St Patrick's College Mackay - Term 2 Week 2 - 26 April 2024

As we commence the third week of Term 2, much has been happening around our College.

Open Night
Last Tuesday we held our St Patrick’s College Open Night. It was a privilege to showcase our College to prospective students and their families. The night was alive with excitement and music. Our department and classroom displays were engaging for the many families who visited to see firsthand all that our College has to offer students in 2025 and beyond. The launching of our new uniform guideline was also a highlight for many. Thank you to all the staff and students who made our Open Night such a great success.

We encourage both existing and new families who have a child wishing to enrol for 2025 to complete an online application as soon as possible via the following link: https://www.mercymackay.qld.edu.au/enrolment

Our Enrolment Interviews will be held on Thursday 10 May from 3:30pm – 7:00pm with first round offers being made on Wednesday 10 July 2024. Please contact our College office for any further information.

ANZAC Day
Thank you to the many students and staff who attended the various ANZAC Day marches in the Mackay and District Community. I was very proud of our students who displayed so much pride in their uniform and respect for the many men and women who have served and continue to serve Australia and New Zealand. Congratulations to the AUSLAN Club who performed both the Australian and New Zealand National Anthems at the ANZAC Day Service in Mackay.

Student Led Conferences Years 7 – 10
It was wonderful to see our parents, guardians and students at the recent Mercy Campus Student Led Conferences. These evenings provide an opportunity for students, parents and teachers to work in partnerships together. They are an excellent way in which parents can be involved in the educational process of their child.

Parent Teacher Interviews Year 11 - 12
Next Thursday 10 May, Parent Teacher Interviews will be held at the Senior Campus. Bookings are now open via Parent Lounge until 10:30am on Wednesday 8 May. We look forward to this opportunity to meet our senior students and parents.

Welcome to New Staff
I would like to welcome the following staff to the St Patrick's College community; Teachers – Miles Jackson, Kylie Tudehope, Abbi Johnson, Matthew Sanders. Teacher Assistants – Max Cain and Kobey Seger. We also welcome back Rolf Muller and Steve Mattsson from Leave.

I wish to acknowledge Mrs Andrea Crocker who will be Acting Assistant Principal Mission whilst Mr Brendan Gunning is on Long Service Leave this term.

School Survey
St Patrick’s College will be undertaking Community Satisfaction Surveys as part of our five yearly accreditation cycle and our school improvement process. MYP Corporation Pty Ltd will be issuing these surveys commencing 29 April and closing 10 May 2024. Our College School Improvement plan is continually reviewed and updated throughout the year to meet the needs of parents, staff, and students. The data received from these surveys will allow the College Leadership Team to identify areas for improvement. I wish to thank you all in advance for the time taken to participate in completing the surveys.

Masterplan
The Leadership Team has been working with DCEO and we have now completed stage one of our Masterplan. Projects will include a refurbish and update of the Mercy Campus Hall together with an extra classroom block. D Block Mercy Campus will also be updated as a learning services hub for the future.  All toilets (both campuses) have been redesigned and will be upgraded. Tenders will be called for these various projects in the next few weeks with work commencing in the September holidays.

Parent Engagement Evening
Just a reminder that the next Parent Engagement session will be held Tuesday 30 April at the Senior Campus in J1 – Auditorium. Topics to be presented by staff will be Google Classroom, Smart Lab (Maths) and Education Perfect (Various subjects). I wish to thank our presenters Mr Zac Sehl, Mr Josh Honan, Mr Scott McSherry and Mr Doug Bettington.  I welcome all to attend this session.  

Link for RSVP: https://forms.gle/chjKkb1Ahehn...

Year 11 students are reminded that subject changes may only occur at the completion of Unit One or Unit Two. Once students have commenced Unit Three, they are not permitted to change subjects because of QCAA guidelines. This means that Year 11 students have two opportunities this year to change subjects. These are in the two weeks immediately after May 17 and again after September 30. Year 12 students are NOT permitted to change subjects.

If students wish to change subjects at the end Unit One, they should take note of the following procedures:

• All students must complete an application to change subject form. These are available from College Reception.
  
