Opportunities to develop personal responsibility, resilience and capacity
Unless you strive after virtues and practice them, you will never grow to be more than dwarfs. -- St. Theresa of Avila
We continue to be reminded of the challenges that young people today need to contend with. The need for us as a community to continue to have open and honest dialogue to ensure that our students, your sons, are suitably aware of risks, and able to make safe choices when it comes to social pressures, is a significant consideration in how we develop programs, whether that is teaching and learning, mission and wellbeing or our co-curricular program.
Opportunities to develop personal responsibility, resilience and capacity are some of the soft skills that students are engaged with as part of the framework of teaching here. There are occasions within the school where soft skill growth can flourish. Last week a group of debaters, footballers, rugby players and basketballers had an opportunity to participate in the ongoing St Augustine’s and Villanova College competition. Each of these activities took to the court, field or stage to battle out who the best school was on the day. This wonderfully rich interschool competition, that connects our Augustinian brothers from Villanova, gives our boys the chance to travel as part of a school tour as well as experience a homestay with another Augustinian family. I know that in discussions with the boys this rich experience created not just new or renewed friendships, it also expanded their understanding of what it means to be part of an Augustinian network.
As the term draws to a close, we also have young men stretching their experiences as learners, and their awareness, resilience, and abilities, as they participate in service programs as part of the Red Earth experience in the Northern Territory, tour to Fiji where again the boys will participate both as athletes and Augustinian representatives, showing community, love and respect with substantial donations and service work as part of their tour. Finally, we have a significant number of our elite cricket and tennis players participating in a genuinely memorable tour that sees them attend the Ashes and Wimbledon, as well as competing against schools in the United Kingdom in their chosen sports.
For all of the students and staff who are traveling in this part of the St Augustine’s term, we wish them safe travels and wonderful life experiences. To our families more generally we wish you a lovely restful semester break and hope that you are able to spend some time recharging as a family ready to return for Term 3. To our Year 12 boys who are all keenly aware that this semester break is time to recharge, and importantly to focus on the preparation for Trials, as these young men have just one term of their St Augustine’s journey left.
Jonathan Byrne Principal
Deputy Principal - Students
Student HSC Readiness Check for Year 10 into Year 11 | Vaccinations | Holidays
Student HSC Readiness Check for Year 10 into Year 11
The first round of Student HSC Readiness Check has been completed and I am very pleased to advise that an overwhelming number of students received positive feedback. It is fantastic to see so many boys going above and beyond expectations, working so hard to be fully prepared for their next big step into the HSC years. I will be awarding these boys a Senior School Record of Achievement for their dedication and application to their studies and College life.
The second round of the Readiness Check will be undertaken mid-Term 3. I would encourage parents to talk with their sons about school and subject selections, as well as an open discussion on all their career options including university, private colleges, vocational training, or employment. Please remind the boys to pop into our Careers Office if they wish to gain more information.
Vaccinations
Our next NSW Health School Vaccination clinic will be held on Wednesday 9 August 2023.
Vaccinations for this clinic include:
Year 10 Meningococcal ACWY
Year 7 HPV or Diphtheria-Tetanus-Pertussis catch up vaccines.
Parents/Guardians of Year 10 boys will be provided with consent and general information early in Term 3.
Holidays
I would like to wish all our students and their families a safe and happy holiday break. Many are travelling overseas, and even more are staying home to brave the cold. I hope you all have some special time with friends and family, as well as quieter moments with a book or at the cinema. Better still, step out into the brisk sunshine. I heard on the news this week that we are seeing a larger-than-normal whale migration off the coast so it may be a good time to trek up to Barrenjoey Lighthouse at Palm Beach and take in the awesomeness.
A reminder to please ensure your son visits the barber and is well groomed before he returns in Term 3 and that he has a College black jumper for the colder days. Any hoodies or other incorrect items of clothing worn to school will be confiscated.
See you next Term!
