St Patrick's College Mackay - Term 3 - Week 6 - 16 August 2024

Board Meeting
Last Wednesday we held our Board Meeting with special guest, Mrs Marie Martin (Secondary Curriculum Consultant DCEO). Marie presented on the topics, “What are the main drivers that will be affecting education and society in general over the next 5 years?“ and “What educational learnings or capabilities may need to be prioritised for St Patrick's?”. This informative presentation provided many insights and discussion for our Board. It highlighted the many new skills and employment opportunities for the future such as AI and Environmental issues.

Parent Engagement Evening – Change of Date
Please note that our next Parent Engagement Evening will be held on Thursday 5 September, 6:00pm - 7:00pm in the Senior Campus Auditorium (J1). The topic will be ‘AI in Education’.

The Assumption of Our Lady
Yesterday, 15 August, the Church celebrated the Feast Day of the Assumption of Our Lady when according to our faith, the Holy Mother, “having completed her course of her earthly life, was assumed body and soul into heavenly glory”. Although defined as an article of faith by Pope Pius XII just over half a century ago, the Assumption of Our Lady into heaven has been accepted from back to the earliest of Christian times.

Catholic Education Celebrations
Over the past few weeks, I have had the pleasure of attending the Centenary celebrations for both St John’s and St Mary’s Catholic Primary Schools. Both occasions were great celebrations of thanksgiving for the many people who had the determination and vision to grow Catholic Education in this district. I congratulate both schools on their wonderful celebrations.

Subject Selection Evening – 2025 Year 9 & Year 10
It was wonderful to see so many families attend our 2025 Year 9 & Year 10 Subject Selection Evening on Tuesday night. Students and their parents/guardians have been sent emails yesterday regarding the online selection process. If you were unable to attend on Tuesday evening, the information provided on the night can be found on our College website at https://www.stpats.qld.edu.au/academic/subjects-handbook.

Parent Teacher Interviews
Thank you to our staff, parents and students who attended the Senior Campus Parent – Teacher interviews on Wednesday. I take this opportunity to remind students that this is an important and busy time for the senior year levels. Assessment this term is critical. Study can be overwhelming if not managed properly. Assessment needs to be planned and attacked at the earliest opportunity. Revision should also begin early. Students should map out their commitments in study and all aspects of their lives as they move through August and September.

Eisteddfod
The 77th Annual Macrossan & Amiet Mackay Eisteddfod has seen our College Cultural Ensembles, including Choir and Instrumental, already competing. I am in awe of the musical talent that our students have and enjoyed watching them perform and shine on stage. Congratulations to all our students who have competed in this section of this year’s Eisteddfod. Best wishes to all our solo entries that are still to compete next week.

Cultural Showcase Evening – Thursday 29 August
I would like to invite and encourage everyone to attend the St Patrick’s College Cultural Showcase Evening on Thursday 29 August. This year’s Showcase will be held at the Bluewater Quay in conjunction with the Riverside Markets, commencing at 5:30pm.

Good Luck
We wish our Cricket Teams who will compete in the Secondary Schools Final in Rockhampton next Friday 23 August all the best with their respective games.

To our College Dance Team competing at the Dance Exchange Competition at the Sunshine Coast this weekend – best of luck to you all.

Congratulation to our College Chess teams who recently played in the Mackay Whitsunday Region Chess Challenge and have now qualified for the State Championship in Brisbane in October. Good luck!

Pupil Free Day - Friday 30 August
A reminder to everyone that Friday 30 August will be a Pupil Free Day. Our College staff will be engaged in Professional Development throughout the day.

The College now uses progressive reporting as a form of communication with students and parents regarding assessment from Years 7 to 12. The due dates for all assessment items for all subjects are added to Curricular Activities and should be viewable through Parent Lounge and Student Café. Assessment due dates are easily seen by students and parents through the eDiary tab on Student Café and Parent Lounge.

Results for each piece of assessment as well as comments, will be added to Curricular Activities once they have been marked and moderated by teaching staff. Parents may view results, due dates, and where appropriate, the actual assessment items, through Parent Lounge.

These can be found by logging onto Parent Lounge and selecting:

From the top menu select Student Details → Curricular Activities

Alternatively, from the side menu select Curricular Activities Due → view all activities or activities due.

You will also be able to view if your student has outstanding drafts for any subject.

District School Sport Representatives
Students who have represented Northern Suburbs, Mackay District, Capricornia or Queensland School Sport in 2024, are reminded to please check representative lists that will be displayed outside of the Sports Office in the coming weeks.

2024 Sports Awards Assemblies
We look forward to recognising outstanding achievement in School Sport at our upcoming Sports Awards assemblies in Term 4.
Senior Sports Awards Assembly (Years 11 and 12), Tuesday 8 October, Term 4, Week 2.
Junior Sports Awards Assembly (Years 7 to 10), Wednesday 6 November, Term 4, Week 6.

