Latest News

Environment Week

Environment Week has been celebrated across the College as we continue to create awareness of the need for all to be wise stewards of our earth. Nude food, recycling, a low energy use afternoon, lunchtime sales of food made from our own veggie patch and the planting of a new winter garden are just some of the activities led by student leaders. The Albertus Magnus Team, a committee of K-12 staff responsible for leading Environmental Education and Sustainability is well underway in developing an approach to sustainability which is embedded in programs and procedures here at the College.

Year 5 Camp

The Year 5 Camp at Tallong Campus was an empowering experience for students and staff as relationships were strengthened, challenges accepted and new skills were developed. The College staff were well supported by the expertise of the Outdoor Education staff at Tallong and the Year 10 Outdoor Education Leaders who displayed excellent leadership qualities. Highlights of the camp for the students included the ropes course, campfire, stargazing and bushwalking.

Dominican Pilgrimage

Fanjeaux and Prouilhe, as well as Toulouse, Bologna, Florence, Siena and Rome were significant highlights of the Lands of Dominic pilgrimage attended by our College Principal, staff members and others from St Lucy’s Wahroonga, St Dominic’s Mayfield and Siena College over the Easter holidays.
At Caleruega , the pilgrims walked in the footsteps of St Dominic in the first snow of the winter. They joined the Dominican Friars at the Rangueil Monastery in Toulouse for Evening Prayer on Easter Saturday and in Bologna prayed in the room where it is thought Dominic died.  The wonders of Fra Angelico’s frescoes in San Marco were a highlight of Florence as was the visit to Santa Sabina in Rome. For the pilgrims there were many opportunities for deep reflection on a story which began over 800 years ago in a small village in Spain, and which continues to find expression in diverse settings, including our own at Santa Sabina Strathfield.

Celebrating Easter

Students on the Primary Campus ended Term 1 with a special time of reflection and prayer in commemoration of Holy Week. Our talented and inspirational young actors from Years 2, 3 and 4 led the community in recounting the events of Palm Sunday, Holy Thursday and Good Friday. Following the Easter holidays the Primary School community celebrated Christ Risen with a joyful Easter Mass. The students of the Secondary and Middle Schools also gathered for Mass in recognition of the Easter season; a dramatic re-enactment of the Stations of the Cross was a moving feature of this Mass. Student Leaders raised over $4000 for Caritas’ Lenten appeal from a variety of lunchtime stalls, while the 8am House Lenten Liturgies saw parents, staff and students come together in prayer and preparation during the season of Lent.

VET Outstanding Student Award

As part of their Preliminary and HSC studies, students in Years 11 and 12 have the opportunity to undertake courses in Vocational Education and Training.The two course offered on site here at the College and Entertainment and Business Services.Both of these courses provide students with valuable practical experience and theoretical knowledge that can be utilised as they transition from school to a work environment.Each year employers from the students’ work placement program nominate those who have shown outstanding skills in the workplace. We congratulate Alicia who received an award for her Outstanding Performance following her 35 hour placement as part of her VET Entertainment course.

Diving CCC and CGSSSA

The College CGSSSA Diving Team won every section as well as the overall point score at the recent competition held at Homebush. There was an outstanding team effort to secure such success. In the bigger CCC Diving Competition 3 students placed 1st, 2nd or 3rd and will now go on to compete in the NSW All Schools Competition.

Japanese Language Proficiency

Students in Year 12 Japanese Continuers have received fine results in the Japanese Language Proficiency Test Level N5. This test is conducted in over 60 countries with more than 350 000 candidates. It provides an objective assessment of Japanese language ability against an internationally recognised standard. The test is also a useful tool when applying for student exchange and home stay programs, and future employment opportunities. Our students’ success is a credit to their motivation and their diligence in their application to their studies.

Public Speaking Congratulations

Our 7 participants in the Rostrum Voice of Youth competition spoke eloquently and engaged their audience with interesting speeches on a range of topics. We commend Isabelle of Year 8 who was the runner up in the Junior section of the competition and Joanna of Year 12 who won the senior section and will proceed to the Semi-Finals of the competition.

Grandparents' Day

Our celebration of Grandparents’ Day at Del Monte was an opportunity for many family members to visit classrooms and experience firsthand the learning, friends and environment which are so significant in the lives of our Primary School children. The concert items were a highlight, as was the hospitality provided by so many P&F representatives.

South African Fundraiser

Students, ex-students and their families, staff and current parents have come together over dinner to raise money for much needed toys, books and resources for the orphanage at Montebello to which our Year 11 students travelled on Immersion at the end of last year. Our students spoke with great passion of their experiences on their travels and there was a wonderful spirit as all who shared the desire to support our friends in South Africa enjoyed the evening.

