St Patrick's College Mackay - Term 2 - June 2023

As the term comes to a close, I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks to all the students. Your dedication, curiosity, and active participation have made this term truly special. Your commitment to learning and growth is inspiring. Thank you for your hard work and enthusiasm. Enjoy a well-deserved break!

I would also like to acknowledge the dedication and hard work of our teachers and staff. They have tirelessly poured their energy into educating, inspiring, and guiding their students. Their commitment to fostering learning, creating engaging lessons, and nurturing individual growth is to be commended. Teachers have shown remarkable adaptability, overcoming challenges and ensuring continuity of education. I thank them for their efforts and their hard work is truly appreciated. May all staff enjoy a well-earned break these holidays.

Please note that our students resume Term 3 on Monday 10 July.

Confraternity Rugby League and QISSSN Netball
These upcoming July holidays, students from the College will again be competing in the Confraternity Rugby League and QISSSN Netball competitions. We wish the players, coaches and support staff a safe, fun and successful week. As we hosted this event last year, I am fully aware of the massive preparation and work that the organisers have undertaken. I look forward to meeting many Colleges at the event. Good luck to all teams! I am looking forward to seeing our talented teams play in Brisbane.

Community Activities
Once again, many wonderful things have happened this term. We have had great success on the sporting fields, in Chess and STEM competitions. Our Cultural Ensembles have performed on numerous occasions and our students continue to give to those in need through various acts of community service. It is very pleasing to see the effort and success of our students throughout the term.

Humanities Tour
Welcome back to our Year 10 Humanities students who are returning from their amazing trip to Melbourne. Students visited many sights in Melbourne, Sovereign Hill, Kryal Castle, the Shrine of Remembrance, museums and much more. Thank you to our wonderful staff for taking our students away on this tour. We look forward to hearing all your memorable stories next term.

NAIDOC Celebrations
NAIDOC week is celebrated in the second week of the school holidays from 2 July to 9 July. Thank you to Mrs Haverda, Ms Russell, Mr Mackenzie for assisting with organising various activities at the College to celebrate this important week. Our students will also be attending the regional NAIDOC Mass which is being held on Tuesday 18 July.

Senior Campus End of Unit Reports Cards

Our Senior Campus staff have been busy marking over the last few weeks and preparing reports. Reports are now available through Parent Lounge for parents to view. I remind parents of Year 11 and Year 12 students that the next Parent teacher night is on Thursday 27 July.

Parent Engagement Evening
We invite all families to join us for our next Parent Engagement Evening on Thursday 20 July from 5:30pm. Our session on “Wellbeing” will be held at St Patrick’s Senior Campus. The Counselling Team will be presenting on ‘Managing Student Anxiety and Building Resilience.’ Come along and have your questions answered around how to support your child/ren experiencing anxiety symptoms and strategies to assist overall wellbeing.

Catholic Education Week
Next term we celebrate Catholic Education Week from Sunday 23 July - Saturday 29 July and this year will focus on the theme: Communities of Faith, Hope and Love. Catholic Education Week is an opportunity for all Catholic schools to celebrate and promote their distinctive mission and ethos.

We will have more information next term on the activities the College will undertake during this special time.

Year 12 Formal

A reminder that the Year 12 formal will be held on Saturday 29 July. Information on the formal has been recently emailed home to parents and tickets can now be purchased through the Events and Payments tab in Parent Lounge.

Today, we want to shed light on an important topic that affects many young individuals: vaping. As parents, you are the number one protective factor for your children. You play a crucial role in preventing vaping uptake and creating a healthier future for our children. In this newsletter, we will discuss the actions you can take and provide valuable resources available to support you in this journey.

1. Educate Yourself:
Knowledge is power. Take the time to understand the dangers and risks associated with vaping. Familiarise yourself with the various products and devices used for vaping, as well as the potential health consequences. By arming yourself with accurate information, you'll be better equipped to have meaningful conversations with your teenagers. To understand more what vaping is, and how it affects our health check out the top vaping related FAQs answered here by experts in the field. You can also do this free module to help you get more information on vaping.