Confraternity 2024
Confraternity Shield 2024 will be remembered as a very special one for St Patrick’s College and its wider community, as our Girls side claimed their first ever Confraternity Shield title! Playing as a curtain raiser to the women’s State of Origin, the match could not have started better for St Pats, opening the scoring in the first 10 minutes to go out to an early 4-0 lead. With continued cheers and support from the St Pats cheer squad and supporters alike, our girls claimed the College’s inaugural girls’ Confraternity Shield. Congratulations girls!

A highlight of the week for our Open Boys was a commanding 14-0 victory in the Quarter Final over pre-competition favourites St Brendan’s College. In the Semi Final, the team faced Ignatius Park College, with the half time score being 2-0 to Ignatius Park. Our boys went into the second half optimistic of finishing the game ahead. The final siren saw Ignatius Park finish the match 6-0 victors.

The final day of competition saw our boys face Iona College in the 3rd and 4th play-off. The game started evenly for both teams, unfortunately, St Pats could not capitalise on some chances and in turn Iona College came out victors, handing our boys 4th place. Well done boys!

Congratulations must go to Adam M for being awarded the Broncos Rising Star Award and the following players on their selection in their respective QISSRL Honorary Merit sides:
     - Ava W
     - Paige M
     - Ebony T
     - Jack T

St Patrick’s College Confraternity Teams would like to thank the following sponsors for your sponsorship this year: Fidler Industrial, Gardian Real Estate, BRV Electrical, Souths Leagues Club, Key Solutions Group, Quarrico Products, Stemsafe and Martins Mechanical. Their support was very much appreciated!

We would also like to thank our officials and staff for your time and efforts throughout the week at Confraternity. Congratulations to all the players involved in a successful 2024 Carnival, we now look forward to the Confraternity Carnival in Rockhampton in 2025.

Vicki Wilson 2024 Netball Finals
On Friday, August 9, and Saturday, August 10, our junior team (Year 8/9) and open team (Year 10-12) competed in the Final Series of the Vicki Wilson Championships at Nissan Arena in Brisbane.

Both teams showcased impressive skills, teamwork, and camaraderie, representing St Patrick’s College with pride.

A special mention to our Year 12 students, Captains Camryn Z and Kacee Z, and Mischa D competing in your last representative game for Pattie’s. We hope you continue to play netball with the passion and commitment you have shown throughout your schooling years.

This concludes our competitive netball season for 2024.

Mackay and Districts Secondary Schools Netball (MDSSN)
Our Wednesday afternoon social teams are gearing up for finals in the MDSSN competition in Week 7 of this term. Be sure to come along and cheer our players on over the coming weeks!

Mackay Eisteddfod News
Congratulations to our Cultural groups on their many performances and successes at the Macrossan & Amiet 77th Annual Mackay Eisteddfod.

Results are as follows:
• Stage Band | 2nd Place | 521 Open Contemporary Group/Jazz Ensemble
• Concert Band | Highly Commended | 514 Advancing Concert Band for Secondary Students
• String Ensemble | Highly Commended | 513 Small Group of any Acoustic Instruments for Secondary Students
• Drum Corps | 3rd Place | 518 Percussion/Handbell Ensemble for Secondary Students
• Handbells | 1st Place | 518 Percussion/Handbell Ensemble for Secondary Students
• Choir | Highly Commended | 11 Choral Singing for Secondary Schools Open
• Choir | Highly Commended | 14 Folk Singing Group for Secondary Schools

The students performed extremely well and should be commended for their preparation leading up to the events, and for their high quality presentations on each day. Huge thanks to their teachers for preparing the groups for these occasions.

We wish our competitive dance ensemble luck this weekend, as they travel to the Dance Exchange Competition held at the Sunshine Coast!

Experience the Spectacular St Patrick's College Cultural Showcase!
The St Patrick's College Cultural Showcase is being held on Thursday 29 August at the Bluewater Quay, in conjunction with the Riverside Markets.

Join us as we celebrate the incredible talents of our students, showcasing captivating performances from a variety of College ensembles. Whether you’re a fan of rhythmic beats or melodious harmonies, the lineup has something for everyone. Including performances from the College Stage and Concert Band, Drum Corps, Choir, Strings Ensemble and the lively Dance Troupe.

Entertainment will commence from 5:30pm and will feature performances from special guests, The Bluewater Big Band!

Bring along your picnic blanket and enjoy an entertaining evening, as our students perform their award-wining routines from the past year and much more. Feel free to wander through the Riverside Markets, where you’ll find a variety of local food and craft vendors.

Whether you’re a parent, friend, or a member of the community, this is the perfect opportunity to support our students and to enjoy an evening of musical entertainment. The St Patrick's College Cultural Showcase is not just an event, it’s a celebration of creativity, passion, and accomplishment.

So gather your family and friends and come on down to the Bluewater Quay for an evening filled with great performances and community spirit. We can’t wait to see you there!

When: Thursday, August 29
Where: Bluewater Quay in conjunction with the Riverside Markets
Time: Entertainment Commencing from 5:30pm

Don’t forget your picnic blanket and let’s make this Cultural Showcase a night to remember!

Next week is Book Week and for all of Week 7, the library will be running a second-hand book stall where students can buy a cheap book or even swap a book for free!

Friday, 23 August will culminate in our annual Dress Up Day. In the past, this day has been very well supported, so it would be very pleasing to see people dress up again this year to show that we do in fact value reading and we do value its importance.

