During the week, we inducted our new College leaders. They follow an outstanding team led by Tavara who worked against the difficulties of COVID and lockdowns to bring a service to the community that was authentic and sincere. We acknowledged and thanked them and, with that, welcomed the new team encouraging and urging them to bring their own strengths and talents to their position. I am confident they will do a fabulous job. 

Leadership is a difficult mantle to wear at times. We see in our broader community people who hold a public position often targeted, vilified or slandered. They are fair game. Is it that we are coming out of COVID and the tempers are easily aroused and stress levels are exacerbated? In some circumstances, the tolerance threshold of difference is very low. In my role as Principal, I have experienced elements of these behaviours at times, as have our St Pat's staff. Regrettably, there have been times they have had to deal with aggression and threats when they enter a conversation in good faith that there will be mutual respect and thoughtful consideration.

How is it that we have come to this in our society? In my time as Principal of the College, this year has been challenging and confronting in managing the tone and the approach of some people who are unhappy or aggrieved. It is fair and expected that there will be differences and disagreement in all communities around how things are managed or policies that are in place. In our community, that models Benedictine values, we try to always interact with each other with mutual respect and appreciation. We firmly believe these interactions are opportunities for our growth and improvement. We are not always going to agree. But, we can disagree respectfully and still hold the dignity of the person we disagree with intact. It certainly can be difficult at times and we are ever so grateful to those in our community who work with us in making the College a safe place for everyone. We are thankful as a community that the majority of our parents understand the sometimes difficult work that is part of educating young people in 2022 and that they support what we as a College do to provide the girls with the leadership needed in these difficult and uncertain times.

So, as the new leaders take on their roles, I know in this community, they will experience support, kindness, encouragement and guidance from all at the College. We will enliven in them the benefits of service and hopefully kindle a desire to continue to show leadership and courage long after their years at St Patrick's have finished.

We recently had a very positive experience at the Parent Forum on Tuesday evening. Braving the conditions of the very sudden cold snap, parents joined Mrs Wright, Courtney Russell, our psychologist, and myself to discuss Student Wellbeing. It was firstly great to see parents face to face again at our Forum after a long absence and it was affirming to hear the benefit these parents gained from the discussion. If there are any topics you would like covered at a Parent Forum in the future, please send me an email outlining your topic.

Earlier this year, we were invited by Catholic Schools NSW to engage in a COVID Intensive Support Program. The funding is from the Federal Government which enables schools to identify students who may have been disadvantaged by the recent lockdowns due to COVID and offers an intensive program of support to get them up to speed in their literacy. Mrs Benney and Mrs Torpy have been working with Dr Bourne to identify the girls, then train the tutors and implement the program. We have now started the program and it is wonderful knowing the girls will receive an enormous benefit from this opportunity.

You will receive an email shortly inviting you to complete a survey on your perspective of the College. All students, staff, parents and Board directors will have an opportunity to respond. We haven’t participated in this survey, constructed by the Association of Independent Schools (AIS) before but it will provide very rich data on what we do well as a College and what we need to continue to work on. More information about this survey is contained in this edition of the Inside Out. I thank you in anticipation for your completion of this survey.

I will finish this edition with a prayer for courage, wisdom, faith and love. From A Canopy of Stars by Christopher Gleeson.

Blessings

Sue Lennox - Principal

Lord, grant us

Courage to do right
when doing wrong or nothing at all
would be easier.

Wisdom to say the right thing at the right time
because words have the power to help or hurt.

Faith in the goodness of humankind
because living in doubt and fear is not living as you
meant it to be.

And, most important, Love,

The kind that gives without demanding,
supports without holding too tightly,
And understands that we are, all of us, imperfect.

These surveys have been specifically designed to assist schools in gaining an understanding of stakeholders’ perceptions of five important areas: School Environment, Teaching and Learning, Student Wellbeing, Leadership and Community. All staff, students, parents/guardians, leaders and board members will be invited to participate.

The surveys will be available from 5 September 2022 to 18 September 2022 and are conducted online, taking approximately 20 minutes to complete.

Your input and contribution are important to the success of our continuous school improvement process as we aspire to improve the learning experience for everyone at our school.

For any enquiries about the surveys, please contact the College for more details.

2022 will be the first year that we celebrate the Season of Creation at St Patrick’s. We are doing this as part of our Laudato Si Action Plan, a seven year commitment to join the global Catholic community in response to Pope Francis’ call to respond to the cry of the Earth and the poor. It will be a chance to raise awareness of the issues relating to the suffering of creation and to pray ecumenically with other Christians.

