St Patrick's College Mackay - Term 3 Week 6 - 21 August 2026

College Captains for 2027
This week, following speeches from our Year 11 candidates and voting by staff and students, we were delighted to announce our Senior Leaders for 2027.

Congratulate to Camilla C, Emma P, Sonny D and Zane S.

We look forward to seeing these young people lead our college with compassion, hope, justice and respect.

Assistant Principal, Mission
Congratulations to Andrea Crocker on her permanent appointment as Assistant Principal, Mission. Andrea has done an exceptional job in the acting role, and as a highly valued member of our Senior Leadership Team, we are delighted to welcome her into this position officially.

The Assumption of Our Lady
On August 15, the Church celebrated the Feast of the Assumption of Our Lady, a day to honour the belief that the Holy Mother, having finished her earthly life, was taken into heaven, body and soul. Although formally defined as an article of faith by Pope Pius XII in 1950, this belief has been a part of Christian tradition since the earliest days of the Church. It is a beautiful and meaningful feast that reminds us of the hope of our own salvation and heavenly reward.

School Fees
You should have recently received your Schedule of Fees for 2027. I would like to remind families that in addition to Health Care Card discounts, we also offer financial support through a Principal’s Concession for those experiencing hardship. If you require assistance, please reach out to our Finance Office, and they will provide you with the necessary forms and details. Please know that my door is always open, and I am more than happy to speak personally with anyone who has questions or concerns.

Rugby League
Yesterday I travelled to Townsville to watch our SPC boys play a thrilling Aaron Payne Cup Grand Final against Kirwan State High School. We couldn’t be prouder of the effort, passion, and spirit our boys showed throughout the entire campaign. A huge thank you to our incredible coaches and staff for their dedication and commitment. To our parents, supporters and sponsors who were with the team every step of the way – thank you for all your support. Even though we did not come away with the winning trophy, the boys have played extremely well to get to this level, and we congratulate them.

Cultural Success
Congratulations to both our Competitive Dance Troupe and the many performers competing in the Mackay Eisteddfod. The College takes great pride in the high standard of performance our students achieve state-wide.

I look forward to sharing more results from the Eisteddfod as competition continues next week. Best of luck to all the students participating.

I would like to invite and encourage everyone to attend the St Patrick’s College Cultural Showcase Evening on Thursday 3 September. This year’s Showcase will be held at the Bluewater Quay in conjunction with the Riverside Markets, commencing 6:00pm.

Senior Formal
Our Year 12 Formal took place on Saturday 8 August at the Mackay Entertainment & Convention Centre. The evening was a fantastic success, marking an important chapter in our students' educational journey alongside family, friends, and staff. I was delighted to join our seniors for the celebration. I would like to sincerely thank the staff whose hard work and organisation made the night such a great evening.

Parent Engagement Session
I invite all our families to join us for our next Parent Engagement Session: Understanding AI Tools for Secondary Education. This informative session will be held on Tuesday 1 September in the Senior Campus Auditorium, 2 Gregory Street, Mackay. Light refreshments will be served from 5:30pm for a 6:00pm start.

This session is designed to help you effectively navigate the online platforms the College uses to support your child’s learning.

Implementation of Respectful Relationships Education (RRE) continues throughout Semester 2, 2026. As the primary educators of your children, parents are invited to engage in ongoing opportunities to stay informed and be supported regarding the content, practices and progress of RRE.

The attached flyer is a summary of one of the Term 2 Parent Partnership Sessions and contains supporting resources and a link to the session recording as a way to assist you in conversations about RRE concepts. 

Thank you for your continued support.

Deciding when a child is ready for their first smartphone can be a challenging parenting decision. Readiness is not just about age. It also depends on a child’s maturity, self-regulation, judgement and ability to manage the responsibilities of being connected online.

The Smartphone Readiness Quiz is designed for parents and adult carers to complete with their child, encouraging important conversations while exploring the key skills that support safe and responsible smartphone use.

