Cohort News

Year 7 Pastoral Care

What an amazing start to their high school education our Year 7 students have had. There have been many exciting opportunities in the action-packed term to make new friends, gain new learning experiences and explore being a Brigidine girl.

Here are some of the things our students have said are awesome about being a Year 7 student at Brigidine:

● Having a fresh start from primary school and learning new skills that will help later in life.

● You get to explore the school and learn so many new cool things.

● Meeting new people, learning new things and going to a new school.

● You get to make new friends and learn new things.

● You make brand new friends all the time and get to have new experiences with different classrooms.

● Having different classes and being the only ones with hats.

● You get to learn about the school and you make friendships for life.

● Getting to have a lot of support from the teachers and making sure that we always know what's going on and having a lot of opportunities and fun things to do during school.

● Making heaps of friends and all the teachers are very supportive.

● Going to different classes each period, Feast Days/celebrations, Different events, going to mass, Teachers and friends.

● You get to make pyjamas in Tech

● Having your own locker.

● Eating on the Cullen lawn

● Everyone is so kind and helpful.

● It's much more independent than primary.

● All of the amazing teachers.

●I love being a part of Brigidine and seeing the smiling faces of my friends. 

School Holidays - Time for rest

In Pastoral Care this week, students are creating a list of activities they can engage in during their holiday which promote rest and relaxation. I encourage all Year 7 students to take a well-earned break, enjoying activities they may not have had time in the term to complete, such as catching up with friends, reading a new book or cooking/baking for the family. I wish all Year 7 and their families a restful and safe school holiday break.

Pastoral Care Term 2

In Term 2, our Pastoral Care program will be exploring the themes of organisation, study skills and relationship building. Year 7 students complete a survey, and some participated in focus groups to discover the areas they would like knowledge and skills to work in and through in the Term 2 Pastoral Care program. The Year 7 students were very articulate and were able to convey what personal skills they would like to develop with their Pastoral Care Teacher.

Uniform and School Expectations

This a reminder that from day 1 next term, all Year 7 students are expected to be wearing the College Winter uniform. Midford has extended hours for fittings of the uniform and is open for a couple of days during the break. You can make an appointment for a fitting at the link below.

https://Midford.as.me/BrigidineCollegeRandwick

Thank you again for your ongoing support. Please reach out if you have any well-being concerns.

Brenda Doran 

Year 7 Pastoral Care Coordinator

Year 8 Pastoral Care

As we end Term 1, I would like to congratulate our students for their hard work and commitment as they finish off the term with great strength. 

Finishing this term gives our students an opportunity to return to the goals that they set for this Semester, and they can evaluate how they are tracking to achieve their goals. These goals give our students an opportunity to set achievable personal, academic and well-being goals that were specific to them for this Semester. Goal setting is an important tool in finding success, and with more practice, Year 8 will see the benefits of these goals and will continue to use them to support their learning and personal achievement.

As our young people become increasingly connected to the internet, it is essential that we educate them on how to use technology safely and responsibly. During Week 9, myself along with members of the College Executive, held a Parent Zoom Meeting to update and inform the Year 8 Parent Community of our concerns regarding the online interactions of the Year 8 Cohort and to advise the actions the College is taking in educating our students on this issue. Thank you very much to all who participated and thank you for your support and feedback in this space. Please see the linked presentation for more information on what was discussed. I encourage you to talk to your children about the potential risks of the online world and the measures they can take to protect themselves. As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please let me know.

On a positive note, I am thrilled to announce that one of our students, Milla Hlywa, has achieved tremendous success in the Aussies Surf Lifesaving event that was held in Perth during Week 8. Milla and her teammates in the 5-person R&R won the National Title, which is an outstanding achievement. Additionally, Milla also took 2nd place with her partner in the 2-person R&R event. This is an exceptional accomplishment, and we are proud of Milla for participating with such dedication and excellence.

As we move into Term 2, I would like to take this opportunity to remind you that we will begin Term 2 with our winter uniform. Please can I ask that you take the holiday opportunity to ensure that your daughter's skirt is hemmed at knee length.

Heading into the Easter Holidays, I would like to wish you and your family a safe and restful break. We look forward to seeing our students return to school for another successful term.

Kind regards,

Rebecca Monohan

Year 8 Pastoral Care Coordinator

Year 9 Pastoral Care

The Year 9 Pastoral Care team would like to take a moment to reflect on the accomplishments and milestones achieved during Term 1. Firstly, the students have settled in well to their new educational journey, and we are proud of their accomplishments. The dedicated teachers and support staff who have worked with Year 9 over the past term have ensured the students receive quality education and support within the classroom. 

Secondly, the students who are in representative sports teams have continued to excel, with several of our students winning individual and team awards in various competitions. Our extracurricular activities have also provided students with opportunities to showcase their talents and skills. 

As we approach the end of the term, the Year 9 Pastoral Team wished all our students a restful and enjoyable break. We look forward to seeing them in the new term, ready to continue their learning journey. Thank you, and have a wonderful holiday.

