Over the course of this week, there has been much discussion amongst schools and their employing authorities and the Queensland government regarding COVID 9 Coronavirus. The Queensland Catholic Education Commission (QCEC) has released the following media release.

The Catholic education sector is working very closely with the Queensland and Australian governments to ensure Catholic schools appropriately plan and manage the emerging issues associated with COVID-19.

Catholic schools have as their top priority the wellbeing of students and staff.  This will continue to guide their decision making along with the advice received regularly from the Queensland Department of Education and the Chief Health Officer. Any impacts on schools will be managed in line with the advice and directions provided by relevant authorities.  

We will work with the State to ensure impacts on students are managed in the most effective way.

Mr Frank Torrisi and I have participated in a teleconference with other Catholic school principals and staff from the QCEC this afternoon regarding any updated information. Firstly, at St Patrick’s, we will continue to take the advice of Queensland Health and the Australian Government Department of Health with regards to the prevention and spread of Novel coronavirus. I recently forwarded the most updated sheet to parents via REALM on Thursday.

The current focus in Queensland is to prevent spread through good management and hygiene. I urge all parents to discuss the matter of good hygiene with their children.

It is difficult to know whether a student presents to school with the symptoms as they are identical to those of the common flu. Therefore, in the interests of the common good for our school community and wider community, I urge all parents to ensure that any of their children refrain from attending school if they have these symptoms. They should seek medical advice as soon as possible. 

We have received good support and advice from the QCEC and Department of Education regarding dealing with any problems that may arise. We will also work to ensure that our continency and continuity plans are implemented if needed.

The matter of overseas and internal travel for tours and immersions has also been raised across several schools. There are many considerations to be had in this space including travel in aeroplanes and stopover destinations, countries of destination, dealing with quarantine matters, travel insurance etc. I met with the families and students today regarding the Under 15 Rugby Tour to New Zealand. The tour has been cancelled and it was a very difficult decision to make especially knowing that 21 young men have worked hard in training and fundraising to be able to participate in the tour. All other tours and immersions that are scheduled for later in the year will be considered in due course. 

During next week, we will send our risk management plan to all families once it is finalised. Please also feel assured that we will do everything that we can to support and ensure the safety of all students at the College. We are also well supported by our education authorities and government departments.

Tonight and tomorrow, we will be competing against Padua College. I look forward to some very competitive games played within the fellowship and spirit of the AIC competition.

I would also like to congratulate our swimming team for their fine efforts on Monday afternoon and evening. Each young person gave their best and there were many personal bests achieved during the competition. I would like to recognise the great work of Kelsey Duke and the coaches over the season.

Live Jesus in our Hearts!

Mr Chris Mayes – College Principal
 

As the Coronavirus (COVID-19) continues to evolve, it is important to remember that effective hand and sneeze/cough hygiene is the best defence against viruses and can help prevent the spread of illness.

Lead by example and encourage your children to:

• wash their hands regularly with soap and water, before and after eating, and after going to the toilet
• use alcohol-based hand sanitiser if soap is not available
• cover coughs and sneezes with a tissue or the inside of their elbow
• dispose of tissues in the bin immediately
• if they’re unwell, stay at home and avoid contact with others such as touching, kissing or hugging.

Check out the 20 second routine video for effective handwashing.

SHORE 2 GATE - THURSDAY, 2 APRIL

Help support the fundraising initiatives of St Patrick's College to improve student facilities and support College Service Programs and Projects.

Shore 2 Gate (S2G) is an annual fundraising event designed to promote a sense of community in a fun-filled activity. The day will begin with an Easter Liturgy followed by the S2G event. All students are expected to attend school on this day. As this is the last day of Term 1, students will be dismissed at 12:30pm, buses will run to accommodate this early finish.

In 2019 our St Patrick's College families raised $40,000. Previous years’ fundraising from the S2G event has contributed to our House service projects, the development of our archive collection located in the Jack Stevens Room, umbrellas and seating in the plaza area and a House Championship scoreboard.

