MSPC Newsletter - Term 2 Week 8, 15th June 2023
Principal
Dear Parents and Caregivers,
Solomon Islands Immersion
I am excited that this weekend I will be part of the Mount St Patrick College immersion to the Solomon Islands. This outstanding opportunity has been held for many years and it signifies that we are back to normal (whatever normal is) with the immersion being the last of the delayed activities. The immersion first started in 2008 with Narelle Sherrah being the key driver during this entire time. There will be 14 Year 11 students attending and I know from speaking to students that have attended in the past that it will be a special event for them. I was privileged to take a group of students to Fiji at a previous school and it was enriching on many different levels. There are major differences between a holiday to a different country and an immersion as we will be living, going to school, going to mass and assisting in the community. In August we will be reciprocating with students from Bishop Epalle Catholic School visiting Mount St Patrick College and Murwillumbah.
2024 Enrolments
In the past fortnight we have interviewed over 190 prospective students for Year 7 2024. This is many more applicants than we can enrol. It is a credit to our students and staff that we are the school of choice for so many families. We do not take this for granted and continue to work hard to meet our high expectations. During the interviews many students mentioned the taster days that were held as being important to their decision to apply. These days are a conscious decision on our behalf for Year 6 students to see the school in operation and speak to current students. As principal, I am always going to be speaking highly of our school, but students are much more honest. This authentic approach in presenting the College is consistent with our overall method with students and parents.
Positive Vibe
Most people are familiar with the classic Australian movie The Castle where the lawyer representing Darryl Kerrigan says “It’s the vibe”. Term 2 has seen a positive vibe at the College. I feel a real sense of students being happy and positive as I move around the College. As in the Castle it is hard to define, but I do think that the musical launched the term in this manner and with the many varied activities that have been occurring throughout the term, all students have something that caters for their interests. This is our ongoing goal to offer students an opportunity to embrace life as espoused by Jesus “I have come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly” which we would see as giving students the skills and opportunities to live life to the full.
Be the Good and God Bless,
Paul Reidy
Principal
Assistant Principal - Mission
MSPC Parents and Friends Update
The P & F are running a hot dog fundraiser at the College Athletics Carnival on Wednesday 28th June at Walter Peate Oval in Kingscliff. They would like a few parent volunteers to help run the stall for a few hours between 10am and 1.30pm. Please let Mary-Anne McShane know if you are available to assist. One parent has already indicated that she is available. To have one or two other parents would be good. Gloves and utensils supplied.
A 5 min Survey regarding how College parents would to engage and be involved with the College will be sent home to parents next Monday 19th June. Please take a few minutes to voice your opinion.
Year 8 Outdoor Challenge Camp
Year 8 students, and the teachers accompanying them returned home last Friday 9th June exhausted but happy.
Solomon Island Immersion Experience
Best wishes to the 14 Year 11 students and 4 staff members travelling to the Solomons tomorrow 17th June for a 10-day immersion experience. May they keep safe and healthy and come back with lots of great stories.
Special Assembly for NAIDOC Week
On Monday 26th June, in the last week of Term 2, we will be holding a special Assembly to celebrate NAIDOC Week, which actually falls during the NSW school holidays from 3rd – 10th July. Local Elders, dancers and musicians will come to the College and we hope to have an outdoor assembly, weather permitting.
Date Saver: Peter Kearney Concert, Sacred Heart Church Sunday 30th July
Advance Notice for Year 12 Parents/Carers – Graduation Mass and Year 12 Formal
The Graduation Mass will be held on Thursday 21st September commencing at 10.30am in the Sacred Heart Church followed by a light luncheon in the Gilbey Basement and the Graduation Assembly beginning at 1.30pm in the Gilbey Hall.
The Year 12 Formal and presentation evening will take place on Friday 10th November commencing at 6pm in the Gilbey Hall. There will be a 2 hour rehearsal for students on Thursday morning 9th November beginning at 9 am.
