I would like to extend a warm welcome to all the new families within our community. I hope that your son(s) has enjoyed his first few days at his new school. To our continuing families, I hope that you had some time to relax and refresh over the Advent season. I certainly enjoy the beginning of the school year as there is a real buzz of energy from everyone within the school.

On Wednesday morning, we welcomed around 220 new students. Many of these were from Year 5 and Year 7. Our Year 12 students need a huge pat on the back for their assistance and support with their little brothers. They were outstanding, and I am sure will provide excellent leadership and service to our community throughout this year. We also welcomed the new staff members during our assembly yesterday morning.

During the course of last week, the teaching staff returned from their break and participated in a series of professional development and information workshops. These workshops centred around developing strategies and plans to meet our College priorities for 2019. These priorities include:

School Improvement Agenda:

• Improved Literacy Outcomes (Reading and Writing)

How?

• Establish Literacy Committee and set literacy targets;
• Art and Science of Teaching Consolidation;
• Data for School Improvement Consolidation;
• Understanding and implementing differentiated teaching practices;
• Embedding Quality Learning Feedback into our Practices;

Other Priorities

• Engaging with The Charter for Catholic Schools in the Edmund Rice Tradition;
• Implementation of new QCE 2020;
• Implementation of whole school expectations - St Pat’s Way document;
• Master Plan (2019–2030)

Our College Strategic Plan (2019-2023) has been finalised. The priorities mentioned above are also addressed within the plan

In the past four years we have endeavoured to further improve our College communication channels and resources. Mrs Jackie Upton was appointed to the role of Marketing and Communications Manager. Since her appointment, the communication to all members of the community has been outstanding. It was our vision to have such a role to ensure that everyone was kept as informed as they could and to create an environment where families were not relying on each other to find out about events and other school matters. Whilst, Jackie has done this, I note that there are some social media sites available to families associated with our College. In some cases, our school name and crest has also been used on the sites. Firstly, I would ask that any member of the community that administers such sites to please remove any mention of our College or any use of our crests or emblems. In the coming weeks, I will forward a draft of proposed St Patrick’s social media guidelines for feedback. In the meantime, I would remind all families that the most reliable information regarding events and College activities is through our own sites.

In my address to the students for our first assembly for the year, I asked them to consider planning a New “School” Year Resolution. To provoke some thought I suggested the following considerations:

• Past experiences have shown us all that we will have good days and some bad days. The plan is to have as few bad days as possible. Most bad days are caused by our reactions to things that do not go to plan. Try and always look for the good in situations. Remember … a pessimist sees difficulty in every opportunity and an optimist sees opportunity in every difficulty.
• Always look for the good in other people. Try to understand why they think or act in that way and always give them respect. Try and make the hallmark of your time at St Patrick’s about how well you treated other people.
• Admire the skills and attributes of others but do not waste your time and energy in comparing yourself to them. Bring your own gifts to the community and value yourself just as you are.
• Stretch yourself by setting high standards and realistic goals and targets. Always be open to change and new ways of thinking and doing things. Believe in yourself and apply persistence, attitude and effort into everything that you do.
• Rather than aim to be perfect, aim to be authentic in your values and treatment of others and be consistent in what you do.
• Try and make sure that you say something or do something positive for others every day. Make their day through a smile, acknowledgement, kind words or kind actions.

I would be grateful if parents were able to find the time to sit down with their son and talk about these ideas. As mentioned to the whole school body, we all want to create a safe and enjoyable place for everyone to learn, work and play every day. If everyone considered some of these ideas and really tried to put at least one into practice across the entire year, we would be able to achieve this.

I hope that each young man enjoyed a great start to the new school year and I look forward to catching up with many families at our information nights spread across the next two weeks.

Live Jesus in our Hearts!

Mr Chris Mayes – College Principal

Starting the year

Welcome to 2019. To those joining the community for the first time, I hope that the first week has lived up to your expectations and that your sons have come home filled with eagerness and excitement about their experiences so far.

Schools have their own rhythms and cycles and there are certain parts of the year that have predictable ebbs and flows. The start of the year brings with it - eagerness, energy, hopes, goals, and good intentions in terms of study habits and effort levels. My hope is that we convert as much of this energy and good intent as we possibly can, into the development of young men who have a passion for learning, and the desire, knowledge and skills to make a difference in the world around them. Our aim is that in 2019, we improve on the high standards we have set so far. I am one for pragmatism, so I wish to share with you some information relevant to both the ways in which we are pursuing continuous improvement in 2019, and that reflect the beginning of the school year.

