Principal

Founder's Day

Last Friday 11 June, we celebrated our annual Founder’s Day at St Patrick’s. For me – for us all – it is arguably the most important day in the College’s calendar: a day when we remember the Founder of the Christian Brothers, Blessed Edmund Rice, those Christian Brothers who founded and worked at St Pat’s, and value their legacy. We are indebted to the men and women who had the vision that led to the creation of the College back in 1928, and who have contributed to the leadership and vision of the College since. None of the education for which St Pat’s has become known would have happened without the foresight of the original founders of the College, who set out with the express intention of developing a College which provided an excellent education for boys. We owe them a debt of gratitude – without them this fine College simply would not exist – and this is why we honour them, Blessed Edmund and Edmund Rice Education Australia (EREA) on Founder’s Day each year.

The day was a very full one, with a Mass, concert, a special lunch, our annual prizegiving and the running of the ‘Waterford Mile’. It was a cold day but an amazing one. It was an opportunity for all of us to take visible, obvious pride in our College. Moreover, it allowed all of those connected with the College to feel the privilege that we feel to be part of this great College and community.

This year, I gave each boy the opportunity to nominate another boy in the College who demonstrated the touchstone of Inclusivity daily. I was overwhelmed with nominations from the boys who not only nominated their peers, but also students above and below their own cohort. When the boys thought of who was welcoming, hospitable, and able to stand up to others to include them, they came up with many great nominations. It was so hard to pick just four winners. 

In 2021, the Founder’s Day Award for Inclusivity was presented to:

Congratulations boys for doing your bit each day and being the change you want to see in the world!

I remind the boys that we should never take Founder’s Day for granted or see it as just simply another College event. Founder’s Day is extremely important for the College for two reasons: firstly, it is a day on which we celebrate achievement – our many achievements, individual and collective; second, it is an important occasion for the whole College to be together, to do things together, and to remember that we are an important and strong community – the whole is stronger than the sum of its parts. In the Founder’s Day Mass, there is a section towards the end when the whole College stands and pledges themselves – they make a commitment to do the right thing, to be honourable and to carry out the intentions of our Founder, namely to respond to their goals for a real education, for the stretching of the individual, and for learning in preparation for a successful life. We say all that together because it is important to say it all together. We need this occasion in the year just to remind us that we do not work, or live or play in isolation. We do it as a College community – a great College which has stood the test of time and which has a great, great history. Happy 94th birthday St Pat’s!

Staff Changes

There will be a few staffing changes from the start of Term 3 as we farewell staff who have resigned and those who are commencing parental leave. They are:

• Mr Rob Maurency, IT Manager, who has resigned and will finish up in the vacation break.
• Mr Steve Saliba (Science) who will finish up at the end of Week 1, Term 3.
• Ms Grace Wu (Mathematics) who is going on Personal/Carer’s Leave and will return to us in 2022.
• Mrs Melissa Shannon (Science, Year 8 Coordinator) who is going on Parental Leave. Her classes will be taken up by Mr Jonny Menck and Year 8 duties will be taken up by Mr Bruno Milheiro.
• Robyn Withford will be replacing Jacinta Young in the Junior School from Wednesday. REC duties will be taken on by Sarah Tatola.

Strathfield Youth Awards

It is with great pleasure that I wish to let you know of four boys from St Patrick’s College who were successful in their nominations for awards at the Strathfield Youth Achievement Awards, conducted by the Strathfield Council and Strathfield Rotary Club. These students include:

These awards will be presented on the evening of Friday 18 June 2021 at Strathfield Town Hall with Mr Chase and I in attendance. Congratulations boys!

In Memoriam 

We pray for Nathan (Year 5) and Lucas Wong (Year 7) on the passing of their grandmother, Jennifer Lee. Ms Lee is also mother to Old Boy Karl Gilbert (Class of 1994) and mother-in-law of Terry Wong (Class of 1990). We keep Nathan, Lucas and their family in our prayers during this sad time. 

We also extend our condolences to Lucien Grognard (Year 6) on the loss of his great grandmother, Therese Noel last Thursday, aged 94. We pray for Lucien and his family.   

We keep in our prayers the family of Old Boy Tim Pickup (Class of 1964), who recently died at the age of 72. Tim is the only Old Boy who has gone on to represent Australia in Rugby League. Tim was a member of the College’s First XIII in 1964. He was also a great cricketer and won numerous trophies in both sports. 

Following school, Tim had great success firstly in Rugby Union, where he played four seasons with Manly, and represented New South Wales as a Waratah before moving over to Rugby League. From 1975, he played five seasons with the Bulldogs as half-back and captain and represented City, New South Wales and Australia. He was chosen as five-eighth for the first four Tests of the World Cup against New Zealand, Wales, France and England. Tim retired from rugby league in 1979 and became heavily involved in boxing. He was managing Jeff Harding when he won the WBC World Light-Heavyweight title in 1989.

In 2000, Tim was awarded the Australian Sports Medal for services to Australian sport.

Tim was an illustrious sportsman and Old Boy of the College whose light shone brightly in the field of sports.

Eternal rest grant unto them O Lord and let perpetual light shine upon them.

May they rest in peace. 

Amen.

Dr Vittoria Lavorato

Principal

 SPC boys can do anything! 

**except divide by zero