Volume 5, 2024

Go! You are sent.

At the end of the Eucharist we are given no doubt as to what we are to do.  We are commanded “go”.  In the Latin liturgy it was the phrase “Ite missa est”, translated as “Go - the Mass is ended”.  Having fed upon the Word of God, fed upon the sacrament of Christ’s body and blood, joined in common prayer for the needs of the community and world and accepted God’s blessing for the coming week, we are commanded - Go!

Last week the revised edition of the Rosebank College Mission Framework was posted on the College Website.  At the end of the first Mission Review at Rosebank in 2013 the panel recommended the creation of a framework to capture what “mission at Rosebank” is.  Over the course of the next five years a committee met, discussed, drafted, drew, debated and did it all again.  Attempting to set down on paper what Mission and Ministry is within the context of this inner-west Sydney, Catholic, Benedictine, Good Samaritan, Co-educational College in the first quarter of the twenty-first century proved to be a greater challenge than any of the first committee could have imagined.  The framework was launched at the end of the school year in 2018 and a review was planned for 2021.  And then came COVID.  The second Mission Review was undertaken in 2023 with the main recommendation that the framework review be attended to as a matter of priority.  This was done.  A thorough revision of the original document was undertaken leading to the posting of the 2024 Rosebank College Mission Framework (Revised) in early April.

The Mission Framework is the “Opus Dei” of the College.  It is our self-understanding of who we are and how we “do” the work of God in this community. It ties intimately with the gospel from Low Sunday or the Second Sunday of Easter - the gospel of Doubting Thomas.  

The disciples, scared men and women, scarcely daring to believe the account of Mary Magdalene that the Lord had risen, must have been terrified when Jesus appeared to them, passing through walls and doors. His first words - “Shalom aleichem - Peace be with you” must have stunned them. It was him. The One standing before them was instantly recognisable as the One they had known before, and yet everything was different.  He showed them his pierced hands and side; but it was not a ghost - they could, and did, touch him.  Thomas, missing at an earlier encounter, is gently challenged by Jesus to reach out and touch him, and makes one of the earliest professions of faith - My Lord and My God.  However, it is the words of Jesus that come after Thomas’ statement that ring loud for me and through the centuries of believers who have, like Thomas, struggled at times to believe:  You believe Thomas because you have seen; blessed are those who have not seen but still believe (John 20.28-29).

Jesus then breathes the Spirit upon them and gives them the command to go and proclaim the Good News.  This is, one could argue, the mission framework of the Christian Church.  

Rosebank’s Mission Framework echoes Jesus' command to go out and proclaim the Good News to our community. And like the Gospel, the framework will only be effective if it is lived and empowered by the Holy Spirit through each and every member of this community.  

During the last week of Term there are two events that capture something of the energy of the command “to go”.  On Wednesday, the Confraternity of Christian Doctrine were on site for our annual training day for student catechists from Year 10.  These young people are literally getting up and going to take the Good News into one of our local public schools in Russell Lea.  And the second event is the World’s Greatest Shave on Friday when a number of year 12 students who have raised sponsorship money for the Leukemia Foundation will have their hair cut.  Again, this is another way of expressing Jesus' command to  “go” and be neighbour to those who need our help.

So, let us GO and Shalom Aleichem - Peace be with you!.


Photo: Ivory plaque, ca. 1140–60 from Cologne and housed in the Cloisters Museum in NYC. Photo by Lawrence Lew OP

Sydney Catholic Schools (SCS) Conference 2 Finals

Based on their wonderful results throughout the season, 7 Rosebank teams qualified for the SCS Conference 2 Finals. These teams competed on Thursday 4th April, in a bid to be crowned Conference Champions. Their hard work and determination was on display and they left nothing up to chance. Congratulations to the following teams on their sensational performances in the Conference Finals.

