Principal

Annual Surveying of our Community Stakeholders 

Our school is using the Perspectives: Your school in focus suite of surveys developed by AISNSW to support our school improvement endeavours. The information gathered will assist in furthering the growth and development of our school community. We will use the survey results to help inform and direct future school planning and improvement strategies. 

These surveys have been specifically designed to assist schools in gaining an understanding of stakeholders’ perceptions of five important areas: School Environment, Teaching and Learning, Student Wellbeing, Leadership and Community. All staff, students, parents/carers, leaders and Advisory Council members will be invited to participate. 

The surveys will be available early next term from Monday 10 October to Friday 21 October 2022 and are conducted online, taking approximately 20 minutes to complete. 

Your input and contribution are important to the success of our continuous school improvement process as we aspire to improve the learning experience for everyone at our school. 

For any enquiries about the surveys please contact my Executive Assistant, Cristina Polito (cristina.polito@spc.nsw.edu.au ) at the College for more details. 

Community News

At the end of this term, Yolanda D’Onofrio, one of our Junior School staff who teaches 6 Green is commencing her Parental Leave. She will be on Parental Leave for all of 2023 as she spends precious time with the new, little member of her family. She will be replaced by Giulia Ralston who is looking forward to working with Ms Grant in teaching 6 Green. 

Adriana Lazkin, one of our part-time secondary Visual Arts teachers is also going to commence her Parental Leave. We wish Adriana and Yolanda the safest of arrivals for their precious bundles. 

Mark Leary, 5 White classroom teacher, is also going on Long Service Leave during Term 4 and will be replaced by Zach Tropeano. 

Justin Newman will commence a period of well-earned rest as he starts his Long Service Leave in Term 4. Ms Santiago will look after Year 12 during the period of their HSC exams.  

We also farewell Anna Min from the Mathematics Faculty and Sandra Ellemor, a Learning Support Officer. We are yet to secure replacements for them. 

Cath Azar will be finishing up her time at the College after over two decades with us as a Teacher Librarian. She is a passionate and talented educator who has dedicated her life to working with young people. Ms Azar is an expert in information services, fiction and research skills and has provided the students a wonderful environment in the McGlade Library. We wish her well as she moves into a new phase of her life. 

Student Leaders 2023

After much discernment, students and staff took to the task of nominating who they thought would best lead the College next year. At our Friday morning mass on 16 September 2022, I announced our three College Captains for 2023: 

Our student leaders are vital to the life of the College. They assist in leading, fostering, and nurturing our College community, including through the provision of academic and wellbeing support to fellow students, organising sporting, cultural, social and service activities across the year, and much else besides. 

Student leadership positions give students superb opportunities to develop their leadership and teamwork skills, and to undertake the community service that has been at the heart of the values and ethos of St Patrick’s College since its founding in 1928. Experience in these roles also provides invaluable preparation for students’ lives and careers after College. 

We are enormously grateful to all our students who are willing to serve the St Patrick’s College community in this way. Congratulations Alessandro, James and Martin! 

College Anthem 

My deep appreciation to the 175 people who responded to the survey on the Anthem. There were many passionate comments and thoughtful alternatives proffered. The majority of respondents wished to change the anthem to For God, for King and Country so that is what we will do. 

If Australia ever becomes a republic, I am sure we will open the debate again for a more appropriate first line. I will keep all the other suggestions on file so that future generations can ponder the question. 

Farewell to the Class of 2022 

Today, we farewelled our Year 12 students as they prepare for the HSC and life beyond St Patrick’s. I have included my Graduation Assembly address: 

Good morning, Ladies, Gentlemen, Special Guests of Honour and of course, a special welcome to the graduating students of 2022.

We face this graduation day with mixed feelings - pride and a sense of accomplishment for all that we have achieved, apprehension as we stand on the brink of a new chapter of our lives and excitement at the prospect of turning a new page, starting a new adventure and taking our first steps to achieving potentially amazing things.

I would firstly like to thank the teachers who have taught you, pushed you and guided you along the way. Beginning with your teachers in Year 5 to the ones you had in Year 12. They are a talented and hard-working collective of educators that I am proud to work with.

I thank Mr Newman for his care of this cohort over the years. Being a Year Coordinator is often a thankless task as they are at the frontline of implementing the rules set by the College. Mr Newman has been diligent and has worked tirelessly to have you focusing on what matters – the teaching and learning that goes on in each classroom each day. Keeping you all safe is no mean task and he has done that expertly.

