Secondary School Update - 23 May 2025

HEAD OF SCHOOL UPDATE Jonathan Brayshaw

Dear Parents and Carers,

On Monday 12 March, our Secondary School gathered together to Commission our 2025 Year 11 Leaders, which is a new role in the life of our College. 

The College recognises that leadership is a gift from God, and personally expressed by Jesus, the Son of God. Our Year 11 Leaders are called to imitate the example Jesus displayed in his life and death, by supporting the College’s statement of faith and exhibiting the values of courage, humility, respect, initiative, self-control and trust.

Year 11 Leaders are appointed to represent the College, its culture, and practise of Christian faith. They serve as mature role models, liaising with staff and supporting the Prefects and House Captains to help lead their fellow students in shaping a positive culture in the College. 

Congratulations to the following students: 

• Aksa Abraham

• Jonathan Abraham

• Bettina Benipayo

• Kayla Cambourn

• Benjamin Esteban

• William Jones

• Theodora Kafataris

• Micah Kwok

• Zachary Martin

• Deeta Mehta

• Arya Naidoo

• Isabella Parker

• Savannah Penton

• Aaliyah Raj

• Angelina Spiteri

• Luke Sultana

• Nathan Tang

• Keren Thomas

We thank God for this wonderful team of student leaders who have all shown a remarkable capacity to serve others.

YEAR 11 FOOD AROUND THE WORLD Debbie Truman

In our first unit of study in Food Technology Year 11 have investigated the impact of migration on food and culture in Australia today. Each student studied how these various cultures have influenced the types of foods we consider normal Australian cuisine and how cultures have adapted and blended foods to suit foods available in Australia. An example would be the types of Chinese food that was introduced during the 1850’s during the Gold Rush. These dishes were much milder than the Chinese would normally have eaten but better suited the Australian and European pallets they were serving. This led to the spread of Chinese restaurants throughout and almost every country town in Australia providing what is commonly called ‘Western Chinese’.

As a culmination of the unit, students cooked dishes from the various cultures they had researched for their assessment task. These included the Philippines, India, France, Italy, Korea, Mexico,  and a number of other countries. The students enjoyed sharing these dishes with each other. Each group increased their cooking skills to produce colourful dishes in a safe and hygienic way.

Pictured are a group of Year 11 students admiring their Passion Fruit Souffle, a French dish that they mastered well. Other dishes include burritos, curries, seeni sambol, brownies, etc.

YEAR 7 Co2 DRAGSTERS Debbie Truman

Recently, our Year 7 students designed and built their very own dragster race cars! Built from lightweight balsa wood, and powered by a carbon dioxide canister, these cars finished our 20m track in an average of 1.374 seconds. Students learned how to draw detailed drawings, and use woodworking tools to bring their designs to life!

LEGAL STUDIES EXCURSION Tamara Kunz

Last week our Year 11 Legal Studies students had the opportunity to attend a day out at NSW Parliament and Penrith Local Courts. The visit to NSW Parliament began with a workshop where students engaged in discussion around law-making procedures and representation to Parliament. They had a surprise drop in from local member and Deputy Premier, Prue Car, who shared her experiences as a politician in her various roles and allowed students to pepper her with a myriad of questions! This was followed by students sitting in the public gallery and watching the Legislative Assembly in action during question time. It was great to see students so engaged, participate in democracy, and better understand the functioning of the government.

In the afternoon we arrived at Penrith Local Court and had the opportunity to sit in three courtrooms in which students saw a variety of matters held before the court (including bail applications, domestic violence and common assault matters). Students were highly invested in understanding the processes they saw operating in the courtroom and were able to see the practical application of concepts we had been discussing in class. They also had the privilege of the magistrates taking time after cases to explain processes to students and answer any questions. Upon returning to the classroom it was so encouraging to see the excitement and engagement of the students through the excellent debrief and discussion of what was seen and heard in the courts!

