St Patrick's College Mackay - Term 3 - 8 September 2023

This will be the last newsletter for the term. At the end of next week our students and staff can enjoy a well-deserved break. We wish everyone a safe and happy holiday break.

Mercy Day
Our term will conclude next Friday 15 September with Mercy Day celebrations for our Year 7-10 students.  A letter has been sent to all families outlining the activities for this day. Our Year 11-12 students, due to exams, recognised this important day in our College life with a prayer reflection on Catherine McAuley at assembly this week.

For the Mercy Campus students, the day will commence with a Liturgy of the Word, before moving on to the Mackay Harbour for activities.
On this day we give thanks for the life of Catherine McAuley. She was born in Dublin, Ireland in 1778. In 1824, she established the House of Mercy where homeless women sheltered, Catherine ministered to the sick and dying, and where she educated young girls. Catherine and her co-workers professed their vows as the first Sisters of Mercy in 1831. 

‘The simplest and most practical lesson I know is to resolve to be good today, but better tomorrow.’    ~Catherine McAuley~

Cultural Showcase Evening
Last Thursday St Patrick’s College held it’s annual Cultural Showcase Evening where we celebrated the cultural achievements of our students. Congratulations to all the students who performed on the night and all those who were recognised for their hard work and dedication. It was a great celebration of the cultural life of the College and a wonderful evening of entertainment. A big thank you to our dedicated and talented staff for all they do to make our Cultural Program such a success at the College.

Year 9 Future Pathways Information Evening
We remind all Year 9 students, parents and guardians that our Future Pathways Information Evening is being held tonight from 5:30pm – 6:30pm in the Mercy Campus Hall. The evening will cover a variety of subjects to assist with the planning for senior school. The presentation material will be made available to parents after the event. If you have any questions relating to subject selections, please contact Mr Scott McSherry on 49984 700 or scott_mcsherry@rok.catholic.edu.au.

Term 3 Interim Reports
Interim reports, detailing the current progress of students in Years 7 – 10, will be available through Parent Lounge on Friday 15 September. This interim report is provided mid-way through the semester as a guide to parents and students.

Year 11 Exams and Year 12 Mock Exams
Our senior students have commenced their exams this week. For our Year 12 students, this is a great opportunity for them to prepare for their final exams next term.

Japanese Exchange Student Visit
This week, we have welcomed 16 Japanese exchange students from our sister school Srikou Gakuen to St Patrick’s College, to experience Australian school life. The visiting students are accompanying their host siblings to lessons, enjoying excursions around the Mackay region and bringing a wonderful cultural experience to our students. We are delighted to have them share this experience with us. Welcome!

Sporting News

• Congratulations to St Patrick’s girls and boys Intermediate Cricket Teams on winning the Mackay Whitsunday Division of the Streetsmart Secondary Schools T20 Challenge.
• Congratulations to our soccer teams who have enjoyed great success this season. Our open team were winners while our Year 7 & 8 mixed team made it to the semi final. Well done.
• St Patrick’s Volleyball teams competed in the Inter-School Competition semi finals last night.  Our boys won and will play the grand final next week against Mackay Christian College.  Well done to the girls who unfortunately did not make the finals.
• Rugby 7’s Competition was recently held and our students performed very well achieving second place.

Staff Retreat 

Thank you to Derek Worden for facilitating our Staff Retreat at Broken River Mountain Resort. This was a wonderful opportunity for staff to take a breath, reflect and reconnect with what is important to them. It was great to have staff from both campuses, teaching and non-teaching, come together in this relaxed environment. 

Derek spoke to staff regarding the many forms of prayer and gave examples of how as a staff we can make prayer more meaningful for our students. Our final session on both Catherine McAuley and Edmund Rice were also very informative. 

     

AMSSA Conference 

Mrs Amanda Sorenson (HOD Senior Religion), Ms Jodie Zahmel (Senior Religion teacher), Mrs Kelsey Wallace (Misson Coordinator) and I attended the Biennial Australasian Mercy Secondary School Association (AMSSA) conference in August, hosted by All Hallows’ School, Brisbane. 

‘Mercy in Liminal Times’ was the theme for the 2023 AMSSA conference.  

Theologian Richard Rohr reminds us: 

Liminality is an inner state and sometimes an outer situation where people can begin to think and act in genuinely new ways. It is when we are betwixt and between, have left one room but not yet entered the next room, any hiatus between stages of life, stages of faith, jobs, loves, or relationships. It is that graced time when we are not certain or in control, when something genuinely new can happen.  

