Message From the Principal

Last week our College came together (virtually) to celebrate Speech Night. It was a wonderful night celebrating hope, joy, creativity, leadership and academic achievement. The theme for the evening was hope for a joy-filled future. The evening began with our visual and performing arts staff and students creating an atmosphere of excellence through a piece titled Ocean Dreams. The performance was simply breathtaking beginning with Chloe Dickinson’s rendition of the Russian opera piece, supported by our dance troupe and wearable art, taking the audience on an exciting journey. This was followed by our Year in Review video which was expertly put together by Lorie Korn in our IT Department. I do hope our friends and families have been able to watch the recording of the night on our website to appreciate the outstanding performances by all of our talented staff and students.

My heartfelt thanks are extended to the extraordinary team of music, drama, dance staff and instrumental teachers, led by Alyssa Kelly and John Goulter. This was a professional event, which set the standard and tone for the presentation of honour awards and academic prizes. The final concert band item for the evening was nothing short of spectacular. Conducted and composed by Dr Mark Smith, this performance of all of our instrumental groups was the result of nine months of rehearsals. We are a community rich in talent and skill and it was certainly on show last Thursday evening.

Our special guest Ali Clark (nee Lyons) inspired our students to use the gift and privilege of an education in the Mercy tradition to challenge stereotypes, fight injustice and make a difference in the world. She spoke of the joy and experience of her time spent at the College, graduating in 2001. Ali challenged our students to seek more screen-free time, reconnecting with friends and family on a regular basis to prioritise healthy relationships. I know I speak on behalf of our community when I say thank you for sharing your experience and seeking to empower young women to dare to imagine what they will achieve in their lives.

The Towards 2025 Strategic Plan was finally launched, an exciting and visionary document that encapsulates the strategic framework whilst respectfully honouring the past and all those who have contributed to the legacy of our College, positioning the College to respond to and lead in a highly dynamic environment. Emerging out of close consultation with current and past students, staff and families the Towards 2025 Strategic Plan showcases the shared vision, mission and hope of our community.

I congratulate all of the students who were presented with awards on this evening and encourage all of our students to focus on the positives, acknowledging that this year has been incredibly challenging for young people. I am immensely proud of the way our students have demonstrated persistence, optimism and kindness to help them navigate their journey. Certainly, the students who have faced the most incredible challenges have been our Year 12 cohort. As they begin their external exams this week we are all sending them strength and love. We wish for them to remember the years of preparation they have undertaken and the need now to focus on positive self-belief. The College community and sisters are right behind you and we look forward to gathering again on Thursday 19 October, for the Year 12 Valedictory Mass.

May God bless you and your families.

Amber Hauff

College Principal

Deputy Principal

Cameran Triffett

Buses 2021

All parents/guardians who would like their daughter/s to use the College buses in 2021 are required to submit a 2021 Confirmation of Bus Use form. Parents/guardians whose daughter/s are current bus users are required to complete and submit this form for the 2021 school year. Seats on the College Bus Service are limited so please register as soon as possible.

If you have any questions, please contact the College Bus Coordinator Ms Liz Mahlouzarides – lmahlouzarides@stpatscollege.qld.edu.au or phone the College office on 47530300.

Day for Daniel

On Friday October 30, the College recognised Day for Daniel. “Day for Daniel

is Australia’s largest day of action to raise awareness of child safety, protection, and harm prevention. Held annually on the last Friday of October, Day for Daniel honours the memory of Daniel Morcombe.”

The theme for this year was Wear Red, Educate and Donate. We hope that recognising the day will help students to have important conversations with parents, carers, and educators about personal safety. The students dressed in red and offered a gold coin donation. All money raised will go the Daniel Morcombe Foundation so that they can continue developing free resources and programs for parents, carers, and educators to teach children how to stay safe. Funds are also used to support young victims of crime.

Deputy Principal – Academic

Amy Byrnes

Week 4 is the half way mark of Term 4. It is always a fast paced term and it is important that students are organised and ready for upcoming assessment. The College Assessment Calendar is a useful starting point for planning the remaining weeks of term.

Special provisions

If students are away on an assessment due date or have been away prior to the due date of an exam or assessment they may be entitled to special provisions. It is important that students are meeting all due dates, but at times, there are circumstances that prevent this from occurring and this is when special provisions are put in place. Students must make an appointment to see myself if they have an application for special provisions. Further information relating to Special Provisions can be found in the College diary on page 114.

