Volume 32 Issue 17 - 11 September 2020

Message from the Principal

Dear Parents and Friends of St Patrick’s College

Sue Lennox - Principal

How do you distribute the chores around the household between your children? Do you have set tasks that engage your sons and a different set for your daughters? In 2018 the University of Queensland’s report ‘Hands up for Gender Equality' found that most boys perform ‘outdoor’ chores such as mowing and putting out the rubbish whilst the girls are expected to do ‘indoor’ jobs like cleaning, cooking and child minding. There is a suggestion that the allocation of such chores in a family has implications on the perception the young person will develop of their future work areas. The suggested link is that this could reinforce the stereotype that outdoor jobs such as engineering and construction are for men and that indoor jobs such as cleaning and caring jobs such as nursing and teaching are for women.

Certainly, when I was making my way through high school the sisters were very clear about the job prospects for the girls at my school. These included nursing, teaching, secretarial work or retail. I am pleased that times have changed in that regard. There are increasing numbers of boys in teaching and nursing and the number of girls in trades and engineering are growing. There are a number of associations and organisations that support and advocate for girls to pursue their interests in jobs based on interest and capacity not on gender. I believe that the subtle prejudices of gender and roles are still present in our communities, particularly for little children, however there is an increasing awareness of this which in time may liberate both boys and girls to take roles based on interest and passion for the job.

As you would be aware, St Patrick’s College is a member of MISA. This membership enables our girls to represent the College in both sporting and cultural events against other schools in the Macarthur area. Whilst we haven’t been able to compete in the sporting arenas, we have had opportunity to participate in debating, public speaking and chess this year. MISA has launched its new website, and this will be located on our website from next week. I encourage you to take a look next week and enjoy the information and the activities the students will be able to participate in through this association.

As outlined in the Parent Forums earlier this term, the feedback from parents and staff on our previous parent/student/teacher interviews was positive, but most preferred that the interviews are held with the subject teachers for the future. We have another parent/student/teacher interview scheduled for week 1 and week 2 term 4. As such, these interviews will be with the subject teachers. A letter will go home outlining the process for bookings in the coming week. We thank staff and parents for their gracious support of our previous model and hope you find the next opportunity informative and helpful.

We are currently planning for our only fundraiser, the Emerald Ball 2021. We had received a large TV as a prize for the 2020 Ball which did not proceed. We thank Praveen Chandra from Appliance & Air Conditioning Services, who has generously donated the TV to the College this year. He has promised to provide another one as a prize for our Ball next year! Thank you Praveen. If you are able to donate any prizes or services for our Ball 2021, please contact Danielle Grant at the College who will gratefully receive it.

Wishing you a lovely spring weekend ahead. I will leave you with a reflection on creation.

Blessings

Sue Lennox - Principal 

God of creation,
you who are present in the whole universe
and in the smallest of your creatures,
who surround with your tenderness all that exists,
help us to be a witness to your presence,
to your kingdom,
here and now,
and inspire us to live in communion with all that surrounds us.
We ask this in Jesus’ name.
Amen.

Season of Creation

1 September marked the 5th annual World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation in the Catholic Church. In 2015, Pope Francis decided to set up this annual celebration and announced it in a letter released on 6 August that year. The Orthodox Christian churches have celebrated this day for many decades and Pope Francis’ decision to establish this practice within the Catholic Church can be viewed as an act of solidarity in ‘caring for our common home’. This day also begins what is now called the Season of Creation which runs from 1 September until 4 October which encourages prayer and action for the environment.

 

The theme for 2020 is "Jubilee for the Earth". As the members of the Season of Creation Advisory Committee stated, “During the Season of Creation, we unite as one family in Christ, celebrating the bonds we share with each other and with ‘every living creature on Earth.’ (Genesis 9:10) The Christian family celebrates the season by spending time in prayer, considering ways to inhabit our common home more sustainably, and lifting our voices in the public sphere”.