Harmony Day

There has also been much festivity across the College as Harmony Week was celebrated. Harmony Day is celebrated Australia-wide on March 21 each year and is about bringing people together to celebrate Australia’s success as a culturally diverse society. The theme for 2012 was “Sport: Play Engage Inspire”. Sport unites people and fosters a sense of belonging. At Santa Sabina we celebrated our success as a diverse community through a range of activities including a photo competition, multi-cultural tuckshop menu and the giving of orange lapel ribbons, orange cordial and jelly. A staff versus student soccer match and games including hopscotch, elastics and hand games were played at lunchtimes. A highlight of the week was the K-12 Harmony Day event where a range of sporting activities united our students across all campuses.

Middle School camp

Middle School Camp at Tallong was a wonderful experience for our Year 6 and 7 girls. The busy schedule of challenging activities included the Flying Fox, planting new trees, canoeing, mountain biking, leadership and problem solving tasks. Students were challenged to construct their own tent for one night's sleep in the great outdoors, complete with bullfrogs croacking and gazing the stars and planets in the night sky, taking in God’s beautiful creation. The Year 10 Outdoor Education students assisted each student to feel confident and calm in their new surroundings, with no task being too much trouble. The camp phrase that was most often used was: “YOU CAN DO IT.” Tallong is indeed a wonderful place to capture and develop relationships, challenges, friendships and openness to one another.

Debating & Public Speaking

The Public Speaking season is now in full swing. We are very proud of all of our participants in the CSDA Public Speaking competition. Three students made it through to the Zone Finals, with two of those girls being further selected to compete in the final of the competition. Senior students have participated in the Trinity Grammar Senior Oratory, being required to discuss a topic related to Education for 5 minutes with only 10 minutes’ preparation time. Preparations have also begun in earnest for the heats of the Rostrum Voice of Youth Competition. The Debating year has also begun with great success. Some of our Year 11 debating teams entered the Macquarie University Schools’ Debating Cup (Senior Division) where they considered issues such as coal seam gas exploration, streamed education, Syria and lowering the voting age. One of our teams succeeded in winning the tournament. Training for the CSDA Debating competition begins with a debating orientation afternoon, with coaches and guest presenters engaging students in a series of workshops designed to challenge them for the Debating season which is in full force during Term 2.

EOWA- SSC an Employer of Choice for Women

The Equal Opportunity for Women in the Workplace Agency has once again named Santa Sabina College as an Employer of Choice. This award, which the College has been granted in every year since 2002, acknowledges the ways in which women (and men) are supported to achieve their goals and potential while balancing work and family life. The College is an innovative community that seeks to support the personal journey of both staff and students alike.

14 years ago the College opened a purpose-built Long Day Care Centre on site, for the children of staff. Mary Bailey House Early Education Centre, and the College’s policies and practices allow for the retention of excellent staff who are committed to the teaching and learning of students. Over 95% of staff now return to work following Maternity Leave. Experienced staff members have been retained and employee morale has been enhanced as staff feel supported in balancing their work and family life. The College was one of the first independent schools to open an on-site, work – based childcare facility.

International Women's Day

Santa’s student representatives attended the United Nations International Women’s Day Breakfast at the Convention Centre in Darling Harbour to mark the 101st anniversary of the first International Women’s Day in 1911. The day recognises the importance of women as global citizens and as catalysts for change in their communities. This year, students were lucky enough to hear from some of the most respected and influential women in Australia, including Quentin Bryce, Julia Gillard, Gail Kelly and Sally Sara. As a journalist with the ABC, Sally was the first female appointed to the South Asia, Africa and Kabul bureau and has spent the last year covering the news from the frontline of the war in Afghanistan.

Sally spoke about her experiences as a woman in a war zone, and had some amazing firsthand accounts and perspectives to share with the girls. The broad theme for this year’s IWD was economic empowerment for women, considering that women earn 10% of the world’s wages, yet do two thirds of the world’s work. ‘Supporting International Women’s Day is just one way we can attempt to bridge the gap in gender equality and bring lasting change to women the world over,’ explained Olivia from Year 11 after the event.

Government Funding Review Forum

March 29 SSC Hall, 7pm

In response to the release of the Gonski Review Santa Sabina is hosting the second Independent Schools Parent Funding Facts Forum.
Please see pdf attached and join us for Gonski and Beyond!

Invitation to Funding Forum

Easter vacation Care

Come to Vacation Care – we have lots of fun things to do. The Music Bus is visiting us and we will learn about Croatia. We are visiting the Sydney Family Easter Show at Moore Park and learning about puppets.

