Dear Parents and Friends of St Patrick’s College community

We are almost at the end of the term and the anticipation of the break ahead can be seen in the girls and the staff around the College. By now, you will be receiving your daughter’s report and will be having conversations around her successes and the areas for future work. Those conversations are very important, as a parent’s engagement in their child’s education strongly correlates with that child’s success in their learning. Please feel free to contact the College if you have any questions or queries as we are very happy to provide any clarification you may be seeking.

This Friday, we will be celebrating St Benedict’s feast day. We will have a mass and then a number of events and activities that will enable us to raise funds for the ministries of the Sisters of the Good Samaritan. It is always a great community day that sends the girls to their break in a positive and joyful way. I am grateful to all the girls and staff who have worked to ensure we have a wonderful day.

Last Monday, we celebrated our NAIDOC assembly. Many of our Elders and Aboriginal families were able to join us for lunch and then a very moving assembly that had a focus on the NAIDOC theme of “For Our Elders.” It was wonderful to see the girls participate in their Aboriginal dance and see so many speak at the assembly with such confidence and poise. Other guests included Mrs Karan Taylor, Aboriginal Professional Officer for the Wollongong Diocese, and some young men from John Therry Catholic High School who played the didgeridoo as the rest of the community moved into the Mary Sheil Centre. It was a great celebration and I thank all the girls and staff who contributed to its creation.

As we finish the term, I would like to wish the best to Mrs Bryannie who will be starting her parental leave. We wish her the very best as she prepares for the birth of her baby and look forward to seeing photos of this new addition to her family. In her place, we have Ms Caroline Farrell who will begin in term 3. We warmly welcome Ms Farrell to the College.

I wish you and your family a well-deserved break over the coming weeks. Thank you for your support and collaboration in our partnership over the term. Staff will have a professional development week from 17 July and will welcome the girls back to the College for regular lessons on 24 July.

I will leave you with this short reflection:

The Present

"Today is a gift, that is why we call it the present.

Right now,

Somebody is very proud of you;

Somebody is thinking of you;

Somebody is caring about you;

Somebody misses you;

Somebody hopes you are not troubled;

Somebody is thankful for the support you have provided;

Somebody wants you to be happy."

I encourage you to find some space for yourself over the coming weeks.

Blessings,

Sue Lennox