As was explained during these liturgies, the period leading up to Easter provides us all with an opportunity to look within ourselves and to challenge ourselves to renew and revitalise our spirits. The ashes on Ash Wednesday, are a stark reminder for us all of our life journey from our origins to our eventual passing. For students at St Gregory’s College, the messages of the Lenten period will not be lost as each student will be challenged to reflect and look closely at their life.

As we journey through Lent towards Easter, it is a good time for all of us to reflect on what it means to be loved by God. How does that love transform you, and through you, transform the world? How can we better experience that love in our lives, and better embody that love in the world? In a particular way, students and staff were encouraged to have a special emphasis on the three traditional focus areas of prayer, fasting and almsgiving during the period of Lent.

This year, the Holy Father urged all Catholics to commence the Lenten Season by dedicating Ash Wednesday as a Day of Prayer and Fasting for Ukraine. The Pope said, “I encourage believers in a special way to dedicate themselves intensely to prayer and fasting. May the Queen of Peace preserve the world from the madness of war. Let us ask the Lord to grant that the country may grow in the spirit of brotherhood, and that all hurts, fears, and divisions will be overcome. Please, no more war.” Pope Francis offered this prayer:

Now, Lord, come to our aid! Grant us peace, teach us peace; guide our steps in the way of peace. Open our eyes and our hearts and give us the courage to say: “Never again war!”; “With war everything is lost”. Instil in our hearts the courage to take concrete steps to achieve peace.

Pope Francis

On Friday 4 March all staff members of the College will be engaging with members of the Marist Mission and Life Formation Team in a Spirituality program that explores the Marist theme for 2022 – Known and Loved: Dignity for All. The program explores the different ways in which Marist communities strive to be places where everyone, especially the least, lost and invisible are ‘known and loved’; places where each person’s voice is heard and respected, where their dignity is recognised and honoured. The program challenges participants to move beyond simply recognising human dignity, but to act accordingly. Mrs Clarke has provided some additional information about the program for this day later in this newsletter.

On Monday 7 March, staff will be involved in First Aid training, which will equip them to respond to a range of situations to support students where some initial medical assistance may be required prior to further medical intervention occurring when necessary.

The floods in southeast Queensland and northeast NSW have had a devastating impact on many communities. Thousands of families have been displaced from their homes and the livelihoods of countless other people has been severely impacted by this significant event. More recently, the impacts of the torrential rain and flood events have been felt in parts of Sydney and surrounding areas. Significant impacts for a number of College families have also occurred in recent days. We acknowledge the hardship caused by these events and offer our support to all these people.

One significant area that was particularly hard hit by floodwaters beyond anything ever experienced before was the northern NSW town of Lismore. The images on the news and circulated on social media have shown the true level of devastation of the biggest flood to hit Lismore in recorded European history. The physical damage is huge, but the human cost of this event will be longer-lasting. Please pray for the people of Lismore and all those impacted by the recent floods. 

Within the town of Lismore, there is another Marist school, Trinity Catholic College. The images below show the extent of the flooding in and around Lismore, including to the entire site of our fellow Marist school. 

In speaking with the Acting Principal of Trinity Catholic College Lismore, he spoke about how the flood covered almost the entire school up to the rooftops of buildings in many cases. Every building and room on the St Joseph’s site including the first floor has been flooded. On the St Mary’s site, only four classrooms and the library were undamaged. Another tragic aspect of the flood event is that many of the families of students from Trinity Catholic College have lost everything. At least five staff members from the College have also lost everything. 

Whilst the town of Lismore and Trinity Catholic College have had been impacted by floods before and are well prepared for such events, the magnitude of this flood in Lismore is beyond anything previously experienced. The destruction is significant and the hardship on many families is acute. 

As fellow Marists, we are compelled to ask, “How can we help?” One practical way is to provide financial support to the College community to help their school and more importantly, the lives of the people who make up the Trinity Catholic College community. 

Marist Schools Australia Limited has launched an appeal for donations to support the response to the urgent crises. As members of the St Gregory’s College community, in support of our fellow Marist community, we strongly encourage a generous response to this appeal. Details of how to support the Trinity Catholic College Lismore Flood Appeal are provided below.

Account Name: Marist Schools Australia Limited

BSB: 062-000

Account No: 2022 9618

Reference: TRINITY LISMORE MSA FLOOD APPEAL

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION.

24 days.

That’s how long we have been back at school. Hard to believe, isn’t it?