EASTER HOLIDAYS - BOOKING FORM 2012

EASTER HOLIDAYS - EXCURSION ROUTE 2012

EASTER HOLIDAYS - PERMISSION FORMS 2012

Clean Up Australia Day 2012

Across the College students have been challenged to: REFUSE, REDUCE, REUSE, RECYLE. The College community came together to clean our school grounds and remove any rubbish found as part of our involvement in Schools Clean Up Day.

Tallong Open Day

Families of the College community from all year groups were welcomed to Tallong Open Day  to explore our Outdoor Education and Retreat facility in the Southern Highlands. It was great to hear the children’s exclamations of delight at the accommodation and opportunities offered at the campus and to have new parents delighted at the quality of the facilities and the diverse programs offered to our students. Great hospitality from our Tallong staff was provided; as always the scones and fresh salads were highlights of the visit.

Year 7 iPad Initiative

Year 7 students are excited to be using their new mobile learning devices, experimenting with a variety of apps and uses for the iPad. The instant start up, lightweight nature and ease of access to a wealth of resources is having an impact on classroom activities and the way learning happens. Managing and balancing the use of technology is also an important skill for the students to learn. Things that excite students about the iPads include their portability and the resources available on the iPad,  that the touch screen makes them easy to use and they can be personalised.

Cook Cluster Swimming Championships

Our swim team of 21 swimmers entered 30 individual events and 3 relays, achieving outstanding results! Placings in the heats saw Santa bring home 16 1st blue ribbons, 13 2nd red ribbons, 12 3rd green ribbons and 6 4th place yellow ribbons. From these results we have 7 individual swimmers in 12 events and 2 relay teams through to represent SSC as part of the Inner West squad at The Combined Sydney Regions Swimming Trials. Special congratulations to Hannah of Year 5 who took out 1st place overall in 5 individual events with a record as well in the 50m Jnr Girls Breaststroke. Hannah was also awarded the Junior Girls Championship medal at these championships. Our girls’ relay teams were also fantastic with the senior team qualifying with the 2nd fastest time for the event and the junior girls in their relay qualifying in 1st place.

Synchronised Ice Skating

Congratulations to Michelle of Year 11 who is flying to Europe to compete as a member of the Majestic Ice Synchronised ice Skating Team. The team will be travelling to Sweden, France, the UK and to Hong Kong and Singapore. Michelle has been skating since she was 6 years old and is excited to be competing internationally for the first time.

Celebrating our Partnership

At the Parent and Staff Opening gathering we prayed in thanks to God for our lives together as part of this Santa Sabina community; as parents, teachers, students and friends. Together we prayed for the children and young people in our care, and for each other. We focused too on our theme for the year, which encourages all students to seek God’s truth, to speak God’s truth and to serve each other with generosity. It was indeed wonderful to see so many members of our parent community enjoying each other’s company in the Hall after Mass. As always the parents of the P&F prepared a delicious supper to welcome all to 2012 at SSC.

Santa Says Sorry

Our Del Monte children have commemorated Kevin Rudd’s 2008 apology to Australia’s Aboriginal people with a special gathering. A slide show of photos documented the College’s links with indigenous people on our annual immersion experiences to the Anangu people in Central Australia, during visits by Aunty Ali Golding, a Birupi Elder, and previous celebrations of National Reconciliation Week. The children sang along to songs such as ‘From Little Things Big Things Grow’. We prayed that the members of our community would have an open mind, speak for those who are voiceless, listen with open ears and see with new eyes. Santa Sabina has a strong commitment to supporting Aboriginal Reconciliation through education and action.

Pancakes for Project Compassion

Student leaders at Santa Sabina have launched their Project Compassion fundraising campaign with a Shrove Tuesday Pancake stall, encouraging the school community to ‘flip poverty on its head’. They raised $600 in 30 minutes from the pancakes and are ‘dreaming big’ for future fundraising! Combining education with fun(d)raising, the students are sharing the stories of the communities being helped by Caritas through Assemblies and Homerooms. Other fundraising initiatives during Lent will include selling slices and cookies as well as holding a sausage sizzle. The College Seniors and Homeroom reps will also be walking around asking students to give generously.

Teach Meet

Santa has held its inaugural TeachMeet , offering inspiration and professional learning to an appreciative audience of colleagues. Our teachers across a range of KLAs presented brief examples of successful teaching and learning strategies to their peers. In segments of 2 minutes or 7 minutes staff enjoyed a demonstration of You Tube, iMovie and Show me using iPads and laptops; the potential for the use of QR codes for data collection was shown, as were two examples of student web design for research. We look forward to further TeachMeets during the year.

