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Sydney Catholic Schools

Musical opportunity hits all the right notes

Holy Spirit Lakemba’s Amadeus program is providing students with tailored music and arts education, along with new instruments.

“Amadeus is an exciting opportunity for students to engage in formal musical education,” said Emma Hughes, Holy Spirit’s creative and performing arts coordinator.

Sydney Catholic Schools’ Amadeus Music Education Program provides Year 7 students at the college with the opportunity to learn an orchestral instrument and participate in small group and ensemble music lessons, which are delivered by professional tutors.

Holy Spirit Lakemba students taking part in Amadeus Music Program lessons Holy Spirit students taking part in Amadeus. Photo: Kitty Beale

The college also has a state of the art performance space, making it the perfect base for students like Grace Akomeah to begin their musical journey.

“I played the recorder last year,” said Grace. “The clarinet has a lot of blowing and it takes a lot of air to play the instrument.”

BENEFITS OF MUSIC

Research shows that music:

  • Boosts brain power
  • Promotes wellbeing
  • Improves language and maths skills, memory and coordination

Ms Hughes says students benefit in many ways from taking part in the Amadeus Music Education Program.

“Apart from the inherent joy from learning how to play music and create art and beauty, students have to learn discipline in terms of their practice regimes, looking after an instrument, which opens up an entirely new world for them,” Ms Hughes said.

Holy Spirit Lakemba male student learns the violin A student receives music tuition. Photo: Kitty Beale

Grace said learning to play an instrument had given her a strong sense of accomplishment.

“I show my parents every week and continue to improve with the tutor telling me what I can do better and when I’m playing the wrong notes,” Grace said.

Her peer, Finn Fordyce, is considering …

May 25, 2021|
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Forging friendships with hoops

More than 100 primary school students turned out to compete at Holy Spirit Catholic College Lakemba’s first basketball gala day.

Boys and girls primary school teams competed in the 22 April event which encouraged fun, community spirit and healthy competition.

Holy Spirit principal, Phillip Scollard, welcomed the visitors who were from five local feeder schools. 

He encouraged them to treat the school like it was “their school too.”

The day gave the primary schoolers the opportunity to interact with teachers and students from the college while having a whole lot of fun.

Japji, a Year 5 student from St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School Belmore, said he and his peers enjoyed the day.

“The best part of the day was when all of our team got together and cheered for our school playing,” Japji said. “I have lost my voice from cheering so loudly.”

St Michael’s Catholic Primary School Belfield won the boys’ competition and St John Vianney Catholic Primary School Greenacre won the girls’ competition.

Participating feeder schools: 

BY: NIKOLA POZDER More Sports News Here

April 28, 2021|
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Praise for Holy Spirit’s new music program

Sydney Catholic Schools’ exciting new comprehensive music education program called Amadeus is well underway and Holy Spirit Catholic College Lakemba principal, Phillip Scollard, can’t say enough good things about it.

“I am delighted that the students at Holy Spirit have this wonderful opportunity to learn an orchestral instrument,” Mr Scollard said.

“The universal language of music and the beauty which comes with it sits well in one of Sydney’s most culturally diverse communities” – Phillip Scollard

Sydney Catholic Schools’ Amadeus Music Education Program has been delivered in 13 SCS primary and secondary schools in the Auburn-Lakemba area in 2021, helping students learn numeracy, literacy and emotional skills while experiencing the special joy of music.

As part of this program, students in Year 3 to Year 8 at the 13 schools participate in small group and ensemble music lessons delivered by specialist teachers. Students also receive an instrument, starting with a string instrument in Year 3.

“Whilst the educational benefits are well recorded are indisputable, the joy which comes from playing an instrument and working as a part of an ensemble, are reason enough for the 153 Year 7 students at Holy Spirit to be a part of the Amadeus Music Education Program,” Mr Scollard said. Start your music journey at Holy Spirit Catholic College

April 26, 2021|
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Time flies when you’re … poolside

Eighteen Sydney Catholic Schools students got to experience the atmosphere of an Archdiocesan Swimming Carnival by getting involved in an official capacity.

The Year 11 students from Holy Spirit Catholic College Lakemba helped poolside at the recent carnival in Auburn by timekeeping – arguably the most important role at a meet.

Holy Spirit Lakemba students, Desmond Lartey and Rocco Alvaro Holy Spirit volunteers Desmond Lartey and Rocco Alvaro.

“I like my job, drawing up the times on the wall,” said student volunteer, Desmond Lartey, a sports enthusiast who plays Division 1 basketball for the Southwest Hornets.

Stuart Kensitt, Holy Spirit’s Year 11 Leader of Wellbeing and Personal Development, Health and Physical Education (PDHPE) teacher, said students from the school have a history of volunteering at sports carnivals. 

“They are volunteering here today as part of their 1 Unit Sport, Lifestyle and Recreation (SLR) studies.” Mr Kensitt said.

Key competencies of the 60-hour module include planning and organising physical

activity opportunities for others. This can include leading peer coaching sessions, organising

in-school competitions or simply raising others’ awareness about ways to get active in the

community. 

“Our students are learning to run sports carnivals,” Mr Kensitt said. 

Another of the Year 11 volunteers, Rocco Alvaro, said it’s the first time he has been involved in volunteering and that he found the experience really enjoyable. 

A big thank you to all the secondary colleges who have supported at the carnivals; Trinity Catholic College Auburn, Marcellin College Randwick and Christian Brothers Lewisham.

By: ISABELL PETRINIC Read the 2021 Archdiocesan Swimming Carnival recap here …

March 29, 2021|
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First in world: Our language star

A Sydney Catholic Schools student has eclipsed 181,000 students to take out the Arabic crown in the Education Perfect World Languages Championships.

“I have participated in this competition for the past two years and achieved great growth in my mother language, which is Arabic,” Katlen Ghanem, winner of Education Perfect’s Emerald Award, said modestly.

Katlen GHANEM Katlen Ghanem winner of Education Perfect’s Emerald Award

Katlen is currently studying Year 11 Arabic Continuers at Holy Spirit Catholic College Lakemba, which has been enrolled in Education Perfect since 2011 when it was called Language Perfect. Back then it was a language competition only.

Today it is an annual series of online competitions where students earn points across Humanities, English, Science, Maths and Languages.

“Our college, under the support and permission of our principal, had the privilege to be part of establishing and organising the Arabic activities and exercises in Education Perfect Languages,” Holy Spirit Lakemba’s languages coordinator, Marie Joseph Abi- Arrage, said.

Ms Abi-Arrage said this year the school entered students in Arabic (66 students), French (18 students) and Italian (70 students).

“Holy Spirit students answered 119,246 questions and earned 43,929 points, giving us a global ranking of 235 out of 2155 schools,” she said.

“We came second in Arabic out of 874 schools globally and first in Australia.”

Our big star, Katlen, said competing in the competition has really helped improve her vocabulary which has “helped me to express my ideas in a better, more sophisticated way.”

Benefits of learning a second language

Arabic, French and Italian language are compulsory subjects in Stage 4 (Year 8) at Holy Spirit Lakemba. The language programs are offered as electives in stage 5 and Stage 6.

Ms Abi-Arrage said there are many amazing advantages and benefits of learning a second language.

“Learning a second language …

October 26, 2020|
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