Quoting- using the exact authors words in quotation marks and listing their name.

Referencing- under the heading reference, describe in alphabetical order each source used and the author’s name.

Summarising- using your own words to describe what the author is saying and use their name.

A lot of the time we procrastinate because we are not coping with the demands of school or life. We need to develop strategies that help us cope. One big one is having a trusted friend that you can go to help. Make sure it’s the right person for the issue and talk through your concern. Think about who the positive people in your life are that you can call upon for help.

God bless.

Mr Nick Thrum

Assistant Principal

Leadership Retreat

Congratulations to our newly elected student leaders 7-12, who have just been on a wonderful Leadership Retreat at Kiah Ridge in Tahmoor. They now have received their portfolios and have started planning for the year ahead. Thank you to the Yr 12 Captains, Vice Captains, SRC & House Captains for your outstanding leadership in leading the retreat. There is more information on the Student Leadership Retreat in the Newsletter article from the Publicity Portfolio (Elyscia Barret, Christabel Gobrial & Rhythm Gupta).

Here are the 2025 student leaders and their portfolios:

Principal’s Awards

Congratulations to the many students who have received Principal’s Awards over this Term. It is wonderful to celebrate your accomplishments during our Assemblies.

Senior Assemblies (October 25 & November 11)

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

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

Junior Assembly (November 1)

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

Congratulations to the following student who has received their second Principal’s Awards:

Junior Assembly (November 29)

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

Congratulations to the following student who has received their second Principal’s Awards:

House Cup Celebration Day

Monday December 2 was the House Cup Celebration Day. That meant that all students in the winning House - Bennelong - went to Luna Park. Students travelled to Luna Park by train and were then able to enjoy Luna Park with their friends in their Learning Group & their House. And by all accounts, the students had a wonderful time. A big thank you to Ms Nikitovic, Miss Britton, Ms Pineda Garcia, Mr Liebeek & the Bennelong Learning Advisors for accompanying their students and sharing their success with them (Ms Corpuz, Mr Riger, Mr Din, Ms Negline, Miss Breeze, Ms Tan, Mrs Weaver, Mr Leu, & Ms Serbin). Congratulations Bennelong!

Mrs Sue Cooper

Leader of Wellbeing and Learning

scooper@parra.catholic.edu.au

Dear Parents, Guardians, and Year 8 Students,

Welcome to the end of Week 8! This term has flown by, and I am incredibly proud of the amazing achievements Year 8 has accomplished so far.

Congratulations to all the Year 8 students who received a Principal’s Award in our recent College assembly. These students have demonstrated exceptional dedication to their learning and community service within the College.

Congratulations to the following students: 

Ashlyn Aldana, Levi Alphonse, Lewis Davies, Devina Ankadawala, Ann Atienza, Gatleen Boparai, Monica Buen, Nathan Dacanay, Mikyla De Guzman, Dawson Jia, Deeshal Kanbi, Linda Lukasa, Martha Arshilo, Cielo Ysimura, Vrusha Pathak, Kasandra Razon, and Theodis Robillo. Well done on your incredible effort!

Welcoming the 2025 SRC Representatives

Congratulations to our newly elected Year 9 SRC members for 2025! I am confident they will represent their peers and the College with pride and dedication in their roles:

• Julie Aboka: College Events
• Benjamin Aridah: Positive School Climate
• Noah Ciocca: Stewardship
• Nathan Dacanay: Wellbeing
• Rhythm Gupta: Publicity
• Chris Manu: Faith in Action

A huge congratulations to Aidan D’Silva, who was recently awarded the Blacktown Enhancing Inclusion Achievement Award. Aidan was selected out of 12 finalists for his outstanding contributions to the community, including his work with Surf Lifesaving as a Lifeguard and his success at the National and State Surf Lifesaving Championships. What an incredible achievement, Aidan!

Upcoming Year 8 Camp

A reminder that the Year 8 Camp is happening next week, from Thursday, 12th December to Friday, 13th December at AGH Camp. Students are asked to arrive at school by 7:30 am on Thursday morning. 

