We are now in the last week of the school year and there is much activity to finish off all the jobs and see that things are in place for the new year 2023.

At our assembly this week, girls spoke so eloquently and fondly of the staff who are leaving and how they made an impact on their lives in the time they were here at the College. Likewise, those staff responded by expressing the pleasure it has been for them to be part of the St Patrick’s community and that as they leave to retire or teach closer to home, they will always take with them very fond memories of the girls and community.

Sadly, we recently learnt that Ms Louise Glase who has been a valued member of the College community for the past twenty years will be finishing at the end of the year. During this time, she been an integral member of the CAPA department, being largely responsible for the wonderful work across the Visual Arts classes. She has involved herself in many co-curricular aspects of College life during this time including camps, retreats as well as the College Musicals where she gave her time and energy to set design. In her most recent role as a Year Coordinator, she has guided and supported the girls in her care and has been a wonderful member of the pastoral team. She leaves behind a legacy and we wish her well in her new position.

Ms Sarah Hilder will be finishing her time at the College this year. She will be starting the next chapter of her life in Canada with her husband, who is Canadian. Sarah has been a wonderful asset to St Patrick’s. She has involved herself across many areas of College life, including always putting her hand up for camps and retreats, as well as working with the student leaders. She has been a valued member of the English department where she has inspired a love of English in her students. She will be missed by both her colleagues and her students and we wish her well on this next exciting chapter of her life.

Ms Tabitha Brown will also be finishing at the end of the year. Ms Brown has been at the College for this year and has been very active teaching the RE program and has been a wonderful support to the History debaters who will face the grand final next year. We wish her well at her new school. We also wish Mrs Denford the very best as she leaves the College. Mrs Denford has been a familiar face of the library and has led the Makerspace and the Movie Clubs over the years. We thank her for the joy she brought to the College and the girls and wish her well in the future. Many temporary staff have assisted and supported us over this year. They have been great teachers and supporters of the girls. We thank them for their hard work and hope that we will be able to call on them again in the coming years to fill blocks when staff are away or on leave.

Parent involvement and connection to the College continues to be our focus and this is particularly so for 2023. Given the success of the Year 8 parent workshop this term, we will be running parent workshops for parents of girls in Years 7,8 and 9 next year. The workshop will be held at the College at 9am and will go for approximately 1hr 30mins. They will be included in the Parent Calendar that will be issued in the coming weeks.

The purple on the Jacaranda tree this time of the year is the sign for us that we have entered the season of Advent. We are now preparing for the birth of our Lord and saviour and rejoice in his coming into our lives and our world.

All of us at the College wish you and your family a safe and beautiful Christmas season this year. Thank you for the support and partnership over the year which has enabled your daughter to grow and develop towards the young person she has the potential to become. I look forward to seeing many of you at the Mass and Awards ceremony on Monday, where we will celebrate the end of the year and the achievements of many of our girls.

I will leave you with a painting by Janet McKenzie of ‘Mary with the Midwives’. Despite the silence of the gospels about the presence of midwives at the birth of Jesus, in the first century, Palestine midwives would have hurried to Mary to assist during her labour to ease her anxiety and minimise the risk in delivery. As Meister Eckhart wrote in the thirteenth century: We are all meant to be mothers of God. For God is always needing to be born.

Blessings

Sue Lennox - Principal

What is interesting and often overlooked are the feminine attributes of God, especially in the Old Testament, the text that largely informed Jesus’ understanding of God and the aspects of Jesus’ ministry. One of the most powerful feminine expressions of God in the Old Testament is Sophia an embodiment of the Holy. Sophia is Wisdom and the Breath of God. She has been present since the beginning and had a role in creation. God as creator, sustainer and redeemer of creation was and is both masculine and feminine. In fact, the Hebrew term for God is Yahweh, which is revealed to Moses in Exodus 3, is a remarkable combination of both female and male grammatical endings. The first part of God’s name in Hebrew, “Yah,” is feminine, and the last part, “weh,” is masculine. Further to this, in Genesis 1:27 women and men are created in God’s image: “Humankind was created as God’s reflection: in the divine image God created them; female and male, God made them.”

So who is Sophia and where does she feature in the Old Testament? Sophia is written about in The Wisdom of Solomon and is part of a section that is referred to as The Book of Wisdom. It is attributed to King Solomon, but generally considered to be an anonymous Hellenistic Jew writing sometime in the late first century BCE. It speaks of Holy Wisdom, a figure of the feminine Divine. Below is an extract from this sacred text that describes Sophia:

What is Wisdom?

