Catholic Education Diocese of Parramatta students had the opportunity to shine when the Captivate performing and creative arts program recently hosted its 10th Anniversary Showcase at Quaycentre, Sydney Olympic Park.
The show combined a spectacular musical ensemble of 165 students, backed up by the 1000-student primary choir and 190-student secondary choir singing songs such as One Dream, Come Back to the Sea, Keep your Lamps Trimmed and Burning and River Run Free.
This was complemented by a dance ensemble of 382 dancers who kept audiences enraptured. There was also a secondary drama ensemble of 90 students and a student ‘spoken word choir’ comprising 80 students from four primary schools.
One of the highlights of the performance was the use of puppetry and props to reflect the showcase’s storyline. The impact of the puppets was dramatic, guiding the audience through show’s theme of ‘creativity’: from the igniting of the creative spark, through to creative play, creative block, creative flow, and finally creative genius. The show’s finale was a stunning performance of Rihanna’s Diamonds in the Sky.
Captivate director Mark Hopkins said that for many students involved, it was their first major public performance.
“Others were consolidating many years of practice, rehearsal and performing, honing their skills for HSC practical examinations in the coming weeks or auditions for specialist post school arts study pathways in the coming months.
“Captivate is the program by which all students, regardless of prior experience or the location of their school, can access specialist learning in the arts.
“With a constant stream of research documenting evidence of the cognitive and social benefits of arts participation and learning, it is vital that such learning is part of each child’s education.”
St Andrew’s Primary, Marayong acting Principal Kim McDonald described the show as a rewarding experience for all those involved.
“Students have been rehearsing since February, both during recess and lunch breaks and also at formal off-site rehearsals with other students in the Diocese as well as during the school holidays,’’ Mrs McDonald said.
“This level of collaboration and creativity has provided opportunities for students to express themselves in a unique way. We are so proud of the students and thank them for their commitment, enthusiasm and persistence over such a long period of time.”
Catholic Schools Parramatta Diocese
www.parra.catholic.edu.au
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25 Sep 2026
From Facebook
๐๐บ ๐๐ผ๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ฟ๐ผ๐๐! ๐บ๐ Weโre excited to announce Dancing with Holy Trinity! ๐ถโจ ๐ Friday 23 October ๐ 5:00โ7:30pm ๐ The Granville Centre, 1 Memorial Drive, Granville ๐ข More information and RSVP details will be sent home in Week 1 of Term 4.24 Sep 2026
From Facebook
๐๐๐ ๐ค๐ฅ๐ ๐ฃ๐ช ๐๐ ๐๐ค๐'๐ฅ ๐๐๐๐๐๐. ๐๐ฆ๐ค๐ฅ ๐ฅ๐๐ ๐จ๐๐ช ๐จ๐ ๐ค๐๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐ฅ. ๐ ๐ผ๐ฃ ๐ช๐ฅ๐๐๐ฉ๐ ๐๐ง๐ค๐ข ๐พ๐๐๐ฟ. Our social media is one small window into some of the wonderful things that happen across our schools every day. Youโve probably noticed that weโre changing some of the ways we share these stories as we put recent recommendations from the eSafety Commissioner into practice. You will start to see fewer identifiable student images, and more of what happens around them - the work, the creativity, the achievement, the teamwork and the people who make it all happen. Itโs a different way of telling the story. But there are still plenty of stories to tell! The safety and wellbeing of our students are always our highest priorities. This approach allows us to continue celebrating the learning, achievements and everyday moments that make our school communities so special, while being thoughtful about how student images are shared online. Our social media may look a little different, but that doesnโt mean you wonโt still see some faces from time to time as we work with schools and families to share identifiable images when they help to tell an important part of the story and where permissions have been provided. Our purpose remains the same: sharing the inspiring stories of our 80 school communities across Western Sydney and the Blue Mountains.
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28 Sep 2026
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Six Year 6 students from 58 Catholic Schools Parramatta Diocese (CSPD) Primary schools came together at St John XXIII Catholic College Stanhope Gardens on 22 September for the Voice of Youth Grand Final, showcasing their public speaking skills through a series of thoughtful and engaging speeches.
25 Sep 2026
From Facebook
๐๐บ ๐๐ผ๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ฟ๐ผ๐๐! ๐บ๐ Weโre excited to announce Dancing with Holy Trinity! ๐ถโจ ๐ Friday 23 October ๐ 5:00โ7:30pm ๐ The Granville Centre, 1 Memorial Drive, Granville ๐ข More information and RSVP details will be sent home in Week 1 of Term 4.