When I look back over the past 24 days, it’s quite outstanding how much we have achieved:

• Kindergarten have settled into routines including carline drop off, eating lunch independently, attending Spanish lessons, borrowed library books and made new friends in the playground.
• We ran a COVID -safe swimming carnival with a host of wonderful parent volunteers.
• Our student leaders have hosted two school assemblies, and our captains emceed the Kindergarten enrolment information evening. 
• Mindfulness is part of every classroom at St Gregory’s as a way of teaching students to take time to be still and calm their minds daily.
• Kath Wray has begun the music program with Year 6 weekly, sharing her expertise.
• Our basketball/netball/volleyball courts are nearing completion.
• Staff ran two evenings in order to Meet the Teacher. Approximately 380 interviews were held over two weeks. 
• Our first Book Fair is underway with lots of wonderful books to encourage reading. Great to have parent volunteers help run this.
• Writer’s workshops are running in Year 4 with an explicit program aimed at developing a positive mindset around writing.
• Way Ahead Mental Health Association presented an anxiety workshop for staff and a parent workshop on Monday evening. Great strategies shared for supporting students who have anxiety disorders.
• Celebrated Shrove Tuesday with delicious pancakes and Ash Wednesday liturgies celebrated with senior school boys.
• Next Monday the staff will engage Professional Development Day with Professor Catherine Attard, focusing on Mathematics and the new Mathematics syllabus.

All that in just 24 days. What an amazing start. Thank you staff, students and parents for giving your all over the last five weeks. 

God Bless,

Diana Ivancic

On Monday 10 March, St Patrick’s Girls College, Campbelltown will host a morning for Year 5 girls as a taste of St Pat’s. The Girls’ College will send a bus to pick up the girls and return them back to school at 11:00am.  If you have not yet registered for this, please do so, as only students who have been registered will be allowed to go.

Sunday March 13 is the day we open the gates to our community to show off our wonderful College.

The Junior School will open from 9-11am. Thank you to all the Year 5 and 6 students who have volunteered to run tours with our prospective families. Thank you also to the parents who have volunteered to assist. We couldn’t do it without you.

Please ensure that all students volunteering are wearing their full summer school uniform (no hat required). It is recommended they bring a water bottle with them if it is hot. The Choir and Year 1B students will also be singing and are asked to wear their full summer school uniform.

Please note, that if you are bringing your child to sing or run tours, we ask that siblings and toddlers are either kept at home or in the care of their parent/carer. There will be large crowds and we want to ensure that students are not on play equipment, running around the grounds or in the Library.

Jesus said to the crowd, ‘When I was hungry, you gave me food. I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink. I was a stranger and you welcomed me. I was naked and you gave me clothing. I was sick and you took care of me. I was in prison, and you visited me.’ Then the righteous will answer him. ‘Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink? And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing? And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?’

And the king will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.’

As we reflect of Matthew’s Gospel, in 2022 Timor-Leste will be the focus of our fundraising campaign. Timor-Leste is one of the least developed countries in the world and the poorest in Asia. After the country gained independence in 1999, the Indonesian militia displaced hundreds of thousands of people and destroyed infrastructure, the country's electrical grid and the majority of schools. During the violence as much as 70% of the national infrastructure was destroyed, including 80% of schools. Rioting resulted in the burning of almost all books and materials. 20% of primary teachers and 90% of secondary teachers returned to Indonesia. With 42% of the country's population below the age of 14 and the majority of Timorese teachers poorly educated and untrained, the school system faced enormous challenges.

It was in 2000 that the first Marist Brothers arrived to help repair the education system that had been left in disarray. With the Catholic Church well placed to influence the new education sector, the Marist Brothers began to assist the Timorese with the transformation of their lives. 

If you are interested in learning more about the community in Timor-Leste which is the focus for our fundraising, you may like to watch this video. https://youtu.be/9r3zcBHAU58 

We will continue our tradition of supporting Caritas as part of our Lenten Almsgiving.

Mission - What’s been happening?

• We have continued to pray the College Prayer across both the Junior and Senior campuses as a form of unity.
• Community Masses in the Chapel have begun with the Boarding community coming together in prayer and song on Sunday evenings at 6pm and Friday morning Mass for staff and students of the senior school resuming. 
• All are welcome to join us as these continue.
• We celebrated the Feast of St Valentine with information and prayer.
• The Calling and Departure Ceremonies took place as we launched The Rite Journey with the students and families of Year 9.
• Shrove Tuesday was marked by the cooking and eating of 1000 pancakes! 
• Ash Wednesday saw liturgies in all classrooms led by Senior students, and the launch of the Lenten Appeal, with Timor-Leste being the focus for our fundraising. 

Upcoming Mission Events:

• Staff Spirituality Day – a day of faith formation – March 4
• College Opening Mass – March 11
• Feast of St Patrick – March 17
• Harmony Day Assembly – March 18
• Feast of St Joseph – March 19
• Feast of the Annunciation – March 25
• Easter Liturgies – April 8
• Marist Sesquicentenary Mass, St Patrick’s Church Hill, attendance by invitation, live-streamed – 5pm, April 8

Our theme for this year is Known and Loved – dignity for all. It invites us to ensure that everyone, especially the least, lost, and invisible, are known and loved as we strive to uphold, restore and defend the dignity for all. We can do this by supporting the people of Timor-Leste.

