By the time of his birth in the mid-6th century, the Roman Empire of the West had already fallen, and been carved up among the many barbarian nations. Italy, or most of it anyway, had been reconquered under Eastern Emperor Justinian, but by the time of Gregory’s maturity, the hold of the Empire on Italy was uncertain at best, and under great pressure from new invasions. As a young man Gregory had already held high political office in Rome. Ordained a deacon, he was sent by the Pope to be his representative at the court in Constantinople.

Elected Pope in 590, St Gregory went to challenge all clergy, particularly the bishops of the day, who he claimed were guilty of the ‘sin of silence’, they allowed grave disorders to go on within their jurisdiction, and they said nothing, did nothing, about it. They wanted to avoid trouble. They wanted to retain good relations with those in power, however corrupt and evil they might be. They wanted to be comfortable and secure.

Our community was then challenged to not fall into the trap of the ‘sin of silence’. We all need to question injustices and wrongdoings in our community, in a supportive and inclusive community.

To view the Mass, click on the link below.

Feast of St Gregory - YouTube

Year 12 Cocurricular Evening

This event was held on Monday evening with the guest speaker, former NRL legend, Chris Lawrence. Chris spoke of his battles transitioning and adapting to life after the structure of the College and the NRL. He spoke of the importance of relying on friends and spoke about the incredible support he received from peers from St Greg’s, both older and younger. He spoke of the common bond shared being a part of the Greg’s family. 

It was great to see so many Year 12 students contributing to the cocurricular life of the College. Thanks and congratulations to Mr Tyler and his team for pulling the night together. Congratulations also to our Year 12 whose major works were showcased on the night. The work was outstanding and it was great to see so many people being able to appreciate the talents of our students and their teachers.

RUOK? Day Assembly

This was held today in the Br Luke Hall. The theme of light was celebrated and the need for everyone to be there for each other. Some outstanding presentations made up part of the assembly, including a very powerful speech from Ms Burke, about her struggles and the support she has received from her Greg’s family. This has to be our core premise at St Greg’s. I have witnessed over many years the amazing bond between students and staff, and all members of our community have a responsibility to care for each other and to check in with each other. Chris Lawrence mentioned it, I was at a funeral for an Old Boy recently surrounded by his peers, despite the fact he finished in 2011, Ms Burke mentioned it and I personally have received it. I spoke with an Old Boy last night whose brother (an ex-student from 2017) was killed in a motor vehicle accident and his service was this afternoon. He told me that five of his friends from St Greg’s, on hearing the news, jumped in a car and drove to him to support him. The bond is real and tangible, one that must be nurtured and developed in the time students are here. That was the challenge the students were left with. It is a privilege to be a part of the Greg’s family but with that comes the responsibility of caring and looking out for each other. 

To view this morning's assembly, click here.

May St Marcellin. St Gregory and Mary our Good Mother, continue to watch over our community.

Mr Matthew Brennan

College Principal

Wow . . . Our HSC Major Works!

Earlier this week, I had the opportunity to walk around 8-10 families for a College tour. It is always a highlight of my role to have the opportunity to walk visitors around the College and share with them the great things on offer. It is made so much easier when we have a campus that sells itself as you walk around. Upon our walk this week, we had the opportunity to feast our eyes over the HSC Major Works – what a way to sell our school. Our gentlemen at Greg’s are so talented. Our metals, timber and visual arts on display, not to mention our musicians who played at the Year 12 Co-Curricular Evening, are nothing short of remarkable. I think I tried to convince at least 10 students to sell me their major works . . . I was declined each time! I want to take this opportunity to thank and congratulate each student who showcased their works this week, I couldn’t have been prouder. Not only do we have talented and creative students, we have staff that have absolute ‘buy in’ to ensure that our boys do their best.

A Line in the Sand

As Assistant Principal/Head of Senior School, I aim to shape the lives and character of our students. I aim to inform and educate our young men about the importance of living our values and acting with decency and integrity. Our values at this College are more than words if they are to mean anything; they must be lived. Presence and Family Spirit are the two Marist characteristics that that come readily to mind. Being present with one another, caring for one another and ourselves and acting with integrity and character in all our words and deeds, as a family. At Greg’s our aim is to develop fine young men of character who treat every person with respect and dignity.

In saying that, a part of my role at St Greg’s is to ensure that we have a stance on poor behaviour. That there is a ‘line in the sand’ when it comes to students that do not show the values that this College was founded upon. It would be naive for any of us to think that poor behaviour does not exist at St Greg's or that we expect every student to behave the same every day. We are educating young people . . . they all make mistakes. As a part of my role, there are times where I have to have tough conversations with parents and students that do not toe the line. Most students see this ‘line in the sand’ as an opportunity to refine what they are doing and alter their ways as they develop into young adults.

As parents and carers, I want to thank you for the trust that you put in the College to help guide and instill this stance. Like you, we want to see our young boys develop into men of substance and character and this is not done without persistence, guidance from our wonderful teachers and a strong relationship with parents/carers and students.

Have a wonderful finish to the term and as our Year 12 students very quickly move towards the end of their time at the College, keep them in your prayers as they venture into ‘adult life’ and time beyond the Greg’s gates!

As our St Gregory’s College motto states, ‘You will reap what you sow'.

Mr Joel Weekes

Assistant Principal/Head of Senior School

As parents, it's natural to want to shield our children from life's challenges. However, we must also understand that stress, in moderation, can be a valuable tool for growth. Just as Dr. Kidson wisely points out, "Too much stress is not a good thing, but not enough of it is also not a good thing." It's how we build our emotional and mental muscles, equipping us to navigate life's ups and downs.

