Deputy Principal's Message

ISSUE 9 | 2 April 2026

I find the years in which Holy Week coincides with easing into the school holiday period that we are drawn into a natural pause for reflection upon the Easter congruity of struggle and hope.

The commitment to learning across all domains of school life has been visible in both our students and staff this term. All of it takes effort in a struggle or challenge. All of it offers growth and accomplishment. The struggle and the joy become entwined - we persist in the struggle in the belief that mastery is possible, and our joy is heightened when it emerges from navigating through difficulty. A faith in God’s love and belief in our goodness and potential sustains this hope and allows us to be people of love and hope for one another.

Last week's Camp and Retreat experiences offered much to the collective community experience of learning and growing together. A preparedness to step away from familiarity, navigate new challenges, embrace new relationships or time to nurture those already established sees our students grow together. Each experience offered students a moment of personal inward reflection - growing in understanding of who they are becoming and how they are being in relation with others and their world. Sharing this experience alongside peers and staff strengthens the bonds and joy we share as a community. The opportunity to return to school in this week following camps has a profound impact on our appreciation for the relationships and learning we share that are built upon a fundamental belief that we are people of love to one another. As I walked alongside Year 10 students I found myself marvelling at this rich opportunity for joyful interaction and discovery of spaces that bring community together - from Addi Rd Community Centre to street tables of Cabramatta to the Greenway of Summer Hill - when our screens are projecting images of conflict and division it is important that we offer real examples of how we may shape ways in which we be people of hope.

Pope Francis (in Evangelii Gaudium, 2013) offered a beautiful image of the way in which Lent is connected to Easter, not apart from. “There are Christians whose lives seem like Lent without Easter. I realize of course that joy is not expressed the same way at all times in life, especially at moments of great difficulty. Joy adapts and changes, but it always endures, even as a flicker of light born of our personal certainty that, when everything is said and done, we are infinitely loved. (6)”

When our world is tormented by conflict and war, we, including our young people, are faced with doubt, uncertainty, fear. We can feel the world is in a “Lent without Easter.” And yet joy endures often in the simplest of moments. As people we continue to have hope - propelling ourselves towards Easter - hoping for a world of peace where God’s love is found in our human encounters.

“Our experience of Lent should point us to Easter. Our Lenten journey should remind us why we hope and why the Easter story—our Easter story—is essential. Because despite all the sadness we see, the challenge and sorrow and suffering, God is still here. God is still at work. God is still laboring in and through us—and when we hope for that world God desires, we take a step closer toward its fulfillment”. (https://www.ignatianspirituality.com/lent-propels-us-to-easter/)

A Prayer for Easter

Draw Us Forth

Draw us forth, God of all creation.
Draw us forward and away from limited certainty
into the immense world of your love.
Give us the capacity to even for a moment
taste the richness of the feast you give us.
Give us the peace to live with uncertainty,
with questions,
with doubts.
Help us to experience the resurrection anew
with open wonder and an increasing ability
to see you in the people of Easter.

- Author Unknown

I wish all families the blessings of this Holy Week as we seek pause in our lives to give witness to the struggles within and around ourselves. May we take time to notice the hope that sits within these struggles, to nurture a faith in God’s goodness that sits within humanity, so that we intentionally seek to be people of Easter bringing joy to our encounters with others. Enjoy time with family and affirm the accomplishments and growth you have witnessed in your daughters’ learning and contributions this term.

Mrs Elizabeth Brooks
Deputy Principal

Deputy Principal's Message

ISSUE 8 | 20 March 2026

This afternoon we danced out the school gates to the tunes of “We are family”. Harmony Day is recognised in Australia tomorrow, Saturday 21 March - with the theme of “Everyone Belongs” - celebrating the richness that comes from appreciation of diversity - our many cultures, languages, faith, cuisines and music. Our young people more than ever seek occasion to see their world as one of inclusion and experience the joy that comes with appreciating others. I applaud the initiatives of our SRC working with the Dean of Students Safety and Wellbeing, Mrs Jenny Keys, who brought this joy to us. Students were invited to pen a hope for their world and pin it to a global map, recognising the breadth of our own family origins. At Lunch our Day 10 Concert provided its usual fortnightly glee as we filled the courtyard in appreciation of the participation and talents of peers (and staff). And to add something different, today our bells were replaced with sound tracks of various harmony-themed songs - hence ending the day with Sister Sledge’s lyrics - “We are family/ I got all my sisters with me” - was a shout out to the harmony experienced in the sisterhood that is Vinnies.