Kate Earle Deputy Principal - Students
Head of Primary School
Safe Holidays | Reports | Parent/Teacher/Student Interviews | Some ideas to help you grow your learning | The importance of the teacher – Why do teachers choose to teach in an all-boys school? | Traffic Management Plan | Merit Awards | Attollo Awards | Quote for the week
Safe Holidays The College wishes all families a safe and enjoyable break from the routines of packing lunches, washing uniforms, and checking homework. The teachers are also looking forward to spending time with their own families, with Rose and Aidan heading to England with their respective tennis and cricket teams. It is a unique situation that we have Primary School teachers acting as TIC (Teacher in Charge) of tennis and cricket for the College. We wish them safe travels as they take on the responsibilities of tour organisers and ‘substitute’ parents. It is a wonderful opportunity for the touring squad, and something our Primary School boys can aspire to in their senior years.
Reports The College apologises on behalf of SEQTA (Learning Management system) for some technological problems with the publishing of the Semester One reports. The grades for each Key Learning Area appear on the reports, however the individual tasks and their grades do not. We are still in conversation with SEQTA so that the reports can be regenerated with the individual grades for each of the tasks included and made available to parents in the next week.
Reviewing the Year 5 and Year 6 reports provided me with the opportunity to delve deeper into the Learning Behaviours and Effort grades the teachers allocated. Teachers award these grades after observing boys in a variety of independent and group settings, interviews, anecdotal records and utilising their professional judgement. ‘The harder I work, the better I get’ and ’Hard work beats talent every time’ are quotes directly relevant to learning dispositions and behaviours.
Parent/Teacher/Student Interviews The Semester One reports should have provided the opportunity to discuss areas of relative strength as well as areas for consolidation. Utilising a growth mindset, the teachers constantly remind the boys that hard work, effort, grit, and determination have the power to improve results over time. The P/T/S Interviews on Wednesday evening provided parents and their sons the opportunity to discuss WWW (What’s Working Well) and EBI (Even Better If) with suggestions to formulate SMART goals for the remainder of the year.
If the interviews did not allow you to fully discuss all relevant matters, please arrange another suitable time with your son’s class teacher. I realise that many parents have already been in contact with their son’s teacher well before the interviews to discuss any pressing concerns. This level of pastoral care and open communication is all ‘part and parcel’ of an Augustinian education.
Some ideas to help you grow your learning
Learning from mistakes
Actively seeking out the advice and assistance from teachers and then acting on their feedback
Involving yourself in class discussions
Setting goals and intentionally monitoring their success
‘Hard Yakka’
The importance of the teacher – Why do teachers choose to teach in an all-boys school? Primarily, in promoting the virtues of a boy’s education, is the quality of the teacher. Teachers who choose to teach in an all-boys environment genuinely like the boys and want them to succeed. They learn about boys’ unique strengths, needs and interests, and then leverage their insights to develop each boy and instil in him a passion for the teacher’s subject matter knowledge. They build a classroom climate that is safe, successful, high energy, fun, fair and conducive to good learning. They build a repertoire of pedagogy and good practices to inspire boys and help them reach the goals they set.
The teachers in the Primary School may not be perfect, but what they do exceptionally well is strive to build positive relationships with their students. To teach in an all-boys school involves much more than execution of the prescribed tasks, it is also linked to ‘who they are’ and not just a function of what they do. Building rapport, affirming and recognising achievements and effort as well as demonstrating instructional strategies to reach boys and engage their hearts and minds in learning is central to the teaching of boys. When pedagogy fits boys’ lives and learning needs, when schools support teacher’s efforts to build responsive relationships with their male student, boys can and do thrive in school.
Traffic Management Plan Thank you to all parents who are following the directions outlined in previous correspondence regarding traffic flow in and around Gulliver Street.
A reminder to all parents of the following-
Year 5 parents only from 3:15 pm. If there is a queue stretching onto Gulliver Street, you will be directed by traffic marshals to transit around the block until the queue subsides.
Year 6 parents to commence pick-up from 3:25 pm, following the same process as mentioned above – transiting around the block if directed by a traffic marshal or if the queue extends onto Gulliver Street.
Name cards displayed on the dashboard
Encourage your son to catch the bus
Organise a carpool
To date this plan has been working efficiently and we encourage parents to continue with the same process next term.
Merit Awards
Attollo Awards
Quote for the week
‘People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel’ (Maya Angelou)
Terry Walsh Head of Primary School
2022 Annual Report
St Augustine’s College, Sydney, being a registered non-government school, must have policies and procedures that ensure its participation in annual reporting to publicly disclose the educational and financial performance measures and policies of the College.
