Volume 10, 2024

Anyone who has received an email from me over the last couple of months may have noticed a note below the address to the effect that I am reading Michael Casey’s latest book - The Longest Psalm: Day by Day Responses to Divine Self-Revelation. It is an exercise in the slow and meditative reading of Psalm 118 which is made up of 176 verses. At one verse a day, I plan to be finished sometime in September. 

What makes this way of reading and praying my way through this wonderful poem so good is precisely engaging in what Benedict describes as lectio divina - the prayerful reading of and engagement with the Word of God. Add to this the daily reading of the gospel, the rhythm of Morning and Evening Prayer and the day can only be described as an immersion into God, an ever-deepening of a relationship, and a growing attentiveness to the gentle movement of the Spirit. It is not an escape from anything, but an openness to everything, knowing that The One who holds all things in being asks me to trust, be patient and be confident that all things will be well, and be as they are meant to be even if I can not see it right now.

So, what has this got to do with writing something meaningful and profound for our annual celebration of St Benedict? I think it has everything to do with Benedict. The Rule teaches us to take the gospel as our guide; to seek peace and pursue it; to listen with the ear of the heart; to take time to read good and serious spiritual works that lift the heart, body and soul towards the source of life; to honour each of our sisters and brothers in the community whose life we share; to prefer nothing whatever to Christ; to go and do likewise in imitation of the Good Samaritan.

As the years roll on and I discover more and more that I know less and less about many things, the call from God’s word echoes over and over - listen, listen, listen… Slowly, ever so slowly, I have discovered that my capacity for listening to that still voice found in the Word of God has grown, wilted a bit, and then grown again. Sometimes it takes the comment or observation of another to remind me that things have changed, that what was once tiresome and hard work is now done with a measure of habit and ease. Does that mean life is one continual upward movement? No. What it does mean is that I hope I am getting better at letting go of my own way of doing things, my hang-ups and prejudices, and allowing Jesus to mould and shape me into the image of the Divine that was intended from the beginning.

Michael Casey, I suggest, describes this process as advancing in wisdom.  Psalm 118, which Jesus certainly knew and which Benedict prayed every week, is a wisdom psalm.  Verse 72 says: The instruction from your mouth is better for me than thousands in silver and gold.  

Casey comments: 
Sapiental writings often assert that wisdom is more precious than all earthly possessions… Biblical wisdom has its sleeves rolled up; it is fundamentally practical. It is more precious than silver and gold because it is a personal quality, not the mere possession of external objects. To gain possession of the whole world while remaining crude and crass is no permanent benefit… Genuine wisdom enhances persons; it does not fill purses. (Casey, 138)

Benedict would certainly agree. Perhaps the best way to honour this holy and whole man would be to take some time to be still, read a chapter of the Word of God each day, a chapter of the Rule and add to that diet a reflection from a good book. And then get busy about the work that needs to be done, which at Rosebank today began with Eucharist and continued with a day of community enjoying being community.

Feast Day greetings and blessings to all members of the Rosebank Good Samaritan Benedictine community.

As a very busy Term 2 draws to a close, work has started on preparing students for the annual opportunity to participate in project-based learning through the InnovatED Program. Interested students will work on their projects in their own time and during PACE in Term 3 in preparation for the InnovatED Showcase in Term 4 on Monday, 18 November. Any interested students who have not yet signed up should contact Ms McArthur for further information as soon as possible.

Next term will start with a bang, with students involved in the annual mind-stretch with London-based, gifted education specialists Academy Learning, heading off to Ascham in Week 2. Additionally, the students participating in the annual Write a Book in a Day event will commence their fund-raising drive, which is required to enter the competition. Watch this space for information about how you can contribute to research into childhood cancer whilst also supporting some of the College’s budding authors.

Below are some student reflections on the two last events for Term 2, the College’s annual Ethical Explorations Day and our first foray into the Model United Nations Assembly competition.

Model United Nations Assembly

The preparation for MUNA (Model United Nations Assembly) stretched over the PACE time for the first semester. As this is Rosebank's first time participating in the competition, we experimented with different resolutions and countries in the first term.

We experienced MUNA with a range of students from Years 7-12. It was great to work with a group of Year 12s who gave up their valuable study time to help us understand more about historical and current events that have and are influencing geopolitics and learn from their well-honed research skills. 

There were some very interesting countries chosen to practice on in Term 1, some of which were ultimately not included in this year’s competition roster (North Korea, Ethiopia and Romania). The MUNA preparation in Term 2 commenced with revealing the country we had to represent and the resolutions we would be required to debate - South Africa. We researched our country and its relationships to the 19 other countries that would be at the competition. We also had to construct a brief introduction to our country and three other speeches designed to respond to the resolutions. 

