On Thursday 21 March a number of students from the Junior School and the Gawura School attended the ASISSA netball trials at Perry Park in Alexandria. We wish to congratulate our own Maya and Nyarla on making the ASISSA Netball team (along with Esther from the Junior School). The ASISSA Netball team will now play in the Combined Independent Schools (CIS) carnival. We wish the girls every success as they strive towards making the CIS Netball team.

This coming Wednesday 27 March will see the annual JSGS Easter Hat Parade occur in the cathedral. We look forward to seeing this wonderful spectacle which is a highlight each year across Gawura School and Junior School.  The students will also break up on Wednesday for Easter and return the following Tuesday 2 April.

Our preparations for NAIDOC are continuing. Our Aboriginal Dance teacher, Aunty Rayma is creating a new contemporary dance that will feature at this year’s NAIDOC Assembly. We will share more about this in the weeks ahead. We have also booked an Aboriginal performance for all Gawura School and Junior School students in K-6 to see as part of NAIDOC week as well. Our annual NAIDOC Assembly will be held on Thursday 27 June in the cathedral starting at 9.30am.

We wish you all a blessed Easter and may grace and peace be yours in abundance.

Mr John Ralph
Head of Gawura

Harmony Week

Within our Junior School and Gawura we have a rich tapestry of cultures, beliefs, and traditions. Through exploring and celebrating these we nurture curiosity, unity and respect for all cultures, to both promote both a sense of belonging to the School community and also celebrate of the unique aspects of our different cultural identities. Through celebrating Harmony Week we have focussed on the St Andrew's Cathedral School Character Strengths of GRATEFUL- for our cultural heritages and how these have shaped our identities; OPEN MINDED- in learning about other cultures; and COMMUNICATIVE- in proudly sharing our own cultures.

Harmony Week in our library space has provided a wonderful journey around the world in which students had their passports stamped as they visited activities from each country. Additionally, a collaborative weaving project brought together fabric representing united students from throughout our school, the SRC facilitated collaborative art projects and our fabulous cultural dress day allowed students to proudly display their cultures. The parent visits were an absolute highlight to finish our week as they proudly shared aspects of their culture with students - thank you to all who participated!

You can discover more about the value of Cultural Diversity in this SchoolTV report.

Mrs Bronwyn Wake
Head of Character and Wellbeing (K‑12)
Junior School and Gawura Counsellor

Year 3 Open Morning – a great way to introduce St Andrew’s Cathedral School to someone you know

Do you have family or friends who are considering St Andrew’s Cathedral School for their primary school aged children? If so, our Year 3 Open Morning is a brilliant opportunity for them to experience everything Year 3 has to offer at the School.

Our Year 3 Open Morning includes a tour of our vibrant Junior School including specialist music and science facilities. Visitors will also meet our experienced and highly qualified staff and wonderful students.. It’s a great way for them to see the School during a regular school day, experiencing what makes our dynamic city campus such a unique place to learn.

Places in Year 5 and Year 7 are limited, with prospective families experiencing long waiting lists. However, St Andrew’s Cathedral School Year 3 entry could make all the difference to the educational journey of a child of your friends or wider family.

For more details please click here and forward on to someone you know today!
 

Tuesday 14 May 2024, 9-11am
St Andrew’s Cathedral School, Sydney Square

Congratulations!

Congratulations to Gabriella Lam on completing Grade 3 Theory with a mark of 94% - this is an outstanding result. Well done Gabriella!

Mrs​​​​ Kate Robertson
Head of Music (K‑6)

HICES Music Festival 2024

This year students in Year 5-8 are able to participate in the HICES Music Festival and students in Year 9-12 are able to participate in the HICES Jazz Academy.

Sunday 11 August – Wednesday 14 August

The Year 5-8 Festival is a fantastic way to grow your love of music through rehearsals and performances with students from other independent coeducational schools from around NSW. The festival rehearsals for many different music ensembles are held over a three-day camp and culminates in a grand concert in Sydney Town Hall on the fourth day. Special guest conductors and other excellent conductors who are teachers at HICES schools work with students, and it is always a fun, challenging and uplifting experience for students and staff who attend.