Sometimes, we think of resilience as bouncing back after life's challenges. However, it's also about walking through difficulties when they arise. 

Each one of us is part of a web of relationships here at our school. We share the responsibility of looking out for one another's needs in a respectful manner.

In our diverse and vibrant school community, at times it's natural for disagreements to arise. We may hold different opinions and viewpoints, but we must remember that we all share a common bond – our commitment to the well-being of our children and our school. When concerns or complaints arise, the most effective way to address them is by speaking directly with the classroom teacher, or a leadership team member rather than resorting to social media or carpark conversations. Communication, handled respectfully, fosters understanding and resolution.

Wellbeing is a shared journey. It's about building a thriving and supportive community where every member plays a vital role. Together, we can create an environment where our children, teachers, and families flourish, nurturing not only academic success but also emotional and social well-being.

Student Leadership in the Junior School

Over the past few months, the College has undergone a review of the Student Leadership structure both in the Junior School and Senior School. This review involved Year 12 Leadership students, Year 5 students, current Year 6 student leaders, Junior School staff, Leadership as well as College Leadership. The new Senior School student leadership structure was announced at the St Gregory the Great College Mass last week, with the seven leaders presented with their roles and badges. What a joy it was to see Samuel Martyn announced as the Junior School Leader. Sam was a member of the foundation Year 6 class in the Junior School.

The new Junior School Leadership Structure has had a change of titles. The same number of students will make up the team of Leaders, however, the students and staff felt that the change from House Captains to Vice Captains provided all students with an equal opportunity to display their leadership qualities, not just their sporting qualities. The Marist Characteristics are values that a large number of our students possess and these are the qualities we wish to see in the students who are representing their peers.

There was question around increasing the number of leaders due to our school expanding next year. Although this is the case, we are only expanding in Years K-3 in 2024, so will not see a large number in Year 6 until 2027. Review in the Senior School also reported that there were too many leaders and therefore this changed from 16 leaders to 7.

At St Gregory’s College Junior School all Year 6 students are encouraged to demonstrate their leadership skills in order to support fellow students and to benefit the wider community. A student leader at St Gregory’s Junior School embodies the Marist Characteristics of Presence, Simplicity, Love of Work, In the Way of Mary and Family Spirit. Opportunities to demonstrate and to develop these qualities are provided to Year 6 through a range of learning experiences and opportunities.

Year 5 leadership and Team Building Day

On Tuesday 5 September, the Year 5 students participated in a full Leadership Day, run by Mrs Ivancic, Mr Gannon, Mrs Burton & Mr Hayes. Mr Brennan along with Year 12 Leaders Samuel Martyn, Jake Wright & Jack Noy came to speak with the students, support them in their group tasks and participate in team building activities.

The day began with the students sharing questions about leadership and their understanding about what it means. They watched inspirational videos and reflected with peers. Students were also invited to write letters to their new Kindy buddies for 2024. The new leadership structure and applications were distributed at the end of the day.

I invited the students to reflect on how they can build their grade as a TEAM. Mr Brennan and I challenged the students to look out for each other, stand up for what is right and not stand by and accept what is not okay. Mr Brennan emphasised the importance of “being a good Christian and a good citizen”. There were certainly many students during this day who displayed a real sense of focus and ability to reflect. The grade cooperated with their peers during team building activities and shared deep insights into what it means to be a leader.

The Leadership Structure from 2024

In 2024 we will recognise 7 students to fill formal leadership positions, in place for the benefit of the entire student body and the larger Junior School community.

These positions will include:

1. School Captains – boy & girl
2. Vice Captains – 4 positions
3. Marist Ministry Leader

These positions will be determined by a process including student votes from Years 4-6, staff votes and group interview. The Junior School Leadership will rule out students for valid reasons, including but not limited to behaviour records and poor attendance without reasonable cause.

The applications will be reviewed by the Head of Junior School to determine if they are shortlisted to progress through to a group interview. The group interviews will be conducted by the Head of Junior School.

The new student leaders for 2024 will be announced at the Celebration of Learning.

I look forward to receiving applications for our 2024 leaders in the coming month.

Teacher Aide Appreciation Week

In schools, there are many people who work hard to ensure that our students are cared for, supported and given access to learning. Many are often not recognised because they work quietly in the background. Last week we celebrated and acknowledged four important educators in our Junior School – our Learning Support Officers (Teacher Aides). These four dedicated and beautiful ladies have been with us since the school opened and support our students and staff every day, quietly.

On behalf of the students, staff and school community I would like to acknowledge and thank Mary-Ellen Hayes, Christine Lowe, Janine Orton and Rachael Tweedie for being such a wonderful team and integral part of our school staff. 

Next year we will add two new members to the Learning Support Team. These positions were advertised, and interviews will take place shortly. I am proud to say that for the two advertised positions, we attracted 130 applications! St Greg’s is obviously a place where people would love to come and work.

PYP Exhibition 

The Year 6 PYP exhibition is almost here and the Year 6 students, teachers and mentors have been working extremely hard to prepare for their presentation night.

The PYP Exhibition is the culmination of the International Baccalaureate’s Primary Years Programme. The students have worked in small groups to inquire into a central idea, engaged with primary sources, met with their mentors and created artistic representations for the exhibition night. 

The whole St Gregory’s community is welcome to attend the exhibition and support the students in our 2nd PYP Exhibition. Staff from many schools across Sydney have confirmed their attendance for the night as well, including The Kings School, TARA, St Peter’s Anglican, Meriden, and Trinity Grammar School.