Louise East - Religious Education Coordinator

The Season of Creation Prayer for 2020 follows.

Year 9 Liturgy

As with many things this year, our celebration of liturgy has had to adapt to a COVID-19 world.

Ysabelle O - Year 9 Student

On Tuesday 1 September, instead of gathering in the College Chapel, Year 9 girls assembled in the Mary Sheil Centre (with appropriately spaced seating) to celebrate their Year 9 Grade Liturgy. The Year 9 girls entered into this time of prayer and meditation with reverence and respect. Their prayerfulness was maintained throughout the one hour liturgy, which had two high points. One highlight was the entering into a time of peaceful guided meditation. Another highlight was listening to two of the Year 9 girls—Abbey C. and Isabelle O.—who had written and then delivered their own reflections on their experiences of this year so far. It is the practice at St Patrick’s to invite the girls to take on leadership roles within the liturgy, such as delivering a reflection on the Scripture readings used in the liturgy. Both Abbey and Isabelle delivered engaging and remarkable reflections on their own experiences as well as reflecting on the readings used in the liturgy. Below is printed the reflection delivered by Ysabelle O:

Liturgy Reflection

Three-quarters into the year and we have all been through so much; from bushfires to drought, to a global pandemic and quarantine. It was especially difficult when we went into remote learning and working from home during the end of term 1 and term 2. It was during that time that I felt life suddenly changed a bit. Sports events were cancelled, we were advised and not allowed to go outside, school was all online and prior arrangements or events for the year had to be postponed or abandoned.

I remember feeling at that moment really rushed and confused, and a little disappointed. We went into a time where getting up in the morning, then taking a bus to get to school and actually being at school was no longer part of the routine. And before we knew it “Zoom” became the new normal. The experience was new to everyone and it sure did not go by without some struggles. But somehow, we all managed to get through it.

What particularly helped me get through such a confusing time was using a coping strategy, such as an activity or hobby that was part of my usual routine, to make me feel like things were still the same. For some, it may have been their designated family time, for others it may have been their occasional conversations with God. For me, it was that 1 hour every afternoon I spent reading, listening to music, or conversing with friends. That time became therapeutic because it allowed me to heal, to learn to be kinder to myself and others, to be more humble, gentler, and patient—as today’s reading from St Paul has suggested to us.

Eventually, we returned to school. Now, instead of facing the struggles of internet issues, it was becoming familiar with our old school routine. So many changes and challenges we have faced in such a short amount of time, yet luckily for us we were able to manage and adapt the best we can to whatever the circumstance. And we we able to do so with the support of our family, friends, and the St Patrick’s College community. This experience helped me realise that to be resilient is to accept the situation and determine your own ways to cope; to struggle means that you need to take advantage of the resources you have and the support you are given to handle the problem; and to overcome a challenge is to not be afraid. - Ysabelle O - Year 9 Student

Angelo Gattone - Mission Coordinator

Year 8 Reflection Day

The theme for Year 8 Reflection Day was the message from the prophet Micah. The message "live justly, love kindness, and walk humbly with your God" was threaded throughout the program of the day.

Closing liturgy

The students engaged in an Opening Liturgy and invoked the Holy Spirit to inspire them throughout the day. Then in small groups, we focused on the balance of 'generosity' and 'greed' through an abundance of wealth and collaboration activity. This helped the girls to understand how they and others see the world and the positive result of sharing. Back in the large group, statements were read out and the girls determined their answer on a value continuum. It was interesting to see the girls be their own person and stand on their own two feet and not always stick with the crowd with statements such as "I cannot do anything to fix the world's problems on my own", "Technology can solve any problem" and "Life is unfair". We debriefed the themes of justice and injustice and shared experiences.

