Wellbeing

Wellbeing

I overheard someone mention recently that this was the first time in two years that everyone within schools had experienced ‘fulltime’ onsite learning. Reflecting on this comment, I compared our situation to that of professional athletes, realising how many of us lost that ‘match-fitness’ which helped sustain the daily routine in previous years.

In many respects, 2022 has been a challenging year as students, parents/carers and staff in the College re-established themselves into those routines that were lost to remote learning and restrictions. It seems such a long time ago (in reality, less than a year) that we were all regularly collecting and conducting RAHTs and having to maintain physical distancing. 

Conversely, it has been fantastic to have students once again experience carnivals, co-curricular activities, Founder’s Day, camps, reflection days and excursions; all integral events that help build community and student wellbeing.

My sincere thanks are extended to the many members of the Wellbeing Team - the Year Coordinators, Student Wellbeing Coordinator, Counsellors, Careers Advisor, College Nurse and Student Services Attendant - who have worked with both students and parents/carers during the year to support the boys under their care.

I take this opportunity to wish all students and their families a safe and peaceful summer holiday break. I trust everyone has a holy Christmas period enjoying time with loved ones and friends.

I am looking forward to seeing students return refreshed and ready to tackle all that 2023 will have to offer. For students who are moving on to new schools or post-school options, I wish them all the best as they begin a new phase in their lives.

I am pleased to advise the allocation of Year Coordinators for 2023 Year groups:

The Year Coordinators and I will be in contact leading into the new academic year but here are some key dates for compulsory events for parents/carers to place in their calendar for early February: 

 Robert Simpson

Director of Wellbeing

Meet the 2023 Student Leadership Team- Year Prefects & House Prefects Edition

Luka Govorcin

What is your leadership portfolio? 

Year 9 Prefect

What are you most excited about in your leadership portfolio?

As the Year 9 prefect, I am excited to get to know the boys and make their year the smoothest and most enjoyable year they have at the college. The goal is for them to look back on the year with fond memories. I am also excited for all of the fun upcoming initiatives which will hopefully add to the boy's enjoyment. I also aim to help the boys build new and long-lasting friendships.

What is something about you that others may be surprised to know?

During the summer, on the better days I like to go out fishing either with my family or the boys enjoying the outdoors- the meal it provides at the end of the day is also a bonus. I also like going out for drives particularly when I am stressed and need some time to unwind.

What would be a good theme song for your life? Why?

A good theme song for my life would be ‘The Nights’ by Avicii. Not only is it one of my favourite songs, but to me, the message behind it is very powerful and something to stick by. Avicii’s line, “Son don’t let it slip away,” tells us to make the most of everyday, making memories with both family and friends and to live a life with little to no regrets. Throughout the song this message is reinforced by the way life is portrayed as fast moving which is relatable to my own life as I look back at how fast, these past few magnificent years at St Pat’s have gone.

Dominic Taffa

What is your leadership portfolio? 

Berg Prefect

What are you most excited about in your leadership portfolio?

I am most excited about working with my fellow house prefects to reignite the College Cup. Although it is a competition, I still hope to bring students together as opposed to dividing the community. In addition to this, seeing that Berg won the 2022 House Cup, I know there is the ability and potential to get Berg to the top step once again. The key is to keep working hard as a whole unit and not to get complacent, just because we won previously. 

What is something about you that others may be surprised to know?

Something that others may be surprised to know is that I have over 20 cousins on one side of the family. I see all of them together at once only every couple of years, unfortunately due to covid, we have not been able to do this. Some of them also attended SPC, including 2017 Old Boy, David Colman – Performing Arts Vice Captain - who was heavily involved in co-curricular school life and often performed at assembly, Founder’s Day and Speech Night.

What would be a good theme song for your life? Why?

The song ‘Friends and Family’ by The Isley Brothers and Snoop Dogg is one of my favourites as it emphasises the importance of those close to us. It is a song about the celebration of life, and how ultimately we have people around us that can support us. Lines like “we stick together, through thick or thin” perfectly encapsulate this. In addition to this it is just a great song – with the Isley Brothers having the expertise of over seven decades combined with the iconic Snoop Dogg, it makes for a great combination. It’s a great song that everyone can get down to, and it brings the positivity that music should to people’s lives.

Patrick O’Connor

What is your leadership portfolio? 

Coghlan Prefect

What are you most excited about in your leadership portfolio?

I am most excited about the challenge of leading Coghlan house back to the top of the College Cup scoreboard. In doing so, I hope my fellow Year 12’s and I can create a positive environment, founded on a strong sense of encouragement, comradery, and brotherhood within Coghlan.

What is something about you that others may be surprised to know?

Something that others may be surprised to know about me is that I have two cavoodles aged one and two respectively. Although I do enjoy being out and getting active, I also really treasure the time spent at home and at the park with the dogs throwing a ball around. The time spent with my dogs allows me to have a break from extensive workloads and as a result, feel refreshed when I continue working.

What would be a good theme song for your life? Why?

‘Hall of Fame’ by the Script. This song resonates with me as it presents important life messages. It highlights that nothing is impossible in life and that anything is possible if you set your mind to it. The line, “How you ever gonna know if you never even try?” specifically resonates with me as it highlights the importance of giving something a go, even if you do not have the self-confidence in yourself to do it. This is significant as you don’t want to have feelings of disappointment or regret that you didn’t give something a try. But rather have feelings of delight and satisfaction that you did.

Noah Kite

What is your leadership portfolio? 

Crichton Prefect

What are you most excited about in your leadership portfolio?