• Boys Junior Basketball - 3rd place
• Girls Junior Basketball - 3rd place
• Boys Intermediate Touch Football - 1st place
• Girls Intermediate Touch Football - 2nd place
• Girls Senior Touch Football - 2nd place
• Boys Junior Water Polo - 1st place
• Girls Senior Water Polo - 4th place
  
  A special congratulations to the following teams who were crowned Conference Champions after their result in their grand final match or ladder placings. These teams then qualified to compete at the Sydney Championships
   
• Boys Intermediate Touch Football 
• Boys Junior Water Polo 
• Boys Intermediate Water Polo
• Boy Senior Water Polo
• Girls Intermediate Water Polo 

 
 




Sydney Catholic Schools (SCS) Autumn Sydney Championships

On Thursday, 11 April, five Rosebank Representative Sport teams competed in the SCS Autumn Sydney Championships. This event is an all day event where the winners of each Conference versus each other to determine the best catholic school in Sydney. The Rosebank teams proved that they meant business, staying focused throughout the day to perform under pressure.

These matches were live streamed and our teams represented the school incredibly well. Congratulations to the following teams on their results:

• Boys Intermediate Touch Football - 4th place
• Boys Junior Water Polo - 2nd place
• Boys Intermediate Water Polo - 3rd place
• Boys Senior Water Polo - 1st place Sydney Champions
• Girls Intermediate Water Polo - 4th place

A special congratulation to our Boys Senior Water Polo team who were crowned Sydney Champions after a dominant grand final and a near perfect season. What a fantastic way to finish the term.

Well done and thank you to all Term 1 Representative Sport students on a wonderful and successful term of Representative sport!



SCS Sydney Swimming Championships

Our success doesn’t stop there! On Monday, 25 March, after a day of school, a team of 35 students competed at the SCS Sydney Swimming Championships at Sydney Olympic Park Aquatic Centre. Up against some tough competition from the other Sydney catholic schools, Rosebank stood strong, with their team spirit prevailing. The cheering and support from the stands demonstrated the strong bond amongst the team which allowed our swimmers to swim with confidence and self-belief. Congratulations to all members of the team, particularly the following students who had notable achievements:

• Asha Ring  - 1st Girls 16 Years 50m Freestyle, 100m Backstroke, 100m Freestyle, 2nd 50m Breaststroke, 50m Backstroke 3rd 50m Butterfly, 100m Breaststroke Girls 15-16 Years 4x50m Freestyle Relay
• Adriano Sorrentino - 1st Boys 16-19 Years Multi-Class 50m Butterfly, 2nd Boys 16-19 Years Multi-Class 50m Freestyle, 50m Breaststroke, 50m Backstroke, 100m Freestyle, 3rd 100m Breaststroke, Boys 15-16 Years 4x50m Medley Relay
• Charlotte Gan - 3rd Girls 15-16 Years 4x50m Freestyle Relay
• Corey Ioannou - 2nd Boys 17 & Over 4x50m Freestyle Relay
• Isabel Wong - 3rd Girls 15-16 Years 4x50m Freestyle Relay
• Jacob Keelty - 2nd Boys 17 & Over 4x50m Freestyle Relay
• Jacob Wong - 3rd Boys 15 Years 100m Backstroke, Boys 15-16 Years 4x50m Medley Relay
• Liam Macri - 2nd Boys 17 & Over 4x50m Freestyle Relay
• Michigan Loefti - 3rd Boys 15-16 Years 4x50m Medley Relay
• Nicholas Fleming - 3rd Boys 15-16 Years 4x50m Medley Relay
• Olivia Locke - 3rd Girls 15-16 Years 4x50m Freestyle Relay
• Patrick Endicott - 2nd Boys 17 & Over 4x50m Freestyle Relay
   

Asha Ring was also awarded Girls 16 Years Age Champion and Adriano Sorrentino was awarded Multi-Class Swimmer of the Meet. An exceptional achievement for two incredibly hard working swimmers. Well done!

