Year 8 Italian classes from St Patrick’s College Strathfield, Domremy College Five Dock and Cerdon College had a fantastic journey to Italy at Club Marconi. We started the day off by experiencing the most popular areas in the North and South of Italy. We were able to see the different cultural festivities, sports events and taste a delicious traditional feast, starting from Penne pasta with Bolognese sauce and a traditional juice succo di frutta, then finishing with chocolate and                          

Vanilla Bigne for dessert. To end the day, our school was involved in a Talent Quest. Cerdon performed a tarantella campagnola but unfortunately we did not win.
We all enjoyed the day and we’d like to thank Signora Marando for organising the day with the Five Dock Learning Centre and the Marconi staff “per una giornata autentica”.
Riana Barber and Pamela Galindo (Year 8)

In the week leading up to World Youth Day, hundreds of Marist pilgrims, including a group of 15 from Cerdon College, converged on St Joseph’s at Hunters Hill for the Marist          International Festival.
The theme of the Festival was “Ignite the Heart. Embrace the Vision. Transform the World” and over the five days, this is what the pilgrims did.

On the first day, we all travelled to the home of the Marist brothers at Mittagong – the Hermitage – for the official opening of the Festival where a procession of national flags followed by their respective  Marists took place. We were then separated into our ‘pilgrim groups’ and together joined in group     activities and discussions such as ‘what it meant to be Marist’. Towards the end of the day, when the   temperature dropped below zero and the winds picked up, a bonfire was lit and a liturgy was held, with an inspiring address from  former Governor-General Sir William Deane, whereupon we returned to St Joseph’s for the night.

The next day we heard another address, this time from Marist brother César Hénriquez, who works at the United Nations in Geneva as an advocate for the rights of children. He shared with us some of his many experiences from his work both in Geneva and in Central and South America, especially in El     Salvador, where he is originally from. During the day then had time to get to know some of the other pilgrims and took part some very lively dancing with the Peruvians and at night we all came together for an evening prayer.
The following day, the pilgrims had the privilege to listen to Bishop Kevin Dowling of Rustenburg in South Africa. He spoke from the heart when he relayed some of the trials he had to face as a resident of South Africa in a very hostile province. He told of a near death experience when the local militia opened fire on him and his congregation during a peaceful march and his work with people affected by HIV/AIDS.
That night, to celebrate our Marist connection, the pilgrims went on a cruise of Sydney Harbour and ate dinner under the Harbour Bridge, before being let into Luna Park for a night of fun and entertainment.

On the final day of the Festival, there was an address by Brother Sean Sammon, the Superior General of the Marist Brothers. He spoke about what he felt it was to be Marist, saying that to him “being Marist is just being”. He also implored that everyone present act on their faith and on being a Marist and to do something in the world. This followed with a mass celebrating the spiritual achievement of the Festival and the celebrating our faith. As it was the final night of the Festival, we each said our goodbyes to all those that we had met and shared memories with.

For each Cerdon girl that attended, it was one of the best times we had ever experienced and it was unfortunate that it had to come to an end. We will always remember those  people we met, the experiences we shared and the memories we made. Together as Marists from all over the world, we ignited our hearts, embraced the vision, and are on our way to transforming the world. Lia Marando (Year 11)

WYD was an absolutely mind blowing event that will leave a lasting imprint on those directly or indirectly involved. It was a wonderful opportunity for young Catholics from all four corners of the globe to unite, form new friendships, share their faith and empower one another to go forth and spread the Good News!

Before WYD, being a Catholic was an important part of my life, though I never had the sense that I was part of a bigger picture. The crowds at WYD really blew me away! The atmosphere was     infectious! There was singing and dancing at bus stops, at train stations, in the trains, along the streets. Everywhere you looked, there were pilgrims all joyously embracing the experience.

For the first time in my life, I understood what it meant to be part of ‘the Body of Christ’. All of us pilgrims were united as one, sharing the same faith and dreaming the same dream, even though we all lived oceans apart and came from diverse backgrounds and different life experiences.

I formed many new friendships with pilgrims from all over the world (and also close to home!) and met many people who have truly inspired me. During the week, I could truly feel the presence of the Holy Spirit!