The focus then moved to issues of global injustice with the Micah Challenge and responded to the climate change issue that our neighbours in Kiribati currently experience and viewed a clip on how we can become more aware of global inequalities. The song of the bird by Anthony de Mello was read to the girls which posed the question "Who is responsible" for what we see and hear in the world. This response from God in the poem "I certainly did something, I made you" is a profound reminder that we all can make a difference and do something instead of nothing.

In the final session, the girls were back in small groups and they created a mini iMovie trailer on social justice issues using the "See Judge Act" model. I look forward to seeing their creative thoughts flowing with their final products.

To conclude the day, we focused as a large group on Matthew's Gospel and responding to the Beatitudes. The girls created a handprint and footprint design reflecting on their own call to serve others. The handprints were to identify how one can use their hands to bring God's blessings to others by using their gifts and talents to offer the world, and the Footprint was to show what footprint they want to leave on earth by their contributions and how they want to be remembered. We ended with the St Francis peace prayer to draw the Reflection Day to a close.

It was a beautiful day with great energy from the students and I am proud of their thought-provoking reflections and input. I would like to thank Mr Gattone for facilitating this space and the homeroom teachers to taking time out of their classes to be with the Year 8 students.

Maria Boulatsakos - Year 8 Coordinator 

Parent Portal Updates - Preparing for Online Parent/Student/Teacher Interviews

The College Parent Portal will be updated on Monday 14 September in order to prepare for online interviews. The College Portal will be updated to Parent Portal Version 2 with the option to revert back to Version 1 if needed. This is to accommodate Parent/Student/Teacher interviews that will take place in Term 4:

14 October 2020 from 3:30pm to 7:30pm
20 October 2020 from 3:45pm to 8:00pm

Parents/carers will need to book interviews through the Parent Portal. You will receive information on this in the coming week.

Information on accessing the Portal is on the College Website. https://www.saintpatricks.nsw.edu.au/parent-and-student-portal/

In order to access the Parent Portal you will need your access key. Problems related to Portal access can be directed to elearning@saintpatricks.nsw.edu.au

In order to facilitate this process, the Parent Portal will be updated to Version 2. This update will occur on Monday 14 September.

In Portal Version 2, the screen you normally see will change. The biggest change is that there is no longer a Wellbeing module in Version 2. Wellbeing information will appear in the Home Feed in Parent Portal Version 2 (Image Parent Portal Version 2. )

To access summary information related to Merits, Demerits, Detentions and Awards, select the Version 1 link at the top left of the Portal screen (Image Parent Portal Version 1).

Kate Lefever - Acting Leader of eLearning and Library Services

2020 Semester Two Online Parent/Student/Teacher Interviews Years 7 to 11

Parent/Student/Teacher Interview evenings are an opportunity to meet your daughter’s teachers and engage in positive communication about learning and wellbeing.

Due to social distancing restrictions, Parent/Student/Teacher Interviews will be online via Zoom Interview rooms.  There are two sessions:

  • Term 4 Week 1 Wednesday 14 October 3:30pm - 7:30pm.
  • Term 4 Week 2 Tuesday 20 October 3:45pm - 8pm.

Pastoral Advisors will notify families via email when the interview sessions are open for booking and provide instruction on processes for the night. Information about the online interviews is also available on the College Remote Learning Website.

Parents require access to the Parent Portal to book interview sessions. Login to the Portal at this link https://sentral.saintpatricks.nsw.edu.au/portal/login. If you are unable to access the Portal, please email elearning@saintpatricks.nsw.edu.au.

Interview session bookings will be open from Week 9.

Debra Bourne - Acting Assistant Principal, Learning and Teaching

Year 12

Congratulations to our amazing Year 12 students who have almost completed their academic journey at St Patrick’s College for Girls. Along with most Year 12 students across New South Wales, Year 12 girls completed their final in-school HSC assessment task last week – their Trial HSC examinations.