We are looking forward to celebrating with you all on the night.

I wish you all the best for the end of the term,

Diana Ivancic

Saint Gregory’s, Saint Gregory’s

Quae Seminaveris Metes

Saint Gregory’s, Saint Gregory’s

strong minds, gentle hearts we seek

Stand together and defeat

as you sow so shall you reap, Saint Gregory

We were blessed by the presence of many guests who joined with us in celebration: Br Darren Burge, Vice Provincial, Marist Brothers Star of the Sea Province; Br Robert O’Connor and Mr Nathan Ahearn, Mission and Life Formation Team; Ms Catherine Foi, Champagnat Marist Institute, Suva; representatives from Campbelltown Catholic Club, Wests Leagues Club, the College Board and Council and local Catholic schools. An added blessing was the presence of many Dads who joined us for Mass after a Father’s Day breakfast with their sons.

The Gospel reading from Matthew included the line, ‘So I now say to you: You are Peter and on this rock I will build my Church.’ How appropriate then that following Mass, the elected student leaders for 2024 were presented and, in the Traditio Ceremony which followed, took on the responsibility of building community here at St Greg’s.

The new Student Leadership model recognised 7 students to fill formal leadership positions in 2023/2024 for the benefit of the entire student body and the larger school community. This is a change to provide Student Leaders with a specific portfolio as they lead our College positively into the future.

Congratulations to:

• Hollins Eastgate, College Captain for 2024
• Daniel Canellis, Boarding Captain 
• Joseph Jose, The Marist Leader
• Matthew Parkin, Leader of Academia
• Samuel Martyn, Leader for the Junior School
• Lachlan Dooner, Leader of Sport and Co-Curricular
• Anthony Zappia, Leader of Wellbeing

May St Gregory continue to walk alongside us.

Mrs Cathie Clarke

Director of Mission

HISTORY OF LITERACY & NUMERACY WEEK

All facets of education stem from the basics — numbers and letters. This is why numeracy and literacy are such important structures that need to be imbibed at a young age. These disciplines are the beginning and end of all forms of education, teaching the basics of mathematics, reading, and writing.

The history of both concepts is almost as old as time and has been intertwined since their inception. Writing originated with the Sumerians through scripts and cuneiform on clay tablets. These forms were established to keep track of trade and agricultural production, which also led to the need and creation of numeric signs through ideograms and proto-cuneiform.

Hieroglyphs emerged containing the first phonetic value system, however, functional literacy which we apply in our daily lives was widespread by the Old Babylonian period. These records were all before the invention of alphabets as we now know them today.

Archaeologists and historians have traced the origins of the alphabet back and forth between different cultures. Some have said the Ancient Greeks created consonants and vowels, others have said the people of Western Asia established the consonant structure prior, and others have found inscriptions tying the Canaanites to its discovery.

Whoever the originators were, we are sure of one thing, our lives are better off because of their discovery. Literacy and Numeracy have come to play such a vital role in our innovation and development as humans, and it’s no surprise that the Australian government recognizes this and dedicated an entire week to it.

Literacy & Numeracy Week was created to encourage the exploration of literacy and numeracy activities. Digital literacy has also become a major part of the observance, to encourage the importance of learning digital skills in this new age.

Why is it important for children to learn literacy and numeracy?

It is important to include the foundations of literacy and numeracy at an early age because they lay a foundation for everyday decision-making. This is why we are encouraged to include our students in all things related to both fields all through the week. It helps them understand that such skills are needed for daily interaction, and fosters early understanding.

WHY LITERACY & NUMERACY WEEK IS IMPORTANT

1. It fosters education
   • Any opportunity to learn something new, or build upon previous knowledge is one we fully support. Literacy & Numeracy Week is special in its own right because it encourages learning in all ages, particularly in children.
2. It includes digital knowledge
   • One fantastic thing about this week is that it now includes the learning of digital and technological concepts. This is very important in the age we are in as it gets students learning the skills they need to keep up with our fast-paced world at such a young age.
3. It encourages creative learning
   • The good thing about Literacy & Numeracy Week is that it encourages learning in the most interesting, simple, and creative ways. It is not the typical brick-and-mortar form of teaching, but rather pushes us outside the box.

5 FACTS ABOUT LITERACY

• It’s a stress reliever
  • Reading for just six minutes a day is studied to reduce stress by a whole 68%.
• It takes a book a day
  • If students read one book a day, students would have read approximately 1,825 books by the time they are five.
• It’s the best vocabulary builder
  • Studies show that children learn 4,000 to 12,000 words per year through reading.
• It pays off
  • Children who read up to a million words a year are in the top 2% of reading achievement.
• It doesn’t take a lot
  • If you read just 20 minutes a day, you would have read over a million words by the end of the year.

Throughout the week staff and students in the Senior School engaged in Literacy and Numeracy focussed activities, to highlight the importance of Literacy and Numeracy. The following is a snapshot from the PDHPE faculty.

Ms Judith Tolomeo

Director of Teaching and Learning

The College Theme for 2023 is TURN ON THE LIGHT. I hope we can all be Called to this theme!

Turning on the light is an expression to show support for others in a time of need. 

Turning on the light is a way we can all connect. 

As members of this College, we need to support each other in dark times, in troubled times, in times of need or in difficult times.  In all fairness, the word darkness, shouldn't be seen as negative. Darkness needs to be acknowledged for the wonderful thing it is, darkness is needed, and darkness is essential.