NSWCCC Swimming Championships
Based on their results from the SCS Sydney Swimming Championships, the following students were selected to represent Sydney Catholic Schools at the NSW Combined Catholic Colleges (NSWCCC) Swimming Championships on Thursday 4th April. This meet brings together the best swimmers from every catholic school in NSW. Our Rosebank students left their mark on the pool, particularly Asha Ring, who was selected onto the NSWCCC team to compete at the NSW All Schools Swimming Championships on Thursday 30th - Friday 31st May. Congratulations to all students on their results:

• Asha Ring - 1st place 50m Freestyle, 100m Freestyle, 200m Freestyle
• Jayden Wong - 6th place 400m Freestyle, 7th place 200m Individual Medley
• Nicholas Fleming - 6th place 200m Freestyle
• Corey Ioannou, Liam Macri, Hugo Guastella, Jacob Keelty - 5th place Boys 4x50m Freestyle Relay

Mens and Mixed Netball National Championships

From Saturday, 30 March - Saturday, 6 April, 2 Rosebank students and 3 Rosebank Alumni represented NSW at the Mens and Mixed Netball National Championships in Brisbane. Ben Gilligan (Year 11) and Samuel O’Driscoll (Year 12) represented NSW in the 17s age group, and Jack Harris (2023 Alumni), Solomon Howard (2023 Alumni) and Fraser Salmon (2023 Alumni) represented NSW in the 20s age group. These boys went through a tough trial and training process since October last year in their preparations for Nationals. All of these boys started their netball journey playing for Rosebank and we’re extremely proud of their commitment, progress and development to represent NSW at this level. Well done boys!

It has been a busy and successful term to celebrate as we head into the school break. Next term we will be off to a busy start from Week 1, with the launching of the Write a Book in a Day fundraising, and final preparations for the Senior School Ethics Olympiad and the Da Vinci Decathlon for the Year 7 and 8 teams in weeks two and three respectively.

For students who are interested in participating in an InspirED activity in Term 2, there are spaces available to join the Tournament of Minds training squad, National History Challenge and Chess Coaching, all during PACE. I am also seeking chess players interested in representing the College in the Sydney Catholic Schools Chess Gala Day, which will be held on the same day as the College Athletics Carnival, June 12; chess playing athletes need not apply. Any students interested in these opportunities should contact me via email as soon as possible.

Planning is also underway for the annual Ethical Explorations Day. Once again, the College will host over 100 students from various schools throughout New South Wales as they join us to explore the field of Bioethics. Students interested in attending this, should contact me as soon as possible as there are only a few spots left.

Rosebank College has once again been invited to participate in the ABC’s QandA live studio audience on Monday. 27 May. We have been allocated 15 seats and these will be allocated on a first to respond basis and are offered to Year 9 to Year 12. Submitting a question for the panel will be each student’s entry ticket. Take a note of that date and tune in to see Rosebank College engaging in discussions of national significance.

National Youth Science Forum

It was with great pleasure that I attended the Concord Rotary weekly meeting to hear from two Rosebank students, Jasmine Azizi and Jayden Wong, last Monday night. They returned to the club to thank the members for the generous sponsorship they received to allow them to attend the National Youth Science Forum in Canberra and Brisbane respectively. Jasmine, Jayden and Louis Yan attended the ten-day forum over the January break and wrote about their experiences in the first College newsletter of this year. Hearing them speak was a treat as they demonstrated their well-developed public speaking skills, displaying confidence along with skills in articulation and engagement. They were humble in their thanks for being given an opportunity that they feel has significantly impacted upon their lives, through the knowledge they have gained about the possible pathways to meet their aspirations of working in a STEM field, and the networks they have developed to help them along their way once they depart the College later this year. 

Applications are about to open for Year 11 students to apply for the same opportunity next January, and the Concord Rotary Club assure me that they would welcome applications from Rosebank College students who are so obviously engaged with their learning and demonstrate great promise for building a cutting-edge future in Science for Australia.