Students will continue to receive feedback on their Trial HSC exam performance over the next week. This is the opportunity for students to look critically at the feedback and fine-tune their study plan for the next 38 plus days. From today, there are 38 days until students sit their English paper and more days between now and the dates they will sit examinations in other subjects. Every day is an opportunity to gain marks. School-based assessment counts for only 50% of final HSC marks, which means that for many subjects, 50% of HSC marks are still up-for-grabs.

Now is the time to develop a week-by-week and even a day-by-day breakdown of study tasks. Using Trial feedback, students  can examine where the mistakes are coming from or where the weaker areas of content knowledge and skills are. These areas form the basis of a study plan for each subject.  If students are unsure how to begin this process, they can ask their Year 12 subject teacher for further feedback. They will support you in identifying areas for focus moving forward through the next 38 days.

As I write, many Year 12 girls have already begun their HSC examination period. Over the past few weeks, our Technology students have submitted their major project for examination and our Performing Arts students across Drama, Dance and Music have completed their performance examinations. Congratulations to each of these students, their parents and teachers who have reached the end of this part of their academic journey – a journey which has had many unexpected turns and twists in this year of COVID.  A special shout-out to Drama students Paris H, Claudine V and their teacher, Mr Josh Combes. Paris and Claudine have been nominated for OnSTAGE, NESA's showcase of exemplary HSC drama works.

While this year’s Year 12 Showcase event for our major projects and performances is unable to be held at the College due to COVID-19, we are developing an online ShowCase event to share the good work of our Year 12 students. Keep an eye-out for a link to ShowCase via email to be sent shortly.

And a final piece of advice for Year 12 - take really good care of your mind and your body as you study and undertake examinations in these next few months leading into and during the HSC.

Debra Bourne - Acting Assistant Principal, Learning and Teaching

Year 11 Society and Culture - Intercultural Communication

Year 11 Society and Culture students recently participated in a ZOOM call with students from our Japanese Sister School, Shonan Shirayuri Gakuen.

As part of the Stage 6 Society and Culture course, students study a country as part of a case study exploring intercultural communication. We were extremely fortunate with our connections with Shonan Shirayuri Gakuen that our students were able to interview students and teachers from Japan to gather data for their research.

Wendy McDonald and Marianne Fetterplace - HSIE Faculty

Year 11 Design and Technology projects

Congratulations to the Year 11 Design and Technology students on their hard work and dedication towards the completion of their projects this term.

The girls have worked on their projects during very challenging times over the last sixteen weeks. The girls were tasked to design and produce a new children’s toy/item for the new Target Kids line. Students were able to use any material and technique they wished and they documented their progress and planning in a design portfolio. The girls explored use of the timber and textiles workshops as well as laser cutting technologies. Some students wished to approach the task using sustainable materials, while others worked to a budget. Their portfolio work was particularly exceptional. A great effort girls, you have displayed perseverance, determination and hard work to complete quality items you should be proud of.

Alicia Pollicina - TAS Teacher

So, where DO we get our news…?

Recently, you were sent a link to a Google form which had been designed by the Year 12 English Studies class to determine where we as a community received our news. 330 members of our community provided a response. We would like to share some of the most notable results.

Some of the data collected exploring the way we deal with conflicting information

One of the most interesting discoveries was that different types of issues lead us to rely on different types of media. For the Pandemic, we tended to use more formal avenues of media like print, newspaper, TV and radio. For social issues like The Black Lives Matter protests in the USA, we accessed social media to gather information. As a class, we believe this is because the Black Lives Matter protests have been occurring overseas and were not given the same coverage as local issues.

When comparing our data to the Digital News Report: Australia 2016 collected by the News and Media Research Centre at the University of Canberra, we were accessing similar types of media for our age demographic. However, we had slightly lower TV usage and slightly higher radio use. Our class surmised that this is because lots of us travel to school where there are radios, but we use more streaming sources like Netflix and Stan at home rather than our TVs for news.

