Department News

The HSIE Department

To the Brigidine community,

It has been a busy and exciting period for the HSIE department, with a range of initiatives, excursions and assessment taking place, notably our seniors have also completed their  HSC trials

Year 10: Canberra excursion

At the end of term 2, Year 10 were lucky enough to venture down to Canberra to explore some of the major educational sites. Students toured our parliament house and got to experience the process of passing legislation while at the old parliament house. The highlight for many was the chance to gaze up at the stars while attending Mt Stromlo observatory, our students braved the cold but enjoyed the opportunity to practice their astronomy skills.

The tour concluded with a visit to the Australian War Memorial, while it is still undergoing renovations students were able to partake in a guided tour of the Shrine of Remembrance and the WW1 rooms, they found the experience eye-opening and were a credit to themselves displaying solemnity and respect throughout the tour.

Thank you to our wonderful team of teachers that volunteered to give up their time for the overnight excursion to occur, including; Ms. Andersen, Ms. Chaloner, Mr. Inatey, Ms. Kelly, Ms. Monohan and Ms. Nutter.

Year 9: Commerce Market Day

Recently our Year 9 200hr Commerce students have completed their market day. They successfully planned and operated a vibrant event that showcased extensive organisational and collaborative skills. Under the guidance of Ms McKillop and Ms Kratochvil, students have taken charge in bringing their business visions to life, selling everything from pizza to home-made cookies, Dubai chocolate and toasties. We congratulate them on their success in raising funds to go towards the Vinnie’s Winter Appeal.

Year 12: HSC Trials

Congratulations to all our year 12 students who have wrapped up their trial HSC examinations. No doubts their efforts and collaborations have paid off and will set them up for one final push towards the end of year HSC exams.

Year 11: Final Exams

All the best to your year 11 groups who have just sat their final exams for the year, we hope that they are able to put their best foot forward and ensure they can make the best possible start to their HSC year next term.

Thanks to the fantastic HSIE team for allowing our students to undertake such rich activities, and for their continual efforts in providing quality teaching and learning to our students.

David Martin

Head of HSIE

The Mathematics Department

As Term 3 ends, the Mathematics Faculty is excited to share some of the key achievements, initiatives, and events that have marked a successful and enriching term for both students and staff.

The Mathematics Extension 2 Day

Mr. Zhang recently accompanied our Extension 2 Mathematics students to the annual Extension 2 Day at Marist Catholic College - North Shore.  The event provided students with invaluable insights, helpful tips, and abundant resources. Our students' enthusiasm was on full display as they connected with other young mathematicians from across Sydney Catholic Schools. We wish these talented young ladies every success in the upcoming HSC and their future endeavours. We also extend our gratitude to Mr. Zhang for giving up his holiday time to make this excursion possible.

“The Sydney Catholic Schools Maths Extension 2 Day during the holidays was incredibly helpful, as we worked with a range of teachers to prepare for the upcoming Trials and HSC. It was especially useful to have a senior marker give us tips on how to do best during the exam. The format of the day was engaging and allowed us to participate in solving the questions. Overall, the resources and teaching helped me feel more prepared to do harder questions and work towards the Maths Extension 2 HSC”.

Bianca

Year 12 Mathematics Advanced Incursion

Mr Dunne’s year 11 Mathematics Accelerated students were very fortunate to participate in a series of workshops led by Stuart Palmer, where they gained invaluable advice and tips to aid their preparation for the forthcoming Trial examinations and HSC. Stuart Palmer is a highly esteemed educational consultant known for conducting professional development workshops across NSW and beyond. His presentations transcended mere formulaic instruction, providing our students and teachers with profound insights and benefits derived from their extensive expertise and profound understanding of HSC Mathematics.

We are very excited to have these hardworking and highly motivated students to complete the Mathematics Advanced HSC one year ahead than the rest of their cohort. 

Australian Mathematics Competition 

The Australia Mathematics Competition (AMC) is Australia’s longest running and most well-respected mathematics competition, which has engaged generations of Australian primary and secondary students in the joy of mathematical problem solving.In Term 3, on Tuesday 5rd of August – Wednesday 6th of August, our Year 7 to 10 Mathematics Gifted classes participated in the AMC.

The AMC is a 60 – 75-minute problem-solving competition. The competition includes 30 unique problems that are designed by leading educators and academics to challenge and engage students’ mathematical problem-solving skills. All our Gifted maths students conducted themselves very well and attempted all the questions to the best of their ability. 

