Principal
Ash Wednesday is a holy day that signifies the beginning of Lent. It marks the entry into a season of spiritual preparation for Holy Week, which culminates in Easter. Any march toward the redeeming work of Christ must begin with a recognition of our need for his grace—and that reminder is Ash Wednesday. The day affirms that we are dust, as ashes are literally spread in a cross on our foreheads. The cross represents Jesus and how he has redeemed us. We are encouraged to seek repentance with humble hearts and prepare for his gift.
While Ash Wednesday isn’t mentioned in the Bible, Scripture does testify to the practice of repenting in dust and ashes. The ashes for Ash Wednesday are typically provided by burning the palms from Palm Sunday of the year prior. Christians in the early church were sprinkled with ashes during Lent; however, it wasn’t until the Middle Ages that the church began the Ash Wednesday practice of marking foreheads.
Today, each boy in the College attended an Ash Wednesday liturgy where they could receive their ashes on their forehead.
Merciful God, you called us forth from the dust of the earth; you claimed us for Christ in the waters of baptism. Look upon us as we enter these Forty Days bearing the mark of ashes, and bless the journey through the desert of Lent to the font of rebirth. As we remember our mortality and seek penitence today, we know you to be a God who is rich in forgiveness and abounding in steadfast love, love that culminates in eternal life with you. Guide our steps this Lent, so that we might find greater fulfillment in your promises and better serve others with a heart that’s reflective of you. Amen. |
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Secondary Swimming Carnival
It was a huge week for the high school last week with our Annual College House Swimming Carnival held at Sydney Olympic Park Aquatic Centre.
I would like to take the time to thank all our parents and carers who have ensured that the boys were wearing their House shirt and House swimmers. It was so impressive to see the boys so well attired and able to identify with their House so visually.
Our swimming carnival is a key component of gaining House points, and we were thrilled to have been able to hold this event this year with no restrictions and with parents/carers in attendance. All of the College’s carnivals are important as they are such a great way to build community amongst our students and staff with the added bonus of earning points towards the much-pursued House Cup.
Nine reasons why we host this event for ALL boys not just the competitive swimmers.....
- The celebration and acknowledgement of our talented swimmers who had the opportunity to challenge themselves and do their personal best.
- The support by teammates and friends throughout the day. Watching swimmers congratulate each other and showing great team spirit.
- Watching excellent leadership by our six House Captains. They were constantly encouraging students to participate and ensuring there were no empty lanes.
- Witnessing other students stepping up as leaders throughout the day.
- Seeing our Year 7 students start the day with nerves but showing great courage. By the end of the carnival, demonstrating the great SPC spirit…. they can do anything they set their minds to!
- Watching all our students participate in some way, so every student contributed to the overall House result.
- Seeing the interactions between different year groups in each House and watching new friendships form.
- Celebrating and respecting our students’ diverse talents and abilities and how each student is valued. Including advanced swimmers doing the butterfly, students who competed in the novelty events, students who helped as officials, and students who cheered for their teammates.
- The sound of laughter and smiles, so many happy young men!
Junior School Trips
It has been a busy couple of weeks for our Junior school. In Week 2, Year 6 visited Canberra in order to ensure any SPC boy has a well-rounded education in Civics and Citizenship, an area of the curriculum they have been studying since Kindergarten through the Australian History and Geography curriculum.
This has been a change in practice in Year 6 but based on the objective to offer this experience to our students as they journey from Year 5 to 12. A trip to Canberra is a rite of passage for all Australian students. Embarking on a journey of discovery, students come face to face with our history, democracy, culture and heritage. The young students at SPC should visit Canberra in order to:
See the Prime Minister at work
Guided tours of Parliament House have students learn firsthand about Australian democracy, lawmaking and how Parliament works to make Australia a better place to live. At Government House students can learn about how the government works, what the role of the Governor General is and what it means to be an Australian citizen. The boys were privileged to meet up with our local member of parliament, Sally Sitou. Many of the boys excitedly told me they saw Prime Minister Albanese in his special car with the crown and flag at the front and a special motorcade! If we had tried to plan it, it never would have happened!
