Term 3, Week 8

From the Principal

Year 12 have been busily engaged in preparing for their HSC exams and Major Works submissions. Last week the College was proud to present the 2025 HSC Showcase, a celebration of the creativity, commitment, and talent of our Year 12 students. Many members of the MCCP community gathered to witness and celebrate the culmination of their hard work. This year’s showcase featured a remarkable collection of major works from a diverse range of subjects, including Dance, Design and Technology, History Extension, Industrial Technology Timber, Music 1, Science Extension, and Visual Arts. For over 12 months, our students dedicated themselves to creating these high-calibre works, which not only met their HSC examination criteria but also reflected their deep engagement with the world around them.

The evening was a testament to the exceptional skills of our young artists, designers, musicians, historians and scientists. The showcase featured everything from innovative design and intricate woodwork to compelling scientific research and insightful historical studies. The audience was also treated to outstanding live performances in Dance and Music 1, highlighting our students' dedication and artistry. This incredible exhibition of talent was a direct result of the commitment of our HSC teachers, who went above and beyond to mentor and support our students.  Our staff have worked alongside our students to produce these major works on the demanding journey that a major HSC project brings. This includes many additional hours outside of class time. I would like to acknowledge the guidance, mentorship and support given to our students by their teachers.  

To our Year 12 graduates,  I hope you will continue to grow to be courageous young men and women who act with strength and gentleness. I encourage you to continue to explore creative and academic pursuits that challenge and highlight your skill, expertise and knowledge. The College is incredibly proud of your efforts and we are pleased to be able to showcase your achievements. 

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Mrs Connie Frino - College Principal

Religious Education News

IN OUR CHURCH

Canonisation of St Carlo Acutis and St Pier Giorgio Frassati

The canonisation of Carlo Acutis, the first millennial saint in the Catholic Church, took place on Sunday, September 7. Carlo was born in 1991 and died in 2006 at just fifteen years old from Leukemia. He was a computer genius who loved playing video games and has become the Church’s first millennial Saint. Carlo used to say: “In front of the sun, you get a tan. In front of the Eucharist, you become a saint!”  And again: “Sadness is looking at yourself; happiness is looking at God.  Conversion is nothing more than shifting your gaze from below to above; a simple movement of the eyes is enough.”

Carlo encountered Jesus in his family, thanks to his parents, Andrea and Antonia. From a young age. Carlo had a profound relationship with the Blessed Sacrament which he called his “highway to heaven”. He attended daily Mass, spent time in Eucharistic Adoration and inspired others to grow in their faith. He firmly believed in the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist and dedicated his life to promoting this truth. Carlo’s love of Christ guided his selfless kindness toward others.

Pier Giorgio Frassati was born in Italy in 1901. Pier Giorgio was blessed with a devotion to God from a young age with his faith centered on the Eucharist and Mary. Pier Giorgio was an average Catholic young adult. He was a college student in Italy. His major was mining engineering. Pier Giorgio encountered the Lord through school and church groups — Catholic Action, the Conferences of Saint Vincent, the Italian Catholic University Federation, the Dominican Third Order — and he bore witness to God with his joy of living and of being a Christian in prayer, friendship and charity.  For him, faith was not a private devotion, but it was driven by the power of the Gospel and his membership in ecclesial associations.  He was also generously committed to society, contributed to political life and devoted himself to the service of the poor.

Jesus, we thank You for giving us models of virtuous living in St Carlo Acutis and St Pier Giorgio Frassati. Help us to imitate their holy examples.

St Carlo, you asked us to spread the Gospel through our lives so that each of us can be a beacon to light the journey of others. You were certainly that light for so many. Your life was an amazing example of living the Gospel and spreading that light so that others could come to know Jesus through you.

St Pier Giorgio, what an example you are to all young people! Your devotion was fixed on God from such an early age. You loved God with such a passion. You told everyone about Him!

Pray for us, that instead of hiding in the shadows, we may step out into the light and defend our faith. Pray that we may shine Christ’s light without any hesitation.

Mary Our Good Mother…pray for us.

St Mary of the Cross MacKillop…pray for us.