This year we will unite around the theme, “Listen to the Voice of Creation.”

The Psalmist declares, “The heavens are telling the glory of God; and the firmament proclaims God’s handiwork. Day to day pours forth speech, and night to night declares knowledge…their voice is not heard; yet their voice goes out through all the Earth, and their words to the end of the world.” (19: 1-4)

During the Season of Creation, our common prayer and action can help us listen for the voices of those who are silenced. In prayer, we lament the individuals, communities, species, and ecosystems that are lost, and those whose livelihoods are threatened by habitat loss and climate change. In prayer, we centre the cry of the Earth and the cry of the poor.

The burning bush is the Symbol for the Season of Creation 2022. “I have heard their cry…I know their sufferings…Come, now! I will send you…I will be with you” (Ex 3:1-12).

Today, the prevalence of unnatural fires is a sign of the devastating effects that climate change has on the most vulnerable of our planet. Human greed, desertification and land misuse lead to the disintegration of ecosystems, the destruction of habitats, and the loss of livelihoods and species at an alarming rate. Creation cries out as forests crackle, animals flee, and people are forced to migrate due to the fires of injustice that we have caused.

On the contrary, the fire that called to Moses as he tended the flock on Mt. Horeb did not consume or destroy the bush. This was a flame of the Spirit that revealed God’s life sustaining presence. This holy fire affirmed that God heard the cries of all who suffered, and promised to be with us as we followed faithfully to deliverance from injustice. During the Season of Creation, this symbol calls us to listen to the voice of creation, and faithfully respond through worship, repentance and action.

Moses was told to remove his sandals, for he was standing on holy ground in God’s presence. May this symbol move us to remove the “sandals” of our unsustainable lifestyles that disconnect us from creation and our Creator, contemplate our connection to the holy ground where we live, and listen for the voice of creation.

Louise Barry - Religious Studies Coordinator

As usual, a student from the year group is invited to write and deliver a reflection for the Liturgy. The Year 9 student invited to present a reflection was Oreoluwa A. What follows are the words she composed and read out to her peers:

Lectio Divina, Obedience and Discipline, are the Benedictine values we have placed our focus on for this year. Before actually reflecting on the first reading and the gospel, it is important to draw out our understanding of what these three values truly mean.

Firstly, Lectio Divina is a name many of us may not be familiar with. It simply means the “holy reading” of the Bible. It is a way of reading the Scriptures in which we progressively let go of our own agenda and allow God to speak to us. 

Secondly, Obedience. When we think of the word “obedience” we may often associate it with things like rules or even fear of punishment by not abiding by those rules—for example, the fear of getting caught for not following school rules. We feel forced to comply with these rules because of the consequences we could face. But obedience, from a Biblical point of view, recognises that individuals shouldn’t be forced to comply with God's will; they must do so because they know it is right, because they want to do it, and because it gives them comfort.

Finally, Discipline. In my experience, this word reminds me of planning to study for a Maths exam way ahead of time only to end up revising the night before. With the word “discipline”, we mainly think of rules, regulations, and enforcement. But discipline is none of those. It is neither restrictive, boring, nor repetitive. Discipline is not something that is imposed on you. It is something you do for your own benefit. You can get teaching or advice from various sources, but the source of discipline is within. It is an internal issue. Discipline is not conforming to someone else's norms in order to escape punishment. It is the process of learning and using an intentional criteria to attain meaningful goals.

Now that we understand our Benedictine values, how do they relate with today’s First Reading and the Gospel (Mk 11:22-25)? Well from these readings we can identify the clear themes of fostering our relationship with Christ. “When we ask of things according to his will, he hears us, and in that same accordance we know that we have obtained the requests made of him” (from the First Reading - 1 Jn. 5:13-20).From this reading, we understand that we should follow Christ’s teachings, be disciplined in our faith, and obey God’s Word. In doing so, we will be gifted what we need.

The call to obey leads to our own personal development. Every command God gives us is not for God's benefit, but purely for our benefit. By obeying his call to take care of this earth and treating each other with love and kindness, we are strengthening our bond with Christ. The call to be disciplined in what we do helps us to attain meaningful goals. By being disciplined in prayer and our understanding of the Scriptures, we are led to the benefit of growth through Christ, just as the call to Lectio Divina is necessary for deepening our connection with Christ. 

As individuals and as a society, let us allow God's Word to alter us so that we may begin to view our world through God's eyes and love what we see through God's heart.

Oreoluwa is a Middle School leader in the role of Pax Captain.