Each school participating required a sponsorship from a local Rotary Club, and our sponsor was the Five Dock Rotary Club. Ms Pedley, the Young Generations Director and a co-organiser of the MUNA Competition came to one of our sessions to explain the competition process. The seven of us who continued into Term 2 and formed the team, which worked alongside Ms Hay, developed each of the speeches aligned with the point of view and opinions of South Africa. The team that represented us was Rex Newman (Year 10), Isabelle Sandu (Year 11) and Mirabelle Moscovitz (Year 11). The others involved were Dylan Kirby (Year 9), Kyriakos Tricklebank (Year 8), Poppy Cronin (Year 7) and myself. Learning more about another country's government, history, political stance and functions was very interesting. The experience taught me about public speaking, teamwork and politics.

Rebecca Cawrse (Year 7)




The MUNA competition involved teams of three and one observer from other Sydney schools representing 20 specific countries and debating about past UN resolutions on the floor of the NSW State Parliament. It was a very colourful day, with most teams dressing up in their country’s national dress while they provided their point of view on each of the resolutions. Most of the students were very confident speakers, and some were also very funny, making it enjoyable to watch. 

Rex Newman, Isabelle Sandu and Mirabelle Moscovitz made up the team, with me as the observer, and were supervised by Ms Hay. It was very nice of her to give up the Saturday of the long weekend so we could participate. Some of the schools were very passionate about their country's stance on the resolutions and were really convincing about their country's point of view. The students representing the USA were very loud and forceful, especially when they were unanimously outnumbered in one of the votes. In the last resolution, the countries were very upset with the United Kingdom for refusing to return stolen cultural artifacts. The day was entertaining, and the food provided was really good.

Poppy Cronin (Year 7)

Ethical Explorations Day

On Wednesday, 19 June, Rosebank College hosted our annual Ethical Explorations Day. Students from all over Sydney came together to discuss bioethical issues that may occur in different fields of work and to find ways to ensure that human life is preserved and nurtured safely. 

The day began with a guest speaker, Dr Hojjat Soofi, who guided us through structuring our thoughts and opinions and explained bioethics. As the day progressed, we were split into groups; I was part of the hospital group. We discussed what we could do in different scenarios to ensure that the people in our care could live happy and healthy lives or have a better chance at life. 

We were allowed to freely speak our opinions and use the conversation to understand the different outcomes and ideas that each student developed. This allowed me to see the infinite possibilities that must be narrowed down to the best choice for society in each circumstance. 

One of the scenarios that caused a lot of debate in my group was about how there was an old lady who used to be a nurse and a young man who was a medical student. Both contracted a virus and needed a ventilator however there was only one ventilator available. We had to decide who should get the ventilator. For this scenario, the group was split, with one side stating that the old lady should receive the ventilator as she was there first. But on the other side, it was stated that the young man had more to contribute to society after he graduates from medical school and that he had more to live for, whereas the old lady had already contributed to society.

In our opinion, the main point of this scenario was who could contribute to our society the most; therefore, the majority vote was for the young man. Throughout the discussions, we noted down the key points, what principles we thought should guide our actions and ultimately, our decision about each dilemma. 

During break times, we continued our discussions with students from other groups, finding out about the different topics each group discussed and the principles each group developed as they explored their dilemmas. These discussions allowed me to understand and discuss concepts that are not usually discussed in the classroom. 

For the last session of the day, all the groups joined together; each group had the whiteboards filled with all their thoughts, opinions and principles. This helped guide us for the last task of the day, which was to safely guide citizens of a country through a virus outbreak as safely as possible without causing a global epidemic. We all collaborated to discern the best possible choices for different circumstances, what to do to safely proceed without it spreading to other countries and reduce the chance of infection. 

Ethical Explorations Day is a great day to attend to discuss thought-provoking topics not often discussed in classrooms and develop our understanding with like-minded peers.

Deanna Le (Year 9)



Ethical Explorations Day was a galvanizing opportunity for 135 like-minded students from 14 schools across a range of NSW locations to connect over the topic of bioethics. To open the day, Dr Hojjat Soofi, a bioethicist from the University of Sydney, spoke to us about bioethics in general and helped us develop an understanding of its real-world impact. 

In Session 2, we were provided with a space to collaborate on real issues, dilemmas and situations pertaining to particular areas such as government policy, clinical research, research and development, and hospital practice. In this session, we learned to consider circumstances from various perspectives as we considered bioethics principles, our own values and the values of the organisation our group represented and the implications and differing impacts that various possible decisions might have on society in general and the individuals involved in particular. We also weighed up the benefits and disadvantages of all the possible solutions we came up with.

For example, a company has developed a drug that removes severe trauma from one’s memories. It could be a wonderful solution for people suffering from PTSD, but what else might it be used for? Should this drug be sold commercially? This was one of the many questions that, to some, might seem surface level, but to us, raised issues such as how it could alter one’s personality or have other unknowable side effects, how the technology could be misused or sold to unethical people to use for their own gain, among the many other factors that would be involved in this seemingly black and white decision.

Throughout the day, everyone could access a circulating microphone so we could contribute our ideas and opinions when feeling comfortable. In Session 3, we returned to the large group but remained in our smaller groups. Together, as a newly formed community, we developed a deeper way of thinking and approaching situations as we tried to solve a much more complex dilemma that required the specialised knowledge developed by each group. These skills have been and always will be valuable in human society.