St Marcellin Champagnat...pray for us and bless our school

IN OUR COMMUNITY

Father’s Day Liturgy

Last Friday, 5th September, we celebrated our Father’s Day Liturgy. It was a morning of celebration and community spirit. Students and their Fathers, Father Figures and Grandfathers celebrated a prayer service together and then enjoyed a delicious breakfast.

On Father’s Day when we remember what it means to have a father or be a father, we recognise the importance of fathers in our community. Fathers come in many different forms;  Fathers who are working day and night to raise children, fathers who took in others’ children through adoption and foster care, fathers who are expecting, but aren’t quite fathers yet, and those fathers who have lost children and must carry on.  Fathers who right now have joined God in Heaven and whom we miss dearly here on earth. We pledge as a community to love and nurture the fathers and father figures among us so that they will manifest the love of God in all that they do.

I would like to thank all the teachers, support staff, students and parents that assisted with the Liturgy and to Fr Brian Steele MGL for providing a blessing to our community. Thank you to our student readers and families involved in the Prayer Service, and to our staff in their contributions in the set up and smooth running of the morning.

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Year 10 SCS 10:10 Evangelisation Day

A small group of students in Year 10 represented the College this year at the 10:10 Evangelisation Day.  Students from across the Archdiocese of Sydney gathered at Good Samaritan Hinchinbrook where they listened to a variety of guest speakers from across the Archdiocese of Sydney and engaged in a day of reflection, music, prayer and activities. It was a great day and thank you to Miss Chaaban for organising the event and Miss Kalifa for accompanying the student to this event.

St. Vincent De Paul Snack Packing

Thank you to Year 7 and 8 for their generous snack pack donations this week. These snack packs will be packed by staff at the staff spirituality day at the end of this term and then donated to St Vincent de Paul who will hand them out as part of the Night Patrol Program. We are so grateful to Year 7 and 8 families for their contributions to this wonderful initiative.

Clancy Art Prize Exhibition 2025

On Friday, 5th September, Maya Roche and Irini Ifandoudas and their families attended the Clancy Art Prize Exhibition at Australian Catholic University (ACU) in Strathfield where their artworks based on the theme ‘Saints Anchored in Hope’ were on display.

Maya Roche, Year 10 - The Little Flower

The focus of my artwork is St. Thérèse of Lisieux, also known as "The Little Flower," a Carmelite nun from 19th-century France. She became one of the most adored saints of the modern era because of her writings, which encouraged faith and love. She is known for her "little way" of love, which involves performing small acts of kindness rather than pursuing holiness through large, public actions. I used a bouquet of roses to represent her promise to "let fall a shower of roses" as a sign of hope and forgiveness in my piece. I created the collage using pieces of painted paper to reflect her message that small, simple acts of love can build something beautiful and lasting. The weaved background suggests both serenity and struggle, expressing the way hope weaves through hardship. This work honors St. Thérèse as a saint of hope.

Irini Ifandoudas, Year 10 - Joseph, Jesus and the White Lilies

I was inspired by the bible stories of Jesus and Joseph, in which Joseph’s constant protection over his wife and Jesus provide hope for his family, as Fathers, or father figures do in real life. Although Jesus was not Joseph’s son biologically, Joseph still treated Jesus as if he was. Joseph holding Jesus serves as a reminder that we can turn to our fathers, and God for hope and guidance in our lives. I used watercolour as it was a soft medium and I could experiment with the colours, making the rays of light radiating from the figures brighter and more prominent. The different coloured robes represent Jesus’ holiness and suffering emphasise how our hardships are lifted through Jesus’ resurrection, giving us hope in times of darkness and sorrow. The flowers they are holding represent purity and holiness and are symbolic as they provide us with the hope that we can achieve eternal life.

Thank you to Mr Brustolin and Ms Dimanoski in their support of Maya and Irini in creating their artworks!

IN OUR ARCHDIOCESE   

The Scaffolding Newsletter: Bishop Tony Percy

Sydney's newest Auxilary Bishop, Bishop Tony, shares thoughts and reflections on Scripture and contemporary topics through his Substack newsletter.

