Jacob visited lots of sites in Japan
Jacob Peters from Year 10 at St Columba’s High School, Springwood was one of only four students selected from NSW to attend a 10-day study trip to Japan as part of the Japan-East Asia Network of Exchange for Students and Youths (JENESYS) funded by the Japanese government.
Participating schools were selected by the Consulate General of Japan based on having very active and successful Japanese language programs. St Columba’s has been selected to participate three times since December 2013 and eight senior students have now visited Japan.
A group of 18 students experienced the Japanese culture through home-stays, site-visits and school exchange programs. Jacob was actively involved in all the events and demonstrated his maturity, responsible attitude and passion in learning Japanese.
Japanese teacher Mrs Shizue Sato said Jacob represented the St Columba’s community and Australia extremely well. ‘We are very proud of his achievement. Congratulations Jacob!’
Jacob says the trip was an experience he will never forget.
‘This trip provided me with very unique experiences that have allowed me to gain a better insight into Japanese lifestyle and culture,’ he said. ‘It has also allowed me to experience personal growth both in my understanding of other cultures and Japanese language skills.’
‘The trip was fantastic and I was struck by the great kindness and generosity shown to all of us from the Japanese people,’ said Jacob. ‘During the trip I travelled to Tokyo and Toyama - two places that are unique in their own way.’
‘Toyama is one of my favorite places in Japan so far as the people were kind, caring and friendly, which made me feel welcome in their community,’ said Jacob. ‘I hope to return to that prefecture one day and experience its beauty once again.’
Throughout the JENESYS program I got to share my knowledge of the Japanese language,’ said Jacob. ‘I learnt a lot during this trip, it was a fantastic opportunity and it has complimented my studies in Japanese.
‘The JENESYS program created a lot of great opportunities for my future but mainly wonderful and happy memories that will stay with me forever.’
‘I would like to thank St Columba’s for the opportunity to study Japanese and increase my understanding of a culture so different to our own,’ said Jacob.
Catholic Schools Parramatta Diocese
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17 Aug 2026
From Facebook
2026 Academic Showcase Last week, we celebrated something truly special at St Columba’s - students who are curious, passionate and willing to go that little bit further in their learning. Organised by SCCC teachers Stephanie Wilkie and Paul Elias, the Academic Showcase provides students with the space and time to explore a specific topic that captures their interest and to put in that extra 10% of effort. As Steph explains, the Showcase isn’t about perfection - it’s about motivation, passion, curiosity and the love of learning. It’s about giving students the opportunity to engage deeply, try something new and discover the value and reward that comes from learning and trying. We were also incredibly fortunate to welcome Greg Lee (Class of 2006) as our guest speaker. Greg challenged everyone to think about the extra 10%: What can you do today that will take you one step further? He encouraged our students to be passionate about what they do and reminded us of the importance of reflection as a powerful part of our own learning. A huge congratulations to all of our students who participated in the 2026 Academic Showcase. Your curiosity, commitment and willingness to share your learning with others is something to be celebrated. Thank you to Ms Wilkie, Mr Elias and all the other staff involved (and there were lots!) for creating such a wonderful opportunity for our students - and a very special thank you to Greg for returning to St Columba’s and sharing his time, wisdom and experience with our community. Because sometimes, it’s that extra 10% that makes all the difference. #StColumbas #AcademicShowcase #LoveOfLearning #Extra10Percent Catholic Schools Parramatta Diocese
14 Aug 2026
From Facebook
HSC Major Works Showcase 2026 It’s time to celebrate the incredible creativity, imagination and hard work of our HSC students! We warmly invite our families to come along to the St Columba’s HSC Major Works Showcase and experience the outstanding work our students have created across Visual Arts, Music, Drama, Society & Culture, Industrial Technology Timber, Textiles & Design, English Extension 2, Design & Technology, History Extension and Science Extension. Across two incredible nights: 🗓️ Tuesday 18 August | 4.00–6.30pm Drama Rec Theatre | 5.00–6.30pm Textiles & Design, Ngurra | 4.00–5.00pm 🗓️ Tuesday 1 September | 4.00–7.30pm Exhibitions, Ngurra | 4.00–6.00pm featuring Design & Technology, Industrial Technology Timber, Visual Arts, Society & Culture, English Extension 2, Science Extension and History Extension and Music Rec Theatre | 6.00–7.30pm Come along, explore the work and, most importantly, celebrate the remarkable achievements of our students. We’d love to see our St Columba’s families there!