We are now aiming to raise over $50,000 in 2020. Half of the funds raised will be allocated to the College’s chosen charity partners, these include:

• Sandbag: our local community organisation, helping poor people and working for victims of Domestic Violence. Sandbag supports families and helps to educate about better relationship behaviour. Sandbag also runs programs to help people who have been unemployed to find work and thereby helps people out of poverty.
• Immersion Communities: financial support for communities in India and Timor Leste working with poor and marginalised people.
• Edmund Rice Foundation (ERFA): The development arm of our Australian Eddy Rice family, supporting educational works in Oceania, Africa and here in Australia. Supporting marginalised people with a particular emphasis on Liberating Education for young people.
• Eddy Rice Camps: Some of our young men in Yr 11 had the opportunity to participate in the Head to Heart Camp – an experience for children from disadvantaged backgrounds to have a positive experience, to feel supported and connected, to have a break from the tensions of a difficult home life. Eddy Rice camps seeks to liberate children in need by giving them some freedom and hope in an otherwise difficult childhood.

By raising money through Shore 2 Gate you are making a huge difference to the lives of people in need all around the world.

The event also provides the College with an opportunity to improve the facilities for our young men. 

The S2G route has been designed to make use of the many kilometres of walk and bike paths along our beautiful shoreline. The finish line will be on the College grounds with a sausage sizzle in House groups. Students will be supervised by staff and Year 12 students throughout the walk.

Students are asked to raise money by gaining as many donations as possible. Each student has been given an official S2G record card and this is to be used to record details when collecting donations. DONATIONS
Students have two options this year in terms of donations:

• Collection of cash and deposit at the College Front Office
• Deposit donations on line via BPOINT using the link below. This is an option if families would prefer to make a single donation for the money raised.

ONLINE PAYMENT HERE

All donation cards and money should be handed in by Monday, 30 March.  Please Note:

• Students should not go to shopping centres to collect money.
• Door knocking is allowed, but this of course, is at your discretion.

It is expected that every student aims to raise a minimum of $40. If this minimum amount is raised by every student, then we will be able to contribute significantly to the ongoing development of the College and the wider community. Raising money can be challenging, but if every student makes a series of small efforts then the goal is achievable.

INCENTIVES

Students will be rewarded with various incentives depending on the amount they raise.  As soon as students return their money and card they will be eligible for bonus draws and prizes.

• $50 – SHORE 2 GATE T-SHIRT
• $100 – T-SHIRT + $10 CAFE VOUCHER
• MOST $ RAISED - $200 WESTFIELD VOUCHER
• MOST $ RAISED BY HOUSE – HOUSE BREAKFAST
• MOST $ RAISED BY TUTOR GROUP – PIZZA LUNCH

Thanks in advance.

Mr Frank Torrisi - Deputy Principal

Term 1 school fee accounts were emailed out on 5 February 2020.  The due date for payment is 19 February 2020 - unless you have a payment arrangement in place.

It is still possible to set up a direct debit payment scheme. The form can be obtained on REALM.

If you did not receive your account please contact Judy Kelly via email finance@stpatricks.qld.edu.au or jkelly@stpatricks.qld.edu.au

Thank you

 

Men of Learning Week – NEXT WEEK!

Next week is Men of Learning Week. The week involves a variety of activities and opportunities to celebrate many of the great things that are happening for and by our young Men of Learning. 
Please find an outline of the week below. More detailed information regarding the following can be found in the relevant REALM news items.

PRIZE DRAW - To be in the running to win one of three $50 Café vouchers, students need to send an image of how they are using their Student Planner, or a photo of their study space for learning at home. Entries need to be sent by 8:00am Monday 9 March to Mr Schultz tschultz@stpatricks.qld.edu.au   

Man of Learning Assembly - During our normal assembly time on Tuesday we will celebrate student work, share shout outs from teachers to students, see teachers vs students in Maths speed drills, see a Rubix Cube challenge, launch the 2020 Spelling Bee, hear from our ASDC finalists, view a Rite Journey video, hear from our Vocational Pathways students. Parents are always welcome. 

Library - all week the library is running a series of activities and exhibits. 

