We celebrate Father’s Day this Sunday. Father’s Day is a chance for all members of our community to thank our fathers and recognise the special place they have in our life. At St Patrick’s, we celebrate the strong male role models that play a part in the formation of our young men. Fathers are at the top of this list. It is so important to young men to have other men, who are close to them, to model how to be a good man. If that is not done well and consistently by someone who is close to them, they will seek this role-modelling from other people such as sportsman, celebrities etc. This is not always a good thing. I hope that every father enjoys a wonderful day on Sunday. 

This week, we held a Father’s Day Breakfast in the Christian Brothers Building. The event was sold out and we had the pleasure of hearing Bren Arkinstall being interviewed by Michael Crutcher. Bren, a St Patrick’s College Old Boy and College Captain from the class of 1996, and now CEO of the Edmund Rice Foundation of Australia, shared his amazing story with the gathering. The clear message of never giving up and never losing hope was key to Bren’s story. 

In conjunction with the Father’s Day theme for our breakfast, the guests and staff were challenged to wear a bow tie as part of Stella Fella week. Stella Fella week is a time when we reflect on what it means to be a good man, a man of character. Stella Fella is a program that seeks to combat exploitation and violence against women and children. When we stand up with our bow ties, we are making a commitment to treat people with justice, respect and equality. 

Next week we will witness an end of an era, the final Queensland Core Skills (QCS) Test will be administered over two days. Our Year 12 students will be undertaking the QCS Tests next Tuesday and Wednesday. The tests take the entirety of both days. The first test on both days is a two hour test. On Tuesday morning the young men will complete the Writing Task and on Tuesday morning, it will be the Short Response Item Test. In the afternoons of both days, they will complete a test of 50 Multiple Choice questions. They are quite draining days for the students. The QCS teachers are very proud of the efforts of our students to date as they have improved with each practice. This is usually quite a stressful time for the young men, and we ask that you keep them in your thoughts over the two days.

This year’s NAPLAN test results have been finally sent to schools. Our data team, led by Mr Adam McPhee and Ms Elizabeth Gaber, are currently reviewing the results to identify any trends or challenges for us to work on into the future. As always, NAPLAN is a hot topic of discussion in the media around this time when results are released. We currently use them as one of many pieces of information to know more about our individual students and cohorts of students.

This weekend, our senior Tennis and Basketball teams play Padua College at Padua’s venues, whilst our junior teams play at home. All Rugby League games will be played at Villa Park at Tingalpa against Padua College. Our College Mooting team who were successful in last weekend round will continue to compete in the knockout rounds over the weekend. If successful, this weekend they will progress to the finals next weekend.

The semi-finals of the Senior Theatresports competition occurred on Thursday night at St Patrick’s College. We had two senior teams competing against some very strong opposition. We have been lucky to have one of our teams progress through to the Grand Finals which will be held at the La Boite Theatre.

This week we farewell Ms Celeste Cook from the College. Ms Cook has taken up a fulltime position in the Biosecurity field across Queensland and New South Wales. Even though Ms Cook has been with just under three Terms her contribution to the Maths and Science department has been great appreciated by Staff and Students. We wish her well as she begins this exciting chapter in her professional journey. Mr Sean Riley will be her replacement until the end of the year. Mr Riley is an experience educator in the Mathematics and Science area.

In conclusion, I ask that you keep Mr Chris Mayes and his extended family in your thoughts and prayers. I received a message from Mr Mayes informing me that his youngest sister had passed away following an illness. We hope the power of our collective prayers gives the whole family comfort, strength and peace during this difficult time.

Eternal rest grant unto her, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon her. May she rest in peace. Amen

Mr Frank Torrisi – College Principal

As we end Week 7 of the third term, we are three quarters of the way through the three quarter mark of the year….. I always say this is the toughest time.  A time where people start to fatigue, lose sight of their goals with resilience and patience often lowering.  Add to the mix we are still in the middle of flu season and we have the perfect storm. I heard on the radio this morning there have been over 55,000 cases of the flu in Queensland this season and schools are certainly not immune from these statistics.

Often people think with spring around the corner we are in the clear, but it is important our boys are continuing to take care of themselves while they work towards passing the finish line. This means washing their hands throughout the day, using tissues and covering their mouths if they are congested and sneezing. Boosting our immune system can also help us and this can be done by getting plenty of sleep (as I have said before, sleep is a weapon!), eating nutritious food and keeping a healthy balance between fitness/health and our study.  

As we move into QCS (Year 12) and end of term assessment, I encourage all our students to check in with their goals and reflect on whether they have positioned themselves well to achieve these goals. Now is the time to truly commit to that study timetable that was put in place at the start of the semester. Nothing great was ever achieved without hard work and persistence.