Below are some articles from students about the events they have attended over the last fortnight:

Common Ground Program

On Tuesday, 12 March and Tuesday, 9 April, the two of us participated in the Common Ground Program at the Ethics Centre. At first, we didn’t know what to expect. This was a brand new program, and they were testing it out on us, so we didn’t get a lot of information prior to the event. However, we walked into the first session with open minds. We knew that the purpose of this program was to educate people about discrimination, specifically how they could identify and challenge it. We didn’t know that we’d be making so many great connections and learning new skills that will last us a lifetime. 

Our first session started with a few introductory activities, and we quickly realised that we were with a great group of people that were very unlike those we usually interact with. There were people from all over Sydney, even all the way from Bowral. It was great to get to know people with different backgrounds and personalities.  

We participated in many other activities throughout the day that provided us with all kinds of things, such as anti-bullying strategies, new thinking frameworks and a new understanding of our skill sets. At the end of the day, we were set a task to complete before the next session. We were required to create a form of digital media which raises awareness on any form of discrimination. We were in a group with one other person, and we chose to address gender stereotypes through an infographic. 

We returned on Tuesday, 9 April for the second session of the program. We knew what to expect and were very excited to attend this session and catch up with all the friends we made. Our first activity was reviewing other people's digital media. The digital media ranged from stop motion films to infographics. It was great to see the range of information our peers presented. After this, we were assigned another project to be completed by the end of the day. We were required to make a pitch for a campaign that would raise awareness about a particular topic to possibly be shown in schools. Since we worked so well together, we stayed in the same group, but spoke about youth workplace discrimination. We decided to create an advertisement like a government advertisement about raising workplace abuse. We decided to pick youth workplace discrimination as it is more relatable to people in high school.

We would like to say a huge thank you to Daniel and Danielle, our leaders for the program, for organising this and the Ethics Centre for funding this. This would not have been such an enjoyable experience without them.

Written by: Sophia Maniaci and William McNamara (Year 10)

Da Vinci Decathlon - Year 10 Team

On Wednesday, 3 April two teams travelled to Knox Grammar School, to represent Year 9 and Year 10 in the Da Vinci Decathlon. On the day, we competed against multiple regional schools and some Sydney schools, in a range of ten different challenges including; Mathematics, English, Code Breaking, Ideation, Creative Producers, Cartography, Science, Art and Poetry, Engineering, and Legacy/General Knowledge, each with their own difficult tasks and problems.

To effectively prepare for the varying subjects, the Year 10 group was given past papers from the Da Vinci Decathlon, to challenge and prepare us for the competition. We worked together as a group to solve problems of varying difficulty during PACE in Term 1. This taught us skills such as collaboration and problem-solving which helped benefit us when completing the challenges on the competition day.

On Wednesday, 3 April, our team of eight Year 10 students participated in the actual competition. For most of us it was our third or fourth year of being part of the team for this competition. The day started bright and early, with a 7:00am bus trip to Wahroonga, where we competed. Nervous, yet excited we sat down at our table and got ready for our first round of challenges. The first session consisted of English, Science, Ideation, Codebreaking and Creative Producers a drama challenge. At first, we were overwhelmed with the level of subjects, but managed to complete them to the best of our abilities. During our break, we had the opportunity to connect with students from other schools, some of us even making new friends.

Feeling refreshed, we entered the second session with open minds. The subjects in this were Maths, Cartography, Art & Poetry and Engineering. This session was much more challenging than the last, and all of us struggled to complete these challenges. However, we rose to the opportunity, collaborated, and tried our best to stay positive. Time flew by, and before we knew it, we were done.

The day ended with an incredible performance by the big band from Knox Grammar School, followed by a video compilation of scenes from the day by the digital media students of the school in which we featured. The final session of the day was the long-awaited presentation of awards. At this point, we didn’t expect to win anything, happy with the experience that we shared with each other. We were surprised to find that we won our first ever award at this competition! Second place in the English category for our age group. Overall, it was a highly successful day and our team was very proud of our results. 