She is intelligent, holy, unique, subtle,

flowing, transparent, and pure;

She is distinct, invulnerable, good,

keen, irresistible, and gracious;

She is humane, faithful, sure, calm,

all-powerful, all-seeing, and

available to all who are intelligent, pure,

and altogether simple.

She is the mobility of all movement;

She is the transparent nothing that pervades all things.

She is the breath of God,

A clear emanation of Divine Glory,

No impurity can stain Her.

She is God’s spotless mirror

reflecting eternal light

and the image of divine goodness.

Although she is one,

She does all things

Without leaving Herself

She renews all things.

Generation after generation She slips into holy souls,

Making them friends of God and prophets . . .

(Wisdom of Solomon 7:24–27)

As we prepare and proclaim the coming of Christ over the coming weeks of Advent, let us seek the Wisdom of the mother goddess Sophia.

Louise Barry - Religious Studies Coordinator

St Benedict knew full well the need for, and the benefits of, prayer. In the words of a Carmelite Priest, “You cannot teach anyone to pray, just as you cannot teach anyone to love. Both must be discovered within. We don't learn to pray the way we learn a language, through grammar and text books. For prayer is knowledge, not of a thing, but of a Person. It is not so much something we learn as something we become, something we already are. It is growth in relationship, in a living, loving intimacy with a friend. Prayer is more a discovery than a task, more an adventure than a duty. It is a wish turned God­wards; an unveiling of ourselves before God.”

For St Benedict, a profound form of prayer is the encountering of God through contemplation of the Scriptures. St Benedict’s method of using the Scriptures as prayer—Lectio Divina—is a powerful way to grow in a relationship with Jesus, the Christ. Through Lectio Divina (“Holy Reading”) we seek to profoundly listen to God’s Word, which is the act of obedience, for to be obedient is fundamentally to listen. “Listen and attend with the ear of your heart” is St Benedict’s encouragement. Having listen to God’s Word, we seek to act upon his Word. This is what discipline is: to hear God’s calling and to carry through with appropriate action.

In the words of Monica Brown’s song In the Spirit of St Benedict we are urged to “listen to God’s Word, may it find a home in you. And the truth and wisdom of God will be your guide.” These words express the need for obedience (“listen to God’s Word”) and discipline (“God will be your guide” in what needs to be acted upon).

I take this opportunity to wish all members of the St Patrick’s College community a blessed, sacred, and peace-filled Christmas. I also thank the St Patrick’s community for the guidance, support, nurturing, and strength I have been able to draw from the staff, students, and parents of St Pat’s over the past eight years in my role as Mission Coordinator.

Angelo Gattone - Mission Coordinator

Isabella, Kawther, and their families attended the awards ceremony at Campbelltown City Council’s Civic Centre on 17 November 2022. The ceremony included a keynote address by Dr Emma Rath. She spoke about her background in information technology that laid the foundations for her career as a bioinformatician researcher.

Dr Rath spoke about heart disease being the biggest killer in Australia. Her passion for STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) enabled her to go on to make discoveries in the area of congenital heart disease.

Isabella and Kawther were nominated for the Victor Chang School Science Award because of their aptitude and love of Science since the junior school. They are fascinated by how the universe works and are always seeking to expand their understanding. 

Congratulations to these students for their outstanding efforts in Science.

Debra Bourne - Assistant Principal Learning and Teaching

The groups were wonderfully cared for by Year 7 and 10 helpers and Mrs Lahood, Mrs Parker and Mrs Parsons helped the Year 9s run their activities.

Each challenge earned their team points. At the end of the day, winning teams were 3^rd place Austral Public School, 2^nd place St Clare’s Catholic Primary School and 1^st place St Justin’s Catholic Primary School. Prizes and certificates were distributed, and everyone felt the day was a huge success.

Year 9 Catalyst had this to say about the day:

“This was an exciting experience having younger girls come to school who are interested in STEM and it was fun to challenge them and see their creativity. The girls were amazing to spend time with and had very insightful observations and I enjoyed giving a few hours of my day to work with them. We used engineering skills to build solar cars to race and it was really amusing to watch them race their cars.” Georgina V.

“It was a good experience to be able to plan and teach things to younger children using the knowledge we have learnt. I would definitely suggest that others plan a similar day and suggest this day and activity to other primary schools.” Madeleine M.

“The STEM day we had on Friday was an exciting experience. I suppose it was daunting at first because we were worried that all our effort, time and planning put into the day would somehow not work. But those doubts were soon eradicated as the day ran smoothly. The girls felt challenged and they all had fun. I enjoyed listening to their collaborations and seeing our weeks of planning come together. The rooms were constantly filled with laughter, collaboration and teamwork.” Oreoluwa A.

