Department News

Languages Department

It has been a wonderful start to Language Learning at Brigidine College this year! 

Our Year 8 Italian and Chinese students have commenced the year by learning how to introduce themselves and others using a variety of greetings. Their enthusiasm in approaching a new subject has been wonderful to see.

Our Year 9 Italian Elective students have started the course with a new text which they are thoroughly enjoying. They have met a new group of cartoon characters and are interested to see where the story takes them. They are focusing on discussing their health and physical activity and learning how to describe their daily routine. Year 10 Italian students are working on the challenging task of learning to use the past tense and they are doing exceptionally well. It is especially rewarding each Monday morning to hear the students recount their weekends in Italian! Year 11 students have commenced the term with a focus on their personal world and Signora Parsons is pleased with the maturity and enthusiasm they are bringing to their senior studies. 

Congratulations to all language students for an excellent start to the term.

 As we start the year, is it time to consider why we study languages at Brigidine College. 

Why do we study Languages at Brigidine College?

The study of a language other than English is compulsory for all secondary students in NSW. At Brigidine College, our students are given the opportunity to undertake their 100 hours or one-year study of either Italian or Chinese in Year 8. Italian can also be continued into Years 9 and 10 as an elective course and then as an HSC subject. 

To quote from the Italian Syllabus: 

“Learning languages provides the opportunity for students to engage with the linguistic and cultural diversity of the world and its peoples. Students broaden their horizons in relation to personal, social, cultural and employment opportunities in an increasingly interconnected and interdependent world. Proficiency in languages provides a national resource that serves communities within Australia and enables the nation to engage more effectively with the global community”.

But why study Italian? 

The study of the Italian language and culture enables students to gain an insight into Italy’s rich cultural, historical, artistic and literary contributions to the global community. Australia has strong cultural, trade and political connections with Italy. We also have a well-established Italian community in Australia. The Italian language is widely spoken in Australia and there are opportunities for our students to hear and use the language in authentic situations. Many agree that for English speakers, Italian is one of the easiest languages to learn. And of course, the study of a language usually provides an incentive for travel!

And why Chinese? 

Chinese is one of the official languages of the United Nations, is recognised as one of the fastest-growing languages in New South Wales and has one of the largest groups of non-English background speakers in Australia. Chinese is an important language for our students as Australia moves towards a future of increased engagement with Asia. Through the study of either Italian or Chinese, our students develop an understanding of what it means to be a global citizen and an ability to reflect on their own heritage, values, culture and identity. 

As the Chinese proverb says: 

“To learn a language is to have one more window from which to look at the world.”

Janine Christofides

Head of Languages

Music Department

We are looking forward to an exciting year ahead in the Music Department. Currently, our small ensembles and Junior orchestra are beginning to prepare for the Sydney Catholic Schools Eisteddfod and our College Orchestra and Choir are rehearsing a Jazz concert for the end of Term 2. 

We are all very proud of the Year 12 music students from 2022 with some fantastic results in the HSC:

Music 2

Meira Jackson- Band 6 (1st place in Sydney Catholic School)

Abigail Connolly- Band 5

Music 1

Holly Clatworthy- Band 6

Chloe Kalogerakis- Band 6

Rosie Johns- Band 6

Cristelle Cabrera- Band 5

Bella Siawidjaja- Band 5

Congratulations girls!

We have welcomed lots of Year 7’s into our music groups and any Year 7 who is still interested in joining an ensemble or starting private music lessons is most welcome to join us!

The choir rehearses on Tuesday mornings from 7:30 am - 8:40 am in C14, Junior Orchestra rehearses on Friday mornings from 7:45 am - 8:40 am in Synan Hall and our small ensembles rehearse on Tuesday at lunchtime in the music department. 

Last Monday night our elective music students went to the performance of Encore at the Opera house to hear some of the top HSC performances and compositions from 2022 Music HSC. It was a great opportunity for the students to see some amazing performers as well as gain an understanding of repertoire choices that get you into the top box! We got to listen to lots of different genres and instruments throughout the night and we thoroughly enjoyed the show!

Jacqui Hanniffy      

Head of Music   

PDHPE Department

The PDHPE department is excited to welcome new members to the team in 2023. Ms Nikki Mc Whirter (Year 9 Coordinator) and Ms Brenda Doran (Year 7 Coordinator). We wish both staff members every success in their new roles here at Brigidine. 