Last week I very much indulged in the pleasure of my own little family as my son was home visiting from the UK after two years away. His siblings had not seen him for two years and as a parent it is indeed a great joy to see the pleasure family members delight in each other. This week I have taken much pleasure and pride in our larger St Vincent’s College family as we have celebrated not only Harmony Week but also College Open Afternoon. I express my deep gratitude for the commitment of so many staff, students and parents in showcasing the fullness of the Vinnies community that together enables each student to grow connections, curiosity and confidence in learning. To have the P&F provide hospitality with the BBQ was great testimony to the significant contribution parents and carers make in shaping a community where all are welcome and valued. I hope that each of you in your smaller families and larger communities can celebrate a little of Australia’s diversity this weekend.

Mrs Elizabeth Brooks
Deputy Principal

Deputy Principal's Message

ISSUE 6 | 6 March 2026

This year’s IWD International Women’s Day theme is “Give to Gain” which aligns beautifully with our College value for 2026 “Generosity of Spirit”. It is premised on the notion that when we give we gain - emphasising an intentional disposition of generosity and relationships of reciprocity.

“Giving is not a subtraction, it's intentional multiplication. When women thrive, we all rise”. (IWD)

The generosity of our students to see their part in shaping the culture and spirit of the College was palpable at yesterday's College Swimming Carnival. Each race was full of competitors whilst the cheering did not stop. There is no easy rule book for student participation at such events; rather the culture of what is experienced as a community is nurtured amongst people who see their capacity to give of themselves and enjoy the rewards of celebrating together. I commend all students - from our seniors who led and supported their peers to our newest Year 7s who have now very much embedded themselves into their Houses with pride and participation. I also commend all staff whose generous commitment to school culture ensures such days are possible.

On Wednesday evening we were so very fortunate to have Alumna Gemma Sisia share her story of giving to gain - fighting poverty through education in establishing The School of St Jude in Tanzania now in its 25th year. The ripple effect of Gemma’s first $10 donation to what is now three school campuses educating nearly 2000 students each year, employing 300 staff, additionally offering employment to all industries that supply food, clothing, and furniture is nothing short of inspiring. Accompanying Gemma was a St Jude’s graduate from university, now a civil engineer who is able to contribute to the design of future building works for the school - in turn offering education for more students.

Next week’s Assemblies will continue to celebrate International Women’s Day with guest speakers, including Gemma. Our Year 12s will be led by our very own College Co-captains, Emily Byrne and Henrietta Dermody, who will share their learnings from the International Coalition of Girls Schools’ Student Leadership Conference in January with a focus on ‘empower her values, empower her voice, empower her impact’. We look forward to the ripple that these provocations will bring to our students.

Mrs Elizabeth Brooks
Deputy Principal

Deputy Principal's Message

ISSUE 5 | 27 Feb 2026

This week you will be receiving letters with details of our upcoming Camps, Retreats and Immersion experiences - Wednesday 25 - Friday 27 March (Year 9 dates differ according to letter provided). These are compulsory learning experiences and I ask you to place these dates in your calendars. Camps and Retreats are an extension of the holistic learning at our College – providing opportunity to learn in new ways, take risks and enjoy achievement, problem solve in collaborative teams and to extend peer relationships so that students grow in both self-awareness and appreciation of others. It is important that the conversations at home also consider the learning and growth that these experiences offer students by way of community-building, leadership and the transfer of skills in a real-life setting. The opportunity for place-based learning that excites curiosity and nurtures an appreciation of each girl’s connection to the world in which she lives nurtures her growth in faith and knowledge.

