Last week we celebrated St Patrick’s Day and you could be forgiven for thinking we were in Ireland with the rain and the overcast conditions. Despite the weather, it was a good day as we celebrated mass at St Paul's, Camden, then travelled back to school for a barbeque which was kindly cooked by our P&F and followed by the cross country and activities. The rain held off so we could still run most of the activities but the conditions were boggy. Thank you to those girls who had a role to play and entered into the spirit of the day with such energy. Particular thanks to our Irish dancers who excelled themselves with probably the best display of dancing we have ever seen at the College.

The following day, Saturday 18 March, we had the Emerald Gala Dinner Dance at The Cube. It was a fabulous evening. With over 300 guests, we were entertained with an excellent performance from both 'Ricky Martin' and 'Michael Buble'! Then the five piece band continued to provide music for the guests to dance the night away. We managed to raise over $40,000 which will go to the Student Scholarship Fund held at the College. I would like to acknowledge the committee who drove this event for well over a year, Mrs Julie O’Keefe, Mrs Peta Borg, Mrs Marion Windle, Ms Jean Alim, Mrs Donna O'Neill, Mrs Danielle Grant, Ms Deb Renshaw and Mrs Katherine Power. We are all indebted to them for their tireless work for this event. In addition to this, you will see the logos of the major sponsors for the event on the website . We could not have raised these funds without their sponsorship so we are also very appreciative of their financial support. Finally, a number of girls contributed to the evening either as ushers or music and stage performers. They were exceptional and certainly made a significant impact on the outcome of the evening. 

Last week, I spoke to the girls about their presence in the community. We have recently had good reason to celebrate the achievements and successes of the girls. They continue to be applauded for their behaviour and talent. Whenever a girl wears the uniform, she represents herself, her family and our College community, in that order. I recalled an incident at my own school when I was younger and how my uniform and role at my school caused me to be a target of some ridicule at the railway station. I am sure some of our girls have experienced similar events as they walk to stations and bus stops in our uniform. Wearing our uniform brings with it privilege and responsibility. I asked the girls to be mindful of how they will be viewed in the community through their language, behaviour and interactions with others. Whenever one girl behaves in a way that is not appropriate, it reflects on more than just herself and all the strengths and positive qualities in our community can be dismissed and forgotten due to her behaviour. I asked that they work together to ensure they represent themselves, their families and their College appropriately whenever they wear the College uniform.

Next week, we will be hosting Year 5 workshops at the College.  We will have over 300 girls participating in various workshops of their choice. It is a good day for these girls to experience life in an all girl school. If you know of anyone who is considering St Patrick’s College for Girls for high school, I ask that you alert them to the Year 5 workshops. Girls from all schools attend and invariably have a very entertaining and informative day. Please contact the office if you would like to register your daughter, niece or granddaughter.

The College is implementing a new parent portal through our new management system. Through this secure portal, you will be able to access information about your daughter and also book parent teacher student interviews. It is password protected and can only be accessed through your email address. A letter will be sent home in the coming days to inform you of the process to use this service. Whilst we have tried to plan and foresee all the anomalies, some may come out of the woodwork! Please feel free to give us any feedback that will be helpful.

Next Monday is the P&F AGM. I would like to encourage you to attend and consider a position on the executive team. The meeting is in the Benedict Centre at 7pm. 

I will leave you with a prayer from St Patrick's breastplate.

Blessings

Sue Lennox - Principal

Christ be with me, Christ within me,
Christ behind me, Christ before me,
Christ beside me, Christ to win me,
Christ to comfort and restore me,
Christ beneath me, Christ above me,
Christ in quiet, Christ in danger,
Christ in hearts of all that love me,
Christ in mouth of friend and stranger.

 St Patrick's breastplate

It was a very enlightening and informative experience that delved deeply into the significance of these aspects of the Islamic faith and how they impact the adherents in all aspects of their life. These talks will further help our studies as we learn more about Islam. It was a great experience for all of us as we were taught by people who live and practise these beliefs which helped us gain a further insight into their lives. Overall, this day was a great learning experience that all of Year 12 enjoyed.  

Gabrielle M - Year 12 Student

Congratulations to Caroline A, Elina B, Alysha B, Yeheni F, Imogen M, Victoria M, Naina N, Rebecca O and Sneha S who all received their completion certificates.

When students have taken part in the Premier’s Reading Challenge each year from Year 3 to Year 9 they are awarded the Premier’s Reading Challenge. For the 2016 Challenge, Celine A has been awarded the Premier’s Medal. Across the whole of New South Wales only 433 medals were awarded in 2016, so this is a great achievement by Celine.

