Tuesday 13 February marks the 10th Anniversary of the National Apology to the Stolen Generations, by then Prime Minister Kevin Rudd. I recall all the girls at the College gathering in the MSC to watch this momentous event for our country. It provided hope in a belief that we would be moving further towards reconciliation and that the disproportionate statistics weighing against Aboriginal people in health, mortality, incarceration and education would be corrected.

Unfortunately it is well documented that in 2018 there are more Aboriginal children in state care, and the Closing the Gap initiatives have largely fallen short. Inter generational trauma, poor health, high mortality rates, poor education outcomes, incarceration and employment factors still impact Aboriginal communities.  We still have a long journey ahead. May our country continue to find ways to correct these wrongs so that all Australians have good prospects and a healthy life in this blessed country. The reflection at the end of the editorial asks for our Lord’s help in this endeavour.

Through the week, Mr Ashcroft and I attended the NSW CCC Awards for sport. Two of our students were recognised as one of two best performers in the state for their sport. Congratulations to Amy S for her achievements in Australian Football and to Jorja B for her achievements in Softball.

We also celebrated the High Achievers assembly. It was wonderful to welcome back the girls who achieved Band 6 in their courses or an ATAR of 90 and above. Michaela, Dux of the College,  provided some wonderful advice for the girls through her address and then later all the girls were very helpful when they spoke to the Year 12 cohort about what the next three terms will be like for them leading up to the HSC.

We marked the beginning of Lent with Ash Wednesday this week. The liturgy was a good start to the liturgical season and the links with the Benedictine value for the Year of Communio made a good connection for the girls. All in the community will be asked to bring money for Project Compassion throughout Lent. During Chapel, I will go through the theme for Project Compassion with the girls and reflect with them on the significance of the Lenten season.

We have a few important dates and events coming up that I would like to draw to your attention. Firstly, Saturday 24 February is our Open day. It begins at 10am. If you would like to visit or know of anyone who may be considering St Patrick’s for their daughter, it would be highly advisable they come along to our Open Day.

Wednesday 7 March is our International Women’s Day Breakfast. It begins at 6.45am and we have two ex-students speaking about what they have done since leaving St Patrick’s. It is always an inspirational morning so I encourage you to attend.

Friday 16 March we have the Blessing and Opening of the new buildings which you are warmly welcome to attend.  Saturday 17 March we have the Emerald Gala Dinner Dance at The Cube. This is always a great night and this year will not disappoint. Please come along and have a great night with other parents and community members.

Throughout this term we are also farewelling Bishop Peter Ingham and welcoming the new Bishop Fr Brian Mascord to the diocese. We wish both men the very best as they begin very different paths in their lives. To Bishop Peter, who has faithfully served the diocese so well, we will miss his gentle and loving manner. A man who loved people and cared for all in his flock. To Fr Brian Mascord, we look forward to working with him in his ministry. Wollongong is a wonderful diocese and I am confident he will be a great leader. Let us keep both men in our prayers.

Wishing you a wonderful fortnight ahead.

Blessings

Sue Lennox - Principal 

God of justice and forgiveness,
Guide us as we continue on our pathways to Reconciliation.
Grant us the courage to speak out against the injustices
that our Indigenous brothers and sisters continue to suffer.
Help us to see with new eyes,
to listen to the stories of our Indigenous brothers and sisters
and to feel with a heart of compassion.
Help us to build right relations with each other based on truth and justice.

Taken from a liturgy produced in collaboration with the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Catholic Council (NATSICC)

SAVE THE DATE - EMERALD DINNER DANCE - 17 MARCH 2018 

The annaul Lenton Pastoral Message, addressing Clergy, Religious and Laity, is entitled: "Giving Up and Taking Up" and is presented by our Bishop-elect Brian Mascord.

Bishop-elect Brian Mascord's Lenten Message 2018 

Also, beginning on Ash Wednesday, the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference calls upon the community to embrace the penitential season of Lent with three days of fasting and reparation for the victims and survivors of child abuse and their families. 

Attached is the text Lenten Pastoral Message and Days of Fasting and Reparation. 