Camps are a fantastic opportunity for students to bond with their peers, build resilience, and create lifelong memories. We encourage all students to participate and bring their best selves to this experience.

As always, please feel free to contact me directly at samiri1@parra.catholic.edu.au or call the College office if you have any questions or concerns.

Kind regards,

Ms Susan Amiri

Dear Parents/Guardians, 

As we come to the close end of an incredibly successful year, it’s a perfect time to reflect on all that our Year 7 students have accomplished. This has been a year filled with learning, growth, and the development of both academic and personal skills. It has been wonderful to see Year 7 students embrace a variety of extracurricular opportunities offered this year. 

The following students who have been selected for SRC for 2025. These students were chosen based on their commitment to leadership, being a role model for their peers, and their dedication to making our school a better place for everyone. Please join me in congratulating: 

- Autumn Byrne- Abella- Stewardship 

- Courtney Banares- Positive School Climate 

- Lawrence Lotigo- Publicity 

- Leah McSweeney- College Events 

- Micah Mikari- Wellbeing 

- Thien Tong- Ho- Faith In Action 

On Friday, December 13th, Year 7 will participate in a Wellbeing Day, designed to support their personal growth and mental health. The day will offer a range of activities aligned with the SPIRE framework, focusing on key areas of wellbeing. Students will engage in spiritual activities that foster connections and explore beliefs, relational and emotional activities centred around gratitude, positive self-talk, and affirmation, as well as mental health exercises. There will also be sessions on mindfulness, including meditation, floor pilates and calming colouring activities to help students reflect and relax. Year 7 students will wear their sports uniform on the day. More detailed information will be provided to students closer to the day. 

Kind regards, 

Ms Ivana Nikitovic 

Acting Leader of Wellbeing Year 7

ArtExpress Shortlist

Congratulations to Guntas Sandhu (HSC Visual Arts 2024), whose HSC Visual Arts Body of Work Transience was shortlisted for ArtExpress. ArtExpress is an annual exhibition that features a selection of outstanding student artworks developed for the artmaking component of the HSC examination in Visual Arts.

Under the expert guidance of Mrs Kemal, Guntas created an exceptional Body of work exploring notions of ageism as a series of drawings created with pen on stonehenge paper. In her work, Guntas challenged these idealised notions of ageism by authentically portraying the harsh realities of ageing, emphasising the transient and fragile nature of life. Through fine lines, exaggerated wrinkles, symbolic imagery, and raw expressions, Guntas dismantled glorified misconceptions, offering an unfiltered depiction of vulnerability and the human condition. The large size stonehenge paper allows audiences to delve deeper into Guntas’ refined material practice and make further connections to her conceptual ideas.

Although Guntas’ artwork wasn’t successful in its nomination; we recognise the incredible work ethic and creativity she demonstrated in the creation of her Body of Work. It is an astounding effort to be shortlisted and we applaud her for her hard work, dedication and persistence in completing her Body of Work. 

Semester 2 Junior Showcase

Our Junior Campus Visual Arts classrooms were transformed into a vibrant display of artworks from Year 7 - 10, celebrating the diverse talents of our Visual Arts students. With two Year 10 classes this year, their Self Directed Body of Works claimed most of the space in G10, highlighting their creativity and array of concepts explored through various mediums. 

It was wonderful to see so many of our students, teachers and parents visit our exhibition. The classrooms were certainly buzzing with excitement as students darted between the exhibition space showing their artworks to one another.  We are proud to be able to showcase our student artworks. The culmination of each artist’s  hard work at the end of each semester is undisputedly a pinnacle for the Visual Arts faculty. Congratulations once again to our exhibiting students.

Bundanon Visual Arts Camp

Our inaugural Visual Arts Camp to Bundanon was indeed a highlight for Visual Arts students and the Visual Arts faculty this year. On Monday 2nd December, we set forth on our journey to Bundanon (about 20 minutes or so from Nowra) and experienced first hand, the most beautiful site of 1000 hectares. Bundanon, was a gift from Australian artist Arthur Boyd and his wife Yvonne to the Australian government in 1993. This was their home and his art inspiration, which has been transformed into an art education destination that pays tribute to the beautiful Australian environment as a nature sanctuary. 