The ashes that we wore on our foreheads on Ash Wednesday should not only be a reminder of this Lenten season but also a commitment to them. 

A theme that has been apparent in all presentations is the St Gregory’s Agile Graduate Model.

The St Gregory’s Agile Graduate Model encompasses and reflects the values and mission of the College. It is aspirational and certainly reflects the domains of the whole person. We often talk about students needing to be agile learners and this is certainly reflected in this model.

We know that agility refers to the capacity to respond to change and challenges, with action, vigour, flexibility and optimism. We certainly experienced this last year in remote learning. “Agile Graduates” will possess the skills and attributes needed for success. At St Greg’s we recognise that successful learners are Relational, Resilient, Resourceful, Reflective, and Responsible.

Whilst I have discussed this model a number of times, I think it is important to recognise and highlight the focus for this Term, Resilience. Success is not a given, it is obtained through hard work and commitment. To be successful you need to be resilient. What does this look like for the students at St Greg’s? Students will keep trying their best even when things seem hard, they will ask for help, set SMART goals, value the process of learning rather than focusing on the outcome, and exercise self-control even when they may be feeling frustrated.

Growth mindset is about always seeking new opportunities. Teachers at St Greg’s set high expectations. We make no apology for expecting every child to work to their best ability and give 100% every lesson of every day.

All staff will be engaging in Professional Learning opportunities this term, continuing the College’s commitment to developing the capacity of all staff and ensuring the students at St Greg’s have highly experienced and expert teachers.

Ms Judith Tolomeo

Director of Teaching and Learning

Harmony Week is observed for a week in March and includes 21 March, which is the United Nations International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. Harmony Day is intended to celebrate the cohesive and inclusive nature of Australia and promote a tolerant and culturally diverse society. Initially celebrated in 1999, Harmony Day coincides with the UN's International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, which was established in 1966 with the aim of eradicating racism and racially fuelled hate crime.

Harmony Day is represented by an orange ribbon, and participants are encouraged to wear orange due to connotations of social communication, freedom of ideas and encouragement of mutual respect. Australia prides itself on being a multi-cultural society, with figures showing that nearly half of all Australians were born overseas, with the country seeing a high volume of migration every year. On top of this, more than 70 Indigenous languages are spoken in Australia, and it has a very rich tribal heritage.

The continuing message of Harmony Day is 'Everybody Belongs' and its annual observance aims to encourage inclusiveness, respect and belonging for all Australians, regardless of cultural background, and celebrate core Australian values.

This year’s theme of the National Day of Action against bullying and violence is KINDNESS CULTURE!

On Friday 18 March, the College will be involved to encourage Kindness Culture by promoting inclusiveness, respect and community belonging in our college community. The 2022 theme offers an opportunity to learn about kindness and demonstrate kind behaviour. Kindness plays an important role in bullying prevention.

Some facts about bullying and violence

Bullying

·         Approximately one in four Year 4 to Year 9 Australian students (27%) report being bullied every few weeks or more often (considered to be frequent) during the last term at school.

·         Frequent school bullying was highest among Year 5 (32%) and Year 8 (29%) students.

·         83% of students who bully others online, also bully others offline.

·         84% of students who were bullied online were also bullied offline.

·         Peers are present as onlookers in 85% of bullying interactions, and play a central role in the bullying process.

·         Hurtful teasing was the most prevalent of all bullying behaviours experienced by students, followed by having hurtful lies told about them.

·         Cyberbullying appears to be related to age (or access to technology), with older students more likely to engage in cyberbullying than younger students.

(Source: Cross, D., Shaw, T., Hearn, L., Epstein, M., Monks, H., Lester, L., & Thomas, L. 2009. Australian Covert Bullying Prevalence Study (ACBPS). Child Health Promotion Research Centre, Edith Cowan University, Perth).

Violence

•  The overwhelming majority of children and young people are not involved in violence either as victims or perpetrators.

(Source: Commissioner for Children and Young People, Western Australia (2009), Submission to the National Inquiry into the Impact of violence on Young Australians. Submission No 33).

• While often perceived primarily as perpetrators of violence, young people are in fact at greatest risk of being victims.
• Young people themselves are concerned about their own personal safety, with about one-quarter of young people aged 18–24 years feeling unsafe or very unsafe when walking alone in their local area after dark, and around 1 in 10 feeling unsafe in their homes at night.

(Source: Parliament of the Commonwealth of Australia 2010, Avoid the Harm - Stay Calm Report on the inquiry into the impact of violence on young Australians).