Mary-Anne McShane
Assistant Principal: Mission
Assistant Principal - Learning & Teaching
“Mt St Patrick College is a good school” because we seek feedback so that we can improve. This week I had the privilege of addressing the College Assembly in the absence of Paul Reidy. I relayed to the students the feedback from the Tell Them From Me Survey that the students completed earlier this year. The survey is a useful feedback tool that gives us data to guide towards improvement.
The students were asked questions about all areas of the school. I focussed on the Learning and Teaching aspects of the survey. The student responses are ranked against the mean of similar schools.
The Students said - that they value the learning time in the classroom and appreciate the effort the teachers made in creating valuable learning experiences. However, the data indicates some students do not see the relevance of what they are learning.
In response - the College is going to focus on explaining to the students why they are learning the content and skills.
The Learning and Teaching team have been conducting Learning Walks in the classrooms and asking the students five questions:
Today on the assembly Mrs Chaffer asked 2 Year 12 students, Tabitha Stratton and Bailee Pedlow to answer the questions. The exercise is to model to the younger students what is meant by the questions and to think for themselves the relevance of the lessons. When students see relevance in their lessons they become more engaged and experience success.
Solomon Islands
This Saturday 14 Year 11 students will setting off on the Solomon Islands Immersion program. The students will be spending 10 days at Bishop Epalle Catholic School in Honiara and will be hosted in the Kakabona village. They will be immersed in the Solomon Island culture and experience what it is like to attend school in a developing country. Thank you to the generous supporters of the trip. The money raised will allow us to complete a community service program in the old nuns home in Visale.
We look forward to hearing about the students’ adventures when they return as better humans for the experience. Bishop Epalle students will visit Mt St Patrick College in August. We look forward to hosting the students from our sister school.
Narelle Sherrah
Assistant Principal: Learning and Teaching
LITERACY AND LEARNING
Reading with your child at home
Reading is a fundamental skill that students need for success in school and life beyond. Not all students are confident or competent readers, and while we do our best to support them at school, research tells us that a crucial part of a child's literacy skill development is direct parent participation in their learning.
One of the ways you can effectively support your child's literacy at home is to read with them whenever possible. Even ten minutes a day can have a significant impact on a student's literacy skill development. In order to support you with this, below are some simple but effective tips and prompts that you can use when reading with your child at home.
If you have any questions or would like any further information, please don't hesitate to contact me.
Simon Holder
Leader of Literacy
Welfare
WELLIO - PARENT WEBINAR
Phone Addiction & Social Media
As you know, Mt St Pat’s has partnered with Wellio this year.
Wellio helps students proactively improve their mental wellbeing using research-based habits and techniques. Their programme supports students in improving their sleep, managing social media use, building healthy relationships, improving physical well-being and reducing anxiety.
Alongside their work with students, Wellio will be delivering a webinar each term to parents. The upcoming webinar next week is titled “Phone Addiction & Social Media”. Drawing on the latest psychological science, this webinar helps you guide your child to better habits and fight back against phone addiction. This Webinar will take place on Thursday 22nd June at 6.30pm.
Term 3 webinar is on 14th September and will explore “Healthy Relationships”.
Term 4 webinar is on 26th October and will cover “Building Resilience”.
If you would like to attend, you can register for next week’s webinar below:
Wellio will record the event, so please register if you can't attend but want access to the recording.
The College offers a range of initiatives during school time to help students with their holistic development. Below are some community events which will extend our services outside of school hours. I have recently met with a leader associated with Tweed Coast Youth Service who will speak at one of our College Assemblies next term to inform students of the activities they provide, often free of charge or for a small fee. Below are two such initiatives. There are also holiday programs available. More information will be given about this shortly.
Louise Shields
Leader of Welfare
Curriculum
The past fortnight has been very busy ‘all round’ for students at the College. It was wonderful to meet our Year 10 parents and carers last week at the Year 11 2024 Subject Information Evening. Year 10 have now submitted their Subject Selection Interest Survey which is the first step in the subject selection process.
Years 7, 8, 9, 10 have completed an array of assessment tasks and have begun working on new topics in various subject areas. Feedback from assessment provides students with an important opportunity to reflect on what they have done well and areas they could improve to move their learning forward. A lot is gained from this experience.