• Application forms must be signed by parents and by the Subject Co-ordinators of both the discontinued and new subjects. 
• Students should not pick subjects based on lines. Instead, they should refer to the subject guides and select a subject they wish to study. Line changes regularly occur when subject change forms are submitted due to current class sizes.
• You will not be contacted if the subject change was approved. You will only be contacted if the change cannot be approved.
• Forms are available now, but changes will not occur until after May 20. Students should check Student Café regularly after this date as approved changes will appear on your timetable.
• Students who need additional career guidance are encouraged to make an appointment with the college counsellors Ms Susan McKay.
  

Students and parents are encouraged to contact the College reception if they have any questions regarding the change of subject process.

This Special Report will help you identify a child experiencing trauma and how you can support them to overcome it.  Here is the link to your Special Report https://stpats.qld.schooltv.me...

As many of you will be aware, Mr Brendan Gunning has taken some well deserved long-service leave this term and in his absence I have taken on the role of Assistant Principal Mission. I would like to sincerely thank the many people who have taken the time to welcome me into the role and offer me their support.

Last Wednesday, the school held an ANZAC Day Liturgy to remember and honour those who fought and died for our freedom. We gathered as a College, not to glorify war but to remember those who have served our country during times of crisis and to reflect upon their selfless sacrifice. I would like to thank the students and staff for their respect during the Liturgy and I encourage the St Patrick’s community to pray for the many men and women around the world still working for peace–we hold fast to the powerful hope that peace can exist today.

Behind the scenes our students are still offering acts of service to the community. These acts are not done for extra credit, rewards or recognition, they are simply a way that St Patrick’s gives back to the community by helping others through thoughtful and meaningful action. This recognition of the dignity of others is expressed in the dedication shown by both students and staff at the Brekky Van each week a testament to the calibre and innate goodness of all who choose St Patrick’s College. Just last week, a member of the community reached out to say how ‘blessed’ they felt that our students are choosing to actively help and make a difference, rather than sitting back and leaving it to someone else.

We have also reinstated our ‘Buddy Reading’ program with members of Triton house heading over to St Mary’s to read with the Year 1’s. The benefits of Buddy Reading cannot be understated. For younger students, the opportunity to see and hear an older person reading helps develop fluency, expression and phrasing; for older students it is an opportunity to practise lifelong skills in authentic ways they learn leadership, patience, and problem-solving. The eagerness with which our students have embraced this opportunity is outstanding and I encourage all students to participate when they have the chance.

I would like to draw your attention to Bishop Michael McCarthy’s 10th Anniversary as Bishop of Rockhampton. There is a celebration at St Patrick’s Hall, River street on May 31 at 5:30pm. His Excellency Archbishop Charles Balvo, Apostolic Nuncio to Australia, will also be in attendance and the St Patrick’s community have been invited to attend the celebration. If interested, please contact stjomky@rok.catholic.net.au to RSVP (by 24/05/24) or for further information.

In this our Year of Prayer, I would like to leave you with the amended words of Pope Francis as he prays for peace in our world, ©2024 United States Conference of Catholic Bishops:

Lord God of peace, hear our prayer! Now, Lord, come to our aid! Grant us peace, teach us peace; guide our steps in the way of peace. Open our eyes and our hearts, and give us the courage to say: "Never again war!"; "With war everything is lost". Instil in our hearts the courage to take concrete steps to achieve peace.

Lord, God of Abraham, God of the Prophets, God of Love, you created us and you call us to live as brothers and sisters. Give us the strength daily to be instruments of peace; enable us to see everyone who crosses our path as our brother or sister. Make us sensitive to the plea of our citizens who entreat us to turn our weapons of war into implements of peace, our trepidation into confident trust, and our quarrelling into forgiveness.

Keep alive within us the flame of hope, so that with patience and perseverance we may opt for dialogue and reconciliation. In this way may peace triumph at last, and may the words "division", "hatred" and "war" be banished from the heart of every man and woman. Lord, defuse the violence of our tongues and our hands. Renew our hearts and minds, so that the word which always brings us together will be "brother", and our way of life will always be that of: Shalom, Peace, Salaam!

Amen

Our St Patrick's College Bikeathon is fast approaching.

We are still looking for another 80 parent helpers to ensure that we can provide the highest level of safety for all participants on the day.

If you are interested in offering your assistance, could you please complete and return the Bikeathon form sent home with your child at the beginning of term.