As a community, when we are given conflicting information, we tend to use a new source to independently check our facts. This was not surprising for our class, as we know that we are taught to be critical of the information we have been given.

We thank you for your time and your critical use of media.

Written by Crystelle S, Danielle H, Toni E, Aiesha C, Gabrielle T and Zoe V - Year 12 Students

Ruby The Delta Dog

On Monday 31 August 2020, Mrs Harradine and Ruby (her dog) visited the Year 11 English Studies class.

Mrs Harradine and Ruby are a part of the Delta Therapy Dog group. Delta Society Australia is a national non-profit organisation aimed to help the community to improve the quality of life. They have been visiting Easton Park Nursing Homes, Glenfield for five years now. Ruby and Mrs Harradine enjoy volunteering their time and also help to make the people who are at the home feel valued and connected. 

“During the talk I was really inspired to do this when I am older and I have free time to help out.” Amelia M - Year 11 Student

“I was very inspired by her talk as it made me think that when I am retired, I would like to do that as I want to contribute to the community.” Natasha B - Year 11 Student

Claudine Bell - English Teacher

St Patrick’s College past student encourages us to be ourselves and focus on our goals

In this unprecedented year, mental health is yet again the number one issue affecting young people. But we shouldn’t give up, instead, we need to focus on our goals and block out distractions.

English Studies interviewing Soraiya Fuda

In a recent interview with the Year 12 English Studies class, Soraiya Fuda, National Content-led Growth and Insights Manager for 'The Australian' discussed the importance of taking care of ourselves and focusing on our mental health.

“I do believe mental health is the biggest issue facing young people today and we need to talk more about it,” said Soraiya Fuda.

“We don’t want to be ourselves if we’re a little bit different, we try to be ‘normal’,” said Ms Fuda.

Ms Fuda, an ex-student of St Patrick’s College, discussed the value of focusing on the positives and ensuring that we don’t listen to people that try to hold us back.

“Keep focused on what your end goal is and ignore the negative that comes with it.”

“Make sure your mind is stronger than the statistics and the noise that won’t get you there.”

Ms Fuda praised St Patrick’s College and its wonderful support for her current career.

“If it wasn’t for St Patrick’s College, I probably would not be sitting in front of all you today.”

She commented that being in Advanced English for her senior years was a real challenge, but it was something that she was very proud of. 

She recognised and thanked her English Teacher and the Careers Teacher, Mr Williams, for never giving up on her.

“I went to my Careers Teacher and asked him what I should be… and he said I should be a Journalist.”

“It is like he had a crystal ball.”

Ms Fuda started working for the 'In Macarthur' magazine and then moved into the 'Daily Telegraph'.

She was fundamental in the innovative movement of newspapers into apps and developed insights into how different demographics utilise media content. 

This lead to changes in the ways journalists have to think about content organisation.

Ms Fuda now works for 'The Australian' with a focus on National and Community News.

However, she still believes in the importance of a community focus.

When asked, Ms Fuda commented that the most memorable article she had ever written was a piece which allowed her to access the strong emotional connections we make as people. 

As a cadet journalist, she worked with a woman who was terminally ill, and even now, 15 years later, she still recognises this as one of the most valuable experiences of her career.

She is still in contact with the family and even mentors her children.

For Ms Fuda, a career should be something that allows you to develop and grow as a person. 

Year 12 English Studies thanks Soraiya Fuda for her time and wise words as we all undertake the HSC examination period. Her message to focus on being ourselves and staying positive is a timely reminder of the power of following our goals. 

“My advice to all of you is to really use the resources around you. I think it kind of goes a bit over our heads every now and again and we kind of go ‘oh yeah there is a careers advisor over here and a counsellor over here’ and we don’t always know how to use them.” 

“If you never ask the question, the answer will always be no”.

