St Patrick’s College Sutherland | Sydney Catholic Schools

Demountables help flooded Lismore school

Seven demountable classrooms have made the 761 kilometre journey from St Patrick’s College Sutherland to flood-devastated Trinity Catholic College Lismore, where they will help get students’ learning back on track.

Principal of Trinity Catholic College Lismore, Jesse Smith, welcomed the warm-hearted gesture of Lismore’s sister Diocese.

“The generosity of Sydney Catholic Schools ensures that the 500-plus students that we have in years 7 to 10 can continue to access quality learning in Science and other key learning areas,” Mr Smith said.

“We can only say an enormous thank you” – Trinity Catholic College Principal, Jesse Smith

Classrooms a ‘remarkable’ help

Mr Smith said community resilience has been tested at the dual-campus Lismore school, where all but seven classrooms and the college library were significantly damaged in the February deluge after water levels reached a peak of 14.37 metres.

He said Sydney Catholic Schools’ donation – particularly of specialist Science classrooms, “which are expensive and time-consuming to rebuild” – would help provide stability for Trinity’s students.

“A lot of rebuilding needs to happen, so to have those demountable classrooms here and operational in the next couple of weeks is just remarkable,” Mr Smith added.

“We offer a significant number of senior science classes too, so ensuring the passion for science continues is a priority and this does an enormous amount to help us continue down that path.”

St Patrick’s College Sutherland Principal, Janine Kenney, said the college community was pleased the donation was of help to the Lismore school.

“It is wonderful that the system can support the present needs of the Lismore community,” she said.

jaderamirezsydcatholiceduauJune 7, 2022|

The Voice 2022: SCS alumna turns four chairs in her blind audition

Nicola de Sensi is the latest St Patrick’s College Sutherland alumna to take reality singing show The Voice Australia by storm.

All four judges turned their chairs for Nicola during her blind audition performance this week of hit Billie Eilish song ‘when the party’s over’.

This gave the 20-year-old the opportunity to pick her coach on the Channel 7 show. She ultimately chose to join Team Guy Sebastian.

Cheering for Nicola off stage were her mother, father, brother and her Nonna (grandmother), who Nicola referred to as her “number one fan”.

“She’s been wanting me to go on (the program) forever,” Nicola told judge Jessica Mauboy during her blind audition.

Last year Nicola’s schoolmates Jordan and Sian Fuller also turned all four judges’ chairs during the show’s blind auditions. The talented siblings ended up progressing all the way to the show’s finals.

Now Nicola is hoping to follow in their giant footsteps.

The Voice Australia airs Mondays through Wednesdays on Channel 7.

The brain-boosting benefits of an Amadeus music education

FrankApril 22, 2022|

What to expect at our children’s vaccination hubs!

Sydney Catholic Schools’ children’s vaccination hubs are now open!

Sydney Catholic Schools has partnered with South East Sydney Local Health District to establish COVID-19 vaccination hubs at Marcellin College Randwick and St Patrick’s College Sutherland for 5-11 year-olds.

In this video, vaccine recipient Madeline chats with our Executive Director Tony Farley about what to expect.

For more information about the hubs, or for the NSW Health booking links, please click here. Spaces still available.

FrankJanuary 19, 2022|

Sydney Catholic Schools establishes two vaccination hubs

Sydney Catholic Schools (SCS) has partnered with South East Sydney Local Health District to establish vaccination hubs for 5-11 year-olds at two of its schools: Marcellin College Randwick and St Patrick’s College Sutherland.

The Marcellin College hub is located in the Marist Centre (entrance off Avoca Street, Randwick, next to Royal Randwick Shopping Centre) while the St Patrick’s College Sutherland hub is located in Rice Hall (entrance off President Avenue, Sutherland).

These pop up clinics have been established to provide a known and comfortable place within our system of schools for our youngest students to be vaccinated.

Bookings are available through NSW Health from 18-21 January and the clinic will be set up again eight weeks after the first appointment so that the children can receive their second dose.

Executive Director of Sydney Catholic Schools, Mr Tony Farley, said “I hope that setting up these clinics will give parents the comfort and confidence of a familiar location and community approach to access vaccination.”

“Our schools are places of safety and certainty and the close collaboration between our staff, parents and students is the key to meeting and overcoming any challenges in the future,” Mr Farley added.

If you would like to take the opportunity to have your child vaccinated before they return to school, you can book an appointment using the links or QR codes below.

Location	Clinic name (as appears on booking system)	URL	QR Code
Marcellin College Randwick (Marist Centre, entrance off Avoca St, Randwick, next to Royal Randwick Shopping Centre)	St George Hospital @ Marcellin College – KIDS Pfizer	Book now
St Patrick’s College Sutherland (Rice Hall, entrance off President …

domenictrimboli01January 13, 2022|

The changing face of science education

Featuring a Biology superlab, balcony rainforest and woodlands ecosystems, St Patrick’s College Sutherland’s new Alpha Crucis building is a game-changer for the sciences and applied studies.

The innovative building design is the result of a collaboration between St Pat’s teachers, school leadership, Sydney Catholic Schools and JDH Architects.

The building design also includes three industry-standard kitchens for Hospitality and Food Technology, two floors of contemporary learning spaces with breakout areas, multipurpose areas and a textiles room.

Electric vehicle chargers are among the markers of the facilities’ sustainability credentials.

But it is the flexibility of the spaces that has teachers excited to hold classes in the building in the upcoming school year.

The existing tree line provides a natural canopy for St Patrick’s College Sutherland’s new five-level Alpha Crucis building, while blue aluminium fins complement its radiant white facade.

