MSPC Newsletter - Term 3 Week 10, 21st September 2023

Principal

Dear Parents and Caregivers,

It has been an honour and a privilege to have spent the past four years as Mount St Patrick College’s Principal. I hope that you feel I have given my best to the role. Mount St Pat’s long history of successfully guiding young people through the difficult territory of adolescence will continue long into the future. I have congratulated the incoming Principal for 2024, Mr Gavin Dykes, and he is very excited to be coming to such a wonderful school.

I often speak about the importance of gratitude to students and staff. Gratitude prompts us to look at our community in a generous manner, seeing the good we have received. I am extremely grateful for the support I have been given from the whole community in my time at the College. That support has come from students, staff, parish, parents and the wider community. Mount St Patrick College occupies an important place in the Tweed community and this sense of belonging is at its core.

Students are at the centre of everything we do at schools whether they be Catholic, public or other independent. The difference we offer at a Catholic school is that we are guided by the Gospel values and teachings of Jesus that speak to loving one another and to embracing life to the full. The students that I see succeed at Mount St Pat’s are the ones who embrace the whole school from carnivals to the classroom and are willing to work on the “us” rather than them. That doing for others is the “us” in our community. The “us” is generous and seeks to make others' lives better. In a society that preaches individual achievement, we in Catholic education are proudly counter-cultural in our pursuit of something for others. These students embracing the “us” are the young people that will become leaders of our communities into the future. I will treasure the many conversations I have had with students over my time, whether it was about the weekend’s sporting endeavours or their studies. Walking away after one of these interactions is when I am hit by what a fantastic community it is.

Mrs Narelle Sherrah will be Acting College Principal for Term 4 and with the support of our excellent leadership team and staff will prepare the College for 2024.

Thank you again for making my time at Mount St Patrick College such a rich and rewarding experience.

Be the Good and God Bless,
    Paul Reidy
    Principal

Assistant Principal - Mission

Graduation Mass, Luncheon, Farewell Assembly Thursday 21^st September

Yesterday was a fantastic day of celebrations to farewell Year 12 2023 after attending 13 years of schooling. The only have the HSC Exams, beginning on Wednesday 11^th October, and the Formal on Friday 10^th November, both in the Gilbey Hall, to come. Thanks to Year 12 parents, grandparents and friends for your attendance yesterday.

Parent Evening                                         5.45 for 6pm Tuesday 24^th October, 2023

The Diocesan Parent Assembly and the College P & F are supporting an evening of information, refreshment and discussion from 6 – 8pm on Tuesday 24^th October in the Learning Hub. The agenda will be the online ‘Wellio’ wellbeing program used in  

Year 7 – 12 Wellbeing classes and a presentation of the College’s Three-Year School Improvement Plan and the proposed foci for 2024. All parents are welcome to attend and excellent refreshments will be on offer!

Advance Notice of Staff Development Day on Thursday 19^th October, 2023

Thursday 19^th October, Term 4 Week 2, will be a Professional Development Day for College staff so students are not required to attend classes. The HSC Exams will continue in the Gilbey Centre on this day.

Farewell Mr. Paul Francis Reidy                  MSPC Principal 2020 - 2023

We extend our best wishes to Mr Reidy for the remainder of the year enjoying some of well-earned Long Service Leave before embarking on a new adventure. Mr Reidy, and his wife Vanessa, will be relocating to Hobart so that he can take up a new principalship at St Aloysius, a school with 3 campuses but about the same total population as MSPC. We wish Paul, Vanessa and his family well for the future and thank him for his vision, service and leadership over the last four years.

Best wishes to staff and students for a safe, enjoyable and relaxing holiday break

Students be kind to your parents and siblings. Term 4 begins for all Year 7 – 11 students on Monday 9^th October which is Day 11 of the timetable.

     Mary-Anne McShane
     Assistant Principal: Mission

MINISTRY

It has been another busy term for the Ministry Team. There have been lots of wonderful events happening for our students. Thanks to all those students who attended Festa Christi, SHINE and participated in all our reflection days here at the College. Best wishes to the 12 students attending the Ignite Conference in Brisbane over the next few days.

G.O.A.T

It's not too late for Year 10 male students to apply to attend G.O.A.T. which is the newest addition to the Student Discipleship Continuum. G.O.A.T. is a two-day retreat experience for Year 10 male students that focuses on inspiring the participants to embrace their purpose and passion as young Catholic men. This retreat will take place next term on Thursday 9th and Friday 10th November. There are only 8 places available, so if you are interested complete the online google form application. Successful applicants will be notified early next term.

