Director of Boarding

Director of Boarding –

Katie deCarteret

Meet our New Director of Boarding, Ms Katie deCarteret.

Katie has been involved with the education of young people for over twenty years having held a variety of pastoral and academic positions in and outside Australia including Dean of Students, Head of House, Housemistress, Lead Practitioner, Head of Arts Faculty and Head of Music to name a few. She has also spent several years living and working in countries such as Lao PDR, Brazil, Solomon Islands and East Timor primarily supporting the achievement of the sustainable development goals of gender equality and access to a quality education. She has a Bachelor of Arts (Music) and since then has achieved her Masters in Educational Leadership and Management and more recently a Masters in Anthropology and Participatory Development.

Katie believes strongly in community and loves immersing herself in diverse cultures and settings. The wonderfully rich cultural community that is St Patrick’s College Townsville was key in attracting her to join the team! Katie has a zest for life and is passionate about helping those around her and in her care to find their own unique pathways that bring joyfulness to their day to day movements. As Director of Boarding, Katie has a strong focus on developing kindness and empathy amongst the girls ensuring that their home away from home is safe, stimulating and supportive in the warmest way possible.

The Arts

Head of Department – Music & Performance – Johnathon Goulter

Hello and welcome to 2021 St Patrick’s College Music Program. We have seen spectacular growth in the instrumental department, and our Ensembles are preparing for their first performances at Twilight Open Evening. We welcome our new Irish Ensemble, Gaelic Dreaming, to the College. This Ensemble is run by Ms Megan Donnelly. The College has acquired an orchestral Marimba and this will be put to good use in Percussion Ensemble and Concert Band!

In the Music Classroom:

Our year 7s are starting to work on basic piano and guitar skills while learning music literacy skills such as sight reading, functional solfège and ensemble work.
Year 8 Music students are making their own sea shanties and playing a range of popular music on instruments of their choice.
The Year 9s are currently arranging selected Beethoven and Debussy pieces, but they are also developing their contemporary music skills.
Year 10 are learning about recording techniques to create an album of song books for our neighbours at St Joseph’s School. Performing these arrangements later in the term is something we are all excited about.
Year 11 students are developing their understanding on how music is designed to communicate meaning.
The Year 12s have returned to school with a real determination to excel and are enjoying exploring the varied musical styles of Musical Theatre, Country, Jazz, Film Music and Classical Music. They are busy preparing their first performances and composition for summative assessment.

“Music and rhythm find their way into the secret places of the soul.”

Plato

Visual Art Teacher – Mr Michael Pope

The Year 10 and 12 Visual Art in Practice students visited Perc Tucker Regional Gallery and Umbrella Studio Contemporary Arts this week. The students loved spending time experiencing the space and artworks. They later toured the exhibitions before finding their favourite work to analyse and draw.

Students are seen here admiring one of the artworks in the exhibitions – Disquiet: Ecological Anxieties & Transformations. The work is made from found objects including squid lures, a fan cover, fishing line and lights.

We warmly welcome Mr Michael Pope to St Patrick’s College Townsville. A well known and respected local artist, Mr Pope is also the founder of “Urban Sketchers”. Mr Pope’s latest exhibition, Marker, features two years of drawings. The exhibition launches on Friday, 12 February and can be viewed at Murky Waters Studio.

College Notices

Cafe by the Sea – Catercare

Our on-site kitchen is managed by Catercare, a professional catering organisation.

Proudly 100% Australian owned and operated, Catercare is passionate about fresh, quality food, and pride themselves on providing the best hospitality and service to their customers and clients.

On Wednesday this week, the Cafe was transformed into a Mediterranean paradise!

In 2021, the Tuckshop is also operating out of the Cafe by the Sea. Meals can be ordered and paid for via Flexischools. Please register through the following link:

https://community.flexischools.com.au/s/article/How-do-I-register-for-a-Flexischools-account

Alternatively, meals can also be paid for by cash or debit card.

Twilight Open Evening

We are thrilled to be rolling out our Twilight Open Evening campaign this weekend. With only 34 days to go, the event will be a wonderful experience for any family who is looking for the perfect schooling fit for their daughter.

