School students have donned their finest pirate attire to show their support for four-year-old Demi Tsandis, who has been diagnosed with brain cancer.
To help increase awareness about childhood brain cancer, students at Christ the King Primary School in North Rocks held a Pirate Day fundraiser to raise critical funds for a deserving family in their community.
Demi has recently been diagnosed with an incredibly aggressive brain cancer called Diffuse Midline Glioma (DMG), which devastatingly comes with a terminal prognosis.
As this form of brain cancer is currently inoperable, the four-year-old is currently undergoing six weeks of radiation to shrink the tumour.
Schoolteacher Samantha Roberts, whose son attended preschool with Demi, said it was "heartbreaking" to see a child be dealt a terminal diagnosis.
"At four, life should be about running around with friends, singing and dancing to Wiggles songs, learning to read and count... not being robbed of the joys of childhood to attend daily radiation sessions," She said.
The family's community, led by Ms Roberts, has already raised more than $5000 through the school's Pirate Day fundraiser.
"It was so special seeing the sea of students arrive at school proudly showing off their pirate costumes. Many with eye patches, pirate hats and bandannas... it was amazing," she said.
"The outpouring of love and donations from the school community here at Christ the King has been absolutely overwhelming. In a matter of weeks our school community has raised over $5000, more than any other group has raised for Pirate Day."
The students, who were both excited for a chance to dress up like a pirate and help raise awareness for children with brain cancer, wanted Demi to know how many people are supporting her.
"It makes us feel like we are helping because we are supporting a good cause. The fundraiser will hopefully make Demi feel better because she can know so many people are trying to help her," year six student Benjamin said.
Currently halfway through her radiation treatment, Demi is feeling in good spirits, and, according to her parents, even riding her bike again and doing all the things she loves daily.
This year, all funds raised for Pirate Day will be directly supporting the critical research of Dr Dannielle Upton, who is investigating potential therapies for DIPG, a subtype of Diffuse Midline Glioma (DMG), the most aggressive of all childhood cancers.
Catholic Schools Parramatta Diocese
www.parra.catholic.edu.au
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04 Mar 2026
From Facebook
π CTK Supports Caritas Australiaβs Big Walk for Water! π§ This Lent, Christ the King Primary is Uniting Against Poverty as part of Project Compassion. Our goal is to raise $1500 to support communities around the world with access to clean water, healthcare, and safe shelter. Every donation helps bring dignity, hope, and real change. π β‘οΈ Donate here: Project Compassion Fundraiser As part of our faith in action, weβll also be hosting a Big Walk for Water on Friday, 13 March 2026, 9:30β11:00am. The morning includes a Liturgy in St Mary MacKillop Hall followed by a walk around the school, helping students understand the daily challenges millions face to access clean water. Thank you for helping us Unite Against Poverty this Lent! π
04 Mar 2026
From Facebook
π EXCITING NEWS! π Today (4 March) is Dollar Match Day for Caritas Australiaβs Project Compassion! π From 10:00am AEDT, every online donation made to our fundraising page will be DOUBLED β up to a national cap of $50,000! π That means: π° $50 becomes $100 π° $100 becomes $200 π° $200 becomes $400 Matched funds are provided by a generous supporter (not the school), and all donations go directly to Project Compassion. Matching applies to individual online donations up to $1,000 and runs until the $50,000 cap is reached β so be quick! β³ Thereβs never been a better time to Unite Against Poverty and make double the difference for vulnerable communities around the world. πβ¨ Donate here π https://www.projectcompassion.org.au/fundraisers/christthekingprimaryschoolnorthrocks
Latest news More news
04 Mar 2026
From Facebook
π CTK Supports Caritas Australiaβs Big Walk for Water! π§ This Lent, Christ the King Primary is Uniting Against Poverty as part of Project Compassion. Our goal is to raise $1500 to support communities around the world with access to clean water, healthcare, and safe shelter. Every donation helps bring dignity, hope, and real change. π β‘οΈ Donate here: Project Compassion Fundraiser As part of our faith in action, weβll also be hosting a Big Walk for Water on Friday, 13 March 2026, 9:30β11:00am. The morning includes a Liturgy in St Mary MacKillop Hall followed by a walk around the school, helping students understand the daily challenges millions face to access clean water. Thank you for helping us Unite Against Poverty this Lent! π
04 Mar 2026
From Facebook
