history | Sydney Catholic Schools

Family key to National History Challenge win

Discovering a box of her parents’ home movies from the 1980s and 90s led Olivia Tsigaropoulos to the remarkable achievement of her second National History Challenge win in two years.

The Year 10 student at Casimir Catholic College Marrickville created a website on the history of her family and Greek migration to Australia in response to the 2023 prize theme Change and continuity.

The site features a mini-documentary, timeline and an interactive family tree. Each person on the tree links to National Archive of Australia records, filmed interviews, or both.

Olivia said each of her four grandparents were among the wave of Greek migrants who settled in Marrickville between 1969 and 1971. They were encouraged by government policy which subsidised travel in exchange for work.

“My grandparents were excited to share that part of their life with me,” Olivia said.

“I looked not just at my family, but what society was like at the time.

“Through all of history, certain things change but what stays the same is people and humanity and love and celebration, and all of those things.

“I really gathered an appreciation for exploring family history.”

The project follows Olivia’s 2022 winning entry to the history challenge – a 10-minute documentary on the 1979 community intervention to buy and save Carlton’s Shopfront Theatre.

Olivia’s interest in drama has seen her appear in plays staged by the youth arts cooperative since 2021.

“I love storytelling and being able to make people feel something through something I create,” she said.

“Everything in history has a story. Not all of these stories are told, but they all deserve to be, and they all deserve to …

jaderamirezsydcatholiceduauDecember 5, 2023|

Documentary unearths ANZAC history

St Clare’s College Waverley students have launched a new Fromelles documentary honouring soldiers whose remains were found in an unmarked mass grave at Pheasant Wood, France.

The Lost Diggers of Fromelles is based on video profiles Year 12 students created in their Year 9 History class. These feature Australian soldiers whose identities were recovered in a DNA matching program at the mass grave site.

“The girls were able to contribute to a history that is still being written.” – Kerrie McDiarmid

The students collaborated with Fromelles book author and broadcast personality, Patrick Lindsay, to create a film that tells the story of the battle of Fromelles through the eyes of young women today.

The July 1916 battle remains the largest loss of life within 24 hours in Australia’s military history.

FAMILY FOCUS

The students interviewed the soldiers’ descendants in the film. Kate O’Sullivan accessed public records and personal letters to build a profile of fallen soldier and pioneering rugby league player, Herbert ‘Nutsy’ Bolt.

“From first being given a soldier’s name and number, we now have a personal connection with these courageous men,” Ms O’Sullivan said.

St Clare’s principal Kerrie McDiarmid said the project reflected the school’s commitment to give students opportunities to collaborate with the broader community and make a difference in their world. More school news

jaderamirezsydcatholiceduauApril 30, 2021|

1971 St Joseph’s Kindy reunion

St Joseph’s Maroubra Kindergarten Class of 1971’s childhood recollections will have you fondly recollecting your days in the old schoolyard.

Sixty Kindergarten Kangaroos and Kindergarten Koalas attended St Joseph’s Maroubra way back when, and nearly 20 came together on 6 February 2021 to celebrate 50 years since they first started school together.

Some stayed for nine hours reminiscing and storytelling, and are now planning to have annual catch ups.

Reunion organiser Monica Scanlon (nee Smith), a former teacher at St Mary’s Star of the Sea Catholic Primary School Hurstville, looks back on the reunion and reflects on her days in the old school yard.

As the students took a walk around the perimeter of the school, they recalled lunch times spent playing marbles, fly (jumping over sticks lined up in the playground), elastics (jumping over elastic which was held up by a student at either end), skipping with a big skipping rope or kicking the football.

It was amazing to hear Vicki McLachlan, one of the Year 4 teachers who attended the reunion, be able to look at faces and remember the names and stories of students she taught 45 years ago.

Great laughs were had at the old Globite brown school briefcase that was brought along. Although somewhat worn and unable to fully lock, it created much discussion as it was complete with stickers of the day.

Only a few students still had this treasure from their early school years.

SCHOOL LIFE IN 1971

Fifty years ago, school was very different to today.

Each morning milk was delivered to the school in small glass bottles with foil lids for the students to drink.

There were lots of comments made (at the reunion) about the milk being hot, as …

Isabell PetrinicFebruary 12, 2021|

Governor goes back to school

We could all feel the excitement in the air when the Governor of NSW and Sydney Catholic Schools (SCS) alumna, Margaret Beazley, and husband Dennis Wilson turned up at Holy Spirit Catholic Primary School Carnes Hill.

Governor Beazley – a former St Declan’s Primary School Penshurst, St Joseph’s Girls High School Kogarah, and Mount Saint Joseph Milperra student – had been invited to the school to talk about our democracy.