Sabir Bansal (Year 9)

As the term came to a close, so too does the 2024 Peer Support Program. On Friday, 21 June, the final celebration was held for Year 7 to reflect on their Rosebank journey so far and thank their leaders.



Throughout the semester, the students completed their orientation to high school and learnt about important resilience-themed topics such as problem-solving, making decisions, handling relationships, communication skills and wellbeing. 



Each lesson was a chance for them to learn more about themselves and their peers, have some fun and connect more to the school. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the fantastic Year 10 Peer Support Leaders who led Year 7 through each lesson, offered advice, made their learning fun and assisted them in forging new friendships. 



While their formal leadership tenure is over, they will no doubt continue to have a positive influence over our younger students in the months and years ahead. Congratulations to Year 7 and our 2024 Peer Support Leaders!

It is always a pleasure to highlight the accomplishments of our talented Hayes students. In this Newsletter, we are thrilled to celebrate Abbey Challinor (Year 9) and her impressive achievements in figure skating.

In May, Abby represented Australia at the Oceania International Figure Skating Competition. Her performance was nothing short of spectacular.  She achieved her highest personal technical score this season. This remarkable feat is a testament to her hard work, determination and passion for the sport.

Over the King's Birthday Long Weekend, Abby competed in the NSW benchmark event, The Hollins Trophy.  Abby not only rose to the challenge, but excelled in a higher division, securing qualifying scores for a place in the National Championship for both the short and free programs.

Abby is eagerly anticipating more international competitions this year. These events will provide valuable experience and opportunities to showcase her talent on the global stage. We are incredibly proud of Abby's accomplishments, her dedication and perseverance.

Recently, our Year 8 French classes had the wonderful experience of learning the authentic way of cooking French crêpes. We ensured we were appropriately dressed in our toques (chef hats), aprons and gloves, and we were led by our French-speaking head chef Luca and his sous chefs, who taught us the process of cooking tasty, golden (and sometimes burnt!) crêpes. 

When we were making the crêpes, we worked in bays, splitting the steps between the students. Some students were responsible for mixing the batter, some were assigned to cook the crêpes, and some were responsible for adding the toppings. 



We had two tasty topping options: traditional lemon and icing sugar and raspberry coulis with whipped cream. When we were instructed to flip the crêpes, some of us were hesitant at first as it looked tricky, but after a few tries, we all improved our skills and ability and had a lot of fun too. 

Along the way, we gained a deeper understanding of French culture, which was especially interesting. Overall this experience was extremely enjoyable and one our families will benefit from once we start cooking crepes at home! Thank you to Mrs Zuman, Mrs Turli, Ms Kim and Mrs Arnold for organising the incursion. It was an experience we will remember forever!

By Samuel Irvine (Year 8)

For the past few months, our Year 9 students have been undertaking various roles volunteering in the community. During the semester holidays, many students will be engaged in different activities including coaching younger sport teams, doing canteen duty at different sport or charity events, making pouches for rescue animals, assisting at food pantries and soup kitchens, working in charity op shops, assisting at not-for-profit child care and out-of-school hours care centres.

Rosebank has supported the Cancer Survivorship Centre at Concord Hospital for many years.  It was founded by Professor Janette Vardy in 2013.  This year seven Year 9 students helped out at the Survivorship Benefit Concert at Strathfield Town Hall on Saturday, 29 June: Sophie Crawford, Gabrielle Daly, Isaac Herodotou, Ivy Pike, Isabella Raineri, and Lucas Ziino. They were wonderful ambassadors and were a great help in so many ways.

There are also three groups that have signed up to participate in Step Up For Survivorship. They are participating in various physical activities to raise funds so the Survivorship Centre can continue to offer free support and classes to cancer patients. Please support any of these groups with donations of any amount - it all adds up. Olek Szczerbicki (Year 12) did this for his service some years ago, and this year, he has teamed with his sister, Olivia, in Year 9 to ensure ongoing classes for survivors. The other two teams are made up entirely of Year 9 students keen to help out.  

You can support this important work here:

• Step up for Cancer Survivorship - Olek and Olivia
• Step up for Cancer Survivorship - Rosebank Runners
• Step up for Cancer Survivorship - Rosebank Actives

Thank you for your support and encouragement of our students in being positive, engaged members of our local community. 

Year 10 Future Pathways Presentations



A sincere thank you to the generous volunteers, alumni, parents, staff and representatives from various industries and institutions who, on Tuesday, 18 June, inspired Year 10 students by sharing their career stories.  



The presentations helped to expand students' understanding of career possibilities and where their studies can take them in the world of work. 



Thank you also to the students for their engagement and the staff who made this event possible.

On Wednesday, 21 August, NSW Health will be on site at the College to conduct a free vaccination program for all Year 7 students. The free vaccines are for diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis (dTpa) and human papillomavirus (HPV). Parents of Year 7 students are asked to refer to the instructions contained in an email sent recently from NSW Health and follow the prompts to give parental consent. If you want your child included in the vaccination program please ensure the online consent has been granted before the end of business on Tuesday, 20 August.