St Patrick’s College was one of six schools competing. There were a range of activities to complete such as Mars Rovers, ElectraCity, bionic hands, water turbines, Stringways and much more. One team from each school competed in every challenge. Each team was awarded points based on how well they completed the challenge compared to the other teams. The activities included things like building a functioning hand out of straws and string that needed to be able to effectively pick up different items, as well as perform sign language!

Over the day, Oreoluwa A, Madeleine M, Georgina V and Valentina V were challenged to design a bridge out of wooden dowel, paddle pop sticks, tape and elastics that could keep together when a metal trolley with weights was added. There was a lot of excitement during this presentation as it was the hardest challenge and earned us more points. Our bridge team built a sturdy bridge that ended up placing 2nd overall. 

We were fortunate to have come in 4th place overall out of six schools, which was an excellent achievement as we were competing against mostly Year 10 and 11 students. Thank you to Miss Stapley, Mrs Parker and Mrs Thomas for organising the day and creating a memorable and exciting experience for all of us.

By Bree M and Ava M - Year 9 Students

Showcase is our annual celebration of the HSC Projects created by the students at St Patrick's College for Girls. Come on a journey and experience the exceptional talent and creativity of the Class of 2022 featuring major works and performances from our Year 12 students from Dance, Drama, Music, Design and Technology, English Extension II, History Extension, Society and Culture and Visual Arts.

Wednesday 31 August 2022
Mary Sheil Centre

Commencing 6:00pm | Official opening 6:30pm
Canapes

prepared and served by Year 11 Hospitality

Dress: Smart casual

RSVP 25 August

Year 11 students should be commencing their study for the examination period right now. Students are encouraged to check their assessment task notification to clarify what will be included in the examination. Study techniques include breaking up the course content into topics and subtopics and allocating some study time to each of these areas or to an area of weakness. Use a diary or calendar to develop a study timeline. Another approach involves making a study checklist for each course. Write down the main topics studied and the subtopics. Keep in mind that not every topic will require the same amount of time to study.

Students need to familiarise themselves with the Year 11 Examination Procedures, available from their Year 11 Assessment pages. Examinations cannot be rescheduled for students who are absent. If an Illness or Misadventure occurs immediately before or during a Preliminary examination that is beyond the student's control or prevents them from attending an examination, then an Illness/Misadventure appeal can be lodged that includes independence evidence to support the application. The documentation must be current, specific to the date and time of the exam, and submitted with the Illness/Misadventure form. A medical certificate that merely states a student is unfit is unacceptable. Please refer to the examination procedures, the Illness and Misadventure forms and processes available on the library assessment pages https://library.saintpatricks.nsw.edu.au/assessment.

Debra Bourne - Assistant Principal Learning and Teaching

The offers will go out through Homeroom / Pastoral later in Week 7. Students are advised to speak with parents /carers about the course confirmation and program of study for 2023. To accept the offer and secure a place in each course, parents / carers must acknowledge the Confirmation of the 2023 Year 11 program of study by signing the form and returning the confirmation to Pastoral / Homeroom teachers as soon as possible.

TVET and external courses

These courses are not included in this confirmation as these applications are a separate process. Please check with the Careers Advisor, Mr Williams about offers in external courses.

Important information about changing subjects

Changing subjects term 3 and 4 2022

Students can contact the Assistant Principal Learning and Teaching (DBourne@saintpatricks.nsw.edu.au) for changes this term and next term. At this stage, we can often accommodate changes, but they are not guaranteed. Some subjects are full.

Changing subjects after term 4 2022

Students are asked to choose wisely and carefully throughout the subject selection process as changing subjects once the course has begun creates difficulties for both students and staff.

Some changes can be accommodated after the commencement of the new academic year, but not all and these should happen in the first few weeks of the year (usually before the end of February). The further advanced the academic year, the more difficult it will be for Coordinators to be able to accept students wishing to change to another subject.

An application for course change must be submitted to the Assistant Principal Learning and Teaching. The Assistant Principal will only approve a change of subject if there are places available in the course and she is convinced that the student can complete all work set and be assessed effectively in the new subject

A change of subject form will be available in 2023 from the Year 11 Assessment Pages and students must consult the Careers Advisor as well as the Subject Coordinator.

The final date for change of course requests is 24 February 2023

Debra Bourne - Assistant Principal, Learning and Teaching

Now that the weather has improved, we have also cleared out the agriculture plots to plant vegetables. The Year 7 students were very excited to get into the plots and clear out the weeds that had grown due to the rain. We look forward to planting, caring for and watching the vegetables grow.