The Year 9-12 Jazz Academy is a separate camp where students work with jazz specialists to develop their ensemble and improvisational skills. All information related to the Festival and Jazz Academy can be found here. Please sign up here.

Please sign up before Wednesday 3 April. Students who have already signed up will be contacted after 3 April to arrange a time for your audition recording in the music department, with music staff assistance.

Dr​​​​ Christian Watson
Director of Performing Arts

Premier’s Reading Challenge update

The Premier’s Reading Challenge continues to push our students to read more and choose from a wide variety of genres.

Congratulations to the following students who have completed the Challenge in the past two weeks:

• Kindergarten: Elise Dethridge
• Year 1: Sophia Naidoo
• Year 2: Oliver Chapman
• Year 3: Christina Lazaridis and Lachlan Lee-Vyrtrhlik
• Year 4: Lauren Elias
• Year 5: Idelia Cao, Benjamin McDonald, Jonathan Wood, William Wu
• Year 6: Jeremy Cheng, Kate Diaz, Alexis Fraser, Tristan Lau, Max Medina, Marlon Pedes, Charlotte Sims, Olivia Wang

Harmony Week: Grab your passport and go!

This week in our Library during Lunch students travelled to Spain, Greece, Brazil, Canada, Nigeria, Australia, India, and Japan in celebration of Harmony Week.

Students made flamenco fans, learnt about the cyclops and made blinking eyes, twisted yarn around pipe cleaners to make their very own yarning stick, coloured intricate mehndi and African patterns, created moose corner bookmarks and made koinibori fish kites.

In doing so our students have learnt a little bit about each of these rich cultures. They have shared their own stories and taught one another about their families, their lifestyle and their history.

As part of our whole school celebrations students brought a strip of fabric that has a special meaning to them to school and this has been used to create a collaboratively woven mat.

This will make a beautiful addition to our Level 7 Open Area for everyone to enjoy.

Mrs​​​​ Rachael Cosentino
Library Coordinator ‑ Junior School and Gawura

Congratulations Emma!

After her first Optimist Nationals for sailing in January, Emma Tomkins (Year 6) travelled to Melbourne for the Victorian Optimist State Championships. She was able to overcome the challenging wind conditions and place 3rd overall (and 1st girl) in the intermediate division. Emma is now headed to Lake Macquarie in April for the NSW State Championships.

ASISSA Swimming Carnival results:

On Monday 11 March our Junior School and Gawura School swim team embarked on the challenge of the ASISSA Swimming Carnival, and let’s just say they did not disappoint!!! Across all of our students there were 33 personal bests recording which is a massive achievement for all of our swimmers putting in the hard work in the lead up to the carnival. At the conclusion of the event, we have 9 students across 13 events who will be moving forward to compete the CIS Primary School Swimming Championships including:

• Jesse Lo (50m freestyle, 50m backstroke, 50m breaststroke, 50m butterfly, relay)
• Liam Preston (50m freestyle, 50m backstroke, 50m breaststroke, 50m butterfly, relay)
• Tristan Lau (50m backstroke, 50m breaststroke, 50m butterfly)
• Annabelle Douglas (50m backstroke, relay)
• Esther Davis (relay)
• Rose Vitomir (relay)
• Genevieve Williams (relay)
• Charlie Wood (relay)
• Zachary Beck (relay)

A very special mention to Jesse Lo who at the end of the carnival was announced the 10-Year-Old Boy ‘Age Champion’, meaning he earnt the most points amongst his entire age group throughout the carnival, which is an astonishing achievement.

We are so proud of all of our students who competed at the carnival, and we wish our successful students who are moving onto the CIS Championships the best of luck as they race to make their way back onto the podium! 
 

Boys Saturday sport:

Basketball

Over the last fortnight our Boys basketball teams played their last game for the season facing some strong competition against Sydney Grammar Prep School. Our Year 6 boys finished in style coming away with two hard fought victories despite some tired eyes from a fun-filled week down in Kirrikee, which we are sure was no easy job for our students and parents!!!

As we reflect on the season, we are thankful to both the parents, for keeping our players committed throughout the season, and our charismatic coaches Wills Damjanovic and Kala Pavlovic, who have built a unique environment to foster our students' development.