Like the very famous AI poet Chat GPT once said:

In the stillness of the night so deep,

The world in darkness softly sleeps.

A canvas painted with stars so bright,

Illuminating the beauty of the night.

 

The moon, a gentle guiding light,

Through the vast expanse of night.

In shadows, secrets are unveiled,

In darkness, dreams are often hailed.

 

For in the night, we find our rest,

A time to heal, our souls be blessed.

In quietude, our thoughts take flight,

Revealing the beauty of the night.

 

Though daylight brings the world to view,

The night's embrace has purpose too.

In shadows, stars, and moon's soft glow,

We learn why darkness needs to show.

 

In darkness, we find our inner peace,

Our worries, fears, and troubles cease.

It's in the night, we find our way,

To greet the promise of a brand new day.

 

So, let us cherish the hours of dark,

As they play their vital, nurturing part.

For in the beauty of the night, we see,

The importance of darkness, so serenely.

As we sat in wonderful darkness this morning, we reflected on the people close to us who need support. 

A friend …. A family member….someone close to you….

We need to remember to ask each other on the regular RUOK? 

This morning we lit up the room, as the light travelled from student to student it reached the stage touching the hearts and minds of many along the way.

Mr Baldino Vetrano

Director of Students 

I can also announce that we have selected our Boarding Leadership Group for 2024, which will form part of the Middle Leadership group of the College. After a very close vote within the boarding community, I can confirm the following young men were selected as our house leaders for next year: Marcus McGuinness (Hillston) – Valens House; Luke Cannon (Griffith) – Fingal House; Harvey Gay (Boorowa) – Edgar House; Ben Taylor (Bourke) – Alfred House; and Mason Rope (Nyngan) – Senan House. All of our leadership group will be invested at the upcoming boarder’s graduation mass. We wish these boys all the best with these important roles in our community. 

External Courses

As part of our ‘Beyond Boarding Program’ we have had various experts continue to deliver important content to various groups of students. Moneyvest, our finance partner, whom delivers a finance course to each stage every year around things like budgeting, payslips, investing, taxation, tax file numbers etc. Our Year 11 and 12 students undertook there course, and our 7 to 10 students will complete theirs in Term 4.

Further we have had Elephant Ed present to our Year 11 and 12 students. Elephant Ed are a sex and lifestyle education company having hard hitting discussion with our students on various topics and current issues. The boys were extremely engaged and respectful throughout these presentations. 

ACTIVITIES

Hopefully your son has mentioned to you the various activities that have been occurring over the last few weeks. 7 to 9 had a movie night before the busyness of the end of term assessments hit; Year 12 had a Go Kart night; 7 to 11 had a day walking to Bronte and Bondi, with a few brave souls entering the icy waters at Bondi for a short while, and doing a spot of shopping; and we had our final vertical teams challenge, a Trivia Night, won by the Lamb Chops in a tie breaker question against the Wolf pack. Throw in summer ISA trials for basketball, cricket and touch football, and the use of the popular golf course onsite and the boys have been very busy. Numerous activities are planned for the final weeks of term. 

VERTICAL TEAMS

Congratulations to the Bush Pigs for winning the 2022/23 Vertical Teams Competition. Although middle of the table for lots of the sport events, their expertise in the classroom, through winnings awards, good behaviour, and outstanding reports, saw them accumulate enough points to take out this year’s competition. Stay tuned for their prize and celebration. 

CITY V COUNTRY

Thursday saw the second instalment of the City v Country Rugby League Challenge at the College. After having the jersey presentation in the shearing shed, the boys headed to Senan for a motivational video and warm up, before the mascots, all dressed in their best country outfits, led the boys on the field. The game was a torrid affair, with the heat making the boys work hard. After trailing 12-8 at half-time the country boys fought back, with the scoreline locked at 22-22 with 5 minutes to play. After some solid runs, Steve Moran-Briggs (Armidale) was able to use his fancy footwork to create a break and passed to Cruz Farrar (Bathurst) to score under the posts. After a tense finish with City pressing the line the country boys ended winners 28-22, celebrating with a rendition of ‘Follow Me’ by Uncle Kracker. 

YEAR 11 EXAMS

We wish Year 11 the best of luck as they commence their Preliminary exams next week. These are vital in preparing for the HSC next year. If you have any concerns in relation to your son throughout this period, please reach out to myself or Prateek for any assistance. 

GRADUATION

Graduation is fast approaching, with numerous communication previously being sent. A reminder that the dates for these events are as follows:

• Thursday 21 September – Final Boarders Mass and Parent Graduation Cocktail Party from 6:15 pm
• Friday 22 September – Graduation Assembly, Graduation Mass and Graduation Dinner from 9:00 am

All families are expected to attend both events. 

TERM 3 HOLIDAYS

The term 3 holidays commence on Saturday 23 September. Please note that all students are expected at Graduation on Friday 22 September. Parents are welcome to attend and sign their son out at the conclusion of mass at approximately 1:00pm. All travel will be arranged for Saturday 23 September. This is to ensure the appropriate send off for our Year 12 graduates. 

Boarders return to boarding on Monday the 9 October. SSTS will arrange transport for this. Boarding houses will open from 4:30pm. School commences on Tuesday 10 October at 8:25am. 

Ad Jesus Per Mariam

Luke Morrissey

Lachlan Selby achieved a High Distinction Award by placing in the top 300 out of 25000 entrants in the year 8 division.

Kaleb Belak of year 9 placed 650th out of over 19000 entrants and Matthew Fitzgerald placed 805th out of 17000 entrants in the year 10 division. Daniel Canellis also placed in the top 1000 in year 11.