Upon arrival, we paid tribute to the traditional owners of the land through a physical acknowledgement of country. We looked to the sky, listened to sounds in the distance and felt the ground beneath us before we then moved to the Bundanon Art Museum. Our first session “Spark Ideas” allowed our students to engage with a selection Arthur Boyd’s artworks, as well as the recent art exhibition of local Indigenous artists, called “Bagan Barwarigan Yan: Echoes of Country”

We had two days of sunny weather and despite the heat, humidity and flies (!), our students worked “en plein air” (in the open air) and challenged themselves with material practice that was new to them. We left the “typical” classroom behind and carried our art equipment over our shoulders. Armed with stools, drawing boards, easels and various artmaking mediums - students visited the creek, the jetty and the “hill” in order to capture the landscape of Bundanon. The friendly educators at Bundanon reminded our students that it wasn’t about “perfection”. If they wanted to have a picture perfect landscape, they could take a photograph. Instead, students embraced the location, connected with the land, listened and felt the spaces around them in order to produce a variety of artworks. 

As the sun set for the evening, our students prepared themselves for an exciting photography workshop with Mrs Harris. Students learnt about the basics of working with a DSLR and had the opportunity to experiment with shutter speed and aperture, as they created a series of light paintings. 

After a good night’s sleep, our students enjoyed a second day of artmaking. This time they created a “reverse charcoal” drawing, covering a gessoed piece of paper completely with black willow charcoal before rubbing out and working back into the artwork as they observed the environment around them. With each artmaking activity, we set up an outdoor gallery and students had the opportunity to provide peer feedback and critique each other’s finished artworks. These discussions allowed students to consider various ways that materials can be used and we can include our own style within an artwork. 

A huge thank you to Mrs Kemal, Miss Rivera and Mr Houseman who generously gave up their time to accompany our students on camp. We look forward to sharing more photos and videos from our unforgettable trip in future assemblies/newsletters. 

Year 12 2025 Visual Arts Incursion - 

Stephen Hall Artist Presentation

After a very successful artmaking workshop with artist Stephen Hall and Year 10 (as a part of the CAPTIVATE Access Artist program); we were fortunate enough to have Stephen back for another artist presentation - this time, with our Year 12 Visual Arts students. Stephen generously shared his artmaking practice with our Year 12 class, bringing various examples of his artworks in person in order for students to see and touch in real life. 

As students are embarking on their own artmaking journey for their HSC Body of Works, Stephen shared his wisdom with us and demonstrated his artmaking processes. From his artistic beginnings as a young child living in Broken Hill through to his professional work as an independent artist, Stephen showcased his artmaking techniques in oil paintings  through to printmaking and elaborated on how he developed conceptual ideas for his works. Stephen reminded our Visual Arts students that we use art as a vehicle to communicate to the audience and to pour our feelings into our artworks. “Make every line weep” will now be our new mantra as we consider the strength of emotional connections with our audiences. 

Thank you for your remarkable and insightful presentation Stephen and thank you to CAPTIVATE for arranging this extra Access Artist session for our St Andrews students. 

Mrs Claudia Harris

Leader of Learning Visual Arts

On Monday and Tuesday, the 25th and 26th of November, the newly elected Student Leadership Team of 2025 participated in a two-day retreat at Kiah Ridge in preparation for the year ahead. Collaboratively the team engaged in a number of icebreakers and goal planning activities led by the Year 12 Captains and College Leaders. Although the day started with a bit of nerves and tension, we slowly began to know each other better and engage in an atmosphere of fun and growth. Everyone was successful in making foundational connections and learning a bit more about taking initiative and being a servant leader.  

“It was such a huge pleasure in getting to meet all the leaders of 2025! We had a blast in playing various icebreakers and each of them created new opportunities in interacting and sharing talents amongst each other. It was clear that the brief retreat sparked feelings of security, awe and determination in every single leader. It was an amazing experience to witness why each person deserved their badge and how they used their unique skills and gifts to be one for others.”