Upcoming events

Tuesday 15 March           Year 7 Study Skills Evening (6.30pm)                 Br Luke Hall

Wednesday 16 March      Year 7 – 10 (2021) Awards Evening (6.30pm)      Br Luke Hall

Tuesday 22 March           Year 8 Study Skills Evening (6.30pm)                  Br Luke Hall

Congratulations Year 12

Our Academic Awards Ceremony for Year 12 was held on the last day of 2021. After a challenging year, the College was proud to commend the following students on their outstanding achievements.

Congratulations to our Major Award Winners

• Year 11 Dux                                                                                  
  • William Sinclair

• Ruben F Scarf Award for Commitment                   
  • Ben Colbourne

• The Anthony Esler Outstanding Mathematics Student
  • Andrew Parkin

• Year 11 Service Award
  • Benjamin Kelly

• Year 11 GIO Perpetual Award Trophy for Consistency and Effort in Academic Studies
  • Dominic Curtin 

• The Brother Paul Hough Award for Social Justice and Action
  • Blake Ciscato

It was wonderful to welcome over 40 new families to our community this year. It is fantastic to see our boarding numbers growing again. I thank all our existing families for continuing to support the College and to spread the good news about St Gregory’s College. You are our best advocates, and we thank you for promoting our College. I encourage all our new families to immerse themselves in what St Gregory’s College has to offer. This is a special place that will not only provide tremendous opportunities for your son in assisting his transition from boy to man but will allow you the opportunity to meet some wonderful people and enjoy some fantastic experiences as you join your son on this journey. Welcome to St Gregory’s College.

Outside of COVID, the beginning of the school year has been busy. Your sons have been navigating new classrooms, timetables and subjects, as well as our extensive boarding program. A whole school trip to Jamberoo was enjoyed by all at the beginning of the term and our College Sports Program is in full swing with Parramatta Diocese Sport (PDS) and Independent Schools Association (ISA) competitions being successfully run in Cricket, Basketball and Touch Football over the last few weekends. Our boarding community are heavily represented as always across all teams. Additionally, the gym and pool have been busy, the boys have enjoyed the traditional cover sliding in the wet weather, Rugby League and Rugby Union training has commenced in preparation for our Winter competitions, and it is wonderful to be celebrating our weekly mass and hearing the boys sing.

As indicated in my welcome letter this year, I remind you that our new management structure for 2022 involves Tevita Halaifonua, looking after our Year 7 to 9 students, and Prateek Kripal looking after our Year 10 to 12 students. Please ensure you have all their contact details as they manage your sons daily. Could I also remind everyone to watch out for communication from Danielle Sherd. 

Our Open Boys Basketball team competed at the PDS Gala Day in Week 4. This was a new experience for the team and it started at 8.30am. With 10-minute halves an only 3 minutes for half time it was going to be a tough day.

We started strong getting the first 6 points on the board against St Andrews. Even though we were in the lead for most of the game, the tables turned late with St Andrews settling in to win by 2 points.

Next was Paramatta Marist, which we have not seen yet in the PDS competition, so going against the unknown. It was a very tight game and even though we were ahead for the entire game it could have gone either way with the short halves. Thankfully we held the lead, and took out a strong win in the end against a very physical side.

The third game of the day was Gilroy, which was definitely underestimated. Due to the shorter games, I took a different approach with the players on the court and this did not necessarily make a good impact on the game. The time on the clock got away from us and meant that the game ended in a draw.

The team was feeling a little deflated, so the game against Penola was a welcome match. We showed exactly what this young team had, in terms of strength and ability. Leading from the start and making good decisions both offensively and defensively meant a good win for the team.

The last game of the rounds was against St Dominics. After playing 4 games against some very physical teams we knew this was going to be tough. We came out giving every thing that we had, matching it with player that were older, stronger and more physical. Our efforts were not unnoticed and at different stages of the game had the opposition very worried. The deficient at the end of the game only being 5 points.

We had played 5 games before 12.30pm and with a young team the physicality of each match had taken its toll. We meet Patrician Brothers Blacktown in the playoffs and unfortunately, the physical game was going to be front and centre. Blacktown were out to redeem themselves, as we had defeated them in the PDS competition, and unfortunately the lack of time on the clock meant we could not overcome this strength with our athletic ability.

Very excited to see what this young team of 4 Year 10 and 7 Year 11 players will achieve next year. 2 wins, 1 draw and 3 losses is a very good result in this Gala Day, a competition that we have never experienced before.Our Open Boys Basketball team competed at the PDS Gala Day in Week 4. This was a new experience for the team and it started at 8.30am. With 10-minute halves an only 3 minutes for half time it was going to be a tough day.

We started strong getting the first 6 points on the board against St Andrews. Even though we were in the lead for most of the game, the tables turned late with St Andrews settling in to win by 2 points.

Next was Paramatta Marist, which we have not seen yet in the PDS competition, so going against the unknown. It was a very tight game and even though we were ahead for the entire game it could have gone either way with the short halves. Thankfully we held the lead and took out a strong win in the end against a very physical side.

