St Patrick's College Mackay - Term 2 - Week 8 - 13 June 2025

We are now drawing to the end of the first Semester, with students and staff looking forward to the upcoming holiday break.

Last week, I attended the Northern Regional Principal’s meeting which was held at Eungella. This was a time for reflection but also a time for both Primary and Secondary Principals to meet and discuss current and future topics relevant to student learning. Some of the topics highlighted were Finance, Wellbeing, School Performance Data, Principals Goals and Strategic Planning.

I recently attended the Mackay and District Catholic Debutante Ball with Bishop Michael in attendance. All students and parents enjoyed themselves and danced the night away in style. Well done to all the students.

Introduction to Senior Schooling Evening
On Wednesday 11 June, the College held our Subject Selection Evening for Year 11 in 2026. It was a great opportunity for students and parents to engage directly with our teaching staff and current students. Those that attended, explored the wide range of subjects we offer through engaging displays and interactive activities, gaining valuable insights into what our Senior Campus offers. It was an enjoyable and informative evening for all. If your child is still unsure about their Year 11 subject choices for 2026, please contact the College Office. Our Careers Counsellor will be happy to get in touch and provide guidance.

Athletics Carnival
Our Carnival was held this week over two days at the ARC. Thanks to all who participated. I enjoyed watching student involvement as well as all the support from staff. Congratulations to our Sports Coordinator Matt Sanders and his team for their excellent organisation of the carnival.

Community and Cultural Activities
Once again, many wonderful things have happened this term. We have had great success on the sporting fields, in chess and debating competitions.

Congratulations to Year 12 students Claudia Illguth and Mikayla Green, who represented the college at the Bond University National High School Mooting Competition. The girls placed 3rd nationally. Our college was the only regional school that progressed into the final round. This is an outstanding achievement from the girls.

Our Cultural Ensembles have performed on numerous occasions as well as recently visiting the local primary school for their yearly Cultural Tour.

Congratulations to our Rock Pop Mime students who placed 3rd in this year’s competition. It is very pleasing to see the effort and success of our students throughout the term.

Show Holiday and Student Free Day
A reminder that our Show Holiday is on Thursday 19 June, and there will be a Student Free Day on Friday 27 June for all Year 7 – 12 students. This is officially the last day of Term 2.

St Patrick’s College was proud to support the Community Accommodation & Support Agency (CASA) through its “Together for Shelter” initiative, held last Thursday at Queens Park.

Our dedicated Brekky Van team, alongside staff and students, took part in this meaningful event to raise awareness and provide support for individuals facing hardship in our community. Students and staff enjoyed engaging with visitors and serving a hot breakfast to those in need.

This initiative reflects our ongoing commitment to compassion, service, and social justice, and provided a valuable opportunity to build connections with other local service providers.

Thank you to everyone involved!

Last week our cultural students went on a tour to the local Catholic primary schools, St Anne’s, St Mary’s, St Joseph’s, St Francis, Emmanuel, MacKillop and St John’s. Performing for Prep - Year 6 students, our Concert Band, Choir, Stage Band, Drum Corps and Dance troupe shared their talents to showcase what we offer at St Patrick’s College. This was our biggest tour yet and it was such a privilege to see the younger students light up when we started performing. I must commend the staff and students on this trip, it’s not easy hitting the road and setting up/packing down so many times a day. Due to everyone's consistent effort and teamwork, the trip was a blast. 

Our Rock Pop Mime group also performed recently at the MECC. Led by Mr Ashley Fergus, the group performed their original work titled ‘Breaking Free’. Being awarded 3rd place against some tough competition, our dancers delivered an outstanding and entertaining performance to the public and their peers, well done. Coming up, our competitive dance team will be heading to the Dance Exchange competition in Brisbane. Led by Natalie Porter, Ashley Fergus and Mel Camilleri, we wish our troupe luck and can’t wait to see how well they do.

St Patrick’s College Website - Careers Connect
The St Patrick’s College App has been decommissioned. Career Connect opportunities will be regularly updated on the St Patrick’s College website under the community tab.

On Friday, 6 June, Indy D, Poppy G, and Elizabeth B attended the TOOLKIT 4 GIRLS event at Mackay Engineering College (MEC). They had the valuable opportunity to explore what a career in the trades is really like. During the event, they asked questions and heard inspiring stories from real female tradies, as well as interacted with current MEC students.

Industry representatives were also present, providing our students with the chance to build connections for future career opportunities.

We would like to extend our sincere thanks to Anthony Puddicombe, Head of College, Lisa Wakefield, Business Manager, and Yvonne, who kindly gave us a tour of the college.