And Year 5/6 evaluations:

What did you like best?

“I liked all the different activities and how well planned and fun they were” Student, St Justin’s Catholic Primary School.

“I liked all the activities and how the helpers were very supportive” Student, Macquarie Fields Public School.

“Everything, mainly the light activity; it was AWESOME 5 stars!” Student, Austral Public School.

Thank you to Year 9 Catalyst, Mrs Parker, Mrs Lahood, Mrs Parsons and our Year 7 and 10 helpers, you made this day amazing.

Jessica Thomas - STEM Integrator and Science Teacher

The aim of this excursion was to expose students to various community groups and initiatives within the Campbelltown area. During this time, students participated in a traditional Japanese Tea ceremony, interacted with members of the Little Orange Studio and engaged with staff responsible for coordinating community events.

Students who attended this excursion reflected on the following after their time at the gallery: 

Monique V - "The Arts Centre in Campbelltown was a lovely experience where I got to understand different cultures, perspectives and people. My favourite part of the day was a mix of having an experience in the traditional Japanese Gardens where I fell into a meditative state with my own thoughts. Here I enjoyed learning the concept behind tea making, which allows people to gather together. My second favourite part of the day was seeing the talent and guidance shown to those less fortunate in our community. Overall it was a great day where we witnessed how welcoming the gallery was and the sense of community within."

Annabel J - "My favourite part of this excursion is a mix between the traditional Japanese Tea Ceremony and working in the Little Orange Studio. Overall it was a really positive experience where we could engage with a variety of community members. I found the Art Gallery to be engaging and very welcoming to those who entered. I did not realise how accessible and inclusive the gallery was prior to attending this excursion." 

Charlotte M - "My favourite part of this day was experiencing the Japanese Tea Garden. Here I  got to experience how to make traditional Japanese Tea. I enjoyed being able to walk into the Japanese Gardens and be free of the worries. I also enjoyed getting to learn more about Japanese culture and what is important to Japanese people. Overall the excursion was a great experience that allowed me the opportunity to see how staff interact with the community." 

Year 12 2023 Students

The class had the opportunity to visit the site and have a first hand look at the archaeological material that has been uncovered such as pipes, clothing and food remains. They also learned about archaeological field techniques and took part in a simulated archaeological dig.

At the Barracks is a special memorial to the Potato Famine in the 1840s. Many of the young Irish women who were housed at the Barracks had fled the Potato Famine. One of our students, Tamika-Bree H, was able to find the name of her ancestor, Bridget Davis, on the Irish Famine monument  as she had been one of the female emigrants housed at the Hyde Park Barracks.

After our time at the Hyde Park Barracks, students looked at historic buildings along Macquarie Street and then had lunch in the Botanic Gardens.

Bronwyn Z reflected on the excursion:
'The Elective History excursion was an excellent experience and a good opportunity to see the Hyde Park Barracks in person after a term of studying it. The tour of the Barracks was very interesting as we got to see artefacts we had analysed in class and were able to gain a better understanding of the different functions the Barracks was used for in certain periods of history. After the tour, we took a walk through Macquarie St and saw the Law Court, Sydney Parliament House and the State Library. We were also fortunate enough to take a walk through the Royal Botanic Gardens which were very beautiful and was a great chance to relax and admire the view. Walking through the Gardens and seeing the harbour was my favourite part of the excursion as it was so beautiful.' 

Fran Musico Rullo - HSIE Teacher

The girls were able to view a range of culturally diverse performances from quite traditional Taiko drumming to a J-Pop band called Citrus Plus. They also met the Consul- General of Japan. Just as importantly, they volunteered their time to assist members of the public and help children with origami, tea making, ninja skills and various other activities relating to Japanese culture. The students found the opportunity to be extremely enjoyable as they were able to help the Campbelltown community learn more about Japan and our sister city, Koshigaya, and be the teachers rather than students for a day.

The Campbelltown Sister City Association has also offered an award for language achievement for a student in Year 11. 2022 is the first time they have extended that to Year 9. Awards will be distributed at the College awards ceremony and they will also be recognised at a special ceremony. Our appreciation and thanks go to Campbelltown Arts Centre and Campbelltown Council for providing these opportunities to our girls.

Year 9 Japanese also finished the term completing their Koi kites that will be displayed in the classrooms. They demonstrated their creativity through their many colour combinations while learning about Japanese culture.