Congratulations and thank you!

On behalf of the Ministry Team, I would like to congratulate Year 12 on their graduation from MSPC. It has been an absolute privilege and pleasure to journey with you all through your six years at the College. A special thank you to our Ministers of Holy Communion this year: Cooper Shields, Elizabeth Warne, Ruby Van Den Driest, Lily Van Den Driest, Isobel Gresham, Sadie Glynn, Wyatt Gradisnik and Anja Griffin. Special thanks also to those students who have been part of our Mass Choir and Band over their years here at the College: Grace Kelly, Bailee Pedlow, Elijah Chandler, Tashi Masterman, Isobel Gresham, Georgia Lollback and Morgan O’Connor.

A huge thank you to our wonderful Graduation Mass Band and Choir for 2023 and their music directors, Mrs Vanessa Bowe, Mrs Kaitlyn Rennes-Nadal and Mrs Helen Bub-Connor. Thank you also to everyone who contributed to the Year 12 Graduation Mass in any way.

Wishing you all a very relaxing and wonderful holiday.

God Bless,

    Grace Molloy

    Leader of Evangelization

Assistant Principal - Learning and Teaching

Mt St Patrick College is a good school because of its culture. An important part of our culture is the traditions that we have developed to farewell our Year 12 students. The weeks leading up to the Graduation Day have been fun for Year 12. They have dressed up in various silly outfits, raised money for Childhood Cancer Research and challenged the staff to a water bomb fight. I hope the students remember their last days with a smile on their face and know that the College community values their contributions to the school.

Yesterday the students took their last walk up the 100 stairs and through the College during the Guard of Honour. The whole school lined the route and cheered Year 12 as they took this journey.

At Graduation Day over 400 family members enjoyed the festivities which included the Graduation Mass, Assembly and luncheon. This day is the culmination of 13 years of schooling and we congratulate the class of 2023. Thank you to all the staff who have worked hard to make this day a memorable occasion.

Holiday Tutorials

In the holidays many Year 12 teachers will be offering beneficial tutorials for the students to prepare for the HSC examinations. I hope the students will take advantage of the generosity of the teachers who are giving up their holiday time.

Week 8 Assembly

The 14 students who travelled to the Solomon Islands in May performed their dances on the assembly in Week 8. During their village stay on the trip they learned dances from their host village and performed them at a cultural night, the College were wowed by the standard and we look forward to seeing them perform at future events.

Mr Reidy

I would like to take this opportunity to thank Mr Reidy for his service to the College over the last four years. It was a challenging time at the College for a new Principal with floods, COVID and his dedication to improving the facilities. During his time he supported the learning and teaching of Mt St Patrick College as the Lead Learner. Mr Reidy showed a genuine interest in the growth of the students academically and believed that every student can grow in their learning. I wish Paul, and his wife Vanessa, all the best in Hobart.

    Narelle Sherrah

    Assistant Principal – Learning and Teaching

Curriculum

Students in Years 7 to 10 have been busy completing their last assessments for the term, while Year 11 have now completed their final exams for their HSC Preliminary courses. 

This week, Week 10 Year 12 have celebrated the end of their schooling with a variety of special occasions, including the Senior Honour Awards, Graduation Mass, Luncheon and Assembly.  Year 12 and Year 11 Accelerated students have put in the hard yards and it is now time for them to take a breath before reigniting their sense of purpose to prepare for the HSC. Students are familiar with HSC procedures and can access important HSC information on the Year 12 page of the Assessment Portal. This information has also been emailed to students and parents and carers.

Year 12 outstanding achievements will be acknowledged in the 2023 Excellence publication and uploaded to the College Website by the end of the year.

I wish everyone an enjoyable and well earned break, and wish our Year 12 and Year 11 Accelerated students all the very best with their final HSC preparations.

    Jo McDonald

    Leader of Curriculum

Welfare

Faculty News

HSIE

On September 12th and 13th, a remarkable cohort of Year 7 students from our school embarked on an enriching two-day journey at the Youth Incubator event, thoughtfully organised by Young Change Agents at Southern Cross University. Zoe Boxshall and Rick van den Driest accompanied the selected students who represented our school brilliantly. The students were Tim Wellm, Rio Giridharan, Kaia Lawrence, Annie Amouyal, Will Grant, Olive Ostila, Keane Moriyon, Isabella Buckley, Ella Charles and Darcy Bush. This exciting excursion not only expanded their horizons but also nurtured creativity, innovation and collaboration.