This theme invites us to reimagine this liminal moment through our Mercy charism, and to reimagine the legacy of Catherine McAuley and the Sisters of Mercy in a post-pandemic context. Meeting and spending time with delegates from around Australia and New Zealand was a great opportunity to reflect and contemplate how we embrace the challenges and thrive as Catherine did.                                       

Year 10 ACTS Camp

What is ACTS? 

For many years now, young people from colleges around the Diocese of Rockhampton have been coming together to experience ACTS.  

ACTS is an opportunity for students from around the diocese to explore significant questions about faith and life. It is an opportunity to share about what is important to you, as well as listening to the stories of others. 

The Year 10 Camp, A Chance to Share, focuses on how we can be part of recreating our world as the compassionate, just and peaceful world God intended it to be. By examining our own giftedness and the needs we see around us, we can make a difference in our families, with our friends and in our colleges. Thank you to Mrs Mullaney for giving up her time and travelling to Yeppoon with our students. 

   

   

   

    

   

Last Thursday was our annual cultural night.  This evening was a celebration of our cultural departments achievements throughout the year.  I would like to thank all staff, and volunteers who assisted in running the evening, as well as our cultural students who always bring an outstanding level of professionalism through their performances.  The award winners of this evening are; 

Ensemble Awards;

Concert Band Ensemble Award - Lars Gall, Matilda Ralph and Josh Williamson

Percussion Ensemble Award - Matilda Ralph, Josh Williamson, Karli Davis

Drum Corps Ensemble Award - Josh Williamson and Karli Davis 

Strings Ensemble Award - Jillian Panganiban and Karli Davis

St Patrick's Handbell Ensemble Award - Tess Radke and Matilda Ralph

Stage Bank Ensemble Award - Myles Bryan, Hemi Heke and Josh Williamson

Choir Ensemble Award - Ashling Scanlon, Nerida Hansen, Matilda Ralph and Josh Williamson

Dance Award - Sienna Kugis, Sana Campbell and Jacinta Franettovich.

Student of the Year Awards;

Cultural Student of the Year - Matilda Ralph and Joshua Williamson

Father Stephen Hanly Encouragement Award - Karli Davis and Melissa li

Year 11 Spirit - Billie Little and Gabby Ipson

Year 10 Spirit - Shaylee Noy and Jaxon Anderson

Year 9 Spirit - Isaac Noy

Year 9 Spirit - Lucy Shaw

Year 7 Spirit - Kyan Woods

     

Our last events for the year include Valedictory Evening (wk3) and Christmas Rotary Fair (wk4), as well as our Graduation Mass and Cultural break up party.  Please keep an eye out on google classroom and tours for upcoming information on these events.

The College excelled at the recent Dance Xchange competition for Primary and Secondary schools on the Gold Coast – bringing home a variety of regional awards to qualify for this year’s State Finals to be staged on October 14-15 in Brisbane.

A squad of thirty six St Patrick’s College dancers travelled to Somerset College in Mudgereeaba for the prestigious Exchange event and demonstrated their skill and poise to gain first place in both Junior and Senior Lyrical categories and second place in the Jazz and Hip Hop routines.

To cap an outstanding contribution, the College also received the Most Memorable Routine award. 

St Patrick’s College competed with 15 other schools in each section of the competition.

Due to their commitment to this year’s Mackay Eisteddfod, our St Patrick’s College dancers are unable to take up the invitation to compete at the State Finals to be held at the All Hallows School in Brisbane.

The St Patrick’s College Valedictory night is fast approaching. On the 17th of October 2023, we will be joining our Graduating Seniors in a celebration of their achievements. All students will be recognised for their contributions to the St Patrick’s Community, however students who have achieved exemplary results are eligible for the following special awards:

Marist Sisters Effort Award
Students who have demonstrated outstanding application of effort to their academic studies will be awarded the Marist Sisters Effort Award. Eligibility for this award is calculated by average of students Behaviour, Work Habits, and Homework Completion across all their subjects in both Unit 3 and Unit 4. Students who have averaged a Very Good result in these criteria, will be awarded with the Marist Sister Effort Award.