The Education Act 1990 (NSW) requires each registered non-government school to prepare an annual report of a kind determined by the Minister on the school’s performance measures and policies as identified by the Minister. Accordingly, the Minister has determined that the performance measures and policies that must be included in the annual report. These include:
a message from the Principal and other key stakeholders
contextual information about the College
student outcomes in standardised national literacy and numeracy testing
the granting of Records of School Achievement
results of the Higher School Certificate
professional learning and teacher standards
workforce composition
senior secondary outcomes
student attendance and management of non-attendance
retention of Year 10 to Year 12 (where relevant)
post-school destinations
enrolment policies and characteristics of the student body
school policies
school-determined improvement targets
initiatives promoting respect and responsibility
parent, student and teacher satisfaction
summary financial information.
The Act requires that this report be publicly disclosed and provided to NESA no later than 30 June in the year following the reporting year.
The St Augustine’s College 2022 Annual Report is accessible at the following link: 2022 Annual Report
For further information regarding this Annual Report or its contents please contact Anthony Bataille, Head of Strategy, Risk and Compliance: abataille@saintaug.nsw.edu.au
Our Students
Charlie Darrow, College Vice Captain
Being a Year 12 student, this is a time of extreme ambiguity...
We have only a single term left before we graduate from this school, and we will have the choice (if parents permit) to decide whether we care to continue our learning in tertiary education at university. For some of us, this will be the path we choose to take, the path that best fits our visions of what our ideal futures will look like. But there are plenty of routes after school to success, whatever you or your child’s definition of success is. There is no right answer, it is completely subjective, and depends on what you want. That is the beauty of it to me, the fact that there is no one path that leads to happiness, prosperity, and ‘success’ after school, it is dependent majorly by what we as the students want to pursue as a profession (of course with input from the parents), and what is going to make them happy.
For this reason, it is a really daunting time for students, one that poses a lot of tough questions that require significant deliberations amidst the high intensity preparations for the Trial HSC in August and actual HSC in October and November. It can get overwhelming, so I politely challenge the parents of students to ensure their son is getting out and active regularly, seeing their friends, taking a break from study, and eating (relatively) healthy. This is the best way for your son to maintain a consistent and sustainable study schedule and lifestyle.
For Year 12 students right now, these are the biggest exams we have ever sat, seemingly being the “be all and end all” for us, so it can sometimes feel like if we mess up there is no saving us. But, as your son and I’m sure parents have heard from our Career Advisor Mr Gale, there are so many ways to attain the certifications required for your desired career. It allows us to maintain a level of flexibility in our lifestyle by finding pathways that will best fit the way we want to live, our schedule, the amount of work we do, or how much time you are willing to give up studying.
Ultimately, whatever your son decides to do and what career he decides to pursue, as a student in his position, a parent’s support is greatly appreciated. We are already overflowing with emotions, whether positive or negative, about graduating and embarking on a new stage in our life. Thank you, parents, for being so incredibly supportive throughout all our 13 years of schooling, and we thank you in advance for the support you will hopefully give us during the HSC exams.
All the best for the holidays.
Charlie Darrow College Vice Captain
SRC's The Push Up Challenge
Congratulations to all staff and students for smashing our goal!
The Push-Up Challenge ran from 1 June until the last day of term today, with the entire College performing push-ups every morning during Tutor Group. It was fantastic to see all the boys involved in this movement, raising awareness for suicide prevention and supporting Lifeline: Northern Beaches.
We had amazing numbers with 273,841
push-ups completed as a College! This far exceeded the goal of 3,144, representing the number of lives lost to suicide in 2021.
The winning house with 100 Bishops Shield points was Goold House.
The winning Tutor Group was Ms Curtis's Year 8 Crane 2, who performed 18,712 push ups! They will be rewarded with a pizza lunch next term.
Honourable mention to Goold 6 who performed 18,597 push ups!
To finish off the Challenge, staff and students wore mufti today, donating $5 each towards Lifeline: Northern Beaches.
Well done to everyone and a special thank you to SRC Co-ordinator Georgia Slager and SRC students for their hard work and organisation.