14 February is a day that Libraries Australia-wide celebrate reading and books and ultimately libraries so it is named Library Lovers’ Day. The girls were encouraged to find a book and on borrowing they were given a little gift.  The Library’s windows also displayed posters of various authors explaining why they love libraries and captions about their favourite novel. In our MakerSpace, this week, the girls can make heart bookmarks, which is staying with the theme of love for Lent and Library Lovers’ Day.

Technology Focus of the Month

Our library now subscribes to the following award winning World Book Web products

• World Book Kids is based on World Book’s award winning Discovery Encyclopedia and is designed to give younger students, ESL students and reluctant readers a rewarding online learning experience.
• World Book Student forms the foundation of an expansive reference database that includes over 40,000 encyclopedia and reference articles and thousands of links to outside web sites that are selected by World Book editors and contributors. It also includes an extensive Dictionary and Atlas plus audio, visuals and animations.
• World Book Advanced is tailored content for the needs of older students, it includes encyclopedic content, integrates primary and secondary source databases and has more than 5,500 e-books. Over 700 e-books can be downloaded to e-readers and iPads, and a wealth of research tools allow students to customise and save their work.

To access World Book and the other library resources students download the Destiny Discover App and look for the Links Section.  If students have any questions or queries about using this, please see one of the Library staff.

BOOK OF THE MONTH

Between Us by Clare Atkins

Clare Atkins a young Australian author whose first novel, Nana and Me, was Children’s Book Council of Australia (CBCA) shortlisted. 

The novel is set in Darwin and is based on the plight of asylum seekers.  The main characters are two very different teenagers.  Jono, the son of a Vietnamese single father who works as a guard at the detention centre, is a bit lost and recovering from depression.  Anahita, an Iranian refugee, has just arrived from Nauru.  She is allowed out of the detention centre to attend school and during this time she can be a ‘regular Australian girl’. 

These two teens meet and develop a relationship at school.

Jono’s Dad, new to his job as guard at the Wickham Point Detention Centre, is struggling with the rules.  He initially encourages the relationship between his son and Anahita but soon becomes suspicious about Anahita’s intentions. 

This is a powerful story about the hardships that are faced by asylum seekers in Australia. This will be on our New Release bookshelf soon. 

Happy Reading and Learning 

Michelle Feely - College Librarian

SEPEP, or Sports Education in Physical Education Program, is a unique student directed task. Unlike other assignments, after the initial planning stage the teacher has a limited active role in directing the students other than to supervise the students and give active and instant feedback on student performance of the three roles students take on. The tournament consists of a schedule of teams playing against each with a class developed game called Speedball. Within various roles the class selects teams, create rules, develop a code of conduct, produce a register for each team, allocate dates to rounds and determine playing times and duty rosters. The tournament extends to training sessions, media roles for promotion of the game, and of course safe gameplay so that all students can reach their full potential and enjoy the game of Speedball as their skills and confidence develops.

It was important for the class to have five strong leaders that could be the driving force of the tournament. Five students nominated themselves and formally applied for the position. The Board Members are the voice and face of each team. They are the class members who negotiate amongst each other and with the class in the event of wet weather, student absences, class issues and possible conflict. The Board Members watched the trial game carefully and successfully developed an even distribution of skilled players into five teams. Students participated in a trial game so that they get the feel of what the game is all about and they can determine ways to make the game flow and keep players safe.

Once teams were selected, the allocation of other roles to make the tournament successful happened. Students needed to select a Duty Role when their team was acting as the Duty team.  These include roles such as:

• An Umpire, who has to select and issue rules of the game as well as be able to enforce them during the tournament.
• An Equipment Officer, who is accountable for all of the equipment used throughout the tournament, they must ensure that the equipment is set up before the players get to the court and is packed away correctly after the game has finished.
• A Scorer, who is responsible for keeping score during gameplay and reporting the results to the records officer.
• A Timekeeper, who is responsible for keeping track of the time during the tournament, this includes recalculating the game time in the case of a shortened period. And a First Aid Officer who is responsible for updating the first aid kit and ensuring there are fresh ice packs and bandages. They are also required to have basic knowledge of how to treat injuries relating to Soccer an Netball (Speedball).

