Dear Members of the St Gregory’s College family,
We are halfway through the term, and as always there has been a huge amount of activity around the College. We have had the Marist School Australia Cyclical Review, Lunch on the Lawn, Rugby League and Soccer Finals, Rugby Union fixtures, Trial HSC Exams, White Card Training, Junior School Open Classrooms, Western Boarding Families Dinner, Stage 6 Subject Selections, National Science Week with various excursions and incursions, Year Group Masses, Book Week, including the Spelling Bee competition, State Snow Sports, Year 12 HSC Music Showcase, Southern All Breeds Show Team Competition, and a Year 7 to 9 Dance with St Patrick’s College. This doesn’t include the teaching and learning, marking, feedback, reporting, and general day to day learning that the students are engaged in.
I would like to thank all staff that have been involved in these events in some way or another during the first half of the term. Our community is blessed with such a talented, committed, and self-sacrificing staff cohort that provide wonderful opportunities for our students to engage in their interest areas.
Year 12 Music HSC Works Showcase
On Thursday evening our five HSC Music students performed their major works that will be presented for marking in the coming weeks. Joseph Limbrey, Julian Evans, Christian Anjos, Matthew Parkin, and Zac Velasco presented either 3 or 4 pieces on the evening. The talent on display was amazing and had everyone in the room engrossed in their performances.
Thanks to Mr Malaesilia for this wonderful initiative. The praise from the families who had not previously been able to witness these performances outside of their homes was tremendous. Thanks also to Mr Limbrey for being the volunteer drummer, Mr Malone, and Mr Quig for their attendance on the evening.
Trial HSC Exams
Congratulations to our Year 12 students who this week completed their Trial HSC exams. For a large majority of students this concludes the assessment component of their subjects. Their attention now turns to preparing for the HSC exams with 5 weeks of coursework completion, past papers, practice questions, and feedback on the agenda for all students. Thanks to Mr Bullock, Ms Patao, Mr Newell, and the Heads of Department for the successful co-ordination of these exams. Thanks to all the Year 12 teachers as they embark on the marking and feedback journey in the coming days.
Upcoming Events
Term 3 is the busiest on the College calendar with lots of events across year groups. Some of the upcoming events are listed below:
Week 6
- 27 AugustSenior School Photo Day
- 28 August Marist Oratory – Parramatta Marist
- 29 August JS Father’s Day Celebrations
- 29 August Champagnat Day Activities
- 30 August Staff Development Day – Pupil Free Day
Week 7 - Wellness Week
- 3 September SS Father’s Day Breakfast
- 3 September Feast of St Gregory Mass – 9:00am
- 4 September PDS Athletics Carnival
Week 8
- 9 September Year 12 HSC Major Works Showcase Evening
- 10 September K-12 Sibling Photos
- 11 September SS Sport & Co-Curricular Photos
- 11 September Year 3 to 12 – R U Ok? Assembly
- 11 September Year 8 Elective Evening - online
- 14 September Maroon & Blue Parents Dinner
Week 9
- 16 September Year 11 Preliminary Exams Commence
- 19 September SS Poetry in Action – Year 7 to 9
Week 10
- 24 September Year 7 Vaccinations
- 26 September Year 11 Preliminary Exams Conclude
- 26 September Year 12 Boarders Final Mass & Parent Event
- 27 September Year 12 Graduation Assembly – 9:00am
- 27 September Year 12 Graduation Mass – 11:30am
- 27 September Year 12 Graduation Dinner – 6:00pm
Celebrating Student Success
Max Anastasio - Year 10
In our previous newsletter we mentioned Max was participating in Football Australia's National Youth Championships held in Wollongong recently. Through Max’s success and progression into other teams, we are proud to announce that he was selected in the Australian U/17 Joey’s team. Max is currently in Honiara, Solomon Islands, competing in the PacificAus Sports Football Tour, playing against the Solomon Islands and Vanuatu U/19 teams. We wish Max every success in this competition.
Jack Jones - Year 8
Jack Jones is a talented all-round sportsman. In the last newsletter we mentioned he made the Australian All Stars Indoor Cricket team due to his performances at the National Indoor Cricket Carnival. Jack is also a talented Javelin thrower. Jack participated in the 2024 National Athletics Championship in South Australia recently winning a silver medal in the Javelin. Jack has been selected to attend the Gold Coast Performance Centre this weekend to get access to Australian Coaches and Olympic Athletes. Enjoy the experience, Jack.
AIEF Graduation – Year 12
Victor Simon (Armidale) and Benji Leane (Nangus) attended Taronga Zoo on Monday to celebrate their graduation with the Australian Indigenous Education Foundation. Both boys are scholarship recipients, and will join a large list of over 1000 graduates from across Australia utilising this scholarship, and the significant support network that comes with it, to better their lives and those of their communities. Congratulations boys on a wonderful achievement!
Victor Chang Awards
Two of our Year 11 students, James Palpal-Latoc and Domenico Cocco, were successful in winning the Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute School Science Awards recently. The Victor Chang Cardiac Institute has established these Science Awards to recognise the efforts and achievements of students as well as spend some time at the institute to learn first-hand about its activities and about a career in Science. The boys were presented at Camden Council with students from other schools in the region. Congratulations boys.
Spelling Bee Competition
One of the events during Book Week is the final of the 2024 Spelling Bee competition. Students have been going through stages throughout this term to reach the final. The Marian Centre had standing room only for the final with a new champion being crowned for this year…………….Michael Yousseph from Year 9 who got 8 out of 10 words correct in the final. How many of these words could you spell correctly?
Pseudonym
Nefarious
Ubiquitous
Epitome
Oubliette
Repercussion
Intransigent
Insouciant
Pleonexia
Luculent
Student Successes
Through the newsletter, I will draw your attention to some of the outstanding efforts, successes and ventures that our students achieve that we love to celebrate. Please email any success to me so we can continue to celebrate with your son or daughter by emailing lmorrissey@stgregs.nsw.edu.au.
Have a lovely weekend and we look forward to seeing you all back next week for the second half of term 3.
Ad Jesum per Mariam - Everything to Jesus through Mary
Luke Morrissey
Acting Assistant Principal/Head of Senior School