Be inspired by our nation’s founders
From the National Capital Planning Exhibition to the Museum of Old Democracy, students can step back in time and relive history from the moment our nation’s capital came to be, through to the early days of government. Students can take a look at the decisions that shaped our nation into what it is today.
Let your imagination run wild
At the National Science and Technology Centre aka Questacon, students can explore over 200 hands-on science exhibits that encourage them to learn and play. From science to the stars, at the Deep Space Communication Complex students are met with informative and enjoyable ways to learn about the solar system and the story of space travel.
Meet with sports stars
At the Australian Institute of Sport students enjoy guided tours of Australia’s premier sporting precinct where they learn about the extensive training regimes of its athletes, understanding what it takes to make it to the Olympics and beyond! Afterwards they can jump into Sportex, one of Australia’s leading interactive sports exhibits.
Explore tomorrow’s innovation
Engage your inner scientist at the CSIRO Discovery Centre where you can imagine, collaborate and innovate with fellow science enthusiasts. At the Ian Potter Foundation Technology Learning Centre, students are inspired to pursue careers in technology and engineering as they learn about how things are made and how innovation can solve everyday problems.
During Week 3, Year 5 went on an adventure camp to Katoomba. The aim of this camp was to offer the boys a chance to meet each other in an informal, fun setting (there are 217 of them that come from over 30 primary schools!), allow them to grow and develop their identity and sense of self over the course of the stay. Aside from the social objective of the Katoomba Camp, the other objectives for having this camp were:
Encouraging independence
School camps can sometimes be the first time your students have been away from their comfort zone or safety net. Camp provides an opportunity for students to begin to take care of themselves, creating responsibilities and managing decisions in a safe and nurturing environment that will see them grow and develop their identity and sense of self over the course of their stay.
The building blocks to self confidence
School camp is constantly encouraging student participation in a wide selection of activities, each way you turn you're bound to discover another exciting activity. Self-confidence is enhanced whilst at school camp as students are able to achieve and succeed in activities both independently and as a team. Furthering this idea an Outdoor Adventure Company camp, provides encouragement, acceptance, support and a ‘can do' attitude that enhances students’ ability to achieve a heightened self-confidence.
Stimulates students’ creative wild side
One of the many benefits of school camps is stimulating students’ creative wild side. They are often forced into nature, away from their digital devices and the overwhelming amount of social media. It’s important to encourage their creative minds to run free.
We believe that school camps should be a part of every Australian student’s educational journey. The benefits are endless, and the rewards are life changing for students.
As I moved about Year 6 last week and Year 5 at sport on Saturday, they were all tired but happy at the opportunity they had been afforded. I thank Mr Stephenson and his team of teachers who generously gave of their time to ensure our students get this wonderful opportunity. Overnight experiences are now quite the exception in schools, especially primary schools, as the teacher workforce can be reluctant to give of their free time. This is NOT the case at St Patrick’s College so the boys and parents/carrs should take every opportunity to thank their teachers, expressed what they learned from the experience and show their appreciation for their generosity for the good of a holistic education.
Community News
Belated congratulations to Ms Santiago on the arrival of her precious son Archer during the recent school holidays.
Three of our students did St Patrick’s College proud when they recently performed at the National Multicultural Festival in Canberra last weekend, a festival attracting a diverse mix of world cultures.
After spending many hours in practice, Ashton Borysewicz (Year 7), Marcus Borysewicz (Year 9) and Jack McDonald (Year 9) performed in the festival’s Polish Folkloric ensemble, Syrenka, in front of a crowd of thousands.
Congratulations boys!
This week we farewell Mr Luke Reynolds after twelve years of dedicated service to the students of the College. We wish him well in his new school. I know he will miss our community but he will be working much closer to home, a great boon for his young family.
Dr Vittoria Lavorato
Principal
SPC boys can do anything!
**except divide by zero