Students also have the opportunity to choose a Team Role which are roles that make a contribution to either improving players' performances in the game of Speedball, developing communication within and outside of the class about the tournament, help with the effective running of the tournament, or preparing for the end of tournament celebration. Such roles include:

• A Coach and/or Trainer, who is responsible for setting drills and stretches to enhance the players' performance in the tournament.
• A Publicity Officer who notifies the players of any changes to the normal proceedings of the tournament, as well as keeping the community updated on all things SEPEP.
• A Media Officer, who is responsible for taking photos and videos of the game. The Media Officer and Publicity Officer work closely together.
• A Records Officer, who plans the draw for the tournament, keeps track of the score sheets and enters them into the final results table.
• A Celebrations Officer, who is responsible for music, best and fairest awards, and the entire grand final celebrations.

In 10.1 the Board Members are:

• Team 1, Elizabeth C
• Team 2, Alexandra F
• Team 3, Zara H
• Team 4, Minduli T
• Team 5, Rahniesha W

And the students in Team Roles are:

• Coaches: Priya S, Elizabeth K, Bridie B and Mackenzie M.
• Trainers: Yeheni F, Ellie F, Indira H, and Cody D.
• Publicity Officers: Gabrielle P and Stephanie N.
• Media Officer: Claudine V
• Records Officer: Alisha B
• Celebrations Officers: Ruby D, Steph M, Rebecca O, and Kira J.

On behalf of  Year 10.1 I’d like to say how excited we are about this assessment and how keen we all are to give it our best shot. If you would like to stay updated on the events of Year 10.1 SEPEP keep an eye out around the school for some posters and don’t hesitate to email Stephanie notts@saintpatricks.nsw.edu.au or myself pottsg@saintpatricks.nsw.edu.au if you have any questions or queries.

Gabrielle P - Year 10 Student

For a number of years now the standard of swimming at the carnival has been extremely high and 2018 was no different. The number of students with a talent for swimming is really quite amazing and it is a pleasure to watch them move through the water so fluently and effortlessly. This abundance of talent is going to place us in good stead when we return to the Wollongong Diocesan Championships in March.

Aside from the competitive aspect of the carnival, there was also lots of fun activities and novelty events which encouraged maximum participation from all students regardless of ability. The points scramble and big sister noodle relay were once again a highlight for many of the girls and a great opportunity to escape the heat of the day and take a refreshing dip, as well as earn some valuable house points. Also of note was the level of intensity and enthusiasm demonstrated by the house groups during the cheering competitions. A big congratulations must go to the Chisholm House and the senior students that lead the cheers as you were absolutely outstanding. We also had a small number of very enthusiastic students participate in the Aquathon with involved a 100m swim and a 500m run. The victor this year was Amy S who was closely followed by fellow Year 11 students Amelia A and Natalie S. Congratulations to all girls that took part of being outstanding role models for the rest of the student body.

The final results for the day will be announced in the near future.           

I would like to take this opportunity to once again congratulate the students on the way they conducted themselves throughout the day. I would also like to thank the staff for their involvement in the running of the carnival and also to the numerous parents who turned up throughout the day to support not only their daughter, but the College community as a whole.

Scott Ashcroft - Sports and Activities Coordinator

The NSWCCC Blue Award is an extremely prestigious award presented to the best two students in each sport across the whole of NSW.

Jorja received her award for the sport of Softball. Jorja is a long serving member of the NSWCCC team and was once again instrumental in the success of the team at the NSW Championships. From here, Jorja was selected as a member of the NSW All Schools team that contested the Pacific School Games held in Adelaide in December last year. Jorja was once again a very dominant member in the team and was recognised for her outstanding talent and dedication by gaining selection in the All Australian Softball team.

Amy received her award for the sport of Australian Football. Amy began her journey by attending the Australian Football trials and being selected in the NSWCCC side. After a strong performance at the NSW championships, Amy was then selected in the NSW All Schools side to contest the National Championships in Perth. Amy was once again outstanding and as a result was named in the 2017 All Australian team.