We would like to acknowledge and congratulate the following students who received either Credit or Distinction Certificate.

The Best In School Certificate goes to Olivia Yang & Kaylee Tse of Year 8.

The certificates will be handed out to these students in the Term 4 Assembly.

We would like to thank Miss D’Arcy & Mr Quach for the initiative and the organisation of the AMC.

“The AMC exam was one of the most challenging academic experiences I’ve ever faced. When I first sat down and saw that I had one hour to complete 30 questions, I was honestly thrilled. I thought, “This is going to be easy—I’ve got this.” In barely three minutes I found myself using every part of my brain. It wasn’t just about knowing formulas or memorizing facts—it was about thinking creatively, staying calm under pressure, and approaching each question from multiple angles. What made the experience so pivotal wasn’t just the difficulty—it was how much it pushed me to grow. It taught me that problem-solving isn’t always straightforward, and that sometimes the best solutions come from thinking outside the box. The AMC exam showed me that I’m capable of more than I thought, and that even when something feels impossible, there’s always a way forward if you keep pushing”.

By Chelsea Guillermo (Year 7)

Distinction:

Credit:

Maya Mabey and Steven Quach

Head of Mathematics & Assistant Head of Mathematics

The TAS/VET Department

This term our junior students have started their new units of work, continuing to develop their skills through practical application. 

Our senior Design and Technology students recently held their annual Senior Showcase displaying their Major Design Work, an excellent evening where a year’s worth of creativity, innovation, and dedication was shared with family and friends. We are very proud of their achievements and hard work.

A highlight of the evening was the catering, beautifully prepared and served by our Year 11 Hospitality VET students, who presented an array of delicious canapés.

In addition, we are delighted to announce the launch of our Hospitality Coffee Club @ Café BCR, open during Thursday recess. This initiative has already proven a great success, thanks to the efforts of Ms Clarke and our Year 12 Hospitality students.

Our Year 9 and 10 Textiles students have been busy on Photoshop designing repeat prints. The designs have now been professionally printed onto fabric, which students are excited to use in creating their own toiletry bags. These photos capture the class seeing their finished fabrics for the first time and beginning the process of cutting their patterns.

Lucy Collins

Head of TAS/VET

The Music Department

Last term the music department competed at Sydney Catholic Schools Eisteddfod and came away with some fantastic results! 

Congratulations to the following ensembles and soloists:

Open Orchestra- 1st place in Classical Orchestra Ensemble

String Ensemble- 1st Place in String Ensemble

A capella- 1st place in Small Vocal Ensemble

Handbells Ensemble- 1st place in Acoustic Instrumental Ensemble

Clarinet Ensemble- 2nd place in Acoustic Instrumental Ensemble

Flute Ensemble- 3rd place in Acoustic Instrumental Ensemble

Rock Band- Highly Commended

Guitar Ensemble Year 11 - Encouragement Award

Guitar Ensemble Year 9 - Highly Commended

Klara James/ Phoebe Williams - 2nd place in Vocal Duo

Klara James- 2nd place Musical Theatre Vocal Solo 

Aurelie Salim- Highly Commended  Classical Piano Solo Grade 8

Ainsley Salim- 2nd Place Classical Piano Solo Grade 7

Audrey Kawitana- Highly Commended  Classical Piano Solo Grade 7

We would like to congratulate our new music leaders for the 2025/2026 season:

Choir Leader: Sienna Simons

Orchestra Leader: Emily Molloy

Open Orchestra Leader: Freya Lenartic

Arts and Culture Captain: Priya Carpenter

We have been regular attendees at the Conservatorium of Music over the last few weeks.

Our String Ensemble, conducted by Ms Jen Lau and led by Alicia Gunawan in Year 12, competed at the Australian Band and Orchestra Festival. They came away with the Silver Award in the Loretta Fin Secondary School String Ensemble Event. It was their first experience playing in this festival and we are extremely proud of their efforts! 

A couple of weeks later we were back again with the Handbell Ensemble who were invited to perform at the Sydney Catholic Schools Classical Music Concert. They performed All Things Bright and Beautiful and Nona Nobis Pacem. At the end of the concert the students were presented with a Certificate of Musical Excellence. Well done girls!

Our a capella group led by Mia Sergio and Sienna Simons, were invited to perform at the Spot On Festival. The girls sang two of their crowd favourites Somebody That I Used To Know and Say A Little Prayer in front of the Ritz. It was really fun to sing for the public and get involved in the local community. 

