The Exec Address

From the Executive Principal 

Dear MCHF community,

As we draw to the end of term 3, I take this opportunity to thank the many who have worked collaboratively together to ensure every staff, student, and parent has a positive experience at the College. Having said that, unfortunately, I have to address with you a concern that has arisen over the last few weeks of the term. It has come to my attention that there are WhatsApp groups created by parents that have been used as a forum to attack the credibility of teachers and the college. This is extremely disappointing and frustrating for everyone who is working tirelessly to ensure that students are receiving the best possible education. I request that anyone who is engaging in negative commentary about the College, be it regarding the Sisters, staff, or students, should refrain from such negative behaviour. This does not assist anyone. In fact, it causes more harm than good. If you have any concerns whatsoever about occurrences at the college, please make an appointment to discuss this directly with the people concerned. Aside from those handful of people who have nothing better to do than complain incessantly about the College, I want to focus instead on the many wonderful parents who support the teachers in educating the students.

We are trying continuously to improve the academic results of students and to cater for their needs holistically. To achieve this, we need parents to be on board. Your responsibility is to ensure your child is completing the relevant homework and study required of them every night. At meetings with teachers, parents should not be coming in to attack teachers but to listen and work with teachers to enable students to achieve their potential.

When we work together, we achieve great things, and this was very obvious in term 3. Some of the wonderful events that took place that involved both staff, students and parents included the popular fun run, which allowed the college to raise much-needed funds for resources. We also had our very successful spring markets, which gathered us as a community along with the parish. It was a beautiful day with lots of entertainment, food fun and conversations.

We farewell our Year 12 students who graduated and are now studying in order to achieve their best in their final exams. Please keep them in your prayers.

Term four will be a very busy term with final end of year exams, reporting, academic assemblies, and of course our ever popular end of the concert and Expo. I encourage everyone to participate in the celebrations.

From 23rd of September to the 7th of October a group of students from both Maronite College of the Holy Family and St Maroun’s College will be attending an Italy tour supervised by myself and staff from both schools. We ask you to keep us in our prayers as we undertake this trip in Italy to deepen students’ knowledge in the areas of religion and history. We are also planning for 2026 a trip to Vietnam which incorporates knowledge in the KLA areas of PDHPE, history and hospitality.

We are working with our project manager and architect to finalise our Master Plan which we hope to lodge very soon. Once approval is given we are hoping to commence building at the end of 2026. The construction will include an auditorium, underground parking and new labs, music, drama and art rooms.

May God watch over us this term break and keep our families united in love.  

Sr Margaret Ghosn

Executive Principal

Head of College 

Together We Achieve: Celebrating Growth, Success, and Community Spirit at MCHF

Dear MCHF Community

As Term 3 draws to a close, I extend my heartfelt thanks to our staff, students, and families for your dedication and partnership throughout a vibrant and successful term. The energy in our classrooms and the achievements beyond them are a testament to our shared commitment to nurturing every student’s potential. At MCHF, we strive to grow in faith, pursue excellence, and transform the future - living out our motto to know, love, and serve.

Highlights from Term 3

This term, our community came together to celebrate many memorable events, including Foundation Day, the Year 12 Graduation, the Colour Run, and our Spring Markets. These occasions remind us that our greatest successes happen when we work together - Together We Achieve!

We were delighted to welcome our 2026 Kindergarten students for their orientation day and look forward to officially embracing them into our community next year.

Our Year 12 students have completed their studies, and we celebrated their journey with a special day out, graduation, and formal. As they prepare for their HSC exams in October, we keep them in our thoughts and prayers.

A special congratulations to our Mock Trial team, led by Ms Esber-Dayoub, who have reached the top 4 in NSW and will compete in the semi-finals early next term. We are incredibly proud of their achievements!

Also a special congratulations to our Open Boys Rugby League team who have qualified for the Parra Eels Cup Grand Final for this year. Since its inception, the College has reached the Grand Final three times – with two of those times becoming premiers.

Reunion Ball is Coming Soon!

We are excited for our upcoming Reunion Ball on Friday, 17th October 2025 - a wonderful opportunity for former staff and students to reconnect, celebrate our shared achievements, and learn about the future of our College.

Tickets are available through the main office (9633 6600 or admin@mchf.nsw.edu.au), and sponsorship opportunities are open for those who wish to support this special event.

Staffing Updates for Term 4

• Mr Peter Julius (Secondary HSIE) will be on leave, with Ms Chloe Zaiter stepping in.
• Mr Gary Wong (Secondary Science) concludes his time with us; Ms Vinita Nadan returns to the College.
• Ms Ellie Christofi joins our TAS Department, covering for Ms Michelle Cortese.
• Mr Charbel Ibrahim (Secondary SLSO) concludes this term; Ms Georgia Deeb joins as SLSO.
• Ms Nazih Khattar joins us for the first four weeks of Term 4 replacing Ms Francine Farah who will be on leave. 
• Ms Grace Bechara will be on leave from Monday 3rd November, with Ms Alexis Pegg appointed as Leader of Wellbeing – Stage 1, and Ms Ramona Touma replacing Ms Pegg as Kindy White Classroom Teacher.
• Ms Connie Zouein will be on leave from Monday 27th October.
• Ms Annie Nguyen will be on leave commencing Term 4.

