Acting Deputy Principal

VCE Excellence Assembly

On Thursday, we celebrated the outstanding achievements of the 2023 VCE cohort, with our annual VCE Excellence Assembly. It was wonderful to acknowledge the successes of our highest performing students; and whilst we know that students are not defined by their scores, it is important to acknowledge the ambition, perseverance, and effort that they have consistently displayed.

During the assembly, I shared the following words with the school community:

It can be tempting to think that for these students, everything went right, and that they made no mistakes.

And this just isn’t true. All of us face setbacks, make mistakes, and at times, don’t know the best way forward.

Each of the young men we recognise today has faced these challenges.

But what sets these boys apart, the true hallmark of a high achiever, is not the ability to do things perfectly. It is their willingness to embrace their setbacks and mistakes, to see these moments as opportunities for growth. To reach out and ask for help and guidance, and ask, “how can I do this better”?

At St Patrick's College, we believe that learning is an amazing gift, and we believe that every student deserves a chance to excel, no matter what their background, no matter how much their parents earn, no matter where they come from.

Our goal is to empower students to advocate for themselves as learners, and for them to learn that it is okay to make a mistake – that’s how we learn. At St Patrick's College, everything is seen as an opportunity to learn.

Academic excellence represents the maximum development of your knowledge, understanding and skills, so that ultimately, you can be of greater service to humanity.

And there is no greater reward than this. To be able to contribute to the world, through sharing of your gifts and talents, is what we are all here to do.

For these reasons, as a community, we have good reason to celebrate the accomplishments of the class of 2023.

Homework & Homework Club

Our recent Schools Information Evenings provided a wonderful opportunity to discuss the partnership we have as a College, with our parents and caregivers. During the Senior School Information Evening, we spoke about homework expectations. I noted the odd furtive glance from a few students, and likewise, a couple of sideways glances from parents. From these looks, I deduced that some parents valued the guidance that was provided around the expectations we have regarding homework completion.

At St Pat’s, the homework set will be based on the learning undertaken in class. In this way, it provides an opportunity for students to practice and consolidate the skills, knowledge and competencies developed in class. Under these conditions, homework reinforces classroom learning, and helps students in their understanding of concepts taught. It increases time on task, which is strongly correlated with positive learning outcomes.

Homework completion also encourages students to identify weaknesses in their own understanding. Importantly, if a student recognises an area within their homework that they find challenging, it is vital that they follow this up with their teacher in the next lesson. 

In terms of how much homework your son should be completing. I have included information from our homework policy below, which outlines the expected homework at St Patrick’s College.

Expected homework per day:

Homework set should always be based on the learning undertaken in class, that day.

We know that some students do find it challenging to establish the habits associated with effective homework completion. To support students and their families with setting up positive homework routines, in Term 1, we will be introducing Homework Club to the College co-curricular offerings. This will provide an opportunity for students to complete their homework in quiet, teacher supervised conditions, supporting them to develop effective homework habits. Look out for more information, which will be coming soon to families.