If a student is in Year 11 and is absent for an assessment they must contact myself to ensure it meets the Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority (QCAA) Access Arrangements and Reasonable Adjustments (AARA) requirements.

Exam Block Timetable

Years 7 to 11 will all have an Exam Block at the end of Term 4. This timetable will be distributed very soon. It is compulsory for all students in these Year levels to attend these exams. The Exam Block will be emailed to all students and once published, will also be found on the College website.

A reminder that students must attend all exams in their full Academic College uniform. Only Year 10 and 11 students are permitted to complete individual study at home or in the Boarding School during Exam Block. If a Year 10 or 11 student does not have exams during Exam Block or only one exam on a particular day, they are permitted to complete individual study at home, however, the parent must advise the College by 9am on the day of these arrangements. Year 10 and 11 boarding students will be permitted to return to the Boarding School for individual study,

Year 7, 8 and 9 students must complete study in the assigned classrooms. If students are absent for any exams they are reminded that they must request special provisions and if it is for medical purposes, provide a medical certificate.

Some helpful hints to prepare for Exam Block:

Start Early – don’t leave your study until the week before the Exam Block
Plan a Study Timetable – this will ensure a certain amount of time each day is allocated to study
Find a place that’s quiet and not distracting
Turn off social media, text messages and phone calls to avoid interruptions

If parents/guardians or students have any further questions in relation to the Term 4 Exam Block Timetable, please contact me via email abyrnes@stpatscollege.qld.edu.au.

Year 12

Our Year 12 students are currently in the midst of External Assessment. This is the first group of Year 12 students in the new Queensland Certificate of Education (QCE) system who are experiencing external exams for 17 days across the final four weeks of Year 12 in Term 4. Our Year 12 students are to be commended on being the first cohort in this new system and we wish them the best of luck with these exams.

Please find below some important dates for Year 12 students:

Friday, 20 November – Final day for Year 12 students in Queensland.
Saturday, 19 December:
- Final subject results released to students via the QCAA Student Portal. Year 12 students must ensure they have accessed this site before this date to ensure they can login. Students will need their LUI to access this portal.
- Queensland Certificate of Education (QCE), Senior Statements and Statement of Results available from the QCAA Student Portal. Please note that these certificates will not be mailed in 2020 and are only available electronically.
- Release of ATARs via the QTAC ATAR Portal for students that are ATAR eligible.

Year 12 students will not receive a report card from the College at the end of the year as all of their results are provided in the documents provided by QCAA.

2021 Subjects

Students in Years 7, 8, 9 and 10 have submitted their 2021 subject selection forms. A reminder that if students want to change any of their preferences for 2021 they are encouraged to contact myself.

End of Year Report Card

Term 4 Report Cards will be distributed in the holidays via email to all parents/guardians of students in Years 7 to 10. The Year 7 to 10 Term 4 Report will include an overview of academic achievement, behaviour and work ethic in each subject throughout Term 4, 2020.

The Year 11 Report will be a Unit Three Interim Report. As Year 11’s have just received a report card, the report card issued will indicate how your daughter is progressing behaviourally and in her work ethic across her subjects.

If your contact details have changed, please contact the College Office to update your details before the reports are distributed.

Be the Difference

The College is participating in the Be the Difference (Australia) program run through Engaging Education, with our Year 11 College Captains and Prefects. The program aims to empower girls by examining and evaluating the impact of the challenges they face. At the end of the program, the students will deliver their perspective on what it means to Be the Difference in the face of challenges. Content specifically in this program looks at:

Women in STEM
Women in Leadership
Imposter Syndrome
Social Media Feed
Financial Security
Diversity and Inclusion

At the end of the program the girls will be required to submit a 4 – 5 minute recorded TED Talk. This video will then be judged and all videos will be shared on International Women’s Day – 8 March 2021.

The College has been sponsored by Silver Chain.org to participate in this program.

Constitutional Convention (General)

On Wednesday 31 October, Charlotte Merrit, Alexia Hennell, Grace McKinley, Evon Tulele, Kanako Weightman, Emily Black, Johanne Nona, Samara Gela and Jowinah Mipari all participated in the Queensland Schools Constitutional Convention (General). The theme was Federalism: the Constitution and Australia’s Water. We heard from Key Note speakers about Federalism, and Historically how Australia dealt with water issues. The girls also voted on a referenda. School delegates delivered a speech on the topic and the top delegates were elected to attend the National Convention in Canberra next year. Charlotte Merrit was our school delegate and she spoke eloquently, representing our school extremely well. Charlotte was successful in being elected as a delegate to head off to the National Convention in Canberra next year. Congratulations Charlotte!