Overall this was a fantastic experience for the students to immerse themselves in the democratic processes of our state as well as to better understand the legal system through the courtroom procedures.

YEAR 11 & 12 DRAMA INCURSION Liam Tomalaris

Year 11 and 12 Drama students had the great opportunity to participate in specialised workshops provided by Sydney Theatre Company to assist them with the development of their HSC projects and classwork. These workshops occurred over two days and focused on the students independent monologue work as well as their playbuilding skills to assist them on the devising of their group performances.

These workshops were a great practical opportunity for our students to get insight from industry specific specialists, who were able to introduce, reinforce and build upon their classroom experiences to further their understanding theatrical expression. It was great to see the students engage so fully in the activities, and quickly produce quality work that they are able to translate to their future studies.

YEAR 11 EXCURSION Matthew Thompson

During Week 2, our Year 11 Studies of Religion II students took part in an engaging and educational excursion designed to deepen their understanding of Judaism as a living religious tradition. The visit provided a unique opportunity to move beyond the classroom and experience Jewish beliefs, rituals, and community life first-hand.

Students visited a local synagogue, where they were warmly welcomed by a member of the Jewish community. They explored the sacred space, observed key features such as the ark, Torah scrolls, and bimah, and learned about their symbolic significance. The guide explained central practices, including Sabbath observance, dietary laws (kashrut), and the importance of prayer and community.

A highlight of the excursion was a Q&A session, where students asked thoughtful questions about Jewish identity, interfaith dialogue, and how Judaism is lived out in contemporary Australia. This interactive session gave students valuable insights into the lived expression of faith and the challenges and strengths of maintaining religious tradition in a modern world.

This experience directly supported the Preliminary Studies of Religion course, particularly the unit on Religious Tradition Depth Study – Judaism. It allowed students to connect course content with real-world practice and appreciate the rich heritage, diversity, and resilience of the Jewish faith.

Overall, the excursion was both meaningful and memorable, sparking reflection and encouraging students to think more deeply about the role of religion in individual and communal life.

YEAR 12 VET EXCURSION Brad Gill

Our Year 12 Entertainment Industry students recently attended an exciting entertainment industry event. Behind the Gig is an event hosted by Earworm Productions at Liberty Hall, a live music venue in Sydney’s CBD. This event allows students to operate sound and lighting equipment for a live band in one of Sydney’s most popular music venues. Our entertainment Industry class experienced what it takes to put on a show as they worked with Failsafe, an Australian rock band from Western Sydney. 

They spent time learning how to correctly set up instrument microphones for drum kits, guitar amplifiers and vocalists before mixing the band alongside industry professional, Dan Lia, who has worked with bands such as Short Stack, Wolfmother, Hoodoo Gurus and more. As part of Behind the Gig, students met with brand representatives from companies like ULA, who develop lighting fixtures and control panels, operating some of the newest lighting fixtures on offer. Thanks to a range of lighting control desks, the class were able to program and display a simulation of the lighting rig used at the venue to create a digital light show. They then implemented the simulation inside the venue. 

Behind the Gig provides an opportunity to learn about new technologies being adopted by the entertainment industry such as wireless LED Lighting and transparent LED displays. For the final part of the day, students were treated to a short set by Failsafe and had the privilege of working alongside industry experts as they mixed audio and operated lights during the performance. During this show they had the chance to move throughout the venue and go Behind the Gig, heading backstage to experience all the technical roles usually hidden from the audience. 

Later on, a Q&A session between the audience and the band Failsafe explored how they got started as a band through jam events and encouraged music students to seek opportunities to find like-minded musicians and start writing songs.

The Entertainment Industry class have enjoyed many opportunities in the entertainment industry this year including participating in work experience with production companies, operating entertainment events like the easter show amphitheatre, and in workplaces like Good Egg Studio in Riverstone. The entertainment Industry course offers a pathway into a thriving industry by studying a Certificate III in Live Production and Technical Services while completing a two unit HSC subject.