Governor of NSW, Margaret Beazley, taking questions from Holy Spirit’s students. Photo: Kitty Beale

Welcomed by Principal of Holy Spirit Catholic Primary School Carnes Hill, Brother Nicholas, Assistant Principal Leonie Sewell and the school’s Captains, Mia Yenco and Matthew Sanasi, the Governor was given a quick tour of the school before attending a school assembly.

She then met with students from all grades, and was even given a quick karate demonstration by one student before talking with Year 6 students currently studying the topic “Australia becomes a nation” in History.

“The Governor’s visit ties in brilliantly with the section of the unit on State Government,” Brother Harsas said.

Being only the second woman to be named NSW Governor – the first being Dame Marie Bashir – she regaled students with stories of how she got to her position.

“Having a legal background, I had a good basis for my role as Governor because any constitutional law that is passed in NSW I need to sign it and speak to ministers about it,” said Governor Beazley.

School Captains, Matthew Sanasi and Mia Yenco, present the Governor of …

Isabell PetrinicFebruary 12, 2021|

Celebrating 80 years in pictures

New history picture book Discovering Our Past tells the story of St Therese Catholic Primary School Mascot in its 80th year.

Historical records show the blessing of the infants’ school and the inauguration of a magnificent Church dedicated to St Therese took place on Sunday 28 January 1940.

The school was expanded in 1951 to include a new presbytery and convent to accommodate an increase in post-war enrolments of local and immigrant families.

L-R: Robert Bell, Joshua, Rosemary and Sierra Pavicevic, Liz Bowring, Teresa Di Bartolo, Scarlett Magee, Alfina and Will Braiding.

It was during this building period that St Therese’s infamous “tent story” took place.

Discovering Our Past, by author and illustrator Liz Bowring, tells of Sister Hyacinth using a choir loft and then a large marquee as a temporary classroom for her students while construction was taking place at the school.

“This setup would work well until one stormy afternoon, gale-force winds would blow the marquee away causing Sister Hyacinth to rush the heavily rained-on children to the safety of the church,” Ms Bowring writes.

Back to the future

Current teacher Sarah Lennard has been making her own memories at St Therese Catholic Primary School Mascot for 40 years.

She first taught at St Therese in November 1980, acting as a relief teacher for a religious sister taking her final vows.

Back then, Malcolm Frasier was the Prime Minister and Sunnyboy ice blocks were all the rage at the canteen.

“I have taught every grade – some several times,” Ms Lennard said.

“I was also a teacher librarian for several years and I was one of the first teachers to be able to job share.”

“People whom I first met …

Isabell PetrinicDecember 22, 2020|

Step back in time

In 1880 it was not uncommon to see a sisterhood of nuns en route from their convent home in Pitt Street, Sydney, to St James Catholic Primary School Glebe where they taught.

Among them was their first principal, Sister Mary Austin Donovan, and Sister Marie des Agnes Lawler, both Sisters of The Good Samaritan – otherwise known as the “Good Sams” – who lived and continue to live a Benedictine way of life.

St James Catholic Primary School Forest Lodge school poster circa 1922.

This year marks the 140th year since the school first opened.

On its first day, on 21 March 1880, the co-ed school had 160 pupils and was led by a religious principal. Their first lay principal, Donna Craige, was appointed 100 years later in 1990.

In its 140th year, the school is undergoing a facelift which includes a new outdoor learning space and classroom refurbishments.

“We look forward to a newly renovated and equipped school, contemporary learning spaces thriving as a Catholic educational beacon in the community,” current principal, Enrica Bova, said.

She described the school as “an inclusive and welcoming community with strong collaborative partnerships with St James Parish, local preschools and the wider community.”

“The school community reaches out with initiatives to ensure those less fortunate and marginalised know all at St James are there to help and support them,” she said.

“St James Catholic Primary School is a school built on trust, on openness, on daily connection. We are striving through COVID to keep this fully alive.”

L-R: St James students Macy, Clare Ivens, long standing teacher at St …

Isabell PetrinicOctober 14, 2020|

Family key to National History Challenge win

Documentary unearths ANZAC history

FAMILY FOCUS

1971 St Joseph’s Kindy reunion

Governor goes back to school

Celebrating 80 years in pictures

New history picture book Discovering Our Past tells the story of St Therese Catholic Primary School Mascot in its 80th year.

Back to the future

Step back in time

We acknowledge the traditional custodians of the land on which our schools and offices now stand. We pay our respects to Elders past and present.

Contact

phone

Links

Follow Us

Translate