Director of Mission

Athena Costopoulos

This year, the Community Service and Ministry groups of the College have worked hard to shine a light on important issues that impact our world through education, prayer and action.

Mercy Girls In Action have continued their commitment to charitable organisations such as Vinnies, Mercy Works, Youth With A Mission and Caritas. Through fundraising, collecting toiletries, knitting and participating in activities such as Shrove Tuesday Pancake Day, Clean Up Australia Day, Vinnies Sleepout @ Home, Catholic Education Week and Mercy Day they have been shining lamps, giving light to all around us.

In its inaugural year, McAuley Ministry members have been integral in organising and supporting the prayer and liturgical life of the College.

This year the group has come together each week for prayer and discussion that has centred on Lent, Catherine McAuley and Laudato Si. Our Diocesan Youth Representatives met with the Bishop and other school representatives. New Eucharistic Ministers completed their training and altar servers with readers and performers supporting the College in Masses and Liturgies.

We thank the outgoing Faith and Identity and Community Service Prefects, Ali Thomas, Tamarra Woods and Erin Chin for their leadership and hard work this year.

The 2021 Community Service and Faith and Identity Prefects have begun planning and organising activities for their new portfolios.

Mercy Girls In Action

Mercy Girl In Action Leaders, Harper Weekers and Madyson Wass welcomed guest speakers from CARITAS. Andrew Knife, the Justice and Ecological Animator for QLD and NT and Neil Helmore, the Diocesan Caritas Director attended our first MGIA meeting to discuss the Project Compassion Emersion Incursion next year.

In week two, Vinnies Youth representative, Mary McAuliffe, spoke to the girls about ways they can support the community. Harper and Madyson will be taking names of senior girls interested in participating in Buddies Days, Kids Camp, Youth Mentoring, the Townsville Tutoring Program and packing Christmas hampers.

You can also support Vinnies by bringing in non-perishable food and Christmas gifts to your PC class. DOMS are collecting non-perishable Christmas food and gifts for adults. POWERS are collecting Christmas puddings and presents for teen girls. PRINCES are collecting soft drinks and gifts for teen boys and THRONES are bringing in lollies and Christmas bonbons.

McAuley Ministry

The entire month of October is dedicated to honouring Mary with the rosary. In our PC classes, prayer time has been centred around the Rosary. On Thursday lunchtimes, the McAuley girls have been running craft sessions in the library on the theme of Mary and the Rosary.

TOGETHER WE PRAY

Help us God of love and patience,

in the everyday of our busy lives,

to stop and consider the plight of those affected by climate change.

Farmers fighting years of drought,

families who lose homes in bushfires,

those living in communities threatened by rising sea levels,

the people who can’t breathe the air of our own cities,

the sea waters littered with plastic,

the forest stripped bare.

Help us God of love to speak out for the Earth and all people.

Amen

Mercy Partners Prayer Resources 2020

The Arts

Head of Department – Dramatic Arts & Performance

Alyssa Kelly

Speech Night

Audiences both live and virtual were recently treated to a visual spectacular with Music, Visual Art and Dance students coming together to showcase ‘Ocean Dreaming’ as the opening act for Speech Night, 2020. Year 11 student, Chloe Dickinson graced the stage dressed in sustainably created wearable art and wowed audiences as she sang the opening verse of Dvorark’s Song to the Moon. As this Queen of the Ocean sang to the moon for guidance, she was surrounded by waves in the form of dancers who swirled around her and gave life to her watery home. At the climax of the piece, the Queen of the Ocean beckoned her reef guardians, warriors who represented the human ability to protect the ocean from destruction. These girls were also dressed in sustainable garments, with long staffs lighting their passage.

This major work was inspired by our very own Reef Guardian students who take time each year to clean plastics and rubbish from the reef. Teachers and students alike worked for weeks to pull the entire piece together. Dancers worked collaboratively with Ms Kelly and Ms Hudson to trial the new curriculum dance program, allowing senior students to work alongside Year 7 students to mentor them through some of the more difficult movement. Visual Art students assisted Ms Geater-Johnson and Ms Costopoulos to create the three stunning wearable art pieces, and Mr Goulter worked with Chloe Dickinson to teach her to sing in Czech.