A new student planner

This year the “Student Diary” is replaced by the Student Planner. The Student Planner has been designed for student organisation. Our hope is that our young men take ownership of their planner by utilising it every day to organise their approach to homework and assessment, as well as setting goals, making a study plan, and organising their week. It is no longer a direct communication tool between teachers and parents. Hence there is no need for it to be signed each week. The idea is that the planner belongs to the student and that they are empowered by their use of it. It is not something that they wish to hide from parents due to records of misbehaviour, nor that they avoid bringing to class because it may get used to record homework not completed. Tutor Group on Monday of each week becomes “planning day” and students will be given time to work on setting themselves up for the week, with the assistance of their Group Tutor. Parents can support their sons by checking the planner each week and reviewing what work is coming up and happening.

Assessment dates within REALM

The REALM learning management system is something that the College is proud of. Last year, there was an extraordinary amount of work that went into developing the online space so that all types of information are readily available. In terms of teaching and learning, REALM provides students and parents with access to course materials, ongoing progressive feedback for assessment, timetables, and due dates for upcoming assessment items.

A focus for the teaching team this year is ensuring that the Due Work function is reliable and accurate for each semester. This is the place that all students and parents need to visit to access upcoming due work – assessment that contributes to the twice-yearly reporting and for which results, and feedback will be made available after each item has been reviewed by teachers.

The Due Work function will be fully functional and available on Monday of Week 2. Please visit the Due Work area of your son’s REALM space and ensure that he records his assessment on Page 6 of the Student Planner. Time will be spent in Tutor Group and in Mentoring to ensure students can find and use the information in this part.

Ongoing focus on pedagogy

Students spend most of their time at the College in the classroom. We provide a holistic education and value every opportunity that is available to students, however it is imperative that we are eternally looking for ways to hone and improve the work that we do in the classroom. This year will see the College focus on embedding a range of evidence based teaching strategies in every classroom, every lesson. One aspect of pursuing this goal is that teachers review their practice collegially and therefore spend time in each other’s classrooms -observing, discussing, and reflecting on their teaching. If your son indicates that he has had teachers visiting and observing lessons, this will be because teachers are collecting evidence to inform the ongoing professional development of all teachers, or working collaboratively on developing and improving teaching. It is our aspiration that this becomes a part of our culture and hence it will be commonplace for teachers to be moving in and out of classrooms without interrupting the learning that is occurring.

On behalf of the teaching team at St Patrick’s College, welcome again to the new school year. We look forward to working with you and your son as he develops into a Man of Learning. If at any time you require support or wish to discuss your son’s progress in his learning, please do not hesitate to get in touch with his teacher.

In coming weeks I will continue to write regarding information that is important for parents and students to know at the start of the school year.

Mr Troy Schultz – Dean of Teaching and Learning

Welcome back to life at St Patrick’s for 2019!

The quote above is from Pope Francis’ homily at the World Youth Day Mass in Panama City. A gathering of over 700,000 young people with the leadership of the world wide Catholic community.

I think His Holiness is making a really profound statement to us all:

• ‘Realise the dream that the Lord has dreamed for you’ – don’t dream small dreams for yourself rather dream big dreams about the kind of person you want to be, because God’s dream for you is big. Dream about being a person of justice of generosity, of compassion, of love.
• ‘Find your elders’ – you don’t have to make this dream work on your own, use the people that are with you, like your big brothers, teachers, parents to help you become the person you want to be.
• ‘The Now of God’ – make it happen now…start being the person you want to be today. Don’t think of change as being off in the future. Change is part of all of our lives.

2019 is a year of great challenge for us all if we take up God’s call to each one of us to be involved and “realise the dream that the Lord has dreamed for you”.

Please get involved –

• Emergency Food Packs for Sandbag – St Patrick’s has been collecting food items that can be put together into emergency Food Packs to support families in need in our local community. Please contribute items to the collection via your son’s House.
• Paddy’s Van Ministry will be starting over the next week, get involved. Contact Mr McGoldrick to look at ways you can become involved in the Paddy’s Van and its work.
• Recycling – talk with your son about the importance of recycling and re-think the kind of packaging that you use for food, etc.
• All members of the College community are welcome to join in our Inaugural Mass and Induction of Senior Leaders on Friday 8 February 8:45am.
• Wednesday morning 8:00-8:30am, Mass is celebrated in the College Chapel. This is a great opportunity for a little quiet in your busy week.

Mr Tim Kenny – Dean of Identity

Welcome Back

On behalf of the St Patrick’s College community, I would like to welcome you to the 2018 academic year. I trust that your son/s have had a restful and refreshing break, and returned to St Patrick’s ready to tackle the challenges that lie ahead. The first week sees the Big Brother / Little Brother relationships develop and strengthen considerably. The excitement in the eyes of the new students and the Year 12 Big Brothers as they participated in the College Treasure Hunt was clearly evident. I hope all our young men enjoyed their first week and developed many new friendships.

If your son is in Years 5 or 7, I hope he has come home talking passionately about the wonderful activities afternoons that have taken place for these grades. This week, your son has learnt the ‘Call’ and his House War Cry. Can I encourage all our new families to please ensure they have made contact with their son’s House Dean and Group Tutor. A strong relationship between your family and these members of staff will certainly ensure a smoother journey as your son progresses through St Patrick’s College.