The Year 8 into Year 9 2024 Information night will be held in the Gilbey Centre on Monday 26/06/23 at 6:30pm.
Year 11 are completing their Term 2 assessment block this week. Year 12 finished their assessment block in Week 7 and it is now important that they maintain momentum in the lead up to their Trial Examinations which are scheduled for Weeks 3 and 4 of next term.
The table below details the upcoming assessments for Weeks 9 and 10. Students should always check their assessment calendar on the Assessment Portal, to ensure changes have not been made since this publication.
A timely reminder that the Assessment Policy is detailed on the front page of the Assessment Portal which can be accessed on the MSPC Moodle Page:
https://moodle.mursclism.catholic.edu.au/
If a student is sick and unable to complete an assessment on the due date, Years 7, 8 and 9 require a letter from a parent / carer detailing the student’s circumstances for non-completion of an assessment task. It is the students responsibility to complete a catch up assessment during the scheduled catch up assessment times. This is printed underneath the assessment timetable.
For Years 10, 11 and 12 a medical practitioner is required to complete the MSPC Assessment Variation Illness Form. A copy of this document can be found on the student’s year page of the Assessment Portal.
Jo McDonald
Leader of Curriculum
Faculty News
ENGLISH
I am thrilled to share with you the incredible experience our Year 11 Extension English students had on their recent excursion to Sydney. As part of our commitment to providing enriching opportunities for our students, we organised for students to hear a presentation by renowned Australian author, Jane Harper. This excursion was designed to deepen our students' understanding of Harper's literary works and inspire them in their own writing journeys.
The day began bright and early with eager anticipation as our students boarded the plane with their teachers Jess Vanderlight and Susie Britten, bound for the vibrant city of Sydney. The atmosphere was charged with excitement and intellectual curiosity, as they knew they were about to embark on a literary adventure that would leave an indelible mark on their writing aspirations.
Upon arrival, our students were greeted by the hustle and bustle of Sydney Airport, before making their way to Carriageworks, the cultural precinct chosen to host The Sydney Writers Festival. After hearing Harper’s presentation the significance of this moment was not lost on our aspiring writers as they took in the urban chic setting while sipping coffee. Students sat amongst literary devotees while also hearing a number of readings by Australian writers including the Pulitzer Prize winning author Geralindine Brooks, who shared an extract from her new novel, ‘Horse’.
The students day was topped off with lunch amongst the backdrop of the city and a visit to the mega bookstore, Kinokuniya on George St. We are immensely proud of our Year 11 Extension English students for their exemplary behaviour, intellectual curiosity, and engagement throughout this excursion. Their passion for literature and their commitment to honing their writing skills are a credit to them.
I would like to extend gratitude to Mrs Vanderlight and Mrs Britten for accompanying the students.
Lastly, I would like to thank all the parents and guardians for their continued support in nurturing a love of literature in our students.
Katie Pinkstone
Leader of Learning: English
SCIENCE
On Friday 2nd June, Mt St Patrick College Environment Group had a SWAP meet. In celebration of World Environment Day, the students were able to directly reduce their impact on the environment by bringing in clothing that could be re-used or re-purposed. We hope the SWAP meet encouraged students to become more conscientious about their ecological footprint by re-using second hand items.
The long term environmental impact of events like these is to establish a habit of repurposing and reusing. It creates a circular economic system, rather than a linear one where we use something once or twice and throw it away.
Jackie Tilsley
Earth and Environmental Science Teacher
HSIE NEWS
Yr 12 History Students Attend HTA HSC Study Day
On Friday, 2 June 2023, our Yr 12 Modern and Ancient History students embarked on a thrilling educational journey to Sydney to attend the highly anticipated HTA HSC Study Day. The day turned out to be a remarkable experience for the students, reaffirming their learning and leaving them with a strong recommendation for future attendees.
The annual HSC Study Day, organised by the Historical Teachers' Association (HTA), is renowned for providing valuable insights and resources to assist students in their final preparations for the Higher School Certificate (HSC) examinations. This year, the event took place at Sydney University, where history students from schools all across the state were able to attend lectures delivered by esteemed historians, examiners, and academics.