Held on St Patrick’s Day, our annual Twilight Open Evening will allow prospective families to experience the dynamic and engaging teaching and learning environment which is St Patrick’s College Townsville.

From 5.00pm – 7.00pm, a wide variety of activities, presentations and displays will be on show. Our College Principal’s Address will be at 6.00pm.

Our Twilight Open Evening schedule will include:

STEM projects
Japanese projects, including Origami, Calligraphy and Magna Workshops
Skills Tournament featuring our elite athletes
Music performances by our Rock Band, Percussion Ensemble, Choir, Taiko Drumming group, String Ensemble and Guitar Ensemble
Drama and Dance performances
Artists at work workshops and displays
Displays and activities across all curriculum areas
Delicious food, coffee and cold drinks

And so much more!

Please come along and meet our Expert Teaching Team and see why St Patrick’s College is a place where your daughter can dare to imagine her future.

From the Library – with Marie Jerome

It is always so exciting to see new students enter our beautiful library, eyes wide for the possibilities of finding their next favourite read. The start of this year has been no exception. To date we have had over 400 loans in 3 weeks! 2020 saw 4078 books borrowed, so I am excited to see the final figures for 2021.

The Library Club returns first break, Friday 19 February. There will be lots of fun activities to participate in and chances for creativity in our Maker Space sessions. “Adopt a Shelfies” and Library Monitors will return again this year. Come to the library to nominate for a position! There is nothing more satisfying than a tidy shelf and if last year is anything to go by, there will be competition amongst all the Shelfies! To compliment the Library Club, The Chess Club will be held every Friday at 2^nd Break. Thank you to Mr McGregor for taking up The Chess Club challenge. We have students playing at all breaks if you feel like showing off your prowess.

My “to read” list was tackled in the holidays and my book of the month is, The Lefthanded Booksellers of London. It was a fast and intriguing read. Author Garth Nix has not disappointed in his latest efforts. He builds a world filled with characters and organisations that are realistically believable whilst dealing with powers and situations that are far from ordinary.

Don’t forget that February 14 is “Library lovers’ Day”; come visit to find your next literary love!

Meet Gayle Walkom – Defence Support Program Leader

St Patrick’s College Townsville recognises the inherit demands of the Australian Defence Force lifestyle and the impact it can have on its students and families and would like to welcome Ms Gayle Walkom as the new Defence Support Program Leader. Gayle will provide a friendly point of contact for any Defence families – current and retired – and will be able to assist Defence students and their families with changing schools, integrating into the school community and providing support during parental absences. Morning teas will be held fortnightly in A block and all Defence Students are welcome to attend. If you have not received correspondence from Gayle, please contact via email gwalkom@stpatscollege.qld.edu.au or phone 0747530300.

Running Club meets the Deadly Runners Group

The Running Club met with Derrick Evans, founder of the local “Deadly Runners Group”. The guest speaker was Damian Tuck, an Indigenous Marathon Project Coach, and James Kaan, Manager Deadly Running Australia. Joining them via Zoom was accomplished marathon runner, Bianca Graham. The girls got to hear and then speak to a large group of passionate long distance runners and are excited about continuing with Running Club

“I thoroughly enjoyed listening to The Deadly Runners talk about their inspiring journeys and I would love to be a part of such an amazing community of runners. I could clearly tell that this foundation has impacted all of them in the best way possible and I feel very grateful that I had the opportunity to listen to them speak.” Brianna Stanley, Sports Prefect.

P&F AGM

The Parents & Friends Association of St Patrick’s College Townsville are holding their AGM on Tuesday 2 March. The focus of the P&F is to strengthen bonds between families and the College community. Fund raising is not their objective! Please join us in the East Precinct from 5.30pm – 6.30pm for the P&F AGM. Entry for this event will be through Fryer Street.

Catholic School Parents QLD Diocese of Townsville

The Catholic School Parents QLD Diocese of Townsville are holding two events in the very near future. The first of which is their First General Meeting on Thursday 18 February at 6.30pm

The second event is an Annual General Meeting with Guest Speakers which will be held on Saturday 20 March for a 10.00am start.

International Women’s Day

To celebrate International Women’s Day, The Townsville Business Women’s Circle (TBWC) is holding a fundraising event on Tuesday 9 March from 12.00pm – 3.00pm. This promises to be a very special event and tickets are available through the TWBC website.

