Dear Parents and Caregivers, 

The College recently participated in an external review conducted by ACER (Australian Council of Educational Research). This involved an external Panel visiting our College to conduct a comprehensive review across nine domains over four days. This review provided us with an opportunity to reflect on our current practices and measure our progress in improving the quality of teaching and learning, as well as student outcomes. The initial feedback validated our programs and strategies that are currently in place to deliver outcomes for students. The findings from the review will play a significant role in shaping our next Strategic Plan.  

On Saturday 20 May, we celebrated Back to Shorncliffe Day: we would like to express our gratitude to everyone who made Back to Shorncliffe Day such a remarkable success. Our students represented St Patrick's College with pride, and although the results may not have gone entirely in our favour, they displayed excellent sportsmanship and welcomed everyone to Curlew Park. We would like to thank the dedicated staff members who attended the event and took the opportunity to build strong and respectful relationships with the students from their classes or Tutor Groups. We also extend our appreciation to the wonderful helpers and volunteers who made the day a success. The collective effort of our College community was truly commendable. 

On Tuesday 30 May, we held our annual Open Day, and it was certainly a resounding success. The meticulous planning and organisation by the Open Day organisation team ensured that every aspect of the event was executed with professionalism and passion. We also want to acknowledge the efforts of all our staff members who prepared informative displays, arranged engaging activities, and coordinated various workshops. Your knowledge and expertise undoubtedly left a lasting impression on our guests. We also want to express our gratitude to our students who participated in Open Day. Their enthusiasm, positivity, and willingness to share their experiences contributed to creating a vibrant and welcoming atmosphere. Our successful Open Day has had a positive impact on our visitors and potential students. Your hard work and dedication extend far beyond a single day; they influence the choices and aspirations of individuals considering joining our College and becoming part of our community. The feedback we received from our visitors was exceptional, and we are proud of the lasting impression we left on them. 

“I am a retired teacher and had been involved in education for over 50 years in the classroom as well as a consultant for Education Queensland and Catholic Education. I would say in all my years I have never been so impressed with a school. I have had very positive feedback from my grandson and yesterday's visit reinforced what an amazing opportunity our young men are being given in a positive and supportive environment. I was of course very impressed with the facilities and the broad range of curriculum and extra-curriculum offered at St Pat's”. 

“We were lucky enough to have the College Captain, Sam Condon, take us on a tour of the College and he was fantastic. Sam took the time to show us around the entire College and was extremely insightful with the information he was able to provide about daily life at the College. I was impressed by Sam’s interactions with the staff and other students, particularly the junior students, with all of the boys met with a ‘hi’, handshake or fist bump. Sam is an absolute credit to the College, and I just wanted to pass on some positive feedback.”  

On Wednesday 31 May, we hosted the annual AIC Cross Country Championships at Curlew Park.  We were blessed with fantastic weather and some fearless performances from the SPC runners across all age groups.  In a very close competition, the team finished 7th overall, with only 1 point separating 7th and 5th place.  An in-depth report will follow in The Good Fight Sports newsletter next week. 

This weekend we play Iona College in Football and Rugby at Curlew Park. It is important that students fulfil the commitment they have made in their respective sports.  

Key Term 2 Events Dates 

• Friday 16 June – Last Day of Term and Shore to Gate – Students dismissed at 12:30pm.  

I look forward to seeing many of you over the weekend. Thank you for your ongoing support. 

Certa Bonum Certamen 

Mr Frank Torrisi 
Acting Principal 

The Year 12 Journey

Over the past two weeks the Senior Academic Mentors have been meeting with their mentees to discuss their academic and pathways progress. As part of this conversation we have, for the first time under the new QCE, shared ATAR predictions with the Year 12 students. Sharing the ATAR will give students some indication of how their subject results may translate into an ATAR in December. The conversation is also centred around their attitude, effort and strategies that are in place to ensure they achieve their goals by the end of the year.

Last week, Mr Crewe hosted a Data Celebration with the Year 12 cohort unpacking student results and celebrating the following:

• Students who have achieved 100% in their subjects
• Students that are the top of their class
• Students who are top of their subject -Students with apprenticeships for 2024
• Greatest improvement/ growth

Throughout the week, we also unpacked the cohort data by comparing their progress to the 2022 State results. It is pleasing to see that a significant number of our Year 12 classes are performing well above the State average. This is testament to the hard work and dedication of the students and their teachers. The cohort are demonstrating great potential and it was a pleasure to share the progress with their parents on Monday evening at the Year 12 Parent Update evening.

Just a reminder, information from the evening is now hosted on the Year 12 Parent Communication Hub in REALM in the 'Year 12 Parent Toolkit'.

Mr Adam McPhee
Dean of Administration and Business Intelligence

Working in Partnership with Parents

On Monday, 22 May 2023 St Patrick’s College hosted the first of our biannual Working in Partnership with Parents’ evenings for 2023. The purpose of these evenings is to inform parents of the topics covered by their son through the ‘Journey to Men of Action’ Formation Program and to further strengthen the partnership with our families. Our families from Years 6, 7, 8 and 9 were invited to join their sons for presentations and facilitated discussions by a variety of professionals within the education context. The events were well received across the board with positive feedback from students and parents.

Year 6

The Year 6 event was for Year 6 students and their father or adult male mentor and was hosted by Karim Kaufman, Program Manager and John Imbrogno, Training Officer from Rites of Passage.

Karim Kaufman, the Program Manager of the Making of Man camps, is a highly experienced facilitator with over 10 years of experience in conducting Parent-Child programs. He is also a youth worker and the Head of Junior programs, including Young Warriors and Father-Daughter weekends. 