We ask that ALL forms be returned to Homeroom Teachers as soon as possible.

Please encourage your child to be part of this college community event which is certain to be a fun day for all while raising funds to support our Brekky Van.

Following the distressing events of the last several days, young people might be struggling to come to terms with what they have read and seen online. 

Online spaces should be safe for everyone. If your child sees violent or distressing material, it is important to check in and talk to them about the content they have seen. We also recommend that children use devices in open areas of the home, rather than in their bedroom, so you can be attuned to how they are coping and what they are reading or watching.

Tips on how to deal with violent and distressing content

• Don't share it further – even if your intention is to help or raise awareness, you may cause distress to others.
• Report it to the platform to help get the material removed quickly.
• If the material is not removed, you can report it to eSafety. eSafety can notify the platform to either remove the content or block access from within Australia. Your actions could protect you and others from seeing that content again.

You can find more guidance and information about distressing online content below.

Relevant resources
We understand as a parent or carer you may want to take extra precautions against your children seeing disturbing content online. eSafety has a range of helpful resources including:

• For kids and young people
  I saw something online I didn't like (for primary-school aged children).
  Dealing with disturbing content (for teenagers).
• For parents and carers
  How to get started with parental controls.
  General online safety advice for parents.
• Support services
  If your child, or someone you know, has come across disturbing content online, there are a range of counselling services you can reach out to for help and support.
  
  If a life is in danger call Triple Zero (000) right now.   
  Kids Helpline, for 5–25-year-olds: 1800 55 1800 or kidshelpline.com.au (webchat is also available).  
  headspace: support for young people, professionals, educators and families   
  Lifeline: 13 11 14 or lifeline.org.au  
  Beyond Blue: 1300 22 4636 or beyondblue.org.au  
  
  More support services, including state-based services aimed at parents and carers, are listed here.
  
  

We know that at challenging times, schools become hubs of support for their communities, with students, staff and families often seeking advice. We have reached out to educators with information that schools can circulate to their educators, wellbeing staff, and parents and carers, to provide them with strategies to reduce the risk of children and young people being exposed to this content, and to support those who are.

We hope the information above has been useful, and that it provides some practical support for Australian families as we collectively process these tragic events.

Cross Country Carnivals
The College holds an annual Interhouse Cross Country for Mercy and Senior Campus at the Mackay’s Bluewater Trail. Student participation earns points for their House to determine the overall Cross Country trophy winner for 2024.

Mercy Campus Years 7 - 10
Following our Easter Liturgy on 28 March, competitors from our Mercy Campus ran from the Botanical Gardens to the Bluewater lagoon, where they enjoyed an afternoon of water activities.

The sun was shining, competition was strong, and participation was high, providing students with the excitement and team spirit a sporting carnival brings.

Thank you, all Mercy campus staff, for your assistance and support in making the day a success for our students. A special mention to Mrs Trannore for your early morning assistance in marking the track and Mrs Denning for spending the entire day supervising in the water.  We appreciate your extra commitment.

Mercy Campus Age Champions
Congratulations to the following Age Champions:

Senior Campus Years 11 and 12
During Term 2, runners from Year 11 and 12 competed on 22 April. Participation numbers were high. Thank you to Miss Wootton and our senior staff cohort for your assistance with what was a competitive and enjoyable afternoon for all.

Senior Campus Age Champions

MDSS Cross Country
SPCM also experienced great results at MDSS Cross Country Friday 19 April with all competitors running well.

Congratulations the following students selected in the MDSS Team:
U18/19 - Lachlan Davies – 3rd

U17 - Flynn Steindl – 1st

U16 - Lucas Boshoff – 1st

U15 - Zane Saye - 1st

U13 -  Hudson Mayfield – 2nd
           Maddisen Hocking – 6th

We also had two competitors who were close to selection, Jacob Cockayne and Mayson Vassallo. Well done to all! These wonderful results will now see the top 6 competitors compete at the Capricornia Cross Country trials being held Tuesday 7 May, in Rockhampton.

In other sports we have School Hockey, Netball and League continuing while our Futsal and Volleyball competition begin this week. Building community is important to students and staff at SPCM and we encourage all supporters to come along and cheer for your favourite Navy & Red teams. We hope to see you on the sidelines, throughout the season.