Girls IPSHA Saturday sport:

Soccer

Our Girls football teams have continued their development in the last two rounds coming up against some well-knitted teams this week. Despite all our teams falling short of some tough competition on the weekend, in the previous round our 6A and 5B teams came away with some emphatic wins which was an absolute joy to watch. As our girls enter into the last round of competition this weekend, we encourage them to keep their heads up and recognise the quality of the teams around them to which they have learnt so much from their oppositions. We give special thanks to all of our parents and supporters and in particular our four incredible coaches Mel Sharp, Charlotte Thomas, Jessica Ippaviz, and Matthew Nicholson, who have taken our cheerful girls under their wings and brought out their best abilities week after week.

ASISSA Netball Gala Day

On Thursday 21 March, 14 girls from year 5 and 6 competed at the ASISSA netball Gala Day at Perry Park recreation centre. The girls displayed great talent and determination in a long and tough day competing against strong opposition. Three St Andrew's Cathedral School girls have been selected in the ASISSA team to compete at the CIS Netball trials in Term 2. Well done to all the girls on a great netball performance all day. Thanks to the coaches, Miss Munden and Harriet Sharp, for leading the girls so well on the day. 

Congratulations to Maya Hughes, Nyarla Gordon and Esther Davis for making the ASISSA netball team.

Flippaball (water polo)

Our Year 5/6 flippaball team had a stellar weekend, having an exhilarating one-goal win against Abbotsleigh at their home pool. The match report from Year 6 student and Junior School Captain Genevieve Williams is as follows:

“Our Girls water polo / flipperball team had a close win of 3-2 against Abbotsleigh on the weekend. They had a very strong game, against a tough opponent. It was great to see them working together as a team. Making sure everyone got a chance to hold the ball and being fair and humble players to the other team. They should be very proud of themselves and their achievements in this game.”

We are super proud of how our girls have gone about entering a brand-new competition for the first year and their infectious energy has been a joy watch. We are excited to see how our girls finish the season next week and we are thankful to the parents and their wonderful coach Michaela Munden who has immensely improved our girls in and out of the pool.

Mr Oliver Denny
Head of Sport Junior School

Students in Year 5 & 6 have worked with pencil/charcoal to create a detailed portrait of a known, significant person in their own lives.  The side-angle works demonstrate the use of shading, shadowing, darkening, blackening to create a 3 dimensional sense of the face and personality of the person.  Each student has learned how to show the effects of light as it plays on the human face in a myriad of different ways. 

We’re looking forward to seeing all student portraits on display  for our own in-house Young Archie Competition, aross Junior School Levels 6 & 7, to be held after the Easter Break.  Look out for the People’s Choice Award winners – to be decided by the students - and to be announced later in the term!

The work of some of these artists is showcased above: Isabelle Wood, Max Buxton, Prince Tashi, Serena Liu, Henry Rutherford, Violet Pendlebury-Simmons, Marlon Coulthard, Georgie Nicholas, Alberto Tescaroli, Kushi Nireshwalia, Charlotte Sims.

Mrs​​​​ Miriam Daly
Visual Arts Integrator Junior School and Gawura

Project Catalyst mentoring

Mentoring is considered one of the most effective pedagogical strategies available for gifted students. It provides opportunities for strong intellectual stimulation, individualisation of learning, engagement with positive role models, authentic encouragement, and support to progress in areas of skill and talent. At St Andrew's Cathedral School, we facilitate a peer mentoring programme with our Senior College students called Project Catalyst. Students are selected for this programme according to strict criterion and participate for the duration of the semester.

Within our current Project Catalyst programme, students are investigating a topic of interest with their mentors and posing relevant hypotheses, undertaking research, gathering data and reporting on their findings. Some of the topics currently being investigated include the influence of Chat GPT in schools, reliable sources of information in the media, the challenge of times-tables and how they can be made easier for students, and how household pets react to a change in environment.

Below are some reflections from students in the Semester 1 Project Catalyst programme about their involvement so far:
 

Who is your mentor? What do you and your mentor have in common?

I have been working with Reilly (Year 11) in Project Catalyst. We are both interested in science and mathematics, which is why we decided to investigate volcanoes within our project. We also have other similar interests, including tennis and basketball. Reilly listens well and is always supportive of my ideas - Tom Xue (Year 5).
 

