Happy St Patrick’s Day. This morning, we had a beautiful mass at Our Lady Help of Christians, Rosemeadow. Afterwards, we offered a sausage sizzle for lunch, we then enjoyed the dancing of our Irish dancers and a few entertaining activities in the Mary Sheil Centre. Whilst the day was quite hot, the girls were exemplary in their behaviour and participation in the day.

The College was established by the Irish settlers in Campbelltown in 1840. They brought with them a love of St Patrick and education. St Patrick was an extraordinary man. After returning to Ireland as a priest, having been enslaved there earlier as a shepherd, he spent the rest of his ordained life converting the people of Ireland to Christianity. He did this by respecting the cultures and practices of the Druid leaders and gaining their trust and respect. No blood was shed, nor any wars undertaken. It was an enculturation of the country. Throughout his time, he was devoted to Christ and forever mindful of his limits and his shortcomings. When I was in Ireland many years ago, it was very interesting to see that both the Catholic community and the Protestant community claimed St Patrick as their own . He is very much the patron saint of all of Ireland.

Last week, we celebrated International Women’s Day. The breakfast hosted at the College was again very well attended. The two ex-students who spoke at the breakfast, Esther Adeyinka and Monique Keogh, were very inspiring. Why do we recognise International Women’s Day? We know that there is inequality in the world between the genders. We also know that whilst half the population are deprived of the same access and opportunities, the whole community suffers as a result. The theme of International Women’s Day for this year is Embrace Equity. This acknowledges that everyone begins from a different place so equal opportunities are not going to change the current imbalance. For inclusion and belonging, we need equitable action. This acknowledges that the need for one is different to the need for the other. Equity allocates the exact resources and opportunities needed to reach an equal outcome. Let’s continue to work toward an equal outcome.

You would be aware that our Parent Lounge in TASS is now open for all parents. It is a fabulous resource with capabilities for you to update details and access information. We have included the new Parent Code of Conduct in this facility. All parents are asked to sign the document in support of the mutually respectful relationship we have for each other in this partnership. The Code of Conduct was created with the St Patrick’s College Board and we believe it will ensure the safety of all stakeholders in our interactions. The Parent Code of Conduct can be found under the school links drop down listed in the parent information section in your portal.

We have our P&F AGM calendared for Monday 27 March. It will begin at 7.00pm in the Benedict Centre. All positions are vacated at the start of the meeting. The roles are attached to this edition of the Inside Out and can be accessed by clicking here. I ask that you consider getting involved and help the P&F in their role of supporting parents to contribute to the College.

Finally, I would like to thank all parents and supporters who were able to attend our Annual Emerald Gala Ball last Saturday. The committee worked very hard to ensure it was a wonderful evening and that we raise as much as possible for the Scholarship Fund. The final figures are yet to be tallied. I would like to acknowledge the committee of Mrs Julie O’Keefe, Mrs Marion Windle, Mrs Peta Borg, Mrs Lauren Issa, Mrs Erin de Rooy, Mrs Nadine Fitzpatrick, Ms Debbie Gates and Mrs Leanne Knox. They were outstanding and I am very grateful for their hard work. To our fantastic partners, Walker Corporation, Campbelltown Catholic Club and Cowyn Building Group, plus our many Bronze partners, thank you very much, we are most grateful.

I will leave you with a final prayer of St Patrick.

Blessings

Sue Lennox - Principal

May the Strength of God Pilot us. May the Power of God preserve us.
May the Wisdom of God instruct us. May the Hand of God protect us.
May the Way of God direct us. May the Shield of God defend us.
May the Host of God guard us against the snares of the evil ones,
against temptations of the world.
May Christ be with us! May Christ be before us!
May Christ be in us, Christ be over all!
May Thy Salvation, Lord, always be ours,
This day, O Lord, and evermore.

Amen.