This week saw the release of the annual NAPLAN data. This year St Patrick’s College moved to online NAPLAN. ACARA assure all stakeholders that paper based and online are not statistically significantly different (in other words, they can be compared) and so Mr Adam McPhee, Acting Dean of Administration and Business Intelligence, has commenced analysis of this with our Data Team. We look forward to having this unpacked in our community in the coming weeks. NAPLAN is not THE measure, but it is A measure of how our students are progressing and how our programs are supporting our students to develop their literacy and numeracy.  The media is always quick to create a narrative regarding NAPLAN however I look forward to a more detailed account from our Data Team.

Ms Elizabeth Gaber – Acting Deputy Principal

Please see below the upcoming events at the College..

As we move toward the three-quarter mark of the term, your son may be experiencing an increased demand from his class teachers regarding homework, study and the pressure of looming due dates for assessment may also be weighing heavily on his mind. To help with this pressure I recommend your son review his assessment schedule and make sure he has set aside time dedicated to completing drafts and assignments with a portion of time each evening set aside for study. 

The difference between study and homework:

Study is directed by your son. He will identify gaps in his learning, areas of difficulty and spend time bridging the gap between what he needs to know and what he currently knows and can do.
Homework refers to tasks and activities set by the classroom teacher that may be linked to assessment or an extension of work being completed in class. For some students this will involve reading or undertaking an activity that will form the basis of the next lesson. 

Assignments are tasks that all students in the subject will complete on a date set by the subject teacher. These tasks will form part of your son’s result in the subject and will be completed in class and at home over an extended period. 

Each afternoon your son will have a combination of homework, study and assignments to work on. Prioritise what is important to ensure deadlines are met and make time to study each evening to ensure exam preparation isn’t so daunting.
 
In the recent student survey, the students registered the following hours of study per week night and per weekend: 

As a general rule we would anticipate the hours of study per week correlate to the year level. For example Year 6 would complete 6 hours of study and homework per week. The shape of the graph above suggests our younger students are mostly sitting in the 30 mins to 1 hour of homework per day while over 40% of our Year 11 and 12 students are completing 1.5 hours – 2.5 hours of homework/ study each week day. 

I would encourage you to discuss your son’s study habits and how he is using his time to work effectively and achieve his academic goals. If there are poor study habits, begin by addressing the obstacles that prevent good study habits. As a starting point, make sure time, space and digital distractions don’t negatively impact on his ability to study, complete homework and work on assessment.  

Have a great weekend. 

Mr Adam McPhee - Acting Dean of Administration and Business Intelligence

This week, our Junior students celebrated Stella Fella week by acknowledging what it means to be a ‘good man’. Our youngest men have been reflecting upon those men whom they admire whether it be dad, uncle, teacher, famous person. Discussion about the qualities that make these men ‘Stella Fellas’ has shown that Junior men admire respect, love, presence, listening in the men surrounding them. We created colourful bow ties with the names and qualities of good men, decorating them.

And many colourful bow ties were seen around our Junior school on Wednesday.

Ms Celia King - Director of Junior School

The Year 10 Modern History students, and the Year 10-12 Geography students all sat national competitions earlier this year.  These competitions are designed to not only challenge and test the students, but also to spark interest in the field of study.  

Thank you to all students who participated in the competition.  Our top students in the competitions are outlined below:
 
Modern History:

• Declan Duff (Year 10): High Distinction 
• Rowan Gray (Year 10): Distinction  

Geography:

• Jayden Dunbar (Year 11) Distinction
• Kane Jenkins (Year 11) Distinction

 Mrs Katerina Tilley - Head of Humanities and Social Science

Public speaking is always challenging, but doing it in a foreign language takes it that one step further. I congratulate all of the participants this year for taking on this challenge the annual Indonesian speaking competition was held earlier this month. This year we made some significant changes to the contest. It was the first time in quite a few years that we have not held this during Open Day, instead choosing to hold it as an early evening event in Term 3. Students also wrote their own speeches based on the work they had been studying in class in Semester 1. The topics varied from My Family in Year 7, My Daily Routine in Year 8, My Future in Year 9 and 10 to Travel Destinations in Year 11. 

These following students placed best in their year level and will receive a $50 gift card:

• Year 7 – Chris Mazzer
• Year 8 – Will Affleck
• Year 9 – Cooper Mitchell
• Year 10 – Phoenix Mitchell
• Year 11 – Jack Johnson, Alex Archer

 Ms Hutchinson and I congratulate all the participants on their hard work.

Ms Heather Kopp - Head of Faculty – Indonesian

Please find below an Insights article

Leaving Your Fathering Mark

Mr Darren Kearney - Dean of Students

This week, our Track and Field athletes competed at the Metropolitan North Regional Championships at the University of Queensland, St Lucia Campus. Full results will be reported next week, but coordinator and Head Coach, Daniel Nethery and Kate Colahan were very pleased with our early season performances. A number of our students will be selected to compete at the State Championships to be held in October, in Cairns. The Track and Field training program is in full swing. Students and parents should view the Track and Field REALM pages for up-to-date session times and venues. It’s not too late for students to join the various squads. 