Message From the Principal

“We must strive to do ordinary things extraordinarily well.”

Catherine McAuley

Welcome to the 2021 school year! I hope everyone enjoyed some rest and relaxation over the break, spending quality time with family and friends. The staff and students have certainly returned with renewed energy and excitement for the opportunities that lie ahead. This year, I am thrilled to announce our College focus will be on harnessing our positive energy in a more intentional way, bringing greater depth to our relationships with others through our thoughts, words and actions. The College Leadership Team spent days together in early January reflecting on how we could ‘Lead with Intention’ continuing to strengthen our community and set goals and action plans in line with the Towards 2015 Strategic Plan.

I launched this theme at our Welcome Assembly and reminded everyone that intention is the force that comes from our heart and lies behind everything that we do, whether good or bad. I suggested that as a community we could all work towards being more:

Intentional in our relationships with others by investing in knowing and understanding others better, building stronger and more respectful relationships.
Intentional in our understanding of what it means to be a member of this community. We can all bring the Mercy Values to life more intentionally in our actions and words, inspired by the practical example of Catherine McAuley.
Intentional in our learning journey by setting goals and taking real action towards achieving these goals.

I was able to share that our College continues to experience strong growth and coupled with internal staff promotions, we needed to find more expert teachers and great teacher aides to join our team from this year. These staff members will be featured on our digital media as part of the rollout for our Twilight Open Evening on Wednesday 17 March 2021.

Later in this Newsletter, Ms Byres has provided information on our Scholars’ Assembly. We are immensely proud of all of our graduates from 2020, and wish them all the very best for their futures. We know they will always remain closely connected to the College and the sisterhood of incredible Alumnae. In the Director of Mission’s report, Ms Costopolous, covers the Beginning of Year Mass and the Year 12 Student Investiture. Presided over by our Parish Priest, Fr. Siby, these were a truly beautiful occasion.

In Queensland, schools are required to adhere to all COVID-19 operating guidelines. As a Boarding school we also have additional requirements to follow. I would like to thank our College community for continuing to play our part in ensuring the health and safety of students, staff and the broader community remains the priority. This includes not sending your daughter to school if she is displaying COVID-19 symptoms, and to seek medical advice and subsequent testing if required. We also thank you for understanding that if your daughter develops COVID-19 symptoms that you will be asked to collect her immediately from the College. We continue to take advice from the Chief Health Officer and Queensland Health in making decisions regarding the operation of our College at this time. We are looking forward to the year ahead and our team is committed to finding safe ways to hold more events within our College community, whilst adhering to the COVID-19 Guidelines for day and boarding schools. Thank you for your ongoing support and understanding.

May God bless our College community in the year ahead.

Amber Hauff

College Principal

Deputy Principal

I would like to take this opportunity to welcome all new and returning students to the College for 2021. We are looking forward to a productive and rewarding year ahead.

Parent Lounge

The Parent Lounge Portal on the Learning Hub is up and running for 2021.

Through this portal parents/guardians will have access to useful information and functions including:

College Calendar events and notices
Subject pages with learning material, planners, activities and resources
Individual student assessment task grades and feedback that your daughter has received from her teacher
Managing excursions online
Updating your daughter’s medical and address details

To login, open a browser and navigate to https://learninghub.stpatscollege.qld.edu.au/

To set your password, please click on ‘Parents, forgotten your password?’ on the login page, enter the email address nominated on your enrolment form and instructions on how to reset your password will be emailed to you within five minutes.

If you have issues or questions regarding this process, please do not hesitate to contact the College’s IT Support team at itsupport@stpatscollege.qld.edu.au or via 4753 0300.

Interhouse Swimming Carnival

The Interhouse Swimming Carnival is being held at Long Tan Pool on Monday 22 February. An information letter and transport form were emailed to students and families this week. All day students are required to return this transport form to their PC Group teacher by Monday 15 February, indicating their means of travel to and from the venue: private transport or College bus. Please ensure this form is returned as this information is used to book buses and manage student movement on the day of the carnival.