Written by: Sophia Maniaci, Ben Balestriere, Tim O’Connell and Ignatius Larkin

Da Vinci Decathlon - Year 9 Team
 

Throughout the day we made connections with different schools, from all over the region, becoming social butterflies to create new friendships and memories that will last a lifetime. During our breaks, we met new people while taking in the beautiful scenery of Knox Grammar School. Despite our stresses and worries that we wouldn’t do well, we continued to encourage and support each other during training and throughout the day.

For the duration of Term 1, we prepared for the big day by doing extensive practice questions and scenarios in each of the challenge areas, during PACE. We effectively collaborated with one another, going through thick and thin, learning each other's strengths and weaknesses in the hope of the best results possible. This prior knowledge greatly helped us during the event as we gave each other roles and selected work for those who excelled in specific subjects. This helped us maximise our time and finish all questions and projects on time, increasing the chances of success. 

At the end of the day our team was awarded second place in Engineering and second place in Creative Producers. Due to the immense application of our knowledge, the Year 9 team was able to achieve two results in the top three, which is the most awards received by Rosebank College ever in the Da Vinci Decathlon competition.

On behalf of the Year 9 team, we would like to thank Ms McArthur, for allowing us to experience this opportunity and making a lifetime memory. We are truly grateful for the hard work and dedication that all our supporting teachers put in, including; Ms T Hill, Ms Nandi, Ms A Hill, Mr G Comninos, Ms Hanrahan-Tan, Mr Couani, Ms Booth, Mr Mitsak, Mr Mannah, Ms Cavallaro, Ms Turli and Ms McArthur. We are excited for what the future holds at Rosebank College.

Written by: Callum Reeves, Deanna Le and Gabriel Conceicao (Year 9)
 

On Monday, 25 March, during Period 3-6, each Year 10 Geography class had the opportunity to meet with Ryan, a well-experienced zookeeper, as part of Taronga Zoo’s Zoomobile program. As we are currently completing the Environmental Change and Management topic, he took us through a number of threats to rainforests and species that live in them.

He brought Philomena - a Goliath Stick Insect with its bright green exoskeleton; a Blue Tongue Lizard that has black stripes along its body to absorb heat; Darling - the Murray-Darling Carpet Python who constricts its prey instead of using venom; Albus - the Ringtail Possum, that uses its tail as a hook; a Green Tree Frog; and Peril - the Tortoise who was found trafficked in a suitcase at customs at Sydney Airport.

It was an intriguing experience for all as we learned about the dark state Australia is in with regards to our rainforest. Australia’s rainforests are over 45% removed and 21% is close to being beyond repair. Ryan challenged us to all stand up and save Australia’s rainforests and how we should care for our Earth and use sustainable products like palm oil. He stressed the importance of preserving our endangered species and taught us that Australia has the highest rate of mammal extinction in the world.

It was an educational, important and fun experience and we would definitely recommend everyone visit Taronga Zoo to learn more about our precious flora and fauna. 

The excursion to TEXStyle, the annual showcase of exemplary HSC Textiles and Design Major Projects, was an expiring experience for senior Textiles and Design students at Rosebank. The exhibition featured 34 Major Textiles Projects selected from over 1,550 submitted by students across NSW for the 2023 HSC. Exhibits included apparel, costume, furnishings and textile art. Students were impressed by the creativity and skill levels of the projects and are inspired to work relentlessly to achieve high standards with their own projects already in progress.

Caulfield's Barry the Bake Sale fundraiser was a HUGE success during recess and lunch on Tuesday, 26 March! A massive thank you to students, staff and our wonderful parents who baked delicious goodies to sell at recess and lunch. The Caulfield leaders can be very proud of the effort they put in to make the fundraiser such a success. We made over $1,000 for the Good Samaritan Foundation in Timor L'este! Well done, Caulfield!

The College photos will be on Monday, 27 May 2024. 

To order online go to www.advancedlife.com.au and enter code 7YV16XQDP

Click on the ‘Order Photos’ and complete your details and choose your package, then follow the payment process. During this process you can place orders for additional children and any sibling photos.

