Dr Roza Sage Member for Blue Mountains, Sergio Rosato Principal at St Thomas Aquinas Primary, Paul Ryan Principal at St Columba's College, Education Minister Adrian Piccoli MP and St Columba's students James Freeman and Jordan Hallam
Education Minister Adrian Piccoli MP and Member for Blue Mountains Dr Roza Sage paid a special visit to students from St Thomas Aquinas Primary and St Columba’s College in Springwood.
On Tuesday 11 March, Minister Piccoli met with students who were directly affected by the bushfires of October 2013.
Students spoke openly and movingly of how their lives have changed since their home-life and community were devastated by the fires. Several students acknowledged how much closer the experience has brought them as families and as a community. Year 11 St Columbus student James gave special thanks for his teachers who ‘were always there for him’.
Minister Piccoli said he was privileged to hear their stories and hoped, like the grass and trees were growing again, that they were beginning to move on with help from each other.
Dr Sage reassured students that grieving was a normal part of life sharing her own story and inspiring students with hope for the future.
Following the meeting, Minister Piccoli and Dr Sage joined students and teachers for a morning tea.
Catholic Schools Parramatta Diocese
www.parra.catholic.edu.au
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24 Mar 2026
From Facebook
๐โโ๏ธ ๐ ๐๐ฝโโ๏ธ Our STA Cross Country was finally on today and not a rain drop in sight!โ ๏ธ Big cheers to all of our runners who got out there and gave it their all. From the climbs to the winding bush tracks, you showed determination with every step. You should all be proud of yourselves and it was great to see even some grins through the grit! Brilliant effort everyone.๐ And thank you to our Year 8 St Columbus helpers. It was so wonderful having you back. Along with our amazing staff who assisted, you all made our day the best it could be! ๐ซธ๐ผ๐ซท๐ป๐๐๐
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24 Mar 2026
From Facebook
๐โโ๏ธ ๐ ๐๐ฝโโ๏ธ Our STA Cross Country was finally on today and not a rain drop in sight!โ ๏ธ Big cheers to all of our runners who got out there and gave it their all. From the climbs to the winding bush tracks, you showed determination with every step. You should all be proud of yourselves and it was great to see even some grins through the grit! Brilliant effort everyone.๐ And thank you to our Year 8 St Columbus helpers. It was so wonderful having you back. Along with our amazing staff who assisted, you all made our day the best it could be! ๐ซธ๐ผ๐ซท๐ป๐๐๐
24 Mar 2026
700+ Unite for Project Compassion Big Water Walk
More than 700 students and staff from 23 schools across Catholic Schools Parramatta Diocese (CSPD) came together for Caritas Australiaโs Big Water Walk in support of Project Compassion. Beginning at Parramatta Park, students carried buckets of water along a 4km route, gaining a glimpse of the daily journey faced by people in developing communities, especially women and children, in search of clean water.
19 Mar 2026
From Facebook
We need your help! We are currently in the process of gathering data for our school in relation to our school's Catholic Identity. So far, we have had 5 families contribute. Thank you so much to those families. We are collecting data from Students, staff, and the parent community. We would appreciate 10-15 mins of your time to complete the survey. The details on how to complete are below: Start by clicking the survey link: https://www.ecsi.site/au/user/ Enter the CSPD Generic Password: Ghj654 Click on โNew User' Enter in the schoolโs unique Survey Access Code: U2Jc4G Thank You in Advance.
16 Mar 2026
From Facebook
Congratulations to our Effort in Learning Award recipients and to those who represented St Thomasโ at Zone Swimming.
13 Mar 2026
From Facebook
The Faith in Action Team has begun preparing the Chocolate Egg Raffle baskets ready for our Walk for Water fundraiser. ๐ซ๐ Students have been busy assembling the prizes as part of their service while continuing to raise awareness through Project Compassion with Caritas Australia. Raffle entries are $1 per entry, and families can donate through the QKR! App. All funds raised will support communities without access to clean water, including people like Sisilia in rural Tanzania. ๐ง๐ This Lent, we encourage families to consider donating as part of their Lenten promise of almsgiving, helping bring hope and access to clean water for those in need. ๐๐ง #faithinactioncspd
10 Mar 2026
From Facebook
Each March, families across Australia hear a lot about NAPLAN. The National Assessment Program Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) assesses students in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 in reading, writing, spelling, grammar and numeracy. But what does it really mean for your child in 2026?
10 Mar 2026
NAPLAN: What Parents Really Need to Know
Each March, families across Australia hear a lot about NAPLAN. The National Assessment Program Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) assesses students in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 in reading, writing, spelling, grammar and numeracy. But what does it really mean for your child in 2026?
09 Mar 2026
From Facebook
Paralympian Virtual Visit! Today, Year 4 were fortunate to have a virtual meet and greet with an Australian Paralympian. Rae Anderson, pictured below on the left, is one of 9 para athletes who have competed for Australia at both the Summer and Winter Paralympics. She has also represented Australia in the ParaMatildas, a soccer team for people with cerebral palsy. The students listened to the barriers that can prevent people with disabilities from becoming involved in sport. They learned the importance of inclusivity. Students were able to ask questions and were stoked when Rae was able to answer them and mention our school's name.
09 Mar 2026
From Facebook
Students had a fantastic AFL Taste Tester session on Friday and really kicked into gear while learning some new skills! ๐ A reminder that after-school AFL sessions start tomorrow afternoon from 3:35โ4:35pm- thereโs still time to sign up! For any questions, please contact AFL Coach Noah: Noah.connick@afl.com.au.
07 Mar 2026
From Facebook
04 Mar 2026
From Facebook
Year 1 have been busy scientists this week! ๐งชโจ As part of our learning about materials, we carried out a fun experiment to find out which materials absorb water and which ones repel it ๐ง The children made predictions, tested different materials, and were so excited to see the results! ๐ง๐ From sponges soaking up water to materials that kept completely dry, there were lots of โwow!โ moments! ๐ฎ We are so proud of their fantastic investigating skills and brilliant teamwork ๐๐
02 Mar 2026
From Facebook
We are looking forward to sharing our vibrant school community this week as we hold our Open Days. If you are interested in learning more about our school community, please feel free to join us at one of our Open Day tours.
02 Mar 2026
From Facebook
โBelong to something greaterโ Today we celebrated the start of Catholic Schools Week with a beautiful liturgy. We were reminded to be attentive to the quiet movements of love and kindness throughout our day, reminding us that we belong to something greater than ourselves and are called to live that belonging through responsibility, care and love for all Godโs people and creation.