Junior School
Mr Tom Nash, Head of Junior School
National Sorry Day
On Friday 24 May, the entire Year 8 cohort, accompanied by Year 8 Homeroom staff attended a National Sorry Day ceremony at Loreto College. It was a unique experience which included a Smoking Ceremony followed by the Sorry Day Ceremony in the Loreto College Gymnasium. The Ceremony was facilitated by students from St. Patrick’s College, Damascus College and Loreto College and we were fortunate to listen to a powerful speech from Uncle Al who spoke of the significance of Sorry Day.
Reconciliation & Inclusivity Assembly
On Thursday the Junior School had an assembly in which Reconciliation and Inclusivity were the focus. We were incredible lucky to have Shu Brown from BADAC present to us regarding the meaning of Reconciliation and what Reconciliation Week is about. Shu was insightful and engaging and it was warming to observe many of our Junior Schoolers actively engaging with Shu during his talk. There were some terrific questions and there was genuine interest and lots of learning for our boys. Darren Burns also spoke with us at the assembly. Darren is a popular member of staff at St. Patrick’s and is many of the boys at the College know him and appreciate the work he does in our Indigenous program. Darren discussed the role St Pat's plays in Reconciliation and how we can continue to make improvements in this space. It was also great to learn more about Darren such as where he and his family are originally from and to learn about his passion for working with Indigenous students here at St Pat's. We also heard from Year 11 student, Harrison Grant, who addressed the audience on gender equity and the assembly concluded with a performance by the Wind Symphonic Ensemble conducted by Ms Katrina Bird.
Live 4 Life
This week, our Year 8 students engaged in their first session of the Live 4 Life program. I’m fortunate to be one of the facilitators for the program so was able to see first-hand the impressive level of participation from our boys in this important content. In what is a sensitive topic, the students are to be commended for their respectfulness of the content and their peers in the room. This is a three-week program and it is hoped that the boys will be further equipped with some skills to be able to identify if and when something may not appear right.
Lap of the Lake
The annual Lap of the Lake approaches next Friday, 7 June. A reminder that all Year 7 and 8 students are expected to participate. This is one of the great events on the College Calendar and all students, regardless of ability are encouraged to participate (whether it be running, walking or a combination of both).
GRIT Award – Round 6
Congratulations to the following students who were nominated for the GRIT Award by their Homeroom Teacher this past fortnight.
| Year 7 | Year 8 |
| 7A – Alfie Bradshaw | 8A – Maddern Grundell |
| 7B – Tom Dubos | 8B – Venuk Gajanayake |
| 7C – Jai Suresh | 8C – Leo Gogan & Harry Barun |
| 7D – Fletcher Crane | 8D – Seth Marks |
| 7E – Will Elliott | 8E – Ollie Major |
| 7F – Wullaki Holloway | 8F – Michael Zeller |
| 7G – Tobi Akindeju | 8G – Blair McClelland & Oliver Ashmore |
| 7H – Lachlan Barr | 8H – Noah Connell |
| 7I – Hunter Tavendale | 8I – Mitchell Shea |
Recognising our Junior Schoolers
Parents and caregivers, it's time to shine a spotlight on your son's achievements.
Whether it's success in the arts, sports triumphs or community contributions, we want to celebrate his accomplishments.
Please share his milestones with us and let's inspire the College community together.
Please email me tnash@stpats.vic.edu.au with your news so we can ensure our students receive the recognition they deserve!
Tom Nash Margie Dodd & Jacinta Burge Sam Cue & John Hearn
Head of Junior School Year 7 Coordinators Year 8 Coordinators