COLLEGE NEWS
JOHN GOULTER | Head of Department – Music & Performance
It has been an extraordinary term in the Music department. Firstly, we welcomed a new classroom music teacher, Mr John Dyer, to our team. He brings a passion for educating young women and supporting them in their musical journey.
We started off by embarking on our Inaugural Music Tour. Ms Rachel Cairns, Mrs Conni Mosch, and I took 27 of our Senior College Choir singers to Brisbane to complete at Queensland Catholic Schools Music Festival. Our singers worked hard and sang their best; they came away with the only Gold Award in their division. We also visited our sister Mercy school, All Hallows School, and St Laurence’s College to rehearse, perform and make new connections with students and staff. Thank you Mrs Cathie Neil (AHS) and Dr Anthony Young (SLC) for their time and support. A trip to theatre was on the cards and our students thoroughly enjoyed the professional stage production of Cinderella, currently playing at QPAC.
We’ve had another amazing year at Eisteddfod. All College groups performed their pieces to the best of their ability in a highly stressful competitive context. Well done to them!
- Our Guitar Ensemble, with their new tutor, Jarrah Jones, came in 2nd place.
- Taiko and Celtic Ensemble both received a Highly Commended in their respective Percussion and Trio sections.
- The Senior choir came in 2nd place in their Modern Chorus section and Highly Commended in the Folk section. They also won the Choral Championship and received the prestigious “Bishop Benjamin Trophy”. Congratulations, singers!
AND IN THE CLASSROOM…
Our Year’s 7 -10 classroom music is similarly busy with year 7s learning about the amazing world of lah pentatony, while our Year 8s have been composing and performing parody songs of pop tunes. Our Year 9 students have each composed their own Waltz, and Year 10s have immersed themselves in the world of Classical and Jazz.
Our senior music classes have completed tasks which required them to combine musicology and performance into a cohesive presentation. The Year 11s analysed the identities of artists such as Hilltop Hoods, Elton John, Rage Against The Machine, and Adele, while our year 12s looked at the narratives of Disney Musicals and Video Game Music.
MUSIC TALENTS ON SHOW…
We finished the term with the fantastic Mercy Day Talent Quest. There was great representation from music students who showcased their skills in a variety of genres. Akeisha Gorman sang “Set Fire to the Rain” by Adele, Emma Watts sang while accompanying herself on the guitar, while Kenya Mari, Alison Wosomo, Jusuray Nona, and Moana Misi performed a gorgeous hymn. However, it was Georgina Wilke and Brook Anderson who took out first place with their brilliant rendition of Wheatus’ “Teenage Dirtbag”.
TERM 4 AWAITS…
Plans are already in place for a collaboration of Shakespeare & Hilltop Hoods between our Combined Choir and various orchestra ensembles. The departments of Music, Dance, Drama and Visual Arts will be working together to create a magical Speech Night performance and we look forward to presenting this to our College community.
As we continue to thrive and overcome various challenges in our learning journey, I am reminded of the word of the late Jazz singer Ella Fitzgerald. “Just don’t give up trying to do what you really want to do. Where there’s love and inspiration, I don’t think you can go wrong.”
CAMILLE FLORES | Head of Department – Hospitality & Functions
The Year 11 Hospitality Practices students have had busy term focusing on developing their skills in kitchen production and service. Staff were invited to the Breakfast Café, where the students demonstrated safe work practices, food production and service skills. The students served a range of popular breakfast choices from the Classic Big Breakfast, Savoury Mince Toastie, Smashed Avocado on Toast with Maple Bacon, Pancakes with Berry Coulis and a Ham & Cheese Omelette.
The girls worked so hard to ensure the ran smoothly and was a great success. They received very good feedback and are looking forward to staging a similar event in feedback received and some buzz around setting up another café event in Term 4.
Marine Science
Year 11 Marine Science students were invited by James Cook University turtle researchers to Toolakea Beach on Saturday, 10 September. The young green turtles are believed to use the tidal pools to escape predators and gain warmth from the warm shallow water. Students had the opportunity to help catch turtles to gain valuable data to help manage these vulnerable species. They walked the tidal pools to herd the turtles into areas where they could catch them. Students then took a range of weight and length measurements, tagged the turtles to help monitor their progress and movements, and collect stomach samples to gain an insight into the turtles’ feeding habits. They were joined by very enthusiastic staff including, Miss Mete, Ms Stewart, Miss Tomerini and Mr Pacey, who were impressed with the students’ engagement and enthusiasm. Similarly impressed where the JCU staff.
