Principal

School Camps: A Rite of Passage to RememberThe College campus was quiet last week with Year 9 going off to Somerset and Year 5 off to Katoomba. This is the second year of having a camp in Year 5 (it used to be in Year 6) because it was moved to Term 1 in Year 5 following students’ feedback. Many expressed that until they made it to Year 7, they found it challenging to get to know the other 216 students in their cohort and typically, they only got to know boys in their class. Our Year 5 camp thus provides the perfect opportunity for students to experience positive interactions with each other outside of the classroom.

It is an enormous undertaking to have two cohorts and twenty odd teachers off for a week enjoying their time on these camps. Why do we continue to prioritise these camping experiences?

School camps: a mixture of mucky fun and rollicking adventures, midnight tent giggles, the occasional injury, and a contingent of teachers in sneakers and cargo pants, with a lighter than usual countenance, who always seem to be drinking coffee.

That might be the students' view of the camp, but what about the teachers?

Let’s see… school camps: a mixture of logistical nightmares and uplifting natural vistas, bleary-eyed mornings after night patrol. Homesick students, night-time exclusion bullying in the boys’ tents, locating lost torches and pyjamas… and coffee.

Whether you have to send someone home early or not, the overall experience of students and staff is normally good. Connections are made and strengthened between students and teachers, and successful team building promises an improvement in interpersonal relations for the rest of the year.

Students gallantly row hours upriver against currents, endure character-building hikes with fit, youthful, and charismatic group leaders, spouting information aplenty on flora and fauna for anyone not too exhausted and delirious to listen. Campfires, marshmallows, frogs in the shower. Bee stings, ant bites, and slightly singed hair.

The traditional school camp formula will never age; it’s based in a scouting tradition, and a hearkening to the origins of humankind. The school camp may be our last rite of passage, as experts decry the loss of meaning in the passage from child to teen. Education extends, and the beginning of independent adulthood creeps into the twenties, while once, fourteen-year-olds were Jackaroos, and life began at 16.

Back in 1999, when Raising Boys was released, Steve Biddulph said, 

“Adolescence is a spiritual crisis as well as a hormonal eruption. The questions arise: ‘Where am I going? What’s my life about? What do I stand for?’.

School camps can offer a student a sense of meaning and purpose, and they can provide practice in overcoming obstacles, developing endurance, and broadening a student’s view of their own capabilities. Depending on the destination, a school trip can broaden a student’s life view and add new awareness and diversity to their view of the world.

High school-aged students used to contribute substantially to the family’s livelihood; in many cultures, they still do. Their energies, when channeled, can be formidable, but what happens when this force has nowhere to run? Steve Biddulph tells us: 

“Where there’s a gang of boys, the men in that community aren’t doing their job – 17-year-olds can’t lead boys anywhere, except into trouble”. 

No doubt, the same applies to girls leading each other astray.

In various interviews, including this one, and his own TED Talk, adolescence expert, Dr Arne Rubenstein identified the period between 12 and 18 years as “a critical time” of development. He says it’s when new behaviours should emerge, and ‘ego-centricism’ should be replaced by community awareness. This transition is recognised and marked with an initiation ceremony in all Indigenous cultures, but not in ours.  His view is: because we are not creating initiation ceremonies for our teenagers, they are doing it themselves. A lot of the risk-taking behaviour we see, such as reckless driving, drugs, alcohol abuse; Dr Rubenstein says these are examples of self-initiating.

Casting back to ABC’s 2016 screening of Revolution School, for those who missed it, a documentary followed a year in the life of Kambrya College, a turnaround school in Melbourne. A special feature of the program was the Darrabi boys. Boys, who would otherwise have been excluded from school, were enrolled in a separate class, where they received intense support, mentoring and remedial tutelage. In one episode, the boys were drifting from their objectives, and the program leaders were concerned. What did they do? They took them out bush, of course. In the lead-up, the boys complained about the rustic conditions ahead, but when they almost lost the privilege a week before the planned trip, the dismay in the room was palpable. These boys wanted this, perhaps sensing it would be as transformative as it proved to be. They returned ‘new men’ and one of them went on to stand for election for a student representative position. He won.

