Cohort News

"I alone cannot change the world,
but I can cast a stone across the waters to create many ripples.”
— Mother Teresa

Year 7 Pastoral Care

Dear Year 7 Students and Families,

It is hard to believe that we are already at this point in the school year. Looking at how confidently the girls navigate our campus, manage their timetables and throw themselves into College life, you would never know this is their very first year of high school! The transition from primary school can be a whirlwind, but our Year 7 cohort has adjusted remarkably well, demonstrating fantastic resilience, enthusiasm and the true "BRAVE Brigidine Spirit" each day.

We kicked off Term 4 with a whole-school assembly where we formally acknowledged our new Student Leaders. It was a wonderful occasion for our Year 7 students to witness the inspiring leaders who will guide our College community, providing them with strong role models to look up to as they continue their own high school journey.

Looking ahead on the calendar, one of the major highlights of Term 4 is fast approaching! Our College Swimming Carnival will take place on Tuesday 24th November at the Des Renford Leisure Centre. These major carnivals are always a highlight of the year, filled with House spirit, energetic cheering and friendly competition. I strongly encourage all the girls to dive in, wear their House colours with pride and support their peers on the day.

Back in the classroom, the girls are currently hard at work preparing for their final assessment tasks of the year. This period can feel busy, but it is also a fantastic opportunity for the students to demonstrate how much their academic skills and independence have grown over the past four terms. As they prepare, I encourage parents and guardians to familiarise themselves with the official guidelines regarding student absences during assessments. If your daughter is absent on the day of an assessment due to illness or misadventure, please consult the Year 7 Assessment Handbook, which can be found under the 'Star' icon (Favourites) on Compass, to ensure the correct illness and misadventure procedures are followed.

Please remember that your daughter’s classroom teacher is always the first point of contact for any subject-related queries or academic guidance. I encourage the girls to make the absolute most of their time in class by actively engaging with their teachers, asking questions and seeking feedback as they refine their study routines.

I wish all of our Year 7 students the very best as they prepare for and complete their final assessments. We are so proud of everything they have achieved so far this year!

Kind regards,

Tony Munguia

Year 7 Pastoral Care Coordinator

Year 8 Pastoral Care

Welcome back to Term 4! It has been a wonderful start to the final term of the year, and I would like to commend our Year 8 students on how remarkably well they presented themselves upon their return to school.

As we move through the warmer months, we kindly ask parents and guardians to assist us in maintaining our high presentation standards. Please remind your daughters to check that their skirt length complies with college standards and ensure they are wearing their school hats to and from school each day for SunSmart care and consistent uniform presentation.

We have a number of outstanding individual and pastoral achievements to celebrate across the cohort since our return:

Chelsea G achieved First Place at the NSW State Figure Skating Championships in the Preliminary Girls division. A phenomenal achievement!
Charlie H has been selected to participate in the prestigious Australian Wanderers AFL European Tour in 2028. Congratulations, Charlie!
Pastoral Care Coordinator’s Awards: Congratulations to Charlize E, Ava D and Amelia L, who are the proud recipients of Year 8's first Pastoral Care Coordinator’s Awards for 2026.

Well done to all of these students for demonstrating such dedication, effort, and excellence!

For the remainder of Term 4, our Year 8 Pastoral Program will focus on health, wellbeing and informed decision-making surrounding vaping. Students will engage in the government-funded Our Futures Vaping Prevention Program, an evidence-based education initiative facilitated by the University of Sydney. Through interactive learning and research-backed insights, this program aims to equip young teenagers with facts about the health risks associated with vaping, empowering them to make safe, healthy choices for themselves and their peers.

It is going to be a busy and rewarding final term. We look forward to supporting the Year 8 cohort as they work hard, support one another and finish 2026 on a strong and positive note.

Jon Campbell

Year 8 Pastoral Care Coordinator

Year 9 Pastoral Care

Dear Year 9 Students, Parents and Carers,

It has been a positive start to Term 4 and it is hard to believe we are already approaching the halfway point of the term. Year 9 students have settled back into their routines well and are now preparing for an important few weeks ahead.

Year 9 Assessment Week:

Year 9 Assessment Week begins next week. At this stage, students should be well underway with their preparation and revision across all subjects.

Students are encouraged to:

Study in manageable 25–40 minute blocks
Use active study strategies, such as practice questions, mind maps, flashcards and self-testing
Prioritise areas they find most challenging
Maintain good sleep, nutrition and regular breaks

During Pastoral Care, students have been learning about effective study strategies and how to prepare for exams. We encourage families to support students in maintaining a balanced and realistic study routine over the coming week.

As we move into the second half of Term 4, I encourage students to continue demonstrating the positive habits they have developed throughout the year. This includes arriving to school and lessons on time, being prepared for learning, wearing the College uniform correctly and continuing to engage positively with their teachers and peers.

Upcoming Events Scheduled:

Monday 9th - Friday 13th November: Year 9 Assessment Block
Tuesday 24th November: College Swimming Carnival
Friday 27th November: Year 9 Reflection Day & End of Year CAPA Showcase (6pm)
Tuesday 8th December: Whole School End of Year Mass
Thursday 10th December: Community Day
Friday 11th December: Presentation Day & Last Day of School

I wish all Year 9 students the very best for their Assessment Week. Stay organised, trust your preparation and remember to do your best.

Kind regards,

Kathy Phetrasi

Year 9 Pastoral Care Coordinator

Year 10 Pastoral Care

Welcome back to the final term of Year 10! It was great to hear the students had a restful break and are ready to tackle this exciting and crucial term ahead.