St Patrick’s College had four students attend the rescheduled Manufacturing Tour in Brisbane, this opportunity, provided by Mackay Manufacturing Hub, included attending World Skills, and the “Try a Trade” event held at the Brisbane Show Grounds. The original event was cancelled due to a weather event in Brisbane, but fortunately was rescheduled to take place from 10 - 12 June. Our four female students were selected as participant's in the Mackay delegation.

This was an action-packed few days for students, where they had the opportunity to experience different types of manufacturing in a metropolitan setting. We were excited to provide this valuable and engaging experience for all participants. As part of the delegation, students attended several workplaces that manufacture a wide variety of products for Queensland and the world. They included Herston Bio Fabrication Institute, Priestly’s Gourmet Delights, QLD Gaskets and Master and Young Leading Electronic Design and Manufacturing. Watch some of the competitions in WorldSkills and experience the Try-a-Trade exhibits “ Try'aSkill - WorldSkills Australia.

As winter sets in, many families in our community are facing the cold without the basic comforts they need. The Vinnies Committee is asking for your support in our Winter Appeal.

We are collecting canned goods, new or gently used blankets, warm clothing, and non-perishable food items to support local Mackay families doing it tough this season. Your donation, big or small, can bring warmth and relief to someone in need.

🧣 How You Can Help:
- Drop off donations at the office
- Bring items to homeroom
- Tell your family and friends - every contribution counts!

🏈 Free Dress Day – Wednesday 18 June!
To help raise even more support, we’re holding a Free Dress Day on Wednesday 18 June, which also happens to be the day of State of Origin Game 2!

You could come dressed in your favourite team colours or footy gear, or other clothes (check your diary for guidelines) and support a great cause.

Cost = gold coin donation or canned good.

All proceeds and items go to the Vinnies Winter Appeal.

Let’s show our team spirit while showing our community we care. Thanks for your support!

Congratulations to our Year 11 Literature students who demonstrated exceptional analytical skills in their recent examination responses. One standout piece explored Barbara Bayton's powerful short stories and their portrayal of women's absence from traditional Australian bush narratives.

The student's work examined how Bayton, writing in the 1890s, challenged the masculine-dominated bush mythology by revealing the harsh realities faced by isolated women on the frontier. Through careful textual analysis and comprehensive literature review, they demonstrated how Bayton's stories expose the gap between romanticised bush legends and the often brutal experiences of women who lived (or were notably absent from) these remote landscapes.

This thoughtful response showcased not only strong critical thinking skills but also an understanding of how literature both reflects and shapes our cultural narratives about gender, place, and belonging in Australian society. Below is an example of an argument paragraph taken from the student’s essay.

'Barrett's literary review discusses the silencing of women, referring to both the suppression of Bayton as an author and her representation of silenced women. Bayton as a female writer was silenced by literary critic A.G. Stephens who heavily edited Bayton's work in an attempt to render the implicit conventional, thereby making her stories conform to his androcentric vision of Australian life (Barrett, 2003). Bayton's story 'When the Curlew Cried', currently known as 'The Chosen Vessel' underwent a title change to 'The Tramp' when it was originally published in The Bulletin (Barrett, 2003). Stephens' editorial change significantly impacted the intended reading of the story, deflecting the readers' attention from the female protagonist implicitly making the man the central figure. Consequently, the rape and murder of the woman is reduced to one "episode" in the Swagman's life (Barrett, 2003). Furthermore, Bayton exposes the subjugation and oppression of women through the silence of female characters. Their thoughts and emotions are left unspoken. Instead projected onto inanimate objects and animals which become expressive substitutes for women's muted voices. Sheep are commonly used by Bayton as a metonymy for women symbolising the vulnerability and passive suffering experienced by women of the time. In the case of 'Squeaker's Mate', the sheep are sent to the slaughter by Squeaker, representing how the female protagonist had no choice in matters directly relating to her. Bayton's use of the sheep metonymy implicitly critiques gendered power structures and patriarchal society for its treatment of women in the domestic sphere and wider bush mythos. Evidently, Bayton's development of characters who are both silent and silenced highlights the absence of women from society.'

Did you know that in 1932, Australia fought in the Great Emu War against emus damaging wheat crops? The emus won. This was one of many interesting facts students learnt during Queensland History Week (26 - 30 May). 

