Our Lady of the Sacred Heart College Kensington

We are pleased to announce the Student Leadership Team for 2024/25. We know that our newly announced leaders will lead the College with heart, pride, integrity and enthusiasm. Congratulations to all students!

Today, we were honoured to host a special Mass at the College to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the Foundation of the Daughters of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart (DOLSH). Bishop Terry Brady, Emeritus Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Sydney, celebrated Mass for this special occasion. The Mass was was also attended by Fr Stephen Hackett MSC Provincial Leader of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart, Sister Philippa Murphy, Australian Provincial Leader of the Daughters of the Sacred Heart, The Provincial Council, all DOLSH Sisters, together with visiting Priests, The Honourable Matt Thistlethwaite MP, Councilor Philipa Veitch, the Mayor of Randwick, together with family members, friends and supporters of the Sisters. The Mass was a beautiful celebration of the history, work, passion and commitment of the DOLSH Sisters, who have lovingly served communities both near and far over the last 150 years.

Many of our students took the opportunity to produce Father's Day cards in the library today, in preparation for Father's Day celebrations this Sunday.

❤️ Today, we celebrated all the fathers, grandfathers and father figures in our lives, with a special Father’s Day Mass followed by morning tea. Thank you to Fr Peter Hearn MSC for leading us in prayer; both Gulliver and Lily Tompkins for providing such beautiful father/daughter reflections from the heart, the choir for their amazing singing, and Mr Jurgutis and other staff members involved in arranging this special morning. It was wonderful to see so many fathers and friends join us today and we wish all fathers and father figures all the best for Father’s Day on Sunday. ❤️

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Are you ready to take part in some fun and games? We've got a full schedule of activities lined up for every Thursday lunch time across Weeks 6-10 of the term, starting with Pickle Ball this Thursday. Join us at the Turf to be part of all the action!

Year 11 PDHPE, Marine Studies, and Sport, Lifestyle and Recreation Studies students all teamed up for an exciting day of learning, working together to earn their First Aid Licenses. With hands-on practice, engaging scenarios, and plenty of teamwork, every student gained valuable life-saving skills while having a lot of fun along the way!

Following last week's Book Week activities, the winners of the Principal’s Reading Prize were announced at yesterday's assembly. Congratulations to Mischa (Year 7), Sarah (Year 11), Jennifer (Year 8) and Caitlyn (Year 8) who received awards, where they were presented with certificates and prizes (Dymocks book vouchers) at the assembly. 👏

The Year 7 Newman Science class did a fantastic job with their cell structure models! Creativity really shines when students are given the freedom to choose their medium. Models like these can make complex concepts like cell structures much more tangible and engaging.This task really showed how the students can put their own creative spin on a project. Unique approaches can make learning about cell structures not only interesting but also more memorable. Well done Year 7!

Behind the scenes...Last Friday, we had a video/photography shoot at the College in preparation for the updating of our website. Stay tuned for the big reveal over the coming weeks! We just thought we would share a behind the scenes photo of the busy day that was. Thanks to all staff and students for helping out on the day.

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Year 8 completed their 6 week integrated STEM project with a Pitch Fest last Friday. Across this project, students worked in groups to develop a sustainable house that incorporated content and skills from Science, TAS (Technological and Applied Studies), Mathematics and Enterprise. One team was selected to represent each Enterprise class, where each student presented brilliantly. The winners were able to evaluate the sustainability and thoughtfulness of their house design, the effectiveness of teamwork and collaboration, and the application of scientific and mathematical principles supported by research. Congratulations to all winners, finalists and participants. 👏👏👏

Congratulations to Zoe, Abilene and Candice (Year 9), who came 1st in the Book Display Competition for Book Week with their Murder/Mystery display. We also congratulate the six Year 7 students who came 2nd with their Fantasy Genre display, including Evalina, Samantha, Beatrix, Clara, Grace and Muireann.

LIVE STREAM: Get those game faces ready as the Pre to Post Sydney Athletics Championship is just around the corner! 😎🥳 Tune in on Friday 30 August to catch all the track events from both arenas at Sydney Olympic Park. Bookmark our page here: https://ow.ly/hftG50SYVQj

❗WARNING: Viewers may experience heart-stopping finishes, record-breaking performances, and unforgettable moments that will have them on the edge of their seat...

We are pleased to advise that OLSH performed extremely well at the recent SCS Athletics Carnival, achieving 3rd place in the Junior Division, 2nd place in the Intermediate Division, 2nd place in the Senior Division and 3rd place overall in Conference 1. Well done to all representatives! 👏👏👏

To celebrate Book Week, our library team arranged the ever popular Cake Decorating Competition where students could bring a cake decorated in a book theme. We had almost 30 entries this year, and as always, the standard was extremely high. Congratulations to Olivia (Year 7), Clarice (Year 8) and Georgia (Year 11), who came 1st, 2nd and 3rd respectively, and thanks to everyone who participated in this fun, very creative competition.