The thing I am most excited about is being able to leave a legacy. Along with the House prefects and other student leaders, I am excited to work with them to strive for the best year at the college. I hope to not only make an impact on the lives of younger boys and the school but create memories for the older boys. Of course, I am also excited to see Crichton defy the odds and take out the College Cup this year.

What is something about you that others may be surprised to know?

Something boys may be surprised to know is that when I first joined the College I actually played the trumpet. Continuing from my years of playing trumpet during primary school, I played trumpet until I was in about Year 8-9. I'm not sure about my parents, but personally I thought I was great, however I seemed to have lost my passion for this classical brass instrument over time.

What would be a good theme song for your life? Why?

A great theme song for my life is ‘Bitter Sweet Symphony’ by The Verve. This song expresses the beauty of life and the adversity that comes along with it seen in the opening line “Cause it’s a bitter sweet symphony that’s life” meaning there will be bitter and sweet moments. I believe being resilient in times of hardship while enjoying the beauty of life is extremely important and necessary particular in this stage of life for us young men. The chorus then goes on to say “I can change, I can change. But I’m here in my mould,” I think this represents the need to being true to yourself. Not only in life, but especially as leaders and prefects, we will need to make decisions not everyone will be happy with, but we must stay true to ourselves and do what we believe is right. 

Thomas Brennan

What is your leadership portfolio? 

Hanrahan Prefect

What are you most excited about in your leadership portfolio? 

I’m most excited to be able to work with the boys to improve college life and build up a reputation for Hanrahan House and to also encourage the boys to try their hardest in the swimming and athletics carnivals.

What is something about you that others may be surprised to know?

I try to be as social as possible, but I do like my alone time when I can sit down and relax. I'm also able to step back and think on how I'm going to do a certain task that is coming up and how I can better myself in my relationships with others. 

What would be a good theme song for your life? Why? 

A good theme song for my life is ‘Try’ by Mickey because it shows that when you are at your lowest you always have to try, and you can't give up. It encourages me to try my hardest in everything I do and not give up when something doesn’t go my way, and that I should learn from my failures and improve myself and become better from it. 

Matthew Svoboda

What is your leadership portfolio? 

Hickey Prefect

What are you most excited about in your leadership portfolio?

Leading a College Cup championship challenge and continue the strong legacy of the Hickey house, specifically at the swimming and athletics carnivals, which are some of the best events of the year house-wise.

What is something about you that others may be surprised to know?

Some people may be surprised to know that my favourite sport is mixed martial arts (MMA). I believe that MMA is the most technical sport on the planet, as it requires the athlete to master a variety of sports, and despite what some people think it’s actually very safe. 

What would be a good theme song for your life? Why?

I think ‘In the Summertime’ by Thirsty Merc. The song resonates with me because it encourages me to live a life of fun, which is an important attitude to carry into Year 12. I also believe in looking forward to the future as well as staying in the present. Summer is also conveniently my favourite time of the year, as I love the weather and swimming and it’s good to get a break after the busy year. Who doesn’t love Bondi Rescue?

Angus Reen

What is your leadership portfolio? 

Rice Prefect

What are you most excited about in your leadership portfolio?

What I am most excited for in my leadership portfolio, is bringing a sense of belonging and brotherhood amongst the boys in Rice house. I feel as though some of the greatest memories are forged in friendly rivalry and competition, particularly in working as a team to achieve a common goal. I am most excited to ignite passion and drive for the boys in my house; to work towards reclaiming the College Cup.

What is something about you that others may be surprised to know?

One thing about myself that may surprise other people, is that I have a strong passion for music, particularly the blues. I have been playing guitar on and off since kindergarten.

World Cup Fundraiser

A couple of weeks ago, 11 Rice 2 came up with the idea of watching Australia’s first World Cup game together at school. This idea quickly blossomed as we turned the game into an event for the Year 11 cohort, that would go on to raise $1000 to support our ongoing relationship with the fellas from St Joseph’s Flexible Learning Centre in Alice Springs. 

Initially, we thought it would be exciting if some boys came into school in the morning and watched the game together in the Robson Auditorium, since many boys would be up to watch the 6:00 AM game regardless. After having recently returned from the Alice Springs Immersion, Mr Leslie saw the match as a fundraising opportunity, to support the fellas who were soon to visit our school. With the mention of a big breakfast to accompany the game, many boys were onboard to pay the entry fee and get around the idea. Boys from our homeroom and the Alice Springs Immersion group, with a big help from Mr Leslie, organised and funded both hot and cold food and drinks that we all enjoyed during the halftime break. 

The game ended in a 4-1 loss to defending champions France. Although this result was somewhat expected, we were given a glimpse of hope in the early minutes of the game when we went up 1-0 and were dominating the game for the first 20 minutes. After this, the world class came through and we were unable to stop the talent of their attack. 

Obviously, it was great to see so many boys supporting the fundraiser and we as are so pleased with the money we raised. However, for me, I also saw the game as a great chance to bring our cohort even closer. I’ve spoken before about the importance of unity, both in my own cohort and in the greater College community; This was a great step in the right direction as boys from different groups (some who don’t necessarily support football) were waking up before dawn to support our nation, and also to give generously to support the continuing relationship with the fellas from Alice Springs, demonstrating the importance of unity and inclusion not just within our own community but in our outreach to the wider community beyond our gates. I know all the boys who attended will agree with me when I say that the emotion that echoed through the Robson Auditorium, was something truly special. 

Once again, a big thanks must go to Mr Leslie for his role in organising so much, as well as Mr Youssef who picked up 200 manoush before 6:00 AM in the morning. Thanks to all the staff who supported the fundraiser and of course all the boys who made it such an enjoyable atmosphere. 

Luceat Lux Vestra. 

Alessandro Romeo

College Captain