π EXCITING NEWS! π Today (4 March) is Dollar Match Day for Caritas Australiaβs Project Compassion! π From 10:00am AEDT, every online donation made to our fundraising page will be DOUBLED β up to a national cap of $50,000! π That means: π° $50 becomes $100 π° $100 becomes $200 π° $200 becomes $400 Matched funds are provided by a generous supporter (not the school), and all donations go directly to Project Compassion. Matching applies to individual online donations up to $1,000 and runs until the $50,000 cap is reached β so be quick! β³ Thereβs never been a better time to Unite Against Poverty and make double the difference for vulnerable communities around the world. πβ¨ Donate here π https://www.projectcompassion.org.au/fundraisers/christthekingprimaryschoolnorthrocks
02 Mar 2026
From Facebook
π£ Join Us for Sunday Parish Mass! To celebrate Catholic Schools Week, Christ the King Primary warmly invites all families to Sunday Parish Mass on 8 March 2026 at 10am. πβ¨ Come together with our Parish community as we celebrate our Christ-centred school, where Catholic values, care for the whole person, and a love of learning guide us every day. Please RSVP by Thursday 5 March via the Compass Post. We can not wait to celebrate with you! π
02 Mar 2026
From Facebook
π£ Join Us for Sunday Parish Mass! To celebrate Catholic Schools Week, Christ the King Primary warmly invites all families to Sunday Parish Mass on 8 March 2026 at 10am. πβ¨ Come together with our Parish community as we celebrate our Christ-centred school, where Catholic values, care for the whole person, and a love of learning guide us every day. Please RSVP by Thursday 5 March via the Compass Post. We can not wait to celebrate with you! π
27 Feb 2026
From Facebook
π§ β¨ Da Vinci Decathlon β¨π§ Students from Year 6 β Kamil, Zac, Abby, Tom, Eloise, Lola and Oliver, along with Eliana from Year 5, had a wonderful day of challenge and competition at the Da Vinci Decathlon hosted by Santa Sophia Catholic School. Although they didnβt place in the top three, they did our school proud with their enthusiasm, application and motivation throughout the day. π Students competed in a range of disciplines including Coding, Maths, English, Science, Art, Poetry, Ideation and Creative Direction β showcasing teamwork, creativity and critical thinking. Congratulations to all students on their fantastic efforts! π #cspd2026 #catholicschoolsparramattadiocese #parracatholic #CTKCommunity #ChristTheKing #CTKNorthRocks #DaVinciDecathlon #AcademicChallenge #StudentAchievement #ProudSchool #CriticalThinking #Teamwork #CatholicEducation #PrimarySchoolLife
26 Feb 2026
From Facebook
πβ¨ Last Thursday our Year 6 students attended the ENCOUNTER formation event at John XXIII Catholic College. We are so proud of the way they represented our school community, entering the day with reverence, enthusiasm and respect. Students had a wonderful opportunity to engage in prayer, reflection and contemporary Catholic music led by Gen Bryant. It was a meaningful and faith-filled day for all involved! πβοΈ #cspd2026 #catholicschoolsparramattadiocese #parracatholic #CTKCommunity #ChristTheKing #CTKNorthRocks
26 Feb 2026
From Facebook
Zone Swimming Update Congratulations Bella on making it through to the next level, Parramatta Diocese in both freestyle and backstroke:) ππ»ππ»
26 Feb 2026
From Facebook
πββοΈπ¦ Hills Zone Swimming Carnival π¦πββοΈ Our students proudly represented Christ the King at the Hills Zone Swimming Carnival! π It was fantastic to see their determination, sportsmanship and team spirit on display this morning. Whether competing in the pool or cheering on their teammates, our students gave their very best. We are so proud of their efforts and the way they represented our school community! ππ
25 Feb 2026
From Facebook
πβ Week 4: Maths Activity & Shrove Tuesday π₯ Kindy had a fantastic Week 4 filled with learning and celebration! In Maths, students were actively engaged in hands-on activities, building their skills and confidence while having fun. ββ¨ We also celebrated Shrove Tuesday, learning about its meaning as we prepare for Lent, and enjoying some delicious pancakes together! π₯π A wonderful week of learning, faith and fun!
24 Feb 2026
From Facebook
CTK Begins the Season of Lent with Ash Wednesday βοΈππ Thank you to all of our families who joined us for our Ash Wednesday Mass and Liturgy last week βοΈ Our students showed great reverence throughout, and we are very proud of the respectful way they participated π π #cspd2026 #catholicschoolsparramattadiocese #parracatholic #CTKCommunity #ChristTheKing #CTKNorthRocks
23 Feb 2026
From Facebook
We were so fortunate to welcome back former student Mitchell Moses to Christ the King last week! It was a proud moment for our community to see one of our own inspiring the next generation with his dedication and success. Thank you for taking the time to visit, Mitchell β we loved having you back. Go the Eels! ππ
23 Feb 2026
From Facebook
ππ Year 2 Shrove Tuesday ππ Our Year 2 students enjoyed celebrating Shrove Tuesday last week with a fun and meaningful day! π₯ They learned about the importance of this special day in the Church calendar as we prepare for Lent, and of course, enjoyed some delicious pancakes! It was a wonderful opportunity to come together in faith, reflect, and celebrate as a class. #cspd2026 #catholicschoolsparramattadiocese #parracatholic #CTKCommunity #ChristTheKing #CTKNorthRocks