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.