Marist College Eastwood | Sydney Catholic Schools

Peer program encourages positive mental health

One Sydney Catholic Schools student’s work takes the 2023 Mental Health Month theme, We all have a role to play, to heart.

When it comes to promoting positive mental health, Archie Kingham is ahead of the curve.

The Marist College Eastwood Year 11 student has developed an initiative called Mental Mates.

Drawing on the expertise of organisations including headspace, the program offers workshops and talks that give high school students the tools to speak about and improve their mental health.

Archie created the initiative in five months through youth leadership program Max Potential. The program asks participants aged 16 to 18 to deliver a community service pitch that takes an entrepreneurial approach to meeting needs in their local community.

“What inspired me to come up with the idea was that people were constantly saying high school is stressful, and that being a teenager is stressful,” Archie said.

“However I never heard my peers commenting on their stress, no matter how obvious it was.”

“The idea of Mental Mates is to create a school environment where students no longer feel that there is a stigma surrounding mental health.” – Archie Kingham

Archie attributes the reluctance to speak about stress, anxiety and other mental health concerns to a stigma that he hopes Mental Mates will help to break.

The program will include small group workshops and guest speakers to share their experience of mental health to give students pathways to speak openly about their concerns and find help when needed for themselves and others.

“No other organisation, as far as I could find, was actually doing this,” Archie said.

During the program’s development Archie surveyed his school community and a majority …

jaderamirezsydcatholiceduauOctober 3, 2023|

Students celebrated at Youth Community Service Awards

Sydney Catholic Schools (SCS) students have received a hat-trick of NSW Youth Community Service Awards for the second year in a row.

Three SCS students were among only 26 in the state presented with the 2023 awards, which recognise exceptional community service by a Year 11 or 12 student, in honour of their mentoring, volunteer and advocacy efforts.

The awards are held annually by the NSW Branch of the Order of Australia Association and were presented by Governor of NSW Margaret Beazley at Government House on 7 September.

Asteer Salem from Mary MacKillop Catholic College Wakeley, Erica Chau from Freeman Catholic College Bonnyrigg Heights, and Archibald (Archie) Kingham from Marist College Eastwood were acknowledged at the ceremony with a certificate and medal.

Asteer gave the vote of thanks at the end of the ceremony.

Archie, in Year 11, said he felt humbled to receive the award.

“There were some incredible candidates with superb contributions to their community,” he said. “I believe that everyone has a duty to support others less fortunate than themselves.”

“The greater the privilege and opportunity we have the more reflective and supportive we should be.” – Archie Kingham

Marist College Eastwood Principal Silvana Rossetti said all three students were a credit to their schools and the communities they served. She said Archibald lived the Marist characteristics of presence, family spirit, and love of work each day.

“I am extremely proud of Archie who shows genuine concern for the wellbeing of others,” she said.

“This is exemplified by his involvement in organisations both in and out of school that have as their core value the wellbeing of those less …

jaderamirezsydcatholiceduauSeptember 27, 2023|

Move over Babe Ruth – Baden is coming

Surrounded by family and friends who love baseball, it was only natural for Baden Hagarty to want to play too.

At the tender age of five, the current Year 12 Marist College Eastwood student started his baseball journey.

And what a successful journey it has been – Baden has just been selected to represent Australia in the Babe Ruth World Series which will be held in Missouri, USA in August.

The Aussie Drop Bears Babe Ruth U18 team will leave Australia on 11 August for a grueling 10-day tour and they have their eyes and hearts set on bringing home a trophy.

“I’m really hoping that I might catch the eye of a baseball scout and hopefully get a scholarship to study and play baseball in the US,” said Baden.

“My passion is baseball and to have a career in baseball is my dream.”

Baden is no novice to representative sport and has represented Australia in baseball many times, playing games in the USA and Japan over the years.

He last represented Australia in the U18 Australian Waves Baseball team in Florida last year.

Training twice a week and playing one game a week slots in very well with his HSC studies and his favourite subject? Sport Lifestyle and Recreation, of course!

Although baseball is Baden’s passion, he is definitely an all round sportsman and has taken part in many sports opportunities at Marist College Eastwood – this year he is captain of three senior teams, AFL, Touch Football and Netball.

“We are very proud of Baden’s achievements,” Marist College Eastwood Principal Silvana Rossetti said.

“He is a wonderful role model to the younger students at …

domenictrimboli01August 2, 2023|

Tech education helps close cyber security skills gap

Close to 800 Sydney Catholic Schools students have gained new technology skills thanks to a coding challenge geared towards filling a critical cyber security skills shortage in Australia.

Marist College Eastwood accounted for a record 560 of the 794 students from Sydney Catholic schools who enrolled in this year’s Cyber Live challenge.

Cyber Live is one of four international coding-based challenges, run by technology education charity Grok Academy, that Year 7 to 10 students from Marist College take part in each year.

Sarah Hasman, the college’s Assistant Technological and applied studies (TAS) Coordinator, said the challenge teaches students valuable collaboration and problem-solving skills.

The Cyber Live challenge also hones students’ ability to analyse information and helps boost their awareness of current cyber security practices.

“A lot of students think they know about how to be safe online, but they don’t really,” Ms Hasman added. “This developed that knowledge for them.”

Other opportunities to develop web-based skills, including a Grok web design challenge, are embedded into the college’s Year 9 Information and Software curriculum to enhance students’ technological literacy.

After completing the web design challenge, participants each received a certificate with a grade – distinction, credit or pass – to add to their resume.

