St Patrick's College Mackay - Term 1 Week 8 - 15 March 2024

Sunday 17 March is the feast of St Patrick, Patron of Ireland.

Patrick was born about the year 385AD, either near what is now the English/Scottish boarder (in what was then the Province of Britannia in the Roman Empire), or near the River Severn by the present English/Welsh border. Wherever he was born, he was captured by raiders, made a slave and taken to Ireland when he was 16 years old. There he was forced to work in the fields, looking after sheep and pigs.

During his captivity, he found solace in religion and eventually escaped. Returning to his homeland, he studied Christianity and became a Priest. Moved by a vision, he returned to Ireland as a Missionary. His efforts were instrumental in converting the Irish to Christianity using the shamrock to explain the concept of the Holy Trinity.

On Monday 18 March, we will celebrate St Patrick’s Day with a Mass on both Campuses, which we welcome our Families to attend. 

Year 7, 8, 9 and 10 Awards Presentation Evening

It was wonderful to experience our 2023 Year 7, 8, 9 and 10 Awards Presentation Evening last week. Once again, I would like to congratulate all students and acknowledge their family support. I appreciate the time taken for all to attend. May they continue to reach their goals.

Week 4 - Lent
We are now in the fourth week of the Lenten period. Sometimes we think of Lent as a time to make sacrifices and certainly we are encouraged to give to the poor during this time. As a College, we are this year supporting Caritas and are encouraging students to support this cause. Lent offers us a time to reflect more deeply on our lives and to enact positive change. As I have mentioned to the student body, there is so much power in the action of giving, not just our money, but of ourselves to those who are in need of hope and encouragement. Jesus calls us to be present and live in the present. To open our eyes to what is around us. To be blessed and enjoy each moment of our day. We need to extend care to the wider community and realise that we all can contribute to others. May the lent season be a time of reflection, prayer, self-denial and helping others, in line with St Patrick's motto ‘To Seek and Serve Christ’.

International Women’s Day Zonta
On Sunday 10 March, Evelyn, Lilly, Bellanca and Kimberley accompanied myself to the ZONTA International Women’s Day Luncheon at the MECC. Congratulations to Evelyn who was announced the winner of the ZONTA Young Women in Public Affairs Award. The students did an outstanding job representing St. Patrick’s College and I was very honoured to accompany them.

Community Satisfaction Survey 2024
This year, our College will be undertaking a community satisfactory survey. As part of the five year Non-State School Accreditation Board accreditation cycle and our College improvement process which assists with forward planning. Around 29 April (Term 2 Week 3) surveys will go online and remain open for three weeks for families and staff to complete. More information will be distributed as we get closer to end of April.

Rugby League Welcome BBQ
On Monday 11 March, our Rugby League staff and Sports department hosted a welcome BBQ for new and current families. Students and parents had the opportunity to enjoy a complimentary ‘snag’ and listen to our coaches and staff on all things League in 2024.

The main purpose of the evening was to outline to parents and players the season formats, introduce the coaching staff and to explain the intrinsic link between playing sport for the school and meeting behavioural and academic expectations. With over 220 players signing on to play Rugby League for the College this year, the evening was very well attended. Thanks to all staff, students and parents involved in making this a successful and informative event.

The rain has been having a significant impact on the MDSSRL Boys Division 2 competition that is being held on Wednesday afternoons. Hopefully some good weather in coming weeks will allow these players to get some game time.

Next term we head into the Cutters Cup which is Division 1 for Year 7/8 , 9/10 and Open boys and Year 9/10 and Open girls. This will run for 5 weeks and then we will move into Cowboys Challenge (Year 10 boys) and Aaron Payne Cup (Open Boys and Open Girls). We look forward to another successful year on and off the field.

Numbers for Year 7/8 girls are quite low across the district. If any girls are interested in playing Rugby League we have two carnival days coming up – Renae Kunst Gala day for girls 12 and under and Karen Murphy Cup for 9 a side in all age groups. Could any girls who are interested see Mrs Bella at school asap.