The following students are to be congratulated on their achievements:

Year 7

• Distinction - Nicholas Hanrahan, Aonghus Rutland
• Credit – Connor Dawson, Jake Micallef, Rhys Morton, Eoin Richards, Austin Smith, Cohen Wakefield
• Proficiency – Damien Ainsworth, Jack McNamara, Cameron Parsons, Andrew Semenov, Nathan Whiteley

Year 8

• High Distinction – Lachlan Selby
• Distinction – Declan McManus
• Proficiency – Chaise Fourie, Sesath Gunathilaka

Year 9

• Distinction - Kaleb Belak
• Credit – Anthony Day, Mitchell Williams

Year 10

• Distinction – Matthew Fitzgerald, Kai Allie
• Credit – Domenico Cocco, Lucas Di Fazio, Lachlan New, James Palpal-Latoc, Kristian Rolls
• Proficiency – Joshua Adams

Year 11

• Distinction – Daniel Canellis

Sam has provided a summary of what his time at Worldskills involved: 

A couple of weeks ago I had the privilege to attend the 2023 Worldskills National Championships. As a part of my completion of a Certificate II in Agriculture at the College, I was granted the opportunity to compete at the Sydney region qualifier for the “skill” of Primary Industries. After being notified that my score had been high enough to secure my place in the NSW team I headed down to Melbourne for seven days. It was a fantastic opportunity to meet like-minded people who I was able to compete alongside through the competition. The competition itself included an opening and closing ceremony as well as the three days of competition, where competitors were asked to build both an electric and wire fence, operate a tractor and implement, calibrate and operate a boom spray, drench undertake stock work as well as complete a theory aspect to each task. I'd like to thank our Agriculture leader Miss Mahoney for the opportunity to compete. Overall it was a great week that really allowed young people to display their talents in their chosen skill.  

We congratulate Sam on this wonderful achievement of qualifying for World Skills. 

Miss Molly Durrington 

VET Leader of Learning 

At St Gregs we had 4 students and 1 teacher nominated for the award. 

These were: 

• Peter Reardon- Construction 
• Angus Ryan- Construction 
• Thomas Anderson- Primary Industries
• Orlando Reveler- Retail 
• Our Construction Trainer Andrew Profilio was also nominated. 

After a lengthy process and a number of interview questions and videos sent through we had two students who won overall VET student of the year for their course. 

• Thomas Anderson won Primary Industry VET student of the year.
• Orlando Reveler won Retail VET Student of the year. 

There are over 1200 students who study a VET course in our schools so for these boys to receive Student of the year is an amazing accomplishment. 

A big Thank you to Hayley Mahoney and Michael Ivancic as well as all of our VET trainers for the support during this process. 

Miss Molly Durrington

During Leadership day the Year 5 students worked together through team building exercises. The activities were Icebergs, the Hula Hoop Game and Landmines, with help from some High School boys. A lot of the exercises showed a lot of character and teamwork! 

Some of the exercises included being able to trust your teammate while they are navigating you though a course by the sound of their voice and being able to  listen to others ideas and thoughts. We also wrote a letter for the 2024 Kindergarten students. 

Then Year 5 was visited by the famous two-time World Champion boxer Billy Dib. Billy shared his story with the Year 5 students and he told us. "Whatever you want to do in life you can achieve it if you work hard for it!" He had told Year 5 that recently he was diagnosed with cancer and his battle with cancer. Billy fought through it and is all fine now. Thanks Billy!

By Cara Jones 5 Maroon and Catlin Palmer 5 Blue

However, our formal Book Week celebrations started this year on Thursday, 17th August with a fabulous visit from author, illustrator, script writer and television producer, Mick Elliott. 

Mick Elliott Author/Illustrator Visit

Amongst many other feathers in his cap, Mick Elliott is a well-regarded Australian author and illustrator. His first series, ‘The Turners’ is a middle grade novel meshing humans with animals in hilarious fictional and fantasy events.

Mick’s younger readers series, “Squidge Dibley” is targeted at Years 1-6 students and all of these classes have enjoyed reading the very unique Squidge Dibley’s adventures as he destroys the school, history and the galaxy, all from his Year 6 classroom.

Mick also released his first picture book in July this year with more to come.

Our students and teachers all thoroughly enjoyed Mick’s sessions where he discussed the power of story and encouraged students to see the daily question of “How was school?” as an invitation to tell their parents the story of their day.

Our K-2 student’s sessions focused on illustration techniques and using less strokes to create characters. Some of our teachers and students were immortalised by Mick as human giraffes (Mrs McKay) and the world’s strongest boy (Arlo, Kindergarten). These sessions were filled with laughter and fun.

Our 3-6 student’s sessions were more about the power of story, generating ideas, drawing from personal experiences to create or re-create humour and craft, revise and keep working on their stories. 

“Mick was so inspiring! I’ve started writing and illustrating my own “Mums and Monkeys” book where the monkeys do naughty things like kids do! Mick also loved my Monkey portrait of him” Adriana, Year 2.

The feedback from teachers and students was wonderful and we thank Mick for his inspiration.

Spanish Stories to celebrate Spanish Day

On Friday, 18th August, to coincide with Spanish Day, both Senora Grados and Mrs Khan recorded two of the CBCA Shortlisted books in Spanish. Many students came into the Library that morning to enjoy the Spanish recordings of ‘Jigsaw’ by Bob Graham (translated by Senora Grados) and ‘Snap!’ by Anna Walker (translated by Mrs Khan).

