I hope that everyone enjoyed the Easter break and had an opportunity to spend some quality time with their family. Over the holiday break we had several sporting teams participate in coaching clinics or camps as well as compete in trial matches and tournaments. We also had many students rehearsing over the holidays for the Junior Musical that started on Wednesday afternoon. I would like to thank the many staff members who made themselves available during this time to allow these opportunities to the students. We are so very fortunate to have staff members who will give up some of their time to allow for these programs to occur.

The first week of the term has started well. The beginning of each term usually starts with much excitement and energy. Our challenge is to keep these levels as high as we can across the remainder of the term. School communities are unusual workplaces because of the disruption that occurs across the year because of holiday periods. Having four “short burst” terms means that the flow of energy and organisation is stopped and restarted for these breaks which causes periods of more intense activity than others to have certain tasks completed before the breaks. Routines and flow can also be disrupted by staff taking leave or resigning and the introduction of new teachers to the students and new staff having to adjust to a different environment whilst teaching new classes. This term will certainly be an active one given that there is one week less than last term and there is also a significant number of students involved in cocurricular activities given the sports and cultural activities that are offered. I encourage all parents to work with their son over the term to ensure that he keeps a balance with his activities and enough rest to ensure that he maintains a sense of fun and enjoyment in his day.

If you have not yet bought a ticket to the Junior Musical (Newsies Jnr), I would encourage you to do so. The talent on display from our younger students is quite outstanding. It is further evidence of the great work that is happening within the creative arts programs and of the array of opportunities that are offered to the students within the College.

Our Chess, Rugby and Football teams also start this weekend with trials against Padua College. I am sure that all games will be played in the right spirit and enjoyed by players and spectators from both sides. We impress upon our students the notion of being good hosts to teams that come to Curlew Park. I look forward to catching up with many of you over the course of these events this evening and tomorrow.

Embracing Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) in Teaching and Learning at St Patrick’s College.
You would be aware from previous correspondence from Mr Troy Schultz that the College has been working to plan for more considered, strategic, and ethical use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) within the teaching and learning practices of our College. This decision aligns seamlessly with the commitment to innovative teaching practices, high-impact learning outcomes, and the ethical, critical, and creative development of our students outlined in our Strategic Plan: Our Place, My Story (2024-2026).

GenAI will continue to have a significant impact on the way people can learn and in the workplaces that our students will enter in the future. Whilst we believe that it is something that should be embraced rather than feared, we also understand the many challenges that can come with unfettered or uneducated use of such a powerful tool. This is why we also speak of ethical use of GenAI as a part of our educational practices.

Linking AI to Our Strategic Direction
1. Innovative Teaching: AI allows the opportunity to further enhance classrooms into dynamic learning environments. Our teachers will collaborate with AI tools, co-creating engaging content, assessments, and fostering creativity.
2. High-Impact Practices: AI supports evidence-based teaching practices. It will allow for more engaging lessons, more effective student performance data, and support tailored interventions to maximize learning outcomes.
3. Ethical Use: We are committed to ethical AI deployment. Our students will learn about AI ethics, bias, and responsible use. They will understand appropriate authorship rules and expectations ensuring AI aligns with our values and is used in a balanced way that allows them to broaden and be more creative and critical in their thinking.
4. Creative and Critical Thinkers: AI encourages creative problem-solving. Students will develop as critical thinkers by using AI to identify the real causes of problems and ways they can be addressed. They will learn to harness AI as a tool for expression and innovation to support and challenge their own ideas and conclusions.
During last year and this year members of our Teaching and Learning team led by Mr Nic Consiglio (Program Leader – Digital Innovation) have analysed some of the many GenAI research articles and the Australian Government Framework for Generative Artificial Intelligence in schools and the work being done by the Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority (QCAA) as well as attend workshops and conferences relating to this area. This group is working with the College Leadership Team to plan for the transition of GenAI technologies into our classrooms through our teaching methodologies and assessment tasks. We aim to do this in a way that supports good and impactful teaching, ethical learning and assessment practices which enhances (rather than replaces) creative and critical thinking.
It is important that we accept that our students are moving into a future where GenAI is not just a tool but an integral part of their lives. Therefore, their education journey must embrace it as an empowering force that will be good for nurturing curious minds, fostering collaboration, and broadening critical and creative mindsets. We will guide our students on appropriate use of AI to not only improve their educational outcomes but also their understanding of the challenges that it may pose to their personal decisions and integrity.

During this term, we will introduce and unpack some of the initiatives that will be implemented later this year.

Live Jesus in our Hearts!

Chris Mayes – College Principal

We begin this term in the season of Easter, recognising the offer of hope and new life at the centre of the Christian community. The fundamental Christian worldview is one of hope, believing that even though darkness and evil exist within our lives God’s life will overcome all that is thrown at us.

This term we celebrate the Feast Day of Blessed Edmund Rice, the founder of our tradition of Catholic Education, a man whose life epitomizes this Christian belief. Edmund’s life plan was ended by the death of his much-loved wife, he said that when she died it was as if “half his own soul was gone.” But this terrible moment in his life became a place of deep reflection and an opportunity to redefine who he was. After much prayer and taking the wisdom of those around him he was moved to reach out to the poorest of the poor in his community, the children abandoned by society and living on the streets. This move set in train a series of experiences that lead him to see education as the most powerful tool in liberating people. Out of the experience of death, Edmund found new life and in turn offered new life to countless young people in need.