Rather than providing a simple yes or no answer, the results highlight areas of strength and where further development may be helpful. Families are also guided through suggested next steps, including a Family Smartphone Agreement and practical guidance on setting up parental controls before introducing a smartphone.

We encourage you to complete the quiz together and use the results as a starting point for ongoing conversations about safe, responsible and healthy smartphone use.

Here is the link to this topic http://stpats.qld.schooltv.me/wellbeing_news/special-report-smartphone-readiness-quiz-au

Our Year 7 students have now completed the Our Futures Vaping Education Program during their Pastoral Care lessons. Students learnt about:

▶ The harmful chemicals in e-cigarettes
▶ Prevalence and patterns of vaping/cigarette smoking
▶ Short and long term consequences of vaping
▶ Reasons young people choose to, or not to, vape
▶ The positive portrayal of vaping on social media
▶ Nicotine and the developing brain
▶ Where to seek help
▶ Assertive communication and refusal skills
▶ Vaping/smoking and the law

Each lesson also includes a detailed parent summary for continuing the conversation at home, which was emailed to all families at the conclusion of each week's learning.

At the conclusion of the program, all students were invited to complete a feedback quiz and survey, with incredible results! Thank you to our amazing Year 7 students for their participation in this important program.

That's a wrap on the 2026 Eisteddfod!
Our ensembles did incredibly well, so here are all our results and awards:

INSTRUMENTAL
Stage Band
Contemporary Group/Jazz - Open - 2nd Place
Jazz Ensemble - Secondary - Highly Commended

Concert Band
Advancing Concert Band - Secondary - Highly Commended

Drum Corps
Percussion/Handbell Ensemble - Secondary - 1st Place

CHOIR
Choral Singing Secondary Open - Highly Commended
Choral Singing Secondary Hymn & Folk - 2nd Place
Folk Ensemble - Secondary - Highly Commended
Novelty/Show Choir - Secondary - 1st Place

MAJOR AWARDS
With these fantastic results come a few major awards:

Novelty/Show Choir - Section Award
Drum Corps - Section Award

As our Concert Band placed Highly Commended, the adjudicator praised our choice of repertoire and unity as an ensemble, noting how the contrasting pieces both put storytelling front and centre. Considering our ensembles still have a way to go to match the numbers of our local state schools, this is a commendable effort and I couldn't be more proud.

I'd like to thank our ensemble directors Sam, Tim, Molly, Kathleen and Sarah, whose energy and dedication inspire our students through rehearsal and performance alike.

I would also like to shout out two students who really stepped up to assist our ensembles this year: Michael M (Year 12) and Aria W (Year 7). In the midst of preparing for his AMusA (Associate in Music - Piano) and his own busy eisteddfod schedule, Michael accompanied our choir on piano in the Folk Ensemble section, and on violin in the Choral Singing - Hymn/Folk section, at a professional level. As a clarinetist in our Concert Band, Aria has also been teaching herself bass guitar over the last month, becoming a last-minute addition to Stage Band, allowing us to perform for the first time ever as a student-only band in the Jazz Ensemble - Secondary section. Aria did a great job holding the groove, you'd think she'd been playing for years!

Although the awards and high placings are a wonderful achievement, the true highlight of Eisteddfod is seeing our students' enthusiasm, artistic growth and joy on stage when performing for the Mackay community.

If you didn't manage to see us at the eisteddfod, we still have our 2026 Cultural Showcase at Blue Water Quay on Thursday 3 September. So come along and see what St Pat's has to offer!

St Patrick's College Competitive Dance Team Shines at Dance X!

Our St Patrick’s College Competitive Dance Team recently returned from an incredible trip to the Sunshine Coast, where 20 talented students across all year levels represented the college at the prestigious Dance X competition.

It was an extraordinary weekend of talent, dedication, and teamwork, with St Patrick's placing in every single group section entered:
🌟 2nd Place: Jazz
🌟 2nd Place: Senior Lyrical
🌟 3rd Place: Hip Hop
🌟 4th Place: Contemporary
🌟 Wildcard Award: Junior Lyrical

Beyond the group routines, our dancers showcased their individual artistry in auditions, solos, and duos/trios, consistently earning top-5 placements and Wildcards throughout the event.

