Curriculum

Year 12 Trial HSC Examinations

Year 12 begin their dress rehearsal for the HSC examinations next week on Monday 1 August and will conclude two weeks later on Monday 15 August, with this day also being an examination ‘catch up’ day for those students who, for whatever medically valid reason, missed a scheduled examination.

The Trial HSC timetable is available on Canvas, as are a set of examination rules and expectations. Students are reminded to thoroughly familiarise themselves with this documentation as well as the College’s Assessment Policy issued to the students last year in Term 4.

Ignorance of the College’s Assessment Policy or examination rules will not constitute a valid excuse and penalties will be incurred for breaches of policy and procedures.

In particular, in the event of absenteeism due to illness or misadventure during the Trial HSC examinations, parents/carers and students are reminded that a telephone call to the Year Coordinator, Mr Newman, must be made prior to 9:00 AM on the day of the examination. Where possible, an alternate paper for the missed examination will be arranged within the Trial period. Immediately on the student’s return to school, a medical certificate for the illness or misadventure must be given to Mr Newman and the relevant Faculty Leader.

In the event of a COVID-19 related absence, i.e., the student testing positive on a Rapid Antigen Home Test (RAHT), a PCR test must be taken by the student. The result of a PCR test acts as a medical certificate and Mr Newman must be notified immediately. Note, a medical certificate is required following a negative PCR or RAHT test to confirm the student with cold/flu-like symptoms is fit to return to school and resume his examination schedule.

Given the current surge of cases with COVID-19, cold or flu, Year 12 students may choose to wear masks during an examination and are encouraged to maintain hygiene practices such as regular washing and sanitising of hands.

I would like to wish all our Year 12 students well for these very important examinations.

Subject Selection for Year 9-2023 and Year 11-2023

An information evening was held for parents and carers of Years 8 and 10 last Wednesday 20 July. Subject information sessions were also held for Year 10 boys on the mornings of Tuesday 19 and Wednesday 20 July and for Year 8 boys on the morning of Thursday 21 July.

The Stage 5 (Years 9 and 10) Subject Prospectus and the Stage 6 (Years 11 and 12) Subject Prospectus were posted on Canvas and the TASS Parent Portal at the end of last term for parents/carers and their sons to access and read before last week’s information sessions. The purpose of the information sessions was to complement and clarify the information provided in the prospectuses and to provide details of the subject selection process.

Students of Years 8 and 10 are to make their elective choices for 2023 online via the Edval Choice facility. Instructions with a link and log-in code for Edval Choice were emailed to the boys on Thursday 21 July.

The deadline to submit elective choices online is 9:00 AM Monday 1 August 2022.

Michael Cutrupi 

Director of Curriculum

Active Learning in Science

At the end of Term 2 our science class conducted a series of short experiments with the aim to observe how push, pull and other forces act on different materials. 

We started with a basic experiment of stretching a rubber band and squashing plasticine to observe any changes in motion and shape and analysed what caused that change. 

We learnt the differences between pull and push forces and realised that force is all around us. But by far the best part of the whole experience was the Rod Experiment where we had to charge a rod by rubbing it with a wool cloth to create friction and electrically charge the rod. We then held it close to a thin stream of tap water; at first the whole class didn’t think much of it, but when the stream of water was pulled towards the rod it was as though we had the force and we were able to control the pull power. It was amazing to see this invisible force in action. 

After the experiments we had a class discussion and we were able to explain the different behaviour of materials once force is applied. 

It was great introduction to the topic seeing with our own eyes how theory is applied to practice, it made us wonder and engage more with this topic. 

Luca Serratore 

Year 7 Student

Year 9 Commerce Market Day

Throughout Term 2, Year 9 Commerce students have been studying a topic called Running a Business.

During this topic, students have explored various aspects about business management. They then get given the opportunity to run a business for one day at the College. This day is known as Market Day. This experience allows students to put into action what they have learned during the Running a Business topic.

Market Day took place in Week 1 this term in the Junior School Yard. All students from Years 5 to 12 were invited to buy products from market stalls. There was a range of sweet and savoury meal options available to customers. Commerce students, with the help of many others such as their parents/carers, prepared their products with a great deal of care and dedication. Judging by the turnout on the day, the turnover generated, and feedback from customers, the day was a huge success. All profits made on the day will be donated to the Year 9 Charity Focus Group. 

I would like to take this opportunity to publicly commend the Year 9 Commerce cohort for their wonderful work on the day and in the lead up to the event. Thank you to Ms Apostolou, Ms Laoulach and Ms Marrapodi for their unwavering support and guidance of their students throughout the entire Market Day process.

Luke Reynolds

HSIE B Leader of Learning

Italian Students Visiting Australia

After several years of travel restrictions, it is exciting to be able to get on a plane again. Our borders are now open to visitors and the Languages Faculty is excited about the possibilities and experiences this can bring to our students. 

From 17 to 24 September (Week 10 of Term 3), St Patrick’s College will be welcoming 10 Italian students who will be visiting on a cultural exchange trip. The boys are aged between 15 and 17 years of age and attend the Liceo Blaise Pascal in Pomezia near Rome. They are looking forward to experiencing Australian school life and practicing their English skills. They will be attending classes here at the College in the final week of Term 3. 

We are currently seeking expressions of interest from families who would be willing to host the visiting students during their stay. The practice of hosting Italian exchange students is one that has continued at the College for many years with great success and I encourage families to consider this possibility. The enriching experience of meeting and interacting with a young person from another country broadens students’ worldview and develops their intercultural understanding. The experience is of particular benefit to our students who are studying Italian however, this is not an experience limited to those students. 

Exchange Me, the organisation that is facilitating and planning the tour, has worked with the Languages Faculty in running many successful SPC Study Tours to Italy, the most recent of which was in 2019. As we are currently investigating the possibility of offering a Study Tour to Italy in 2023, hosting an Italian student this year will foster connections and friendships that could continue to develop in the future. It would also be a chance to reciprocate the hospitality offered to our students when visiting the Liceo Blaise Pascal.

If you would like to express your interest or would like further information, please contact me at maria.capobianco@spc.nsw.edu.au.

Languages in Action

Studying a language is not just about learning grammar rules and memorising vocabulary. It is about interacting with others, communicating, and having fun. Last term, our Year 9 Italian students immersed themselves in an authentic Italian restaurant scene as part of an informal speaking task. They also competed in a cut-throat game of bocce. Pictured, we also see Year 8 students working together on a memory game and Year 11 Continuers students putting their knowledge of tenses to the test in a game of verb tombola. 

Bravi ragazzi!

Maria Capobianco

Leader of Learning - Languages