To continue the theme, Mrs Khan also gave her time generously at Break 1 to translate my English into Spanish, reading ‘The Very Hungry Caterpillar’ by Eric Carle, together.

We are very fortunate to have so many passionate educators willing to share their knowledge and experience with our students.

Community Library Collection Launch

On Monday, 21st August we held a Breakfast for Parents and Carers to launch our new Community Library Collection and Before School opening hours. 

As of Monday, 28th August our Library will be open to parents and their own children only from 8am-8:20am, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday. During this time parents may choose books from the Community Collection (donated adult fiction and non-fiction books) to take home to read then return later, browse books with their own children to reserve or borrow, and/or sit and read together.

We are hoping that this initiative will be well-attended during the trial period so that we can make it a regular feature of our Library program.

Book Character Parade

Of course our BIG Book Week event is the annual Book Character Parade. This was held on Tuesday 22nd August with a fabulous turn out of parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles, plus more, to see the amazing costumes that our students were inspired to wear to celebrate the theme, ‘Read Grow Inspire’.

Our Junior School Teachers chose the ‘nature’ theme for their group effort and it was wonderful to see everyone looking incredible as bees, the seasons, butterflies and much more. They looked amazing!

But… nothing could compare to the efforts of our students (and of course, their parents, grandparents and other friends and family). The theme definitely lent itself to a wide range of real life people from autobiographies and biographies as well as junior fiction novels. There were many James Tedescos, lots of Sam Kerrs and Tim Cahills, and even an Ash Barty. Traditional and newer characters were also well-represented with lots of hungry caterpillars, superheroes, gaming legends, Mary Poppins, Juliet the Vet and even Barbie made an appearance!

Lots of fun was had by all and one random student from each class won a prize for participation. We also announced each of the Book Week Competition winners:

• Lolly Bouquet Guessing Competition:  Winner - Madden in 1B with the correct answer of 23
• Nature Art Competition: Kindergarten: Isaac in KB won with his ‘Very Cranky bear”; Year One: In Year One, Rosie created a very fancy ‘Celeste the Flamingo’; Year Two: Giovanni’s Pig the Grub used a  great variety of natural resources to create a very grubby character; Year Three: Ella’s beautiful rainbow piece, inspired by ‘Colours of the Rainbow’ used a variety of petals and flower buds to create a beautiful rainbow piece; Year Four: Rafaela’s incredible ballroom dress that would be perfect in Cinderella was constructed with leaves from her passionfruit vine and petals from what looks like a rose bush; Year Five: Congratulations to Eli who created a spectacular ‘Brave little owl” out of vibrant green leaves; Year Six: Nuala whose interpretation of Tangled or Rapunzel used a variety of natural elements to create an incredible collage. 
• The Tail Tale writing competition: Winner - Disas in Year 6; Runner Up - Thomas in Year 5. 
• Book Review Competition: Willow (Year 2) for her review of ‘Bedtime is Boring’ by David Campbell; Harrison S (Year 3) for his review of Tiny Timmy: The Big Break by Tim Cahiill; and Zachary L (Year 4) for his review of Weirdo 8 by Anh Do. 

Well done to all of these, as well as all of our other entrants. Every year it becomes more and more difficult to select from an incredible range of talented entries in these competitions,

The Great St Greg’s Spelling Bee

Directly following our Book Character Parade was the finals of “The Great St Greg’s Spelling Bee”. 

Since the beginning of Term 3, Mrs Limbrey and Mrs McKay have been holding heats in K-2 and 3-6 respectively for any students wishing to enter the Spelling Bee. It is important to note that every spelling bee is a game - you may be lucky enough to have an easier word selected whilst the person following may have a much more difficult one - that’s all part of the game.

After four weeks of heats, our finalists were revealed:

• Kindergarten: Aidan, Ariana M, Wynter, Cody, Hormis
• Year 1: Xavier P, Judy, Teresa, Lucia, Emerson
• Year 2: Ellie, Hugo, Nicholas, Harrison R, Olivia G
• Year 3: Alexa (3M); Lachlan (3M)
• Year 4: Jessica (4M); Arabella (4M)
• Year 5: Marley (5B); Addison (5B)
• Year 6: Merin (6M); Nuala (6B)

The day before however, Mikayla and Jarryd who had originally tied behind Nuala replaced her due to a planned absence. This meant that they only had the night before to practice so their efforts were extremely admirable. Addison was also unable to attend on the day.

Each of the students had a word blindly chosen from a basket to repeat, spell, then repeat again. It was a very tense 30 minutes of competition and it felt like the whole school was holding their breath but eventually we narrowed it down to a Winner and Runner Up in each category.

• Congratulations to Lucia in Year 1 for winning the K-2 Spelling Bee, and Hugo in Year 2, Runner Up.
• Congratulations also to Arabella in Year 4 for Winning the 3-6 Spelling Bee, and Jarryd in Year 6, Runner Up. 

....

And that’s a wrap on Book Week 2023. We held many bookish activities during Break times as well and had an enormous amount of fun dressing up and sharing adventures throughout the week.

Special mention must go to Ms Dodson, our Library Assistant whose generous spirit, laughter and passion for books and our Library Program events is greatly appreciated. 

Mrs Cosentino

Teacher Librarian/Literacy Specialist

The PRC closed on Friday, 18th August and we have again had an excellent number of students complete the Challenge - but it could be better!

College-wide we had 187 students complete the PRC. 