Our Year 10 retreat was a chance to build a sense of community with our peers that goes beyond our classroom relationships. Over the course of two days we shared and listened to one another's different life experiences and learnt a little bit more about one another. I believe the retreat was a chance to become more comfortable within our year group and also open up in a more spiritual way. There were a variety of activities that challenged us emotionally and mentally. We had self-reflections about our feelings we were experiencing throughout our retreat, but also creative and fun activities that included our peers. The retreat was very different from our everyday lives, as we had time to clear our minds and see things from a different perspective. The retreat helped us strengthen our relationships with our friends and our other classmates and teachers within our community, by allowing us to see a vulnerable side to them that we aren't usually shown.

Eliza F - Year 10 Student

Teachers were very impressed by the girls' resilience and "can do" attitude, they also enjoyed the opportunity to get to know their students better. 

Here's what some of the year 7 students had to say about their time at camp:
Michelle A: "..the bonds and memories we shared will last forever"
Meredith P: "..my favourite activity was horse riding, as I was able to overcome my fear of horses"
Advika S: "I faced my fear of heights when I tried the rock climbing...and the food, delicious"
Hope S: "I was challenged to try something new when conquering the giant swing"
Sophie B: "At Breakfast and Dinner I made 3 new friends"

Ellen Davis - Year 7 Coordinator

St Patrick’s College is excited to announce our participation in the CASE Space School Expedition in December 2024. All St Patrick’s College students are invited to join CASE Junior Space School (students in Year 7, 8 or 9 in 2024) or CASE Senior Space School (students in Years 10, 11 or 12 in 2024) and visit NASA in the USA!

We are partnering with the California Association for STEAM Education (CASE) and Actura to offer students a unique opportunity to participate in this exceptional STEAM learning experience.

This is a wonderful opportunity for all students to learn beyond the classroom and be inspired by the opportunities that lie ahead!

Space School Information Evening

Thursday 27th April 2023 – via ZOOM

Year 7-9 (2024): 6:00pm | Year 10-12 (2024): 7:30pm

Visit www.actura.com.au/saintpatricksspace to RSVP or to find out more.

The students are only in Australia for a week and as part of their tour they came to St Patrick’s College to interact with our students. Our elective Japanese classes and the Year 11 Society and Culture class were able to spend time with the students and learn more about life in Japan. This was a great opportunity for our students and we hope there will be more chances in the future.

Julian Nash - Japanese Teacher/LOTE Coordinator

Student Workshops - Period 4, Monday 20 March 2023 (Year 7 and 8)

In Period 4, Monday 20 March, Year 7 and 8 students will attend Elevate's Study Skills - Kick Start Program. These seminars are facilitated by Elevate Education. Elevate workshops are presented by university students who have recently faced and aced high school themselves. Presenters are energetic, speak the same language as your students, and get them thinking about study skills from a fellow student's perspective.

The kick-start workshop breaks down the transition process from primary to secondary education, introducing students to the fundamental skills that they need to be using over the coming years. 

Skills covered:
Dynamic reading
How to read a text and pull out the key points, not just summarise every sentence.
Note taking
How to get those ideas the students have extracted from their readings into an organised set of notes that will facilitate effective learning.
Conceptual learning skills
Teaching students how to break the information into its relevant parts as opposed to simply rote-learning the material.
Independent learning
What independent learning means and how to get it done.

Each student who attends a study skills seminar will receive access to Elevate’s online student portal. Portal access provides students with a wide range of resources to help them navigate through high school and consolidate the lessons from their seminars.

Parent Workshop - Monday 20 March 5:30 pm St Patrick's College Design Centre

The Parent Workshop aims to empower parents to reinforce study skills at home. Presenters share Elevate's key research, skills, and answers to questions so parents can help their children navigate their early secondary years of school. The Parent seminar covers:
-They key points from the seminars their children have attended
-Strategies for how the skills can be reinforced at home
-Question/answer session

Details about the seminar can be found here – https://au.elevateeducation.com/programs/parent

To register, please complete this sign-up form: https://forms.gle/LEAoGFRbWNtJyRwu8

Debra Bourne - Assistant Principal, Learning and Teaching

From 2023, NAPLAN is moving to Term 1 and it started on Thursday this week and continues to Monday 27 March. The reason for this change is so that results can be returned to schools earlier in the year which will support teachers to understand the learning needs of their students and plan accordingly.