Most importantly, the students had an amazing time building connections, supporting one another, and creating lasting memories on and off the stage.

A massive thank you to the team of dedicated teachers who work with me; Amy Benson, Laura Connelly, and Melanie Camilleri, for their tireless work, choreography, and guidance in making this trip such a resounding success.

Congratulations to all of our dancers on an outstanding performance!

Teamwork, Innovation, and Back-to-Back Victory at the STEM Festival!

The air was electric at the recent Festival of STEM, where our students took on the ultimate challenge across STEM Racing, Robotics, and the Drone Competition. Tackling complex, real-world engineering and technology problems, our teams showcased exceptional problem-solving strategies, resilience, and an unwavering community spirit.

A huge congratulations to St Patrick’s Team 1, who dominated the Senior Rescue Line category to take out 1st place for the 2nd year in a row! Adding to the celebration, our second senior team delivered a fantastic performance to secure 3rd place.

Highlights from the Festival:

●Real-World Problem Solving: Designing, building, and programming solutions on the fly under high-pressure conditions.
● Collaboration in Action: Seamless teamwork across racing, coding, and drone navigation.
●Industry-Ready Skills: Hands-on experience in iteration, troubleshooting, and critical thinking.

We could not be prouder of every single student who represented St Patrick's College. Beyond the trophies, the technical expertise and life skills gained during this competition will serve them long into their future careers. Thank you to the staff, mentors, and community for supporting our budding innovators!

St Pat’s Z Club Sanitary Pack Initiative
Sweet treats are doing serious good in our community. Thanks to the generosity of everyone who has supported the Zonta bake sales this year, proceeds are now being turned into essential sanitary packs for women in need across Mackay.

What's in a Pack?

Each care pack has been thoughtfully put together to provide practical, dignified support, containing:
● 10 pads
● 10 tampons
● Tissues
● Wipes

Small items, but for someone doing it tough, they can make a world of difference.

The packs are being distributed through local charities and community organisations that work directly with women in need, ensuring support reaches the people who need it most, when they need it.

Event Details:
📅 Wednesday, 26 August 2026
🕠 5:30pm – 7:30pm
📍 CQUniversity Ooralea Campus, Building 1, 151–171 Boundary Road, Ooralea QLD 4740
🎟️ Free event – registration required

Today's young people are entering a world of work shaped by AI, emerging technologies and rapid change. As a parent or carer, understanding these shifts is key to helping your child navigate future opportunities with confidence.

Join us for Future Finder Live: Navigating Tomorrow, Exploring Today, a family-focused event designed to help families understand the future of work, explore regional career opportunities and make informed decisions about life beyond school.

Presented in partnership with Mackay Regional Council, the evening will feature a regional industry workforce panel with leaders from Technology & Innovation, Environment & Sustainability, Health & Community, and Trades & Services, sharing insights into future skills and workforce opportunities across the Greater Whitsunday region.

The event also features keynote speaker Jan Owen AM, one of Australia's leading futurists and youth advocates, who will explore the impact of AI, changing career pathways and what families need to know to prepare for the future.

By attending, you will:
● Hear insights from futurist and youth advocate Jan Owen AM DLitt .
● Understand how AI and technology are changing careers.
● Discover future workforce opportunities in our region.
● Learn the skills young people need to thrive.
● Gain practical tools to support career conversations at home.

Your ticket includes:
▶ Keynote presentation by Jan Owen AMDLitt .
▶ Regional industry workforce panel discussion
▶ Networking with young people pursuing diverse career pathways in our region
▶ Light refreshments

Future Finder Live is proudly delivered by Greater Whitsunday Alliance (GW3) through the Greater Whitsunday Regional Jobs Committee, proudly funded by the Queensland Government, in partnership with Mackay Regional Council and BHP Mitsubishi Alliance (BMA).