The third game of the day was Gilroy, which was definitely underestimated. Due to the shorter games, I took a different approach with the players on the court and this did not necessarily make a good impact on the game. The time on the clock got away from us and meant that the game ended in a draw.

The team was feeling a little deflated, so the game against Penola was a welcome match. We showed exactly what this young team had, in terms of strength and ability. Leading from the start and making good decisions both offensively and defensively meant a good win for the team.

The last game of the rounds was against St Dominics. After playing 4 games against some very physical teams we knew this was going to be tough. We came out giving everything that we had, matching it with player that were older, stronger and more physical. Our efforts were not unnoticed and at different stages of the game had the opposition very worried. The deficit at the end of the game only being 5 points.

We had played 5 games before 12.30pm and with a young team, the physicality of each match had taken its toll. We meet Patrician Brothers Blacktown in the playoffs and unfortunately, the physical game was going to be front and centre. Blacktown were out to redeem themselves, as we had defeated them in the PDS competition, and unfortunately, the lack of time on the clock meant we could not overcome this strength with our athletic ability.

Very excited to see what this young team of 4 Year 10 and 7 Year 11 players will achieve next year. 2 wins, 1 draw and 3 losses is a very good result in this Gala Day, a competition that we have never experienced before.

Coach: Mrs Giles

We look forward to our U15 and Open Boys Rugby League (Week 6) and U15 and Open Boys Touch Football (Week 7) representatives on their upcoming Gala Days and PDS Selection trials. 

The Senior School held their competitor’s only swimming carnival on Friday 18 March. We experienced some fantastic weather throughout the day which allowed the boys to move through our scheduled events with few interruptions. 

After receiving a CSNSW Sporting Blue for his NSWCCC Swimming achievements in 2021, Jaxon Smith of Year 9 has started the year off very well by breaking 3 College records. Jaxon broke the 50m backstroke record with a time of 31.21, 50m freestyle record with a time of 25.80, and the 200 IM with a time 2:26.87.

The College is blessed to welcome some new junior students to the school who have swam excellent times to progress them to the Parramatta Diocesan Championships. Our representative swim team will be announced shortly in preparation for the upcoming ISA (9th March) and PDS (11th March) Swimming Championships.

Age Relay (13 – Opens) - in what was a tight contest throughout the day, it came down to the final 50m off strokes and the final races of the day to separate the houses. Even though numbers were down from the reduced student numbers, the fastest freestyle from each age group from each house lined up for the event.  With all four houses completing the 6 laps within 6 seconds of each other, congratulations go to Kilian House for taking the honours. Well done to Cooper Butler, Will Fleming, Riley Parrish, Oliver Pullen, Joshua Parrish and Brodie Evans. Second place to Donovan, followed by Laurentian and Molloy.

Top Gun Race (Champion of Champions) – is a timed handicapped event, the fastest 50m freestyle swimmer from each age group competed for the “Top Gun” status. 

Ryder Hart started with a 15-second advantage, followed by Sean Sullivan and Reagan Simmonds with a 4-second advantage, Jaxon Colman with a 3-second advantage, Oliver Pullen and John Dimech-O’Connell with a 1-second advantage, then Jaxson Smith starting from scratch.

In what seemed to be a massive disadvantage, the senior boys closed the gap on Ryder hart who lead into the final 20m. Ryder actually swam 4 seconds faster than his 50m freestyle heat time and that was enough to beat Jaxon Colman and Reagan Simmonds to the wall. Congratulations to Ryder Hart from Year 7 and to all competing students who represented the College in an outstanding manner.

Congratulations to the following students who culminated the most points in each Age Group to win the Age Champion.

• 12 Years - Ryder Hart
• 13 Years - Sean Sullivan
• 14 Years - Jaxon Colman
• 15 Years - Jaxson Smith
• 16 Years - Darcy Kerr
• 17 Years - John Dimech-O'Connell
• Opens - Reagan Simmonds

Champion House will be revealed at the next College assembly along with acknowledgement of our 2022 College Swimming Age Champions.

PDS Tennis Championships:

Trials have commenced on Tuesday + Thursday mornings

Gala Day Thursday Week 9 + Thursday Week 10

PDS Teams Event May 9

PDS Rugby League Gala Day: U15 + OPENS

U15 + Opens teams have been selected.