Written by Crystelle S, Danielle H, Toni E, Aiesha C, Gabrielle T and Zoe V - Year 12 Students

Debating and Public Speaking Update

Once again, our debators and pubic speakers here at St Patrick's have been very busy competing in CSDA, MISA and History Debating. Here is an update on results:

Mariam A - Second place winner of MISA Youth of the Year

Year 9 MISA Youth of the Year

On Wednesday 26 August, Mariam A and Isabella W of Year 9 were proud to represent the College in the Macarthur Independent Schools Association’s Youth of the Year Public Speaking Competition. This competition focuses on the students’ awareness and understanding of current affairs, with participants presenting a three minute prepared speech on a socially current topic of their choice and participating in a five minute interview with a panel of Campbelltown Toastmasters Club members. The interview is somewhat prepared, and involves the discussion of issues such as religion, social, educational and political events in the local, national and international scope.
Isabella’s prepared speech displayed wisdom beyond her years as she argued the impact and relevance of Gen Z’s unique voice in the social and political climate, alluding to the significance of youth voices in creating progress over several generations. In her interview, Isabella discussed the importance of recognising privilege and fighting discrimination to promote change and growth, using the example of herself as a young woman facing sexism as she aims for a career in STEM.
Mariam’s prepared speech was an emotionally compelling discussion of Palestine, highlighting the importance of raising awareness in our community. Her passion and expression were something to behold, even moving members of her audience to tears! In the interview, Mariam asserted the necessity of active anti-racism approaches and alluded to the essential role of multicultural communities such as Campbelltown in creating a safe and inclusive environment for all. While we are greatly proud of both students, some special congratulations go to Mariam for winning second place in the competition; a great accomplishment in a pool of 14 local schools and 28 talented students.
A big thank you to Mr Duncan for his support of Miss Bryant and the St Patrick’s College public speaking community.

Year 10 J.A. Thompson History Debating

On Thursday 27 August our Year 10 History Debating squad took on the challenge of debating against Roseville College in the J.A. Thompson History Debating Competition. This week, our girls negated the topic ‘That John Howard’s legacy should be centred on his economic achievements’. Throughout the training process, the girls worked extremely well to ensure that they knew the nuances of this topic as well as the great variety of material that has been written about Howard over the last 25 years. They also worked hard to refine their case development skills as well as their use of historiography so that all of their points were supported with evidence. On the day, the girls expertly argued that Howard’s legacy should in fact be centred on his gun reforms after the 1996 Port Arthur massacre, as these reforms achieved the greatest good for the greatest number of Australians in reflection of the ideas of moral relativism and utilitarianism. The girls engaged with a well-constructed affirmative case from Roseville which dealt with the nature of the GST, Budget Surpluses and Free Trade Agreements with the USA. At the end of the debate, on the grounds of having stronger refutation and a better supported case, our girls walked away victorious! This now means that they will take their place in the Quarter Finals of the competition against Tara Anglican and this debate will happen towards the end of Term 3. Our Year 10 squad consists of: Bianca R, Grace K, Molly Q, Olivia L, Layla E and Chelsea P. Congratulations to these girls on a wonderful victory and best of luck as you prepare for the upcoming Quarter Finals! A big thank you must also go to our Year 9 squad who also watched the debate on the day.


Year 8 CSDA Quarter Final

On Friday 4 September, our Year 8A CSDA team participated in the quarter final against Santa Sabina College. The squad, consisting of Meghan W, Romina A and Emeline L, debated the subject of volunteer work over Zoom. While affirming the topic 'that volunteering should be compulsory', our students built a case surrounding the knock on effect on younger generations, questioning the negative’s stance on volunteering and compulsory as antithetical. Unfortunately, we were not the winners of this quarter final, bringing our CSDA season to a close. However, the girls received valuable feedback to incorporate all keywords in the topic into their case. A great lesson for next time! A big thank you to Mr Duncan for his adjudication and support of Miss Bryant and the girls. The College congratulates these students for making it this far in a very challenging season - we can’t wait to see what this team will achieve in the future!

