Principal's 

Message

"Most of the important things in the world have been accomplished by people who have kept on trying when there seemed no hope at all."

— Dale Carnegie

From the Principal's Desk

 

Dear Parents, Carers, and Friends of the Brigidine Community,

 

As a Brigidine school, our faith and heritage remain at the heart of all we do. In recent weeks, we celebrated the life and mission of Daniel Delany, founder of the Brigidine Sisters, whose vision for education in the spirit of Strength and Gentleness continues to inspire our daily work. Our Founders Day to round out Term 2 was a fantastic day, and the feedback from the students was that the day was very enjoyable. A highlight, including the petting zoo and gelato, was the Talent Quest, where we saw courageous young women display unbelievable talent in singing and musical prowess.

Last Friday, we also honoured the Feast of Saint Mary MacKillop, Australia’s first saint, whose deep faith and unwavering commitment to those most in need mirrors our own mission to serve with compassion and courage.

As well as honouring Daniel Delany and Saint Mary Mackillop we began our Parish Engagement Program by taking Year 7 to midday mass last Wednesday. The year group participated extremely well and gave very positive feedback on the experience. We will continue to take the year groups to mass to engage further with the Parish of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart. 

 

Our recent Semester One Awards ceremony for Years 7–10 was a joyful occasion to recognise and celebrate the academic success and commitment of our students. My sincere thanks to the many parents and families who joined us on the day—your presence makes these moments even more special for our students and highlights your partnership in the learning experience with the College.

 

Looking ahead, we have begun planning for 2026, with subject selection processes now underway for Years 8–10. For our Year 12 students, focus remains firmly on their Trial HSC Examinations—a pivotal time in their school journey, and one where their determination and resilience are on full display.

 

Pastorally, our BRAVE Program continues to be a vital part of student growth. Recent highlights include:

  • The Year 10 Dance with Marcellin College, building social confidence and respectful relationships.
  • The Year 12 Domestic Violence Seminar, a challenging yet essential conversation about safety, respect, and advocacy, conducted with Marcellin College.
  • Years 10 and 11 participating in expert-led sessions with Paul Dillon on the realities and individual impact of drug use—again, in partnership with Marcellin College.

In the Brigidine community our students have continued to shine. Teams in Oztag, Netball, and Soccer all had outstanding competitions, with our Junior Netball Team being crowned Sydney Catholic Schools Winter Season Champions—a remarkable achievement.

Our musicians have also brought great pride to the College, performing brilliantly at recent Eisteddfods and bringing home numerous trophies.

In addition, our community spirit has been alive through cultural celebration and reconciliation. Since the last newsletter, we have marked both Reconciliation Week and NAIDOC Week, including the awarding of the inaugural NAIDOC Award for outstanding contributions to the Brigidine and wider community by a First Nations person. This year’s recipient, Kasey Russell, has set a high standard of leadership and service as a First Nations student, and we congratulate her wholeheartedly.

 

As Principal of the College, I am extremely proud of our students and what they can achieve. On Sunday, I saw our Brigidine Bellringers perform at the Sydney Catholic Schools Classical Music Concert at the Conservatorium of Music. The group epitomised teamwork and timing, characteristics I have seen on display in numerous events across the whole College. During NAIDOC Week, I was extremely proud of our First Nations students who spoke so eloquently at the Prince of Wales Hospital lunch in front of approximately 300 people about their experiences on work placement. I witnessed our Year 12 Drama students perform their major works last week in front of parents, students, and ex-students. Their ability to perform with confidence, and the support shown by their colleagues, truly reflects what we stand for in shaping these young girls into young women.

 

In closing, it gives me the greatest pleasure to put into writing that we are very close to starting work on the building project. From Monday, August 11, we will start to see tradespeople on-site working to prepare the building for the major work. This has been a long time coming, and I thank everybody for their patience. We should start to see more movement on this front in the next month.

 

In all these achievements—whether in faith, wellbeing, learning, sport, culture, or service—we see our Brigidine values lived out. I am deeply grateful for the dedication of our staff, the energy and talent of our students, and the unwavering support of our parents and carers. In ex-student news, we congratulate Elizabeth Giuffre (HSC 1997), who has recently become an Associate Professor in Media & Communications at UTS. At her recent appointment, she cited the skills and education provided at Brigidine College as major factors contributing to this appointment. I am sure she will come across some of our graduates in the future.

 

God Bless,

Remember to Be BRAVE, Be Brilliant, but Be Brigidine.

 

Adrian Eussen

College Principal