How do the mentors help you with your project?

Our mentors have helped us find credible, trustworthy research that is appropriate to the data we are studying. They have also helped us read and interpret research that has challenging content. In the next few weeks, they will assist with the construction of our surveys. It will be good to have their suggestions for whether we use open-ended and/or closed questions - Sophie Lesnie-James (Year 6).

What knowledge and skills have you learnt from Project Catalyst so far?

In our sessions so far, I have learnt how to construct an effective infographic which includes diagrams, graphs and data analysis. I have also discovered that the average person in Australia spends 6-9 hours a week consuming social media! As part of our project, we will be comparing what types of media are consumed most with those that are viewed as most reliable - Aidan Martin (Year 6).

 

Mrs Rebecca Lord
Gifted and Talented Coordinator Junior School and Gawura

At the Fearless Futures Summit, female leaders and female SRC members from different schools gathered to develop leadership skills, practice wellbeing, and engage and learn with others in an interactive environment. During this experience we had the privilege of meeting new people from other schools and doing many hands-on activities. A guest speaker from Kids Helpline came to explain the importance of our wellbeing and taking care of ourselves. 

Some of the activities included making Lego buildings based off character strengths and testing them on an earthquake machine. We even had our very own snowball fight, with pieces of paper representing things we hide about ourselves and things that many people know. We deeply cherished the mini debates we had with others about the best character strength, it was an amazing learning activity where we learnt about different perspectives that different people have. We also had many dynamic group discussions that sparked new ideas to collaboratively solve different problems.

In addition, we had a problem-solving session, in which we were given a problem, however the instructor purposely did not give us the method to solve it. One of the problems that we faced was the selection of who battled who in a scissor-paper-rock contest, and we had to figure out the method to achieve our goal.

Overall, this was an amazing and educational experience, and we all cherished all the moments in this event, from spending time with friends to learning new things with our instructors. 

Written by Tennille Edbrooke and Aadya Dua (Year 6)

At the Halogen Young leaders day event, five speakers came to show us new perspectives on leading, being famous role models for us to look up to. The speakers covered different areas of the arts and spoke about their origin stories. The five speakers were Anastasia Woolmer, Bryson Klein, Eva Amores, Matt Cosgrove, and Stephen O’Keefe. Here are some of our key take-aways from the event:

• Anastasia Woolmer, the Australian memory champion, surprisingly said that as a teenager, she was horrible at remembering things and hated school.
• Stephen O’Keefe told us about his leadership experience and how he came to be the captain of his cricket team and how you do not have to have a leadership title to be a leader.
• Bryson Klein showed us how he trains in Ninja Warrior and how he keeps himself motivated and inspired. He inspired us to do what you love and to always be resilient, brave, persistent, and bold in everything that we do.
• Eva Amores and Matt Cosgrove co-wrote the Worst Week Ever series, showing us that even in tough situations, such as lockdown, you can pull through and write amazing things.

All of these amazing speakers left us with some interesting thoughts and ideas to work with that we hope to incorporate and use throughout the year. 

Written by Genevieve Williams, Alexandra Lazaridis, and Lily-Rose Finemore (Year 6)

Year 5 and 6, from our school, recently undertook an education tour of the national capital. We were given the opportunity to participate in a variety of educational programs with a focus on Australia’s history, culture, heritage and democracy.

The Australian Government recognises the importance of all young Australians being able to visit the national capital as part of their Civics and Citizenship education. To assist families in meeting the cost of the excursion the Australian Government is contributing funding of $30 per student under the Parliament and Civics Education Rebate programme towards those costs. The rebate is paid directly to the School upon completion of the excursion.

Mrs​ Rhonda Robson
Deputy Head of School (Primary) / Director of Primary Education

Our trip to Canberra started on the bus, watching some movies. Our first destination was CSIRO, where some of the most important inventions were made. Instead of drilling information into our brains, we had a treasure hunt for knowledge. Everyone was in a group of three and worked together well. My group did well and came third! But everyone did well. We learned lots about interesting things and inventions. From what I could see, everyone loved it.

Our next stop was Parliament House. First, we acted out the House of Representatives. We walked very quietly up to the Green Room where the House of Reps hosts their meetings. Then there was the Red Room where the Senate hosts their meetings. Our guide gave us lots of information for both the rooms and we are thankful.