NAPLAN tests are just one part of our school learning assessment program and questions are primarily based on knowledge, understanding and skills gained from the prior year of schooling.

In preparation for NAPLAN 2023, our school will undertake activities to help students to become familiar with the format and functionality of the online tests. These activities are not an assessment of student ability and will not be marked.

Students and parents can access the public demonstration site (https://www.nap.edu.au/online-assessment/public-demonstration-site) to familiarise themselves with NAPLAN and the types of questions and tools available. Excessive preparation for NAPLAN is not required nor recommended.

The 2023 NAPLAN test window is from the 15 to the 27 March 2023. The dates for the remaining tests at St Patrick’s College are as follows:

Week 8: Monday 20 March – NAPLAN Day 2: P1 Yr 9 Reading; P2 Yr 7 Reading.

Week 8: Tuesday 21 March – NAPLAN Day 3: P1 Yr 9 Conventions of Language; P2 Yr 7 Conventions of Language.

Week 8: Wednesday 22 March – NAPLAN Day 4: P1 Yr 7 Numeracy; P2 Yr 9 Numeracy.

Student participation

All students in Years 7 and 9 are expected to sit the NAPLAN tests and they must be present at school on the designated testing days. If students do not sit the tests because they were not present at school when the test was administered, then they are withdrawn from class or other school activities to complete the tests within the NAPLAN test window.

If for any reason, parents anticipate the absence of a student, please let the College know as soon as possible (absences@saintpatricks.nsw.edu.au) so that alternative arrangements can be organised.

Equipment

For each examination, students must have

• a fully charged laptop computer
• earphones or headphones
• NAPLAN Locked Down Browser installed (Students have been emailed instructions on how to install the NAPLAN Locked Down Browser and the IT team will check in with students next week).

Please contact the College if problems with students having correct equipment are anticipated.

Further information

Student Information sheet

Parent Information sheet

If you have any questions about NAPLAN, please contact Dr Bourne (dbourne@saintpatricks.nsw.edu.au).

Debra Bourne - Assistant Principal, Learning and Teaching

The competiton requires an interview, a prepared speech and two impromptu speeches. This was the second round of the competiton - Amelia had won the local competition in November, and was now excited for the challenge of the District Final.

In preperation for the second round of this competition, Amelia refined her speech, which was titled 'The injustice of the justice system', refining her language and call to action. She delievered this with passion and flair, making her stand out against the other contestents.

She nailed the impromptu questions, which were 'How has social media affected your schooling experience?' and 'Do schools educate children on how to be financially independent?' This was a significant improvement in Amelia's confidence from the first round.

While she ended up missing out on proceeding to the state final (by one point!) she did win the second award, which was best public speaker of the day.

Amelia found the whole experience very rewarding and exciting. She is grateful for the opportunity to participate in this program and believes it has equipped her with the skills and confidence to thrive, not only at the College, but in her future endeavors. She wishes to extend her thanks to Ms Bryannie, for guiding her throughout her Lions journey, and thank you to Ms Lennox for her support in attending the day.

In Amelia's words: "I am so proud of myself for writing a speech that I hold so closely to my heart, a matter that I am passionate about and will never stop advocating for. I have honestly gained so much through this rewarding experience and I encourage other girls within the college to get involved too in the future and it's something I would really like to see, a St Pat's girl making it even further into the Lions Youth of the Year program."

Laura Bryannie - Public Speaking and Debating Coordinator

For this competition, Abbygael needed to write a 3-4 minute speech based on one of a list of topics. The topic she chose was "when it is dark enough, you can see the stars".

