2008: Term 4

ArtExpress Nominations

The College is proud to announce that two Year 12 Visual Arts students’ HSC artworks have been nominated this year for ArtExpress. Both students produced artworks inspired by aspects of the city of Sydney and its environment. One was inspired by Australian contemporary artist Brett Whiteley, while the other student was influenced by American contemporary artist Robert Rauschenberg.

Drama the Write Way

Congratulations to Nathalie Jones in Year 10 who has won the prestigious Sydney Theatre Company Young Playwright's Award 2008. The prize includes $1000 and a professionally staged reading at the Sydney Theatre Company's studios. Nathalie will work with a dramaturg and have her script rehearsed. Fiona Foster, Nathalie’s Drama teacher, suggested she enter the competition as part of the Secondary School Gifted and Talented Drama program. 

Rotary Awards

Two Middle School students have been awarded the Burwood Rotary and Rotaract Clubs’ Primary School Citizenship Award. This award is in recognition of wonderful qualities of leadership that reflect positive attitudes. Co-operation, reliability and a disposition that shows care and consideration for others have been demonstrated by these students.

Splash 'N' Dash

The Kindergarten - Year 2 swimming program ended with a splash when the students held their annual Splash 'N' Dash Carnival at the Santa Sabina pool. There were novelty and swimming races and the opportunity to practise swimming techniques learnt during the term. Parents, sports staff and Year 10 students were on deck to assist and provide encouragement throughout the day.

Music Camp 2008

Students of the Music Department have just returned from the annual Music Camp at Tallong Campus, the College’s Outdoor Education Centre. This year the camp was run  by the two Year 10 Music Leaders. In between rehearsals, a sock-puppet talent quest and Spicks and Specks trivia night kept the students from Yrs 6-11 entertained. The musicians spent much of the rehearsal time preparing for the Festival of Carols evening.

Parents' First Aid Course

A group of very enthusiastic parents from the Primary School recently undertook the Caring for Kids first aid course presented by St John's Ambulance. This course is designed for parents, carers and childcare workers. Some of the areas that were covered included child and infant resuscitation, management of fractures, head injuries and sudden illness. The parents found the course to be interesting and very beneficial.

HSC Design & Technology

The College is proud to announce that four Year 12 students have been nominated for the DesignTECH exhibition, which showcases outstanding HSC Major Design Projects. Included in the mix are a contemporary table setting for twelve, Japanese Armour, a cardboard chair made from 100% recyclable corrugated cardboard and a light inspired by the seed pods of the banksia.

The DesignTECH exhibition is held at the Powerhouse Museum from 20 December until 18 March.

Year 7 Intercultural Day

The Year 7 students celebrated Intercultural Day. The Hall was transformed into an international venue of fine cuisine, displays and cultural presentations. Students loved the opportunity the day presented to practise the new languages they have been learning this year, and to celebrate the cultural diversity of the students at Santa Sabina.

College Christmas Fair at Del Monte

Christmas cheer and spirit were in abundance as the College held its Christmas Fair on the Primary School campus. Guests enjoyed sampling the fine international cuisine and being entertained by student musicians and dancers.The slides and rides were very popular, as was the chance to purchase gifts from the varied stalls. The day was a great celebration of our generous community!

So Santa Sabina Girls Think They Can Dance

During Pastoral sessions on the Secondary Campus, students held a "So You Think You Can Dance" dance-off. The aim of the session was to encourage participation, enthusiasm, teamwork & bonding within each homeroom. Each House had its own panel of judges to determine the winning homeroom who would then compete in the finale. Students and teachers alike were amazed to see some great performances that were choreographed in such limited time.

Father Daughter weekend

More than 60 fathers with their daughters gathered at Tallong Campus, the College’s Outdoor Education Centre, for the annual Father / Daughter Weekend. The dads enjoyed spending time with their daughters and strengthening that special bond through a range of activities such as high and low rope challenges, bushwalking, rafting, a 4 way tug-of-war and the Father v Daughter Soccer and Volleyball matches.

Kindergarten Orientation

The Primary School community were very excited to welcome the new Kindergartens for 2009 on Orientation Day. It was wonderful to see so many excited and enthusiastic children. The children engaged in various Learning Centres including Construction, Gross Motor, Literacy, Creative and Dramatic Play. The students interacted with their peers. The day ended with the children receiving a SSC bag with a healthy snack and a few resources.

Encore Nomination

Each year the Board of Studies NSW and the Department of Education and Training present ENCORE, a selection of outstanding performances and compositions from the Higher School Certificate Music students. A Year 10 student, who has been accelerated in Music 2 and Extension Music has been nominated for this performance. Her performance program included works by Bach, Beethoven Rachmaninov, Miriam Hyde and the Hungarian Rhapsody by Liszt.

Life Education & Happy Healthy Harold

The Primary School students have spent a week with the Life Education Van and happy Healthy Harold. Each class visited the van and participated in activities that enhanced the children’s’ learning within the outcomes found in the PDHPE Syllabus. Each session was designed specifically for the children’s’ learning age. The programs focussed on areas such as Healthy Life Choices, Friendships and Healthy Living.

World Teachers Day

Santa Sabina College celebrated World Teachers’ Day on 31 October. The day was inaugurated by UNESCO in 1994 to focus attention on the extraordinary contributions and achievements of teachers, and recognises "quality teachers for quality education". The teachers at the College bring dedication, expertise and professionalism in their roles across the Primary, Middle, Secondary, Early Education and Outdoor Education campuses. The teachers embrace innovation and are highly committed to ensuring quality education and giving life to our Mission and Vision.

Martin de Porres Day

The students on the Middle School campus celebrated the Feast of St Martin de Porres, the namesake of their campus. The day started with a prayerful Liturgy. Students spent the rest of the day engaged in various activities and celebrations. St Martin de Porres is of great significance to the Middle School community;  it was on his feast day that the Middle School site was purchased and so it was seen as the obvious choice for its name. This then led to the naming of other rooms in this building after other South American saints, such as Bartolome de Las Casas and Juan Macias. There is a fantastic portrait, painted by a student in 2001, of Martin in the foyer. He led a very interesting and challenging life and is an inspiration to us all, particularly with regard to his commitment tosocial justice.

Primary School Students on ABC TV

During the holidays, the Primary School Enrichment group was invited, along with five other schools, to attend the Sydney Architect's Festival to display and share their work with the Kids' Design Challenge. ABC program Behind the News was at the festival. Four students were lucky enough to be interviewed and have their work filmed as well! The students were challenged to develop and model a proposal to reduce consumption of drinking water at school and in their local area.