Our adventure was done for that day, and it was time to move into Gold Creek Resort. Our rooms were delightfully spacious and the food in the restaurant was delicious. We had a ball in our rooms.

The second day was more learning about Parliament and elections. We had the opportunity to participate in a pretend election. It was difficult to decide between whether to vote for Peaches as the future PM, or Apples. Later on, we spent time at the Australian Institute of Sport, shooting hoops in the basketball ring and engaging in some training Olympic activities.

Before heading home, on the last day, the highlight for many was Questacon: many levels of science fun. Building and testing, prodding and jumping. We had the chance to learn about earthquakes and chemicals, how the force of gravity effects objects and many more things.

Canberra, in one word, was extraordinary.

Mr​​​​ Rhys Finemore
Grade 5 Leader / JS Teacher / Acting Literacy Coordinator

Canberra was amazing!

From the daily activities to the meals, it exceeded all other camps. We all had fun at Questacon, where we went down a very tall slide, looked at sand samples from across Australia, discovered interesting facts about physics, and learnt about modern AI.

We all enjoyed our time at both the New and Old Parliament House, role-playing in the House of Representatives or the Senate, looking at former Prime Ministers’ portraits and learning about how the modern-day government works and how laws are made.
We learnt about our history at the War Memorial and learnt about important historical figures at the National Museum.

We learnt how elections are held and ran at the Australian Electoral Commission as well as running our own mock election!

Overall, I must decree that Canberra was an amazing school camp, and I truly hope that future Year 6s will enjoy seeing the sights and learning about the history of Canberra as much as we did. 

Wrtten by Bligh Jordan (Year 6)

Handel's Messiah performance

Experience the beauty and power of St Andrews Cathedral Choir performing Handel’s immortal masterpiece at 7pm, Good Friday 29 March. International soloists (including Old Andrean superstar-tenor Andrew Goodwin!) will join the orchestra of the Ancient Academy of St Andrew’s on historical instruments, along with the our own brilliant choristers and choirmen, in the atmospheric setting of Australia’s first Cathedral.

Conductor Ross Cobb said, "If people haven’t heard St Andrew’s Cathedral choristers perform, this is the perfect opportunity to see how superb they can be.

“This is a really profound way to reflect on the Easter message of Jesus' life using some of the most moving and stirring music ever written.”

Don’t miss St Andrew's Cathedral School's production of Disney's The Little Mermaid!

Dive into the enchanting tale of The Little Mermaid, where beneath the waves lies a world of wonder and longing. Follow Ariel, a spirited mermaid, as she discovers the allure of the human realm. When she saves Prince Eric from peril, an undeniable connection sparks, but at what cost?

Experience a journey filled with love, sacrifice, and the pursuit of dreams, set against a backdrop of shimmering seas and impossible wishes. With secrets lurking beneath the surface and fate hanging in the balance, every moment is a whirlwind of emotion and adventure.

Join us for an unforgettable voyage where hearts collide and love triumphs!

4-6 April
The Concourse Theatre, Chatswood

Thank you to our sponsors!

Thank you to our wonderful sponsors of The Little Mermaid.  Staging a school musical is a significant undertaking, and we are immensely thankful for their support. It allows our students to shine and immerse themselves in the magic of performing in a professional production.

Ursula sponsorship

Sebastian sponsorship

Scuttle & Flounder sponsorship

All Year 5 and 6 parents are warmly invited!

All Year 5 and 6 parents are warmly invited to join us for Coffee in the Heath Centre to meet other parents and Junior School staff. There will also be an opportunity to hear from Mr Oliver Denny, Head of Sport, Junior School and Gawura, about our sports programmes and skill development.

Please download the flyer here and share with your Stage 3 family and friends. Please RSVP by Monday 8 April.

Thursday 11 April, 8am to 9am

Heath Centre, Level 5, St Andrew’s House

Storytime Shenanigans Trivia Night!

It’s trivia time!  Are you ready for a night of fun and laughter, dress ups, games and …TRIVIA?  

Don't delay - this event sells out.  Bookings open 9 April so start organising your team now!