During these eventful days, our students engaged in a multitude of enriching experiences. They had the invaluable opportunity to connect and build relationships with teams from three other schools, learning the art of expanding their networks—a skill that will serve them well in the future. Renowned researchers, academics, and industry-leading mentors in STEM and entrepreneurship provided guidance and support, offering a transformative learning experience. One of the highlights was witnessing our students as they embarked on the journey of developing prototypes and refining their business models. Moreover, they courageously launched crowdfunding campaigns to validate their innovative solutions, securing funding for the next stages of prototyping and production.

It was truly inspiring to witness our students addressing the challenges of transforming transportation in the 21st century with their ingenious ideas. One group created an app to assist individuals living with disabilities with driving and companionship, while another conceived a road lined with piezoceramic material to harvest and store clean energy. The future is indeed bright with such innovative minds among us.

    Zoe Boxshall – HSIE Teacher

FROM THE SPORTS DESK

COMPASS CONSENT FOR WEEKLY SPORT

Parents, a gentle reminder that we require your informed consent for your child to participate in weekly sport sessions. Every parent of a student in Years 9 - 11,  has received their child’s Compass notification for attendance at sport. Please read the content and give your child consent. There is no fee as a sport levy has been applied to School Fees.

COLLEGE UNIFORM ON EXCURSIONS

There has been a growing trend during the winter months to arrive at the College in all sorts of variations of our College uniform. During winter, if buses leave early, students are informed prior that they can wear warm attire to meet the bus, but at the venue it is a clear expectation that students be in full College sports uniform. Students are also required to wear covered footwear on excursions. Birkenstocks or crocs with socks are unacceptable and variations of uniforms will be issued with Ground Duties. Thank you for your understanding and assisting us in this matter.

NRCC INTERMEDIATE CHAMPIONS

BOYS

The 22 Year 9 and 10 Intermediate Boys AFL team travelled to the Cavanbah Centre in Byron Bay, to take on 4 other Catholic Colleges in the Northern Rivers. We defeated St Joseph’s Banora Point comfortably in the first game in slippery conditions. Our second game against Trinity College, Lismore proved more challenging, however the boys rallied to win by 10 points. Our final game was against Woodlawn College who were also undefeated. In a tight tussle our boys got 3 centre clearances in the last 5 minutes to convert and win by 7 points. The result was a undefeated day with the boys receiving the NRCC Shield for 2023. All players are to congratulated on the sportsmanship that they displayed at all times.

    Mr Rick van den Driest

GIRLS

The NRCC Intermediate girls had an outstanding performance at the recent AFL GALA Day, demonstrating remarkable teamwork and significant improvement over the course of the event. Their collaborative spirit and commitment to working as a cohesive unit were evident throughout the day. Notably, the girls remained undefeated for the entirety of the competition, conceding only a single point overall, a testament to their stellar defence and effective teamwork. Their growing confidence and proficiency in each game showcased their dedication and determination, leaving a lasting impression on both players and spectators. The NRCC Intermediate girls' exceptional performance and commitment to unity and sportsmanship were a source of pride for the school, and we eagerly anticipate their continued success in future competitions.

    Ms Emma McHugh

DIOCESAN ATHLETICS CHAMPIONS AND RUNNERS UP

Mt St Patrick College athletes performed exceptionally well at the recent carnival in Coffs Harbour. Three of our athletes were successful in winning medals. Chloe Martin was the Diocesan Age Champion for U16 Girls, her sister Aila was the U12 Age Champion runner up and Yohann Ulmann was the U13 Age Champion runner up also.

A fantastic effort.

NSWCCC ATHLETICS

MSPC had 9 students qualify to attend the NSWCCC Athletics Championship on Monday 11th September. Samuel Hynes, Elijah Keyes, Cain Twomey, Seth Moore, Chloe Martin, Aila Martin, Yohanna Uhlmann, Amali Moore and Erin Lanyon.

The entire group of MSPC athletes had travelled to Sydney on Sunday in preparation for the event. Unfortunately a security threat was found at the Olympic stadium on the eve of the CCC Athletics and police swarmed to search the stadium. NSWCCC officials cancelled the event due to the threat and police activity.

What an unfortunate turn of events, particularly for some of older students who have had years of Covid to ruin their favourite event and now this……….