• Students must be 14 years of age.
• Students are allowed to work a maximum of 30 days in a calendar year. (can be extended/special circumstances)
• Work experience must be unpaid.
• Students must have both workers’ compensation and liability insurance cover (signed agreement).
• Students need to have White card and Blue cards as required by industry.
• No operating of machinery.
  (according to the Education (Work Experience) Act 1996)
• Students to complete an application form signed by parent/guardian, include the dates and placement / occupation information.
• Students to complete and sign an annual Work Experience Induction.

Term Time placement

• Students wishing to do work experience during term time will need to have the dates approved.  For more details please see Mrs Moohin.
  

Holiday Placement

• Applications for prearranged placements will be accepted up to 9am Friday week 9. (second last week of term) 
• Applications seeking placement will be accepted up to 9am on Monday week 9. (second last week of term) 
• Signed Agreements must be submitted to the College for processing by the College no later then 9am Wednesday week 10. (last week of term)

The Resilience Project Team are looking forward to an upcoming Digital Wellbeing for Families Webinar they will be presenting to any interested parents and carers on Wednesday 15 May from 6:30 to 7:30pm AEST

What you can expect:
This 60 minute presentation gives parents/carers the opportunity to reflect on their family’s digital wellbeing. They will explore practical tips and strategies to create healthy habits around screen time to positively impact relationships and strengthen connections within the home.

Throughout this presentation parents and carers will:

• Gain insight into the latest research around family screen time and its impact on individual and collective wellbeing in the home. 
• Be provided with ideas strategies to enhance their own digital wellbeing to role model for their family. 
• Feel equipped to support their children’s device usage with practical strategies without screen shaming, banning or removing devices.

Accessing the webinar.  Please use the following link to register:

https://au01web.zoom.us/meeting/register/u5Aoc-mqrD0sHddLA_gAKbVQFS5CVMzpb64K

We are thrilled to share our recent success at the annual STEM competition, where our team displayed their skills and ingenuity in various challenges. Competing against teams from across the region, we are proud to announce that we placed in the top 5 overall, demonstrating our commitment to excellence and innovation.

In particular, our team excelled in the bridge-building challenge, where we took home the top score with 5 weights. Our winning design demonstrated not only our understanding of engineering principles but also our ability to work collaboratively under pressure.

The competition also included challenges such as designing a fish trap, creating a flight device, and juggling multiple jobs in a simulated workplace environment. While these tasks were demanding, our team rose to the occasion, demonstrating creativity, problem-solving skills, and a passion for STEM.

We are incredibly proud of our team's accomplishments and look forward to building on this success in future competitions. Congratulations to all team members for their hard work and dedication!

Ngaio Miller

We are thrilled to announce the remarkable success of St. Vinnies' stall at the recent Aquatics event! Thanks to the unwavering dedication of our members, we not only raised a significant sum but bolstered by our Caritas boxes in the homerooms, we have raised an impressive total of $1500. This term's efforts go towards Caritas Australia, supporting various projects including Project Compassion. Your generosity truly makes a difference!

Our momentum doesn't stop there - we're just getting started! Our recent Open Night was a resounding success, with St. Vinnies members contributing their time by volunteering to sell delightful snow cones and popcorn.

Looking forward, we ask that you mark your calendars for our upcoming Mother’s Day Stall in May! It's a perfect opportunity to express gratitude to the remarkable women in our lives while supporting a noble cause. Stay tuned for further details.

As winter approaches, the Vinnies Committee is gearing up for our Winter Appeal. We're rallying all students to extend a helping hand by contributing donations of canned goods, perishables, blankets, and other winter essentials. Together, we can create a meaningful impact and provide support to those in need during the colder months.
 
To add a touch of fun and further support this worthy cause, we're hosting a Free Dress Day on June 7th! In exchange for wearing your favourite school-appropriate outfit, we kindly ask for a canned good or gold coin donation. Let's unite as a community
to offer support to those in need and make a positive difference.

Let's continue to embody the spirit of St. Vinnies by spreading warmth and kindness to those who need it most. Thank you for your ongoing support and generosity – together, we can truly make a difference!

Ngaio Miller
Vinnies Committee Coordinator