The most recent 200 word article, titled Hope, can be found here.

Subscribe to his Substack newsletter and podcast here. 

Click here for events.

Ms Samantha Ison - Religious Education Coordinator

R U OK? Day

R U OK? DAY – BUILDING A CARING AND CONNECTED SCHOOL COMMUNITY

Our school is proudly participating in R U OK? Day, a national initiative that encourages meaningful conversations about mental health and wellbeing. This important event was held in alignment with our Pastoral Care program.

During Pastoral Care lessons, students engaged in a specially designed R U OK? Day session that focused on how to confidently start a conversation and ask, “Are you OK?” Students learnt and had opportunities to practice the four steps of an R U OK? Conversation applying ALEC - Ask, Listen, Encourage action, Check In. The lesson encourages empathy, active listening, and the importance of checking in with others.

Both campuses are decorated with R U OK? themed bunting to help raise awareness and create a warm, welcoming atmosphere. The initiative was a valuable opportunity to reinforce our commitment to student wellbeing and to foster a culture of care and connection across our school community.

Thank you to all staff and students for embracing this initiative and helping to make R U OK? Day a meaningful experience for everyone.

Mrs Marie-Anne Maakrun - Leader of Character Education

Technology News

STAGE 4 TECHNOLOGY - YEAR 7 TEXTILES AWARDS

The TAS department is extremely proud of the effort made by Year 7 students on their textiles project. They have worked diligently during practical lessons to apply new skills in hand and machine sewing to create functional and aesthetically pleasing drawstring bags. Their creativity shone through with a wide range of designs including sports, animals, nature and even book character themes.

For the first time, we held the People’s Choice and Principal’s Choice Awards in recognition of their hard work. One bag was selected from each class to be displayed in the library for students and staff to vote.

We are proud to announce the winners:

Finalists: Marshall Tandek, Noah Trinidad, Christian Filipovic, Hannah Elliot, Alannah Nguyen, Ava Dahman, Monica Ilic and Jordan Petrovski

Congratulations to all students!

Mrs Tina Bongailas - Technology Teacher

Year 7 Geography Excursion

As part of their Geography studies, students are required to complete a fieldwork study where they apply the skills they have been learning about in class. As part of their 'Water in the World' unit, students went to Stanwell Park and Worona dam, where they were led by rangers to engage in a geographical study of the area. Students participated in sketch drawings, map readings, and taking and analysing water samples of the area. This practical approach led to discussions about the water quality of the area and possible aquatic life that reside there. The students were intrigued and curious about the dam, asking thoughtful questions to further their understanding of how dams work. 

Mrs Lisa Farrelly - Stage 4 English and HSIE Coordinator

Tournament of the Minds

On Saturday the 30th of August, a group of students from Year 7-10 participated in the Tournament of the Minds (TOM) at Hurlstone Agricultural College. TOM is an academic competition where students focus on collaborative problem solving and critical thinking in both spontaneous and long-term challenges among various fields, including Language Literature, Social Sciences, STEM, and The Arts.

The Marist Seniors team, consisting of Magda Grzadka, Evangelia, Irini and Katerina Ifandoudas, Mikki Li, Maya Roche, and Kim Ventura, participated in the Language Literature challenge. We were required to bring to life one of Shaun Tan’s classic tales of humanity, reflecting the themes of good and evil, hope and redemption. We decided on his text “Cicada” where we reimagined the story through the lens of Anastasia Cicada, a city kid battling exclusion and isolation as she enters a foreign rural environment.

The 6 weeks of working on TOM was an incredibly rewarding experience as not only were we able to hone our skills of time management, team cooperation and script writing, but we were also able to create and develop stronger relationships by working together to overcome hurdles. On performance day, it was amazing to see our hard work come together into a dramatic, meaningful and transformative play. A major highlight from the day was finding out that our Marist Seniors Team achieved 3rd Place in Language Literature!

