St Patrick's College Mackay - Term 2 - Week 4 - 16 May 2025

Pope Leo XIV
St Patrick’s College joined Catholics around the world when we welcomed Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost as the 267th pope of the Roman Catholic Church on May 8 2025, taking the name Pope Leo XIV. His election is seen as a way to continue Pope Francis’ focus on bringing people together, promoting peace and caring for everyone.

In his first speech, Pope Leo said, “We must work together to be a Church that sends out missionaries, builds bridges, and talks openly with everyone in need of our charity, presence, conversation, and love.”

May the Holy Spirit guide Pope Leo XIV as he embraces this immense responsibility with humility, courage and grace.

Senior Leaders Catholic Secondary Schools Conference
This week, I have been attending the Combined ACSSQ & CaSPAQ Conference in Brisbane with Mr Scott McSherry and Mr Brendan Gunning. This year’s conference, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion will align with our NSIT Domains and our Inclusive Curriculum and School Improvement Plan.

Parent Engagement Session – Navigating Your Academic Journey
On Tuesday 6 May, the College held our second Parent Engagement Evening which focused on Navigating Your Academic Journey. It was wonderful to see such a large number of parents/carers in attendance.

Mr Dean Andric, Assistant Principal Curriculum took parents and guardians through the St Patrick’s Academic Journey, explaining how the College supports students’ individual academic pathways, culminating in their preparation for the Queensland Certificate of Education (QCE).

Information on innovative tools like TrackOne, which helps monitor student progress and identifies areas for growth, and the importance of explicit teaching strategies, ensuring key concepts and skills are clearly and effectively delivered to every student. Finally, Mr Andric spoke on the role of formative assessment, emphasising the process of feedback which ensures that every student has the opportunity to succeed.

This information session helped explain the importance of parental understanding and involvement in their student’s educational journey and how vital their support is to help their student succeed academically.

Our next Parent Engagement Evening will be held on Tuesday 22 July.

Parent Teacher Interviews – Senior Campus
Parent Teacher Interviews for our Year 11 and Year 12 students were held on Thursday evening. Thank you to the parents and students who attended. These gatherings are invaluable in fostering a positive and valuable partnership and open communication. We look forward to continuing this collaboration and support for our students as they continue on their academic journey.

Year 7 2026 – Enrolment Interviews
On Thursday, staff at the Mercy Campus met with prospective students for Year 7 2026 and their families. Interviews will continue over the coming weeks so I encourage anyone wishing to enrol in Year 7 2026 to submit their online enrolment application now. Our first round of offers will be made on Wednesday 23 July 2025. Thank you to the many staff who have been involved in this collaborative process.

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

Our annual St Patrick's College Bikeathon rides off this Sunday from the Mercy Campus. We ask students to arrive at 7:45am and assemble in the Pavilion. Parents are asked to attend our Course Safety Briefing held in Central Block where you will be issued with a safety vest so you can be identified along the course. Julia from Queensland Police will also be giving instructions at this time as everyone's safety is our main priority. All students attending will be given a free softdrink upon their return to the college and every student participant has the opportunity to win the new bike worth over $1000. We would like to thank Corry Cycles who have made a large donation towards this prize as our major sponsor again this year. Registrations will remain open right up until the event begins as we would love to see as many students participate in this community event, either riding or walking. The 2025 Bikeathon is certainly shaping up to be a lovely one thanks to all our volunteers, staff and participants.

We are inviting students, teachers and

parents to provide feedback on their experience of our school using an online survey. The surveys are an important part of our whole school evaluation and planning process.

We would like to invite you to complete the Tell Them From Me (TTFM) Partners in Learning survey. As we value the role of parents and carers within our St Patrick’s school community we would greatly appreciate your feedback. The information you provide will be used to maintain our commitment to working together in partnership to further improve student learning and wellbeing at St Patrick’s College.

The survey is anonymous and will take approximately 20 minutes to complete. You will be able to access the parent survey on your computer or mobile device. An email has been sent to all families this week with the link to the survey. The link is also given below for you to access. Thank you for taking the time to assist us in improving our College into 2026.

Survey Link: https://tellthemfromme.com/survey/splash/dg59q

In today's fast-moving world, many boys are struggling to find direction. Even well-meaning online searches about fitness, confidence or relationships can lead them to content that promotes rigid or unhealthy ideas about masculinity. The critically acclaimed TV show 'Adolescence' has brought fresh attention to this issue, highlighting how boys are often exposed to messages that glorify toughness and dominance, while dismissing empathy and emotional openness.

These outdated beliefs can limit emotional growth and impact how boys relate to others - with real consequences in schools, homes and communities. That's why it's more important than ever to guide boys with care, clarity and connection.

By offering healthier role models, safe spaces to talk, and encouraging respectful friendships - especially across genders - we can help boys develop the confidence, empathy and relationship skills they need to thrive.

This special report calls for a cultural shift and advocates for curiosity-driven dialogue that builds trust and critical thinking. The goal is to raise boys who are not just resistant to harmful influences, but actively capable of questioning and rejecting them.

Here is the link to your Special Report
https://stpats.qld.schooltv.me/wellbeing_news/special-report-shaping-healthy-masculinity-au

Last term, our community came together in a powerful show of compassion and generosity. On our recent assembly, we proudly presented a cheque for $1300 to Sister Denise on behalf of Caritas Australia. This incredible fundraising effort was a testament to our commitment to social justice and supporting those in need.

Our good work hasn’t stopped there! This term, our Mother’s Day Stall and Raffle were both outstanding successes. A huge thank you to our generous raffle sponsors: Ma's Pizza, The Cheesecake Shop, Star Cut Flowers, Stomping Elephants and PowerCore Pilates. Your support made a real difference.

Congratulations to all the lucky winners of the raffle, and thank you to everyone who participated—you helped make these events a great success. 

1st:     Brinley S
2nd:   Trystan Dudas
3rd:    Olivia Drochmann
4th:    James L

As we move into the colder months, the Vinnies Winter Appeal is now underway. We will soon begin collecting donations of canned goods, new or gently used blankets, and other warm essentials to help support those doing it tough this winter. Every contribution, big or small, makes a difference.

Let’s continue to show the strength of our community spirit by reaching out and helping those in need. 

Thank you for your ongoing support!

The University of Queensland Science Ambassadors program has been run at St Patrick’s for the last ten years. High achieving, motivated science students have been sharing their enthusiasm for science, helping with the Science Week activities, developing leadership skills and raising the profile of science in our college.

The Science Ambassadors for 2025 are: Libby A, Rizen E, John J, Zoe K, Trizia M, Elena M, Flynn O, Jillian P, Tess R, DeJay R, Lorenzo V.

Congratulations to all of them!

The Year 10 students from St Patrick’s College Mercy Campus are proud to be supporting Badihagwa Secondary School in Papua New Guinea through their donation drive Helping Hands.

Last year a student joined our school from Papua New Guinea and shared with us how challenging education in Papua New Guinea is. We discovered that educational resources in PNG are often limited and expensive. School funding is at an all-time low and parents are often asked to purchase items such as desks and chairs for their student.

We are asking if members of the community would be able to spare any unwanted stationary, uniforms, novels or sporting equipment to support these students. A donation bin is located in the front office at St Patrick’s College, Mercy Campus.

Families can place any items they wish to donate in these bins. Help educate a student today! 

Thank you for your support.

Free Event: eventbrite.com/e/newlands-family-open-day-2025-tickets