• Elyscia Barret & Christabel Gobrial, Year 12 Publicity 

“Retreat deepened my faith by putting things into perspective and making me realise that no matter our differences, or even our strengths, we are all made in the image of God. We are His living vessels of His kingdom, showing his everlasting love through servant leadership and giving back to the community.” 

• Abbygale Batula, Year 11 Faith In Action 

“During the retreat, others inspired me through their courage, kindness and willingness to share openly and express themselves. Watching people step out of their comfort zones and support one another, showed me the power of community and encouraged me to grow alongside them.”

• Micah Makari, Year 8 Wellbeing

“As College Captains, it is our goal alongside the Leadership Team, to create a student voice that can listen and act upon what is heard from both students and staff alike. We strive to address the concerns and challenges in our community for a College that benefits all.”

• Aditya Rawal & Suwanthi Edirisinghe, Year 12 College Captains

“This retreat truly opened my eyes to the amazing community St Andrew’s has built, from all the ice breakers, to making new friends during meals and seeing everyone write each other’s affirmations with such care and love. I created so many new friendships and felt so connected with everyone I communicated with. I was able to see all of the gifts God has given each individual with which were all used in such unique ways to help us grow closer to each other, and with God. It was an experience I will never forget.”

• Ysabella Alfonso, Year 10 Chang House Captain

“The leadership retreat taught me that regardless of how connected you may believe you are, there are always new people to meet, work alongside and converse with. It was a great experience being able to connect with both older and younger students at different stages in their lives who I did not know well in the past. It was truly an experience to remember and one I will look back upon for the future. In addition to this, the ability in our group to inspire and build upon ideas that work for the improvement of our school represents the true commitment of our community to making our learning space a place nothing short of excellence.” 

• Joey Ghattas, Year 11 College Events

During the retreat, we were privileged to have our College Principal, Dr. Kennaugh, alongside our Parish Priest, Fr. Kevin, pay us a visit and help nourish the growing seeds of courage and leadership in every one of us. Dr. Kennaugh’s speech, along with his responses to some of our own questions, set the stage for what we had to achieve, what we wanted to achieve, and how to live with making each day better than the last. Although the time spent seemed short, we all achieved so much and 2025 only looks so much brighter. As the retreat came to an end, we are now proud to stand by one another and face any challenges that 2025 may bring! 

We would like to extend our deepest appreciation to Dr. Kennaugh, Fr. Kevin, Mrs. Cooper, Mrs. Parker, Mr. Weaver, the Kiah Ridge team, and especially our own College Captains for their hard work and dedication into making this retreat as astounding as it was. 

• Written by Elyscia Barret, Christabel Gobrial & Rhythm Gupta (Members of the SRC Publicity Portfolio) 

On Thursday 27 November 2024, two teams competed in the Term 4 Volleyball Schools Cup at Netball Central, Olympic Park. 

The girls team lost their games against Tempe High School and Riverside Girls High School, however were able to win their games against Sefton High School and Pennant Hills High School. It was a close ladder, with our St Andrews girls sitting at the top of the ladder. Unfortunately, Tempe HS played their match and were able to push their way to the top of the ladder, meaning the girls team could not compete in the gold medal match.

Nonetheless, congratulations to our girls - Allistaire Reyes, Kelesi Fatu Poasa, Amelia Kubik, Sydney Manalac, Rowena Kubik, Ana Donjerkovic, Sofia Mabutas, Gabrielle Cardino, Clariz Dela Rosa, Favour Unaeze and Alexa Formeloza!

The boys team won all of their games against Pennant Hills High School, Redfield College, Sefton High School, and Cabramatta High School, and were able to make it to the gold medal match against Kingsgrove North High School. 

The gold medal match was nothing short of intense and nail-biting, with a lot of passion and determination displayed from our St Andrews boys. Set 1 saw our boys lead by 2 points, while Set 2 saw Kingsgrove North win by 1 point. This meant that St Andrews was only winning by 1 point in total.

Set 3 saw our boys play their hardest - digging low, setting high, and spiking hard - all to pull away in points and win the gold medal! 

