Deputy Principal

On Tuesday last week I had the opportunity to speak to our Year 12 cohort during their Pastoral Care Period (PCP) lesson. Working with the College Captains, we have managed to make some improvements with respect to shade at lunchtime. This has also been achieved in the Year 8 area. We also talked about the privilege of allowing them to drive to school which we aim to do by next week. I will communicate with Year 12 parents/carers and students separately. 

The main issue I talked to Year 12 about was Consent. We have heard a lot about this topic over the last two years and I reminded our young men that we have a long way to go in this space. I challenged them to watch the recording of the address by Brittany Higginsand Grace Tame to the National Press Club last week. I reminded them that they must play a role in challenging the way some men treat women and that we all have a part to play. As an educator and a father, reading young women’s accounts of the way they have been treated has left me questioning the values that some young men have been taught. I said to the boys that they do not need to feel guilty about what others have done, however, they do need to call out their mates if they see them disrespecting women. They need to be agents of change. This is a conversation that must be ongoing, continuing not only in schools but our homes and workplaces as well. 

It was great for me to experience my first St Patrick’s College Swimming Carnival at Sydney Olympic Park Aquatic Centre on Friday. I was so impressed with not only the running of the event but the way the boys participated in events and cheered on their mates. The Senior boys did a great job in leading the other boys. I look forward to the upcoming Athletics Carnival in a few weeks.

Adrian Byrne

Deputy Principal