Students in Year 7 to 9 are eligible to enter the Premier’s Reading Challenge in 2017. Students in these years have been given information to take home and if they wish to take part, they just need to return the permission slip to the library.

Claire Stalker-Booth - College Librarian

Can you help?

We are seeking donations of knitted squares. Each square is required in garter stitch using a 4 or 5mm needle with 50 stitches cast on. The group would also appreciate any donations of wool or needles.

Fran Musico Rullo - HSIE Department

Our team consisted of Bianca R, Sandrine M, Layla E, Hannah P, Chantel S, Brianna C, Alysha G, Emilee O, Gabriella P, Rory M, Niamh G, Tia B, Kayla G, Jasmin W, Joanne S, Caitlyn O, Eden G.

To be completely honest, it was a miserable day with torrential rain and a howling southerly wind, however as they say ‘the show must go on’. Fortunately, the foul weather did not dampen the competitors' spirits and they performed extremely well throughout the day.

The standout performances on the day were:

Bianca R (12 Years) 1^st place 50m butterfly, 1^st place 100m freestyle, 1^st place 50m backstroke, 2^nd place 50m breaststroke and 3^rd place 50m freestyle.

Joanne S (17+ years) 1^st place 100m breaststroke and 2^nd place 50m breaststroke.

Tia B (16 years) 2^nd place 100m butterfly

Jasmin W (17+ years) 3^rd place 100m butterfly

1^st place Senior Medley Relay team (Jasmin W, Joanne S, Kayla G and Caitlyn O)

3^rd place Intermediate Medley relay, Intermediate freestyle relay and Senior freestyle relay.

Bianca R was 12 years Overall Age Champion

Bianca and the senior girls relay team will now go on to represent the College and Diocese at the NSW CCC Championships.

I would sincerely like to thank the many parents who travelled down to Wollongong and braved the challenging conditions to support their daughter and the team.  A big thank you must also go to Mr Stuart Lord, who was team manager and went above and beyond to ensure the students had a successful day. Finally, to the Year 12 girls who have been the backbone of the College swim team and will be leaving us at the end of the year – Jasmin W, Joanne S, Caitlyn O, Samantha J and Jeanelle D, thank you for your service and dedication over the last six years and your presence and enthusiasm at future carnivals will be missed.

Scott Ashcroft - Sports and Activities Coordinator

All are welcome to attend the AGM.  The Parents and Friends Association is seeking Executive Committee members consisting of four office bearers: President, Vice President, Treasurer and Secretary. Members may be nominated for more than one position, the determination of the election for each of the positions will start with the highest office and work down. 

Please see the attached documents for the Position Nomination Form. 

We look forward to seeing you at the AGM on Monday 27 March. 

St Patrick's College for Girls, Parents and Friends Assocation.

Due to their complex needs, both girls need homes where they will receive one-on-one care and there are no younger children. They need carers who are kind, stable and compassionate to help them thrive and reach their potential. Carers must be flexible, resilient and able to work in a supportive team environment with CatholicCare.

Carers receive training, casework support and an allowance for day-to-day care, with extra financial support for education and therapies. Applicants undergo background checks and an assessment before being approved as a Carer.

If you have the right qualities to be a Carer or know someone who could be a great Carer, please contact 4254 7712 or email tonil@catholiccare.dow.org.au

*names changed to protect identity

24 March - Year 10 Visual Arts Excursion, Year 10 PASS Excursion
27 March - Year 7 Vaccinations, P&F AGM, Year 10 PASS Excursion
28 March - Year 9 Parent/Student Information Forum
30 March - Year 5 Workshops
31 March - NSW CCC Swimming, VIP Preview Cocktail Party, Year 11 SLR Excursion
4 April - Senior School Parent Forum (9am and 7pm)
7 April - Easter Liturgy, Staff and Students finish for Term 1
24 April - Staff and Students return for Term 2
25 April - ANZAC DAY PUBLIC HOLIDAY
26 -28 April - Year 9 Camp
28 April - Year 7 STEM Day Incursion
1 May - Dio Cross Country, CCC AFL Girls Selection
3 May - CCC Open Netball Selections, DIO Girls Soccer
3 May to 5 May - Year 12 Retreat
5 May - Year 9 STEM Day Incursion, Year 8 Geography Excursion, Year 10 Food Tech/Commerce Incursion
8 May - College Photo Day
9 May to 11 May - Year 7 and Year 9 NAPLAN testing
12 May - AIME Excursion
13 May - Mother and Daughter High Tea
16 May - Year 7 - 12 Parent/Teacher/Student Evening
17 May - Year 7 Reflection Day and Mass
18 May - Year 12 Advanced English Excursion
20 May - Year 7 Enrolment Interviews