School transition is a very exciting time for children and parents. It means that the children are growing up! However, for many it may also be a very anxious and stressful time for both parents and children. Parents need to be aware of their child’s feelings during any school transition and minimise anxiety, so the process is an enjoyable experience for all. Familiarisation is often key to reducing stress levels. It is also important for parents to talk to their children about their expectations and being more responsible for their own needs.

St Patrick’s College staff will work tirelessly to ensure your son feels a sense of belonging and respect within our College community. However, we can only achieve our goals through the formation of strong partnerships with our families.Please assist us by ensuring that your son is an active member of our community. That he utilises all the support networks available within the College. Is he attending tutorials? Does he have a practical space designed for study? Is he managing his time effectively? Is he connecting with the community of St Patrick’s via the wonderful co-curricular program?

SchoolTV

This week we launch the St Patrick's College SchoolTV service, a link to the page has been placed onto your REALM Dashboard, and can also be found under College Services. SchoolTV is a new ongoing resource that is now available to our parents. Each edition will address a major topic with expert interviews, fact sheets, parent quiz, recommended APPS, books and much more. SchoolTV aggregates information from many great resources such as BeyondBlue and ReachOut, amongst others. SchoolTV provides a single stream of independent factual information that saves parents time and confusion of searching online across multiple sites for information.

This month, there are two topics of interest, both of which have been sent to you today as News Notifications from Mrs Jackie Upton:

Surviving Year 12

The final year of secondary school is a year of hard work and a huge commitment for students. With so much going on it can be hard to find the balance between study and life. It is a time when personalities start to emerge, there are more complex interpersonal relationships and there is the pressure to perform academically. With all of this going on, it’s not surprising that some students have an emotional response and it is therefore extremely important for parents to know how to support their children during this time. In this edition of SchoolTV, parents will discover practical advice for students and parents to help get through the final year of secondary school. We hope you take time to reflect on the information offered in this month’s edition and we always welcome your feedback. If you have any concerns about your child, please contact the school counsellor for further information.

Here is the link to this month's edition https://stpatricks.qld.schooltv.me/newsletter/surviving-year-12

School Transitioning

Whether it is starting school for the first time, moving up to a higher grade or embarking on a journey through secondary school, there is no doubt that any school transition is a very exciting time for children and parents. It means your children are growing up! However, transitioning is an ongoing process. It can continue long after students have entered their new environment and may encounter difficulties at a number of different stages. These stressors may appear as anxiety and frustration and result in negative or disruptive behaviours. Such behaviours can become problematic making the transitioning process even more difficult for children and parents. In this edition of SchoolTV, parents will learn practical strategies to assist your child during the transition process and reduce stress and anxiety levels. We hope you take time to reflect on the information offered in this month's edition and we always welcome your feedback. If you have any concerns about your child, please contact the school counsellor for further information.

Here is the link to this month's edition https://stpatricks.qld.schooltv.me/newsletter/school-transitions

Fight the good Fight

Darren Kearney – Dean of Students

A very busy Term 1 of sport is about to begin. There has been plenty of activities, tours, camps, clinics and trials on over the holidays. Volleyball had a great trip to Melbourne, Cricket spent some time on the Sunshine Coast and played in the first ever AIC 20/20 Comp. Swimming had their camp on the Gold Coast. This year sees AIC welcome back AFL.

In relation to where to find out the latest Sport information for Term 1, please refer below:

Any general information relating to the entire sport is held on the Information page https://realm.stpatricks.qld.edu.au/homepage/4

This information usually includes:

• Commitment involved in playing the sport
• Sport Coordinator contact information
• Uniform requirements – this needs to include game and training
• Sport Handbook
• Other general information about the sport

Any information specific to your sons team or year level is held on the Team page. This appears under the “My groups” section of REALM. If you wish to be part of these communication groups, please log into the REALM portal and opt in via the groups tab. This includes:

• Year Level Coordinator contact information
• Training schedule – including one off news items and weekly calendar events
• Fixture schedule – will appear as a weekly news item when the draw is released
• Team or Year Level News in relation to your son.

Contacts for Trimester 1 Sport

• Cricket Coordinator - Mr Matt Ingram mingram@stpatrick.qld.edu.au
• Volleyball Coordinator - Mr Steve Copping scopping@stpatricks.qld.edu.au
• AFL Coordinator - Mr Dom Crowley dcrowley@stpatricks.qld.edu.au
• Swimming Coordinator - Miss Kelsey Duke KDuke@stpatricks.qld.edu.au
• Cross Country - Mr Alec Gold AGold@stpatricks.qld.edu.au

Mr Dan Nethery - Head of Sport

Please find below next week's Tuckshop Roster

Tuckshop Roster February 2019