As parents and carers we ask that you fully support the value of such experiences that are integral to the learning and socialising journey of the year group as they will build memories together. We witness tenacity, joy and accomplishment in these experiences - instilling a can-do attitude in our adolescents growing in self-awareness and confidence. Early Secondary students on camps are supported by both a specialist outdoor education teacher and a St Vincent’s College teacher whilst Middle and Senior Secondary years students are accompanied in their journey of immersion or spiritual reflection in small groups of peers and a teacher. You will be informed of the key staff members responsible for leading these for each year group in the letters provided.

For now, it is imperative that parents and carers have updated your daughter/s’ Emergency contact and Medical details to ensure her safety in the event of an emergency. This is a request we make at the beginning of every year and ask that you continue to update whenever there is a change for your daughter to ensure details remain current. We hold the safety of students as a high priority. We thus ask that all parents and carers take the time to update medical information, including medications and dietary requirements to enable the safe care of your daughter every day of her schooling. Please do so via ‘Update Family Profile’ in yourVeracross Parent Portal. (How to Guide here). If you require a more detailed discussion of your daughter’s medical requirements, please contact the College Nurse health@stvincents.nsw.edu.au.

Mrs Elizabeth Brooks
Deputy Principal

ISSUE 3 | 13 Feb 2026

Thursday’s College Opening Mass gave us much hope in the community we share. We filled the beautiful church of St Mary’s North Sydney, gathered together in prayer and shared hopes for the year ahead as we are invited into what it means to live a life with generosity of spirit guided by Christ’s invitation to shine a light for others. I commend all students and staff whose thoughts and voices shaped our celebration of Eucharist as well as the responsibility exercised by students as they travelled to and from the College.

The day before we gathered as a community for our first formal College Assembly of the year. The Year 12 Leadership Team spoke eloquently of their hopes for the community in living the value of Generosity of Spirit. Henrietta Dermody’s words are included in this Bulletin as she, along with her fellow Co-captain Emily Byrne, offer an invitation to all of us in the community to embrace generosity as a disposition, an attitude, an intention. I invite you to read and reflect on these words so you may share in the culture that is shaped by the ways our students, staff and families choose to greet others each day.

As partners in education, we are committed to empowering our students and parents with support in raising adolescents in the world in which they live – a privilege and at times a challenge. Our children are our most precious gift and responsibility. Investing in education to build understanding of their world and develop ways of engaging in conversation with children can have a significant impact on your child’s safety, wellbeing and learning. A wonderful resource is the International Coalition of Girls’ Schools podcast series for educators including parents and carers - On Educating Girls Podcast where expert voices share reflections and strategies that support the healthy development of girls. The recent episode offers great currency as young people navigate a world of diverse viewpoints to form their own considered viewpoints whilst respecting those of others - Learning to Disagree without Disconnecting. Sharing ideas, receiving alternate perspectives including critique and engaging in differences are important interactions that allow for disagreement whilst preserving connection and respect. This disposition to be generous in listening, to empathise and hold space for the viewpoints of others, is a disposition that enhances learning and enriches relationships. It is 12 minutes - perhaps worth a listen on a weekend walk with the dog.

Mrs Elizabeth Brooks
Deputy Principal

College Co-captains Address - College Assembly Wed 11 February.

Good Morning Staff and Students.

Unfortunately my co-captain Emmy cannot be with us today, so I speak on behalf of both of us. We talk about generosity a lot. It's a colossal part of our school, and, knowing most of you personally, a huge part of our lives as well. Usually, we talk about generosity in safe, measurable ways. Money. Time. volunteering. And all of that matters, obviously. No real change happens without action.