PARENT EVENTS

• Study Skills Workshops - we have partnered with Elevate who run study skills workshops for students and parents and will be providing a range of workshops on Wednesday of next week. Students will need to sign up (the sessions run outside of class times) and there is a parent session on Wednesday evening. 
• Supporting your son's Reading - Following the Study Skills Parent session, our Head of English - Mrs Chelsea Parakas, will be running a quick seminar on supporting your son's reading and literacy development.

Classroom Walk Throughs (CWTs)

One of the focus areas within teaching and learning is the ongoing improvements of our pedagogical practice in every classroom. Evidence tells us that teacher quality is the single most important factor impacting on student learning. At St Patrick’s College we have a professional and high-quality team of teachers, who are consistently working to improve their teaching. 

One aspect of this journey is that we collect data around the nature and types of teaching and learning that occurs in our classrooms. This allows us to track the change in our teaching and learning over time and tailor our professional development programs appropriately.

Over the next two weeks, the College Leadership Team and Directors of Junior School, Senior School, and Pedagogy and Learning Innovation, will be visiting classrooms for 10 minutes at a time to gather data. The data is categorical in nature and does not identify teachers or students. This is the second year we have conducting these walk throughs, and the outcome will be a clearer and data informed picture of the nature and types of teaching and learning that are occurring in the College.

Mr Troy Schultz – Dean of Teaching and Learning

This month on SchoolTV - Happiness & Gratitude

Happiness is a term that captures a huge variety of positive emotions such as humour, serenity, optimism, joy, pride, inspiration, love and hope. Happiness means different things, to different people and is essential to your understanding of emotional literacy. Throughout history, philosophers, religious writers and poets have pondered on the meaning of happiness and how it might be achieved. In the last few decades, scientists and psychologists have researched this further by studying a field of science called positive psychology.

The result of this research suggests there is a strong correlation between gratitude and greater happiness. Practising gratitude helps you shift your focus to positive memories or experiences, noticing the good in your life. Over time, this will re-wire your brain to create new neural pathways, increasing your state of happiness and overall wellbeing.
In this edition of SchoolTV, parents and care-givers will learn how to achieve happiness and the benefits of practising gratitude. We hope you take time to reflect on the information offered in this month’s edition, and we always welcome your feedback.

If you do have any concerns about the wellbeing of your child, please contact the College Counsellors for further information or seek medical or professional help.

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

Mr Darren Kearney - Dean of Students

Week 5 was another busy sporting week at the College with a full round of sport being played over Friday and Saturday. During the Term 1 AIC season the College currently fields a total of 52 teams each week in Cricket, Volleyball and AFL. 

2020 AIC Swimming Championships

On Monday afternoon the 2020 AIC Swimming Championships took place at Chandler Aquatics Centre. Congratulations to our swimmers for their efforts on the day. There were some really gutsy swims across the board. Well done to our 12 and 13 years aged swimmers who both finished in 4th place in their respective categories. The team finished in 6th place overall significantly ahead of Padua and St Edmund’s. The team scrapped hard for points, but they couldn’t quite catch up with St Laurence’s who finished just ahead of them in 5th place.

Individual swimmers 

There were some great swims across the event but special mention should go to the following students:

• Lachlan Blake who won the Open 400m Freestyle in emphatic style. 
• Luke McDonald and Tom Donnelly who both won their Division 1 50m Breaststroke Races.
• Luke Brennan and Charles Tongia also deserve a mention for their efforts - both boys swam in multiple races and were never outside the Top 4. 

Finally, a special mention to Ms Duke and her team of coaches, Doug Locke, Hamish Teitzel, Alec Gold, Alex Paznikov and Jarred Megaw - thank you for all of the effort you have put in to the programme over the term. 

St Patrick’s 1st XI Cricket and Opens AFL teams remain unbeaten at the top of the table

Following two more wins for our Cricketers and AFL players against Iona College, both teams remain unbeaten at the top of their respective competitions. 