It should also be noted that Amy was also in contention for the most prestigious award of the night, the Vince Villa Award for the Most Outstanding Female Athlete for 2017. Amy was considered for this award as a result of her gaining selection in three NSW teams (Cross Country, Netball and Australian Football) as well as two Australian teams (Netball and Australian Football). Although unsuccessful on the night, Amy should be extremely proud that she was even in contention for such a prestigious award that is usually only open to senior students.

Scott Ashcroft - Sports and Activities Coordinator

Year 7, 8, 9 Volleyball

Italia M, Ruby H, Helen T, Katarina S, Jessica A, Evana S, Olivia F and Maya B. Coach Ms Cornett

Year 7, 8, 9 Softball

Chantelle D, Hannah S, Emily U, Monica R Sarah P, Elisha L, Amy Y, Darcy E, Sarah W, Iseabella W and Piper C. Coach Mrs Lawrence.

Year 10, 11, 12 Basketball

Rahni W, Amy S, Natalie S, Stephanie , Teresa S, Amelia A, Emily M and Kimberley S. Coach Mr McGrath

Year 10, 11, 12 Oz Tag

Ana C, Olivia F, Emily A, Kiarra B, Julia P, Eden G, Andrea M, Tara B, Loretta T, Lilly Z, Ellie F, Paris H and Cecilia T. Coach Mr David.

Open Tennis

Avanna R, Dayna V, Natasha T, Natasha F and Daniella D. Coach Mr Baca.

The season of Lent is a special, grace-filled time in the Church's year, when we are called to examine more deeply and critically our relationship with God through our discipleship of Jesus. In short, we are called to explore our continuing journey of gospel conversion.  We will explore such questions as: What is 'gospel' conversion? Why be converted? How do we deal with our struggles to be converted?

19 February - Year 11/12 Music Excursion
20 February - Year 8 STEM Day Excursion
21 February - College Photo Day, P & F Meeting
23 February - PUPIL FREE DAY
24 February - COLLEGE OPEN DAY, Bronze Duke Of Edinburgh
26 February - DIO Girls Touch Football
27 February - CCC Softball Selections, College Assembly(SRC Induction Years 8 - 11)
28 February - NSW All Schools Triathlon (individuals)
1 March - Year 7 Parent Night, All Schools Triathlon (Teams)
2 March - CSDA Public Speaking Round 1
5 March - CCC Girls Cricket Selections, Year 7 Camp
6 March - Middle School Parent Forum (9am or 7pm- Library), Year 7 Camp, Year 11 SLR Excursion
7 March - International Women's Day Breakfast, Year 7 Twilight Dance at St Gregory's College, Year 12 SOR Incursion
8 March - Year 10 Retreat
9 March - Middle School Dance, CSDA Public Speaking Zone Final, Year 10 Retreat
12 March - CCC Hockey Selections, P & F AGM (7pm Benedict Centre)
13 March - Middle School Assembly, Senior School Parent Forum (9am or 7pm - Library)
15 March - Dio Swimming Carnival, DIO Tennis
16 March - Official Opening of New Building, CSDA Public Speaking Grand Final
17 March - St Patrick's Day, Emerald Gala Dinner Dance
20 March - Senior School Assembly, Macarthur Max Potential Induction Workshop, Close the Gap Anniversary
22 March - Year 5 Workshops
23 March - Year 7 Reflection Day
27 March - College Assembly
28 March - Easter Liturgy
29 March - Holy Thursday - COLLEGE CLOSED
30 March - Good Friday - COLLEGE CLOSED
1 April - EASTER SUNDAY
2 April - Easter Monday - COLLEGE CLOSED
3 April - Year 9 Parent/Student Information Forum 
6 April - NSW CCC Swimming, DIO Touch Football Selections
9 April - Year 7 Vaccinations 
10 April - Year 7 Liturgy
13 April - STAFF AND STUDENTS FINISH FOR TERM 1
17 April - Appin Massacre Anniversary
30 April - STAFF AND STUDENTS RETURN FOR TERM 2