Our Tennis squads had a round of mixed results against Iona College last Saturday. Our Year 7A and 7B teams remain in contention for an AIC Premiership. Whilst our Basketball teams won the aggregate competition against Ion College. Our 1st V Basketball played a very competitive game and rebounded with a strong win after the previous week’s loss. First Rugby League played most of the match with 12 men and showed they are a very competitive team.

Round 5 of the competition is against Padua College in Basketball, Tennis and Rugby League. Players are reminded to fulfil their commitment to their coach and team mates and finish the season strong playing to the best of their ability.  

Sign-on for the 2020 Term 1 Co-Curricular Sport Program is open. Parents and students are requested to action the instructions (Parent Lounge) to assist the College in preparation for next year. Full details regarding all sports can be located on the sport specific REALM pages. Please note that senior AFL played on Friday nights will involve parents traveling to Yeronga. Students have been briefed on the various activities and how playing multiple sports is possible in some instances. 

St Patrick’s Half Season Cricket is a subcommittee of the SPC Sport Support Group (volunteer parent group of St Patrick’s). Rob Davey has volunteered to coordinate again in 2018. Students will participate in BNJCA competition up until the Christmas holidays. Rob would like to hear from any parents who would be prepared to work (coaching, managing, scoring, BBQ set up, trophy presentation etc) in a small committee group to assist in the running of the Half Season competition. Rob can be contacted on spchalfseasoncricket@gmail.com Sign-on information for both the Half Season (October-December) and the AIC Cricket season (January–March) can be located on the REALM Cricket pages. Please note to play in both competitions requires two separate sign-on procedures. 
 
Contacts for Trimester 3 Sport 

• Basketball Coordinator - Mr Steve Copping scopping@stpatricks.qld.edu.au 
• Tennis Coordinator - Br Chris Pritchard cpritchard@stpatricks.qld.edu.au 
• Track and Field - Dan Nethery dnethery@stpatricks.qld.edu.au 
• Rugby League - Brian Polich bpolich@stpatricks.qld.edu

Sporting Achievements

Michael Kennedy (E8) Year 7 became the first ever amateur MMA Australian pin weight champion last weekend. This is something Michael trains for 5-6 days a week. Congratulations!

Mr Dan Nethery - Head of Sport

Thank you to all great parental volunteers for your enormous efforts over Term 2 and this Term 3 through the various sports, especially with the Basketball Canteen and the Curlew Park Rugby League Canteen.

Our next meeting of this parental volunteer Support Group is on Tuesday 3 September 2019, for approximately an hour, at 6:30pm, in the College Boardroom, Morven Building.  All are welcome, especially new parents and parents with sons involved in the current trimester sport, Basketball, Rugby League, Tennis and Track and Field. The Basketball Canteen will be a full-on exercise over the coming three weeks.

Stephen Cowell - Chairman SSG

 

2019 SENIOR JERSEYS – There are two spare jerseys available in sizes S and M. They are available for purchase @ $90 each. Student name on the back can be done and is included in the price.
 
2017 SENIOR JERSEY – One of these in size XL is also available. There is no exit year on this jersey so would suit any past student who would like a St Patrick’s College Senior Jersey. SENIORS is printed on this jersey. This jersey is available for the mark down price of $50.

FATHER’S DAY GIFT IDEAS  

Merchandise Store Opening Hours

• Tuesday - 12:00noon to 4:00pm
• Wednesday - 12noon to 4:00pm
• Thursday - 7:30am to 11:30am

The Edmund Rice Foundation Australia (ERFA) is an international aid organisation which supports sustainable community-based education programs in developing countries. As an EREA school we support the work of the ERFA through our fundraising throughout the year. On Sunday, 13 October The Foundation will be hosting an event to support programs that empower women through education in Australia and overseas.

DETAILS

The Montague Hotel, West End for Sequins and Sandshoes on 13 October 2019.
2 hour food and drinks package, live music and entertainment.
Tickets limited to 250 people so be quick! Purchase Tickets

Calling all kids with a love for music and singing! 

We’re excited to announce that Voices of Birralee are launching their first Holiday Music Program this September school holidays!

The five-day program, running from Monday 30 September to Friday 4 October, will provide children in Grades 3 – 6 with the opportunity to explore a diverse range of musical genres, build self-confidence and lifelong friendships, discover the magic of music in a fun and encouraging environment, and develop an appreciation for the arts.

The children will enjoy workshops in jazz/gospel music, classical music, folk/world music, musical theatre/pop music, as well as movement and improvisation, led by a faculty of reputable music professionals. Plus, all participants will be lucky enough to travel to Southbank on the fourth day of the camp to see the highly acclaimed production of Laser Beak Man at the Queensland Performing Arts Centre (QPAC). 

Early bird registrations are now open – get in quick to save 20% on fees.

For more information and to register, visit Holiday Music Program

All enquiries to holidaymusic@birralee.org or 3367 1001.

St Dympnas Spring Fair