Catholic Education Diocese of Parramatta students had the opportunity to shine when the Captivate performing and creative arts program recently hosted its 10th Anniversary Showcase at Quaycentre, Sydney Olympic Park.
The show combined a spectacular musical ensemble of 165 students, backed up by the 1000-student primary choir and 190-student secondary choir singing songs such as One Dream, Come Back to the Sea, Keep your Lamps Trimmed and Burning and River Run Free.
This was complemented by a dance ensemble of 382 dancers who kept audiences enraptured. There was also a secondary drama ensemble of 90 students and a student ‘spoken word choir’ comprising 80 students from four primary schools.
One of the highlights of the performance was the use of puppetry and props to reflect the showcase’s storyline. The impact of the puppets was dramatic, guiding the audience through show’s theme of ‘creativity’: from the igniting of the creative spark, through to creative play, creative block, creative flow, and finally creative genius. The show’s finale was a stunning performance of Rihanna’s Diamonds in the Sky.
Captivate director Mark Hopkins said that for many students involved, it was their first major public performance.
“Others were consolidating many years of practice, rehearsal and performing, honing their skills for HSC practical examinations in the coming weeks or auditions for specialist post school arts study pathways in the coming months.
“Captivate is the program by which all students, regardless of prior experience or the location of their school, can access specialist learning in the arts.
“With a constant stream of research documenting evidence of the cognitive and social benefits of arts participation and learning, it is vital that such learning is part of each child’s education.”
St Andrew’s Primary, Marayong acting Principal Kim McDonald described the show as a rewarding experience for all those involved.
“Students have been rehearsing since February, both during recess and lunch breaks and also at formal off-site rehearsals with other students in the Diocese as well as during the school holidays,’’ Mrs McDonald said.
“This level of collaboration and creativity has provided opportunities for students to express themselves in a unique way. We are so proud of the students and thank them for their commitment, enthusiasm and persistence over such a long period of time.”
Catholic Schools Parramatta Diocese
www.parra.catholic.edu.au
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20 Oct 2026
From Facebook
⚽🌍 World Cup Fever is Back at St Patrick’s! 🌍⚽ The ball hasn't even been kicked yet, but Season 2 of our Primary World Cup Soccer is already building excitement! Our Year 3 and 4 students have been gathering around the team announcements, eagerly discovering the new countries, checking out their teams and getting ready for another season of soccer fun. ⚽ Who will be the team to watch? Which country will rise to the top? And who will become our next World Cup stars? 🏆 One thing is certain: there will be plenty of teamwork, friendly competition, encouragement, and excitement! Let the games begin! 💚💛 #PrimaryWorldCup #Season2 #WorldCupFever #Stage2 #StPatricksParramatta #LearningIsFunAtStPats19 Oct 2026
From Facebook
⚽🏆 Celebrating Our Season 1 World Cup Stars! 🏆⚽ Before we kick off Season 2, let's celebrate some wonderful achievements from our first Primary World Cup Soccer competition! Our players earned medals and special awards for their efforts on and off the field. 🏅 Golden Boot 🥅 Amazing Goalie ⭐ Most Consistent Player 🏆 Player of the Season 🛡️ Best Defence 👏 Encouraging Team Leader Congratulations to all our award recipients and every student who participated! These awards remind us that soccer is about much more than scoring goals. It's about teamwork, perseverance, encouragement, sportsmanship and giving your best. A huge thank you to Mrs Cadman for her enthusiasm and dedication in making Season 1 such a wonderful experience for our students. Now, bring on Season 2! ⚽💚💛 #PrimaryWorldCup #Season1 #CelebratingAchievement #Teamwork #StPatricksParramatta #learningisfunatstpats #BelongToSomethingGreater #cspd2026 #100yearsofcatholiceducation #learningisfunatstpatsparramatta #catholicschools #cspd #learningisfunatStPats
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20 Oct 2026
From Facebook
⚽🌍 World Cup Fever is Back at St Patrick’s! 🌍⚽ The ball hasn't even been kicked yet, but Season 2 of our Primary World Cup Soccer is already building excitement! Our Year 3 and 4 students have been gathering around the team announcements, eagerly discovering the new countries, checking out their teams and getting ready for another season of soccer fun. ⚽ Who will be the team to watch? Which country will rise to the top? And who will become our next World Cup stars? 🏆 One thing is certain: there will be plenty of teamwork, friendly competition, encouragement, and excitement! Let the games begin! 💚💛 #PrimaryWorldCup #Season2 #WorldCupFever #Stage2 #StPatricksParramatta #LearningIsFunAtStPats