But equally, no real action happens without something changing first. And while that change might take off in a donation tin or a sign-up sheet, it does not start there. It starts somewhere much quieter. Somewhere much harder to define. In the way a person sees the world, and the way they decide to meet it and embrace it. Even in the most uncomfortable, confronting parts of the world. This is generosity as a disposition. The decision and the courage to keep acting with care, even when our efforts can feel small and the problems feel endless. When love is hardly a popular movement in the world, we have the opportunity to radically oppose injustice by being generous in thought, and generous in attitude.

There are times that we may see our world as troubled. There is no doubt that you have all seen media and footage of the most depraved aspects of society, a world that sometimes seems devoid of the kindness and love we freely enjoy at school. I, atleast, find it hard sometimes to reconcile the generosity I may speak of at school with the overwhelming issues I see in the real world. It's difficult to think that yes, while we may bring in donations, work Night Patrol or Matt Talbot, or make cupcakes for St Canice’s, the world is still marked by war, hatred, and violence. I think what troubles us is that these efforts can feel so small against problems that are so vast. Oftentimes it feels almost fraudulent to speak so highly of action and of courage, knowing that most of the time our actions might not be large enough to end world hunger and bring about world peace. And so in bringing in the new year, the year of generosity of spirit, I was confused as to how to present this to you all. On how to define and epitomise generosity of spirit.

I have come to understand that generosity of spirit is what decides whether we meet complexity with curiosity or contempt. Whether we reduce people to the worst thing we’ve heard about them, or leave room for the possibility that they’re more than that. Whether we speak about others in a way that closes doors, or in a way that keeps them open.

And this sounds small. Almost disappointingly small. But when you think about it, all our lives are made up of these moments. Conversations. Classrooms. Corridors. The way we talk about people who aren’t in the room. The way we respond when something is difficult, or awkward or wrong. I urge you to remember that we are the future, and we are the world. And if all the world often feels oppositional and angry, we have the opportunity to change it here, in the way that we meet things with the goodness and courage of a Vinnies girl.

And this is the distinction that matters most. Material generosity answers suffering. It feeds people. It shelters people. It meets needs where it is and that is undoubtedly essential. But generosity of spirit does something different. It resists the habit of reducing people to categories. It resists the instinct to harden, to simplify, to dehumanise. One treats the wound. The other challenges what keeps reopening it.

That's why generosity can't be something we simply organise and show up for, it has to be something we become. Something we find in ourselves. Because long before hatred turns into violence, or indifference turns into injustice, it starts as a way of seeing, a way of speaking, a way of deciding who counts and who doesn’t.

So of course, keep giving. Keep serving. Keep showing up. But value just as highly the way you see and understand people. Because generosity of spirit doesn’t always have to relieve suffering in total - as educated women we are smarter than to be so unrealistic. To be generous in spirit, generous in attitude, will always, ever so quietly, ever so stubbornly, work against the logic that produces injustice. And that is why it matters.

For today’s College Assembly, leaders within the Year 12 Student Leadership Team will each speak on how they see we are to take up the invitation to be people with a generous disposition or attitude, to choose to live with a generosity of spirit that shapes not just our life but the community around us. We hope to spark your thinking so each member of the community may commence this year with intention to carry generosity beyond individual acts, shaping the culture, tone, and spirit of the College.

Thank you for listening.

ISSUE 1 | 30 Jan 2026

I add my welcome to new and returning families. It is always a moment of refresh to have our staff and students walk back through the school gates ready for new beginnings - embracing new classes, new timetables, new people. We extend this welcome with a spirit of renewal to parents and carers, and express gratitude for the partnership we look forward to in educating and caring for your daughters. In this Year of Generosity of Spirit, my hope is that we choose a disposition that looks for the good in each member of this community, and encourage this in our daughters and students. In doing so, we nurture each individual to grow in awareness of their own worth and capacity to give of one’s best self in an invitation to good relationships and committed learning.

