Wellbeing

I take this opportunity to welcome all students back to the College for Term 3; I trust that boys and their families enjoyed a restful break.

After taking Long Service Leave in Term 2 it is great to return to the College feeling refreshed and eager to work once again with students, parents/carers, and staff. I took some time to spend with my parents on their property in the Riverina. Returning to the grind of ‘life on the land’ was a wonderful opportunity to reflect on how lucky I am that my parents encouraged and supported me in gaining an education, often sacrificing their own needs to allow me to achieve my aspirations. It also helped to re-affirm how fortunate I am to work in a school such as St Patrick’s College.

The opening of the Scientia Building precinct this week has been met with excitement by the boys. It has meant that Years 7, 8 and 9 have returned to their traditional playground areas that provide additional seating. Arrangements have been put in place to allow students to utilise the new ground floor basketball courts during lunch breaks while also continuing access on the back ovals.

As always, Term 3 will be a busy ten weeks and boys are encouraged to ensure that they have a clear understanding of when significant College and cohort events are occurring. Utilising the Semester 2 Planner on page 175 of the Student Diary is recommended.

Similarly, Junior School classroom and secondary homeroom teachers have been advised that they are to be assisting students with preparation of their Term 3 goals. These are to be completed on page 100 of the Student Diary. Parents/carers are encouraged to sit with their son/s to discuss ways that their performances can improve from Semester 1, using feedback from the Parent/Teacher Interviews as a guide.

Parents and students are reminded that an online Student Incident Report link is available on the respective Year 5-12 CANVAS pages. The online form will allow students to log incidents from home if required, aiding the follow-up process undertaken by class teachers/Year Coordinators on matters of concern, such as inappropriate behaviour towards students from others. I encourage both parents/carers and students to check the link on the relevant CANVAS page.

Finally, I take this opportunity to announce that there have been some alterations made to the ‘Application For Leave From School’ and ‘Application for Exemption from Attendance at School’ forms that are available on the College website.

Once the relevant form has been completed, it should be attached to an email sent to leaverequests@spc.nsw.edu.au.

Robert Simpson

Director of Wellbeing