Congratulations to our boys - Calvin Mediana, Marcus Suarez, James Ilagan, Cameron Zolerick, Nikhil Gudur, Kyle Gonzales, Ethan Escandor, Andrei Cabael and Tracy Barlahan! 

A special thank you to Dr Kennaugh for giving the students the opportunity to compete in this event, and Ms Britton for coaching the boys team. We look forward to more opportunities and success in the years to come. 

Miss Bernadette Corpuz 

PDHPE Teacher

Our Year 8 Technology students have been hard at work designing and building CO2 dragsters, combining creativity with scientific principles. This hands-on project allowed students to explore concepts such as friction, mass, energy, aerodynamics, and thrust, applying these ideas to develop high-performance designs.

Students completed detailed engineering reports, documenting their design process, analysing performance, and justifying their choices. These reports included thorough research, time management, sketches, and evaluations of how each factor influenced their car's speed and efficiency.

The project not only enhanced their technical skills but also encouraged innovation and deep class discussions, culminating in an exciting race day to test their creations! Have a look at some of the awesome C02 car photos and short video attached of the final car race!

Student reflections below:

Building my co2 dragster car was a fun and challenging experience. It was a challenging but rewarding project. This project was based on showing our understanding of aerodynamics and how we could make the fastest and most aesthetically pleasing car. During the process, there were many lessons of sanding, filing and shaping our car in order to make it the perfect shape. I really enjoyed designing and building the CO2 car and it was also interesting to see how just small adjustments of the shape can make such a huge impact on the car. Overall I would do this project again and I really enjoyed it.

• Kiara Guglani

Designing the CO2 dragster was a fun project. I got to express my skills and creativity throughout the course,It also taught me alot about engineering, And using appropriate tools. This was a really fun experience overall.

• Ishaan Dhanwal

Ms Catalina Valdivia

Technology Teacher

Year 7 English - Poetry Study

During Term 4, Year 7 are studying “Australian Identity and Perspectives through Poetry”. Students have been exploring a range of poems by Australian poets, including the classic 1890 A.B (Banjo) Paterson poem “The Man from Snowy River”, the well-known 1908 poem “My Country” by Dorothea Mackeller, to First Nations poet Oodgeroo Noonunccal and more contemporary slam poets. Students have been able to learn about poetic language and how we can use it to express who we are and what we value. 

Students in class 7ENG2 experimented with their own poetic voices to write “Where I am from” poems, as a way to share their Australian identities, how they have been shaped and what is important to them. I share with you a few of these poems which are rich in imagery and express such wonderful insights into the people, diverse cultures and unique experiences that have shaped our students. 

Mrs Katharine McDonald

Leader of Learning - English 

We are thrilled to announce the winners of the November St Andrews Writing Competition! November's competition showcased the incredible writing talents of our students, making it a standout way to end the year.

Congratulations to our winners in November:

• Year 7: Alexis Caraig and Courtney Banares
• Year 8: Isabella Welangoda and Ann Atienza
• Year 9: Sabrina Dutong
• Year 10: Lexi Iskander

These students demonstrated exceptional creativity, analysis, and stylistic features in their writing, setting the bar high for all participants. The judges were highly impressed by the quality of both fiction, poetry, and report writing that was submitted. 

A Note on 2024.

The competition this year was incredibly close, with many outstanding entries across all year groups. The calibre of submissions made the judging process both inspiring and challenging, as each piece reflected the unique voice and perspective of its writer. It’s a testament to the vibrant writing culture here at St Andrews that we continue to see such high-quality submissions year after year.

2024 has truly been a successful year for writers at our school. From competitions like this one to classroom activities, it’s clear that the passion for writing is thriving. A heartfelt thank you to everyone who entered this year’s competition – your hard work and dedication are deeply appreciated.

We can’t wait to see even more creative and innovative entries in 2025. Start sharpening your pencils and preparing your ideas for next year – the future of writing at St Andrews looks brighter than ever!

Well done to all and keep writing!

Mr Duncan Dewar

Leader of Learning Reading/Writing

College Leadership Team

Leaders of Learning - Wellbeing

College Leaders of Learning - KLA

College Leaders of Learning