I thank all of the parents here today and those who could not be with us. You have sacrificed much to provide your son with an education at St Patrick’s. You trusted us to help raise the young men we have sitting in here today. You can be rightly proud of them. I know as a mother that when we enrolled our children into their schools, we took those decisions very seriously. Much research and discussion took place because we as parents knew the kind of young people we wanted at the end of the years of schooling. St Patrick’s thanks you for the faith you have had in us. We have tried hard to instil in the young men here today the education, the discipline and the faith that attracted you to our College in the first place.

I thank the Student Leaders: Michael, Adrian, Blake, Prefects, House Prefects and Co-curricular captains. You have done a wonderful job this year and it has been a pleasure getting to know you. Your leadership will be remembered as consistent, generous and good-humoured. Each and every member of Year 12 became a school leader on the day they got their black tie. Year 12- you have never been backwards in letting me know the things we need to change! We don’t always agree but I have always respected your courage to raise matters even though at times, you sought a level of privilege and freedom that simply is not conducive to a focus on teaching and learning. You’ve studied hard. You debated hard. You pushed yourselves on the drama stage and in musical soirees. You’ve played sports hard and left many teams in your wake. What made you all so successful? You played and fought for one another. You have left a great example for the next year group to follow. 

New beginnings, new journeys and definitely new challenges to explore! You are sure to be dealing with a myriad of conflicting emotions and in the midst of all this.... you need to take a deep breath and believe, know, endure and then ultimately achieve.

Take a deep breath and believe in yourself to the depths of your being. You have the ability, you have the skills, you have the education and you have the opportunities. But all of this alone is not enough. You have to know, beyond the shadow of a doubt, that you have got what it takes to make a success of your life.

Take a deep breath and know yourself. Believe always in the talents that you have nurtured over the years and continue to nurture them. There is no place for complacency. There is no room for apathy. Now is not the time to sit back and relax. You must continually strive to extend yourself even further - little by little every day, every week, every month and every year.

Take a deep breath and endure the obstacles in your path. If you are able to do this, if you are able to believe, if you are able to know yourself, then your spirit is free to grow beyond the restraints that your mind may create. There will be obstacles. Take heart when progress seems slow, work hard and play straight and the courage of your conviction will endure. Your goals will endure. Your work ethic will surmount obstacles in your way and ultimately your success will become a reality - something tangible and achievable.

This week, I was really inspired by the late Queen Elizabeth II. In her long life, she endured many obstacles that she could not have imagined. Losing her father early in her life, at the age of 25, catapulted the young mother of two into the spotlight at a time when women were not traditionally seen in leadership roles.

Back in 2002 in her Christmas address, she said:

“Each day is a new beginning. I know that the only way to live my life is to try to do what is right. To take the long view. To give of my best in all that the day brings. And to put my trust in God”

These words are wise and kept her in good stead for 70 years, the longest reign ever for a British monarch.

Your parents have provided you loving homes. They chose a Catholic school so that as young men, you reflect on your Christian tradition when it counts. When no one is about and you are about to make a bad choice or take a risk, there will be a little voice in your head telling you to be careful. Listen to that voice. It’s your upbringing both at home and at school. Each of you knows right from wrong. Choose right even when it’s harder. Each of you knows what we mean when we talk about inclusivity. Practice it. Especially when you have your own relationships and families.

Queen Elizabeth spoke of giving her best no matter what the day brings. You will recall my famous assembly speech on 86,400 seconds. Our days on earth are finite and each day we have 86,400 seconds granted to us. If you don’t use them, you lose them. The trick is to make the most of each day even when your down. When you’re down and out and feel paralysed with fear or dread about getting out of bed or off the couch, talk to yourself about the way you have wasted that day’s 86, 400 seconds. Have a shower, go for a walk, help someone in need and eventually, you will lift yourself out of a challenging situation.

To conclude, I want each of you in Year 12 to know that besides the hiccups along the way, I have never lost faith in each and every one of you. I’ve truly enjoyed getting to know you and it is because of you, your fun natures and care for one another, that I know that I am the proudest Principal in Australia. All I have ever wanted is for you to be the best you can be. And the wonderful thing is that for each of you, the best is yet to come. Keep in touch and let us know of what you are doing. Perhaps I will see you on Back to Breen Day in 2023.

So as you graduate and in the words of John Quincy Adams: 

"May your actions inspire others to dream more; learn more; do more and become more!" 

Congratulations to you one and all - you are the future that we will come to depend on!

Luceat Lux Vestra always and live Jesus in our hearts. Forever.

Dr Vittoria Lavorato

Principal

SPC boys can do anything!

**except divide by zero