Should you have any enquiries regarding Rugby League at St Patrick’s College please contact our Rugby League Coordinator Mr Matthew Deeth, matthew_deeth@rok.catholic.edu.au

SPCM Netball
This year, our Wednesday afternoon matches will unfold across two seasons: Winter Season from 13 March to 5 June, followed by the Spring Season 5 June to 28 August.

We're proud to announce our dedicated volunteers who've stepped up to coach and manage our teams for the first season:

Additionally, we're thrilled to welcome Mrs Tracey McLeod and Mrs Margaret Ackermann as our netball mentors this year.

Should you have any enquiries regarding Netball at St Patrick’s College please contact our Netball Coordinator Kasey Maunder, kasey_maunder@rok.catholic.edu.au.

Inter-House Cross Country (Years 7 -10)
This year’s Mercy Campus Cross Country will be held, on Thursday 28 March, following our Easter prayer service.

As this is a compulsory school day, all students are expected to participate and run or walk the course. Bus transport will be provided from Mercy Campus to the start of the course at the Botanical Gardens and return from the Bluewater Lagoon from 2 pm for presentation and school finish at 3 pm.

On the day, students are reminded to be sun safe and wear their college hat, drink plenty of water and apply sunblock. We also remind students:

• Do not bring iPad or books.
• Wear a house shirt or sports uniform.
• Bring a towel and water bottle. There will be a water station on the course with cups as well.
• Appropriate clothing for swimming at the Lagoon (same rules as PE classes). Students are not allowed to swim in school uniform or house shirt.
• Bring money or lunch. There will be pizza and softdrinks for sale, along with the canteen available at the Lagoon.

We look forward to a day full of house spirit and healthy competition.

The ZONTA executive team were honoured to attend the International Women’s Day Luncheon at the MECC on Sunday 10 March. The students were thrilled to join in commemorating this year’s theme, "Count Her In: Accelerating Gender Equality Through Economic Empowerment." Judy Porter, from Shiift, delivered an insightful speech on her remarkable experiences challenging the status quo in business industry. We would like to thank our sponsors at the Tax Store for providing students with the opportunity to participate in this important event.

Furthermore, the College community takes great pride in acknowledging College Captain Evelyn for being awarded the Young Women in Public Affairs (YWPA) Award from ZONTA International for the Mackay district. This prestigious award is bestowed upon young women, aged 16-19, in recognition of their exemplary leadership qualities and unwavering dedication to public service and civic causes.

The annual Mocktail event for Year 12 students, organised by The Seniors Club Inc. on Friday 8 March was another great success with a record crowd of 1122 Year 12 students from fourteen local high schools, including students from Bowen and Proserpine, attending the event.

An alcohol and drug free, interschool dance party, the Mocktail event held at the MECC had the tunes pumping from 7-11pm. The dance floor overflowed with year 12 students busting their moves all night long.

Six schools performed in a Talent Competition with a broad variety of highly entertaining talent, from solo singers and a dance group to a drum ensemble. The Talent Competition judges, Mackay Mayor, Greg Williamson and founder of The Seniors Club and retired St Patrick’s College teacher, Russell French, had a very difficult job, rewarding the following placings:

1st place – Mackay SHS - Angel Le Fierce Dance Group - Daryl, Charlene, Mikka and  Carleighn 
2nd place - St Patrick’s College - Solo Singer - Billie 

3rd place – Mirani SHS - Solo Singer – Darby 
4th place – Mackay Northern Beaches SHS - Solo Singer - Lukas 

NB Catch some of these performances on our Facebook Page: The Mocktail – Seniors Club Inc.

The Seniors Club Inc. donates income from every Mocktail event to support young people in our district. Each year we donate $500 to all participating schools. This year a total of $7,000 will go to local high schools, as well as, $2,000 each to three local youth-based organisations, totalling $13,000 dollars donated to charity from this year’s event.

The committee of The Seniors Club Inc. would like to thank St Patrick’s College for their continued support of the Mocktail event over the last 32 years through selling tickets, organising talent competition entries and providing staff to supervise students on the night. We look forward to the next Mocktail event on Friday 14 March 2025

Donna Sumpter
Secretary | The Seniors Club Inc.

