
A message of congratulations from the Head of Secondary School — Mr Paul Rikmanis
The entire St Columba community applauds the remarkable achievements of the Class of 2024, embodying the school’s commitment to excellence in education and holistic development.
The School Council, Principal, and staff of St Columba Anglican School proudly celebrate the outstanding achievements of the Class of 2024, our 18th Higher School Certificate cohort. These students have upheld and enhanced our School’s rich academic legacy while forging their own path to excellence.
St Columba Anglican School continues its tradition of academic distinction while nurturing the essential qualities our students need for future success. This year’s Higher School Certificate results reflect exceptional achievement, with 38 students contributing to an impressive 94 entries on the Distinguished Achievers list. The breadth of this success is particularly noteworthy, with over 80% of subjects achieving one or more Band 6 results.
The depth of academic excellence is evident, with 37% of our students earning places on the Distinguished Achievers list through outstanding Band 6 performances. Three students — Remy Bucton, Damon Magann and Ali Ashrafy — demonstrated remarkable consistency by achieving Band 6 results across five subjects, securing their places on the prestigious HSC All-Round Achievers list. Equally impressive were Mason Bell, Murray Cameron-Brown, Liliana Clarke, Shalise Leesfield, Isabella Mitchell and Samuel Whelan, each attaining Band 6 results in four subjects.
We congratulate our highest achieving students: Murray Cameron-Brown, who led the cohort with an exceptional ATAR of 99.5, closely followed by Ali Ashrafy (99.45) and Remy Bucton (99.1). These stellar individual performances were part of a broader pattern of excellence, with approximately 20% of our students achieving ATARs above 90.
Our subject-specific results demonstrate outstanding achievement across multiple disciplines. Seven subjects – Drama, Dance, English Extension 1, English Extension 2, Mathematics Extension 2, Society and Culture and Visual Arts – achieved the remarkable distinction of having 100% of students achieve in the top two bands. Drama and Physics showed particular strength, with 63% and 44% of students respectively achieving Band 6 results. Further academic excellence was evident across multiple subjects, with English Advanced students achieving an outstanding 98% in the top two bands. Design and Technology and Entertainment Industry students demonstrated similar distinction with 93% reaching this level, while Extension History (88%), Mathematics Extension 1 (80%) and Construction (80%) students also achieved impressive results in the top two bands.
St Columba’s partnership with the University of Melbourne in credentialing Deep Learning competencies continues to yield impressive results. This pioneering cohort, the first to experience our Deep Learning culture, has demonstrated remarkable growth in essential skills: communication, collaboration, character, citizenship, and critical and creative thinking. Notable achievements include Ashleigh Barlin’s selection for the prestigious HSC Dance showcase, Callback. Ashleigh was also part of our Drama class who all received nominations for the Onstage showcase, a remarkable achievement. Liliana Clarke exemplified character and citizenship through her Gold Duke of Edinburgh award. Indiana Jones’s character and creativity earned her both recognition as a NSW VET Training Awards finalist and acceptance into NIDA’s Bachelor of Fine Arts programme. The critical and creative thinking of Lachlan Kersten, Sarah King, and Michael Vandoros was recognised through their Design and Technology projects’ shortlisting for the Australian Science and Engineering Fair. Remy Bucton received the High Achievers Scholarship at The University of Newcastle worth $10,000 a year. Year 10 student Finneas Vicars demonstrated exceptional academic ability through Band 6 results in accelerated Advanced Mathematics, Extension 1 Mathematics and Physics.
The entire St Columba community celebrates these remarkable achievements of the Class of 2024, which truly embody our commitment to excellence in both academic achievement and holistic development.
Paul Rikmanis
Head of Secondary School, St Columba Anglican School