Whether the school trip is an outback endurance adventure or a trip interstate or overseas, an element of challenge will be present for students. Some students have never spent more than a night away from their parents, and the ability to self-manage is still developing in many students. Tasks as simple as keeping track of their own items, sorting out their washing, or budgeting their spending money can be new territory and almost as educational as tour content itself.

While the content of a school camp will vary, the learning is real and intensive, and students are challenged while outside their comfort zone. When students return from such an adventure, they seem just a little bit older; they walk just a little bit taller, and memories are made. These are memories that last a lifetime.

My sincere thanks to all of our staff who committed to being away from their families in order to look after our College family. The staff includes our Wellbeing Directors and Year Coordinators, Mr Sinadinos, Mr R Simpson, Mr Fox, Mr Cooper and teachers Mr O’Connor, Mr T Simpson, Ms Ribeiro, Mr Pasternasky, Ms Majstorovic, Mr Locke, Mr Jeffery, Mr Fields, Ms Arenas, Ms Duff, Ms Tsesmelis, Ms Tripodi, Ms Saad, Mr Pais, Mr Mifsud, Ms Klados, Mr Fontana, Ms Daoud-Aytee, Mr Chon, Ms Armanno, Mr Allan.

International Women’s Day 2024: Friday 8 March

Imagine a gender equal world. A world free of bias, stereotypes, and discrimination. A world that's diverse, equitable, and inclusive. A world where difference is valued and celebrated. Together we can forge women's equality. Collectively we can all #InspireInclusion.

Let each of us in the St Patrick’s College community celebrate women's achievements. IWD belongs to everyone, everywhere. Inclusion means all IWD action is valid.

Our students are the sons, grandsons, brothers, cousins and friends of girls and women. One day, they will take their place in society as employees, employers, husbands, and fathers.

What do we know about violence against women and children perpetrated by men?

Men’s violence against women and children has particular gendered dynamics as it seeks to exert patriarchal forms of power and control that privilege men’s role in decision making, in private and public life, access to resources, and exploiting women’s unpaid labour associated with traditional gender roles. Violence against women and children often occurs together in homes and family settings and is driven by the same factors. Children may witness domestic and family violence between other family members or be subjected to violence targeted at them by other family members that can have a range of impacts on their health, wellbeing, and social and emotional development.

• Women are most likely to experience physical and sexual violence in their home, at the hands of a male current or ex-partner (ABS PSS 2016). Of women who had children in their care when they experienced violence from an ex-partner, 68 per cent reported that the children had seen or heard the violence (ABS PSS 2016).
   
• According to the 2022 ABS Sexual assault – Perpetrators release, 97 per cent of sexual assault offenders are male.
   
• In 2019-20, there were 45 intimate partner homicides; 36 of these were female victims (80 per cent). This averages to approximately one woman being killed by an intimate partner every 10 days (AIC NHMP, 2022).

As a College, that educates boys in the Edmund Rice tradition, International Women’s Day takes on great significance as it is a time to pause and reflect on the kind of men we want them to become once they leave school. What steps can we take to change these statistics?

• The fathers, male role models, and male teachers on our staff consistently demonstrate respectful interactions with women. They challenge any degrading language or stereotypes that perpetuate harmful norms.
   
• I urge parents/carers to talk openly with boys about human rights, gender equality, and everyday sexism. Discuss topics like the gender pay gap, periods, and the mental load that women often carry. By bringing home the reality of women’s lives, we foster empathy and understanding.
   
• Encourage boys to embrace positive masculinity. This involves rejecting harmful practices and attitudes. Men who disagree with violence against women should speak out and actively promote respectful behaviour. By amplifying the voices of those who advocate for change, we create a culture of non-violence.
   
• Encourage boys to form friendships with girls outside of their school setting. These interactions provide real-life alternatives to stereotypes and help break down gender barriers. When boys see girls as equals and friends, they are more likely to treat them with respect and empathy.

Remember that raising boys to abhor violence against women is a collective effort. It requires consistent modelling, education, and open conversations. By nurturing empathy, emotional intelligence, and respect, we can contribute to a safer and more compassionate world for everyone.

In Memoriam

• We keep in our prayers Zachary Nissirios (Year 6) and his family on the loss of his beloved grandfather. 
   
• We also pray for the family of former long-time College receptionist, Morna Marturia, who worked at the College from 1979-1992. 

Dr Vittoria Lavorato

Principal

SPC boys can do anything! 

**except divide by zero