The day ended with a quick visit to the Chau Chak Wing Museum at Sydney University. The museum is renowned for its exceptional collection of art, antiquities, and cultural artifacts from around the world.
Reflecting on their experiences, the students unanimously agreed that the day was well worth attending. The lectures that they attended gave new insight into the HSC exam, with some lectures providing tips on how to approach the exam and other lectures reaffirming the learning that has already occurred in the classroom. The day was definitely worth the 6am flight, and future Year 12 history students should seize the opportunity to attend the HTA HSC Study Day.
Mr Grant, our Modern History teacher, accompanied our students and commended each of them for their exemplary behaviour and engagement throughout the day.
Aimee Blazek
Leader or Learning: HSIE
In Term 3, MSPC will commemorate the 50th anniversary of the end of Australia’s involvement in the Vietnam War. Designed by Year 12 College Leaders, the ‘Voices, Stories and Steps’ commemoration allows for education, reflection, contribution and connection.
Students will participate in a series of events and initiatives across Term 3 (from July 19th through to the end of August) that aim to educate students of the pain and suffering of war, while simultaneously acknowledging the sacrifices made by veterans within our community.
As part of the commemoration, MSPC would like to profile serving members from our College Community. These service profiles will help our students develop knowledge and understanding of the experiences of war and provide an opportunity to honour individuals who served.
If you have a relative who served during the Vietnam conflict, we invite you to click the link below to fill out a google form. Year 12 Leaders will then develop posters to display in the ‘Wall of Honour’.
Amanda Starr
FROM THE SPORTS DESK
NSW ALL SCHOOLS SWIMMING
A trio of elite swimmers travelled to Homebush to compete in the NSW ALL Schools Swimming event on Thursday 1st and Friday 2nd June.
Here is the list of students, swims and times. They all performed exceptionally well on a big stage:
Alex Wellm U15 Boys - 50m Breastroke 32.83s (Pb)
Myla Naylor U14 Girls - 50m Butterfly 31.38s (7th)
- 100m Freestyle 1.03.60s (8th)
Tim Wellm U13 Boys - 50m Butterfly 29.63s (Pb) 4th
- (U12-14) 200m Butterfly 2.29.30s (Pb) 4th
- 50m Backstroke 32.08s (6th)
DIOCESAN JUNIOR FOOTBALL
The Boys played exceptionally well during the tournament in Coffs Harbour on Tuesday 6th June. Due to damp conditions games were moved to astroturf which took some getting used to. Some excellent defence throughout the tournament saw the boys progress to the Semi-Finals for the first time in several years. In a hard-fought Semi, it was nil all at full time, forcing an extra time drop off situation. The boys were running on fumes after 5 games but managed to survive down to a 7 v 7 drop-off scenario where they were narrowly beaten by the eventual champions Xavier Ballina.
Well done to all the boys on their effort and the clean nature of the play. A special shout out to Lonnie, our star striker, who unfortunately sustained a serious injury in the Semi-Final. We will have a strong senior team moving forward next year for the Lismore competition.
Coach: Stewart Grant
The junior girls made the College proud and played with determination throughout the day. Our limited squad meant all girls played every minute of every game during the day, up against some large squads with a lot of talent, taking it to them for a majority of the games. The fresh legs of the other teams overcame the girls' valiant efforts in the end.
As a first-time coach of a MSPC team I was extremely proud of their efforts in every game; their teamwork and spirit were great to see! Looking forward to next year!
Coach: Ben O’Brien
ATHLETICS CARNIVAL
Our Athletics Carnival is underway. We held the 800m event for juniors on our oval on Wednesday 14th June. The 1500m will be held in Week 9 and our Yr 11’s will get their chance to do the 800 and 1500m in Week 9.
During this week all students have be asked to complete a form distributed by their homeroom teachers on how they intend to get to the Athletics Carnival, eg. either walk there or be dropped off by their parents. Please have this discussion with your child. This will assist us to order enough buses for student travel to and from the event.
Our Parents and Friends group will be holding a hot dog stall for students to purchase on the day and there will also be a canteen available for lunches. There will be a free water station available.