Gala Day Week 6 Tuesday March 8

Trials commence Week 6 - for all remaining teams/age groups (13/14/2nd/3rd/4th)

PDS Winter Season commences Term 2 Week 2

PDS Touch Football Gala Day: U15 + OPENS

Trials commence Week 6 - afternoons

Gala Day Week 7 March 16

PDS Opens Football Gala Day:

Trials commence Week 6 @ Lynwood

Gala Day Week 9 Friday, April 1

Trials commence Week 6 - for all remaining teams/age groups (Yr7/8/9/10/2^nd Grade)

PDS Winter Season commences Term 2 Week 2

Representative Pathway Event

Swimming

ISA Swimming Championships Homebush - Wednesday, March 9

PDS Swimming Championships Homebush - Friday, March 11

Cross Country

SGC Carnival - Competitors Only - Week 8 Friday, March 25 (Periods 3 - 5)

PDS Cross Country Championships Sydney Equestrian Centre - Friday, May 6

ISA Cross Country Championships Sydney Equestrian Centre - Wednesday, May 25

We had three students who started the holidays by representing St Greg’s at the NSW All School Athletics Championships at Sydney Olympic Park. (A couple of other students had also registered but given things like adverse weather conditions did not run)

Our three representatives were:

• Cooper Clugston – 12 Years 800m where he finished 4^th in NSW and the 1500 m where he finished 6^th in NSW 
• Will Carter – 13 Years 1500m where he finished 25^th in NSW.
• Archie Nott – 14 Years 800m where he finished 4^th in a very strong race and 1500m where he claimed the state Silver Medal. Archie’s 800m race was a historical race in that the first two runners both broke the previous record and Archie’s time of 1:59 would normally easily see a medal. The race is on the NSW Athletics Facebook page if anyone is interested: https://fb.watch/9TWPp0z8RJ/

We were also represented on the live feed commentary team by old boy Joshua Azzopardi (2017) who is still running competitively in 100m and 200m events.

St Greg’s boys love the track!

Congratulations to Taj Barrington, Oliver Stewart, Joel Byrne and Madden Willmott upon their selection into the PDS Softball team. The boys will now compete at the NSWCCC Championships on 7 March. Good luck boys.

St Gregory’s very on Dominic Curtin of Year 12 continues to perform on the Australian stage. Please find a summary of his results.

NSW State Championships – Dominic won gold in the U16 MK1 (men’s K1) and bronze in the U18 MC1 (men’s C1) competition.

National Age and All Schools championships. Dominic won a silver medal in the U18 MK1 and a silver medal in the U18 MC1 competitions. Dominic also won gold in a team U18 C2 event. Oceania Selection event – Dominic posted the fastest heat time for the Junior MK1. He finished 3^rd in the heats of U18 MC1. He then progressed to the finals where he finished 5^th amongst the junior men. In the U18 MC1 category he finished 2^nd earning the Oceania Junior Silver Medal.

Great job Dominic and good luck with your upcoming competitions.

On February 16, the Year 12 Geography cohort of 2022 was privileged to go on an excursion to Tamburlaine Organic Wines in the Hunter Valley region, as part of the Viticulture topic for their HSC course. The trip involved a tour of the vineyard and winery, including information on the growth and harvesting of grapes, the production, storage and packaging of wine and the exportation process.

Our tour guide, Jarod, first took us to one of their vineyards and explained the optimal conditions for vine growth and harvesting. As the Hunter Valley region is hot and humid in summer, rainfall often impacts their harvesting process as it disrupts the sugars within the grapes. However, these warm conditions are able to help ripen the grapes for quality wine. As Tamburlaine creates organic wine, they are not allowed to use toxic pesticides or chemicals on the vines and must adhere to strict organic food laws. He also informed us of the impacts of bushfires on the taste and production of wine.

We were able to witness the growing and production processes involved in winemaking alongside being provided with an insight into how viticulture ties in with the economy through domestic transport and global exporting. The Excursion offered the cohort the opportunity to understand the extent of winemaking and how wine has gained a large Australian influence throughout the years, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. Whether this is through cellar-door purchase, in-store purchase or online purchasing, Tamburlaine Organic Wines are popular in the industry due to their initiatives into organic-based practices and procedures.

As we await to sit the HSC exam toward the end of this year, this enjoyable day was a great success in terms of our learning and the new perspective on the topics.

Thanks to our Geography teachers — Mrs Ross and Miss Russo — the excursion was made possible and the group is very grateful. It allowed for a first-hand learning experience that will benefit our future Geography assessments and general knowledge of the winemaking process.

Miss Raquel Russo

HSIE Teacher

19 students, three staff, 15 head of cattle, two trucks, two utes, one bus, two trailers, four campsites - all over 6 days with mud, lots of mud! The boys worked hard all week, early mornings to late at night, with not one complaint.

The stud cattle did well in their classes, with most placing. We were super impressed by the calves and in particular, our homebred cow and calf unit.

Twelve students participated in Junior Judging.