Each year we entice classes to compete against each other for an Ice Cream Party (K-2) and a Pizza Party (3-6). The class with the most students completing the Challenge wins either one of these prizes. 

This year, KM has again taken out the K-2 competition, with ALL of KM completing the Challenge a few weeks before the Challenge closed. Their Ice Cream Party celebration will take place in Term 4.

Unfortunately, not one class in years 3-6 completed the challenge but 5M were the class with the most finishers. Those 5M who completed the Challenge will also enjoy a Pizza party in Term 4.

Thank you to all of the parents who encourage their children to read for the PRC Challenge and assist them in adding their books to their records. It is greatly appreciated and recognises the importance of reading widely and regularly.

Mrs Cosentino

Teacher Librarian/Literacy Specialist

To combat this the Junior School Library has run Holiday Reading Challenges over the past two holiday periods. Both of these have been very well received with the latest seeing almost one hundred students reading for at least 15 minutes each day of the holidays.

Students coloured in ‘beanies’ on their Challenge booklet each day and wrote down some of the things they enjoyed about a few of the books they read. 

To celebrate their efforts these students were invited to a ‘Winterfest’, where they enjoyed a winter themed short film and s’mores. 

Congratulations to all of our passionate readers!

Mrs Cosentino

Teacher Librarian/Literacy Specialist

After tallying up the results we wrote a letter to the Centre Manager, Mr Phillip Warren, to let him know what we found out. 

Dear Mr Warren,

Thank you for letting us come to Home Co. so we could investigate things in our community. Everyone was really friendly and helpful. 

We found out lots of information about what the community needs. Although we had a variety of suggestions, there were two that stood out. Your community thinks that a Donut Shop and Post Office would be good additions to your centre. 

We hope to visit Home Co. again soon. 

From 

Year 1 St Gregory’s College J.S 

We were very excited when he wrote back to us!

Hi Year 1,

Amazing, you’ve made my day. 

Thank you so much for your visit and for sharing the feedback. I will be passing the feedback regarding the Donut Shop and Post Office to the owners and our leasing team as the findings from some of the most important stakeholders from the community. 

It was lovely to meet you all. Please let me know next time you want to visit. 

Kind regards,

Phil 

We have learned that we are all part of this community and we have a responsibility to play our part in it.

During Week 5 students prepared items to showcase at the Hispanic assembly. During this special assembly each class was able to present a focus topic. We had a range of performances and presentations. Dancing and singing from Kindergarten, a costume walk featuring Frida Kahlo and Mexican Alebrijes from Year 1, singing about the weather and family members with Year 2, Year 3 expressing likes and personal traits in Spanish, Year 4 presented the life of Selena Quintanilla with a short play and Hispanic Heritage month presentations as well. 

Year 5 focused on a famous Peruvian Indigenous leader and other people who influenced Hispanic cultures and we finished with Year 6 presenting the Marist pillars we have focused on each week, all in Spanish of course.

I am so proud of all our students. We have definitely come a long way and we keep reinforcing our international mindedness, through storytelling, play and creative exploration every time we meet.

Mrs Paula Grados

Spanish Teacher Junior School

Did you know that in the English language, there are around 44 phonemes (sounds), but there are around 250 graphemes (letters or letter groups that correspond to a single sound). This is because every phoneme (sound) corresponds to more than one grapheme (letter or letter groups) across different words. Do you know how many graphemes make a long a sound? The answer is 8!

• ai (as in main)
• ay (as in hay)
• a_e (as in race)
• a (as in apron)
• ei (as in rein)
• ey (as in they)
• ea (as in steak)
• eigh (as in weigh)

Our spelling rules can also be very complicated. Here’s an example.

I before E except when your foreign neighbor Keith receives eight counterfeit beige sleighs from feisty caffeinated weightlifters. WEIRD.

In Year 1, we systematically work through the 44 phonemes using Chitter Chatter Chant cards to help us remember the grapheme choices. We practice everyday, reading and writing words using these graphemes and we are incredibly proud of the learning taking place. Who knows, we might have some future rocket scientists amongst us!

Mrs Limbrey and Miss Cecil

Year 1 Teachers

IPSSO Results Week 6

On Wednesday, August 23 2023 our teams competed against Mount Annan Christian College.

Junior AFL

Score 

SGC  57- 1 MACC

Special Mention

• Taylor Masterson for her strong tackles and determination to get to the ball first

• Hunter Clark for using his body to shield the ball so his teammates were able to pick it up without pressure from the opposition 

• Harper Stassen for her positioning and game awareness that attributed to being able to get the ball out of defense with ease.

Junior Boys Soccer 

Score 

SGC: 1  - 0 MACC

Special Mention

• Ben Devlin for his incredible long-range goal to seal our victory and his strong defence throughout the game (MOTM)

• Mason Navratil for his wonderful skills in midfield and driving our game forward

• Ryan Reynolds for providing excellent passes in attack and attempting several shots on goal. 

Junior Netball

Score 

SGC 9 - 0 MACC 

Special Mention

• Cleo Lane for moving the ball around the court and never giving up. 

• Ella Morrison for giving a new position and try and being strong in defense. 

• Lia Solylo for always being on the move looking to get the ball back. 

Newcombe Ball  

Score 

SGC  2 - 0 MACC 

Special Mention

• Emilia Balin for another strong and reliable performance. 

• Benjamin Mumford for his great catching and returns.

• Isabella Iuliano for her game awareness and versatility across the court.