I am reminded of the image of the Great Migration in Africa - the world's largest ever-moving year-long, circular journey of over 1.5 million animals across Tanzania's Serengeti and Kenya's Maasai Mara ecosystems. The return to school grounds can appear a little the same - first the many Property, IT and Admin Support began preparing the pathway as our ‘migration’ commenced with College leaders and new staff, followed shortly by all teachers and of course Boarding staff and students who are always the first on campus. Years 7 & 12 enjoyed a wide berth with the College to themselves for a day followed the next day by Years 8-11 students. Accompanying each student it’s you - the parents and carers. The animal kingdom has many examples of symbiotic relationships, one of them being mutualism - a relationship in which there is mutual gain for each - shaping a healthy ecosystem of biodiversity and flourishing. I hope our Vinnies community is one in which we are all greater for the sum of our parts working together and we each choose to migrate forward on a shared path of generosity and support, valuing the particular perspectives and attributes each member contributes to our community faith formation, learning and wellbeing.

There is never a quiet start to the year when 770 students arrive on campus for a week of greeting in Tutor and Year groups, College and House gatherings, locker allocations and timetables and particularly the joy of walking into new classes to commence learning together. But we are ready! I thank the incredible energy and good work of our staff in preparing the students for learning and reflecting upon their intended actions to achieve their aspirations for 2026. I encourage parents and carers to join the dialogue with your daughters about what it is they wish to achieve in their learning and growing this year. There has been much dialogue and prayer to introduce our 2026 College value enabling students to be intentional in how they bring this disposition to their encounters within and beyond the College.

All students received a College Diary upon her return to school. Students have enjoyed some enhancements to the Diary they may like to share with you. To ensure you and your daughter are familiar with College procedures please read this information and sign page 41. The responsibilities and expectations we have of our students enable respectful relationships and positive learning for all. Your support of all College procedures is greatly appreciated. The students have returned from the holidays looking impressive in their uniform; please do acknowledge the expectations regarding jewellery, piercings and dress length. A reminder that hats are a compulsory uniform item and must be worn to and from school as well as Recess and Lunch. Page 40 and 41 of the Student Diary outlines our particular policies and consequences for breaching College expectations; please ensure you are familiar with the expectations so that we have consistency of understanding and practice. In all we do at St Vincent’s College we seek to support students in accepting responsibility for actions and engaging in behaviours that are respectful and safe for themselves and others. Whilst we engage in dialogue and reflection to learn, we also have clear consequences that provide consistency and fairness, values appreciated by adolescents and their teachers. As we partner together in the care and education of your daughter, please note pages 4 and 5 that provide a list of College contacts as well as the Parent/ Carer Communication Flowchart.

The structure of Tutor groups within the House enables a continuity of relationships for students and parents. We strive to know our students as individuals and learners. Year 7 House Tutor groups aim to provide greater opportunity for students to get to know students across their own cohort before transitioning into the vertical Tutor group. Year 7 are very much part of the House, in all celebrations and gatherings, and were warmly welcomed into their House this morning as we gathered for a Liturgy and introduction to House chants. Whether new or returning parents and carers, I take this opportunity to state how much we value our partnership with you. We seek to integrate our pastoral and academic care of students through effective communication channels.

We are excited to welcome an addition to the Pastoral Team this year. Mrs Jennifer Keys, joins us in the role of Dean of Students - Safety and Wellbeing. Mrs Keys brings great expertise and experience in student wellbeing and will lead staff and students in our wellbeing education and support interventions. She will work closely with the other Deans of Secondary and Tutor teachers in our support of students in developing the social-emotional capabilities and resilience as they embrace their adolescent growth as young women.

Please be advised of the following avenues for communication with the College:

• Classroom teacher is the first point of contact when students or parents have a concern or query that is subject specific. The Head of Department is also available to offer guidance.
  
• Tutor teacher is the first point of contact for communication in areas that are more holistic.
  
• Dean of Early/ Middle/ Senior Secondary and Boarding, along with the Dean of Students and College Counsellors and Nurse are also available for wellbeing support and advice where necessary.
  
• College Cor Team & College Companion welcome communication in our various portfolios.

My very best wishes to you and your families for 2026.

Mrs Elizabeth Brooks
Deputy Principal