High Achiever's Assembly

Our community proudly welcomed back to the College 62 young women from the HSC Class of 2011 to celebrate their outstanding HSC success with their parents, teachers and students of the Secondary School. With speeches, applause and awards we celebrated the great achievements of the ‘women of fire’ in the HSC.The 2011 HSC Results once again reflect Santa’s tradition of strong performances in public examinations. Whilst we have much to celebrate through the many outstanding results attained by our top students, it is also evident that many students across all achievement levels were supported to achieve their personal best. Bringing out the best individual performances is something we continue to do very well here at the College. The Class of 2011 also enjoyed their educational experiences at SSC. The results of their Exit Survey and their conversations demonstrate that they feel they had positive learning experiences in a caring and supportive context. They acknowledge the range of opportunities they enjoyed – including the breadth of courses offered and the array of co-curricular, social justice and leadership opportunities available to them. Paris Donnelly spoke on behalf of the class of 2011. She thanked the teachers who listened, offered guidance and who often became their ‘saviours’ through the HSC experience. ‘The College challenged and inspired us to experience new things and test our boundaries so that our voices may be heard as catalysts for change in the world...we were urged to be courageous, creative women of fire.’ Our College Principal congratulated the girls and quoted Stephen Hawking: “Remember to look up at the stars, not down at your feet. Try to make sense of what you see and wonder about what makes the universe exist. Be curious."

Opening Liturgies

Students and staff from Yrs 6-12 gathered in the Chapel to celebrate the opening of the school year. Our theme ‘to seek, to speak, to serve’ was proclaimed. The Del Monte Opening Mass also saw the commissioning of our Yr 4 & 5 student leaders.

Blues Awards

Three Santa Sabina students are the recipients of a Blues Award. Water polo champion Morgan Baxter from the Year 12 Class of 2011 has been honoured with a prestigious NSW CCC Blues ‘Bar’ Award and named the NSW CCC Most Outstanding Female Athlete for 2011, receiving the Vince Villa Award.

Caroline Stalmachowski from the Year 12 Class of 2011 was also the recipient of a NSW CCC Blues Award for Volleyball, as was a Year 11 volleyball player.

The Annual Blues Award evening involves the presentation of awards in recognition of the top students in all sports from NSW Catholic Secondary Schools. The two highest achieving boys and girls from each sport are judged by the NSW CCC Blues committee, taking into account their sporting achievements, which often involve NSW CCC, NSW All Schools and Australian representation.

Lions Youth of The Year

Congratulations to Anna of Year 11 who was one of 5 finalists in the Burwood Lions Club Youth of the Year Awards. Anna was a nominee of the College and competed over 2 days in sessions involving prepared public speaking, impromptu speaking and interview. Anna was a most gracious and impressive representative of Santa Sabina and we congratulate her on her fine achievement.

Swimming Carnival

There was a great atmosphere at the pool as students from all campuses competed for House points and personal excellence in the annual College Swimming Carnivals. Students cheered, swam, dressed up and had fun together! Our Years 3-5 students beat the rain as they raced and participated in a great day of fantastic swims, spirit and fun! The Middle and Secondary School Carnival also saw exotic House costumes, creative chants and some record-breaking swims.

Young Talent Time

Santa’s Festival of Music winner Michelle, who so quickly gained a place in the hearts of the College community as a Year 7 student last year for her soulful voice well beyond her years, is now becoming known for her vocal talent Australia –wide as a member of the Young Talent Team. Young Talent Time airs weekly on Channel 10 and is the revival of the show that launched the careers of a number of Australian performers. Michelle’s commitment of time for rehearsals and filming during the weekends and after school is significant, however she is loving the opportunities, friends - and the singing! Our community is so proud of her.

Christmas Hamper Thank You

Christmas seems such a long time ago, and even longer, the preparation of Christmas hampers. The generosity of the Santacommunity, from Mary Bailey House through to the Secondary School provided many wonderful hampers to be given to people in need – from such diverse backgrounds:Aboriginal families in Penrith [Mary Bailey House] ;Sudanese refugee families [ Del Monte];people isolated by mental illness and helped by the St John of God Casa Venegas project[Yr 6 students from MDP ] andlow income families who have children with disabilities [Secondary Campus). The College received some appreciative thank you responses from some of the recipients:

Thank you so much for the wonderful gifts for our family at Xmas time. I cried when I saw them as we just had to pay a $800 car bill and I had no idea how we were going to get through Xmas and getting the girls some pressies. Thank you all once again and may you have a wonderful and blessed Xmas we will never forget your kindness.