Finally, a big congratulations to our Year 11 Music students Ruby Pajor, Martiya Karagiannis and Jacinta Kennedy. Their band, Hour Language released their first single Purple Lady and the girls were featured on Channel 7 news last week. We are very proud of their amazing efforts and success!

Jacqueline Hanniffy 

Head of Music

The Language Department

This Term our year 8 Italian classes have been discovering some Italian festivals while also learning to use numbers, days of the week and months! They have enjoyed discussing their birthdays and ages with each other in Italian and exploring various Italian celebrations.  

Year 9 classes have been learning about clothing and shopping in Italy while Year 10 have been focussing on communicating about well being, health and remedies.

Our Year 11 students are busy planning for their Preliminary exams coming up in Week 9 and our Year 12 students are preparing for their final weeks of school and all of the excitement of graduation.

It is therefore timely that we shine a final spotlight on our 2025 Year 12 Italian Continuers class who have been studying Italian since Year 7! Best wishes to Coco, Isabella, Maya and Evie as they embark on the next phase of their lives. Tanti Auguri, ragazze! 

Here are some of their reflections as they finish their time at Brigidine College:

Choosing Italian for my HSC was one of the best decisions I made at Brigidine. I’ve always been fascinated by the culture, and learning the language gave me a deeper appreciation for Italy’s history, food, and way of life. To anyone considering studying a language: do it. It opens your mind and gives you skills that go far beyond the classroom. Next year I hope to study physiotherapy, and I’d love to continue learning Italian and potentially live and travel to Italy with my best friend Coco! I would not have loved Italian this much if it wasn't for my amazing Italian teachers over the years, both Mrs Christofides and Mrs Parsons- I'm very grateful for them and I would definitely recommend studying Italian for the HSC!

 

Grazie,

Maya McCarthy

Ciao! My name is Coco and I am graduating this year. In 2023 I chose to study Italian continuers for my HSC and it has been one of the best choices I have made for my schooling as well as my life. I remember very much enjoying my junior Italian classes and then I went overseas for a bit of time and visited Italy and I felt very grateful that I could slightly understand some of the language that when I returned to school and I had to choose my subjects I knew I wanted to continue Italian to explore my found passion for the language and culture in Italy. For students looking into a language for their HSC, I would greatly recommend studying a language, maybe even Italian! I would recommend it as it is a subject which constantly challenges you and differs largely from the conventional syllabus of other subjects allowing you to grow at your own pace and improve your memory and interests at a good pace. Next year I hope to go to university and study International Relations and minor in Italian and hopefully spend a year abroad in Italy and become a fluent Italian speaker!

 

Coco Collins

During my time at Brigidine College I have thoroughly enjoyed my Italian classes throughout my junior and senior years, alongside the supportive Mrs Christofides. Growing up in a multilingual household I had seen the positive impacts of having another language due to being able to communicate with others and immerse myself in different cultures which inspired me to endeavour to learn Italian. 

My Italian journey has been filled with instructive junior lessons where I explored Italian traditions such as Ferragosto, the construction of the language through grammatical exercises and above all practising Italian dialogue with peers. These experiences motivated  me to pursue and deepen my passion for this subject within my HSC year. Despite the many challenges posed by learning another language such as gaining confidence in communication skills and grammatical errors I have found that it has strengthened my ability to overcome obstacles and improve my critical thinking skills. Hence students considering studying Italian should view Italian as a pathway to broaden horizons, acquire new skills and allow new opportunities, alongside creating an engaging and exciting learning journey through constant improvements. 

As I close my chapter at Brigidine College I aspire to begin a career within the field of architecture and further develop my Italian skills and eventually achieve fluency through language courses and potentially, a student exchange in Italy.  

 

Isabella Larbalestier

Hi Everyone!

If I could recommend one thing to junior years it would be to study a language! This opportunity offers a skill that can be a lifetime value! It widens your world to unlimited travel, friendships, job opportunities and more! Even in its difficulties, the hard work is so worth it in the end! It’s a skill to be proud of and something you can add to the list of all the amazing things you learn! Just think of all the amazing countries you will visit in the future and how a language may open your world to endless possibilities and adventures! Take advantage of what is offered to you and cherish it! Learning Italian has been nothing but fascinating, valuable and all together an amazing experience! 

 

Evie Windsor

Janine Christofides

Head of Languages