Term 4 starts at a fast pace, and our Year 10 students are already hard at work preparing for their upcoming exams. We wish all Year 10 students the absolute best of luck with their upcoming exams.

Activity Week and Preparing for Year 11:

As Year 10 draws to a close, our transition and preparation for Year 11 are officially underway. To help guide students into senior study, we are currently planning an activity week in Week 8. Throughout the week, students will take part in a diverse range of sessions designed to prepare them academically, practically and socially for the years ahead. A tentative timetable at this stage will begin with Monday and Minimum Standards alongside a PC activity and peer support planning. Tuesday centers on future learning, offering exciting subject taster sessions for Year 11 as well as an insightful presentation on AI. Wednesday brings a practical 50-minute Financial Literacy workshop followed by further Pastoral Care activities. Thursday focuses on Religion and Mission running up until afternoon sport, and Friday caps off the week with a well-deserved focus on wellbeing activity and a cohort gathering.

Great things happening in Year 10:

Year 10 students have been showing their community spirit through their active involvement in the Social Justice Club. By organising regular sandwich making drives, these students directly support the Vinnies Van outreach services.

Kasey R also represented the college recently in the inaugural SCS Bangarra Rekindling Program. This connected students with local elders, stories, languages and country. I was able to attend the performance and moved by what the students had created.

In our recent pastoral periods student have continued to explore the BRAVE framework. Students with their PC Teachers learned about the three dimensions of voice, the physical voice (breath, posture, projection), inner voice (values, resilience) and advocacy voice (speaking up for themselves and others).

Please email me with any questions and or concerns

jessica.harper@syd.catholic.edu.au

God Bless

Jessica Harper

Year 10 Pastoral Care Coordinator

Year 11 Pastoral Care

Our students have officially embarked on the final chapter of their school journey. It has been great to see them begin this term with such determination and a vibrant energy. While Year 12 is a period of focus and hard work, it is equally a time filled with memorable milestones and celebrations. Above all, it is a year where our cohort unites by supporting one another through every challenge and forming a truly close knit bond.

We started the term with our Year 12 Leadership Commissioning Assembly, a wonderful occasion where our new student leaders were officially acknowledged and sworn into their roles. I am confident in this team and look forward to watching them guide our school community by living out our College motto and leading with both strength and gentleness.

Our Week 1 Parent Information Evening was another highlight, and I want to extend my thanks to the many parents and carers who attended. We hope the evening provided clear and practical insights into our senior assessment policies, as well as a deeper understanding of the ATAR pathway following the informative presentation by Joy from UAC.

There was also great excitement across the year group as our students officially received their Year 12 jerseys. Representing leadership, maturity and unity, these jerseys are a real badge of honour, and I know our girls will wear them with pride. My sincere thanks go to the Jersey Committee for their time and thorough planning throughout the design process. In particular, I want to extend a special acknowledgement to Zara D and Tess D for creating the magnificent First Nations artwork featured on the back of the jersey. I am incredibly proud of their work and look forward to seeing this meaningful design showcased in various ways across our College community throughout the year.

Our cohort’s strong sense of community and spirit was also on display on Sunday, 25th October, as many of our Year 12 students took part in the Maroubra Fun Run. It was a wonderful morning for our girls to show up as Team Brigidine and unite in school pride. Congratulations to all of our runners and walkers who completed the 4km course, despite it being a very hot day, everyone had a great time and represented our school brilliantly!

As your daughters receive their official Year 11 Academic Reports, we encourage you to sit down together to carefully review the feedback from their teachers. This moment serves as a chance to celebrate their achievements, reflect honestly on areas for growth and map out strategic goals to best prepare them for the journey ahead.

Thank you once again to all of our families for your ongoing kindness and partnership. Your support forms the foundation of our community, and I look forward to walking alongside you and your daughters during this busy and extraordinary year.

Rebecca Monohan

Year 11 Pastoral Care Coordinator

Year 12 Pastoral Care

As our Year 12 students navigate their HSC examinations, we want to send our warmest thoughts and wish every single student the very best of luck. We encourage everyone to keep perspective during this busy time: remember that while you have worked hard, your exams, ATAR and final TAFE marks do not define who you are as a person. Your character, resilience, kindness and future potential extend far beyond any single test score or final mark.

While our students are hard at work, we also want to take a moment to look back and celebrate the remarkable conclusion to their formal schooling at the end of last term.

I also want to extend my sincere thanks to everyone who made our end-of-term celebrations so special. A huge expression of gratitude is extended to our incredible Year 12 Pastoral Team for their dedication, care and tireless efforts in supporting our students and organising these memorable events:

Mr Matthew Dunne
Ms Kylie Little
Ms Jennifer Lau
Ms Rachel Raskopoulos
Ms Kate Elder
Ms Vanessa Culhane
Ms Janine Christofides
Mr Sam Lam
Ms Adriana Parsons

Thank you to all teachers, staff, families and students whose hard work ensured the final week ran so seamlessly.

The final week of Term 3 was packed with joy, laughter and lifelong memories. With final year group meetings which was a chance to reflect on the high school journey and share final words of encouragement. The girls also did the traditional dress decorating showing their creativity and vibrant colors to the annual dress decorating tradition. We also participated in an African Drumming Session which was an energetic new addition to our final week, bringing rich rhythms and joyful energy to the cohort.

We brought our students' final school days to a meaningful close with our College Farewell Mass and Graduation Ceremony, honoring their growth, achievements, and contributions to our school community over the years. To round out a momentous week, the Year 12 Formal at Doltone House, Darling Island was a stunning evening of celebration, dancing and heartfelt goodbyes. The cohort looked spectacular and represented our community with pride and elegance.