Nikki McWhirter

Year 9 Pastoral Care Coordinator

Year 10 Pastoral Care

As we wrap up for the term, I look back at a packed term. We have had students participate in many activities and events. We have had some find success in downhill skiing, and ice skating and more recently, our Touch Football girls won our conference. This means that these students will now compete in the SCS Championships against the winners of the other conferences. We wish them the best of luck!

Looking forward to later in the year, I would like to mention that some students will be attending World Youth Day in Portugal. World Youth Day (WYD) is an opportunity for the Pope to meet and host young people and worshipers from all over the world. Over the course of WYD week, young people and worshippers from all over the world are invited to participate in meetings of prayer and the sharing of their faith with all who attend. World Youth Day this year will be held in Lisbon from August 1 to 6. Our students and teachers will travel via the Holy Land and Italy. Brigidine is proud to have five girls from Year 10, along with a number of Year 11 students and some teachers, who will be representing our College at WYD Portugal this year. Below is a small excerpt written by Isila Pang, who is one of the students travelling. 

Hi, my name is Isila from Year 10, and I am attending World Youth Day 2023 in Italy and Portugal. I am both excited and interested to experience Catholicism in different countries and I am extremely lucky to encounter this once-in-a-lifetime experience. Though I will miss home, I am going with my friends Ruby, Erin, Jessica, and Kayleigh which makes this even more anticipating. 22 days is a long time but during each of those days, I guarantee a new lesson about Christ will educate us. To conclude I am excited to deepen my faith in God and meet many people from across the world!

Thank you, Isila

I will also be part of this year's teachers' group, and we are looking forward to this experience in strengthening our faith. 

As the term winds down, I would like to remind you that the girls are in the College winter uniform for Term 2. If you can, please make sure all preparations necessary for their uniforms are completed so that they can return in the correct uniform. 

Regards, 

Tony Munguia

Year 10 Pastoral Care Coordinator

Year 11 Pastoral Care

As noted previously, Year 11 have started off their senior studies very well, and as their coordinator, I have been impressed with their efforts in Term 1. Year 11 students have been engaging in many extra-curricular activities throughout the term, which they should be commended for. These include volunteering to go on the Year 7 camp, participating in the Year 11 Mass and giving up their time as helpers on Open Day. Further to this, Year 11 also made up most of the Senior A and B teams that competed this term in the inter-school Touch Football competition; even though they finished third and fourth, respectively both teams represented the college very well.

At the start of March, myself and 3 other Year 11 students, Tarni Doyle, Sienna Williams and Emily Grimmond, were invited to attend the Sydney Catholic Schools St Patricks Day Mass at St Mary’s Cathedral. It was a lovely service that saw Emily Grimmond contribute by reading the Prayers of the Faithful, where she spoke extremely well in quite difficult circumstances.

To finish, I would like to remind all Parents and Guardians of the change of uniform for Term 2. All Year 11 students will have to wear the college blazer to and from school as it is a uniform requirement for senior students. Could I please also ask that your daughter’s kilt length is checked before returning to school and making sure it rests just above the knee.

I wish you all a happy Easter and looking forward to Term 2 with Year 11.

Jon Campbell

Year 11 Pastoral Care Coordinator

Year 12 Pastoral Care

Welcome Year 12 Parents and Carers,

This term has really flown, and our Year 12 students have settled well into some strong, consistent study/work patterns. They have demonstrated cohesive and well-structured work routines as their teachers are well pleased with their engagement in their learning. Please keep emphasising good sound sleep patterns, nutritious foods and spending some quality time with family and with their peers. Each day, students need some time for sport and recreation as a good work-life balance encourages a healthy mindset.

This term, we all participated in our Ash Wednesday and Easter Liturgies. It was such a memorable experience as God needs to be at the centre of our lives. Our aim for Lent is to focus on the themes of compassion, prayer and love. We all need to remember that fasting, forgiveness and empathy for the marginalised are key facets of the season of Lent. Students were also very much involved in Shrove Tuesday, where pancakes were distributed to students. Ms Wood and the Year 12 Leadership team are to be congratulated on their contribution to our Liturgies during this term. It was so lovely to see all of our students together as a group participating in our Liturgy. We also celebrated St Patrick’s Day with a beautiful Mass and an out-of-uniform day filled with many activities.

The Year 12 Assessment Handbook is now readily available online. Year 12 now need to organise, develop strategies and be able to ask for support from their subject teachers in order to submit these tasks on time and with integrity. Students have to balance and manage their time wisely and prioritise their tasks in date order. Please provide some support and assistance around these tasks, whereby your daughter needs time and adequate understanding in the completion of these tasks. There are tight guidelines for the submission of these tasks, and please read over these in our Stage 6 Handbook. Year 12 have been at an assessment meeting with Ms Fox and Ms Agazzi, and they were clearly briefed on the strict guidelines for the submission of Assessment Tasks.

The Trial dates are 31 July - 14 August 2023. There will be a timetable released in Term 2. It will be a time whereby the consolidation of knowledge and skills and deep reflection take a vital part in each student’s life.

I wish every family every blessing and happiness over the Easter period, and may we all reflect on the sacrifices Our Lord has made for all of us.

Adriana Parsons

Year 12 Pastoral Care Coordinator