Parents please be advised that students will not be dismissed until 2.30pm from Walter Peate Oval on the day of the competition. Buses will leave at 2.15pm and those students being collected by their parents will stay and assist the pack down of carnival before being dismissed.
As always, in preparation for this event below is a copy of the track and field programs for students to plan their events and a table of our current College athletic records.
DIOCESAN NORTH NETBALL
SENIOR GIRLS
We were fortunate to have 10 talented ladies in the Senior Netball team this year. Highly accomplished players at both the defensive and attacking ends, ably assisted by the fit mid-court players. It was exciting to watch this team come away victors against St Mary’s in our first match 17-2. Woodlawn proved too strong, to narrowly defeat us in our second match 14-10. We were quite convincing against St Joseph’s in our third match 18-12.
I was so impressed with the girls high intensity efforts throughout each of the matches, giving everything they had. In our fourth game we took on Trinity College and had another win 13-10. Our final pool game was against Xavier and we had a 12-7 win there also. By the time the semi-finals came around the girls were understandably starting to fatigue from their amazing efforts thus far. We faced off against St Joseph’s in the Semi-Final, but unfortunately went down 11-10 in the final minute after leading for all of the match. We ended up placing 3rd overall for the day.
I’m proud of the girls, such high calibre athletes that so humbly went about their business and showed great acceptance for equitable court time for all. We’d like to thank all the umpires that pitched in on the day including Tayah Logan, Sarah Walker, Jamie Howitt and Maddie McClymont who stepped up to help our team out.
Coach: Jody Van Den Driest
Team: Gabriella Bennett, Lara Brown, Isobel Gresham, Sasha Hendrikse, Kirrily Leach, Zara Martin, Morgan O’Connor, Annaliese Schmechtig, Lily Van Den Driest, Ruby Van Den Driest.
INTERMEDIATE GIRLS
Intermediate A
Nine very capable Netballers took the courts on a beautiful sunny day in Tweed. There were some great skills on display and as the games progressed it was evident that the more opportunities that the girls had on the court together, the better their play and teamwork improved.
One of the highlights was playing against the other Intermediate MSPC team in the final series. It was played in the true Mt St Pats spirit with great sportsmanship and laughter.
Congratulations girls on your excellent behaviour and attitude. A big thank you to all those girls who volunteered to umpire the games.
Coach: Kyllie Bevan
Team: Kerala Richards, Maddison Darby, Kate Warren, Jamie Howitt, Ellody Doman, Ella Cracknell, Bree Puntighan, Sienna Prendergast, Claudia Larkin
Intermediate B
The girls started off their first game in great spirit and played well individually, but unfortunately, we went down. In the second game the girls found their groove together as a team, they found their positions they enjoyed and played well together. They started to play as a team which made their coach happy. The second last game they played together as a team but were so tired. The finals we played the other Mt St Pats team and both teams had fun and it was a great friendly game. The girls had a great day, bonded so much and hopefully learnt something new about netball.
Coach: Tayah Logan
JUNIOR GIRLS
The MSPC 7/8 Girls in Pool A had a wonderful time playing 4 games of Netball on Tuesday 12th June. The team had 7 players and rotated their positions giving everyone an opportunity to have fun on court.
Coach: Sarah Walker
The junior girls netball team improved throughout the five matches that they played on the day, as they learnt how to work well together as a team. Ella McTaggart mustered up all of her team spirit and sportsmanship to encourage the team and lead war cries. The girls were inspired to come back next year, improved and ready for the competition.
Coach: Pearl Lacey
SENIOR BOYS
The Senior boys played with passion and enthusiasm throughout the day. For some this was their last chance to represent the College on the Netball court and the occasion was not lost on them. All of the squad toiled hard against some well-drilled opposition from around the Diocese.
Taking time to get into their groove, and get a solid handle on all of the intricate rules of the sport, the boys improved throughout the day, working together and finishing with their best game in the 3rd V 4th playoff game. It was great to see their support for their team mates and the other MSPC teams in the boys and girls divisions. With more notice and opportunity to train as a squad these boys would have been in real contention at the end. Thank you for the opportunity and looking forward to next year!!