Grab your friends, book a table, put the finishing touches to your awesome dress up costumes and bring your knowledge of all things trivia to the highly anticipated SACS Trivia Night!  This year the dress up theme is STORYTIME SHENANIGANS!  

This is how it works… When you book a table of 10 you can choose from a list of children’s book titles. The earlier you book the more choice of book titles you will have!

Who will you be? Will you be Alice's Adventures in Wonderland?  The Harry Potter books? Or maybe Winnie the Pooh? There are prizes for the best team costumes and the best decorated table as well as best individual costume. And of course there are prizes for trivia and for fun games played on the night.

If you are not part of a table of 10 then do not miss out!  Book a single ticket and let us know your Year group so we can sit you together.  It’s a fantastic way to make new friends!

And if you need more excitement there will also be fantastic items available in the silent auction!  

So get in early to pick the table of your choice or buy an individual ticket and let us find a table for you.

Price includes a welcome drink and food throughout the evening.  

All funds raised will go to the Heath Bursary Fund which provides short term fee relief for SACS families in need.

Saturday 11 May, 6pm to 11pm (Trivia starts at 7pm)
Heath Centre, Level 5, SAH

Bookings open 9 April 

Cost: $65 a ticket, $650 for table of 10.

STORYTIME SHENIGANS IS A FUNDRAISER AND WE NEED YOUR HELP!

Storytime Shenanigans promises to be a fabulous night as we enjoy a fun packed evening while raising funds for the Heath Bursary Fund.

Whether you will be there in person or not, there is a silent auction which is open to everyone and can be accessed online closer to the event.

We now need help from our year groups to put together the gift baskets that make up much of the silent auction.

We are asking our generous school community to donate any new or unused items that you think might make a lovely addition to a basket.  To make things easier we have allocated a gift basket theme to each year group - but anything you can donate is much appreciated. Gift vouchers are also welcome!

Please check that your food donation is still in date, and donations of alcohol must be dropped at reception by a parent or carer and not by a student. 

Kindy -  Afternoon tea - jams, teas, napkins, beautiful tea cups etc.  
Year 1  - Pets – bowls, leashes, treats, toys
Year 2  -  Relaxation – pamper packs, scented candles, diffuser, essential oils, hand cream etc.
Year 3  -  Hot Chocolate Enthusiast - mugs, hot chocolate, biscuits, marshmallows, chocolates etc. 
Year 4 – Backyard bonanza – pool toys, backyard games, picnic blanket, citronella candles etc. 
Year 5  -  Gardening items – gloves, seeds, gardening tools, small pots etc.  
Year 6 – Puzzles & Games – jigsaw puzzles, board games, lego etc.
Year 7  - Bath Pamper Pack – bath and shower gels, bubble bath, lotions, bath bombs, face masks etc. 
Year 8  -  Sweet Tooth – chocolates (no Easter eggs), cookies, sweet treats, lollies, flavoured popcorn etc. 
Year 9  -  Rainy Day Survival Kit - book/magazine, snacks, fold up umbrella, cosy blankets, mindfulness colouring books, puzzle books, adult arts and crafts etc. 
Year 10  - Baking pack – biscuit cutters, decorating items, measuring spoons, baking tray, cookbooks etc 
Year 11  -  Coffee Time - mugs, coffee beans, chocolate covered beans, biscuits etc  
Year 12  -  Gourmet  – oils, vinegars, cheese biscuits, sauces, nuts, cheese accompaniments, recipe books etc. 


Please leave your donations with reception in St Andrew's House (SAH), Bishop Barry Centre (BBC) or the Junior School.

All proceeds from the Trivia Night go to the Heath Bursary Fund which is used to offer fee help to St Andrew's Cathedral School parents in need.

TheirCare School Holiday Program

TheirCare is also available at St Andrew's Cathedral School Junior School on:

• Thursday 28 March (Maundy Thursday)
• Monday 29 April (Staff Development Day)

For more information call 1300 072 410 or for further details on St Andrew's Cathedral School Junior School Holiday Programmes click HERE

Code Camp are offering St Andrew's Cathedral School families a $25 discount for their Autumn Camps.
Click HERE for more information.

To book in for the CODE CAMP Autumn Camp click here http://www.codecamp.com.au/sacs