In-School Paraders:

• Massimo Pisciuneri - 1st place in heat, 1st place in age group
• Cooper Wray - 1st place in heat, 2nd place in age group
• William Hackett - 2nd place in heat, fourth place in age group
• Marc Vaccaro - 2nd place in heat
• Angus Pursehouse - 2nd place in heat
• Vincent Pisciuneri - 1st place in heat
• Adam Fordham - 1st place in heat, 3rd place in age group
• Elliott Power - 3rd place in heat
• Sam Batten - 4th place in heat
• Thomas Ferro - 3rd place in heat
• Patrick Cleary - 4th place in heat
• Ben Kelly 2nd place in heat

In Open Paraders:

• Thomas Andersen - top line up
• Riley Keogh - 1st place in the heat, Champion Junior Handler (he was up against some strong competition from lots of teenagers and young adults that own studs and have been handling for many years).

Numerous stud owners spoke to our Agriculture Leader of Learning, Hayley Mahoney, and commented on how respectful, supportive, friendly and helpful the boys were. They really did St Gregory's proud. It was lovely to chat to visiting ‘old boys’ and their connections and to see some old boys in the ring competing.  It was also lovely to see many of the families come and support their sons. The team would like to sincerely thank:

• Gerard and his team for assisting with trailer prep and gear
• Lucy for organising the bus
• Mr Colin Davis for transporting stock
• Mr David Gorey for transporting stock
• Skye and Karen for transporting equipment
• Ms Jo Dawson for getting antibiotics to us for a calf in need
• Mr and Mrs Pisciuneri for sending us a large box of Batlow apples 
• Mrs and Miss Fordham for organising a vet and running errands for us
• Mr Kory Graham for clipping the cattle
• Mr Jayden Nicholls for stepping in to fit a cow unexpectedly for us
• Mrs Jen Farias for stopping by and cheering on the team 
• James Sykes for camping, assisting with the team and managing the touch footy night comp (tough game against Coonamble but we took the win.. after about an hour of ‘last kick, next try wins’)
• Mr Paul Brooks for visiting and supporting the team
• And to all the staff that covered our lessons whilst we were off-site. 

Miss Hayley Mahoney

Agriculture - Leader of Learning

It takes a village to raise a child...and as a St Greg's Village, we came together on Thursday 24 February to embark on a shared journey to help raise your son to be a fine young man.

The photos of the boys walking up Badgally Hill - In this section of the ceremony we asked the boys to reflect on their childhood, what behaviours should they be letting go of and making their homeroom pledges.

The photos of families with their sons - Are from our formal 'The Calling' section of the ceremony. 

The final part of the ceremony was 'The Departure' section of the ceremony. In true St Greg's fashion, as we stood in our new Indigenous yarn circle, we collectively sang the hymn the boys love singing, the Sub Tuum. 

On behalf of Mr Brookes and the Year 9 Homeroom team, thank you for all you do in supporting us to nurture, challenge and grow your sons. We look forward to the partnership and the many interactions we will share along the way.

Michael Ivancic

Year 9 Leader

Shrove Tuesday and Ash Wednesday

Tuesday 1 March, the students of the Junior School enjoyed delicious pancakes made by some of our senior students to celebrate Shrove Tuesday. In class, students discussed the history of ‘Pancake Day’ or ‘Shrove Tuesday’, as a time that families would use up all their sugar, eggs and fats to prepare for fasting through the season of Lent. Students enjoyed delicious pancakes cooked under the cola and served fresh by some of our senior boys.

Ash Wednesday was celebrated beautifully in the Junior School on Wednesday 2 March. Each grade came together to pray, present their Lenten promises and receive the ashes from our Year 12 leaders. We reflected on the Marist theme – Known and Loved – Dignity for All. It was a reverent experience in all classrooms led by some of the wonderful senior boys.

Junior School Lenten Appeal

During Lent, we will be raising money for the Marist Solidarity, in particular Timor Leste. In our classrooms, we have been learning about almsgiving and the importance of helping those in need. Our Mini Marists will be holding an Easter raffle, colouring competitions and an easter egg guessing competition. More information will be emailed home.

On Mondays Year 6 have been participating in music lessons with Miss Kath Wray from the Senior School. In our lessons, we have been learning about duration, pitch, volume, and tone/ tone colour. We also learned about different notes like the semibreve, the quaver, the minim and the semiquaver. One of my favourite parts of music lessons are the activities, for example, going into groups and creating our own music using cards that have different notes on them; we then have the chance to perform them at the front of our class. In my opinion, music has been a great addition to our schedule, and I am looking forward to our future lessons. 

Ruby, Year 6

Wollongong Diocesan Trials

Congratulations to the following students for their selection in Wollongong Teams:

• Baxter Snushall- Boys AFL, 
• Lucas Spragg- Boys Cricket 
• Rose Webb- Girls Cricket

Horse Showing - Canberra Royal

From 25 to 27 February, Ava Langham in 5M, competed at the Canberra Royal Horse Show with her pony, Rosebrook Rhythm 'n Rendition. This competition is the highest quality for the region, as all riders and horses must qualify to attend. Ava competed in Child's Pony, Girl Rider Under 12 and The Pony Breed Classes. In each event, Ava rode brilliantly and received a fifth ribbon for her pony in the Arabian Derivative Class. This is an excellent result as Ava competed against 50 quality riders in this class.

