St Columba's students Ryan and Simone receiving awards for their outstanding essays
St Columba’s Catholic College Springwood enjoyed two Japanese events in March with students receiving awards from the Consulate-General of Japan and the school hosting Japanese delegates who were completing research to review the Japanese National School Curriculum.
In November last year, students at St Columba’s entered the first Australia-Japan Relations Essay Contest for NSW and NT secondary school students. The contest was conducted by the Consulate-General of Japan in Sydney with the co-operation of the Commonwealth Department of Education, Training and Youth Affairs. The aim of the contest is to encourage and develop a better understanding of Australia-Japan relations among Australian secondary school students.
Two Year 9 students Simone Cooper and Ryan Nightingale submitted outstanding essays and were awarded prizes by the Consulate-General of Japan at his official residence on 11 March.
Simone said she had learnt a lot of about Japan and it was an honour to have won the prize.
‘Through participating in this project, I have gained invaluable insight into the ways in which Australia views Japan and how we can bring out many strengths together in order to benefit and enrich both nations immensely,’ Simone said.
Simone won the Junior Division for the students in Years in 7 and 8 and Ryan’s essay was selected as ‘Highly Commended Essay’ by the judges.
On Thursday 12 March, three Japanese delegates Director National Institute for Educational Policy Research Akihide Osugi, Professor & President of Japanese Educational Research Association for the Social Studies Tomohito Harada, Associate Professor Gifu University Noboru Tanaka and Consul, Consulate-General of Japan, Sydney Tomoko Hashizume visited St Columba’s to complete research to review Japan’s National School Curriculum.
The delegates met with Principal, Paul Ryan, Assistant Principal, Peta Sparkes, Head of Learning, Jaie Skinner, Leader of Learning HSIE, Leon Wright and Japanese teacher, Shizue Sato.
The Japanese delegates said the visit was an invaluable opportunity for them to visit the beautiful school in the Blue Mountains and learn about the new Australian National curriculum and the curriculum St Columba’s offers for its students.
Catholic Schools Parramatta Diocese
www.parra.catholic.edu.au
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31 Dec 2025
From Facebook
A huge congratulations to our 2025 College Dux, Lachlan Steadman, who appeared on the front page of the Blue Mountains Gazette today, 31 December 2025, in recognition of his outstanding HSC achievements. Lachlan’s academic journey is nothing short of remarkable. By accelerating his mathematics studies from an early age, he completed Advanced Mathematics and Extension courses well ahead of schedule, culminating in an exceptional HSC result. His curiosity, discipline and genuine love of learning are a wonderful reflection of the values we strive to nurture at St Columba’s Catholic College. Adding to this celebration is an extraordinary coincidence. Lachlan’s younger sister, Amelia, featured on the front page of the Blue Mountains Gazette on 1 January 2025. From the very first day to the very last day of 2025, the Steadman siblings have quite literally bookended the year on the Gazette’s front page. Catholic Schools Parramatta Diocese
24 Dec 2025
From Facebook
As the Christmas season arrives, we are reminded of the joy, hope and goodwill that this time of year brings to our community. We wish our students, families, staff and wider community a blessed and safe Christmas, filled with peace and happiness, and every blessing for the year ahead. “Glory to God in the highest, And peace to His people on earth!” Luke 2:14 Finally, even Santa couldn’t miss a visit to St Columba’s Catholic College this year (we know that secretly, we are his favourites!).
Latest News More news
31 Dec 2025
From Facebook
A huge congratulations to our 2025 College Dux, Lachlan Steadman, who appeared on the front page of the Blue Mountains Gazette today, 31 December 2025, in recognition of his outstanding HSC achievements. Lachlan’s academic journey is nothing short of remarkable. By accelerating his mathematics studies from an early age, he completed Advanced Mathematics and Extension courses well ahead of schedule, culminating in an exceptional HSC result. His curiosity, discipline and genuine love of learning are a wonderful reflection of the values we strive to nurture at St Columba’s Catholic College. Adding to this celebration is an extraordinary coincidence. Lachlan’s younger sister, Amelia, featured on the front page of the Blue Mountains Gazette on 1 January 2025. From the very first day to the very last day of 2025, the Steadman siblings have quite literally bookended the year on the Gazette’s front page. Catholic Schools Parramatta Diocese
24 Dec 2025
From Facebook
As the Christmas season arrives, we are reminded of the joy, hope and goodwill that this time of year brings to our community. We wish our students, families, staff and wider community a blessed and safe Christmas, filled with peace and happiness, and every blessing for the year ahead. “Glory to God in the highest, And peace to His people on earth!” Luke 2:14 Finally, even Santa couldn’t miss a visit to St Columba’s Catholic College this year (we know that secretly, we are his favourites!).
19 Dec 2025
From Facebook
🎓Congratulations to our Dux of the Class of 2025, Lachlan Steadman 🎓 With an outstanding ATAR of 98.4, Lachlan's achievement is the result of his determination and commitment to excellence over many years. Lachlan's HSC journey has been remarkable. He sat his first HSC examination, Advanced Mathematics, when he was in Year 9. He completed Mathematics Extension 1 and Mathematics Extension 2 in Year 11. This year he studied Chemistry, English Advanced, Physics, Science Extension 1, and Studies in Catholic Thought. Next year Lachlan will commence a Bachelor of Mathematical Science at the Australian National University. We wish him every success and happiness as he embarks on this exciting next chapter.