In the 1st XI Cricket Charles Moore (72 runs) and Lachlan Hughsman (62 runs) helped St Patrick’s reach the modest total set by Iona with 10 overs to spare. In the 2nd XI Carl Oberman posted an impressive 77 runs but his efforts were in vain as the 2nd’s when down in a close one with Iona chasing down the target with 5 balls to spare. In the 10As James Lisignoli was in imperious form with the ball as he finished with figures of 5/16 over 5 overs as the 10As recorded a comfortable 32 run victory.

In the AFL the Year 8/9 team posted a dominant 88-24 victory over Iona and our Opens team played an outstanding match to defeat Iona in the dying minutes of the game 25-16.

Our Volleyballers once again did it tough against some very well drilled Iona teams. Full credit to the St Patrick’s boys however, as in a number of the games I saw they really dug deep and made the opposition fight for points. The 1st VI scrapped particularly hard against a very good Iona team. The 0-3 scoreline does not reflect the closeness of the match. Some of the rallies were excellent and it certainly wasn’t an easy win for the Iona team. Our 11B team recorded a 2-0 victory and kept their unbeaten record intact for another week.

Good luck to all teams at the weekend against Padua - fight the good fight. 

Representative achievements and sports succeSs

Year 12 Matthew Moate takes on all-comers in Triathlon!

Year 12 student Matthew Moate has been a busy young man over the last couple of weeks representing Met North and Queensland at a number of different age levels and Championships.

Over the weekend 21-22 February, Matthew as the Met North Triathlon team captain, competed at the Queensland School Sport Triathlon State Championships at Hervey Bay. Matthew competed in the Senior Boys category on 21 February being a 750m swim; 20 km cycle and 5km run. Matthew came first taking out the State Championship and was awarded a gold medal. He backed up the following day in the team relay with his Met North team coming second and receiving a silver medal. Matthew will now represent Queensland at School Sport Australia National Championships being held at Hervey Bay on 24-25 March 2020.

Last weekend (29/2 & 1/3) Matthew represented Queensland at the Triathlon Australia – Australian National Championships at Devonport Tasmania. Matthew competed against an international field in the Junior male category (Under 20’s) where he received a bronze medal for being the 3rd Australian male over the line (8th overall). The following day he competed in the mixed team relay where his team came 3rd, receiving a bronze medal.

These are outstanding achievements by Matthew at an Elite level of competition.

Year 10 student - budding race driving talent

Budding driver Kyle Evans (Year 10 Coffey House) has earned a spot on the Greg Fahey Motorsport team for the 2020 season.

Kyle, who at 15 is still too young to drive on the road, will this year race in the Formula Ford category.

The Redcliffe teen first drove the team's Red Van Diemen RF04 Formula at the end of last year.

"He executed everything that he was told to do with precision, his attentiveness was excellent, his attitude superb and he showed great maturity in his approach to the task at hand," Greg Fahey said. "I am sure he will succeed in his first season of Formula Ford Racing in 2020."

Kyle will debut in the Greg Fahey Motorsport prepared 1600 Kent class Formula Ford aboard the Van Diemen RF 04 during the Motorsports Australia CAMS - Round 1 at Morgan Park Raceway, at Warwick, on March 27. A Formula Ford weighs approximately 410/420kg. Its engine, which typically develops about 115-140 horsepower, is capable of propelling the vehicle from 0-100 km/h in 3.9 seconds. It can reach top speeds between 220 and 235km/h.

Contacts for Trimester 1 & 2 Sport 

Term 1 Sport Coordinators 

• Cricket – Mr Dan Nethery dnethery@stpatricks.qld.edu.au
• Volleyball – Mr Steve Copping scopping@stpatricks.qld.edu.au
• AFL – Mr Adrian Brown abrown@stpatricks.qld.edu.au
• Sports Administrator – Mrs Kate Grainger kgrainger@stpatricks.edu.au

Term 2 Sport Coordinators

• Rugby - Mr Daniel Nethery dnethery@stpatricks.qld.edu.au 
• Football - Mr David Ludlow daludlow@stpatricks.qld.edu.au
• Golf (Competitive & Social) - Mr Andrew Maynard amaynard@stpatricks.qld.edu.au

Mr Jim Potts – Head of Sport

Cultural Support Group News

SPC Trivia Night 2020

BYO Food

RSVP 9 March 2020 

Beer, cider, wine and soft drinks will be available for purchase.