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From Facebook
⚽🏆 Celebrating Our Season 1 World Cup Stars! 🏆⚽ Before we kick off Season 2, let's celebrate some wonderful achievements from our first Primary World Cup Soccer competition! Our players earned medals and special awards for their efforts on and off the field. 🏅 Golden Boot 🥅 Amazing Goalie ⭐ Most Consistent Player 🏆 Player of the Season 🛡️ Best Defence 👏 Encouraging Team Leader Congratulations to all our award recipients and every student who participated! These awards remind us that soccer is about much more than scoring goals. It's about teamwork, perseverance, encouragement, sportsmanship and giving your best. A huge thank you to Mrs Cadman for her enthusiasm and dedication in making Season 1 such a wonderful experience for our students. Now, bring on Season 2! ⚽💚💛 #PrimaryWorldCup #Season1 #CelebratingAchievement #Teamwork #StPatricksParramatta #learningisfunatstpats #BelongToSomethingGreater #cspd2026 #100yearsofcatholiceducation #learningisfunatstpatsparramatta #catholicschools #cspd #learningisfunatStPats
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01 Oct 2026
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26 Sep 2026
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🎭✝️ Faith Comes to Life ✝️🎭 Our Year 5 and 6 students had the wonderful opportunity to experience 'Be the Witness', a contemporary Gospel musical bringing the story of Jesus to life through the eyes of St Peter. Through music, drama and storytelling, students experienced the Gospel in a completely different way, exploring Peter’s journey of faith, courage, doubt, forgiveness and discipleship. What a wonderful opportunity to experience the beauty of live theatre while deepening our understanding of our Catholic faith. Sometimes a story we know so well can take on new meaning when we experience it in a new way. 💙💛 #BeTheWitness #FaithInAction #CatholicFaith #Stage3 #StPatricksParramatta #CatholicSchools #BelongToSomethingGreater #BelongToSomethingGreater #cspd2026 #100yearsofcatholiceducation #learningisfunatstpatsparramatta #catholicschools #cspd #learningisfunatStPats
25 Sep 2026
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🕰️💚 Way Back When Wednesday 💛🕰️ Different faces. Different classrooms. Different ways of teaching. The same purpose. For generations, St Patrick’s staff have been united by a passion for learning and a belief that every child deserves the opportunity to thrive. Teaching continues to change and evolve, but our commitment to moving student learning forward has always been, and will always be, at the heart of what we do. Here’s to all those who have taught, supported and inspired generations of St Patrick’s students, and to those who continue that story today. 💚💛 Who do you recognise? We’d love to hear your memories. #WayBackWhenWednesday #StPatricksParramatta #OurStory #TeachingAndLearning #CatholicEducation #100YearsOfCatholicEducation
25 Sep 2026
From Facebook
🎭🎶 A Night to Shine! 🎶🎭 What an incredible celebration of the Performing Arts at St Patrick’s! On Thursday evening, our students took to the stage to share their gifts with our community. Ms Gaudry and our talented choir filled the space with music, while individual students showcased an extraordinary range of talents through singing, piano, violin, drama and dance. 🎹🎻💃🎤 There is something very special about watching young people find the confidence to step onto a stage and share something they love. Our students were simply fantastic, and we could not have been prouder of them! A very special thank you to Ms Gaudry for the time, energy, and passion she put into organising such a wonderful evening and giving our students the opportunity to shine. The curtain may have closed on this year’s Showcase, but we’re already looking forward to next year! 🌟💚💛 #PerformingArtsShowcase #LetYourLightShine #Music #Drama #Dance #StPatricksParramatta #LearningIsFunAtStPats #BelongToSomethingGreater #cspd2026 #100yearsofcatholiceducation #learningisfunatstpatsparramatta #catholicschools #cspd #learningisfunatStPats
24 Sep 2026
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🎭✨ The Talent Continues! ✨🎭 Stage 2 certainly brought plenty of variety to St Patrick’s You’ve Got Talent! From the beautiful sounds of the piano and violin to Irish dancing, magic and even a few comedy sketches, our students shared an amazing range of talents with their peers. 🎻🪄☘️😂 Behind every performance were hours of practising, learning, persistence and the courage to stand in front of an audience and have a go. Another huge shout-out to our MacKillop students, who, with the guidance of Ms Arida, worked behind the scenes to organise and bring our Talent Show to life. What a wonderful celebration of the many gifts within our St Patrick’s community! 💙💛 #StPatricksYouveGotTalent #Stage2 #CelebratingOurGifts #StPatricksParramatta #LearningIsFunAtStPats #BelongToSomethingGreater #cspd2026 #100yearsofcatholiceducation #learningisfunatstpatsparramatta #catholicschools #cspd