From the Head of Culture

Strong Season for Debating

St Patrick’s College Debating teams have made an outstanding start to the season, delivering impressive performances across the opening rounds of the competition. Across Rounds 1 to 3, our teams have recorded several strong wins against tough opposition and have adapted confidently to new challenges.

While Round 1 followed the traditional long-preparation format, the Queensland Debating Union (QDU) moved to short-preparation debates from Round 2 onwards. Despite this shift, teams across all year levels adjusted seamlessly, demonstrating resilience, flexibility, and growing confidence.

Round 3 results continue to reflect both success and development. Year 7 teams showed strong promise in the short-prep format; Year 8 teams achieved a mix of wins and narrow losses with clear improvement; Year 10 teams gained valuable experience against strong opposition; and Year 12 teams delivered highly confident and competitive performances, including decisive wins and closely contested debates.

Their success is a testament to the commitment of our dedicated coaches and the hard work of our debaters. Together, the teams have achieved an excellent record of 14 wins and just 10 losses—an encouraging start to the season.

Thank you to all our debaters for your dedication throughout the term. With only two rounds remaining before finals, we look forward to continuing this momentum and showcasing the strength of St Patrick’s College debating.

AIC Chess Season Update

The Association of Independent Colleges (AIC) Chess season is officially underway, and excitement is building within our teams as they begin to test their skills and prepare for the challenges ahead. Leading our Chess team this year is Chess Captain Oliver Allen (pictured), whose calm leadership and strong board presence have already set a positive tone for the season.

The team opened with a solid trial round against Padua College, providing valuable match experience and an opportunity for players to settle into competitive play. The round highlighted encouraging strengths across the boards.

Following this, the team faced a challenging round against St Peters Lutheran College. While the result did not go entirely our way, the contest offered important lessons and reinforced the high standard of competition within the AIC. Matches like these are proving crucial in identifying areas for improvement as the season progresses.

There is no doubt that this season will be challenging, with strong opponents across the competition. However, with consistent training, strong leadership, and a determined team spirit, our AIC Chess team is well positioned to compete with confidence and pride as the season unfolds.

Madagascar Junior – The Musical a roaring success

St Patrick’s College brought a burst of colour and excitement to the stage with this year’s Junior production of Madagascar Junior – The Musical. It was a particularly special milestone, as it marked the first time a junior cast had the privilege of performing in the Christian Brothers Building. The space added a real sense of occasion to a show already full of energy and adventure.

One of the highlights this year was the wonderful group of students who joined us from six local schools: Bracken Ridge State High School, Holy Spirit College, St John Fisher College, St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School Bracken Ridge, St Kieran’s Primary School Brighton, and St Rita’s College. Their involvement brought a fantastic mix of talent and enthusiasm, and it was great to see everyone working together.

With students from so many places coming together, this became our largest Junior cast yet. Every performer was eager to share the story and fully embrace the fun and chaos. From the opening number, their excitement was obvious—and contagious.

A defining feature of this year’s production was the extraordinary commitment of our staff, whose support and encouragement, built confidence in every performer. Their care, expertise, and belief in the students created an environment where each young person felt empowered to take the stage and truly shine.

The result was a joyful, colourful production that celebrated creativity, teamwork, and the thrill of performing. It was also our most successful Junior Musical to date in terms of ticket sales, reflecting both the quality of the show and the strong support of our community.

Thank you to our staff, performers, ushers, volunteers, families, and the wider community for your enthusiastic support. Your encouragement and involvement made this a truly memorable and uplifting experience for all involved. To relive the joy check out the album below.