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17 Aug 2026
From Facebook
2026 Academic Showcase Last week, we celebrated something truly special at St Columba’s - students who are curious, passionate and willing to go that little bit further in their learning. Organised by SCCC teachers Stephanie Wilkie and Paul Elias, the Academic Showcase provides students with the space and time to explore a specific topic that captures their interest and to put in that extra 10% of effort. As Steph explains, the Showcase isn’t about perfection - it’s about motivation, passion, curiosity and the love of learning. It’s about giving students the opportunity to engage deeply, try something new and discover the value and reward that comes from learning and trying. We were also incredibly fortunate to welcome Greg Lee (Class of 2006) as our guest speaker. Greg challenged everyone to think about the extra 10%: What can you do today that will take you one step further? He encouraged our students to be passionate about what they do and reminded us of the importance of reflection as a powerful part of our own learning. A huge congratulations to all of our students who participated in the 2026 Academic Showcase. Your curiosity, commitment and willingness to share your learning with others is something to be celebrated. Thank you to Ms Wilkie, Mr Elias and all the other staff involved (and there were lots!) for creating such a wonderful opportunity for our students - and a very special thank you to Greg for returning to St Columba’s and sharing his time, wisdom and experience with our community. Because sometimes, it’s that extra 10% that makes all the difference. #StColumbas #AcademicShowcase #LoveOfLearning #Extra10Percent Catholic Schools Parramatta Diocese
14 Aug 2026
From Facebook
HSC Major Works Showcase 2026 It’s time to celebrate the incredible creativity, imagination and hard work of our HSC students! We warmly invite our families to come along to the St Columba’s HSC Major Works Showcase and experience the outstanding work our students have created across Visual Arts, Music, Drama, Society & Culture, Industrial Technology Timber, Textiles & Design, English Extension 2, Design & Technology, History Extension and Science Extension. Across two incredible nights: 🗓️ Tuesday 18 August | 4.00–6.30pm Drama Rec Theatre | 5.00–6.30pm Textiles & Design, Ngurra | 4.00–5.00pm 🗓️ Tuesday 1 September | 4.00–7.30pm Exhibitions, Ngurra | 4.00–6.00pm featuring Design & Technology, Industrial Technology Timber, Visual Arts, Society & Culture, English Extension 2, Science Extension and History Extension and Music Rec Theatre | 6.00–7.30pm Come along, explore the work and, most importantly, celebrate the remarkable achievements of our students. We’d love to see our St Columba’s families there!
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From Facebook
From exchange student to German national champion! Congratulations to Year 10 student Douglas Pentecost, who has returned from his school exchange in Germany with rather more than improved language skills! While in Germany, Douglas took up the challenge of competing in the U16 German National Athletics Championships — and came away with GOLD in the discus with a phenomenal throw of 61.02m! Not a bad way to spend an exchange… go overseas to practise your German and come home a national champion! We are incredibly proud of you, Douglas. What an achievement! 🇩🇪 🥇 Blue Mountains Gazette Catholic Schools Parramatta Diocese
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From Facebook
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From Facebook
We are incredibly proud to announce that our 2026 Book Week celebrations raised $4,396.06 for the Indigenous Literacy Foundation (ILF) — our biggest Book Week donation ever! The total was made possible through the wonderful generosity of our students, families and staff, who supported our Book Week costumes, picnic lunch, cake stall, Poem Apothecary and second-hand book stall. Every dollar raised will help support the incredible work of the ILF, bringing books, learning resources and literacy programs to children and communities across remote Australia. The Indigenous Literacy Foundation is a charity that is particularly close to our hearts at St Columba’s. Supporting literacy, celebrating First Nations stories and languages, and helping children develop a lifelong love of reading are values that strongly resonate with our College community. A huge thank you to everyone who helped us reach this incredible total. What a wonderful way to celebrate Book Week — by helping share the joy and power of books with children and communities across Australia. If you’d like to learn more about the important work of the Indigenous Literacy Foundation, we encourage you to visit their website: www.ilf.org.au
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From Facebook
Congratulations to Amelia (Y10) on her outstanding performance at the 2026 The Horse Den State Interschools Championships during the school holidays. In a very competitive field, Amelia and her pony Ajah finished 7th in the 1.1 dressage and first in the 1.2 dressage. The St Columba's community is very proud of Amelia's wonderful achievement!
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From Facebook
We love welcoming our alumni back to the College! Sebastian Andrews (College Captain - Class of 2023) called in today to see the new buildings and catch up with some of his former teachers. He agreed that the new buildings were 'just a little bit better' than the demountables that he learned in while he was a student here. Thanks for stopping by Sebastian, it was great to see you.
04 Aug 2026
From Facebook
On Friday 31 July students from Years 7-11 participated in the annual Write a Book in a Day competition. In year group teams, students worked together between 8am and 6pm to conceptualise, write, illustrate and publish a book for young Australians aged between 10 and 16. In addition to publishing a book, the competition also requires students to raise funds for the Kids’ Cancer Project. Their finished books are distributed in children’s hospitals across Australia. It was an enjoyable challenge for our students, who enjoyed collaborating to produce engaging stories and interesting illustrations. Congratulations to everyone involved!
03 Aug 2026
From Facebook
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From Facebook
As part of the College's support for the St Vincent de Paul Winter Appeal, students from Years 7–12 took part in a Winter Stay-Out event. Through experiential learning, faith in action, and community spirit, students deepened their understanding of homelessness and poverty during an evening of challenges, reflection, and a powerful talk from Vinnies NSW Kim Crawford. A huge thank you to all the St Columba's families who contributed to our Winter Woolies Drive - your generosity has helped keep many people in our community warm this winter. 🧣❄️ #faithinactioncspd #winterappeal #socialjustice #vinniesNSW Catholic Schools Parramatta Diocese