Ocean Dreaming can be viewed on the College Website

Head of Department – Visual Arts & Exhibitions

Harriet Geater-Johnson

In residence artists

12 Visual Arts in Practice students have been lucky enough to work with local artist Isabella Shatte during their silkscreen printmaking project. Isabella has run her own commercial business and guided the girls through technical information about the printing process, creating stencil designs and using multiple layers.

A big thank you to Isabella and the Percival Tucker Regional Gallery who made this possible through the Artist in Schools program.

Young Indigenous Printmakers

11VAP students have been working with artists Martina Ah Sam and Margaret Robertson from Umbrella Studios on a relief printmaking project. The artist came to work with the girls in school for two hours to establish their designs, the class will then go to the printmaking studio on Flinders Street for a day to learn about professional printmaking in a working studio environment.

Speech Night Preparations

Creating outfits for a special speech night performance kept visual art students (and teachers) very busy for the last few weeks. Students from Y11, 12 and 10 have all contributed to the making of some exciting wearable art outfits which were worn on Speech Night. Working on extra projects is a really big commitment and we are very proud of the effort the girls put into creating pieces with a big impact! The theme was Reef Guardians, and Chloe was flanked by two warrior protectors in a dramatic performance with dance students.

Year 12 Students in PNG

Students Barbara and Gwendoline from Year 12 Visual Art have not been able to return from PNG since Term 1, as such they had to adapt their initial plan for folios and both submitted photos.

Whilst we have really missed the girls, both presented a beautiful series that celebrates PNG culture and landscape and gave us a little insight into their home.

Head of Department – Music & Performance

Johnathon Goulter

Other music items on Speechnight included the Guitar Ensemble who performed a rocking and bopping arrangement of Queens “Crazy Little Thing Called Love”. Emma Watts featured on Guitar three while Guitar two was played by

Chloe Ferrara, Nia Newman and Keely Adebahr. Guitar one, featuring Chloe Dickinson and Georgia Frakes, played sections of the virtuosic original solo. Congratulations must be given to Guitar Ensemble teacher, Ms Georgia Martel who after preparing the students, could not be present on the night. Mr Goulter generously offered to fill in on bass guitar.

This year, the Concert Band combined with the Chamber String Ensemble and College Choir to create our first ever St Patrick’s College orchestra in a performance of Cold Play’s, Viva la Vida. To produce such a huge group performance took great courage and patience from teachers and students as they had to rehearse their sections separately, only coming together a small number of times before performing on the night. The piece was specially arranged by our very own woodwind/brass tutor, Dr Mark Smith, to suit the playing ability of each individual member of the orchestra. Dr Smith was

joined on the night by teachers, Mr Paul Neilson, Mr James Jellyman, Ms Monica Licciardello, Ms Rike Wolf, Ms Megan Donnelly, Ms Rachel Cairns, Mr John Goulter and Ms Alyssa Kelly. Students were thrilled to play alongside their teachers, and the piece was well received by all viewers. The concert band combined again with the College Choir at the end of the night to perform a roaring version of “St Patrick’s By The Sea” which was arranged by Dr Mark Smith.

Special thanks must also be given to the Liturgy choir who performed their usual duties including singing the Australian National Anthem, the Hymn “To the Ends of the Earth” and the Acknowledgment of Country with the pre-recorded Year 7 Music students who learnt the song as apart of their curriculum studies.

Cultural Support Program Leader

Lauren Newman

During the September holidays as a part of her work with the CSIRO’s Junior Indigenous Women’s STEM Academy, Patience Hampton-Tungutalum attended ‘The Science Experience’ at CQ University in Townsville. The whole experience is designed to provide students who have an interest in science with an opportunity to engage in a wide range of fascinating science activities under the guidance of actual scientists who love their work. When asked about her experience Patience expressed that her favourite day was day two as there were many practical and ‘hands on’ workshops that she was able to get involved in.

