Wellbeing - Middle School
Your Struggles are Not Setbacks, they are Set-Ups for your Comeback
Last Friday at assembly, I spoke to the Middle School students about resilience in adversity. That their struggles are not setbacks—they are set-ups for their comeback. Resilience isn’t about pretending everything’s fine. It’s about facing problems head-on, learning from mistakes, and believing that they have the power to grow.
Here is an extract from my address:
There are moments we encounter when the skies darken, when the winds howl, and everything we thought was certain begins to shake. In those moments—when the path is unclear, when failure knocks, when hope flickers—we are given a choice. Do we fall? Or do we rise? Over the past two weeks, I had the pleasure of going on the SPC Football Tour with our students. An amazing experience that you will hear more about from the students over the coming weeks.
But today, I wanted to talk about witnessing one of the most remarkable sporting matches I have ever seen. It was Manchester United vs Lyon, a French team in the quarter finals of a European Competition. Now, I’m not a Manchester United fan, but for those that watch football, European football is the pinnacle of the sport and the trophies on offer are what all teams aspire to win.
United had a 2-0 lead mid-way through the second half and were looking very comfortable. Lyon, then scored two late goals to take the game to extra time with one player short who was red carded. Lyon, with their backs against the wall, in extra time, then continued the surge and took a 4-2 advantage midway through extra time. The game was over, fans streaming out of the stadium. But with seven minutes to go, and after 113 minutes played in the whole match, this began to happen. Three goals in seven minutes. The unthinkable happened, Manchester United clutched the win.
Resilience is not about never breaking. It's about how you rebuild when you’re in pieces. It’s in the courage to stand up, again and again, after being knocked down. Like Manchester United, adversity will test you. It will challenge your strength, and your will. They could have just sat there and blamed each other but they didn’t, they reflected, took accountability and fixed their mistakes.
When you don’t make the sports team you wanted to - train harder, try again, or explore other talents.
When you don’t do as well in an exam or assignment- identify weaknesses, seek help, and improve in the next one.
When a friendship breaks down - try fix it in mutual agreement, and if not, you have the opportunity to build new relationships and seek support rather than withdrawing completely.
When you make comments to other peers that are not appropriate and hurt them, have the courage to apologise, shake hands, and move forward. Don’t wait for a teacher or parent to tell you.
Because as a St Pat’s boy, within you is a spirit built not just to survive and go through the motions each day, but one that shines brightly and inspires you to be better.
Alexandros Sinadinos
Director of Middle School
Young Leaders’ Afternoon – Year 6
Last Friday afternoon, the College welcomed Year 6 student leaders from both St Patrick’s College and Santa Sabina College for the Annual Young Leaders’ Afternoon – a vibrant and inspiring event aimed at empowering the next generation of leaders.
Facilitated by Ms Megan Santiago and Year 6 Prefect Hugo Matthews, the afternoon began with a fun and energetic icebreaker, Human Bingo. The library was filled with laughter and conversation as students socialised and discovered common interests. This set the tone for an engaging afternoon of collaboration and idea-sharing.
Students participated in discussions about student-led initiatives and the power of student voice within school communities. They explored ways they could contribute meaningfully to their schools, reflecting on how leadership can shape inclusive and positive environments. At St Patrick’s College, one such initiative is the recent Lenten Fundraising campaign; at Santa Sabina, the Be Active initiative focuses on physical and social wellbeing.
A trivia session brought students together in teams, testing their knowledge and teamwork skills, with plenty of discussion and friendly competition.
Key Highlights from the Primary School Captains – Alex, Blake and Malietau
We had a great time with the Santa Sabina leadership team on Friday afternoon at the Young Leaders’ Afternoon Tea. The event included fun activities such as Human Bingo, trivia, and leadership initiative planning.
Leadership Initiatives
This activity helped us brainstorm ideas with the Santa Sabina girls. Each table shared initiatives that we thought would benefit our school community. We learnt about the Santa Sabina girls’ initiatives and took away key ideas that could help improve our own school.
Trivia
Trivia was the final activity of the afternoon and a great way to showcase our knowledge and communicate with the Santa Sabina students. Some of the questions included, ‘Who won the 2017 NRL Premiership?’ and ‘Guess the logo.’
Congratulations to Table 4, who took out the win, earning themselves bragging rights – and a packet of Tim Tams!”
The event was supported by Year 12 Prefects volunteers Isaac Tannous, Anthony Naim, Patrick Bressa, and Christopher Costa, who offered words of encouragement and shared their leadership experiences. Also a huge thank you to Hugo Matthews, who helped develop an engaging program and co-facilitated the afternoon with enthusiasm, confidence, and a strong sense of leadership.
The Young Leaders’ Afternoon provided a valuable opportunity for students to network, reflect on their leadership roles, and consider new ideas to implement in 2025 and beyond.
Megan Santiago
Wellbeing Coordinator