Siena Catholic College

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Siena Catholic College, Queensland, Australia is a co-educational Catholic day college situated at Sippy Downs on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast. Opened in 1997, it caters for students in Years 8-12 and has an enrolment of approximately 750 students which will be capped when the 750 enrolment figures is reached. The Siena schools are well respected for their strong sense of pride and spirit. Rich in history and development the college shares its 13ha campus with Siena Primary School, a Prep -Year 7 school which will grow to a capped enrolment of 750 students.

The College aims to educate the whole person: intellectually, physically, emotionally and spiritually. The college badge sums up the ethos that Siena seeks to establish and maintain: PRAYER, CARE and LEARNING. Within this context the school community strives to promote and uphold Christian values and to foster and applaud the talents and potential of each student.

The College is an Archdiocesan College administered by Brisbane Catholic Education and has close links with the Stella Maris Parish, having St. Catherine of Siena Church on the college grounds.

Contents

[edit] Faith and Mission

Siena Catholic College is a Christ centred community that recognizes human life is a spiritual journey in which all contribute to the enhancement of God’s kingdom on earth. The College strives to be a community that provides support to all to realize their potential. We seek to fulfil our responsibilities to provide the place where the Gospel message is evident and a real way of life.

The aim of the subjects Religious Education, Religion and Ethics and Study of Religion at Siena is to develop student’s religious literacy in the light of the Catholic tradition, so that they may participate critically and effectively in the life of their faith communities and wider society.

At Siena Catholic College the student should achieve:

  • a knowledge of, and ability to interpret, and the development of an understanding and empathy for the historical, social and cultural contexts of Scriptural texts.
  • a knowledge and understanding of key religious beliefs and practices and the way they assist humans to find meaning in life.
  • a knowledge and understanding of the way God communicates with people, nurturing the community of believers through their participation in prayer and worship.
  • a knowledge and understanding of Catholic teaching about our loving relationship with God, each other and the world through a recognition of the rights of all people.

The range of student experience means a great variety of responses in class and in whole school activities. Students in RE classes are reported by teachers to be interested in topics raised and knowledge gained as shown in the successful completion of assignments demonstrating a maturing religious literacy.

In a parallel development of faith, and in keeping with our College motto of “Prayer, Care and Learning”, students participate in regular prayer opportunities in House Groups each morning, at the start of classes and as part of our regular College Assemblies. A diversely talented group of students are engaged in the preparation for masses both within the College and as part of the Sunday evening Parish masses. Additionally, these students and others assist with the various celebrations of various liturgies for Anzac Day, Siena Day and so on. Also, the school community participates in Community Service activities such as fund raising for Caritas, Relay for Life, 40 Hour Famine, Amnesty International, Rosies and others, demonstrating faith in action and in service to others.

Throughout the year a variety of religious activities, considered a cornerstone of the curriculum are held. These include Retreats for Years 8,9,10 and 12 and a Leadership Retreat for the Year 11’s as they prepare for their final year of secondary schooling as student leaders of the College.

[edit] Staff

  • Principal - Mr. Graeme Hight
  • Deputy Principal - Mr. Mark Thornton

(As Mark Thornton is currently taking long service leave, his position has been temporarily filled by Mr. Patrick Toohey)

  • Assistant Principal for Religious Education - Mrs. Carmel Hulett
  • APA (Curriculum) - Mr. Chuck Forzatti
  • Counsellor - Mr. Peter Cook
  • Campus Minister - Ms. Donna McDade

[edit] House Involvement

Students are assigned to a HOUSE

Bernadino (Red) - Named after Bernardino of Siena, a Franciscan missionary.

Catherine (Gold) - Named after Saint Catherine of Siena, who became the first women Doctor of the Church

MacKillop (Purple) - Named after Blessed Mary Mackillop, the only Australian to be beatified and founder of the Sisters of St. Joseph of the Sacred Heart

Ozanam (Green) - Named after Blessed Frédéric Ozanam , founder of St Vincent de Paul

Teresa (Blue) - Named after Mother Teresa of Calcutta, founder of the Missionaries of Charity.

Houses play an important role in the life of the school. A strong inter-House competition exists, based not only on the traditional Swimming, Athletics, Cross Country but on many other student activities organized during the year - Siena Day, Red Faces, Tabloid Sports, Palio Races and lunchtime sports and cultural activities.

Each House is also responsible for a Lenten activity to raise funds for Caritas / Project Compassion. Which have included such activities as BBQ's and Soaks

Each House is divided into six House Groups who meet daily, morning and afternoon, for Administration - roll marking, daily notices etc. These groups comprise students from Years 8 - 12 and enable younger students to form relationships with older students. Students stay with the same House Group for the duration of their time at Siena.

[edit] Alumni

Siena has now established an Alumni society for which all past students are able to register so to keep abreast of most of the affairs occurring. Registration can take place at Siena's Almuni Page.

[edit] Dieci Anni Siena

The tenth year of Siena opening will be celebrated on the 24th March 2007. Activities are yet to be confirmed but be assured it will be a fitting celebration for such a landmark in Siena's history.

[edit] Sport

Siena is well known on the Sunshine coast, for having a strong sense of sporting pride within the inter-school program. Siena's most popular sports include Rugby Union, Swimming, Water-polo and Football. Siena boasts one of the strongest water-polo bodies on the coast, having won the shield for the best overall school for 5 years in a row. During Siena's earlier years the Rugby program produced incredibly talented players, that went on to represent the state and country for the sport. Football has emerged as another popular sport within the student body.


[edit] Controversy

Since the passing away of the schools founding headmaster, Mr Brian Baker in 2003. The school has suffered from a lack of structure within the student/staff body. This lack of discipline can be seen through the college's now disfunctional uniform policy. The college once boasted one of the finest senior Rugby Union programs on the Sunshine coast, but due to immense discipline problems, the Rugby teams barely qualify for the 1st XV division.


Siena students (Senior) are notorious within the independent/church run schools on the coast for their lack of discipline and their constant rebeliousness. Undesireable sub-cultures have emerged within the schools senior students which have severely tarnished the peer to peer reputation of the college within the Sunshine Coast. This lack of ambition within the student body produced another mediocre result for the graduating class of 2005 and 2006 with not one of the near 140 students achieving an O.P 1.

It is beleieved that corruption or the "blind eye" technique as it is affectionately known is being used by lax staff in order to conceal the colleges drastic slump in senior academic performance. The deterioration of the behavioural programs have seen problems such as tardiness, poor uniform and abscence without exemption arise.

Males and Females at the college are poorly presented due to the popular development of individualism within the college.

It is well known within the senior student body, that staff ignore any problem that may jeopardise the college's deteriorating reputation. Certain sub-cultures have emerged that are frequently ingnored by staff that are damaging the health and mental wellbeing of a medium minority of students.

A lack of policing of these problems have created an ease within the student body due to the fact that most senior students will probably end up undisciplined if a behavioural problem where to emerge.

The problems have evolved from administration and authoritarian character faults. It has become obvious within the community, that the schools academic curriculum is outdated and unapplicable to todays society.

The college's over centralised Religous education program is outdated and somewhat non important to the new genaration of scholars at the college. It is understood that the A.P.R.E of the college is Right wing conservative, which has made it incredibly hard to modernize the "ageing" and non-contemporary values of traditional, Catholic religious education.

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