St. Gabriel's School Castle Hill

Last week, our Year 5 and 6 students attended The Collaroy Centre for their annual camp. It was the first time, many of them had been away on a school camp! They had a wonderful time taking part in activities such as the high ropes, the giant swing, archery and laser tag. It was great to see them stepping outside their comfort zones, embracing new experiences with enthusiasm.

We are very proud of our Music Teacher, Soya Thippawal, who presented at the 2026 EDUtech Conference in Sydney earlier this week.

Soya's presentation, 'Finding their Voice: Music-making with Suno for Diverse Learners', explored how Suno, an AI music generation tool, can support creativity and songwriting in the classroom.

At St Gabriel’s, Soya uses Suno to help students generate ideas, express themselves creatively and engage with music-making.

It was great to see Soya sharing the innovative practices that support student learning and creativity at St Gabriel’s.

As National Reconciliation Week draws to a close, our Year 10 students have been reflecting on this year’s theme, ‘All In’ for a Reconciled Australia.

National Reconciliation Week is a time for all Australians to learn about our shared histories, cultures and achievements, while considering how we can contribute to a more reconciled nation.

As part of their learning, students discussed what it means to be ‘All In’ for reconciliation and explored the actions they can take to show respect, understanding and inclusion. They were engaged and curious and it was wonderful to hear their ideas as they discussed with reconciliation means to them.

Last Friday, our Year 11 students participated in a ‘Mapping Your Career’ workshop presented by NOVA Employment.

The session encouraged students to explore their interests and strengths while gaining valuable insights into employment pathways and workplace expectations. Through discussions and activities, students began building a clearer understanding of the opportunities and pathways available to them after school.

It was wonderful to see our students demonstrating maturity and enthusiasm as they reflected on their future goals. Thank you to NOVA Employment for supporting our students as they build the confidence and knowledge needed to navigate life beyond school.

Planning for life after school is one of the most important things a family will do, and at St Gabriel's, we are committed to supporting our families every step of the way.

Yesterday, parents of our Year 12 students spent the day on our Post School Pathways Parent Bus Tour. Visiting organisations including Endeavour Foundation, Scope Supported Employment, Scope Finding and Keeping a Job program, Job Support and MTC FutureReady provided an opportunity that allowed parents to discover what each organisation offers, ask questions and start mapping out what the future might look like for their child after St Gabe's.

Next week, we look forward to continuing these conversations during our second Parent Bus Tour, which will focus on Day Programs, Social Programs, and Community Participation opportunities.

Thank you to all of the parents who were able to join us and engage so openly throughout the day.

Early this week, our Year 12 Art Elective students ventured out of the classroom and into the vibrant streetscape of Campbelltown for a guided walking trail exploring the city's growing public street art scene.

Queen Street has been beautifully transformed through the installation of murals that bring colour and creativity to the heart of the community. For our students, it was an opportunity to experience art, not only within the walls of a gallery, but in the everyday streets of the city.

Students viewed and discussed a range of street art, murals and artworks exploring the ideas and themes that each artist sought to communicate. It was a reminder that art is not always confined to a canvas.

Recently, a number of our students represented St Gabriel's at the Parramatta Diocese Secondary and Primary Cross Country. All performed incredibly well coming home with an impressive medal and ribbon tally.

Congratulations to all who competed and special congratulations to our medal winners from Secondary School - Jacob, Rafael, Ethan, Federico, Ethan, Azayliah and Wania; and our ribbon winners from Primary School – Jarren, Liam, Calvin, Ryan, Olivia and Hamza.

Yesterday we celebrated Kilkenny House Day with our students and staff wearing blue! Our Kilkenny House Captains and our School Captains sold blue treats to our community to raise money for The Indigenous Literacy Foundation. This Foundation works with remote Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Communities across Australia, providing culturally relevant books, resources and programs. Thank you to everyone who dressed up, donated and supported this important cause.