2. Initiate Open Dialogue:
Communication is key. Initiate open and non-judgmental conversations with your teens about vaping. Create a safe space where they feel comfortable discussing their thoughts and experiences. Remember to listen actively, validate their feelings, and provide factual information to counter any misconceptions they may have. Here is a video on how to start the conversation and what to avoid when talking to teens about vaping.

3. Set a Positive Example:
Be a role model. Your actions speak louder than words. If you are a smoker or vape yourself, consider quitting or seeking healthier alternatives. By demonstrating a commitment to your own well-being, you send a powerful message to your children about the importance of making healthy choices.

4. Establish Clear Expectations:
Set clear boundaries. Discuss your expectations regarding vaping with your teenagers. Clearly communicate your concerns and explain why you believe it is important for them to avoid vaping. Encourage them to make informed decisions and resist peer pressure. Here's a family agreement template you can download and use to set expectations with your teen at home.

To support you further, visit www.blurredminds.com.au/parents to access:

Detailed information on the risks and dangers of vaping
Signs that your teen might be vaping
Tips for initiating conversations with your teenagers
Strategies for maintaining open lines of communication
Professional help and support available

By joining together and sharing our knowledge and experiences, we can make a positive impact on the lives of our children. Thank you for your commitment to reducing youth vaping and promoting a healthier future. If you have any questions or need further support, please don't hesitate to reach out.

Boom rugby league hookers Paityne Johns and Xavier Kerrisk are the toast of Mackay after earning Queensland representative jumpers.

The St Patrick’s College students created some type of record when they were both selected in the Maroons’ Schoolgirls and Schoolboys squads for the upcoming Australian Secondary Schools Rugby League Championships to be staged at Redcliffe from June 30 to July 7.

Mackay can now boast two of the best young hookers in the State with the crafty Kerrisk – an emerging Queensland Under 18s inductee - under contract to the North Queensland Cowboys and pocket dynamo Paityne keen to join the Cowboys’ NRLW ranks.

In a huge blow, the promising pair along with gun five eighth Jaxon Purdue are now unavailable for St Patrick’s during the Queensland Independent Secondary Schools Rugby League Confraternity Carnival that kicks-off on June 26 at St Laurence’s College in Brisbane.

But the talented number nines – who are products of the Mackay Cutters’ Development system - are two players to watch at the National titles.

Team captain Paityne was a stand out for the Capricornia region at the State Schoolgirls Championships on the Gold Coast – earning Player of the Match awards in victories over the Darling Downs.

She was joined by St Patrick’s colleagues in lock Gracie Watt, half back Keely Pitt, second rower Shaylee Hazledine and forwards Ciara Thomson and Chelsea McLeod.

The 17 year old rake has four major goals in 2023 – to help Queensland win a national womens schoolgirls title; earn selection in the Australian Schoolgirls squad; help the Mackay Magpies clinch an A Grade Junior League premiership and to secure an NRLW contract with the North Queensland Cowboys.

She began her career with the Magpies mixed teams as a 10 year old before entering the girls ranks and was soon a regular in the Capricornia rep sides and Cowboys Academy.

Paityne has proved a revelation during the past 12 months – impressing keen judges with her guile, vision and speed around the rucks and ability to lift team mates with her tremendous work ethic.

Her leadership qualities shone like a beacon at last year’s inaugural Confraternity Games Girls Carnival in Mackay when she steered St Patrick’s to the Shield decider against champions Marymount College at BB Print Stadium.

The talented Johns was named St Patrick’s Most Valuable Player by tournament officials and has also featured prominently in the Cutters Under 19s Harvey Norman Women’s squad. Paityne was blooded in the Cutters’ BMD Womens Premiership squad as a Development Player this season and is sure to attract interest from talent scouts at the National

On the first week of the holidays, our boys and girls Rugby League teams and our boys and girls Netball teams will compete at the Confraternity and QISSN Carnivals in Brisbane. The College hosted both carnivals last year which was a massive boon for our College and local community, resulting in over 4000 visitors to Mackay and an over $10 million economic injection for our region. This year, our staff and parents get to relax and enjoy watching our sides compete in these elite carnivals in Brisbane, with Confraternity being hosted by St Laurence’s College South Brisbane and QISSN hosted by St James’ College, Fortitude Valley. All squads have been training intensively since early in the year, and we anticipate an excellent showing.