18 Dec 2025
Catholic schools across Western Sydney celebrate HSC success
Catholic Schools Parramatta Diocese (CSPD) is celebrating another outstanding year of Higher School Certificate (HSC) results as students from 22 secondary schools receive their results.
18 Dec 2025
From Facebook
Celebrating Our Class of 2025 HSC Results! Today we proudly celebrate the outstanding achievements of our Class of 2025. We are enormously proud of each and every student for their dedication, resilience, and commitment throughout their HSC journey. A heartfelt congratulations to our graduates on this fantastic milestone, and a sincere thank you to our incredible staff whose expertise, care, and tireless support made these achievements possible. Well done to all - we couldn’t be prouder! Catholic Schools Parramatta Diocese
10 Dec 2025
From Facebook
Congratulations to Olivia Hanlon who has been recognised by Zonta Club of The Blue Mountains and awarded the Deadly Futures scholarship for Year 12. Well done Liv! And thanks to the wonderful Sandra McMurtrie and all of the Zonta Club who support our women and girls. You can find out more about the work of Zonta by heading over to their Facebook page. Be sure to give them a 'like' and support their work where you can! Catholic Schools Parramatta Diocese
10 Dec 2025
From Facebook
This morning Year 9 were treated to a presentation by Australian Olympian, Joshua Katz. Josh spoke of his journey with Judo, about setting goals and rising up to overcome disappointment. His presentation, part of the fantastic #OlympicsUnleashed program, inspired us all to set some goals and give them our best shot. Thanks Josh for sharing your story with us! Australian Olympic Team Catholic Schools Parramatta Diocese Judo Australia
10 Dec 2025
From Facebook
We are incredibly proud to celebrate two of our outstanding students who have been recognised with NSW CCC Blue Awards for their exceptional achievements in sport. Keeden Harrison (Cross Country) and Nikolas Selby (Water Polo) have each demonstrated remarkable skill, leadership, determination, and sportsmanship throughout 2025. Their success at state and national levels, along with the integrity and commitment they show in representing our College and NSW Catholic Schools, is truly inspiring. Congratulations to both Keeden and Nikolas on this prestigious honour - a well-deserved recognition of their hard work and excellence in their respective sports. Catholic Schools Parramatta Diocese
05 Dec 2025
From Facebook
Fifteen of our students headed to Bucklands Nursing Home this morning with Mr Badman, Mr Silvestrini and Nicky to share some Christmas cheer through song. Our Japanese exchange student, Ryoka, brought an extra touch of magic by gifting residents beautiful origami Christmas decorations - she hand-made more than 100! - along with crocheted stars lovingly created by staff and students. This is our third year visiting Bucklands to sing carols, and it’s a tradition that continues to bring so much joy to the residents. Our students absolutely love the experience too and always come away feeling uplifted and inspired. A heart-warming morning all round. Catholic Schools Parramatta Diocese
04 Dec 2025
From Facebook
Did you catch this story in the Blue Mountains Gazette a couple of weeks ago? Since then, two of our incredible Year 7 students, Elsie Watson and Lucy Roberts (along with another friend), have powered through their goal of swimming 82 kilometres, twice the length of the Gaza Strip, in a remarkable act of solidarity and compassion. We are so proud to share that the girls have now completed every one of their kilometres and have raised an extraordinary $4,720 to support children in Gaza through UNICEF. Their determination, empathy and quiet leadership are truly inspiring. Congratulations to these young women for showing what can be achieved when courage meets kindness. Catholic Schools Parramatta Diocese
04 Dec 2025
From Facebook
From 10 December 2025, some social media platforms will have to take steps to prevent Australians under the age of 16 from having an account. The age restrictions are intended to keep young people safe from digital harm. For many teens under 16, losing access to their social media accounts will be a challenging change and some young people may struggle to manage the period of transition. ReachOut Australia has put together the following guide to help families better understand how this change may affect teens' emotions and wellbeing, and to suggest some ways to support them. https://assets.ctfassets.net/qr4fhhcghyn4/4yyfkHRWvYgWp2pWFQwvzW/3a2c444404c7c35cd96ceb9e0e279355/Parents_Guide_to_SMMAR.pdf
02 Dec 2025
From Facebook
Yesterday our Year 12 Music 1 students immersed themselves in a full day of focused preparation for the HSC year ahead. They joined students from 14 other schools across the diocese for an HSC workshop, hosted by CAPTIVATE at Marian Catholic College, Kenthurst. The day began with a session on aural skills and performance practices. Students then moved into specialised workshops focusing on the elective strands: Composition, Musicology, and Performance. It was a highly productive and inspiring experience, filled with opportunities to connect with peers from across the diocese, share works in progress, receive valuable feedback, and gather new ideas as the students step confidently into their HSC year.