Student Awards
Congratulations to the following students:
Year/House
Student Name
Award
Year 5
Johnny Hogden
For being an exceptional role model to his peers. He is a hard-working, kind and empathetic student, and embodies the Augustinian values of Truth, Love and Community in all that he does.
Year 6
Louis Black
Louis is consistently respectful, kind, and caring to his peers and teachers. He always takes feedback as opportunities to improve himself and works towards his goals, which is exactly what we do at St Augustine's College.
Year 7
Elijah Warhurst
For demonstrating his character strengths of kindness and social intelligence by always being understanding of his peers and looking out for them.
Year 8
Charlie Bedson
For his generosity and compassion through assisting his Tutor and peers. Well done!
Year 9
Frederick (Freddie) Brown
Freddie has demonstrated strength of character, commitment to duty and enthusiasm in his SRC role for Year 9 this term. Well done Freddie!
Crane
Jonothan (Jono) Stocks
For his consistent and positive effort and application both in and out of the classroom. For displaying the character strengths of creativity, self-regulation gratitude in all areas.
Goold
Tate Braams
Tate demonstrated genuine leadership through his involvement and honesty in 'Tomorrow Man' earlier this term. Tate continues to show respect for the classroom and for learning through his attitude and effort in class, which has often been recognised by his class teachers.
Heavey
Jasper Duckworth
For his leadership in the Tutor Group Push Up Challenge mental health initiative. Jasper has consistently led from the front over the past fortnight. Well done Jasper.
Hutchison
Ashton Carroll
For demonstrating character strengths of humility, kindness, love of learning, perseverance, self-regulation, and humour, on a regular basis. It has been fantastic to see the effort he is putting into his final year at Saints.
Murray
Otis O'Neill
Otis is to be congratulated for using his character strength of creativity to represent both his House and school in Theatre Sports.
Reville
Liam Hankinson
Demonstrating leadership, teamwork and humility in his role on the SRC. Liam has been working very hard to collate all the student's push-ups across the school. Well done.
Mission & Wellbeing
Vaping - Parent Information
What do you most want to know? Find out the latest from the researchers at Griffith University by clicking on the links below:
Need to talk with someone further? Reach out to your son's tutor, Head of Year/House, or the Ambrose Team: psychologists@saintaug.nsw.edu.au.
SEA - Service Education and Awareness
Northern Territory immersion | Lifeline Book Fair
Wishing all staff and students an enriching and transformative experience during their Northern Territory immersion journey. May their exploration of societal issues, empathy-building, and engagement with diverse perspectives bring about meaningful change in the world. May they gain deeper insights, foster connections, and inspire positive action as you work towards a more equitable and inclusive society. Best of luck on this empowering voyage.
Fifteen students and three staff from St Augustine's College, as well as nine students and one staff from Stella Maris College, will be attending.
The upcoming Lifeline Book Fair, scheduled to take place at St. Augustine's College during the holidays, will require the assistance of our dedicated students. We greatly appreciate the generosity they have consistently shown in dedicating their time to help set up this event.
Volunteers are kindly requested to assist on Wednesday 5 July (middle week of the holidays), starting at 8:00 am and usually finishing before morning tea.
Year 11 volunteers will receive 4 service hours for CAV requirements.
If your son is interested in ‘giving back’ to this wonderful organisation please ask him to DM Mr Nolan directly.
Craig Jeffery Head of SEA
Liturgy and Retreats
Community Mass Schedule | St Augustine Laity Congress 7-9 July | World Youth Day | National Lay Congress
Community Mass Schedule
Students from these Tutor Groups are asked to attend. Mass begins at 8.10am in the Monica Chapel. Parents are most welcome to attend.
TERM 3 Week 1 Wednesday 19 July Year 8 Crane 1 & 2 Week 2 Wednesday 26 July Year 8 Goold 1 & 2 Week 3 Wednesday 2 August Year 8 Heavey 1 & 2 Week 4 Wednesday 9 August Year 8 Hutchinson 1 & 2
St Augustine Laity Congress 7 - 9 July A special opportunity has been provided to adults who are associated with the Augustinian Order. If you are interested in learning more about Augustinian spirituality, their values and how they are foundational for our College, then this meeting may be of interest. Please see the attached flyer for details. It will be held at Villanova College in Brisbane but zooming into the Congress is a convenient option. Your experience within the Augustinian community can contribute to Pope Francis' vision of a Church characterised by solidarity, fraternity, and welcome. The Augustinian Order deeply values the input and involvement of all its members, recognising the integral role each person plays.