CYBER ADVENTURE

The 2022 Cyber Live challenge asked students to trace clues and work out a way to stop a large-scale simulated cyber attack on Sydney’s public landmarks.

“It sort of felt like an escape room. It was engaging,” participating Year 9 Information and Software Technology (IST) student, Rayneer Liong, said.

“Lots of jobs now are tech …

jaderamirezsydcatholiceduauJune 30, 2022|

Record-breaker Nathan takes his shot

One to watch: Marist College Eastwood student Nathan Barbara has set a new Australian record in the U17 Men’s Para Shot Put at the 2022 Australian Track and Field Championships.

domenictrimboli01June 7, 2022|

Old Boys help next generation

Former Marist College Eastwood student, Kevin Torpey, is helping to unlock the potential of the next generation of students.

Current Year 12 graduating student Damon Lam is the recipient of a $15,000 scholarship bestowed on Damon by Marist College Eastwood Old Boys Association on behalf of donor and ‘Old Boy’, Kevin Torpey.

It is the first time the association has awarded a scholarship.

The Kevin Torpey Scholarship will assist Damon to pursue a tertiary education next year in either engineering or a mathematics- or science-based course.

“My objective was to provide financial assistance to college students, assisting them to attend university with reduced financial concerns,” said Mr Torpey, who has maintained contact with the college over the years through class reunions.

ABOUT KEVIN TORPEY

Kevin Torpey graduated from Marist College Eastwood in 1955, where he was a prefect and house captain.

Over the past 40 years, he has been involved in the development of many diverse major mining projects involving oil, iron ore, aluminium, nickel, lead/zinc, uranium, magnesite, coal and gold.

His career – which has taken him all over the world – has spanned mineral projects, project design, as well as development, management and consultancy services.

He originally wanted to become a civil engineer and credits the college with “allowing me the flexibility to change direction immediately upon finishing university and follow a different career”.

FRIENDS IN DEEDS

In a statement, the Old Boys Association thanked Kevin Torpey for his generosity and highlighted the importance of the association’s assistance to the college by way of donations.

“Through the generosity of Kevin Torpey, the Old Boys Association has been able to award our first ever scholarship to Damon, consistent with the terms of …

AdminNovember 15, 2021|

In their own words: Careers in STEM classrooms

Meet the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) teachers whose passion and past work experience is helping students at Sydney Catholic schools achieve.

As we celebrate National Science Week, Sue Farroukh, Gavin Gant, Sylvia Eleftherides and Andrew Di Lizio share with us the career pathways that led them to our classrooms.

SUE FARROUKH, Marist College Eastwood

– Civil engineering project lead, physics and biology teacher

I loved physics at school. For a curious kid like me it was great.

I was studying construction management at uni and had a little light bulb moment.

I wanted something more rewarding and really liked science at school, so I decided to become a physics teacher.

I worked in a big engineering firm for quite a few years.

One of our projects was to build train simulators for the new Sydney trains. With those large projects, you get a real understanding that nothing is done in isolation.

Making cross-curriculum connections is what I have taken from my work into teaching, especially with the seniors who are studying multiple sciences.

“Science answers so many questions” – Sue Farroukh

A lot of students want to be astrophysicists until they realise it’s a bunch of maths and the computers do everything now, so you’ve got to be a really good computer programmer.

Science is so broad. It’s making them aware that if they choose it as a career they’re not just going to be working in a research lab.

The pandemic has helped in that students see there’s someone who studies diseases, develops vaccines, studies viruses.

I tell students that even if they want to go into accounting or law, it does help to have a science under your belt because it is a different way of thinking.

Accuracy, validity and reliability are …

Isabell PetrinicAugust 18, 2021|

National Reconciliation Week: Wandana mural unveiled

Marist College Eastwood students have marked National Reconciliation Week and the rich history of their school and suburb with a painting that will last for generations to come.

The mural, painted with Indigenous artists Deslyn Marsh and Isaac Bamblett from Aboriginal education provider Wandana, features red oxide circles and four yellow travel routes to represent the four name changes the school has been through.

Other symbols on the mural show the land and bush tucker that sustained the local Wallumettegal tribe.

“Students gained a better understanding of the local land and Aboriginal customs, as well as an appreciation for the work that can be achieved when we come together as a community” – Silvana Rossetti

“It has been wonderful to learn about the original inhabitants of this land and to learn that a fish – snapper – was the totem of the Aboriginal people living on this land,” Marist College Eastwood Principal, Silvana Rossetti, said.

“The fish is also a powerful symbol for Christians, so it is a beautiful reminder for us of both Aboriginal and Christian spirituality.”

Mrs Rossetti said the mural was a way to raise awareness of Aboriginal culture and was situated in an area that was highly visible to the school’s staff, students and visitors.

“We are proud to be able to acknowledge not only the history of the school, which began in 1937, but also the land upon which it is built,” she said. Support for our Indigenous students

Isabell PetrinicMay 28, 2021|

How are HSC students doing?

With the easing of COVID-19 restrictions Sydney Catholic Schools’ executive director, Tony Farley, has been visiting schools in the network. While at Marist College Eastwood he had the opportunity to sit down with two HSC students to discuss how they are approaching their path towards their trials and final assessments in the coming weeks for his Weekly Message.

BenjaminJune 24, 2020|

Move over Babe Ruth – Baden is coming

Tech education helps close cyber security skills gap

CYBER ADVENTURE

Record-breaker Nathan takes his shot

Old Boys help next generation

In their own words: Careers in STEM classrooms

SUE FARROUKH, Marist College Eastwood

National Reconciliation Week: Wandana mural unveiled

How are HSC students doing?

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.

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