Ben Robson - eLearning Coordinator

The topic of the debate was "That the Americanisation of Australia has caused more harm than good." As the affirmative team, St Patrick's argued a convincing debate listing and convincing the adjudicator that the Americanisation of Australia has done more harm than good. 

Ava, as first speaker commenced the debate and established a really strong definition and scope for the topic. She continued the team's arguments with a great manner. This was further supported by Olivia, as second speaker, who further strengthened the team's case and clearly refuted the negative team's arguments. Meghan left the adjudicator with no doubt whatsoever that St Pat's case was a clear winner. 

The team were well supported by Holly, as a fourth speaker, who helped fuel the rebuttals. 

A big thank you to these girls for helping the team develop their arguments: Oreoluwa, Orlaith, Ria, Molly and  Eve. 

The girls will now progress onto the quarter finals against Tara Anglican College later this term. 

Tabitha Brown - Public Speaking and Debating

Vietnam Veterans' Day marks the day in 1966 when the Battle of Long Tan took place. Five men from Campbelltown were killed in Vietnam, including Kevin 'Dasher' Wheatley VC. The girls met several veterans, serving military personnel and caught up with past staff member and Board Member, Mr Bernie Egan, who served in Vietnam. 

In lieu of a wreath, the students laid a book tribute (two books on the Vietnam War) on behalf of the College. These will be distributed to schools in the Macarthur area. 

The students enjoyed looking at the various monuments in Mawson Park and the historical displays in the RSL Club.

Fran Musico Rullo - HSIE Teacher

The girls involved were Chantelle G, Mia W, Amelia C, Bronwyn Z, Laura Z, Isabelle S, Keeley M and Chloe K. The girls did our College proud and were given the honour of forming the guard during the wreath laying ceremony. There was a segment on Channel 9 news on VP Day which featured some great shots of the girls. The students also met the new federal member for Fowler, Dai Lee, Mayor of Fairfield, Frank Carbone and serving military personnel from the Australian and USA defence forces. 

The veterans were really impressed with our students with one saying 'You just don't know what it means to us to have them here' both because it brings back memories of  when they were injured in Vietnam, but also because it shows the youth of today have not forgotten their sacrifices.

Fran Music Rullo - HSIE Teacher

Sophia's entry placed in the top 10 of over 90 entries. Students were invited to enter throughout July with winners and finalists announced throughout Science Week in August. Judges were very impressed with the high calibre of skill shown in digital colouring from all entries. Well done Sophia!

More details on the competition and all finalists can be found here:

https://www.ansto.gov.au/incredible-insects-competition-results-2022 

Jessica Thomas - Science Teacher

Stage a play, perform a dance, film an artwork, make a documentary, produce an animation or surprise us with your creativity. Your video must be at least 30 seconds long and no longer than 4 minutes. It can be on any of the following topics:

• Defining Moments in Australian History 
• Australian’s Defining Moments Digital Classroom 
• Momentous 
• Or a moment that is unique to your local area
  
  

This is open to all year groups and entries close 4 November 2022
For more information see https://digital-classroom.nma.gov.au/history-makers

Book Week is a time to celebrate all things books and, more specifically, Australian authors and illustrators.

The theme this year was “Dreaming with eyes open”.

To celebrate, the Library team created a number of activities for students to enjoy throughout the week.

Students could join in the fun by:

(✓) Checking out the display in the library of the fantastic CBCA shortlisted books for Older Readers. There were multiple copies of these books available for students to borrow.

(✓) Entering our virtual Book in a Jar competition. Students were asked to guess which book was in the jar from just a few sentences. Every student who entered the competition was entered into a draw to win a prize.

(✓) Going on a Blind Date with a Book. Students were invited to go on a blind date with a book by choosing their perfect match from just a few small clues written on books covered with brown paper.

(✓)  Writing a Book Review. We asked students to tell us which books they love and why. Special review slips were available in the library and the reviews were put on display. Every student who submitted a review was entered into a draw to win a prize.

We hope all students found something to get involved in during Book Week and enjoyed dreaming with their eyes open.

The College Library

This year’s CBCA Book of the Year is Rebecca Lim’s Tiger Daughter. The novel tells the story of Melbourne student Wen Zhou, the daughter of struggling Chinese immigrants who must defy her overbearing father and rely on her resourcefulness to find her own voice. It is a wonderful story about family and friendship and would particularly appeal to students in Years 7 – 9.  Students are welcome to borrow this title, as well as the other short-listed titles in the Older Reader category.

The College Library

Congratulations to the following students who read 20 books and completed the Challenge this year:

Meenakshi A, Stephanie B, Simra B, Holly B, Maddison E, Zahra E, Karli G, Lillian J, Sophie M, Shreya M, Olivia N, Alexandra N, Sta O, Jasmine P, Emma R, Caitlin R, Hannah T, Jessica T, Hannah W, Bronwyn Z, Laura Z.