Remember, it’s not just a day for Book Clubbers but is open to everyone. So have some fun with it and come dressed as any character from a book, film, comic, etc. but please be mindful of the following:

Rule #1: First and foremost, keep it modest. Remember, you are still coming to school, so you need to be wearing costumes that are appropriate.
Rule #2: face paint, makeup, wigs and coloured hairspray is allowed, but it needs to be in character, and you must apply it before you come to school.
Rule #3: the day is free!

Please support our Vinnies Committee by purchasing tickets in our Father's Day Raffle.

Father's Day stall details below:
Date: Wednesday 28 August
Time: Lunch
Location: Outside Finance Office (near table tennis tables)
Items: Various items, including mugs, key chains etc.

The raffle will be drawn on Wednesday, Week 8 during assembly.

Thank you to our sponsors - All Metal Laser and CPE.

Year 12 students who are studying their Certificate II in Hospitality recently attended the QTIC Tourism and Hospitality Careers Roadshow at CQU. Students were introduced to industry participants in the Tourism and Hospitality sector in the local region.

They participated in short, practical experiences in Cookery, Mixology, Industry Visit, Industry Hub and Industry Panel Q&A. A variety of local industry operators, universities and registered training organisations were on hand to offer advice, guidance and knowledge on the Tourism and Hospitality industry. Students were able to engage and ask questions whilst learning about the multiple career opportunities and pathways into the Tourism and Hospitality Industry.

On 5 August, our St Patrick’s Chess Teams embarked upon Mackay Christian College to challenge for the top team in the Mackay Whitsunday Region. With 37 players, we were once again the largest Secondary school in attendance, and it was great to see some new faces giving their best in the last competition of the year.

The Term 3 Interschool Chess Competition is a qualifier for the State Finals in October and is the pinnacle event on the calendar. Our top 8 available players entered our Premier Division to compete in the Teams event, while our new players battled it out in Division A and B.

Premier Division

Team 1 - Robin Varghese, Owen Franettovich, Elijah Johnson and Adam Matsen 

Team 2 - Kevin Varghese, Wenlock Gould, Pascoe Gould and Noah Williams

Both of our Premier Teams performed extremely well, finishing first and second respectively. This means that both our teams have qualified for the State Championship in Brisbane during October and will be looking to represent the College with pride at the next level.

Whilst our team performances were the highlight of the day, it is appropriate to acknowledge a few individual performances on the day. We had several students achieving personal bests with 10 students presented with individual awards.

The following students achieved Merits for winning in 5 or more of 7 games:

Asher Fiesta
Matthew Pengelly
Jayden Cridland
Noah Williams
Adam Matsen
Wenlock Gould

While the following students achieved exemplary individual results: 

This is our best result in many years, and particularly impressive given that many of our Year 12 students were unable to compete due to a clash of dates with exams. I would like to take the opportunity to thank all students involved as they all represented our community with pride. Additionally, without the help of Mr Bettington, Mr Thorpe, Ms Matsen and Mr DeThomasis these days could not be a reality.

Year 9 and 10 students who studied Robotics in Semester 1 have received an $18,000 grant under the Engaging Science Grants Program. This program is part of a Government initiative which allocates nearly $500,000 to 28 recipients across the state to boost student participation in STEM for future career pathways.

During Semester 1, the students collaborated with Dr David Pyle (scientist at QUT and Queensland Museum) via Zoom to design a solution to solve the problem of taking photos of artefacts and getting the ‘banana effect’. Through collaboration and innovation, students have developed a turntable to rotate objects for a comprehensive photographic coverage of artefacts for the museum. So far, they are in the prototype phase and the next step will be to meet with local industry to develop a functional model by the end of the year.

Next week, these students will be flying to Brisbane to meet with Dr Pyle to refine the design of their prototype. Students will also have the opportunity to visit the technology departments at the QUT campuses at Kelvin Grove and Gardens Point, ‘Moon in a Room’ robotics room at CSIRO, and explore behind the scenes at the Queensland Museum. Such a great opportunity for our students to engage with real world scientists applying their knowledge in industry.

Pictured below: Dr David Pyle - QUT Lecturer and Digital Initiatives Manager with Mrs Sandra Bayliss - Teacher.

Calling Volleyball FANATICS!

Sharks Camp September registrations are now open!

Join us and our team of talented coaches for a four-day volleyball camp designed to cater to athletes of all skill levels. The camp includes opportunities for new players to find a love for the sport and pathways for elite development for experienced players looking to get into club and state-level teams.

Camp Details
The Dates: 24th Sept | 25th Sept | 26th Sept | 27th Sept
Location: Brisbane - Mansfield, 4122
Gold Coast - Southport, 4215
Sunshine Coast - Little Mountain, 4551
Age Group: Grade 4 - 12 students
Time: 9.00am to 4.30pm!
What's included:
You get an exclusive Camp T-shirt and water bottle and are trained by state and national level representatives!

Check out our website for more information!
https://sharksvolleyball.com/landing-page-sharks-camp-qld

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Tailored Coaching Solutions.