Please be advised that due to this being an outdoor venue and off campus, we are able to invite families to attend the carnival to support their daughters. We ask that those planning to attend notify the College via email to office@stpatscollege.qld.edu.au. To meet the current COVID-19 restrictions, guests will need to check in via QR code and complete screening questions. Those attending will also be required to maintain a 1.5m social distance from others and remain in the area designated for parents/guardians.

We are very excited to be holding our first sporting carnival of the year, with all the house spirit that generates.

Our Expert Teachers

We are incredibly proud of the teaching staff at St Patrick’s College and on our website you will be able to find a information about all of our educators. Since our first newsletter, we have used our social media channels of Facebook and Instagram to introduce many more of our teaching staff to the community. The response to these posts has been fantastic! We knew that one post, in particular, would be popular, but even we were surprised with the response it received from the community – including so many of our Alumni. Mrs Gayle Pollard has been with St Patrick’s College for 42 years and she remains as optimistic and dedicated as the first day she started. At the time of print, her “Teachers Change Lives” Facebook post had reached over 3840 people.

Here is a small sampling of the comments shared on this post.

“Mrs Pollard was a great teacher who stretched and challenged me in all the sciences back in the early 80s! I was a chatterbox and she once challenged me to remain silent for a double chemistry class and then celebrated my success with me. It wasn’t about silencing me, it was about helping me focus when I needed support. Somewhere in a box tucked away, I still have the stickers I earned that day.”

“Mrs Pollard was one of my favourite teachers. When I started in Year 8 with little to no English, she was always there for me and my family.”

“The most supportive & kindest teacher I’ve ever had!!”

“What a legend! She taught me 35+ years ago! She has never lost her passion for teaching.”

“Fantastic intellect, organised, compassionate, respectful of all our girls…thanks for being you x”

“Took us for Maths….yes, teachers change lives and she definitely did ours.”

“I learnt so much from this lady as a student and then as a new teacher. Still using your techniques, Gayle, teaching pharmacy students at university. God bless.”

Thank you to everyone who has reached out to share their wonderful memories of Mrs Pollard.

Want to meet more of our Expert Teaching Team?

Head to our website of follow this link. https://www.stpatscollege.qld.edu.au/our-college/our-expert-teachers/

In the meantime, we’ll continue to share profiles through Facebook and Instagram.

Dean of Academic Operations

In this newsletter, Mr Pacey will don a different hat (or two)! He has information on Year 12 Marine Science and Clean Up Australia to share with the College Community.

12 Marine Science

Year 12 Marine Science students have been exploring the impacts that increasing levels of carbon dioxide are having on our oceans, especially on the ocean’s chemistry. As part of their Unit 3 work, they have had to modify experiments that look at the effect that increasing acidification has had on organisms that produce calcium carbonate to form their skeletal and bone structures. Some students have been looking at the effect changing pH has on coral reefs, while other students have been looking at the potential impact to important fisheries species like scallops. Students produce report that justify their research, summarise their data and provide an analysis of both their data and their experimental process.

Clean Up Australia Day

On Friday 5 March, more than 80 students from St Patrick’s College, Townsville took part in the Clean Up Australia program. They moved along the beaches and parklands of The Strand and removed a variety of rubbish from cigarette butts to small plastics including plastic lids. These students not only had a positive impact on the marine life today that live in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park, but their wonderful efforts also saw them engage with the community and spread the important message of looking after our environment. Many students saw a direct connection to their efforts when they saw that turtles had been nesting in the protected dune area. A fantastic effort by the wonderful students and many staff that volunteered their time to help. This initiative is part of the Reef Guardian Club formed in earlier in the Term with over 150 members ready to assist in a variety of extra-curricular activities to help increase environmental awareness. These activities not only include Clean Up Australia Day, but is also hoped that students with engage in Environmental Awareness Days like International Turtle Day, as well as feeding the College’s own Reef aquarium fish, looking after the aquaponics display, participating reef awareness workshops and hopefully even visiting the Great Barrier Reef and surrounding Island.

Student Achievements

Debating

Our Senior Debating tea won their first debate effectively arguing that, “There is no politics in international sport.” Coached by Ms Plumridge and chaperoned by Ms Mosch, the girls were wonderful ambassadors for the College. Congratulations to the three speakers: Georgia Dagge, Maddison Winks and Hayley Emanuel. Thanks go to the Chair and Timekeeper on the night, Charlotte Gugliotti and Ally Espig.

