St Columba’s student balances work and play for HSC
Luke Brame, a recent graduate of St Columba’s Catholic College, Springwood, spent the last two years of his schooling balancing his HSC studies with his much loved hobby of mountain biking.
Luke spent 16 weeks travelling around Australia (to Perth, Victoria and Brisbane) and around the world (Germany, Czech Republic, Andorra, Switzerland and France) while studying to complete his HSC.
Luke said the HSC exams started just seven weeks after the world championships where he placed 61st in the men’s juniors.
‘It took a lot of organising with the teachers and a lot of out of hours communications via email and Edmodo,’ Luke said. ‘I would also have morning classes and lunchtime classes to make up the time I missed.’
‘The teachers at St Columba’s are so helpful and I have now completed the HSC and I feel like I did a good job,’ he said.
Luke hopes to pursue a career in mountain biking but has also applied to study Business at the University of Technology Sydney in 2016.
Catholic Schools Parramatta Diocese
www.parra.catholic.edu.au
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28 Mar 2026
From Facebook
Our Students are all ready to compete at next week RAS Easter Show 2026 - we will have our steers in the Munro Pavillion from the 1-5 of April 2026 - be sure to drop by and say "Hello" if you are at the show! Catholic Schools Parramatta Diocese Sydney Royal Easter Show
24 Mar 2026
From Facebook
It was fantastic to welcome Lily O’Toole from Charles Sturt University back to the College today. In addition to being our latest pop-up for The Feed in the Quad, Lily also took time to talk with Year 10, 11 and 12 Ag and Primary Industries students, and even got a little lost in the pumpkin patch! Thanks for all you do for our students Lily - you’re welcome at St Columba’s anytime!
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28 Mar 2026
From Facebook
Our Students are all ready to compete at next week RAS Easter Show 2026 - we will have our steers in the Munro Pavillion from the 1-5 of April 2026 - be sure to drop by and say "Hello" if you are at the show! Catholic Schools Parramatta Diocese Sydney Royal Easter Show
24 Mar 2026
From Facebook
It was fantastic to welcome Lily O’Toole from Charles Sturt University back to the College today. In addition to being our latest pop-up for The Feed in the Quad, Lily also took time to talk with Year 10, 11 and 12 Ag and Primary Industries students, and even got a little lost in the pumpkin patch! Thanks for all you do for our students Lily - you’re welcome at St Columba’s anytime!
24 Mar 2026
700+ Unite for Project Compassion Big Water Walk
More than 700 students and staff from 23 schools across Catholic Schools Parramatta Diocese (CSPD) came together for Caritas Australia’s Big Water Walk in support of Project Compassion. Beginning at Parramatta Park, students carried buckets of water along a 4km route, gaining a glimpse of the daily journey faced by people in developing communities, especially women and children, in search of clean water.
24 Mar 2026
From Facebook
⭐SAVE THE DATE - the St Columba's Art Prize is back for 2026! 1 - 6 MAY The St Columba's Art Prize is back for 2026, featuring works by established and emerging artists from across Australia. With a prize pool of more than $17,000, including a $10,000 Open Prize, $2,000 Local Artist Prize, and a $1,000 Youth Prize, the event will be an opportunity to see a diverse range of outstanding Australian artworks. We hope you will join us in celebrating the arts at this fantastic community event. For more information visit https://columbasartprize.com.au
23 Mar 2026
From Facebook
“The Feed” has a fresh new look! Our College lunchtime talks have moved from a formal presentation to a relaxed pop-up stand in the Quad and students are loving it! Our first university to trial the new format was Australian Catholic University (ACU). It was great to see so many students stopping by to chat with Student Ambassadors Lauren and Cathy, ask questions, and learn more about studying at ACU. We’re excited to keep the conversations going as more universities join us in the Quad for The Feed in the coming weeks! Catholic Schools Parramatta Diocese
19 Mar 2026
From Facebook
Last week, our College community gathered to celebrate International Women’s Day with a beautiful breakfast and the presentation of the Sr Anne Henson International Women’s Day Award to Dr Naomi Cooper. While we were proud to share moments from the event, we also want to take this opportunity to celebrate the incredible women who are such an important part of our students’ lives. These photos capture just some of the mums, grandmothers, aunties and other significant women who support, guide and care for our young people each and every day. Your love, strength and encouragement do not go unnoticed, and we are so grateful for the role you play in shaping our community. Thank you for all that you do. Catholic Schools Parramatta Diocese
18 Mar 2026
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Our Year 7 and 8 HPGE students were privileged to attend a seminar this morning with Class of 2024 College Dux, Abbey Flanagan. Abbey spoke candidly about her journey through high school and her first year of university, offering valuable insight and encouragement. Students reflected on some powerful takeaways from her talk including, “don’t be ashamed to ask for help”, “do the hard things”, and “it is your responsibility to keep turning up and put in the hard work”. We thank Abbey for sharing her experiences so openly and for giving her time so generously. Catholic Schools Parramatta Diocese
18 Mar 2026
From Facebook
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15 Mar 2026
From Facebook
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13 Mar 2026
From Facebook
This morning our community at St Columba’s came together to celebrate International Women’s Day with a wonderful breakfast in the College quad. Students, staff and guests enjoyed a delicious start to the day, accompanied by beautiful background music performed by our talented students. Following breakfast, the community gathered for our International Women’s Day Assembly and the presentation of the 2026 Sr Anne Henson International Women’s Day Award. This year’s recipient was Dr Naomi Cooper (College Captain 2007), whose achievements and leadership continue to inspire the next generation of young women at St Columba’s. In her acceptance speech, Dr Cooper reminded us all that progress towards equality is a shared responsibility, telling the College community: “While some days it feels like we are getting nowhere fast in achieving gender parity, I take heart that it is small changes from individuals like you and me that edge us closer to equality. People of all genders have a role to play.” Thank you to everyone who helped make this morning’s celebration so special. Thank you especially to staff and students from Xavier College, Penola, St Finbar's and St Canice's who joined us at the event. Together we continue to honour the women who have shaped our community and encourage the leaders of tomorrow. Catholic Schools Parramatta Diocese
10 Mar 2026
From Facebook
Today’s Pathways to Possibility event was a wonderful success! Our First Nations students had the opportunity to hear from a panel of representatives from Macquarie University, University of Wollongong, Australian Catholic University, UNSW, UTS, Western Sydney University, The University of Sydney and Charles Sturt University. After the panel discussion, students enjoyed lunch together before attending an expo where they were able to have one-on-one conversations with university representatives about pathways, opportunities and life after school. Our students were outstanding throughout the day. They embraced the opportunity with curiosity, confidence and respect, asking thoughtful questions and engaging so positively with the universities. We are incredibly proud of the way they represented themselves and our school. A heartfelt thank you to the university representatives who generously gave their time to share their experiences, insights and encouragement. Your presence made the day meaningful and inspiring for our students. It was also a privilege to welcome Aunty Julie Waddell from Jarara Cultural Centre - thank you for joining us. Finally, thank you to the parents who came along in the afternoon to support their young people and be part of the conversations about future possibilities. Your support means so much. Events like this truly highlight what is possible when schools, families, community and universities come together to support our young people. The future is full of possibility! Macquarie University Australian Catholic University (ACU) University of Sydney UOW: University of Wollongong, Australia Western Sydney University UNSW Charles Sturt University UTS: University of Technology Sydney Catholic Schools Parramatta Diocese