ANNA KENDALL | Japanese Teacher
During Term 3, students prepared their entries for our annual Anime Drawing Competition. This year, students could submit their work as a digital or handwritten drawing.
The competition garnered a lot of interest and a number of students spent considerable time creating beautiful pictures.
After a difficult judging session, we were able to determine winners of the Junior and Senior sections; Grace Kenneally (Junior) and Zariah Lyne (Senior) took out the major prizes. Grace and Zariah received a QBD voucher, a Manga drawing journal and some sweets.
Congratulations to all the students who submitted an entry.
GAYLE WALKOM | Defence School Mentor
DEFENCE MORNING TEA – FAREWELL 2022
Our final Defence Morning Tea will be in Term 4 where we will be farewelling families – both students and teachers – that will be posted out of Townsville. Additionally, we will farewell our Year 12 students.
If you are moving from Townsville, and haven’t done so already, please email me so that your daughter can be included in this special morning tea farewell.
SUPPORT SERVICES – MOVING WITH KIDS
Moving is a major life change, and children may face challenges as they leave behind friends, familiar places and activities. To make the process more manageable for children, and to help them become more positive and self-reliant, communicating truthfully and openly is important. This will help them understand and cope with the change. As a result, children will feel empowered, valued and part of the process.
Don’t forget that within the first 18 months of starting at a new school, families are also entitled to tutoring reimbursement to overcome the immediate difficulties caused by changing schools. For more information about this program:
If you would like any tips with guiding children through relocations and/or education support, contact the all-hours Defence Member and Family Helpline on 1800 624 608. Alternatively please reach out to me at the College.
E: gwalkom@stpatscollege.qld.edu.au
P: 07 4753 0300
THE AMAZING RACE
Congratulations to Caitlin Edwards, Tillie Haughton, Alyssah-Jane Shephard and Abby Hamilton who, as Defence students, participated in the Amazing Race organised by Defence Military Family Support. They enjoyed solving various challenges & improving their local Townsville knowledge of Jezzine Barracks.
BOOK WEEK SPARKS JOY
It’s funny how conflicting emotions can generate from the same question…What will the costume for Book Week be? While excitement builds in the child, parents can be filled with trepidation. A Hermione Granger costume is relatively easy to replicate, but The Cat in the Hat is going to require some top shelf crafting skills. On the day, however, those conflicting emotions are replaced with a shared feeling of joy, because nothing beats the thrill of the dress up, or the happiness one feels when they watch their child strut proudly through the school gates.
The Book Week years loom large in Primary school, but St Patrick’s College Townsville bucks that tradition, leaning into Book Week in a very big way. As well as the dress-up parade – well over half the school participated this year – there is the highly anticipated Book Week Assembly in which the staff re-enact a classic tale. The brainchild of Amy Plumridge, Head of English Faculty, Book Week Assembly celebrates what it means to fall into a new world, to shadow someone else’s life, to feel connected to people and places beyond our own. It celebrates a love of literature and sharing stories.
This year, the staff performed an adaptation of E. B. White’s beloved, Charlotte’s Web. Students heard about pig Wilbur’s move to Zuckerman’s farm, his encounters with the geese, sheep and cows. They met the treacherous Templeton, watching the rat plan and scheme. And they fell in love with the deeply compassionate Charlotte who showed us all that it is not what is on the outside that counts, but who and what we choose to become.
While past Book Week Assemblies of Harry Potter and Aladdin have used singing, dancing and rapping, this year, it was time to take it up a notch with an aerial silks dance. Performed by celebrated aerialist, Jojo Butler – who also happens to be the College’s Head Dramatic Arts, Dance and Performance – Charlotte wove a scarlet web which wowed and mesmerised the student audience. Audible gasps echoed in the auditorium as Charlotte tumbled, twisted and twirled in the air.
We can never underestimate the power of storytelling or what life lessons can be gleaned from a good book. However, if we have a group of teachers who are willing to swap the academic dress for wigs, costumes and tricks, all in aid of creating wonder and joy for their students, the lessons they teach are just as powerful. And that’s what makes Book Week at St Patrick’s College Townsville one of the most joyous week’s of the year!
Thank you to Mrs Plumridge, Mr Goulter and the cast of Charlotte’s Web for making this year’s Book Week an unforgettable experience.
