Parents and Friends
Supporting Our Sons and Strengthening Our SPC Community - Parents' and Friends' General Forum
The SPC Parents’ and Friends’ General Forum held last Tuesday was a wonderful opportunity for parents and carers to come together, connect with the school community and, most importantly, gain valuable insights into supporting our sons throughout their journey at SPC. A key focus of the evening was the wellbeing and mental health of our boys, with two insightful presentations from members of the SPC community.
A sincere thank you to Dr Vittoria Lavorato and Mrs Samantha Donnelly, Head of Counselling Services (Years 8-11) for generously sharing their knowledge and expertise, and to everyone who attended and contributed to such a valuable evening. Through our hybrid in-person and virtual session, we were delighted to connect with around 100 parents and carers, making it a wonderful opportunity for our community to come together, learn and support one another.
Dr Lavorato spoke to parents/carers about trauma, how it can present in young people, and the ways we can recognise when our sons may be struggling. Her presentation provided practical insight into the signs and behaviours that may indicate a young person is experiencing the effects of trauma. Importantly, she also discussed how parents/carers can work collaboratively with their sons and the school when these issues arise, ensuring our boys feel supported, understood and connected to the right people and resources.
A heartfelt thank you to Mrs Donnelly who spoke openly about anxiety, relationships and the challenges our sons can face as they move through their years at SPC. Her insights reinforced the importance of maintaining open communication with our boys, creating a safe environment where they feel comfortable talking about what they are experiencing, and knowing when additional support may be needed. The teenage years bring significant change, and having professionals within our school community who understand these challenges is an invaluable resource for both our sons and their families.
The evening also provided an opportunity for the SPC Parents’ and Friends’ Association to share some of the initiatives and activities delivered throughout the year. From the BBG Dinner Dance, a fantastic and fun evening held at Le Montage, to the recent Back to Breen Day, the P&F continues to create opportunities for parents/carers, students and Old Boys to connect and celebrate what makes the SPC community so special.
Back to Breen Day was a particular highlight, with SPC Old Boys returning to the College to reconnect, reminisce about the good old days and support our current students, while enjoying the First XV and First XI teams in action.
The success of our P&F activities would not be possible without the incredible support we receive from the wider SPC community.
A special thank you to Richard Cramb and Chris Hughes from the SPC Maintenance team, who week in and week out help us get the barbeques and canteen spaces ready for our P&F activities. Their ongoing support behind the scenes is greatly appreciated and helps make our events possible.
This week also marks our last Powell Pavillion Canteen for the season, where our P&F team will be providing catering services to support our football semi-finalists. We would love to have as many volunteers as possible join us on Saturday.
👉 Sign up to join the team: Volunteer Sign-up Form
We will also be continuing sales for our BYD Car Raffle! 🚗🎟️
Please support the raffle by purchasing tickets and spreading the word. Proceeds will go towards two important projects for our boys — the Year 12 Lunch Area and the Breen Oval Canteen Kitchen. Every ticket sold helps us continue to improve the facilities and experiences available to our sons.
Year 7 St Patrick’s College Family Fun Day!
Calling all Year 7 St Patrick’s College families!
Come along for a relaxed afternoon and evening to catch up, meet the families of our sons’ friends, and enjoy some good food, drinks and family fun!
📅 Sunday 13 September
⏰ 3:00 PM till late
📍 Rydalmere Football Club, Victoria Road, Rydalmere
🍕 Food available to purchase
🍻 Bar open for drinks
⚽️ Grassed area for the kids to kick a ball around
👾🕹️ Games room for the kids
🎟️ $20 non-refundable deposit per family - Your $20 deposit comes back as a $20 pizza voucher on arrival! 🍕
🍕 Pizza: @petesapizzacatering
🍗 Catering: @kenoun_sydney
👨👩👦 Parents/carers are responsible for the duty of care of their children throughout the event.
Let’s get together, have a laugh, make some new connections and let the boys have some fun too!
📌 RSVP via this form by Sunday 6 September.
For questions, contact your Year 7 Representatives Jaslyn Hewitt-Shehadie or Carla Karam.
Please note: This is not a compulsory SPC school event.
We’d love to see you there!
Jaslyn Hewitt-Shehadie
P&F President