TERM 4 OVERVIEW

Some forward planning for our final term of 2024:

• Friday 13th October Diocesan North Volleyball - Casino
• Thursday 9th November Diocesan Junior Water polo - Alstonville
• Monday 13th November Diocesan Golf Championships - South West Rocks
• Thursday 16th November Diocesan Senior Water polo - Alstonville
• Wednesday 22nd November NRCC Boys Cricket T20 - Murwillumbah
• Thursday 23rd November NRCC Girls Cricket T20 - Murwillumbah
• Berg Shield Cricket (junior Years 7 - 9) dates tbc
• Downie Trophy Cricket (senior 10 -12) dates tbc

CRICKET HONOURS

Congratulations to Sophie Buckley (Yr8) who has been named captain of the Northern NSW U16 Country Cricket team to compete in the state titles from 18th - 23rd December. A great honour for Sophie who is 14 years old at the moment.

CHILD STUDIES

Year 9 Child Studies - Uniting Preschool Visit 5/9/23

Thank you Uniting Preschool for allowing us to visit again this term.

We had a great time playing with the children!

I like going to the Uniting Preschool each term because it helps me to understand the importance of play in children's lives. It is a great opportunity for us to see how the children respond to what we do and how they interact with us. It can benefit us as it can help us to learn how to care for children and the needs they have. It can also benefit them by seeing role models, and we can even teach them little things along the way.

Shaylee Minahan

I like going to the Uniting Preschool as I love seeing the kids' faces light up when they see us, There were so many benefits of going to the preschool but one I can remember is it grows your self-confidence if you are scared of being around kids or just unsure of what to do when you’re around them.

Chloe Shoobridge

I like going to the Uniting Preschool each term because it benefits both our class and the children as it gives both groups opportunities to interact with each other. It gives us a chance to learn about what they do during the day and it gives them a chance to have older kids to play with and ask questions. It allows both groups to interact doing different outside activities such as puzzles, playing in the sand, kicking or catching the ball, riding the bikes, etc. It gives the children role models to look up to and both enjoy this experience. 

                                               Ayla East

I enjoy going to the Uniting Preschool because it's fun to learn about what the kids enjoy doing in their free time. I think it benefits us because we get to learn about the different types of play, what the child is doing and why they are doing it. I think it benefits the children because they get to interact with new people.

Samantha Zambelli

Going to the Uniting Preschool gives me an opportunity to learn and to have a new perspective on things. It gives the children a sense of joy and gives them the opportunity to work on their conversation skills, relationships and wellbeing. They look up to us as role models and a person they can look up to.

Fasai Phattharapraphakorn

I like going to the Uniting Preschool because it's fun to hang out with kids. They are so honest with you and they always speak what's on their mind. It's interesting to see how their brains work when something doesn't go their way and how they play nowadays.

Ava Brookes

Going to the Uniting Preschool is a great opportunity to engage with the children and their activities. It's important to learn how they interact with different things and people.

Tully Murphy

I like going to the Uniting Preschool each term because it helps our class and the children to be able to communicate with people of different ages. The children benefit because they get to have a fun time and build their confidence by interacting with others. Our class benefits by observing the different skills and having to help the kids with different activities.

Eden Petrie

I like going to Uniting Preschool because it is a nice way to engage and see first hand what we are learning. The benefits are that we get to learn even more while having fun and it helps the kids build up their social skills.

Willa Hoffman

      Mrs Susan Waters

 "Farewell to a Legend: Baby Archie Staunton Retires After 20+ Years of Service"

In the hallowed halls of the Heritage Centre at Mt St Patrick College, there is a gentle legend who has graced countless homes over the past two decades. Baby Archie Staunton, the reality works baby simulator, has become an integral part of the Exploring Early Childhood and Child Studies programs, bringing invaluable real-world experience to the students who have cared for him. Today, we bid adieu to Baby Archie as he embarks on a well-deserved retirement, passing the torch to his successor, Willow.

In recent years, as Baby Archie approached his well-earned retirement, the decision was made to introduce Willow, his younger counterpart, into the program. Willow was purchased five years ago to provide additional support during this transition period. Willow has seamlessly integrated into the program, learning from Baby Archie's legacy and offering students a chance to experience the evolving landscape of early childhood education.

As Baby Archie Staunton steps into retirement, he leaves behind a legacy that will be cherished by all who had the privilege of learning from him. He has touched the lives of countless students, preparing them for careers in early childhood development, and instilling in them a deep sense of compassion and dedication.

Willow, the new baby simulator, will continue Baby Archie's mission, ensuring that future generations of students receive the same invaluable learning experience. Under Willow's care, the legacy of Baby Archie Staunton will live on.

    Simone Kendrick

    Leader of Learning: PDHPE

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