St Patrick's College Mackay - Term 1 - Week 8 - 21 March 2025

It has been a week of celebrations for the College!

St Patrick's Day
Each year, we come together to celebrate as a community, our patron, St Patrick. This year, a Mass was held at both the Mercy and Senior Campus, giving us time to pray and reflect on the life and faith of St Patrick. His dedication to teaching and compassion inspired many to embrace Christianity. May we model his values of kindness and resilience throughout the year.

Students enjoyed some fun activities after the Mass and our staff were treated to a shared lunch together. It was a great day of celebration. Thank you to Mr Brendan Gunning and his team for all their organisation and a special thank you to Father Matthias and Father Anthony for presiding over our Masses.

Open Night
On Wednesday evening, we proudly hosted our annual Open Night and what a truly memorable evening it was! It was great to see so many families enjoying the night which was filled with excitement, insights and a warm sense of community.

The night showcased the very best of our College. Those families wishing to enrol for Year 7 in 2026 had the opportunity to explore fabulous displays with hands-on activities in our various departments including Science, Arts, Technology and more. Our art exhibits and cultural performances really highlighted the talent within our student body.

I was very proud to have so many parents comment on the evening, saying it was a great success and how impressed they were with the wide array of opportunities the College has to offer.

Enrolments for Year 7 in 2026 are still open! To begin the enrolment process, please visit our College website to complete the online application. Interviews will commence shortly and continue throughout Term 2, with our first round of offers being sent out on 23 July 2025.

ENROL NOW : https://www.stpats.qld.edu.au/enrolment

Catholic Identity Survey
Thank you to those families who have already completed the Catholic Identity Survey emailed last week. I invite you all to assist with this important part of our School Improvement process by being part of the survey. By participating, you can go into the draw for a $150 Sorbello’s Restaurant voucher!

To access the survey, please see the flyer included in today’s newsletter or refer to the email sent on Wednesday 12 March.

Our College community came together to celebrate St Patrick’s Day with a special Mass held at both the Senior Campus Hall and the Mercy Campus Pavilion. The Masses were not only an opportunity to honour the life and legacy of St Patrick, our College Patron, but also a time for our staff, students and community to gather in prayer and reflection.

St Patrick’s devotion to serving others and spreading kindness stands as a powerful reminder for us all to care for one another. His life of faith and selflessness continues to inspire our College community to embody in our daily actions, our values of: Compassion, Hope, Justice and Respect.

We wish to thank Father Matthias and Father Anthony for giving their time to preside over the Masses. Their thoughtful homilies reminded us of the importance of faith and community as we honour St Patrick’s enduring influence.

Following Mass, students on both campuses - dressed in a touch of green - participated in a variety of fun activities which deepen our connection as a community. The spirit of joy and celebration that St Patrick’s Day brings was felt throughout the day.

Happy St Patrick’s Day to all!

Survey link - www.ecsi.site/au/user

Once completed please click on this LINK for your chance to win a $150 voucher to Sorbello's Restaurant. 

Thank you 

Young people today are growing up in a world where exposure to other people's lives is constant. Through social media and other platforms, they are regularly presented with curated highlights - from flawless holiday photos and academic milestones to the latest fashion trends and fitness achievements. This continuous stream of idealised content fuels what is known as comparison culture, where self-worth is often measured by how someone stacks up against others.

For children and adolescents, who are still figuring out who they are, this culture can be particularly damaging. Constantly comparing their appearance, achievements, or social standing to friends, influencers, and even strangers can lead to unrealistic expectations and a skewed sense of self-worth. This relentless need to measure up can contribute to feelings of inadequacy, self-doubt, and anxiety - undermining both confidence and emotional wellbeing.

It's vital that parents and caregivers understand how deeply comparison culture can influence a child's self-perception and sense of value. Left unchecked, it can foster perfectionism and a dependence on external validation, where a 'like' or comment becomes the measure of their worth.

The good news is, families have a powerful role to play in helping young people navigate these challenges. This Special Report will help you empower your child to build the resilience and confidence needed to navigate today's comparison-driven world and embrace their own unique path.

Here is the link to your Special Report https://stpats.qld.schooltv.me...

We would like to see as many students as possible participating, walking or running. Many goals can be achieved by participating, these include:

- Having fun
- Gaining house points
- Competing against friends
- Improving a race time
- The satisfaction of being able to complete a distance

If you have any queries relating to our 2025 Cross Country Carnival – Mercy Campus, please contact Matthew Sanders, Head of Sport at the College on 4994 8700 or by email at Matthew_Sanders@rok.catholic.edu.au.

Members of the College's Z Club were fortunate to attend Zonta’s International Women’s Day High Tea event at the MECC on Sunday 9 March. The students were thrilled to join in commemorating this year’s theme ‘March Forward - It’s Time to Turn Promises into Progress’. The panellists included inspirational women from the Mackay community such as Bronwyn Hartigan, the local Magistrate, and Amanda Borg, local sugar cane and cattle farmer.

The St Pat’s community are proud of Year 12 students Mikayla G and Elena M, both finalists for Zonta’s Young Women in Leadership Award. Their speeches highlighted their commendable leadership qualities and unwavering dedication to public service and civic causes. Mikayla and Elena’s achievements exemplify just how true it is that “when girls and women are uplifted, the whole community thrives”.

The Z Club continued celebrations for International Women’s Day on the Senior Campus with a bake sale and arts & craft stall.

Are you passionate about expressing your ideas? Do you enjoy discussing current events and challenging ideas? You would be a great candidate for our inter-school debating competition, held Tuesday afternoons in Term 2!

This competition is divided into three divisions: Year 7/8, Year 9/10, and Year 11/12. Whether you're a seasoned debater or just starting out, this is a fantastic opportunity to develop your skills, make new friends, and represent our College.

If you're interested in joining our team, please look on the Daily Notices for the Google Classroom code. Alternatively, contact Mrs Ramsay on the Mercy Campus or Mrs Kennedy on the Senior Campus for more information.

Ashlea_Kennedy@rok.catholic.edu.au
Aliceon_ramsay@rok.catholic.edu.au

Get ready to unleash your creativity in the 2025 Literary Competition! This exciting opportunity is open to students from Years 7 to 12, where you can submit your best work in poetry, short stories, or non-fiction prose. With prizes up to $300 on offer, don't miss your chance to shine.

To enter, simply scan the QR code below or pick up a flyer from the front reception. We look forward to reading your submissions!

Students from the Mercy and senior campus came together for the first Reef Guardians beach clean-up event of 2025 at Harbour Beach. Armed with gloves, trash bags, and a desire to enact change, the students set out to collect debris and pollution along the coastline. The CSIRO have estimated that there is anywhere between 3 to 11 million metric tons of plastic pollution on the ocean floor, and an additional 3 billion pounds entering each year. Any efforts to reduce plastic entering the ocean, regardless of how big or small, can make a difference to these alarming statistics. The students were able to see the impact of their actions as they encountered turtle nesting spots which directly benefit from a clear coastline, free of plastic debris. It was great to see so many students support this Reef Guardians initiative, and we look forward to more clean-ups later in the year!