Department News

English 

A Star is Born! 

In a world where words hold the power to inspire, evoke, and transform, one young author has recently risen to the occasion, capturing the attention of the judges. We are thrilled to announce that Ellie Sherman, a budding wordsmith from HSC year 2023, has been selected for the prestigious Young Writers Showcase for her outstanding work On her Extension 2 project titled The Morrígan.

This achievement is a testament to Ellie’s dedication, creativity, and hard work. The Young Writers Showcase highlights the best and brightest young authors, providing them with a platform to share their unique voices and stories. Ellie's inclusion in this showcase is a significant milestone and an exciting beginning to what promises to be a successful writing journey. We also extend our congratulations to Ellie's supportive English teachers and family, who have played a crucial role in nurturing her talent.

Here is the glimpse of Ellie’s work:

Preface

Evelyn Hart 13/7/19

My obsession with Morrígan began long before her story began to mirror mine; a story beneath another, a story obscured with thorns, warped and twisted through time, like the embroidered petals of a bluebell overstitched and covered by inkings of black. 

The words on the following pages are, of course, myth. Myth and my imaginings of her life; dreams and flickers of an Irish goddess and her relationships. Specifically, a relationship with the duplicitous man who defined her history. Cú Chulainn.

If you’ve heard of the name it is probably because you are familiar with Laurence Whitlock’s 1988 novel Chulainn. The New York Times called it a ‘masterpiece… a radical mythical reinvention. The following year, in 1989, it won The Booker Prize. Judge Hugo Kingsley crowned its author a ‘lightning-sharp literary genius’. 

I remember this because I watched the awards ceremony with the divorce papers from Laurence and a fountain pen in my hands.

Morrígan was, of course, the Irish warrior’s spurned lover - imagined by Whitlock as a spiteful goddess of death, witch-hag, whore. As one of the Tuatha Dé Danann - a supernatural race of Celtic deities - her character is drawn from the Ulster Cycle. In Whitlock’s narrative, she is a dark splotch; a blur of wild fury and untamed desire summoned in all but ten, measly pages out of four hundred and twenty-two.  

1Pronounced ‘Mor - REE - gun’: Primarily derived from the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology (c.6th century CE), her name is most commonly mentioned in Old Irish as ‘Morrígan’, with Mor meaning ‘phantom’ and rígan translating to ‘queen’. Hence she is often referred to as ‘Phantom Queen’. Morrígan presents in tripartite form as the spurned lover, sovereign mother, and hag, associated with interchanged collections of three distinct names, which I have identified respectively as ‘Morrigan, Macha, Badb’. She is closely associated with death and portrayed as wild and wicked. Some sources suggest this negative characterisation is due to the Catholicisation of pagan Irish myths.

 1 New York Times, Book Review

 3Dublin Literary Award (1989)

Since its release in 1988, critics began drawing parallels between the novel Chulainn and the biography of its author, in particular the drama of his marriage - our marriage.

Morrígan in Whitlock’s novel, they argue, is quite clearly a representation of me. The subtle mannerisms, the intertextual references - all correspond to our relationship.

Maybe. But the truth of this story, of my story, is another matter entirely. There is unpeeling to be done, unpicking, unstitching.

Would you believe me if I said he was not the only literary genius behind that ‘masterpiece’? 

Morrígan’s myth had been my obsession long before I even met Laurence; I had scrapbooks, journals, pieces of poetry and drawings that I finally showed him after we reconciled following our two month separation - the details of which had been plastered on the The Daily Telegraph and Irish Times. 

In the early quiet of dark mornings I uncovered Morrígan to Laurence, piecing her together for him bit by bit as he listened, entranced. We shared her like a secret, playing between the scribblings of words and poems on my pages. 

Little did I suspect he would claim it as his own work. 

Little did I know how he would tamper with the myth, replacing Morrígan with someone utterly unrecognisable to me.

Who was this shadow he had put in her place? This shallow insipid girl, whose actions portrayed a wicked selfishness? She was not the Morrígan I knew, the Morrígan who was strong and powerful and protected those she loved with a fierce heart.

With all the chatter around the release there was no space for my Morrígan, for my words. But I have not sat idle. I have been working all these years, meticulously untangling Whitlock’s narrative to shape and forge the words to their natural form. The story that emerged was an unbroken tapestry of Morrígan’s life - and hidden within it, correlations to our relationship. 

This is a story that directly challenges Whitlock’s ‘Chulainn’.

Reading it will no doubt be unexpected, perplexing - shocking, even. Some may not believe it.

You do not know Morrígan. You do not know me. 

Yet. 

