Principal

Advent 2023 “with anticipation and joy”

This coming Sunday 3 December 2023 is the first Sunday of Advent.

Advent is a time for us to understand that God is always doing something new for us. Unlike the commencement of the new year, the Universal Church begins its new liturgical year on the first Sunday of Advent. With this newness comes the revelation of seeing the world with fresh eyes so we can view the future and God’s divine plan for us more clearly. 

Advent is all about watching and waiting. The word ‘advent’ comes from the Latin adventus, which means ‘coming’ or ‘arrival’.

We are called during this holy time to wait with anticipation knowing the joys of what is to come with the arrival of Christ. This is the time we come together to celebrate this joy with our loved ones.

During Advent we practise the discipline of opening our hearts to the presence of Christ in our midst; we wait for a glimpse of the truth that he is with us; we long to experience the joy of his presence and the wonder of the love of our God, who became flesh and dwelt amongst us and whose Spirit is with us, encouraging us to join in the living of God's Kingdom now. 

Our task during the Advent season is to imitate Mary by pondering the Word of God and allowing it to resonate within our hearts and pour into our lives.

Over four weeks, our faith tradition calls us to encounter the mystery of Christ present in the Advent Gospels and artwork. We are invited to gather, encounter, recall, reflect, share, connect and consider how we will live differently as a result of what we have experienced. By being together with our stories, our questions, our open hearts and minds, we can form a community that lifts, honours, and learns from each other as we are sent out with anticipation and joy this Advent season.

Official Blessing and Opening of Scientia                   24 November 2023

Despite our exhaustive plans to have the whole school present at the blessing and opening of the building, the rainy weather meant we had to pivot very quickly into having a smaller ceremony with only our Year 12 (2024) students and Junior School leaders.

It was a wonderful occasion with Fr Jack Evans blessing our building and Professor John Mattick (Old Boy ’67) officially opening the building and dedicating its plaque. He is a prominent scientist in Australia and a role model for our students. John Mattick graduated Dux from St Patrick’s College in 1967. He is one of three brothers who attended this school, all three going on to be awarded the Order of Australia: Peter Mattick (1969, for significant service to the community through philanthropic contributions, and to business and commerce) and Richard Mattick (1973, for significant service to drug and alcohol research through education and social policy, and to medical organisations). 

Our honoured guest John Mattick went on to study Biochemistry and Genetics at the University of Sydney and was awarded his PhD from Monash University in 1978. He undertook postdoctoral work at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston Texas, then at CSIRO where he developed one of the first genetically engineered vaccines. Subsequently he was the Foundation Director of the Institute for Molecular Bioscience at the University of Queensland, Foundation Director of the Australian Genome Research Facility, and Director of the Garvan Institute of Medical Research in Sydney. Most recently he was Chief Executive of Genomics England, where he developed the 2019-2023 UK National Vision and Plan for Genomic Healthcare.

Professor Mattick is best known for showing that most of the human genome is not junk, as previously thought, but rather is devoted to controlling the 60 trillion cell division and differentiation decisions that must be made accurately during our development. He has published over 300 scientific articles, which have been cited over 97,000 times. 

He is a Fellow of the Australian Academies of Science, Technology & Engineering, Health & Medical Sciences, the Royal College of Pathologists of Australasia, and the Royal Society of New South Wales. His honours and awards include the Australian Government Centenary Medal, the Order of Australia for service to scientific research in the fields of molecular biology, genetics, and biotechnology, particularly through the development and administration of research institutes and the Australian Genome Research Facility. He is renowned internationally and was awarded the International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Medal, the University of Texas Bertner Award for Distinguished Contributions to Cancer Research, the Human Genome Organisation Chen Medal for Distinguished Achievement in Human Genetics and Genomic Research and he was our Luceat Award winner in 2014. 

It was wonderful to have our other special guests honouring the occasion with their presence: Mrs Maura Manning, Director of EREA NSW Colleges Ltd; Mr Sam Hardjono, Chair, EREA NSW Ltd; Mr Anthony Meaker, Chair, College Advisory Council; Property and Capital Works Committee; P&F Executive; Christian Brothers – especially Br Paul Conn, Deputy Province Leader of Oceania Province; Mr Dallas McInerney, CEO, Catholic Schools NSW;  Mr Greg Dening, Executive Officer, SPC Old Boys’ Association; Professor Richard Mattick (Old Boy Class of 1973 and brother of our special guest, Professor John Mattick); Cr Karen Pensabene, Mayor of Strathfield; and Ms Sally Sitou, Federal Member for Reid.

My address in the ceremony was a reflection on the inspiration for the building’s name: 

Scientia est Potentia, Knowledge is Power.

“What a wonderful day it is today in celebrating this addition to our campus. I want to thank Dr Wattam for daring to dream about a building that makes a statement about how we feel about learning at the College. The plaza area ties all parts of our College together and will be a central meeting place for our community in the days and years to come. Our architects, BVN, realised Dr Wattam’s dreams in their innovative design and it was built with care and accuracy by Hansen Yuncken. We appreciate the support Mr Dally and Mr Whitnall gave us along the way, including members of our Project Control Group which comprised some of our College Council members and school staff.

 

As I have said before, this magnificent facility reminds us that knowledge is power. As an EREA school, a Liberating Education is at the heart of what we aim to do. A strong education can change your life and open up a myriad of opportunities.