World Youth Day, Lisbon
At Friday’s College Assembly we had the pleasure of commissioning two Year 11 students, Kai Turner and Cameron McGowan, as they prepare to head off on a pilgrimage to World Youth Day in Lisbon, Portugal. World Youth Day is an incredibly transformative opportunity for young people to discover true meaning in life, found in God alone. Please pray for our pilgrims as they depart in early Term 3.
If you are interested in a similar experience closer to home for your son, we are offering a group trip to the Ignite Conference for students from Years 7 to 11. Please fill out the quick Expression of Interest Form here. Watch the promo video here to see the incredible atmosphere of the Ignite Conference.
National Lay Congress
You're Invited to National Lay Congress - Walking Together, 7-9 July 2023, Brisbane
A unique opportunity to listen, explore and share the joy of walking together in "one heart & one mind".
My prayers for all our Augustinian community over the winter break.
Michael Paton Head of Liturgy and Retreats
Creative & Performing Arts
Co-curricular Music
Sydney Eisteddfod Results | Sound Check | Rehearsal Schedule 2023 | Term 3 Important Dates
Sydney Eisteddfod
Our Big Bands, Jazz Ensembles and Concert Band 1 performed at the recent Sydney Eisteddfod. All ensembles rose to the occasion and performed with great attention to ensemble precision, intonation, balance, and articulation. There were some amazing results in some highly competitive sections.
Jazz Ensemble 1 were awarded 1st place
Big Band 2 were awarded 1st place
Big Band 1 were awarded 3rd place
Jazz Ensemble 2 were awarded 3rd place
Concert Band 1 were awarded Highly Commended
Sound Check
Our annual rock and pop night Sound Check was held last week proving so popular seats were at a premium. The Guitar Ensembles, Rock Bands, Vocal Ensemble and student soloists performed to a full house. It was nice to both reignite the social aspect of the school community as well as have an opportunity to celebrate rock and pop music. A big thank you to all our musicians who performed, staff involved in preparations, and to the audience for supporting the evening.
Learn about how our new Bachelor of Design (Interaction Design) will provide you with the innovative technical and social design skills to become a leading edge designer in today’s fast-paced job market. Find out how your passion for creativity and problem solving can be harnessed for a career in digital and visual design.
University of Wollongong Early Admission is our early offer program for students completing Year 12 (Higher School Certificate or other Australian equivalents) or the International Baccalaureate Diploma during 2023. This webinar is your chance to ask any questions and find out how to get an offer to uni before you sit your first exam.
Engineers in the ADF spend their careers working with some of the world’s most sophisticated hardware and technology. Consider a career in the Navy, Army or Air Force and keep Defence’s weapons, vehicles, aircraft, ships and infrastructure operating safely and effectively.
Join us for a virtual info session to speak with serving personnel and find out more.
Registrations are now open for Open Day 2023. Register now to join us on Sunday 2 July for your chance to win 1 of 3 e-giftcards valued at $1,000.
Open Day is a great opportunity to discover everything Western has to offer, explore presentations and student panels, meet academics and current students, find out about Western’s early offer pathway, HSC True Reward, and more.
Nursing is the launch pad to your career in health.
It will take you to places that you never thought possible. You could work in a huge range of including workplace safety, emergency medicine, and mental health. Plus, you’ll make a real difference in the quality of life for your community.
This immersive workshop will provide Year 10, 11 and 12 students with an opportunity to explore real-world examples of research, study, and careers in Nursing.
Students will work alongside academics and researchers and experience hands-on activities, work through scenarios, and ask questions about career pathways and opportunities.
This course aims to demystify the visual effects and animation industry by providing a core understanding of the workflows, processes and tasks involved in contemporary digital visual effects, animation and post-production.
Conducted by industry leader and creative professional, Alexander Hoetzer, you will be prepared to engage with a wide range of creative industries, and in a wide range of tasks. Gain insider perspectives on professional creative processes which will help close knowledge gaps in foundational topics and provide and overall perspective of visual effects and animation workflows.