In an exciting collaboration between the English and Drama departments, students recently immersed themselves in a dynamic workshop aimed at nurturing their skills in persuasive speaking, textual analysis, and character development. Through a series of engaging activities, students delved into their class texts with renewed insight, unraveling layers of meaning and context. From impassioned debates to immersive role-playing exercises, students not only honed their ability to articulate ideas persuasively but also deepened their understanding of the characters and themes of their class texts.

Students in Year 7 and Year 9 recently took part in a one-day intensive Literacy & Numeracy Masterclass, designed to equip them with essential skills and strategies for upcoming tests and assessments, including NAPLAN. Throughout the day, students engaged in a range of activities aimed at fostering mathematical thinking, as well as enhancing both persuasive and narrative writing skills. From problem-solving exercises to creative writing prompts, students immersed themselves in hands-on learning experiences that empowered students to unleash their potential and instilled confidence in tackling future challenges. As a valuable takeaway, each student took home a booklet containing key concepts and strategies discussed throughout the day.

The Non State Schools Transport Assistance Scheme (NSSTAS), funded by the State Government and administered by the Queensland Catholic Education Commission (QCEC), provides financial assistance to families transporting children to non-state schools in Queensland.

The Scheme’s Bus Fare Assistance Program (BFAP) provides a rebate above a threshold amount to eligible families whose student attends a non-state school outside the Brisbane City Council boundary. Setting a threshold is necessary to ensure the funding provided by the State Government is adequate to meet demand.

The weekly family threshold for Semester One 2024 was set by the Committee in August 2023 at $35 ($25 for a concession card holder). Applications for Semester One travel can be made in May at SchoolTransport.com.au.

The threshold is reviewed by the NSSTAS Reference Committee every semester and adjusted based on available cash reserves and anticipated demand. It is set before the start of the upcoming semester to ensure schools and families can appropriately plan their travel arrangements.

The Committee has reviewed the Scheme for Semester 2 2024. I am pleased to advise the weekly family threshold will reduce to $25 ($15 for a concession card holder). Increased funding to recognise enrolment growth and a high rate of indexation has resulted in an increase in the total grant funding received, enabling the reduction. We are pleased that this will help families with greater financial assistance in a period of increased cost of living. Applications can be made online on the website for Semester 2 travel in October and further information about the Scheme is available at SchoolTransport.com.au.

Kindest regards
Carmel Kriz
Assistant Director: Teaching and Learning

There are quite a few exciting competitions for our junior girls to participate in this year, including The Renae Kunst Challenge. This presents an excellent opportunity for our Year 7 (12 years old) girls who have an interest in participating in Rugby League. To register for this opportunity, as well as to receive additional information for all girls (Years 7, 8, 9, and 10) who are interested in joining our schoolgirls teams, please contact Shaunagh Bella at shaunagh_bella@rok.catholic.edu.au.

St Mary's gears up to mark its centenary milestone this August, with events that aim to bring together past and current students, families and staff in a celebration of the school’s significant contribution to the local Mackay region.

As the school embarks on its hundredth year, it invites the wider community to partake in events that honour the past, celebrate the present and embrace the future. The festivities kick off with a Centenary Mass, to be celebrated by Bishop Michael McCarthy at the school on 6th August. Following the Centenary Mass, the school will host a formal dinner on Friday, 9 August, where guests can reconnect with old friends, former classmates and teachers, reminiscing about schoolyard memories while forging new bonds in celebration of this significant milestone.

On Sunday, 11 August from 9am-12pm, St Mary's opens its doors to the community during the school’s Family Fun Day. Visitors will have the opportunity to explore open classrooms, experiencing firsthand the innovative learning environment that the current students of St Mary's enjoy. Additionally, families can partake in the excitement of jumping castles, indulge in delicious treats, and peruse a display of memorabilia spanning the school's history, including items from the 1999 time capsule. A highlight of the Fun Day will be the dedication of a new time capsule. Filled with mementos and messages from current students and staff, the time capsule will serve as a testament to the school's commitment to education in the Mackay community, and will be unveiled at the 125th anniversary in 2049.

For further details and inquiries about the centenary celebrations, please visit the St Mary's Catholic Primary School Facebook page or email smm_centenary@rok.catholic.edu.au