Photo: Joint Secondary Video Winner, Joseph Chahine from Parramatta Marist High
Over 125 students from 10 Catholic Schools Parramatta Diocese (CSPD) schools have been recognised for their empathy and powerful storytelling as part of the Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) Australia Refugee Week Creative Competition.
Held as part of Refugee Week under the 2026 theme, ‘A Million Stories’, the competition invited students to respond creatively through artwork, writing or video, sharing messages of hope and belonging for refugees and people seeking asylum.
JRS Schools and Community Engagement Officer, Kristen Lazarus, said this year’s entries were inspiring.
“We were incredibly inspired by the nearly 150 entries we received from students across Australia, each one reflecting thoughtful messages of belonging, hope, and the richness of a multicultural Australia,” said Kristen.
Photo: Primary Artwork Winner, Maria Gerges from St Patrick’s Primary Guildford
CSPD students made an outstanding contribution to the competition, their moving submissions reflecting the compassion and social justice values nurtured through Catholic education.
“We were delighted to welcome so many CSPD students and their families to our Refugee Week exhibition…a wonderful celebration of art, storytelling and community. Their creativity demonstrates how young people can help build a more welcoming and inclusive community through the stories they choose to tell,” JRS’s Kristen Lazarus said.
An impressive 14 of the 19 shortlisted works were created by CSPD students.
Among the award recipients were:
Primary School Artwork
Maria Gerges (St Patrick's Primary Guildford) - First Place
Tala Haddad (St Patrick's Primary Guildford) - Second Place
Arianna (St Mary's Primary Rydalmere) - Third Place
Ethan (St Mary's Primary Rydalmere) - Highly Commended
Rose (St Mary's Primary Rydalmere) - Highly Commended
Elina (St Mary's Primary Rydalmere) - Highly Commended
Secondary School Artwork
Bianca Mekdess (Cerdon College Merrylands) - Second Place
Kashish Bafna (Catherine McAuley Westmead) - Highly Commended
Secondary School Video
Benjamin Kalouche and Joseph Chahine (Parramatta Marist High) - First Place
Secondary School Written Work
Evanshka Jeyasotharan (Catherine McAuley Westmead) - First Place
Maryam Yamayan (Caroline Chisholm College Glenmore Park) - Second Place
Alexander Tran (Parramatta Marist High) - Third Place
Alphen Albert (Parramatta Marist High) - Highly Commended
Jared Caucan (St Patrick's Primary Parramatta) - Second Place
Photo: Third Place Primary Artwork by Arianna from St Mary's Primary Rydalmere
Photo: Second Place Primary Artwork by Tala Haddad from St Patrick's Primary Guildford
The shortlisted students and their families were invited to attend a Refugee Leadership Exhibition hosted by JRS Australia in Surry Hills on Friday 26 June, where their work was showcased alongside moving stories and creative pieces highlighting the experiences and resilience of refugees and people seeking asylum.
Many of the student artists, writers and filmmakers also shared personal reflections about their work, with some drawing on their own family migration and refugee experiences to create deeply meaningful entries.
The competition provided students with a valuable opportunity to engage with the stories of others, reflect on the importance of welcome and inclusion and use their creativity to advocate for compassion and justice.
Photo: JRS’s Kristen Lazarus (centre) with award recipients Kashish (L) and Evanshka (R)
Catholic Schools Parramatta Diocese
www.parra.catholic.edu.au
-
04 Jul 2026
From Facebook
π 100 Days of School is UP! π Adventure is out there, and our amazing kindergarteners have been exploring it for 100 whole days! πβ¨ From counting to 100 to growing by leaps and bounds, these little explorers have officially earned their "100 Days Smarter" badges. Just like Carl and Russell, weβve learned that the greatest adventures are the ones we share together. π π Thank you to our incredible teachers, staff, and parents for helping our students' imaginations soar higher than a house lifted by balloons! Hereβs to the next chapter of the journey! πΊοΈπ For more fun photos click here https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1T2jWiGiJI9u4D5-8sMDMaPyDq64EztC0
02 Jul 2026
From Facebook
π Thank You, Holy Spirit Community! π Our hearts are full! Thanks to the incredible generosity of our students and families, we collected close to 800 items for our St Vincent de Paul Winter Appeal. Joan, Janette and Margaret from the St Vincent de Paul Society were overwhelmed by the kindness and generosity of our school community. Your donations will bring comfort and hope to those in need this winter. Any final donations can be left at the front office tomorrow. Thank you for making a difference and for living out our Gospel values. ππ
Latest news More news
08 Jul 2026
CSPD students recognised in Refugee Week Creative Competition
Over 125 students from 10 Catholic Schools Parramatta Diocese (CSPD) schools have been recognised for their empathy and powerful storytelling as part of the Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) Australia Refugee Week Creative Competition.