In term 4, we welcomed Ms Hoang to the College while Mr Nash was on leave. The girls in Years 8, 9 and 10, embraced her Japanese teaching methodology and enjoyed a range of language and culture lessons. Year 8 enjoyed a scavenger hunt and creating New Year’s cards for a competition run by the Japanese Teachers Association of NSW. We wish MS Hoang all the best and thank her for her efforts with the girls this term.

Kirrily Cousins - Acting LOTE Coordinator

Their job was to explain a watershed through hands on tasks and creating videos to present to their peers while other classes worked on different projects. The girls were engaged throughout the process and did a fantastic job. They were able to carry out the experiments, report on their findings and make notes using geographical terminology. The informal task culminated with the girls sharing their presentations in class.

Earlier in the term, we also ventured down to Yandel’ora to observe the surroundings and write poetry reflecting the discussions in class about the value of landscapes.

There were some very thoughtful poems alerting us to the state of our environment. Well done ladies.

Kirrily Cousins - Acting LOTE Coordinator

Images can also be viewed by visiting www.advancedlife.com.au entering the code: LBZ 3LR 3ZX and clicking on “Group Photos”

Important

• Sports and co-curricular group photos can only be purchased online. PLEASE DO NOT return payment to your school
• If your child's group or team is scheduled to be photographed at a later date, you will receive an additional email notification when the images are ready to be ordered
• Photos will be returned to your school for distribution in Term 1, 2023
• Past years' photographs including sports, co-curricular and representative groups are also available at your school's advancedorder and your child's advancedyou photo sites

Charles Camilleri - Admin Coordinator

Ms Lennox spoke to the ladies and expressed her thanks for all the work they have done over the years. Some of these volunteers come in weekly to assist the students and others work from home, knitting and sewing our blankets together.

Without the work of these wonderful ladies, the Knitting Group would not achieve what it has over the last 16 years. Several of our volunteers are ex-staff, such as Maureen McCann, Maureen O'Brien, Shirley Mills, Lorraine St John (and daughter Alanna) and Janine McLeod. Others have had grandchildren at the College and continue to knit for us, such as Jan Vacchini and Pam Poole. We also have a troupe of ladies who are friends of the College and knit for us including Cathy Johnson, Sue Ollis, Del Costa, Marian Martin, Carol Best and Evelyn Loh.

The ladies were treated to a slideshow of photos spanning the last 16 years.

Fran Musico Rullo - HSIE Teacher

An argument which ranged across topics including imagination, inclusiveness, diversity and the breadth of the human story, along with a nuanced understanding of the relationship between books and audiences, ensured a debate that was both entertaining and thought-provoking.

Our opposition, Macarthur Anglican, engaged well with these ideas with some sound arguments of their own.

Congratulations to Chaiyya R, Rebecca M, Natalie S, Elizabeth J and Zali B

Marguerite Pulham - Debating

When we arrived, we were introduced to John Fairley who is the owner of the family run dairy farm. He showed us the feeding area for the cattle and explained the different breeds. It was very clear that the family strive to ensure their cattle are looked after, even the farm dog Evie was really happy and friendly to see us. John explained the importance and expense of farm machinery and how they help them perform tasks on the farm. We then went into the factory kitchen where we saw the processing plant, we got to see the large vats, milk lines, bottling facility, and date marking machines. We learnt about homogenisation and pasteurisation and how these processes ensure milk is safe and enjoyable to drink. We got to sample homogenised and unhomogenised milk, yoghurt and butter produced by Country Valley Milk. Their main competitor in the industry is Dairy Farmers, but Country Valley strive for quality produce on a smaller scale. It is important that we support small local business. 

We would like to thank the Fairley family for allowing us onto their site. It was a really interesting and valuable experience for us. Thank you to Mrs Reader and Mrs Pollicina for taking us. 

Steffanie, Summer, Aleksia and Brooke - Year 9 Food Technology Students

Special congratulations must go to our Year 7/8/9 AFL team who were crowned MISA champions after defeating a very strong Macarthur Anglican team. Unfortunately, our Softball and Division 1 Oz Tag teams lost their grand final games by the narrowest of margins 10-9 and 4-3 respectively. Our Volleyball team prevailed in their bronze medal match and our Division 2 Oz Tag team also finished the year with a win.

Year 7/8/9 AFL – 1^st Place

Hannah M, Anastasia M, Jordana N, Skyla S, Amelia T, Veniana M, Evie R, Jiselle P, Phoebe H, Angelina C, Lilliana A, Stephanie B, Mererewiti J, Grace O, Annabelle L and Grace F. Coach Mr Baca and Ms Wallin.

Year 7/8/9 Oz Tag Division 1 – 2^nd Place

Olivia L, Charlie H, Deziah P, Mariah A, Charlize F, Darcy E, Ella D, Nyala R, Cora W, Miabella M, Kiah G and Scarlett N. Coach Mr Ashkar.