Christian Brothers’ Award for Academic Merit
Awardees will be determined by results after internal assessment in regard to their five best subjects (only five subjects can be counted):

• A, B, C: 5, 4, 3 points respectively; over best five subjects.
• Merit:  20, 21, 22 points.

Christian Brothers’ Award for Academic Excellence
Awardees will be determined by results after internal assessment in regard to their five best subjects (only five subjects can be counted):

• A, B, C: 5, 4, 3 points respectively; over best five subjects.
• Excellence: > 23 points.

Mercy Sisters’ Subject Awards
Awarded to the highest achieving student in each subject

Julie Delaney Memorial Award
Awarded to a student studying a Vocational Education and Training Course, on the basis of:

• Internal assessment grades 
• Application to set tasks 
• Ability to work with peers
• Ability to use own initiative
• Ability to work without close supervision
• Conduct, manner and bearing of a standard that reflects the good name of the College
• Completion of a majority of relevant learning outcomes. 

The Francis Xavier Fulton Memorial Award – Staff Award

• For excellence in academic, cultural and sporting endeavours in the spirit of the mission statement of the College 
• Students will be nominated by staff for this award, successful nominees will then be approached by Mr Casey to submit a resume for staff consideration.

Anthony McNeill Memorial Award – Christian Leadership Award – Student and Staff Award
Criteria to be judged by: 

• Commitment to Christian belief and practice 
• A shortlist will be compiled by administration

Father Bucas Award – Christian Leadership Award – Student and Staff Award
Criteria to be judged by: 

• Honourable representation of the college 
• Consistently good application in academic endeavor
• Committed service to and concern for others 
• Excellence in conduct and dress
• Commendable sense and use of initiative.

This year National Science Week was celebrated at St Patrick’s College from Monday (14 August) until Friday (18 August ). Throughout the week the students enjoyed several activities, quizzes and competitions. Every day there was a science-based trivia for all the homegroups with the final winners announced during the following week’s College assembly. The students learnt some science fun facts collated by the Science Ambassadors and read during the homeroom times.

The Science Week would not be engaging without some stunning demonstrations and practical activities. 

Senior Campus finished Science Week by crowning  the best science joke competition, judged by the Science Ambassadors and Science Teachers. The winners of the cleverest entries were Gabrielle Ipson, Joshua Williamson and Ethan Bigby.

Year 11 Early Childhood Studies class have been working hard on their Little Green Thumb Unit which explores challenging and inviting outdoor learning environments for children that foster positive connections with and respect for, the natural environment.  Their focus has been on creating safe, active learning spaces that cater for developmental milestones and facilitate connections between young children and their environment, so children can explore, discover and problem-solve to make sense of the world around them.

Their FA4 Assignment involved a Gardening Project which entailed organising two activities that they performed with the Kindy group of 3-4 year old children at the Mackay Child Care Centre. During their visit to the Child Care Centre on 29 August, students made Grass Heads in a cup and planted Sunflowers with the children which they will look after and watch grow over the coming weeks. Everyone involved had a fun experience and the Year 11 class look forward to start working on their next project where they will create Literacy Activities to perform with the children at Mackay Child Care Centre late next term.

Potting Sunflowers:

Making Grass Heads:

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1st prize: Wakeskate 
2nd prize: Meat tray from George Street Butcher Shoppe
3rd prize: 4.5 kg Toblerone 
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Congratulations to the winners!!

1st prize: Jack Morgan, Yr 12
2nd prize: Carmel Deguara - Mercy Campus Tuckshop
3rd prize: Edward Williams, Yr 12
4th prize: Ariat Esky – Mia Hehir, Yr 11

Special thanks to Mr Warren Bolton and his construction team for the Wakeskate and thank you to all who purchased tickets.

Considering a Career in Medicine or Dentistry?

UCAT, Interviews, Med School Applications, Pathways into Medicine and Dentistry (for universities in Australia)

Free Webinar

An Excellent Opportunity for Students and Parents

13 September 2023,  7.00pm – 9.00pm (AEST) 
REGISTER NOW

An invaluable forum recommended to students considering a career in Medicine or Dentistry, and especially for those who already know that they will be sitting the UCAT or attending Med School Interviews.  

This forum is an excellent opportunity for students and parents to find out about the UCAT, Interviews, Pathways into Medicine, and have all questions answered by expert teachers who have been working in the field since 1999.

The session is PACKED with invaluable information during which we will be covering the following topics, and more. 

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