We would like to thank all of our sponsors for all sides for their ongoing support for our sporting program. St Patrick's has a reputation for sporting excellence across many disciplines, and providing opportunities for students to travel and compete in many venues across the state. As you can imagine, this can be an expensive exercise for parents, and it is not only these carnivals but also the Vicky Wilson Cup, Aaron Payne Cup, Cowboys Challenge, National Schoolgirls Rugby League Cup and more. The more our students win, the more expensive travel and the greater the cost!

To this end our sporting programs are running a cash raffle called Patties Pot of Gold. With a first prize worth $10,000 and 5 prizes worth $1,000, and only 300 tickets to be sold, it is a great opportunity to not only support our students but also win some great prizes. To purchase a ticket, please click on the link below:

Raffle Tickets

Lend your support to the St Patrick's Rugby League Program in their quest for Confraternity Shield Glory for both the boys and girls in 2023, along with continuing our dominance in the Aaron Payne Cup and working towards a ground-breaking victory in the NRL Schoolboys Cup.

2023 is a bittersweet year for the program as after an outstanding home Confraternity Shield, we lost the irreplaceable Mick 'Wombat' Aprile. St Pat’s and Confro itself, owes a great deal to Mick and to ensure Wombat takes part in yet another carnival, the boys will be proud to run out with a tribute on the jersey that he so dearly loved.

Dig deep and take ownership of a treasured piece of memorabilia – every cent counts.

Auction 2023 St Pat’s Confro Jerseys

Once the auction closes, all winning bidders will be contacted to finalise payments and delivery of your jersey.

To follow the progress of our sides, please go to the QISSRL and QISSN websites and social media, and there you find draws, results, and livestreams.

We wish all our players the best of luck as they represent our College with pride and skill.

Netball Excellence classes are reaping plenty of dividends for the emerging talent at St Patrick’s College Mackay.

With the Queensland Independent Secondary Schools Netball Championships in full swing down in Brisbane, the College has ushered in a new generation of exciting young prospects.

At the recent Mackay District Secondary Schools Netball Grand Finals, St Patrick’s came away with three of the four titles on offer – winning the Year 8A, 9/10A and Open A competitions against rivals Holy Spirit College and finishing runners up in the Year 7A category at the Mackay Netball Association courts.

Under the guidance of Di Bailey and Sally Redfern, the St Patrick’s Firebirds toppled Holy Spirit First VII 25-22 to clinch a fourth consecutive Open A premiership.

The team featured Queensland Secondary Schools goalkeeper Shaylah Pershouse, Australian Indigenous centre Ainsley Carey, Capricornia shooter Rebecca Symons, centre court ace Tenille Cotter, Francesca Vella, Bethany McPherson, Sophie Durelli, Ella McGill, Havana Abbott and Kira Battaia.

Di Bailey also coached the winning St Patrick’s 9/10A Vixens team that defeated Holy Spirit Dovetails 33-17 in the final.

The team included Skye Mole, Jala Brown, Mackenzie Maunder, Jayda Earl, Elizabeth Zurvas, Lacie Clarke, Tahlia Anderson, Mia Pastega, Kate O’Brien and Tayla Lucas.

St Patrick’s Cougars captured the 8A trophy after sinking Holy Spirit Angels 27-18 with promising shooter Alexis Sorbello and goal defender Georgia Elbourne turning in stand out performances.

The team was coached by Karissa Giumelli and also featured Emmi Burgess, Hannah Brown, Chloe Giblett, Alyssa Battaia, Milla Considine, Alexis Kavanagh, Paige Lambropoulos and Gracie Danger.

Holy Spirit Lightning edged out St Patrick’s Rays by two goals to snare the 7A title.
Rachael Arlott’s Rays squad included Bridgette Culey, Maicy Brotherston, Maddisen Hocking, Storm Liddell, Sunny Hodder, Gracie Danger, Emmi Burgess, Hannah Brown and Sammy Simpson.