The Hospitality Room’s commercial kitchen fit out includes a full cooking line with combi ovens, bratt pans, deep fryers and a commercial coffee machine. The space will be utilised by students obtaining a Certificate II in Kitchen Operations.

FLEXIBLE LEARNING SPACES

From 2022, Year 11 and 12 students at the college – across Biology, Chemistry, Earth and Environmental, Physics, and Science Extension – will have use of six purpose-built science labs. These areas will also be accessible to more than 900 Year 7 to 10 students.

The Physics lab has movable desks to allow space for practical lessons using ramps, trolleys and data loggers to understand gravity and motion. The Earth and Environmental Science lab has a university lecture …

jaderamirezsydcatholiceduauDecember 16, 2021|

St Pat’s teen snares Paralympic bronze

St Patrick’s College Sutherland student Alex Tuckfield has swum into the history books after winning bronze in the Men’s 400m Freestyle S9 at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games.

In what was his Paralympics debut, the 16-year-old recorded a personal best time of 4:13:54 to finish on the podium.

Tuckfield, one of Australia’s youngest athletes at the Games, edged out countryman Brenden Hall for the bronze while fellow Aussie and Tuckfield’s training partner, Martin William, claimed the gold medal.

The performance caps off a meteoric rise for the former St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School Como student, who only began swimming at the age of 10.

Eyes on the prize

In the heats, the Year 11 student announced himself as a genuine medal chance when he swam the fastest qualifying time of 4:14:26, beating his previous personal best by 1.8 seconds.

In a competitive final that saw the Paralympic record fall, Tuckfield swam faster again to win bronze behind William and silver medallist Ugo Didier from France.

Tuckfield, who has cerebral palsy, also competed in the Men’s 50m Freestyle S9, finishing 7th in his heat.

The Sutherland Shire local said the Tokyo experience is one that he’ll never forget.

“I honestly didn’t think that I’d win a medal in my first event, at my first international meet, in my first international race,” Tuckfield said.

“I’d been training these past weeks the best I ever have been so I knew I could post something very good.”

“But still… I touch the wall, I turn around and I look at the board and I’m just shocked” – Alex Tuckfield

The St Pat’s student was one of Australia’s youngest athletes at the Games

Tuckfield says one of the most special things about his time in Japan …

domenictrimboli01September 6, 2021|

St Pat’s sibling stars shine in The Voice finals 2021

Sian and Jordan Fuller have continued to take reality singing show The Voice by storm.

The next two episodes of the popular Australian singing competition TV show see the talented siblings – a current and former student at St Patrick’s College Sutherland – vie for a place in the top 2, an exciting step closer to the competition grand final.

Jordan, who graduated from the college in 2019, and Sian, who is in Year 12, turned all four judges’ chairs during the show’s blind auditions and have become social media darlings since.

Their musical journey began well before they joined Team Guy Sebastian (Jordan) and Team Rita Ora (Sian) on The Voice.

“Music was always a hobby. This is exposing them to the possibility that it could be much bigger” – Mum

Jordan and Sian are alumni of Sydney Catholic Schools’ creative and performing arts program CaSPA, which they joined while in Year 5 at St John Bosco Catholic Primary School Engadine.

The duo were members of both school’s bands, and have written music together. Both have performed in local musical theatre productions.

Sydney Catholic Schools’ alumnus Jordan Fuller.

Sian plays guitar and violin. Jordan plays and teaches clarinet at primary schools.

“One of the things they both came back and said was that all of that experience, starting so young in Year 5, made it natural for them – especially the recording aspect,” said their mum, Danielle Fuller, a music education officer at Sydney Catholic Schools.

“After they were born, I directed musicals and taught music every day and they would come with me.

“They often talk about how they didn’t really have a choice; this is just innate in them.

“It’s nice for me, as a …

Isabell PetrinicAugust 27, 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|

Feel Good Fridays keep students upbeat, focused

St Patrick’s College Sutherland student leaders have found the answer to staying focused and up beat at the end of a school week: Feel Good Fridays!

On Feel Good Fridays, students from all grades have joined dance, skipping, mindfulness colouring and band sessions to de-stress and connect. Scavenger hunts and karaoke will be among the activities offered soon.

Wellbeing captain, Bethany Schembri, said the school’s leadership team began the initiative to encourage student wellbeing, motivation and a sense of optimism among their peers.

“One little action of positivity can mean so much to one person” – Bethany Schembri

The initiative recognises how fundamental student wellbeing and a positive school environment are to students’ ability to learn and build strong relationships with others.

The whole-of-school wellbeing activities have been highly popular with students.

Bethany said the focus on building opportunities to enhance positive mental health was important as the demands of high school increased each year and students were also faced with the influence of social media.

“Overall, the feedback has been extremely positive,” she said.

“We have found that students love to be more active as a way to get their mind off the pressures of school.

“It helps build relationships between kids of different grades, growing a school community where students are able to feel like they belong.”

jaderamirezsydcatholiceduauJune 8, 2021|

Demountables help flooded Lismore school

Classrooms a ‘remarkable’ help

The Voice 2022: SCS alumna turns four chairs in her blind audition

What to expect at our children’s vaccination hubs!

Sydney Catholic Schools establishes two vaccination hubs

The changing face of science education

FLEXIBLE LEARNING SPACES

St Pat’s teen snares Paralympic bronze

Eyes on the prize

St Pat’s sibling stars shine in The Voice finals 2021

In their own words: Careers in STEM classrooms

SUE FARROUKH, Marist College Eastwood

Feel Good Fridays keep students upbeat, focused

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