Yesterday, Ms Pussich invited all students who had 100% attendance in Semester 1, to a celebratory pizza lunch in Hartzer Hall, together with our Leaders of Pastoral Care. It was a great way to connect with one another, and recognise this consistent achievement.

Last Friday, our Year 10 students attended the Sydney Careers & Employment Expo at the Hordern Pavilion, Moore Park. This exciting event featured over 120 organisations and employers, offering students a unique opportunity to explore potential career paths and gain valuable insights into the job market. Throughout the morning, students engaged in various activities, including speaking with representatives from leading training organisations, attending career seminars, gaining practical advice on resume writing and learning about jobs of the future. They also explored opportunities for apprenticeships and further education. The Expo was an invaluable experience which will help them make informed decisions as they continue their educational journey.

Today, many of our Year 11 students took part in a Leadership Preparation Day, where they had to complete tasks, demonstrating their leadership, teamwork and presentation skills along the way, in preparation for taking on leadership roles in Year 12. Good luck to all students!

Our Year 8 students are getting exclusive first use of our brand new Gymnastics equipment as part of their PDHPE course.

National Science Week, which is Australia's annual celebration of science and technology, starts today and runs through to 18 August. The week features over 1,000 events around Australia, including those delivered in universities, schools, research institutions, libraries and museums. This year's theme is 'Species Survival - More Than Just Sustainability'. To celebrate Science Week, we will hold daily quizzes, where students can compete against each other to win House points and prizes.

Congratulations to Nadia, Year 9, who completed the Willo Mountain Bike Marathon in Nowra on the weekend. Nadia stepped up to the 12km distance, which included a very technical course, and she came 1st place in the Under 15 Female category! What a great achievement.👏👏👏

Our Year 11 Marine Studies class recently visited the 2024 Sydney International Boat Show recently to learn about all things marine and maritime. On this day students were introduced to a vast array of careers across the significantly large and spectacular industry. This visit coincided with the commencement of their journey into the marine topic of Boat Craft and Construction, where students will build wooden surfing hand planes.

Year 12 students, we are thinking of you today as you embark on your second week of Trial examinations. Good luck to everyone sitting exams this week, including those sitting exams today for Mathematics Standard 2, Mathematics Standard 1 Pathways, Mathematics Advanced, Mathematics Extension 2 and Community and Family Studies.

🏀🌟 Make the most of the school break with our Sport Holiday programs for students in Years 4 to 9! From rugby to volleyball, table tennis and martial arts, there's something for everyone. 🌟⚽ Registrations close Tuesday 10 September. For more information visit: https://ow.ly/FeKS50SRJhT

A huge thank you to ex-student Dr Felicia Adinanto, now a UTS Orthoptics Lecturer, for presenting an inspiring and informative session about her educational journey! After graduating from OLSH, Felicia pursued a Bachelor of Science at UNSW, followed by a Master of Orthoptics at USyd, and ultimately achieved her PhD at UTS. Currently, she is lecturing at the Graduate School of Health at UTS. Our students were captivated by her story and left feeling inspired to pursue their own dreams. They had so many questions for Felicia and truly enjoyed the session.We are incredibly grateful for her time and dedication to sharing her experience with us. Thank you, Felicia! 🙏

Our talented Year 8 students have studied Principles of Design, including colour, texture, line and shape, for their Technology Project, where they have designed and produced their own Sustainable Tote Bags with embroidery and beading. The students are now able to display their creative and practical skills as they start to use their original designs. Well done Year 8! 👏

Our Year 11 Geography students have been investigating how culture impacts places as part of their case study on Culture of Place. To incorporate fieldwork, which is an essential part of the syllabus, students went to Green Square and explored how it has changed over time, starting as a swamp and wetlands, transforming into an industrial hub of Sydney and now a site of gentrification and great change. The excursion started at The Grounds Alexandria, an old factory that has been transformed into the most the Instagrammable restaurant in the world, based on a recent study. Students then went to Yiu Ming Temple, the only remnant of the huge Chinese population that was once found in Waterloo, followed by a walk around Our Lady of Mount Carmel, the first Catholic church to be established in the area. They then walked past Zetland Mosque and to The Tote in Zetland, where the old Victoria Park Racecourse used to be located, finishing at Infinity Square in Zetland, a unique and modern building that exemplifies the great changes that have occured in the area of Green Square.

Good luck to our Year 12 HSC students who commence their Trial Examinations today, including exams for English Advanced, English Standard, Music 1 and VET Business Services. Our thoughts and prayers are with you all. ❤️

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Just passing on a reminder that we have our Christmas in July Fundraising event tomorrow. Feel free to wear Christmas m***i clothing and bring a gold coin donation. All students can also take part in a fun-filled Christmas photo shoot in the Blackbox Theatre at recess (another gold coin donation to participate). All funds support the Catholic Education Foundation which helps families provide a quality Catholic education for their children.