It doesn’t matter how close or distant your dreams are, it is always good to know more. And this course is designed to help you choose the right pathway towards your first production, your first job, or just so you know what is going on behind the scenes of a blockbuster.
Suited for:
Anyone looking towards a career in visual effects or animation
Filmmakers and other screen content producers looking to integrate visual effects
Production management personnel who need know more
This course is open to students aged 16 years and over (students under 18 must complete an Under 18 consent form).
Attending a Virtual Open Day is a great way to find out more about studying at Endeavour with the opportunity to Q&A your study and enrolment questions with our admissions team and academics. Whether you’re at home, in an office, or even overseas, you can join our Virtual Open Day from wherever you are.
AIE’s Industry Experience Day is a great opportunity for students in Years 10, 11 and 12 to learn about the local and international game development, 3D animation and visual effects industries. Students will get the opportunity to learn about the different pathways to get into the industry, what should be in a portfolio and will be able to get creative in practical workshops using industry-standard 3D animation and game development tools.
The sessions are run by industry professionals who have worked on some blockbuster games and films. Everything is provided for you to participate in the hands-on workshops and you will be using the same software that is used in the industry.
Preparing for your exchange program is an important part of the process and is vital to continued program success. At these online meetings, an experienced high school exchange advisor will share an overview of high school exchange programs with Southern Cross Cultural Exchange.
You’ll learn more about living with a host family and how studying overseas can help you develop confidence and independence… and gain a lifetime of memories.
Understanding mental health is a minefield for many of us, but that’s where we can help. Our presentation, developed by experts, has been designed to help young people be able to:
Identify depression from normal mood swings
Understand types of mental health concerns
Recognise symptoms of depression and anxiety
Know when professional help is needed
Understand treatment options
Feel free and confident to talk about mental health
Spot and monitor warning signs in themselves and others
Our free, 30 minute sessions are presented by community members with lived experience of mental illness. The presenters speak from the heart, sharing their personal story as well as our expert knowledge.
The College Foundation hosted the Career Networking Information Night on Monday 19 June with over 100 senior students and their parents in attendance. We thank the 35 career experts from our Old Boys and Parent community who represented over 20 careers and gave valuable networking, career path advice, information and tips to our students and parents.
Rod Loneragan Community Co-ordinator
Upcoming Events
P&F and Foundation Gala Dinner 2023
Save the Date! Saturday 19 August 2023 Saints Gala Dinner at the newly renovated Manly Pacific – Pacific Ballroom
In partnership with the P&F we are planning a great night with live and silent auctions and a live band.
Please note the venue capacity at the Pacific Ballroom is 300 people.
For all St Augustine’s College Foundation and community enquiries, please contact:
With end of financial year approaching, please consider a donation to our College Foundation funds.
If you would like to make a tax-deductible donation to support the Foundation Building, Bursary or Ancillary Funds please follow this link to make a fully tax-deductible donation via our secure payment portal: Donate Now.
We are grateful and appreciative for any support you can give to the College.
The College Foundation assists in the provision of ongoing financial support and resources so that the College can continue to offer young men a high quality Catholic education in the Augustinian tradition. More information regarding the Foundation is available here.
For all St Augustine’s College Foundation enquiries, please contact:
Google Analytics 4 will be replacing Universal Analytics in July this year, and we are upgrading our College app to support this.
In the next week, users will be notified by the app provider that there is a new version of the app to download.
Please follow the download instructions so that your push notifications continue to work and our Google Analytics account is operational.
If you have not downloaded the app yet, please do so immediately via the links below. It is an important communication tool between the College and families, and provides easy access to the College calendar, Saints Online, Absentee module, contacts and other useful features.
An important reminder that it is a condition of enrolment that a full term’s written notice of student departure is provided.
If one term's notice is provided, fees are calculated on a pro-rata basis to the date of the student departure. If one term's notice is not provided, parents will be charged a term's fees in lieu of notice.
For example, if students are leaving the College at the end of the 2023 academic year, written notice is required by the end of Term 3 – Friday, 22 September 2023.
To provide written notice of withdrawal, please notify the Principal’s Office via the College Registrar: registrar@saintaug.nsw.edu.au
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