Coach: Ben O’Brien
INTERMEDIATE BOYS
The Intermediate boys had a long day of six netball but their spirits stayed high. The boys showed great sportsmanship and team work even though they didn’t know much about Netball games. Our first game was against St Marys-B. It was the boys first game straight off the bus and they managed to pull a win of 7 to 4. In their next game they boys played against St Mary's-A and unfortunately lost. By game 3 against Woodlawn the boys figured out the rules of netball and they found a way that they could dunk the ball without getting called on, which showed in the score of 6 vs 3 to MSPC. The fourth game of the day was against Trinity-B, the boys played a tough game but unfortunately they lost. The 5th game of the day was against Trinity-A and the boys worked as a team getting the ball to move efficiently around the court and they walked away with a win of 7 to 5. The final game of the day was a play off for positions against St Marys. The boys walked away with 5th position for the day of Netball and I could not be any prouder of these boys who knew next to nothing about Netball or its rules and managed to get a place out of a lot of teams. Thank you boys for putting your hand up and having a go. You were amazing and should be proud of yourselves.
Coach: Emma Loughman
Team: (back) Ty Loughman, Jaxon McAuliffe, Ty Lockwood, Tex Mikklesen, Matthew Ryan.
(front) Joseph Maynard, Norm Fraser, Jake Shackell
JUNIOR BOYS
The MSPC Junior boys netball team showed great spirit and consistency throughout the 2023 annual Northern Rivers Netball gala day. Unfortunately, the junior team was rocked by illness this year with only five members able to play after a long weekend.
The team’s first match was against St Mary’s Casino. The match was a tough one to get started with St Mary’s showing they had been practising hard with an emphatic 14-0 win over the MSPC outfit. Next up came Trinity College, Lismore and again the boys went down 10-1. The final match before the finals was against St John’s College, Woodlawn. The boys showed much improvement, particularly in defence, but ultimately went down 5-0. The team improved come Finals with losses to St Mary’s (Semi Final: 5-1) and Woodlawn (3rd Playoff: 2-1).
The students involved should hold their head high as they played in the right spirit throughout the day and were great ambassadors of the College.
Team Members: Fletcher Bielefeld, William Grant, Hector Purcell, Rio Giridharan, Olive Ostila.
Coach: Sam Priddis
NSWCCC CROSS COUNTRY
Four Mt St Patrick students travelled to the Sydney Equestrian Centre on Tuesday 12th June to compete in the NSWCCC Cross Country event, the first time this facility has been used for this championship.
The results are as follows, congratulations on your magnificent results. Willow Seamer finished in the top 10 athletes in her age group and will now progress to the NSW ALL Schools event on Friday 21st July.
Seth Moore 18 years Boys: 34.47.7s - 12th position (12/29)
Amali Moore 16 years Girls: 18.55.5s - 18th position (18/55)
Samuel Hynes 15 years Boys: 15.44.8s - 16th position (16/50)
Willow Seamer 12 years Girls:12.41.3s - 8th position (8/50)
YEAR 9 SPORT TERM 3
Dear parents (and students) of Year 9, in term three students will all be participating in a 3 week Hockey program across the term. Each student will need a mouthguard on the weeks they have Hockey. The College has shin pads and sticks for those non-hockey players amongst the group. Weekly players will also need to bring long socks of any description to assist holding the shinpads for the session.
Parents can purchase mouthguards from local chemists for a reasonable price.
TERM 3 SPORT COMPASS NOTIFICATIONS
Parents of students in Years 9 -11 will receive a Compass notification about the arrangements for Term 3 sport. Your students will be regularly leaving the College grounds to engage in a variety of sporting opportunities across the term. Students will not be allowed to leave with their class if consent has not been given.
Tim Whitney
Sports Co-ordinator
College News
LOST PROPERTY
The College Lost Property is full of jumpers, unfortunately none of these have names on them. If your child has lost a jumper recently please ask them to visit Lost Property located in the photocopier room. Please ensure your childs names is clearly written on all items of clothing.
Community News