Senior AFL

Score 

SGC 110 - 2 MACC

Special Mention

• Braxton Woolford for his accuracy in front of goals

• Keira Eagles for her strong marks 

• Jacob Gordon for his effective  tackles 

Senior Boys Soccer

Score 

SGC 8 - 0 MACC 

Special Mention

• Liam Fishlock - great passing and intercepting in midfield 

• Anthony Issa - taking his opportunities and scoring two goals

• Lawson Sutton - solid defensive play through gaining possession and clearing the ball.

Senior Netball

Score 

SGC 23 - 24 MACC

Special Mention

• Stella Herbert for her versatility and pressure in defence

• Attacking combination of Taylah Kenney and Ivy Bushby in the goal circle

• Addison Day for her tenacity and drive on the court

Volleyball

Score 

SGC 2 - 1 MACC

Special Mention

• Isabella Palumbo for her solid game performance all round.

• Archie Putland for his determination and never give up attitude. 

• Zane Wagstaff for his great efforts spiking the ball to win valuable points. 

IPSSO Results Week 7

On Wednesday, August 30 2023 our teams competed against Macarthur Anglican College.

Junior AFL

Score 

SGC 49 - 13 MAS

Special Mention

• Summer Quinn for her strong efforts in the midfield 

• Alyssia Siracusa for her breakaway speed in the forward line which led to her scoring multiple goals

• Hunter Clarke for his smart ball use in the midfield which led to our forwards being able to score. 

Junior Boys Soccer 

Score 

SGC: 3  - 0  MAS

Special Mention

• James Dash for strong defence and scoring an amazing goal (MOTM)

• Harrison Fuser for his strength in attack and sealing the game with a goal

• Marcello Torcaso for his wonderful control and skill in the midfield.

Junior Netball

Score 

SGC 11 - 4 MAS

Special Mention

• Mia Stevens for showing exceptional sportsmanship and honesty. 

• Stella Jensen for showing great versatility and playing several different positions in the game and giving it her best in each. 

• Sophia Murialdo for accurate passing and strong defence. 

Newcombe Ball  

Score 

SGC 2 - 0 MAS

Special Mention

• William Quinn for his strong service game 

• Zac Bruce and Emilia Balin for covering all parts of the court effectively 

• Estelle Paki for making numerous tough catches

Senior AFL

Score 

SGC 136 - 1 MAS

Special Mention

• Sabah Paki for her strong tackles and great ball use

• Isabella Tolomeo for her great positioning to effectively impact the game in both defense and in attack

• Indianna Vaccaro for her accuracy on goals. 

Senior Boys Soccer

Score 

SGC 4  - 1 MAS

Special Mention

• Zane Mallinson - superb attacking play with 2 goals and an assist 

• Luke Shaggal - fantastic reflexes in making 4 important saves

• Joshua Suffell - fantastic vision and passing as well as scoring one goal.

Senior Netball

Score 21-5

SGC  -  MAS

Special Mention

• Amelia Howe for great intercepts and pressure in the defensive circle

• Cara Jones for her strength in the mid court

• Piper Lane for her versatility, accuracy with passes and speed.

IPSSO Finals

The sun was shining brightly on a warm and breezy Wednesday, September 6, 2023, as the two top teams from the Northern and Southern Pool from each IPSSO sport competed to be crowned champion at the IPSSO Finals. This finals day was the first since 2019. The atmosphere was electric, and anticipation hung in the air as the day promised to be a highly competitive day. Having 5 teams qualify out of 8 final spots was a great achievement for the College. 

Junior Boys Soccer- 3rd 

Newcombe ball 3rd

Junior AFL - 2nd 

Junior Netball- 1st 

Senior AFL- 1ST 

Wollongong Pathway Representative Sport 

Good luck to Christopher Blyton, as he attends the NSWPSSA Boys Softball trial next week. 

Huge congratulations to our exceptionally talented swimmer, Ivy Smith, for her outstanding achievements at the School Sports Australia Swimming Championships. Ivy's dedication and hard work in the pool truly paid off, and she has made us all incredibly proud.

Ivy's remarkable performance, including winning Gold in the 11-years 50m Breaststroke and in the Medley Relay, along with securing Silver in the 11-years 100m Breaststroke, is a testament to her skill and determination. These accomplishments are a result of her relentless commitment to her sport and her unwavering focus.

Well done, Ivy!

Good luck to the following students representing Wollongong at the Mackillop Athletics on Monday, 18 September:

• Noah Forsyth

• Keira Eagles

• Ivy Smith

• Eva Luximon

• Nneka Fashoyin

Wollongong sport trial nominations for 2023 will be emailed to Year 4 and Year 5 families by week 10. Further information will be provided in the email. 

NSWCPS Netball Championships

Congratulations to the Senior Netball team on their outstanding achievement! Making it to the semifinals at the NSWCPS Championships was a remarkable accomplishment that showcased your incredible skill, dedication, and teamwork. Thank you Mrs Scott and to those that supported the team on the day.

AFL Paul Kelly Cup State Finals

Congratulations to our AFL Girls Team for their outstanding performance at the Paul Kelly Cup State Finals on Tuesday, 29 August. The girls exhibited exceptional determination and sportsmanship, making the College incredibly proud.

We extend our thanks to Mrs Faith Paki, who diligently managed the team throughout the competition. Your dedication and guidance were instrumental in the team's success, and we appreciate your commitment to nurturing our athletes' talents.

Once again, a big round of applause to our talented AFL Girls Team for their impressive representation and sportsmanship. I am sure your achievements have inspired other students to strive to compete in this competition in the future.

Mr Howe PDHPE Teacher/Sports Coordinator