Later this term we celebrate Pride Week and then Reconciliation Week – two really important elements of our College calendar. In Pride Week we are challenged to overcome homophobia and to build relationships of respect with people from the LGBTQI+ community. In Reconciliation Week we remember the true history of relationships with First Nations Australians, and we hear the call to be people who work for justice and reconciliation in our country. Through both events we are reminded of our deep Christian belief in the absolute dignity of all people and our call to be people who work to build up that sense of dignity and respect. Recently the Vatican released a new document on Human Dignity which begins -

“Every human person possesses an infinite dignity, inalienably grounded in his or her very being, which prevails in and beyond every circumstance, state, or situation the person may ever encounter. This principle underlies the primacy of the human person and the protection of human rights.” Declaration “Dignitas Infinita” on Human Dignity (2 April 2024) (vatican.va)

Our challenge as members of a community built on the teaching of Jesus and shaped by the spirit of Edmund Rice is to look at our world with hope and to work to build up all that is good in our community and our people. Let us be people who, like Edmund, are moved by what we see around us and become people who respond with compassion to all those around us.

What’s happening in Identity:
• Paddy’s Van Ministries continue, please contact Mrs Tara Dunn for information about our service ministries.
• Friday Morning Mass in the Fr Liam Chapel at 8am every week. Everyone is welcome!
• Our College ANZAC Day Service will be on Wednesday 24 April at 8.50am on the foreshore at Moura Park.
• Sandgate ANZAC Day March will be on Thursday 25 April. Students who are participating in the march please meet on the Corner of Cliff Street and Second Avenue at 8:40 am.
• May is Family and Domestic Violence (DV) Awareness Month we will again be participating in Darkness to Daylight – inviting people to walk 110kms across the month of May to remember the 110 people, on average, that die each year in Australia because of DV. Our first group walk is on Thursday 2 May meeting at the Pier at 6 am.
• Edmund Rice Day Mass is on Friday 3 May commencing at 10.20am, everyone is welcome to join us.
• Year 8 Retreat Day is on Friday 10 May here at the College.
• We have several Parent Information evenings for families involved in our Immersion Programs, please check on the dates and times of these meetings through the Realm Immersion Group Pages.
• Friday May 17 International Day Against Homophobia (IDAHOBIT).

Tim Kenny - Dean of Identity

ANZAC Day Commemoration at St. Patrick’s College Shorncliffe
On Wednesday, April 24 April, our school community will come together to commemorate ANZAC Day with a solemn ceremony by the waterfront. The ceremony is scheduled to commence at approximately 8.50am on the Shorncliffe Foreshore. St Patrick’s College Old Boy Lieutenant Commander, RAN Principal Warfare Officer (Air) Lachlan Marsh will be our guest of honour.

We extend a warm invitation to all members of the local community to join us as we pay tribute to the brave servicemen and women who have contributed to the building of our great nation. Please feel free to bring a chair if needed.

ANZAC Day Parade Sandgate – Thursday 25 March 2024
We invite all students and families to participate in the local Sandgate ANZAC Day Ceremony. St. Patrick’s College has a proud tradition of having many students march in full school uniform along with the St Patrick’s College Marching Band. If your son is interested in attending, they should be at the rear of the Sandgate Town Hall by 8:30am, wearing their complete school uniform, including their hat. It’s advisable to bring a water bottle, as it can get warm during the proceedings.

Pick Up and Drop Off Zones
At the beginning of year as part of our commitment to safety and convenience, in conjunction with the Brisbane City Council we established some drop off and pick up zones. These zones are located in front of the Tennis Courts (Park Parade) and Callan Centre (Pier Avenue) identified with colourful green signs. We ask that families please refrain from parking or dropping off or picking up in Bus Zones.

Frank Torrisi – Deputy Principal

Community Support Group Committee
Thank you to everyone in our community who has taken an interest in our new support group for past students, past and present families’, and past staff members.

The Committee has now been finalised. We thank the following people for their interest in being part of this exciting new group:

Mr Steve Wallace
Mr Aaron Sheppard
Mr Anthony Lahey
Mr Paul Corfield
Mrs Carolina Meehan
Ms Cathy Dickie
Mr Thomas Lahey

We look forward to our first meeting and working with their expertise to add value to our current students and families.

Stacey Bishop - Director of Marketing

Dear Parents and Guardians,

As the Dean of Students at St Patrick's College Shorncliffe, I am filled with immense pride as I share the remarkable achievements of our Year 12 students. Over the past five years, our Seniors have engaged in the "Mullets for Mental Health" initiative, a tradition that not only fosters camaraderie but also supports a vital cause. This year, in alignment with the national schedule, our young men once again chose to champion the Black Dog Institute's efforts in mental health research and awareness.

Our school ethos, deeply rooted in the Edmund Rice Tradition, emphasises the importance of service and community. By setting a significant fundraising goal of $20,000, our students have demonstrated their commitment to these values, surpassing expectations with over $23,000 raised and still counting. This collective effort sends a powerful message of solidarity and compassion to our community, embodying the spirit of Catholic education.

The culmination of this event on Edmund Rice Day is a testament to our shared values. Qualified parents will join us, with clippers and scissors in hand, to help our students return to the College's uniform requirements. There will be a number of awards present on this day from, 'Biggest Fund Raiser' to 'Filthiest Mullet'.

This initiative is more than a fundraiser; it is a reflection of the character and integrity of our students. They have shown that together, we can make a significant impact and spread awareness on mental health, an issue that touches many lives. Their actions inspire us all and reinforce the ethos of St Patrick's College as a place where faith, education, and service intersect to create leaders of tomorrow.

To everyone in our community who have supported these young men, thank you.

Warm regards,
Darren Kearney - Dean of Students