24 Sep 2026
From Facebook
๐๐๐ ๐ค๐ฅ๐ ๐ฃ๐ช ๐๐ ๐๐ค๐'๐ฅ ๐๐๐๐๐๐. ๐๐ฆ๐ค๐ฅ ๐ฅ๐๐ ๐จ๐๐ช ๐จ๐ ๐ค๐๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐ฅ. ๐ ๐ผ๐ฃ ๐ช๐ฅ๐๐๐ฉ๐ ๐๐ง๐ค๐ข ๐พ๐๐๐ฟ. Our social media is one small window into some of the wonderful things that happen across our schools every day. Youโve probably noticed that weโre changing some of the ways we share these stories as we put recent recommendations from the eSafety Commissioner into practice. You will start to see fewer identifiable student images, and more of what happens around them - the work, the creativity, the achievement, the teamwork and the people who make it all happen. Itโs a different way of telling the story. But there are still plenty of stories to tell! The safety and wellbeing of our students are always our highest priorities. This approach allows us to continue celebrating the learning, achievements and everyday moments that make our school communities so special, while being thoughtful about how student images are shared online. Our social media may look a little different, but that doesnโt mean you wonโt still see some faces from time to time as we work with schools and families to share identifiable images when they help to tell an important part of the story and where permissions have been provided. Our purpose remains the same: sharing the inspiring stories of our 80 school communities across Western Sydney and the Blue Mountains.
18 Sep 2026
From Facebook
โฝ๏ธ Stage 2 Soccer Gala Day! โฝ๏ธ What a fantastic day of soccer for our Stage 2 students! ๐โฝ๏ธ While we may not have taken home the winning trophy, our students certainly came first in the things that matter most! ๐ ๐ฅ Participation โ giving every game their best! ๐ฅ Teamwork โ working together and encouraging one another! ๐ฅ Sportsmanship โ supporting teammates and showing respect! ๐ฅ Having Fun โ enjoying every moment and making great memories! We are so proud of the way our students represented our school, cheered each other on and continued to give their best throughout the day. ๐โฝ๏ธ Well done, Stage 2!
18 Sep 2026
From Facebook
๐ Itโs been a busy week in Year 1! ๐พ Year 1 students have been learning all about informative texts. We read Dingoes by Claire Saxby and used what we learned to plan, draft and publish our own informative paragraphs about dingoes. ๐ Students included interesting facts and information about this fascinating Australian animal, as well as a picture or labelled diagram to support their writing. โ๏ธ๐
11 Sep 2026
From Facebook
๐ฌ๏ธโก Year 6 Science was spinning around this week! ๐ช๏ธ As part of our study of renewable energy sources, students got creative as they designed and constructed their very own wind turbines using everyday materials. ๐งโป๏ธ Our challenge was to create a working wind turbine that would spin when a wind source was present! ๐จ๐ Through the scientific design and make process, students experimented, problem-solved and discovered that their propellers would only turn effectively when they were slightly slanted and the axle was structurally attached. ๐ฌ๐ก It was fantastic to see students design, test, modify and improve their creations! ๐โจ ๐ฑโก Have a look at our amazing designs! ๐๐
08 Sep 2026
From Facebook
โป๏ธ RECYCLE YOUR CANS & WATER BOTTLES! ๐ Help our school turn your eligible drink containers into resources and equipment that our students will benefit from! ๐โฝ๐จ Through Return and Earn, every eligible 10c can and bottle returned helps us raise funds for our school community. So, before you throw those cans and water bottles away, send them in to school! ๐ ๐ฅค What condition do your drink bottles and containers need to be in? For our return points to accept your containers, they must be: โ Uncrushed โ Not broken โ Empty โ Have a visible barcode โ Lids on, where possible Every can and bottle counts! ๐ฑ Recycle today. Support our school tomorrow. ๐
07 Sep 2026
From Facebook
๐ธ๐ฃ๐๐๐ฆ๐๐๐ ๐กโ๐๐๐๐ ๐กโ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐, ๐๐ข๐ก ๐ผ ๐ก๐๐ข๐๐ฆ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐ฆ ๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐กโ๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ก! ๐ป๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐, ๐ ๐ข๐๐๐๐๐ก๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐ค๐๐ฆ๐ ๐กโ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐. ๐น๐๐๐ ๐ก๐๐ฆ, โ๐ ๐๐ ๐ฃ๐๐๐ฆ ๐๐ข๐๐๐ฆ, ๐๐๐ ๐คโ๐๐ ๐ผ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ก๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐ ๐โ๐๐๐, โ๐ ๐๐๐ฃ๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐ฃ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ โ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐ก๐ก๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐. ๐น๐๐ ๐๐ฅ๐๐๐๐๐, ๐๐๐ ๐ก๐๐๐ ๐ผ ๐ค๐๐ ๐๐๐ค๐. ๐๐ฆ ๐๐๐๐ ๐ค๐๐ ๐ ๐ก๐๐๐๐โ๐ก ๐๐๐ ๐ผ ๐ค๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ก๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ . ๐โ๐๐ โ๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐คโ๐๐ก ๐ค๐๐ ๐ค๐๐๐๐, ๐ผ ๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐กโ๐๐๐. ๐โ๐๐ โ๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐ก ๐๐๐โ๐ก๐๐๐๐ ๐กโ๐ ๐๐๐๐. ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ฆ, ๐๐ฆ ๐๐๐กโ๐๐ ๐๐ ๐ก๐๐ข๐๐ฆ ๐กโ๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ก, ๐๐๐ ๐๐ฃ๐๐ ๐๐ ๐ค๐ ๐๐ ๐กโ๐๐๐ข๐โ ๐ก๐๐ข๐โ ๐ก๐๐๐๐ ๐ก๐๐๐๐กโ๐๐, ๐ผ ๐ ๐ก๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ฃ๐ โ๐๐. ๐ธ๐ฃ๐๐ ๐คโ๐๐ ๐กโ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ก ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐, ๐๐ฆ ๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐ ๐ฃ๐๐๐ฆ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐'๐ก ๐๐๐ก ๐๐๐ ๐๐ก ๐๐. ๐ธ๐ฃ๐๐ ๐๐ โ๐'๐ ๐๐๐, โ๐ ๐ ๐ก๐๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ก๐ ๐๐ ๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐ก๐๐๐. ๐๐ฃ๐๐๐๐๐, ๐๐ฃ๐๐ ๐กโ๐๐ข๐โ ๐กโ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐กโ๐ ๐ค๐๐๐๐, ๐ผ ๐๐๐ก ๐กโ๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ก ๐๐๐, ๐๐๐ ๐กโ๐๐ก'๐ ๐คโ๐ฆ ๐ผ ๐๐๐ฃ๐ โ๐๐ ๐ฃ๐๐๐ฆ ๐๐ข๐โ. ๐พ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐ 6 ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ ๐ช๐ถ๐๐ต๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ฎ ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ ๐๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ฎ๐น ๐๐ฎ๐ฝ๐ฝ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ฟโ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ ๐๐ผ ๐ฎ๐น๐น ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ผ๐ป๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ณ๐๐น ๐ณ๐ฎ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ฟ๐, ๐ด๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ๐ณ๐ฎ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ฟ๐, ๐ด๐ผ๐ฑ๐ณ๐ฎ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ฟ๐, ๐๐๐ฒ๐ฝ๐ณ๐ฎ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ฟ๐, ๐ณ๐ฎ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ณ๐ถ๐ด๐๐ฟ๐ฒ๐, ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐ต๐ผ๐๐ฒ ๐ณ๐ฎ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ ๐๐ต๐ผ ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐๐ฎ๐๐ฐ๐ต๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ผ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐๐ ๐ณ๐ฟ๐ผ๐บ ๐๐ฒ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ๐ป ๐๐๐ผ Catholic Schools Parramatta Diocese #fathersday
06 Sep 2026
From Facebook
๐ Happy Fatherโs Day! ๐ Today we celebrate and give thanks for all the special men who have loved, guided and supported us - fathers, grandfathers, godfathers, father-like figures and carers. Your love, strength, wisdom and care make a lasting difference in the lives of our children and families. ๐ We also remember with love those fathers and father figures who are no longer with us. May their love and memories continue to live on in the hearts of those they have left behind. ๐๏ธ On this special day, we look to St Joseph, the foster father of Jesus and a wonderful example of faithful, selfless and loving fatherhood. May St Joseph continue to guide and bless all fathers, grandfathers, godfathers, carers and father figures as they nurture and care for those entrusted to them. ๐๐ Happy Fatherโs Day to all the wonderful father figures in our community! ๐
03 Sep 2026
From Facebook
Our Year 2 students have been putting their mathematical thinking and creativity to work as they used 2D shapes and 3D objects to design and create their very own cityscapes! Students explored how different shapes and objects can be combined to represent buildings, roads and other features of a city. They carefully planned their designs, identified the shapes and 3D objects they used, and brought their ideas to life through creativity and construction. It was wonderful to see students applying their mathematical knowledge in such a fun and hands-on way while proudly creating their own unique cityscapes!
01 Sep 2026
From Facebook
Calling all Fathers, Grandfathers and Carers to join us for our Father's Day BBQ Breakfast this Friday followed by a liturgy at 9am. To help us with catering arrangements, please fill in and return the slip posted on Compass by Wednesday 2nd September. If you have any questions, please contact the school office on 8633 8500.