 

There are very few people out there who truly understand the importance of knowledge. Not every educated person is knowledgeable, but every knowledgeable person is educated. This statement may sound weird but it’s true. In today’s world, almost everyone is educated still they do not have knowledge of the subject that they have studied.

 

Besides, Knowledge is something that helps you drive a car, ride a bike, solve a puzzle, etc. Knowledge is something that prevents us from making the same mistake twice. It is not something that you can buy; you have to earn it.

 

Knowledge is something that increases the more you share it. Humans have used their knowledge to create things that we couldn’t imagine a few centuries back. It helps us to convert our ideas into reality and it helps us to reach the success that we desire in our life.

 

Moreover, knowledge assists us to differentiate between what is right and what is wrong. It helps us to overcome our faults, weaknesses, and dangerous situations in life. Also, a person with knowledge is more mentally and morally sound than people with money and less knowledge.

 

Besides, Knowledge is a very important tool to get positive changes in society or country. Knowledge gives us a vision of our future and what we can do in it. All the countries in the world that use technologically developed tools and machinery and many other things is the result of the gain in knowledge. Weapons and bombs do not make a country powerful, but knowledge does.

 

The growth and development of a nation does not depend on the arms and weaponry the country has. But with the amount of knowledgeable people it has and it is possible only because of the power of knowledge.

 

Our Founder, Blessed Edmund Rice knew this. Though founded to teach religion, the Christian Brothers were not intended to be just catechists.  He set about, with his Brothers, to provide the poorest of the poor with education. 

 

Today, this new building helps more generations of young men fulfil their potential. As we enter or pass this building, we remember what Blessed Edmund wrote in a letter to his Archbishop “….Education refers to a whole man’s life, here and thereafter”.  

Staff Farewells

At this time of year, we wish to thank and say farewell to members of our staff that are leaving us. Firstly, I wish to thank staff members who’s temporary, contract positions have come to an end.

• Mr Andrew Brownhill (Head of Rugby Development)
• Mrs Miray El-Hachem (Part-time Science teacher in a flexible work arrangement)
• Mr Mark Leary (who has covered for Junior School staff on Long Service Leave in the last Semester)
• Ms Lesley Evans (who has assisted us in the Front Office since Mrs Barr went on parental leave.
• Mrs Miriam Gascoigne (Learning Support Teacher)
• Ms Gowri Ramasubramanian (Mathematics teacher)
• Ms Monica Reesham (English Teacher)
• Ms Lara Strati (Learning Support Teacher)
• Ms Regina Theodora (Learning Support Officer)
• Mr Zachary Tropeano (Junior School Teacher)
• Mrs Teresa Valente (Language Teacher)
• Ms Sophie Woodbridge (English Teacher) 

I have previously announced staff changes and in addition to those, we will also be farewelling other permanent members of staff who are moving on to other schools or endeavours:

• Mrs Karly Lazarou (English Teacher) is leaving to join the PhD program at the University of Sydney. She will be researching the impact of artificial intelligence in the English classroom, a study that cannot come soon enough given the pace of change we are experiencing. 
• Mr Bruno Milheiro will be taking on a Year Coordinator position in the Southwest of Sydney, an opportunity to work closer to home.
• Ms Amanda Robertson is also moving to a school in the Southwest of Sydney that is geographically closer to home.
• Mrs Vanessa Sassine (Mansour) (Science) will not be returning to us after her parental leave.
• Ms Athena Tzigeras (TAS) teacher has also decided to move to a co-educational high school setting.
• Mrs Chadia El-Edelbi (Science) is taking up a Head Teacher of Science position and not returning to SPC after her parental leave.

Final Words

As we approach the summer holiday season, I trust this newsletter finds you in good health and high spirits. With the year drawing to a close, it's a fitting time for students, staff, and parents to relish a well-deserved break, allowing space for reflection on the school year and anticipation for the one ahead.

This academic year has been nothing short of bustling at St Patrick’s College, marked by substantial progress across various fronts. The dedication and contributions from each of you have played an integral role in our growth as a school community. Together, we've achieved remarkable milestones, yet we acknowledge there are avenues for further development. More details on these forthcoming improvements will be shared as we chart our course for 2024.

I'm excited to implement our new initiatives in the area of Student Wellbeing and Pastoral Care. A Middle and Senior school approach with two new Year Coordinators in Stage 3 and Assistants in Stage 4 will enable our staff to better support our boys. These endeavours aim to hear our student voices and maximising each boy’s potential. 

As Mohandas Gandhi aptly stated, "Be the change you want to see in the world." Your participation and engagement will be instrumental in shaping the success of these endeavours.

A heartfelt expression of gratitude is due to our remarkable teachers and dedicated support staff at St Patrick’s College. Their unwavering commitment has been instrumental in our achievements this year. 

I extend my sincere appreciation to you, our parents/carers, for entrusting us with the education and wellbeing of your sons. And to our students, thank you for your continuous efforts in making our school an extraordinary place of learning.

In closing, I encourage our students to stay active and engaged during the holiday period by indulging in physical activities and exploring the wonders within the pages of at least one good book!

Warmest regards and deepest gratitude,

Dr Vittoria Lavorato

Principal

SPC boys can do anything! 

**except divide by zero