Round 1 - debating win

The UN Youth Conference

Eight of our College students participated in the annual UN Youth Conference. This is a national competition aimed at educating young people in political affairs, issues and global conversations. It is a wonderful way to develop public speaking skills, educate youth and network with other like-minded people who share a passion for world events. Students were able to amend laws or negotiate threats to democracy, sovereignty and refugees.

The students involved were: Elizabeth Shaju, Jacq Wigley, Jemma Campbell, Katherine Kerkhoffs, Charlotte Merrit, Jamie Moorh, Maddison Winks and Ally Espig. Special congratulations go to Ally Espig and Maddison Winks, the delegates of Estonia, who received first place in their chamber. They will fly to Brisbane to compete in the state finals later this year and we wish them the best of luck!

UN Youth delegates

Be the Difference

Be the Difference is a nation-wide campaign which empowers girls to examine and evaluate the impact of challenges women face. Year 12 student, Harper Weekers’ submission was accepted and will be part of a large broadcast on the Be the Difference Facebook, Youtube and Instagram pages on Monday 8 March.

Thoughtful, impassioned and driven to create real change in the world, Harper is an outstanding role-model for our College community.

While Harper’s speech is set for 10.40am, the broadcast times are set for AWST (WA), so please allow for a two hour difference (i.e. 12.40pm).

Be the Difference (Australia)

Drama – Emer Friel

Year 10 student, Emer Friel, has been cast in TheatreiNQ’s production of Alice Through the Looking Glass. Since she was young, Emer has immersed herself in the arts. Talented and committed, she is one of the College’s rising stars and we’re particularly proud of her for being cast in a professional production. All the best for the great run Emer!

For more information about Alice Through the Looking Glass, go to: https://www.theatreinq.com/whats-next

Drama – TheatreiNQ’s Culture Club

Several of our students were nominated by our Head of Drama, Ms Kelly, to join TheatreiNQ’s Culture Club 2021. The purpose is to provide industry training to talented and focused young performances. Over the year, they will attend masterclass workshops with professional actors and directors, and they will also get to observe company rehearsals. Congratulations to Ava Saldana Lopez, Aiva Tyrie and Emer Friel.

Deputy Principal – Academic

Welcome to our new and returning students and their families. As we come to the end of Week 3, I am hoping our students are now confident with their timetable, class teachers and peers. By now, students should be able to access our College network and IT services, including: emails, printing and the Learning Hub. 2021 aims to be a rewarding year for our students, particularly with the new curriculum junctures that have been introduced across all year levels. New subjects give students wonderful opportunities to continue to learn and discover their passion.

I look forward to working closely with our students and their families in all areas of the curriculum to ensure that students are fully supported to achieve their academic goals.

Scholars’ Assembly

We welcomed back some of our 2020 graduates for our annual Scholars’ Assembly. As a College we celebrated their hard work, academic success and invited them to share their future plans and post-schooling pathways. The 2020 scholars reminded current students that they did not achieve their goals by chance. They used their commitment to harness and use their energy in an intentional and purposeful way.

The assembly also included the presentation of the 2020 College Dux and Proxime Accessit.

Awarded to the student with the highest ATAR, The Rosa Pullella College Dux was Emily Shaw, pictured here with the Dux shield.

We congratulate Emily on her outstanding academic achievement.

Awarded to the student with the second highest ATAR, The St Patrick’s College Townsville Proxime Accessit was Erin Chin.

Emily and Erin were joined by Tamarra Woods who received a James Cook University Rising Star Scholarship. Like Emily and Erin before her, Tamarra participated in the long held tradition of signing the Scholars’ register.

