This week the College received the NAPLAN results for our current Year 7 and Year 9 students. We will have the letter out to families later in the week, so you should get your letters next week. As the exam is held in May, the Year 7 results are a better reflection of the achievements of the girls in primary school. The Year 9 results reflect the growth or learning gain of the girls whilst they have been at St Patrick’s College. We are delighted with the results of the girls. We are particularly delighted with the growth shown in the Year 9 girls. The College has had a targeted approach to Numeracy and Literacy over the years and this is now clearly having a very positive effect.

We are also thrilled with the number of Year 9 girls who have achieved the minimum benchmark of Band 8 for the HSC in one or more of the exams. Our results show that 63% of the girls received a Band 8 or above in Reading, 80% achieved a Band 8 or above in Writing and 58% achieved a Band 8 or above in Numeracy. These are well above the state average. The statistics also showed that 77% of Year 9 girls achieved expected or above their expected growth in Reading and 65% achieved above or at expected growth in Numeracy. In addition to this, a significant number of the girls who did not achieve Band 8 actually achieved Band 7, which will invariably grow by the time they wish to begin the HSC in a few years. We will be in touch with those girls and families who did not receive a Band 8 and outline the further opportunities to meet the standard. If you have any questions concerning your daughter's results, please feel free to contact Mrs McGeachie (Assistant Principal - Learning and Teaching) or Mrs Eileen Kelly (Learning Enhancement Coordinator) at the College.

Whilst we have just received this year’s NAPLAN results, we are also preparing for next year's exam as well. Next year, the exam will be online and as such we are testing our readiness for this next week. The girls in Years 7 and 9 will be completing a mock test to see how our system will cope with almost 300 students accessing the NAPLAN website and at the same time  accessing our wireless system. There will be no results and the test is a trial  but this will be crucial in alerting all involved on what would need to be corrected so that when we do this next year, it will be a smooth operation.

Last week, I had the pleasure of working with the Student Leadership team and Ms Stephanie Dunn as they discerned who would hold the various leadership positions at the College for 2017 – 2018. It is always such a pleasure to work with these girls as they express their passion for the College and their desire to ensure the best for others. The list of the girls and their positions are held in this edition. I congratulate them for being recognised within their cohort as leaders and I wish them well as they embark on their journey of leadership  for the next 12 months. We will hold a ceremony to induct them in the following weeks.

In 2017, the Sisters of the Good Samaritan celebrate 160 years.  They began in 1857, when five sisters commenced their formation as Sisters of the Good Samaritan in Sydney. They were called to provide direct assistance to the needy, focusing on caring for destitute women and children. The Good Sams understood the importance of education and established schools and orphanages across Australia. At their height, there were over 100 Good Samaritan schools across Australia. In 1948, they were called to Japan to help the victims of the Nagasaki bombing. The women who left for Japan, left knowing they would not return. The sisters later established clinics in Kiribati, the Philippines and Timor Leste. Today, there are close to 230 Good Samaritan sisters in Australia, Japan, Philippines and Kiribati. In September, the sisters will gather together in Chapter to choose their new congregational leader. Sr Clare Condon has held the position for the past 12 years and will leave a legacy that we in Good Sam schools will be forever grateful for. I ask that you keep the sisters in your prayers as they prepare for this new chapter in their lives. If you are interested in getting to know what the sisters are now involved in, you can subscribe to the newsletter 'The Good Oil', which can be found on the Good Samaritan Sisters website http://www.goodsams.org.au/.

The College has established two new awards. One is for any student who represents the state in an activity. This is the Waratah Award. The second award is the Green and Gold Award which is for representation on a national team. The criteria for both awards are included in this edition and can be found on the website. The awards will be issued at the end of year award ceremony. The College isn’t always aware of the levels of participation of the girls in events and competitions outside of the school, so we are encouraging you to let us know of any who would be eligible for either of these awards. Each nomination will go before a panel to ensure it meets the criteria and then the award will be given at the end of the year.

Finally, as we continue to hear about the racial tensions and violence in Charlottesville, USA, I will leave you with a short reflection by Margaret J Wheatley.

Blessings

Sue Lennox - Principal 

It's not differences that divide us.
It's our judgments
about each other that do. 

SAVE THE DATE - EMERALD DINNER DANCE - 17 MARCH 2018