Her speech is a beautiful metaphorical approach to how stars have inspired humanity throughout time. Her sophisticated use of language, combined with her impressive delievery, has left her adjudicators completely awe-struck.

We wish this passionate student every luck for the upcoming Grand Final - Go Abbygael!

Laura Bryannie - Public Speaking and Debating Coordinator

Senior students who requested to be part of the College Library's new Student Library Assistant initiative were given their roles and responsibilities this week. These students from Year 10 & 11 have been assigned Leader or Assistant Leader roles, and will oversee designated responsibiities such as designing promotional material, managing student rosters, planning library events, creating procedures and facilitating competitions.

Congratulations to our Leaders: Lauren H, Alissa P, Gabby V, Abigail B, Kiara M, Emma C, Ava C, Bianca J and Caitlin R.

Congratulations to our Assistant Leaders: Riya V, Simra B, Steffanie S, Layla B, Latiah B, Lillian M, Jessica T, and Brooke F.

We look forward to introducing our Junior Student Library Assistants in the coming weeks.

The College Library

The challenge is underway and all participants have received an email with their unique username and password.

We encourage the girls to keep track of their reading as they go. If it is too troublesome to be logging in for each reading entry, keep a record on your paper log, then enter them all at once.

Please see Mrs Harradine in the Library if you have any questions or encounter any problems.

Happy Reading Girls!

What does blue light do to the human body?

 Non-visible light emits a lot of energy, and studies show that a extended exposure to this type of light can impair your sleep cycle. As we sleep, lots of essential physical processes take place and it is also when learning from the day is consolidated in memory. Therefore having enough sleep is vital for students.

During the day, blue light is naturally generated from sunlight. When it gets dark, naturally occurring blue light ceases, signalling the body to produce melatonin, the hormone associated with sleep. Using artificial lighting and devices which emit a blue light at night confuses the body-clock (the body’s natural sleep-wake cycle) by stopping the body from producing melatonin. This can result in disrupted sleep patterns, including difficulty in falling asleep, staying asleep and shortened sleep duration.

Those at greatest risk from night-time exposure to blue light are those with existing sleep disorders and adolescents who often experience delayed sleep patterns as a result of biological changes.

What can students do to limit their exposure to blue light at night?

 Some suggestions include:

• Be exposed to sunlight during the day to assist in accurately setting your body clock.
• Stop using all electronic devices, preferably an hour before bed.
• Get a red or orange reading lamp, which does not emit blue light.
• Use blue light blocking glasses at night. 
• Install a program or app on your computer or device to change the type of light it emits.  A variety of programs are available including F.lux, EasyEyez, Night Filter, Zzz iPhone filter, Bluelight and Twilight.
• Invert the colours on your smartphone or iPad or Kindle, or change the device to the night-time setting.
• Turn the brightness down on your device for a few hours before bed (not perfect, but better than nothing!).

The 2024 University Undergraduate Course Guides are being collected by the Careers Advisers Association of NSW and will be added as they are published.

The 2023 TAFE NSW Careers Guide is also available online so you can see the growing range of Bachelor, Diploma, Certificate and Statement of Attainment Courses on offer across NSW.

Viewing webinars, signing up for newsletters and attending open days are great ways to learn about the different providers out there.

Our weekly Senior School Careers & Pathways Bulletins will contain details of upcoming events, so stay tuned for the updates in your email.

Claire McGillicuddy - Careers and Pathways

We were treated to some fabulous insights from Esther Adeyinka and Monique Keogh into how their time at St Patrick's shaped them well into their very successful futures.

Susan Sciffer - Community Engagement Coordinator

Emily's flyer is now being used to promote the cause.

Joel Duval - Mission Coordinator

The ceremony will be held on Sunday 16 April  from 11:00am until 3:30pm at Cataract Dam, Appin

For all enquiries, please contact Sister Kerry on 9605 1838 any day or Mandy Edwards on Tuesday to Friday on 9603 9797.