Tickets are on sale now!  To purchase your seat or table click here.  

We are also looking for prize donations for our door prizes and raffle. Please contact the Cultural Department if you would like to donate an item and a Committee member will be in touch to collect the donation.

This is our major fundraising project for the year and all proceeds benefit the Cultural Programs at the College.

Fundraising with Entertainment Group

We are fundraising again with the Entertainment Group.  All Memberships are now Digital. 

Click here to order your new Entertainment Membership.  

     

Thank you for your continued support.

on Behalf of the Cultural Support Group

Debating News

St Patrick’s continued its winning start to the Queensland Debating Union season on Wednesday night.  

The college hosted round one of the Year 10 and 12 competitions for the Far North Brisbane region. Our 12.1 team registered an impressive eight point win against St Benedict’s College, arguing the negative side of the topic, “That all university education should be free.” Jack Wright was particularly impressive as second speaker while the entire team made excellent use of Points of Information in the convincing win. 

The 10.1 team recorded a victory by forfeit after their opponent accidentally prepared the wrong side of the debate. However, rather than settle for the easy competition points, our students quickly improvised an opposing argument and gave themselves and their opponents the chance to practice their skills, albeit in a dead rubber.

Upcoming debates:

Team: St Patrick's College Senior A

Round 1: YOU ARE: Affirmative VS Clayfield College at 6:45pm on 11-3-2020 VENUE: St Joseph's College, Gregory Terrace Topic: That universities should not be permitted to enrol international students from nations controlled by oppressive regimes

Team: St Patrick's College 8.1
Round 1: YOU ARE: Affirmative VS St Columban's College 8.2 at 7:00pm on 11-3-2020 VENUE: St John Fisher College  Topic: That we should ban homework

Team: St Patrick's College 8.2
Round 1: YOU ARE: Negative VS Narangba Valley State High School 8.1 at 7:00pm on 11-3-2020 VENUE: St John Fisher College  Topic: That we should ban homework

Mr Dennis Clough - Debating Coordinator

Theatresports

Theatresports training for Term 1 is well and truly underway. If you enjoy improvisation, drama or performing then to come along to our Wednesday afternoon session in W205 from 3:15-4:30. Also, keep an ear out for the confirmation of a second afternoon training session in the near future. This announcement will be made on the REALM page.

Teams for the YTS competition will be selected towards the end of Term 1.  If students wish to be considered for a spot in one of the teams, it is absolutely crucial that they attend at least one of weekly training sessions on a regular basis. 

If you have any questions, queries or concerns, please contact me. 

Duncan Moir – Theatresports Coordinator

Chess News

Brisbane Inter-School Chess Championships 

Last Tuesday 16 students travelled to Churchie for the Brisbane Inter-School Chess Championships. More that 200 students from all over the city and surrounds compete in three divisions.  We entered two teams in Division A and one each in Divisions B and C. 

This competition is at GPS level and yet again our Senior Chessmen showed that they can play amongst the best of them.  Over 7 games our average was 4 and a half wins which is a very impressive feat.
Special mention must go to Karl Chiong, Tristan Sheridan and Matisse Billing who won 5 of their games and received Merit prizes.

Next week there will be NO Chess Club as we hold the College Chess Championships.  These will be held over three days.

Monday 9 March – Senior Championships

Tuesday 10 March – Junior Championships

Wednesday 11 March – Intermediate Championships

All players MUST be able to stay until 4:30 pm.  Sign on is in the Library.

Rosemary Butt - Chess Coordinator

Music Report

Here at St Patrick’s College, we are seeing the wonderful gift of music being taken up by an ever-growing number of young men. Our fantastic team of music teachers, ensemble directors and tutors are working with these young men to grow their confidence and see them develop their communication, creativity and cooperation. 