Enrichment Opportunity

AJ Betts, the rockstar author of six fabulous novels for teenagers, recently dazzled our Year 7 and Year 8 Enrichment classes with her creative genius. Her boundless enthusiasm and undeniable passion for writing were like a literary spark, igniting the students' imaginations. The girls were all ears and full of curiosity, firing off a barrage of questions that AJ answered with wit and warmth. 

Her latest novel, One Song, follows a teenage rock band on their quest to conquer Triple J Unearthed High and change their lives forever. AJ's third novel, Zac & Mia, didn't just win hearts—it was adapted into an Emmy Award–winning TV series! And let's not forget her dystopian duology, Hive and Rogue, which are literary staples in classrooms across Australia. When AJ isn't busy writing bestselling novels, she's enlightening minds as a teacher and speaker, armed with a PhD in the fascinating field of wonder.

Brigidine Talent: Forever Inspiring!

It never ceases to amaze me—the incredible talent among the Brigidine girls is like a treasure chest that just keeps on giving. In our day-to-day conversations, it's like uncovering hidden gems, revealing that our students are not only academic stars but also passionately pursuing their diverse interests with remarkable dedication.

Take, for example, the brilliant Maika Joss from Year 12. Maika Is a poet extraordinaire, turning the mundane into the magical with the flick of her pen. What started as playful experimentation with poetic forms has transformed into an exciting journey of self-expression. Maika takes traditional mandates and fearlessly twists them into something entirely new and refreshing. Her innovative approach breathes fresh air into the art of poetry, pushing boundaries and infusing her work with a unique flair. Keep on writing Maika!

BOOK CLUB

We are thrilled to announce that this year we  have two book clubs that run at lunchtimes! Our book clubs have been a huge success, bringing together students of all ages and backgrounds to share their love of literature and language. It's been wonderful to see students coming together to discuss books, share ideas and explore new literary worlds. Thank you Ms McKeon for your enthusiasm in taking charge of the Book Club. Watch this space…more to come!

Natalia Hennessy 

Head of English

Drama 

Term 2 began with an exciting start as our Year 9 and Year 10 drama students embarked on their first Drama excursion,  venturing into the world of theatre at the Sydney Opera House viewing the comedic political satire play ‘No Pay, No Way’.

In the Year 10 Drama classroom,  class teacher Miss Jasmine Crnogorac shares how her students have been using this theatre experience to explore how to construct a Theatre Review. A review is a subjective but educated response to a piece of theatre. Below are excerpts from some of the reviews that students have  written in their theatre writing journey. 

2024 Sydney Catholic School Eisteddfod

The excursions and outings continued this term as our extracurricular Drama solo performers and ensembles competed in the 2024 Sydney Catholic School Eisteddfod. A big congratulations to all of our competitors, many of whom this was their first ever performance. Our students competed in a range of self-devised (all aspects of the script and performance completely created by the student) and scripted performances (students find their own script to stage and interpret). 

Solo performances: 

• Joely Menzel, Year 10, received First Place Award for her self-written and created script and performance.  
• Lucinda Miranda, Year 10, received a Highly Commended Award for her self devised performance. 
• Harper Lynch and Molly Menzel, Year 12, received First Place Award for their scripted duologue performance. 
• Freya Lenartic, Year 9, participation in Scripted monologue performance. 

Ensemble performances: 

• Year 10; First Place Award in the small ensemble devised performance. 
  Ajelen Castillo, Sofia Choromanski, Joely Menzel, Lucinda Miranda & Sienna Simons.
  
   
• Year 9; Highly Commended Award in the small ensemble devised performance. 
  Jesse Aerlic, Taylor Conquest, Matilda Daley, Zara Kieran, Cailee Melhem, Zoe O’Connell, Isabella Ann Tabuena & Eva Tate Sorensen.
  
   
• Year 11; Encouragement Award in the small ensemble devised performance. 
  Coco Collins, Poppy Hogan, Romalie McGrail, Mia Sergio & Nicole Wolff

Again, a massive congratulations to all of our performers who showed diligence and passion , committing to after school rehearsals, working collaboratively with their peers and getting up on stage to perform. They all did a brilliant job.  

Looking Ahead

There is no slowing down in the Drama department, we continue with the following excursions and performances this term; 

• Year 11 and Year 12 will be seeing ‘Stolen’ at the Sydney Theatre Company in Week 8, Thursday 20th of June in the evening. As the 2024 HSC prescribed text, this is a brilliant opportunity for our year 12’s to incorporate this viewing into their actual written HSC exams, and our year 11’s to engage with a highly sophisticated text and begin their deeper appreciation of Drama through discussion and writing. 
  