The College Library

When the pandemic interrupted our lives and changed the way we live, this meant that suddenly many of our young people's main sources of connection with peers and extended family members were removed overnight without warning. As human beings, we have a basic emotional and biological need for connection. It provides us with feelings of identity, security, support, acceptance and community.

Students who have a sense of belonging will experience these feelings which, in turn, supports their academic, psychological and social development. When young people come together again after a period of instability, there is a period of adjustment. Whilst the rules of the group may be established, acceptance remains paramount and can therefore mean some behaviours become far from rational, making it difficult for their brain to focus on things, such as learning. All these factors combined, leave young people open to being vulnerable. It can sometimes tempt them into making choices or becoming involved in situations they might not ordinarily consider.

As a result of the pandemic, there are still many young people struggling to connect and regain their sense of belonging. This Special Report provides guidance to families who find themselves in this situation.

We hope you take time to reflect on the information offered in this Special Report and, as always, we welcome your feedback.

If you do have any concerns about the wellbeing of your child, please contact the school for further information or seek medical or professional help.

Here is the link to the special report:
https://saintpatricks.nsw.schooltv.me/wellbeing_news/special-report-building-belonging-post-pandemic

So how can parents find the right balance? Some areas to consider are: 

1. Understand your own motivations: Why do you want your child to achieve particular marks in their studies?  Is it because you have pressure from family/friends/society about what your child will achieve?  Do you want them to follow in your career footsteps?  Do you want them to have opportunities you never had as a child or young person?  Understanding your own motivations will help you find balance in your expectations of your children.
2. Help your children to set realistic goals: Keep talking to your children about what they want to achieve, in individual subjects, at school overall and in other aspects of their life.  Their career goals may mean they want to focus intensively on something like art or music, rather than maths or science.  Helping them to identify their goals will enable them to determine what subjects they need to focus on and what marks they are likely to need, which means that effort can be concentrated on the areas which will help them to achieve their goals. 
3. Be involved in your children’s learning: Throughout the term talk to your children about what they are studying.  Ask them to show you their bookwork and homework.  The more you understand about what they are doing and how they are going along the way, the better you will be able to set and manage your expectations.
4. Make sure you really communicate what you expect: Many students feel like they are not meeting their parents’ expectations.  Often this is a result of poor communication about expectations by both parties.  Reflect on your motivations (see 1 above) and think about how you communicate your expectations to your children.  Remember to praise them for the effort they make rather than the results they achieve, this way they are motivated to keep on trying, even when learning is difficult.
5. Develop an understanding of the school’s assessment and reporting structures: Assessment and reporting systems change over time and are different in different schools, states and countries.  Making sure you really understand what your children’s reports mean may help you to understand what they are actually achieving.  Sometimes students are excelling in certain skills or areas, but reporting structures may not highlight these.
6. Remember nobody is perfect: Even the brightest, most highly motivated child will struggle at times.  They may struggle to understand a particular topic or concept, or they may struggle with motivation, particularly for a subject they don’t particularly enjoy.  Problems with teachers or peers can also contribute.  It is unrealistic that anyone can work with 100%  effort all the time.
7. Provide practical homework and exam support: Provide practical help to your children with things like proofreading and reviewing drafts, checking work and listening to speeches.  Remember though, it is not your work, so don’t make changes, rather make suggestions and provide guidance.
8. Spend time together doing something fun: Make sure your relationship with your child is about more than homework and study.  Allocate some time to do fun things together.  This is the time in which your child is most likely to open up to you about the things that they are struggling with and you can work out how best to help them.  Ideas include going for a walk or run together, having a dinner date (even to Maccas) or having them show you the latest funny videos they like.
9. Support your child to do their best: You can do this by providing healthy, nutrient rich food; opportunities for exercise, rest and relaxation and an environment which is supportive of and conducive to study.   
10. Keep alert for the physical and mental signs of stress: Familiarise yourself with how your child responds to stress.  Do they withdraw?  Act out?  Work harder or stop working?  When you notice that your child is stressed provide them opportunities to discuss what is worrying them and work with them to identify how you can help them.  You may wish to involve the school counsellor, a teacher or tutor at this point.

You can learn more about how to support your student’s learning at www.studyskillshandbook.com.au by logging in with these details:

Username: saintpatricks

Password: 21success

Don’t forget that our school also has access to the Study Samurai Library videos – just click on the link at the top when you log in.