I would like to congratulate our 2020 Music Captains:  

Mitchell Bell (Trumpet, Symphonic Band, Big Band, Marching Band, Jazz Ensemble, Liturgy Band) and Reuben Hazelman (Guitar, Pier Pressure, Big Band, Jazz Ensemble, Marching Band, Liturgy Band)

Also, our ensemble directors have selected all of our student Ensemble Leaders and Section Leaders. These men are outstanding examples of committed and caring young men who are also fine musicians. We honour these men today. 

The sound of SPC Music is the sound of confident young men! 

Here’s a snapshot of our growing music program for 2020:

We are very proud of our young musicians in 2020. They have made beautiful music playing and singing at the following:

• Queensland Youth Music Awards
• Brisbane Bands Festival
• Queensland Catholic Music Festival St Patrick’s Day March
• Einbunpin Festival
• Battle of the Bands
• Sandgate Youth Festival
• Anzac Day
• Open Day, Junior and Senior Performance evenings, a host of liturgies, lunchtime concerts, Showcase, Celebration of Excellence and Back to Shorncliffe Day.  

I would specifically like to thank and acknowledge the wonderful team of music teachers and administrators who work hard together to inspire our SPC men in their confidence as musicians and young men. 

Administrative support – Mrs Carmel Moir (Cultural Admin) and Mrs Melinda Sommerville (Office Admin) 

Strings – Mrs Kelly Jensen, Mrs Angela Batch, Miss Julianna Kim 

Brass – Mr Kane McNally, Mr Andrew Humphreys

Guitars – Mr Andre Reginato, Mr Samuel Treby 

Woodwind – Mr Kevin Camrass, Mrs Kristin Cadoo-Dagley

Percussion – Mrs Claire Devine, Dr Kent Windress, Mrs Angela Batch 

Vocal – Ms Kate Albury, Mr Nicolas Consiglio, Mrs Fiona Engwirda

Piano – Mrs Lynne Humphreys, Mr Nii Anang

The St Patrick’s College sound of ‘confident young men’ flourishing this year is due to the culmination of work, talent and energy and support of the wider college, the many supportive families (thank you!) and our committed staff. 

Music is a sound that lifts and brightens our College we look forward to hearing the ever - growing sound of confident young men at SPC!

Mr Kane McNally - Co-Curricular Music Coordinator

Art Club 

Senior Art Club is open to all students in Years 9 to 12 who would like to pursue creative artistic projects. These can be self-directed (oils, pastels, watercolour, sculpture, digital art etc) or work with others on a combined task (eg. Printmaking). This is a great opportunity to extend your classroom art works or to explore new areas. The group meets every Monday afternoon in B1A1 with Ms Eloise Svendsen. 

Prelude Concert 6

The annual St Patrick's College Mother Son High Tea is set for Wednesday, 6 May at 3:15pm in the Christian Brothers Building, featuring special guest speaker Mr Trent Dalton. Trent is a Brisbane journalist and author and his most recent book “Boy Swallows Universe” has sold over 100,000 copies with the television movie rights being sold and Australian Actor, Joel Edgerton producing the project. 

Tickets will go on sale at 9:00am on Wednesday, 1 April for $25 each. 

Keep your eye out for further details as it is bound to be a sell-out event.  All proceeds will assist the Foundation’s goal to upgrade facilities at Curlew Park.

If you are interested in providing a raffle prize, please contact Mrs Stacey Bishop on 3631 9052 or sbishop@stpatricks.qld.edu.au. We are also offering sponsorship opportunities for this event, please see below.

Sponsorship Opportunities $500 

• 2 tickets to the event
• Acknowledgement via the MC on the afternoon
• Logo on tickets/program and any promotional materials
• Ability to provide marketing collateral on tables
• Welcome to provide a raffle prize if you wish
• Provide a banner for display on the day 

Please contact Mrs Stacey Bishop on 3631 9052 or sbishop@stpatricks.qld.edu.au for further details.

Dear St Patrick’s Year 5-9 Students and Parents 

Unfortunately, due the current COVID-19 government restrictions, the Easter Holiday Camp on Monday 6 April to Thursday 9 April has been cancelled.

Camps for the June, September and Christmas holidays have not been cancelled at this stage.

Mr Heath Mackintosh