Well done Ava!!!

IPSSO 

IPSSO Results Week 3

On Wednesday, 16 February 2022, our teams competed against Wollondilly Anglican College.

Junior Basketball 

Score - SGC 12 -10 WAC

Special Mention

• Joshua Suffell for his great offensive efforts in his debut
• Noah Jardine for being relentless in defence 
• Coby Ornowski for his dominating performance on both sides of the ball

Junior Oz Tag 

Score - SGC 9 - 3 WAC

Special Mention

• Hunter Clark for his electrifying runs 
• Taylah Kenney for her great defensive efforts.
• Addison Day for a great solo try. 

Junior Cricket

Score WAC 3/28 (8.0) Def by SGC 1/58 (8.0)

Special Mention

• Samuel Brown for a great captain knock with the bat and bowling a wicket maiden over
• James Dash for smashing 2 nice 4’s and taking a wicket
• Michelangelo Torcaso for bowling a tidy over

Junior Girls Soccer 

Score - SGC 1-0 WAC

Special Mention

• Indiana Vaccaro for dominating the game with her skill and scoring the game's only goal.
• Evangeline Palumbo for her excellent defense and for making excellent tackles.
• Eva Luximon for her speed and strength that stopped the opposition’s attacks.

Senior Basketball 

Score - SGC 14-14 WAC

Special Mention

• Joseph Issa for his energy and determination throughout the match.
• Christopher Blyton for his outstanding defensive pressure 
• Anthony Michael for his effective passes and skilful dribbling skills.

Senior Oz Tag 

Score - SGC 4-1 WAC

Special Mention

• Zane Mallinson showcased his speed scoring down the sideline.
• Denham Tsagalas for his vision and leadership on the field.
• Sienna Caruana for her impressive try in the final seconds securing our win.

Senior Cricket

Score - SCC 56 def. WAC 28

Special Mention

• Charlie Farias for great wicket keeping hand an impressive inning with the bat. 
• Lucas Spragg for a great all-around performance.
• Rose Webb for quick thinking in the field for a great run out. 

Senior Girls Soccer 

Score - SGC 1 - 1 WAC 

Special Mention

• Ivy Smith for her amazing goal in the first half!
• Keira Eagles for her tactical defence skills, she was a crucial player in today's game.
• Merola Zakhary for her amazing skills as goalie this week.

IPSSO Results Week 4 and 5

Due to wet weather, our games were cancelled on Wednesday, 23 February and 2 March 2022.

Please continue to respect that no parent spectators are permitted at any games for Term 1. 

Winter IPSSO Trials

In Weeks 8,9, and 10, we will be starting trials for our winter IPSSO sports. These trials will be happening during lunch breaks, and if required, they will be held after school. The sports that Years 3-6 students will be able to trial for are:

• AFL – mixed 
• Boys Soccer
• Girls Netball
• Newcomb Ball for Years 3 and 4
• Volleyball for Years 5 and 6 

Further information on these trials will be sent out shortly.

Junior School Cross Country 

Our Junior School Cross Country will be held on Wednesday, March 16, Week 7. The K-2 students will be running approximately 600m, and Year 3-6 students will be running 2kms. 

Nominations for Year 2 students turning 8 this year to participate in the 2km course has now closed. 8-year-olds in Year 2 that had not completed the google form before March 1 or did not wish to compete in the 2km course will now participate in the 600m course. 

I encourage students who wish to be competitive in the 2km race to continue their training. The first three placegetters in each category for the 2km race will represent the College at the Wollongong Diocesan Cross Country Carnival in Term 2.

The categories for the 2km event are:

• 8/9 year boys
• 8/9 year girls
• 10 year boys
• 10 year girls
• 11 year boys
• 11 year girls
• 12/13 year boys
• 12/13 year girls

The categories for the K-2 event are:

• Kindergarten boys
• Kindergarten girls
• Year 1 boys
• Year 1 girls
• Year 2 boys 
• Year 2 girls

Paul Kelly Cup (AFL)

The Junior School has entered a boy and a girl team into the Paul Kelly Cup competition. It is the largest AFL primary school competition in New South Wales and the ACT and is open to students in Years 5 and 6. The Paul Kelly Cup consists of teams competing in round-robin gala days in our local area. Games are played on a smaller field using modified rules. Our local area gala day is on Thursday, March 17 at Kirkham.

We will be holding a trial on Tuesday, March 8, during break 1. Unfortunately, we have not held our trial earlier due to the wet grounds and weather. Please bring your mouthguard, studded boots and a change of clothes to the trial. 

If the College grounds are still closed on this date, a skills session will be held on hard surfaces.

Mr Darryl Howe 

PDHPE Teacher/Sports Coordinator