We kicked off the week with a series of games, trivia, and film screenings during homeroom and lunch at the senior campus. Students toured the Brauerish Museum, channelled their inner archaeologists by digging for choc chip artefacts, and played Secret Hitler. The week came to a close with the St Pat's History Games with a total of 14 senior students selected in the annual reaping to compete for survival in the dodgeball arena. The competition was inspired by the Hunger Games, which was in turn inspired by the ancient Athenian tradition of sacrificing 14 young people every 9 years to be devoured by the Minotaur. Well done to all the tributes! 

History Week celebrates the importance of the discipline and shows us that it involves much more than just learning about the past. In a world inundated with misinformation, History is crucial because it equips individuals with the critical thinking skills necessary to evaluate and separate the truth from false information. See if you can decipher this history edition of Connections, inspired by the New York Times games.

Last week the art room transformed into a vibrant gallery space for a pop-up mini exhibition, showcasing the incredible talents of our Year 9 and Year 10 Visual Art students.

Year 9 students explored recycled art, inspired by artists like Andy Goldsworthy, Veronika Richterová, and Henrique Oliveira. Using found and discarded materials, they created meaningful artworks that reflect personal stories and environmental awareness.

Year 10 students focused on illustration and storytelling, drawing inspiration from artists such as Pablo Jurado and Jerry Pinkney. Their works captured a strong sense of place, exploring identity, memory, and belonging through visual narratives.

It was wonderful to see so many students and staff stopping by to admire the creativity on display!

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.

We are thrilled to announce that St Patrick's College recently received a generous $3,000 donation from ESA International Alpha Rho Mackay Branch during their 30th Annual Changeover Dinner on Friday, 30 May 2025. Mrs Brigitte Zimmermann and Mrs Andrea Crocker proudly accepted the cheque on behalf of our Brekky Van program. This wonderful contribution will greatly support the Brekky Van’s mission to provide breakfast for the vulnerable in our community. We sincerely thank ESA International Alpha Rho Mackay Branch for their ongoing commitment to our school service-learning initiatives.

A big thank you to all the students and staff volunteers who assist in making sure our Brekky Van runs consistently throughout the year. This incredible service-learning opportunity for the students is to make them aware of those in our community who are suffering in many ways. Our lovely friends are always welcoming with their smiles, stories and music. We encourage the Year 10 cohort of 2025 to engage in this service-learning opportunity which gives so much more to our community than a hearty breakfast.

𝐆𝐑𝐀𝐃𝐔𝐀𝐓𝐄 𝐒𝐄𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐃𝐀𝐑𝐘 𝐓𝐄𝐀𝐂𝐇𝐄𝐑 𝐒𝐂𝐇𝐎𝐋𝐀𝐑𝐒𝐇𝐈𝐏𝐒 𝐍𝐎𝐖 𝐎𝐏𝐄𝐍! Receive a financial incentive of $4500 and secure an early offer of full-time permanent employment at St Patrick's College Year 7-12 Mackay.

𝐀𝐩𝐩𝐥𝐲 𝐭𝐨𝐝𝐚𝐲 https://applynow.net.au/jobs/CER1340

Our scholarships aim to support you as you commence your teaching career with us in 2026!

𝐀𝐩𝐩𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐎𝐩𝐞𝐧 𝐓𝐨 𝟑𝟏 𝐎𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟓

MRAEL are currently seeking a highly motivated and eager School-Based Business Administration Trainee for Martins Mechanical Services.

As the successful candidate, you will gain experience in the front desk operations. You will be the main point of contact for customers and will contribute to the smooth running of the office. You will ideally possess the following:
- A can-do attitude with the desire to grow and be challenged
- High attention to detail with excellent communication skills
- Strong interest in administration
- Neat and professional presentation
- Current Drivers License 

Key responsibilities:
- Data Entry
- Answering phones and directing inquiries (Provide a friendly and professional service to customers
- Assist in ordering parts
- Work collaboratively with administration officers and other personnel within the business
- What the successful candidate will bring to the position.

For more details please click on this link: careers/mrael/job

2026 Apprentice Campaign is officially underway!

Applications will be closing at midnight on Sunday, 15 June.

Students can apply here: Hastings Deering Apprenticeship Intake.

Interested candidates are to visit the website for more information about apprenticeship opportunities with Hastings Deering. There are also helpful resources like FAQs and our Technicians for the World program, which will guide applicants as they prepare their submissions: Our Business: People & Careers - Apprenticeship Program.

This year, we have 32 apprenticeship positions on offer, making this an extremely competitive intake. The recruitment process will include online aptitude testing, engagement centres including short, conversation-style interviews followed by background and medical checks for each of the successful applicants.

Please click on this LINK: Expression of Interest - Apprenticeship 2025.