Year 7/8/9 Softball – 2^nd Place

Valentina V, Lexi V, Eve F, Mackenzie Q, Latiah B, Isabelle S, Shreya M, Charlize V, Jemma S, Chloe C, Mahlia L, Eliza T, Gabriella V and Ashley Z. Coach Mrs Lawrence.

Year 10/11 Volleyball – 3^rd Place

Fale’ofa A, Abigail B, Charlie C, Olivia H, Maraneta L, Helen T, Gabrielle V, Megan W, Amy Y and Bronwyn Z. Coach Mrs Nash.

Year 7/8/9 Oz Tag Division 2 – 7^th Place

Alanna S, Scarlett D, Olivia J, Trinity B, Sienna T, Amelia K, Abbie H, Sophie P, Hannah W, Amelia C, Ava S and Lily K. Coach Mrs Pereira.

Scott Ashcroft - Sports and Activities Coordinator

Vivianne is an elite athlete who has excelled in Rhythmic Gymnastics this year. Her outstanding performances have now seen her nominated for the International Athlete of the Year award. The finalist will be announced in February 2023.This award is given to the top gymnast throughout each category who displays high-ranking scores and acts in an exemplary manner in terms of respect for not only herself but also others. Exemplifying sportsmanship through grit and determination is acknowledged through this award, so, to be nominated for such a rewarding title is an accomplishment in itself and is a big milestone for Vivianne.

Along with this nomination, Vivianne is also embarking on an exciting competition held overseas. In December, Vivianne will have the opportunity to travel to Singapore to participate in the Singapore International RG Cup event. Throughout the 7-day competition, Vivianne will be competing against competitors from many different countries including Canada, Malaysia, and America, along with training held by an ex-Olympian from Romania. Vivianne is beyond grateful and thrilled to be competing at such a level. She has put in a great deal of effort in preparation for this throughout this year and is looking forward to being part of this experience.

The St Patrick’s community is extremely proud of Vivianne and we wish her the best of luck with her award nomination and her International Competition.

Scott Ashcroft - Sports and Activities Coordinator

Summer reading is an enjoyable - and important - leisure activity for students during the holidays, to help avoid the 'Summer slide' in reading achievements gained during the school year. The College Library may be closed over the holidays, but the beauty of ebooks and audiobooks is that students still have free access to a broad, exciting range of reading and audio material - through ePlatform and axis 360.

The latest ePlatform titles include: Road Tripping with Pearl Nash, It's Not You, It's Me, A Good Girl's Guide to Murder,A Glasshouse of Stars, and The 156-Storey Treehouse

The latest axis 360 titles include: Bravely,Serendipity, The Agathas, The Ivory Key, and The Museum of Broken Things.

For instructions on how to download ePlatform or axis 360, head to the College Library website. We hope you all have a wonderful Christmas break...and happy reading!

The College Library

Mrs Denford has been an integral part of the College Library team for the past three years and her quiet manner and efficient approach to every task has endeared her to both the students and staff.

We wish her every success with her future endeavours.

The College Library

Monday to Friday 8AM - 4PM

We are open for recess Monday - Thursday (the Library is closed for recess on Fridays)

We are open for lunch Monday - Friday

Books may be returned to the library at any time through the return chutes.

The College Library

We have had a busy year, with clubs being held, then put on hold, then on again. It is heartening to see the enthusiasm our students have for the variety of clubs on offer. Makerspace has always been a popular club and, as in previous years, attendance is between 20 and 25 students on average. It is inspiring to see such creativity. Creative writing club has a huge turnout, with 35 to 40 girls in attendance each week. The girls enjoy the challenge of the short, fun activities which are structured to grow their creative imagination.

The College Library

HOW CAN YOU BE INVOLVED AND HELP?

* Join as a sponsoring Event Partner - we are still seeking Gold and Silver level partners. For further information please email: galaball@saintpatricks.nsw.edu.au or click HERE to view package information.

* Purchase your event tickets HERE

* Donate a prize for the raffle or silent auction - please email: galaball@saintpatricks.nsw.edu.au

* Make a donation to the Scholarship Fund HERE (All donations over $2 are tax deductible)

For further information click HERE to visit the Gala Ball webpage.

Our Shinning Stars! 

We thank these businesses for partnering with us to sponsor the Gala Ball event and supporting those in need. 

Major Event Partner - Walker Corporation

Bronze Partners - Catholic Development Fund, Macarthur Engineering, TRN Group, Wakeling Automotive.