May the coming days of Christmas,

days which remind us of Jesus’ first appearance on earth,

be more than ever days of great inner and outer joy,

an echo of the angels’ song and of the shepherd’s gladness!

May we live them so that Jesus,

now ascended into heaven,

when he looks down on earth

and on all the places celebrating his Christmas,

will rest his gaze with particular satisfaction

on the place where we are staying,

so he can admire

a marvellous, living Christmas,

built and re-built, hour by hour,

out of love for one another,

which makes him really present among us.

Amen

Thank You

As we come to the end of the year, I’d like to thank you for your support, generosity and hard work throughout 2023. Every year brings with it twists, turns, surprises and unexpected opportunities. As we look back over the year, I believe we can be well pleased with all that has been achieved. It’s been a very good year. Thank you.

In the mad rush that sometimes marks this time of the year, I hope that all families find moments of stillness to reflect on why we celebrate Christmas. Christmas is an ongoing invitation to each of us to be people of goodness and light.

May you all enjoy the light, laughter and love of Christ this Christmas and may the New Year be filled with happiness, good health and many blessings.

Farewell

With the end of the school year, we farewell a number of staff and thank them for all they’ve contributed to the school. Each has been an exceptional staff member and a fine teacher.

Thank you to Mr Danger, Ms Mackenzie and Ms Petruccelli who retire after long and distinguished careers at the College. We wish them good health and every happiness in this new phase in their lives.

We also farewell Ms Stella Alexopoulos, Ms Maria Calafiore, Mr Peter Renda, Ms Emily Lowe and Ms Lesley Ryan who take up positions in new schools or explore other pathways. I thank each of them for all that they’ve brought to our community. Their work has been much appreciated by students, staff and families.

Lastly, we farewell Mr Hayden O’Doherty and Mr Zac Dunn from our non-teaching staff who are moving on to new roles. Their energy, care and dedication has been very much appreciated by all of us. We wish them well.

Final days 2023

Congratulations and thank you to all students for the way that they finished the school year.  Despite the rain, Year 10 students and staff had a great final day roller skating and at the pictures. It was a great chance to have some fun and to reminisce about the year.

Similarly, Years 7 – 9 students enjoyed their final day which included an end of year mass and pastoral care activities. Many thanks to all families for your support in ensuring that students finished so well.

Semester 2 Reports

These are now available to students and families through the Parent Access Module (PAM).

College Yearbook

One of the highlights of the final day is the distribution of our Yearbook. Once again, it did not disappoint. Congratulations to Ms Laura Cioccia and the dedicated Yearbook team on producing a creative and entertaining snapshot of our year.

By their nature, yearbooks provide us with a connection to the past. They bring us back to the time that was. That is why they are so important. In years to come, the words and pictures will trigger our memories of this year.

I’m sure that students and families really enjoyed reading the yearbook and looking at the ‘then’ and ‘now’ photos. Haven’t we come a long way?

Student Leaders’ Camp

On Thursday and Friday, our 2024 Student Leaders went on a two-day camp to get to know each other and to plan for 2024. Thank you to Mr Ray Mizzi (Student Development Leader 2024), Mr Hayden O’Doherty (2023 Student Development Leader), Ms Charlotte Carter and Ms Emily Lowe for accompanying the students.

2024 Booklists

These have been emailed to student emails and to families, and are available on the College website, following this link:

Start of the 2024 School Year

Wednesday 31 January 2024: Years 7 students only (9am – 2.15pm)

Thursday 01 February 2024: All students return  (8.40am – 3.10pm)

Thursday 01 February 2024 will be Day 01 of the school timetable. Students should be able to access their timetable on SIMON from Wednesday 31 January 2024.

Term Dates 2019

Please Note:

Mid-year exams (Years 9 and 10):   17 June – 24 June 2024

End of year exams (Years 9 and 10): 21 Nov – 28 November 2024

Families planning to travel in the middle of the year or at the end of 2024 are asked to note that exams and the Orientation program at Sydenham are compulsory. Exams must be taken within the exam timetable. They cannot be taken before or after the exam week.

Please do not book travel before:

24 June in the middle of the year (Years 9 and 10)

06 December for Year 11 2025 students (Year 10 2024)

28 November for Year 9 students.

The second Semester reports will be available on Monday 11th December through the Parent Access
Module. Students can access their reports directly through Simon.

We ask that you discuss attendance, assessment results and areas for growth and celebration with your children.

Congratulations to our students for all they have achieved in 2023!

Our Year 10 Science students getting up close and personal with Reptile Encounters. 

Merry Christmas from the Year 9 and 10 EAL students