Year 7 and 8 MISA Debating Round 4

We are thrilled to share that on Monday 7 September, our Year 7 and 8 MISA Debaters emerged victorious in their Round Four debate against Broughton Anglican College. Our Year 7 squad, consisting of Eliza F, Orlaith B, Diadem A and Jamie M, debated the topic ‘That coaches should be required to give equal playing time to school age athletes regardless of skill.’ Our students argued the negative, proving that this model would not be appropriate for those with disabilities, injuries or special family circumstances. Our Year 8 squad had to bring in some new debaters this week, so a big congratulations to those who represented our Year 8 team: Jacqueline C, Abby D, Emeline L and Emma G. This team debated the negative for the topic ‘That films tell a story more effectively than books’, arguing that books provide greater accessibility for the visually and hearing impaired, as well as greater depth and detail in the description. We were able to engage with the affirmative case well, providing a clearly structured and impactful rebuttal. A big thank you to Mr Duncan for his adjudication and support of Miss Bryant and the girls, and congratulations to our MISA debaters on winning their round four debate! Also, well done and thank you to our Timekeepers and Madam Chairs, Tara B, Nikitta J and Lillian J for their professional facilitation of the debate.

Laura Bryant - Public Speaking and Debating Coordinator

DEARS House Cup 2020

Congratulations to Kenny for taking out this year’s DEARS House Cup Competition with 82 entries. That makes it two years in a row for Kenny, and the trophy stays Green!

DEARS House Cup Winners 2020

Across all four houses, we had nearly 200 entries in this year’s competition. Students are able to enter by reading a book and completing a short summary review to gain a House Point and a merit.

The following students earned the most points for each house and have won a $15 QBD voucher: 

KENNY   Angelina B (Year 8)
CHISOLM   Kayla S (Year 7)
GILMORE   Eve Mc (Year 8)
LYONS   Caitlyn R (Year 8) and Bronwyn Z (Year 8)

Five more lucky prize winners were drawn from the remaining entries in the DEARS House Cup Barrel and also won a $15 QBD voucher: Louise F, Simra B, Emily M, Riya V and Ruby K.

Entries for the 2021 DEARS House Cup Competition are now open. Happy reading!

Claire McGillicuddy - English Teacher

Celebrating Literacy and Numeracy Week 2020

Literacy and Numeracy Week 2020 was celebrated from Monday 31 August until Friday 4 September and there was certainly a buzz of excitement in the air. During the week we explored the wonderful world of bees, focusing on a different learning area each day.

Congratulations to Marissa K our major prize winner

On Monday the focus was on literacy as we looked at insect-related proverbs, metaphors and sayings and learnt some key vocabulary “buzz words”. On Tuesday the focus shifted towards numeracy, exploring the world of bees through numbers. There was a tricky maths puzzle to solve and we learnt some surprising facts – did you know that an average worker bee will produce only one twelfth of a teaspoon of honey in its lifetime? On Wednesday we went searching through the arcHIVEs to discover the history of bees and honey. We looked at the various ways honey was used in Ancient Egypt and during Roman times and discovered where the earliest bee was found. The focus for Thursday was science - life cycles, anatomy, senses and how the honeybee colony is structured. On Friday we explored food and health as we learnt about the health benefits of honey and the importance of bees in our world. We met some of Australia’s native bees and found out what is special about their honey. 

We hope everyone enjoyed Literacy and Numeracy Week and learning about the wonderful world of bees. There were a number of students who entered the quiz every day, but only one student who managed a perfect score for every quiz. Congratulations to Marissa K from Year 11 who is our major prize winner. For all of the students who participated in the LAN Week quizzes we are giving out a Bee Garden pack to take home and create their own bee-friendly garden.

The College Library

Clubs@the library

The library is generally a hive of activity, and recess and lunchtimes most certainly fit the bill. These are when the clubs meet.