Please note that students will be required to wear their College winter uniform, including the blazer. As per the uniform grooming code on page 18 in the College Diary.

Mystery tapestries

The Archive has received into its collection two tapestries which have been in the college for at least 50 years. The first is of Christ Teaching the Children. It measures 1.68m high by 1.38m wide – a quite large work. This piece has been known to hang in the College Library when it was on the top floor of Inkamana where the Archive is now. It then was moved down to the ground floor in the staff lunch room. Many members of staff would recall seeing it there. There is a recollection of this piece being purchased by a parent possibly as a memorial item. 

The second work is of The Flight into Egypt showing St Joseph leading a donkey on which Our Lady is seated nursing the infant Jesus. It measures 1.34m high by 1.14m wide. There are no recollections as to where this work hung in the College. Both works were framed, quite beautifully, during the time of John Hawley as Principal. 

The Archivist would be very appreciative of any information concerning these two pieces. How did they arrive at the College? When did they arrive? Who donated them? Who worked the stitchery? When did they arrive in the College? Any and all information would be welcome. The College Office will pass on names and contact information.

The Keighery Family: A Rosebank Family Story

During the years 1920 to 1929, enrolled at Rosebank was a group of four girls, all sisters from the same family – Clare, Sheila, Verna and Freda Keighery. There were seven girls in the full family and these four were the youngest. The three older sisters were Mona, Madge and Rita. There were also five brothers - Greg, Leo, Maurice, William and Jack. The Keighery family had the license of the Auburn Hotel and, later, the still-named Keighery’s Hotel which stands on the northern side of Auburn railway station.

The family were loyal supporters of the parish of St John’s Auburn. They are listed on subscribers lists for major stages in the establishment of the parish. Later, the ladies of the family work on stalls for the Parish Fetes and support other fundraising activities.

Greg Keighery Senior was well connected with people in the liquor trading industry. His family connections numbered from 13 to 20 during the late 1920s in the Sydney area alone. During WWII, he and his wife wanted to travel to Melbourne for the1942 Melbourne Cup. Train travel was set aside for the armed forces and so the intrepid couple went by horse and sulky, staying with family or friends in their hotels, all the way overland to the Victorian capital. The number 40 is mentioned as the total of stops made on this journey, Greg saw 69 consecutive Melbourne Cups starting in 1883 as a boy of 14. His 65th visit was marked with a luncheon given by the VRC committee.

Greg’s greater passion was for greyhounds as owner, trainer and breeder. He was very well known and esteemed for this aspect of his life, certainly in Sydney but also Australia-wide. He began this part of his life while still at school. The 1st Windsor Cup (1899) he won with his dog Kilmainham. He went on to win seven Waterloo Cups and two Oaks Cups. Greg was referred to as “King of the Greyhounds”.

Sporting associations benefitted from his patronage: the Australian Jockey Club (AJC), the National Coursing Association, the Sydney Turf Club (STC),the Royal Agricultural Society ( RAS ) of Royal Easter Show fame, the Auburn Bowling Club, Tattersall’s Club (Tat’s) and the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG).

Greg was born in Dandenong, Victoria in 1869 and came to Sydney as a young man to race dogs from his own kennels. He first gains the license of the Auburn Hotel in 1921 and appears to hold it until 1949. He died at home in the hotel on Saturday, 17 January, 1953. His funeral was from St. John’s Auburn and he was buried in Waverley Cemetery. He was survived by his wife, Greta, possibly an ex-student of Rosebank, seven daughters, four sons, 36 grandchildren and 15 great grandchildren. 

With the same verve for life shown by Greg, the family were great supporters of Rosebank in the interwar years. The 4 youngest girls who were ex-students of the College, Clare, Sheila, Verna and Freda held positions on the ex-students committee. They each took tables at the annual Balls and were in attendance at reunions held at the college each year. Their elder sisters and parents were very often at the Balls as well, sometimes with their own parties. As married women, they were often involved in fundraising for organisations in the Cumberland district frequently offering their own homes to stage events.