John Imbrogno, the Training Officer, is a Senior Facilitator and Training Officer for Making of Men program. Additionally, he works at a local high school.

They presented on the importance and fundamentals of how we can support our boys as they move into the critical teenage years. They then facilitated an interactive workshop focussing on the tools for fathers to maintain a healthy relationship with their sons as they navigate the transition to becoming a young man.

Year 7

The Year 7 event was hosted by Frank Melcher (Founder/CEO) of the anti-bullying program AMAYDA and boxing champion Jeff Horn. Our Year 7 cohort have begun the anti-bullying program called AMAYDA, which has been running throughout Term 2 2023. The AMAYDA Intervention Course is a ‘call-to-action’ strategy, designed to provide critical assessment, negotiation and defensive skills and knowledge to our students. The AMAYDA Leadership and Bullying Prevention programs have been running in Queensland schools for the past five (5) years in a variety of different schooling contexts.

The course focusses on developing a respectful nature and the acquisition of practical communication and personal security skills and knowledge. Students learn about their legislative responsibilities and accountabilities regarding conflict and through this journey, develop confidence and resilience improving self-image and general congeniality.

Year 8

The Year 8 event was for Year 8 students and their mother or adult female mentor and was hosted by Rachel Dunston from Time and Space. The purpose of the night was to stop and acknowledge the journey mother and child have made to arrive at this moment in their life. With the assistance of Year 11 St Patrick’s College student facilitators, mothers and sons were led through an engaging evening involving both discussion groups and a significant ‘one-on-one’ conversation with each other.

The overall focus of the evening was to develop special memories between mother and son.

Year 9

The Year 9 event was hosted by Dominic Aarsen who has specialised for the last 6 years in bringing ‘everything you wish you knew about money when you left school’ to life through his company Moneyvest. Dominic has developed countless practical financial resources for schools nationwide and is in high demand as a presenter of financial workshops for schools, students and parents across the country.

He provided an opportunity for our Year 9 students and their parents to discuss what works best for them and their family financially. The aim was for them to come away with practical, real financial tools the students can implement moving forward.
 
Working in Partnership with Parents’ evening – 23 August 2023

The second of our biannual Working in Partnership with Parents’ evenings will take place on 23 August 2023 during Term 3. Events will take place for students and their families in Years 5, 10, 11 and 12. More details will follow closer to the event.

 
Ms Cheryl Williams
Acting Director Student Engagement and Wellbeing

Mr Matthew Robertson
Acting Dean of Students

Dear St Patrick's College Community

Congratulations to the following St Patrick's College players on their selection in the 2023 Confraternity SPC Squad:

Squad members

• Sasha Adams
• Henry Armstrong
• Eli Avci, Joel Blackwell
• Jack Boland
• James Boland
• Leonardo Church
• Matthew Condon
• Elijah Hamilton
• Riley Horn
• Abraham Huxtable
• Noah James
• Samuel Kiss
• Dean Laws
• Jhye Leis
• Taj Leis
• Angus Lenske
• Jake Maynard
• Clay Spence
• Cooper Wellman
• Elijah Williamson-Tomich

Shadow players

• Archie Maddocks
• Cooper Sutherland

Development players

• Jesse Heinemann
• Riley Blake

This squad of 21 will compete at the 2023 Confraternity Carnival in the June/July holidays. This year’s carnival will be hosted by St Laurence's College and played at RUNCORN playing fields. 

Also selected are 2 shadow players and 2 development players who will all take part in the upcoming training camp on the 16th-19th June at the College. Please congratulate any of these players when you see them.  

All players and families will receive further information (via REALM) later this week regarding the upcoming training camp and carnival requirements.   

Mr Brian Polich
Director of Rugby League 

Last Thursday evening, The Associated Independent Colleges (AIC) celebrated 25 years of sport with an event held at Marist College. Representatives from the 9 AIC Schools attended the event along with a number of AIC Hall of Fame inductees, including SPC Old Boy, Drew Mitchell SPC'01.

The value of school sport in education has been hailed by a panel of high achievers in a 25-year celebration for the state’s largest private school sporting organisation.

The Associated Independent Colleges (AIC) brought together some of its most famous sporting graduates in a function at Marist College Ashgrove tonight to showcase the organisation’s milestone year. 

The panel included members of the AIC’s Hall of Fame unveiled this year to mark 25 years of AIC sport and a former great of a member College who discussed the important of school sport in their lives. 

Wallabies Grand Slam captain Andrew Slack (Villanova College), veteran Wallabies winger Drew Mitchell (St Patrick’s College, Shorncliffe) and Commonwealth Games weightlifting medallist Damon Kelly (St Laurence’s College) praised the importance of their school sporting participation. 

Mitchell and Kelly were unveiled in the Hall of Fame that included athletes who recorded significant achievements after featuring in the first 25 years of AIC sport. 

The list, featuring 25 past students from the eight AIC member Colleges across Brisbane and Ipswich, includes Olympic, Paralympic and Commonwealth Games medallists among 21 men to have represented their countries. Current Brisbane Lions AFL stars Charlie Cameron (Marist College, Ashgrove) and Harris Andrews (Padua College) were named in the Hall of Fame along with rugby union internationals from five countries, Paralympic Games summer and winter medallists and medallists at Olympic Games, World Championships and Commonwealth Games. 

AIC competition is now offered across 14 sports for students from Years 5 to 12. 

“Tonight marks a celebration of AIC sport. The AIC was established 25 years ago to enable Colleges with similar goals and a similar approach to sport to provide competition for students,” 

Marist College Ashgrove Head of College and 2023 AIC Chair Michael Newman said.

The video featured at the celebration can be viewed via our YouTube Channel below.