Fridays at lunch in D21, the Anime club meet. They are certainly a passionate bunch and definitely not quiet, but they do love their Anime.

Term 3 started with a poster competition; the aim being to create a poster that advertises the Anime club.

Congratulations to Annie B of Year 8 on being voted the winner of the competition.

The College Library

Clickview study tips@the library

2020 is rapidly approaching the pointy end. Year 11 are about to commence their prelims and Year 12 are studying hard for their upcoming HSC. But with exams comes stress and anxiety.

Clickview contains many helpful videos

Clickview have a number of videos to support students during these stressful times.

Understanding Anxiety (for students) is a three part series that defines stress and anxiety and how to conquer them.

 Study skills clips covers learning styles and time management, and Library skills clips covers copyright, plagarism, and successful researching tips.

Check out HSC Study tips collection from Scott Wimble, a HSIE teacher located in Sutherland Shire. He has some great tips delivered in a really fun way!

The College Library

September Study Skills Tips - The Power of Collaborative Learning

Learning with other students can be a very powerful way to improve your learning outcomes. You might be discussing in person what you are learning, working together in an online group and sharing your screens, or giving feedback about an assignment. There are many benefits to learning to work with other students.

Group collaboration

MOTIVATION: Studying together can be much more motivating than studying alone. Setting targets and working towards them together can help keep you focused on completing your assignments. Often study done together is more active and engaging than studying alone and this is much better for retention.
 
DEEPEN UNDERSTANDING:  Discussing with a friend, bouncing ideas off each other, asking each other questions – all of these will help strengthen your neural networks and deepen your understanding of what you are learning. This can help to develop our higher order thinking skills.
 
DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES: Sometimes we don’t realise we are looking at things in one particular way and there are different and diverse viewpoints to ours. Learning with a friend can put things in a different perspective, helping you see things differently. This can help develop our critical thinking skills. 
 
BUILD TEAMWORK SKILLS: Learning to cooperate, negotiate and problem solve with others is a great skill to have in later life. By learning with other students, you have opportunities to learn to participate more actively in group work and also develop communication and leadership skills.

The College Library

NSW Premier's Reading Challenge

Congratulations to the 18 students who have completed the NSW Premier’s Reading Challenge this year.

Under challenging circumstances these students managed to read twenty books each – what a fantastic effort!

The students who completed the 2020 Challenge are:

Fatima A, Diadem A, Maram A, Simra B, Annie B, Darcy E, Bianca J, Ashley J, Lillian J, Charley L, Shreya M, Sarah M, Caitlin O, Mackenzie Q, Caitlin R, Gabrielle V, Laura Z and Bronwyn Z

We will let you know when your certificates arrive.

The College Library

JB HI-FI Solutions for Educations - BYOD Portal

JB Hi-Fi BYOD Online provides families with access to a wide range of education-specific laptops, tablets, accessories and insurance. Families that are looking to purchase a new device may find this portal useful when shopping around.

1. Go to www.jbeducation.com.au/byod
2. Enter school code: SPCCBYOD
3. Once logged in, select the relevant student programme.
4. Follow the prompts to choose your device, insurance cover and device accessories.
5. Enter your personal details.
6. Select a payment method and complete your order.
7. If you have any questions regarding JB HI-Fi Portal/offer, please contact jbeducation.com.au/byod or call 1300 730 548.

Kate Lefever - Acting Leader of eLearning

Seeking HSC Exam Supervisors for 2020

We are currently looking for exam supervisors for the upcoming HSC examinations at St Patrick’s College. No previous experience required, this is a paid role and applicants must be available from 20 October to 11 November.

Looking for caring, community minded individuals. Applicants will need a current Working with Children Check clearance.

For information regarding Working with Children Clearance click here:  How to apply for a Working with Children Clearance

For further information regarding this position please contact: Rose-Maree Thomson via email: rmthomson57@yahoo.com