Especean

Co-curricular

Co-curricular – Cultural Achievements

I am very pleased to share some great news regarding a number of Cultural Co-curricular activities that have taken place recently.

Mock Trial

The College’s Mock Trial team, coached by Old Boys Christian Habib (21’) and James Herberstein (21’) have performed incredibly well thus far. The boys have successfully won four from four Mock Trials and it would be remiss of me not to mention that they won their last round despite the adversity of losing team mates to illness 48 hours prior to the Mock Trial. The team has now advanced to the Elimination Round which is scheduled to take place at the College on Wednesday or Thursday of next week. A confirmed time and venue will be distributed to the boys via the morning announcements so hopefully our boys will be well supported. 

Chess

The Junior Team finished in first place in the Eastern Region with a total of 22.5 points. They claimed this victory by half a point between them and second place. The Junior Team will now take on Trinity Grammar on Friday 12 August in the Finals Round with the hope that they will progress further. Our Intermediate Team finished in fourth place with a total of 17.5 points while our Senior Team finished in equal third position with a total of 14.5 points.

 

It has been quite a while since the College has entered so many teams into the NSW Junior Chess League. Ms Bakija has informed me that the boys have given so much energy and effort in each round, showing wonderful sportsmanship and dedication to the game. It has been an incredible season for all our teams, and I take this opportunity to commend both the boys and Ms Bakija. Best of luck to our Junior Team next Friday.

Debating

As many of us are aware, the Debating and Public Speaking fraternity are having a sensational season. Less than a fortnight ago, St Patrick’s had six teams contesting the quarter-finals with the 9 A, 10 A and 10 B teams proving victorious and as such, advanced through to the semi-finals.

 

The semi-finals were hosted at St Patrick’s, and I would like to take this opportunity to thank our members of staff who contributed to hosting this fantastic event. It was greatly appreciated by members of visiting schools and CSDA organiser and adjudicators.

 

Sadly, our 9 A team were beaten in a very close debate and despite the obvious disappointment, I commend the boys on being so gracious in defeat. Congratulations are extended to both the 10 A and 10 B teams who won their respective semi-finals and now face each other in this week’s final. The final is scheduled to take place at OLMC, located at 2-6 Victoria Rd, Parramatta with debates commencing from 7:00 PM. It would be great to see a big crowd out there to support our boys, particularly from the Debating fraternity and the Year 10 cohort. Student supporters are reminded that they are to wear their full College Winter uniform. Best of luck to both teams. 

Performing Arts Showcase

Members of the Band and Orchestral Programs are advised that the 2022 Performing Arts Showcase will take place in the Marie Bashir Public School Hall, 159 Albert Road Strathfield, on Thursday 18 August. Specific details will be forwarded to the parents/carers of students participating in this event soon. Please note that we aim to have everyone seated by no later than 6:30 PM. It is envisaged that the performances will conclude at approximately 9:00 PM. This will also allow for a short interval midway through proceedings.   

Supporters’ Duty

I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Year 10 and 11 cohorts for their attendance and support at last Saturday’s afternoon fixtures. The support of the First XV in their tight tussle with Oakhill College was particularly pleasing.

 

Saturday 13 August will see St Patrick’s College host the Annual ‘Back to Breen Day’. This day is specially set aside for our Old Boys to come back and see the College and enjoy the atmosphere on and around the ovals. I would strongly encourage all members of our community to head up to SPC 2 to support the First XI in their ISA Semi-Final at 1:00 PM. The First XV will then take on the boys from Kinross Wolaroi School on Breen Oval at 3:15 PM. Ordinarily, several of the Kinross community stay behind for this fixture so it would be great for our Old Boys to see a big crowd. Please be part of it.

I would also like to publicly thank and acknowledge the wonderful parents/carers and students who have assisted with the running of barbeques and canteens at our home rounds. Please know that you have made an enormous contribution to profiling the College (particularly in relation to hosting) in a positive light to the wider community. I sincerely thank you. 

Senior School Summer Sport Photos: Ordering  On-line

Below, parents/carers will find an access key, ordering instructions and relevant information relating to the Senior School Summer Sports photos. Parents and carers are advised that if they are experiencing any difficulty in ordering they can ring the Parent Hotline on 1300 084 586 for advice.

 

Parents/carers can use the new Grid View to see all group photos on one screen. There is also a new Favourites feature which allows parents/carers to click the heart in the top right corner of a photo. When they click on the Show Favourites tab, only the photos which have the heart highlighted will appear. 

 

To purchase:

  • please visit: https://www.leadingimage.com.au/ on the Home page
  • click Order Your School Photos
  • scroll down to School Access and click on it
  • then select New South Wales
  • enter Access Key: FDNZBLNW and your email address.

Group photos are $12.00 each. Orders will be sent to parents/carers directly, not to the College, and will incur one postage and handling fee per order.

 

Steven Fochesato 

Director of Co-curricular