Of course, after such large events as WYD, it is difficult to get back into old routines and to     continue to live our ordinary lives. However, the memories will never fade and the time we shared together will be forever cherished. I pray that the fire of the Spirit in our hearts will never fade, and that we will have the courage to go forth and be ‘witnesses’ to the Lord.     Chiara Grella (Year 11)

My experience at World Youth Day was an amazing one. It was something so different, so lively, something I had never experienced before. The first day began with a trip to Barangaroo for the Opening Mass and a concert, at which Paulini, Guy Sebastian and Damien Leith performed. The next three days consisted of catechesis in the morning and youth festivals in the afternoon. The catechesis sessions gave us an opportunity to ask questions and receive answers from the bishops.

On Thursday, after catechesis, we made our way back to Barangaroo for the Pope’s arrival. The atmosphere was incredible—all you could hear was the loud chanting of “Viva il Papa” and “Benedicto”. On Saturday we set off on our pilgrimage (the 9km walk to Randwick). The walk was unbelievable; I saw thousands of young people just like me walking together to Randwick. We got there finally, but not without our stumbles. We celebrated the Vigil with the Pope and after much talking, tucked in for the night. I woke up to the sound of Nelson and the Friends of Jesus singing the songs that they had been singing throughout the catechesis sessions. I was tired and cold but I was wide awake by the time the celebration of the Mass with the Holy Father commenced. 400,000 other young people like me joined this Eucharistic celebration. That was when I felt part of something big, something that reaches to the ends of the earth. WYD was an experience I will never forget.     Melinda Koutsoukos (Year 11)

Congratulations to Melinda Koutsoukos who has been offered a place to attend the Youth Science forum at the University of  Western Sydney during the January holidays. The program       sponsored by Rotary, enables students to participate in discussions and activities relating to fields such as Forensic Science, Engineering and Bio-Imaging Technology.

On Friday August 15th the Cerdon Sapphires Cheersquad competed in the Gymnastics NSW State Cheerleading Championships at the State Sports Centre, Homebush. The girls met at the venue at 9am to prepare for the competition and when all girls had arrived and were ready, they headed down to the warm-up area. The squad was very excited and nervous as they ran through both routines and warmed up before the competition began. We were the first to be called to the floor in the secondary Pom division. The routine went well and all the girls performed well, putting 100% effort into the whole performance. The girls came off the floor feeling relieved that their initial competition jitters were gone and began warming up for cheer. The girls walked through the cheer routine, making sure all stunt groups were confident with what they had to do.

We ran onto the floor ready to put on a great performance, knowing that week of extended training and hard work was finally going to pay off. The routine started well with all stunts working well. The first pyramid received a great reaction from the crowd, as did our tumbling section. Unfortunately there was a slight fall in the last pyramid but all other groups fought hard to keep their stunts in the air. Apart from that one fall, the routine was flawless. Everyone was happy with the way it went and couldn’t wait for the presentation. Finally when time came for the presentation, the squad walked onto the floor, full of anticipation and excitement. The Pom presentation was first and we were awarded bronze behind Mudgee High School and The Hills Sports High. In Level 2 Cheer, the Cerdon Sapphires were announced State Champions over The Hills Sports High and achieved the highest scoring cheer routine of the day! The girls were delighted with the result, and couldn’t wait to get back to school to share the news of their   success.

The squad would like to thank all the parents who came out to support us on the day. We would also like to thank Mr Blake Faturos who helped us choreograph our Pom routine and Dani Ings from Starlets Cheerleading for helping us with our cheer routine. Lastly, the squad would like to thank Mrs Allt for her ongoing   support and for coming along on the day and watching the girls compete. Special thanks to Ms Hobson for all her efforts in training and preparing the students for competition. The next competition for Cheerleading is on Sunday, September 14 in Sutherland.

On Friday 5th September Cerdon College hosted the 19th annual AMSA Oratory competition. This is a prestigious competition which challenges public speakers from Marist schools in NSW. Cerdon was represented across all divisions by

Michaela George, Year 7
Talia Walker, Year 8
Jesse Bacon, Year 9
Rhonda Itaoui, Year 10
Chiara Grella, Senior
Belinda Coniglio, Impromptu

The girls presented themselves beautifully and are to be congratulated on their efforts.

The evening also saw the inaugural presentation of a new award, the Jeanne Marie Chavoin Encouragement Award, which was commissioned by Cerdon College in memory of Sr Ann-Marie Webb. The award was presented to St Joseph’s College, Hunter’s Hill, while the overall winners were St Patrick’s Marist College, Dundas.

Thank you to all the girls who assisted on the night and also to those staff members who offered their services as adjudicators. Particular thanks to the following girls:

Chairpersons & Timekeepers

The evening was a wonderful success and we congratulate all our participants.

Mrs Kearsley