04 Jul 2026
From Facebook
π 100 Days of School is UP! π Adventure is out there, and our amazing kindergarteners have been exploring it for 100 whole days! πβ¨ From counting to 100 to growing by leaps and bounds, these little explorers have officially earned their "100 Days Smarter" badges. Just like Carl and Russell, weβve learned that the greatest adventures are the ones we share together. π π Thank you to our incredible teachers, staff, and parents for helping our students' imaginations soar higher than a house lifted by balloons! Hereβs to the next chapter of the journey! πΊοΈπ For more fun photos click here https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1T2jWiGiJI9u4D5-8sMDMaPyDq64EztC0
02 Jul 2026
From Facebook
π Thank You, Holy Spirit Community! π Our hearts are full! Thanks to the incredible generosity of our students and families, we collected close to 800 items for our St Vincent de Paul Winter Appeal. Joan, Janette and Margaret from the St Vincent de Paul Society were overwhelmed by the kindness and generosity of our school community. Your donations will bring comfort and hope to those in need this winter. Any final donations can be left at the front office tomorrow. Thank you for making a difference and for living out our Gospel values. ππ
01 Jul 2026
From Facebook
30 Jun 2026
From Facebook
π Year 4 is Factoring in the Fun! π Our amazing Year 4 students have been diving deep into fractions this week! From slicing up model pizzas to using number lines, they've been working hard to master halves, quarters, and equivalent fractions. Itβs incredible to see them realise that fractions are all around us! π‘ Try it at home! Next time you're cooking dinner or sharing a snack, ask your child: "What fraction do we have left?" You'll love seeing their math brains at work! Check out our young mathematicians in action! πΈπ #Year4Maths #FractionsAreFun #NSWEducation
29 Jun 2026
From Facebook
Our beautiful Year 2 students have been reflecting on what it means to be a disciple of Jesus by learning from the example of Mary. Through our discussions, students explored how Mary showed trust, courage, kindness, and faith in Godβs plan. Inspired by Mary, we have been thinking about how we can care for our neighbours and help those in need in our everyday lives. Students shared thoughtful ideas about showing kindness, helping others, including everyone, and making positive choices at school and at home. By following Maryβs example, our amazing students are learning that being a disciple means saying βyesβ to God, helping others, and living with love and compassion. We are very proud of the way they are growing as caring and faith-filled members of our community.
26 Jun 2026
From Facebook
ππ Go Socceroos! ππ Today our school community came together to celebrate the Socceroos by wearing green and gold with pride! Students enjoyed watching the match together during lunchtime, cheering on Australia and showing fantastic school spirit. It was wonderful to see so much excitement, teamwork and support as we celebrated this special sporting event together. β½π¦πΊ
26 Jun 2026
From Facebook
Year 6 Parish Mass βοΈ Today, our Year 6 students reverently attended Parish Mass, celebrated by Father Dave. The Gospel reading from Matthew 8:1β4 reminded us of Jesus' compassion and mercy as He healed a man with leprosy. Through this powerful story, students reflected on the importance of showing kindness, acceptance and care for others, just as Jesus did. We are grateful to Father Dave for leading us in prayer and helping our students deepen their understanding of God's love and the call to treat every person with dignity and compassion. "Lord, help us to be kind, welcoming and compassionate to everyone we meet." ππ
24 Jun 2026
From Facebook
Our Year 3 students have been exploring the mystery of the Holy Trinity β Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Through rich class discussions and learning activities, students developed their understanding of how the three Persons of the Trinity are united as one God. To deepen their learning, students participated in a directed drawing activity, creatively recreating a visual representation of the Holy Trinity. This hands-on experience allowed them to reflect on and express their understanding of this important belief in our Catholic faith. We are proud of the thoughtful reflections, creativity and engagement our students demonstrated as they explored this central mystery of our faith.
23 Jun 2026
From Facebook
πβ¨ Tricky Words, Here We Come! β¨π Our Kindergarten superstars have been busy practising their tricky words through reading and writing! π These words don't always follow the usual phonics rules, so they take extra effort to learn. We are so proud of the persistence, confidence and enthusiasm our students are showing as they work towards becoming independent readers and writers. π
22 Jun 2026
From Facebook
Our Year 2 mathematicians have been exploring 3D objects by exploring rectangular prisms through hands-on learning, creating their own models of cubes to deepen their understanding. As they built, students described their cubes using mathematical language such as faces, edges, and vertices, and recognised that the flat surfaces of these objects are 2D shapes. Itβs been wonderful to see students confidently applying their learning and explaining their thinking β check out their fantastic cube creations!
21 Jun 2026
From Facebook
What a fantastic Pyjama Day at our school last Friday! π€π It was wonderful to see our students and staff embracing the day, with many arriving in their favourite pyjamas and some even twinning with friends and teachers! A huge thank you to our families for their generous support of the St Vincent de Paul Winter Appeal. Thanks to your kindness, we have already raised almost $300 through the Qkr! app. If you haven't had a chance to donate yet, the Qkr! app will remain open until the end of next week. Every contribution helps support those in our community who are experiencing hardship during the colder months. Thank you for helping us put our faith into action and make a difference for others this winter. πβοΈ #FaithInAction #PyjamaDay #WinterAppeal #StVincentdePaul #TogetherWeGrow