We are lucky to have a very dedicated and experienced PDHPE staff who work with such energy to deliver lessons that are engaging and challenging for our students:

Mrs Kate Elder, Ms Kathy Mazzeri, Mrs Jodie Gordon, Mrs Jen Kehati, Mrs Pauline Coleman, Ms Maeve Hurley, Ms Nikki Mc Whirter and Ms Brenda Doran.  

Senior Courses

We are incredibly proud of the achievements of our 2022 HSC students. This can be attributed to the hard work and determination of our Year 12 students as well as the dedication and commitment of all PDHPE staff to the teaching of this cohort since Year 7. PDHPE and Community and Family Studies continued to perform well above the state average and we congratulate the students on their excellent results.  In PDHPE, 67% of the cohort achieved a Band 5 or Band 6, with a total of 10 Band 6 results for the cohort.  In Community and Family Studies, 73% of the cohort achieved a Band 5 or Band 6, with a total of 9 Band 6 and 16 Band 5 results! These are fantastic results from our PDHPE and CAFS students. 

• PDHPE - 11.64% above the state average
• Community and Family Studies - 7.74% above the state average.

Years 7-10 PDHPE

PDHPE students across Years 7-10 have been working through the various health topics in their health theory lessons and skill assessment in their practical lessons. It is a big term for PDHPE with both practical and health components being assessed. 

Year 7

Year 7 have been studying a unit called ‘Eat Right, Live Strong’, which examines the dynamic nature of health and the factors that influence attitudes and behaviours towards health and wellbeing. Students have been learning about the impact of the different components of health, and the nutrients in food as well as reviewing the Australian Government Dietary Guidelines.  In the practical component of the subject, students are participating in Volleyball, where they are developing competence in executing basic volleyball skills, including the serve, dig, set and spike. 

Year 8

In the unit  ‘Positive Choices’, Year 8 has been exploring the issue of drug use, with a focus on alcohol and cannabis. Students have opportunities to develop help-seeking skills and protective strategies in relation to drug use and recognise the barriers to accessing support. In PE lessons, students have been participating in a Racquet Sports unit, focusing on Badminton! Here students are developing competence in executing the basic skills of badminton, including the serve, overhead clear, backhand return of serve (Lift) and smash. 

Year 9

Year 9 students have been studying the unit ‘It Couldn’t happen to Me’. In this unit, students explore the impact of illicit drug use on individuals and the community and investigate a range of strategies to protect themselves and others in unsafe situations. They have also studied the unit ‘The Mind Matters’, which examines skills and attitudes that enhance resilience. In this unit, students evaluate strategies and actions to enhance their mental health. In PE lessons, Year 9 students are also participating in Badminton, culminating in an assessment of their badminton skills.  

Year 10 

Year 10 are completing a unit on ‘Risky Business’ where they investigate strategies to support their own and others’ personal safety. Here they have the opportunity to formulate safety plans to meet the needs of challenging and dangerous situations. Students explore a range of issues such as sexting, safety at parties, drink spiking and road safety situations such as speeding and driver fatigue.  In PE lessons, Year 10 students are participating in the sport of Volleyball, with a focus on game strategy. Here students will be assessed on how well they demonstrate the skills learned in class to their performance in game situations.

The main aim of our practical programs is for students to learn about movement skills for lifelong fitness and strategies for encouraging lifelong physical activity. The students certainly seem to be enjoying the PDHPE programs on offer in term one. 

Years 9 and 10 PASS Electives

In the theory component of the 9 PASS elective course, students are learning about the different body systems and energy for physical activity, with a focus on the skeletal, muscular, circulatory and respiratory systems. In the practical component, the girls are preparing for their first assessment task where they will be demonstrating their coaching skills as they deliver and present a team sport coaching session to their peers. 

In 10 PASS, students are learning about physical fitness and its components. Through practical participation, students have been applying physical activity concepts to improve their fitness levels and that of their peers. In their upcoming assessment task, our Year 10 PASS students will apply their knowledge of the fitness components as they design and facilitate a fitness session for the class. We wish them the best of luck with their practical presentations.  

Our major focus in PDHPE is to make physical education classes as engaging, inclusive and enjoyable as possible. Integrating this into assessment as well as PE lessons can set students up for a lifetime of future physical activity and healthy living. We look forward to incorporating this focus into our lessons in 2023.

Vanessa Culhane

Head of PDHPE