Announcing Our 2026 College Leaders

We are proud to introduce our 2026 College Leaders, who will be formally inducted at our Leaders Induction Mass early next term.

College Captains

Jude Hasham and Gabriella Massoud

College Vice Captains

Sebastian Ibrahim and Chloe Rehbane

Primary Captains

John Elias and Rachael Khalil

Primary Vice Captains

Gabriel Garas and Claudia Rose Loulach

SRC President

Olivia Rose Bechara

SRC Vice President

Joseph Habib

Primary SRC Leaders

Savannah Mary Bazouni, Peter Boutros, Anne-Marie Ibrahim, Elijah Semaan

GEM Leaders

Georgia Abboud, Lily El Katrib, Audrey Moussa (Secondary)

Laurina Mary Abi-Khattar, Anthony Khoury, Jaz Sahyoun (Primary)

House Captains

MacKillop House: Alannah Harb (Secondary) and Isaiah George Tawadrous (Primary)

Charbel House: Rafqa Kannan (Secondary) and Charbel Nassim (Primary)

Rafqa House: Charbel El Hakim (Secondary) and Christian Sleiman (Primary)

Maroun House: Angelina Sakr (Secondary) and Fady Sadek (Primary)

Thank you for your ongoing support and commitment to our College. I wish everyone a safe, relaxing, and enjoyable holiday. We look forward to another wonderful term of learning, growth, and achievement - together.

Wishing you a safe and restful break!

Elie Asmar

Head of College

Curriculum Update

Term 3 Reflection and Term 4 Preview 

As we approach the end of Term 3, it’s clear that this has been one of the busiest academic periods of the year. Our students and staff have been deeply engaged in a wide range of curriculum-related activities, and I’d like to take a moment to acknowledge the incredible effort and commitment shown across our school community. 

This term, our Year 12 students undertook their Trial HSC Examinations, a significant milestone in their academic journey. Meanwhile, our Year 11 students are preparing for their End-of-Course Examinations, marking the conclusion of their Preliminary year. In addition, preparations for the Year 12 Graduation are well underway, a momentous occasion that celebrates the achievements and growth of our senior students. 

We were also privileged to host HSC markers onsite for the assessment of IT Multimedia projects and Music I performances. These visits not only validate the hard work of our students but also highlight the high standard of teaching and learning taking place in our classrooms. 

Throughout Term 3, students across all year levels have been completing assessment tasks, demonstrating their learning and progress. We also facilitated subject selection processes for both Year 11 2026 and Year 9 2026 cohorts, helping students make informed decisions about their academic pathways. 

Looking ahead to Term 4, we have several exciting academic events planned: 

• Years 7–10 Exams: Students will engage in formal assessments to consolidate their learning from the year. 
• Year 6 into Year 7 Transition Program: Year 6 students will hear from Ms Dalla regarding curriculum matters, Mr Pearn on wellbeing, and experience a full day as a high school student—an important step in easing their transition. 
• Year 11 2026 Taster Lessons: Year 10 students will participate in a two-week cycle of lessons in the subjects they’ve selected for Stage 6, giving them a valuable preview of their senior studies. 

I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks to our dedicated staff for their ongoing efforts in delivering high-quality curriculum experiences and supporting students through these busy periods. Your professionalism and care make a lasting impact. 

To our parents and carers, thank you for your continued support of your child’s education. Your partnership is vital in helping our students thrive both academically and personally. 

Wishing everyone a productive and rewarding Term 4. 

Ms Georgette Dalla

Head of Curriculum 

Teaching and Learning Update

Dear MCHF Community

Term 4 is usually filled with things ending like, the wrapping up of year-long projects, and the achievement of goals from the school year. But for the MCHF graduating class of 2026, Term 4 is actually the beginning. Just as Year 12 2025 step out into the world and shine brightly, we have another set of keen students standing on the precipice of their culminating school journey.

But even if you (or your child) are not in Year 12, Term 4 still presents our community with at least 9 weeks to set goals for ourselves in all aspects of our learning journey and strive to achieve them before Christmas. Our teachers are always striving, and it is this attitude of continual improvement and growth mindset that will force us to be continually dissatisfied with standing still, and instead, want to evolve and grow as people and as students.

In Term 3, the professional learning foci of MCHF staff was on foundational realignment of knowledge on Explicit Teaching. In Term 4, we will continue to strengthen our toolbox of pedagogical skills as we get more specific on what Explicit Teaching actually is, and what it isn’t. We will also spend considerable time on planning programs for 2026 that incorporate explicit teaching and the gradual release of responsibility, to ensure we are always mentoring students on how to create, and then transferring the skills and the responsibility for that learning to them.

Finally, it was wonderful to see the abundant talents of our students on display at the 2025 Enrichment and Engagement Showcase in Week 7. Students from across both the primary and secondary school highlighted talents that were exceptional. It is clear that without such events, others may not be exposed to those very special talents of our community. I am so proud of the students who participated and the teachers and parents who mentored these truly exceptional young entrepreneurs. I cant wait to see the successes you all become!

Have a wonderful and safe break and please keep safe and keep learning.

Ms Emma Dettling 

Head of Teaching and Learning