The Marist Juniors team, consisting of Bahati Mwanyalu, Jesy Rafferty, Athena Viskadourakis, Ivana Gjurovski, Gemma Cheuk, Claire Douglas, and Bethany Rhodes-Smith, participated in the Social Sciences challenge. They were tasked with pitching a new recreational facility to a community forum. This required them to identify two potential sites, detailing the advantages and disadvantages of each, and to present a creative facility design that catered to the diverse needs of the community. The team's six weeks of collaboration culminated in an engaging performance that showcased their strong research, critical thinking, and public speaking skills.

Thank you to Mrs Panzarino who guided us throughout the challenge - we couldn’t have achieved this amazing result without her. Congratulations to all TOM participants who represented our college, we can’t wait to see new innovations in next year’s competition!

Mikki Li (10-3), Evangelia (10-2), Irini (10-7) and Katerina Ifandoudas (10-5)

Marist Oratory Competition

Congratulations to Anna Jones (Year 7 - 2nd Place), Tyler Quinn (Year 8) and Amber Lee (Year 12, Impromptu), who competed at the 33rd Annual Marist Oratory Competition at St Joseph's College, Hunters Hill. Well done to all on your excellent performances!

Representative Sport

SCS ATHLETICS CARNIVAL

On Friday 29th August, 30 of our students represented the College at the SCS Athletics Carnival held at the Homebush Athletics Track. It was a day of incredible effort, determination, and outstanding performances across a range of track and field events.

Some standout achievements included:

Thank you to our Year 12 House Captains for assisting on the day. Students provided SCS staff support during field events and were a valuable help throughout the day.

We congratulate all students who participated and wish the very best of luck to those competing in the CCC Athletics Event on Monday 15th September.

EUROPEAN HANDBALL REFEREEING 

On Tuesday 2nd September, 22 of our students had the exciting opportunity to referee at the SCS Primary Schools European Handball Gala Day at St George Netball, Rockdale. They officiated games played by Stage 3 students from local primary schools, demonstrating leadership, confidence, and a strong understanding of the game’s rules.

This experience not only allowed our students to contribute to the success of the event but also helped them develop important skills such as communication, teamwork, and decision-making under pressure. Their professionalism and enthusiasm were praised by both staff and players, reflecting the excellent training and sportsmanship fostered at the College.

A huge thank you to Ms Lauren Gilchrist for accompanying the students on the day.

HOCKEY GALA DAY

Five college teams participated in the Hockey Gala Day at Moorebank Hockey Fields, competing across Junior Girls & Boys, Intermediate Girls & Boys, and Senior Girls divisions.

Our Junior Boys team achieved 3rd place, showing resilience and teamwork throughout the day. The players displayed great skill, determination, and sportsmanship, making the College proud.

A huge thank you to Ms Natalie Daher, Ms Daniella Chaaban, and Mr Tony Nader for supervising, coaching, and supporting the students during the day. Their dedication ensured a smooth and successful event for all participants.

GIRLS TENNIS GALA DAY

Our Junior, Intermediate and Senior Girls Tennis teams competed at the Voyager Tennis Centre, Rockdale on Thursday 4th September, delivering impressive performances throughout the day. Both teams finished 3rd in their respective divisions, demonstrating skill, strategy, and great sportsmanship.

The players showed excellent collaboration in doubles matches and strong individual performances in singles, contributing to a very competitive and enjoyable tournament. Well done to all girls involved!

A huge thank you to Ms Jeannie Bedwell for supervising, coaching, and supporting the students during the day.

U15’s CCC TOUCH FOOTBALL

Congratulations to Frankie Hurley (8-2) and Leni Tandek (9-6) who represented the U15s CCC Touch Football team at the recent tournament held at Hills Grammar on Wednesday 27th and Thursday 28th August.

They faced CHS and CIS twice each throughout the tournament, only narrowly losing two close games. On the final day, the team played back-to-back matches before advancing to the final. In a thrilling final against CIS, the CCC team went down 6–5, finishing as proud runners-up. A fantastic achievement under the guidance of our very own Louise Winchester as CCC Coach!

Miss Jordan Baker - Stage 4 PDHPE Coordinator

REPRESENTATIVE SPORT RESULTS

RUGBY 7s ACTION

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REPRESENTATIVE SPORTS AWARDS - SOUTH HURSTVILLE ASSEMBLY

2025 Shark Tank