On Tuesday 20 October, four of our Indigenous students participated in the Queensland School’s Constitutional Convention for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Students. Year 9 students Sanije Krasniqi and Patience Hampton-Tungutalum were joined by Year 10 students Flora Nona and Jermia Ahmat-Nona for this online convention. Jermia was our chosen speaker who presented a three-minute speech with regards to what her vision for Australia is for the future of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, and why change is necessary. They also had to make references to the Uluru Statement from the Heart and the Imagination Declaration throughout, using the Australian Constitution as a context for their arguments. Jermia delivered a strong, heart-felt speech and it was voted as one of the best in Queensland. She is one of seven students who has now been selected to attend the National School’s Constitutional Convention in Canberra in 2021. We are immensely proud of her achievements, and thank you to Ms Byrnes and Ms Hansen who also assisted Jermia through the speech-writing process.

We currently have eight Year 10 students waiting to see if they have been successful in receiving a QATSIF (Queensland Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Foundation) Scholarship to help to support them through Years 11 and 12. We should know by the end of term if they have been successful, and I will notify families as soon as we hear more.

I would like to again thank everyone for your support of our NAIDOC Week Indigenous Colours Shirt Day. We were able to raise $433.15 which has been donated to the Indigenous Literacy Foundation to support their many great works.

And finally, just another reminder about a current opportunity for our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students:

University of Queensland InspireU Camps for 2021, including:

Junior STEM Camp – open to current Year 8 and 9 students interested in STEM, and
Senior Engineering Camp – open to current Year 10 and 11 students interested in Engineering.
Applications close 13^th November 2020. UQ InspireU camps are very competitive and a strong application is needed to be considered.

Some current Year 10 families may have received a letter from Ms Byrnes regarding AARAs (Access Arrangements and Reasonable Adjustments) for Years 11 and 12 from 2021. We ask that you please reply to these emails at your earliest convenience so that the relevant documentation required for this process can be sourced as soon as possible, in order to meet QCAA deadlines. If you have any questions please contact Ms. Byrnes.

College Activities

Loud Shirt Day

Friday 23 October was Loud Shirt Day at the College. This day was organised to raise awareness of, and to celebrate our students who are deaf or hard of hearing. Zariah Lyne (Year 8) bravely spoke to us at assembly about her own journey being hard of hearing. And a special thank you to Ayla Adams who promoted Loud Shirt Day at assembly.

Parents & Friends Association

Teachers: Leading in crisis, reimagining the future

Today Australia celebrated World Teachers’ Day.

Our College community celebrated on Thursday AND Friday this week. Alan Thomas supplied complimentary beverages to staff on Thursday and staff received more treats today as they tucked into cupcakes.

These are but small tokens to make our teachers feel special in general, but also to acknowledge the extraordinary feat of moving from classroom to remote learning and back to classroom learning again the space of just five weeks.

In the midst of the crisis, the leadership and support demonstrated by Amber and her staff made a huge difference psychologically and practically in sustaining our community.

We have many things to celebrate and be grateful for and I count my daughter being a student at St Patrick’s College Townsville as one of those things.

Be proud to be a teacher. No one else can do what you do.

College Notices

Student Absences

A reminder to all families in the event that your daughter is absent from school, please phone the Student Absences line on 4753 0377.

Elevate are a global education organisation that helps over 1-million students to improve their study skills and boost academic performance. You can learn more about them at https://au.elevateeducation.com

Upcoming webinars include:

Wednesday, 4 November – Managing Stress & Wellbeing
Wednesday, 18 November – Exam Preparation
Wednesday, 2 December – Responsible Technology Usage

St Joseph’s Church, the Strand Centenary July 2021

Volunteers Urgently Required

As you may or may not be aware the current church building will be one hundred years old in July 2021. To celebrate this milestone we would like to have a Centenary Week in July 2021.

To do this we require a committee to assist in planning this significant event. The main committee will need to have enough members to lead groups to assist in the planning of each part of the event which will include the following task groups

¨ Compilation and display of church history for events and during the week.

¨ Contacting old parishioners from within and external to Townsville Diocese.

¨ Organising appropriate souvenir and memorabilia .

¨ Garnishing support from local service providers

¨ Organising a centenary dinner.

¨ Organising a celebratory mass.

¨ Any other event management items.

We need your help to get this event happening. Do you or do you know of anyone in the above fields that can volunteer some time? Or maybe you have some significant historical information and/or organisational skills you can contribute to the event.

Please VOLUNTEER by contacting the Parish Office and also if you have any suggestions about commemorating this event.

Email: stjoeys@tsv.catholic.org.au Ph: 4721 3765