Alyssa Mills and Kalani Guillien, already studying in Brisbane and Sydney respectively, joined us remotely. Each spoke eloquently and passionately about their hopes for the future showing, once again, what wonderful role models they are. Their immediate future looks like this:

Emily Shaw – Bachelor of Politics, Philosophy and Economics at the University of Queensland.
Erin Chin – Bachelor of Creative Arts and Japanese Linguistic Studies at the University of South Australia, deferred to begin in 2022. In 2021, she will be completing a Certificate in Business and a course in Korean.
Tamarra Woods – Bachelor of Science majoring in Cell and Molecular Biology at James Cook University after receiving a James Cook University Rising Star Scholarship.
Alyssa Mills – Bachelor of Biomedicine at Griffith University.
Kalani Guillien – Diploma of Musical Theatre at Brent Street Sydney in 2021. Kalani has been accepted into both a Bachelor of Creative Industries at Queensland University of Technology and a Bachelor of Arts/International Studies at the University of Sydney, but has deferred these until 2022.

A video recording of the Scholars’ Assembly can be viewed by College families. It can be found on the #StayingConnected tile on the Learning Hub by following this link: https://learninghub.stpatscollege.qld.edu.au/homepage/3430

Senior Studies Information Evening

The Senior Studies Information Evening for students graduating in 2022 and 2023 (current Year 10 and 11 students) will be held in the Auditorium from 5.30pm to 6.15pm on Tuesday, 23 February. The presentation will discuss a range of topics including:

The QCE System.
The ATAR system in Queensland.
The changes in assessment including internal and external assessment.

Parents will be required to register their attendance via trybooking. Students who attend will be required to wear their College academic uniform.

If you are unable to attend, a recording of the presentation will be made available on the College Learning Hub after the event.

Tutoring Schedule

Teachers at the College provide a range of tutoring opportunities for students, including before and after school and during lunch breaks. The tutoring schedule for Semester 1, 2021 is located on the College website (add link) and has been emailed to parents and students. As well as this document, students are encouraged to speak to their teachers for alternative tutoring times.

Study Timetable

With students receiving their Timetable, Assessment Calendar and the Tutoring Schedule, they can now begin to plan their study timetables. It is important that students have a regular routine and implementing effective procedures early in the year. On pages 113 – 114 of the College Diary, further information regarding study including appropriate places to study, time management, organisation, sleep habits and balance.

The following pages of the College Diary are also useful in assisting students to plan their time:

Term One Planner – Page 10
Term One Assessment Tasks – Page14
Term One Study Planner- Page 18

As a general guide for students and parents/guardians, the following average times per day are suggested for each year level for homework/study:

Year 7 – 30 minutes to 1 hour
Year 8 – 1 ½ hours
Year 9 – 2 hours
Year 10 – 2 ½ hours
Year 11 – 3 hours
Year 12 – 3 ½ hours

Year 11 ATAR Preparation and Support Program

On Friday, 29 January, Elevate Education presented to the Year 11s students. This semester’s focus was on providing effective strategies for study habits and time management. Elevate Education will return later in 2021 with a focus on memory mnemonics and exam preparation.

Director of Mission

I warmly welcome everyone back to the College. We started off our term with a beautiful Eucharistic celebration at the Beginning of Year Mass and Investiture of the Senior Students of 2021. Our Parish Priest, Fr. Siby, performed the Mass and our special guest was Board Chair, Sr. Helen Mary Peters.

During the Mass we gave thanks for the many gifts God has given us and committed to continue Catherine McAuley’s mission to work towards peace and justice through works of charity and service in all that we do.

Included in the ceremony was a Welcome to Country, Smoking Ceremony and cultural dance performed by Mr Ashley Saltner and the Wulgurukaba Walkabout dancers.

An important part of the Investiture of the Senior Students is the blessing of the badges. It was a beautiful and moving ceremony where the 2021 senior cohort pledged to lead our College with purpose, faith, mercy, courage and compassion. This group of young women are excited to continue the great work of those who have walked before them and leave their own legacy for those that will follow. After receiving their badges, the girls recited the Senior Prayer:

“In this, our senior year at St Patrick’s College Townsville, help us to lead with courage, to swim against the tide. Lord, keep us alert, help us to stand firm in our faith and be courageous and strong. May the Lord’s mercy be in our hearts, so that we can then be the face of Mercy to others. Assist us in the journey of leadership throughout 2021 so that we fulfil our roles to continue to build our College as a community of faith, respect and compassion. We ask this in Jesus’ name. AMEN”

At St Patrick’s College, we find ways to live the Mercy Values of Hope, Compassion, Justice, Integrity, Respect and Joy. I look forward to spending time with your daughters and encourage them to take part in the Mercy Girls In Action community service group and the McAuley Ministry faith and mission group.