   
• Year 12 Trial evening in Week 10, Wednesday 3rd of July. The college invites family and friends to view the Year 12 Drama cohort perform their major works, their Devised Group Project and showcase their Individual Project, this year we have monologues, poster and promotion, scriptwriting and set design on display. 

Tayla Whiteman

Teacher in Charge Drama

Languages 

Investigating In Science 

The Science Department is delighted to announce that entries for the STASW Young Scientist competition are now open. If you are a keen young scientist and have a passion for scientific investigation. We strongly encourage you to chat to your teacher about the Young Scientist competition. Entries are due for submission on 2nd of September. To enter, you are required to complete a scientific investigation or design a technological innovation. You will keep a logbook while working on your project, and then write up your findings or invention as a report. You can even include a video. For more information, visit the Young Scientist website. 

Here are some young scientists of Year 12 Biology who are currently studying the fascinating world of infectious diseases. Each of the three Biology classes recently replicated a famous and influential experiment, conducted by microbiologist Louis Pasteur in 1861. Pasteur’s Swan Neck Flask experiment demonstrated how microbes must be transmitted from the environment or another host, rather than just “spontaneously generate” as was once believed.

This module covers essential topics such as pathogens, disease transmission, and vaccine development. The course has inspired multiple Biology students to further their studies into areas such as medicine and scientific research. 

Studying HSC Biology offers exciting prospects. It will not only deepen understanding of vital scientific concepts but will also prepare you for future careers in healthcare, research and development, education and public health. 

Ms. Robson 

Assistant Head of Science

Visual Arts 

Term 2 2024

Visual Arts Department Newsletter Article

The Visual Arts department has experienced a flurry of activity and creativity within our classrooms this term as our students see the realisation and resolution of their artmaking projects. Below is a snapshot of what our students have been working on:

Year 7 Etchings

Year 7 Visual Arts have explored their local landscape and environment, including the College grounds, The Spot and The Convent to create a series of printmaking responses. Using their knowledge of the elements of art, perspective drawing and linework, students have created a series of etchings using ink and the etching press that showcases buildings within our area. Students have then worked back into these etchings using watercolour and various shapes and patterns in a contrasting graphic and Pop Art style approach.

Year 8 Animals In Art Ceramics

Year 8 Visual Arts have investigated the theme of Animals in Art. Students have looked at how animals are used as subject matter in artmaking to make a comment on key issues, such as endangerment and extinction, and as a celebration of the beauty of different animals. Students have created their own pet inspired ceramic pot artwork, creating their designs using handbuilding and coiling techniques in clay. Students are finalising the glazing and painting of these ceramic artworks in preparation for their final firing within the kiln.

Year 9 Photograms

The darkroom provides an opportunity for students to experience how photographs came to be, before technology turned everything digital. Students in year 9 have explored photographers, such as Man Ray, and explored how symbolism can be used to convey meaning or a story within a series of photograms. Using silhouetted and semi-translucent forms, year 9 have projected light through these objects onto photosensitive paper and developed their photograms within the darkroom, learning how analogue photographers created and developed images using light and chemical baths. We hope our year 9 Photographers continue to open our eyes to new perspectives and ways of seeing as they move into digital photography and viewing the world through the lens.

Year 9/10 People and Place Ceramics

Over the course of Term 1 and Term 2, our Year 9/10 composite Visual Arts students have been investigating their culture and identity through the topic “People and Place.” Students were encouraged to take the notion of a totemic form and develop personal signs and symbols to convey their individual sense of self and an understanding of the influence people and place play on our identity. Our students have been very creative using ceramic hand building techniques including slab work and coiling to construct their ceramic forms and apply their decorative symbols. Using unglaze paints students are finalising their surface decoration and preparing their ceramics for a second gloss firing process. This will deepen the colours of their painted works and provide their forms with a glossy hard surface.

Year 10 Postmodern Artworks

The Postmodern movement in art is filled with artists who challenge audiences and our understanding of social, global, political and artworld issues. Year 10 have investigated how artworks with a Postmodern approach can provide new perspectives on key ideas or issues within society and promote discussion or conversation around a topic that may be witty, ironic or appropriated. Using investigated artists as inspiration, year 10 have created their own Postmodern artwork in response to big ideas or key issues within society that they are passionate about. The resolution of these artworks has resulted in some wonderful topics of conversation within the classroom and has provided students with a voice to explore their concepts, thoughts and feelings around their selected topic in a visual manner.

Art Club

Art club has got off to an exciting and energetic start this term. The theme of animation has inspired the girls to express their creativity and drawing skills, through the development of new and unique cartoon characters or the reproduction of old favourites. Each Wednesday we see a range of students from different years eagerly working on projects that they have started in Visual Art or use the time to create something new and meaningful to them.

Melissa Nutter

Head of Visual Arts