Director of Students

I extend a very warm welcome to all families and students of our College.

We have had a fantastic start to the school year, welcoming our Year 7 and new Year 8 students on Orientation Day. The day was a wonderful way to set our new students up for success, allowing important connections to be made with their Pastoral Care Teachers, Heads of House, Head of Year 7, Year 12 Big Sisters, and other members of the College community.

Year 7 Retreat Day

Year 7 Retreat Day was held on Friday, 29 January. A day full of fun and laughter and lots of fun activities. The girls enjoyed swimming at the Tobruk Pool, followed by a BBQ lunch and games on The Strand, where they could participate in team building and other activities to get to know each other better and form friendships outside of the classroom. The day was a great success, and I would like to thank Ms Meg Henderson for planning and organising the day, and the other staff who assisted.

GRIP Student Leadership Conference and Year 12 Prefect Retreat

Last Friday, our College Prefects attended the GRIP Student Leadership Conference to participate in activities specifically focused on training student leaders. This conference was followed by the Year 12 Prefect Retreat. The students were able to gather to identify their vision for leadership in their specific portfolio and set goals to achieve their vision within the College this year. The Prefects left the day excited and ready to lead the College with pride in 2021. I would like to thank Ms Tenille Hambly for organising the day.

Enlighten Education

Year 9 students participated in an all-day workshop run by Enlighten Education on Thursday, 11 February, the day comprised of a series of workshops on issues ranging from friendship, self-esteem, and body image. One workshop focussed on the notion of gratitude and was packed with practical tips designed to encourage thankfulness. The Enlighten Team are national leaders in empowering young women to Celebrate, Challenge, and Change who they are and who they want to become. The students had an enjoyable day and were glowing in their praise.

House Charities

In 2017 the college launched the house charity project in which each of our four houses support and raise awareness for a chosen charity. It is an amazing opportunity for students to carry out the Mercy Values and give to those in need. This year the charities are:

Dominations House Charity – Ronald McDonald House

Ronald McDonald House aims to support the ever-changing needs of seriously ill children and their families. When a child is diagnosed with a serious illness, it impacts the whole family. Lives can be turned upside down. RMDH provides a range of programs to help families stay together and close to the care they need.

This year Doms aims to have raise money through funky sock days and a secret project (announced soon!)

Powers House Charity – The Alannah and Madeline Foundation – Dolly’s Dream

This year, Powers House will be supporting the Alannah & Madeline Foundation as our House charity to support Dolly’s Dream. This is an important charity chosen by our students to fundraise and raise awareness about bullying and its impacts on those affected.

Principalities House Charity – Endometriosis Australia.

Endometriosis is a common disease that affects more than 830 000 (more than 11%) Australian women, at some point in their lives, with the condition often starting in teenagers. Princes House will be raising awareness of this disease and fundraising to support endometriosis research. The first fundraising activity will be an Easter basket raffle.

Thrones House Charity – North Queensland Domestic Violence Resource Service (NQDVRS)

During Domestic and Family Violence Prevention Month and throughout the year, Thrones will raise awareness within the College through our various ‘fundraising’ campaigns and our annual ‘Handbags of Hope’ project for victims of domestic violence. Our Mercy actions, in particular, extend to supporting women in high-risk scenarios and educating students, families, and the community to identify the red flags, stand up, speak out and seek support.

Safer Internet Day

Tuesday 9 February was Safer Internet Day. Safer Internet Day is an opportunity to raise awareness about the safe and positive use of digital technology. It’s also an excellent time to explore the role we can all play in creating a better online community. Six online tips provided by the eSafety Commissioner are:

Be an upstander, not a bystander to cyberbullying
Be aware of fake news
Balance your time online
Be cautious about online relationships
Don’t be afraid to take time out from social media
Report any inappropriate online behaviour

Free Online Seminar

Steve Biddulph is a renowned Psychologist & Author who is offering an upcoming free online seminar next Tuesday, 16 February at 8 pm, providing insight into ‘Raising Girls’.

https://www.stevebiddulph.com/Site_1/Home.html