Focus Newsletter - Term 4 Issue 4 - 2024
Acting Principal Leader
Dear Parents, Carers, Staff and Students,
This week we have entered December and it is hard to comprehend that another year has almost passed. In many ways this has been a wonderful year for the students and staff of Patrician Brothers’ Blacktown, but in saying that, we are acutely aware of the families in our community who continue to struggle with the ups and downs of life, including the cost-of-living challenges that are so unrelenting at the moment, and will certainly bite harder as we approach Christmas.
Year 7 2025
Last week we welcomed the next generation of Patties boys to the College at the Year 7 2025 Parent Information Evening and Orientation Day. It was heartwarming to see how well the Year 10 Peer Support boys looked after the younger students, clearly repaying the favour of mentoring and guidance they had received when they were facing their first day of secondary school. Mr Craig Beacroft organised the day in his capacity as the Acting Year 7 Student Formation Leader for 2025 and he did a tremendous job, despite the inclement weather that beset us late in the week. As a staff and school, the Year 7 Orientation Days are among the most important events we host each year, with the dividends of our investment set to last for at least the next 6 years as these boys grow into young men and leaders in our local community.
SUISS Program
At the other end of our student timeline, this week we held our annual Step Up Into Senior School (SUISS) program for Year 10 students. This program has been operating annually for over a decade and includes a range of workshops and activities to assist Year 10 students who are continuing into Year 11 at Patrician Brothers' Blacktown to prepare for the significant step up into senior education. Workshops included study skills, managing health and wellbeing, respectful relationships, and career pathways – complemented by sessions on motivation, setting goals, and team building presented by three outstanding external guest speakers. In many ways, one of the most powerful aspects of the program is the simple transition into our white senior shirts, and the accompanying awareness that their school life is about to change quite dramatically. Thanks to Mr Dominic Cullen and Mr Dominic Williams for their tireless work in getting the program organised this year.
Finally – I would like to recommend to you a poignant reflection on the Breastplate of St Patrick, a prayer we use so often with our communities, that was shared with the Patrician Principals as we prepared for our Term 4 meeting last week here at Blacktown. This reflection comes to us courtesy of Br Peter Ryan, one of the elders of the Patrician Brothers in Australia and beyond. I trust you will appreciate the powerful simplicity of this personal meditation, especially as we move towards the end of the year.
BREASTPLATE REFLECTION
- Christ with me – Christ before me - Invite Christ quietly into your heart. Think about events or things coming up over the next few days/weeks that you may be worried about. Ask Christ to help you face these challenges that lie ahead.
- Christ behind me – Consider moments in your past that you may have found difficult. Spend a few minutes Thinking about how Christ was present in these moments.
- Christ in me – Do you spend quiet time in the day deepening your relationship with Christ? Make a commitment to set aside some time each day to talk and listen to God who is always with you.
- Christ beneath me – All of us need help at points in our lives. It is at the lowest points that Christ is there carrying us through. Ask God now if there is anything you need help with.
- Christ above me - Just as an umbrella protects us from the rain, Christ protects all of us. Think about somebody close to you who needs God’s protective care at this moment. Ask God to help them.
- Christ on my right hand – Christ uses your hands to help and comfort others in today’s world. How can you use your hands to further God’s kingdom here?
- Christ on my left hand – God is always by your side even though you might not realise it. Thank God for never giving up on you even during those moments when you have turned away from him.
- Christ when I lie down – Even when we sleep God is there watching over and protecting us. Thank God quietly for his loving protective presence in your life.
- Christ when I arise – When you wake up in the morning do you notice the beauty of the world around you? Thank God for his beautiful gift of creation.
- Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me - “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.” (John 15:12) Recall a kind act that somebody has done for you today or this week. How have they been the light of Christ in the world for you? Thank God for their kindness.
- Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks of me – If someone who knows you really well were to give an honest answer to the question – What is the best thing about your friend? What do you think their answer would be? Would others say the same about you?
- Christ in every eye that sees me – Imagine that somebody took a photograph of you this morning interacting with your family/friends without you realising it. Do you think you would be happy with what the image captured? Did you speak kind or harsh words to a loved one? Did you help your family member/friend or were you angry with them?
- Christ in every ear that hears me – Think back over the conversations you have had with others this week. Have you been kind and thoughtful in what you have said or have your words been hurtful or damaging to others?
Concluding Prayer:
Dear God, St. Patrick came to Ireland to help people discover your loving presence. May I take comfort from the fact that whatever challenges I may face in life, you will always be there to help and guide me through. Help me to be your witness in the world, showing others your loving presence through my words and actions. Amen.
St Patrick – Pray for us.
Brian Edmonds
Acting Principal
Acting Assistant Principal - Pastoral Care
As we journey through Advent, the season of preparation and hope, we are reminded of the gift of waiting. In our busy lives, it’s easy to rush past moments of stillness, but Advent calls us to pause and reflect. Just as Mary and Joseph awaited the birth of Jesus with faith and trust, we too are invited to prepare our hearts to receive the light of Christ.
This Advent, let us focus on small acts of kindness, moments of prayer, and opportunities to bring joy to others. In doing so, we reflect the love and peace that the season embodies. May we approach Christmas with hearts full of gratitude and hope, ready to welcome Emmanuel—God with us.
Attendance
As always, I want to stress the importance of attendance and the correct procedure to sign into school late. If a student attends school late, they must go straight to student services and sign in using their student ID card. If a student has lost their card, they must arrange to purchase a new student card at their own expense. Students who repeatedly sign in without a student card will be issued with a lunch detention.
Personal Presentation
As we draw to the end of the year, a reminder for next year is that hair must be neat and tidy. Hair must be of natural colour. Extremes of length or fashion are not acceptable. Student hairstyles that are not acceptable include – mullets, shaved sides, long or swept fringes, shaved lines, rat tails and all large tufts. Boys’ hair should be no longer than collar length and the fringe must be above the eyes. The school reserves the right to make rulings on the acceptability of any student hairstyles. It is expected that boys will be clean-shaven at all times. Students that do not comply with these guidelines may be sent home.
Finally, students need to attend school in the correct uniform. Any student who is out of the correct uniform and does not have an acceptable note from home will be issued with a lunch time detention.
Wishing you a blessed Advent season!
Victor Hunt
Acting Assistant Principal - Pastoral Care
Religious Education and Mission
The Season of Advent
The season of Advent marks the beginning of the new liturgical year in the Catholic Church. This year it began on December 1, when we switched from hearing the Gospels of Mark and John proclaimed during Sunday Mass, to the Gospel of Luke. Advent is a period of approximately four weeks where the faithful prepare to celebrate the birth of the Christ-child more than 2000 years ago, and to reflect on the core messages of the season: hope, peace, joy, and love.
As a College community, these themes take on increasing relevance for us this year as tensions have escalated in the region of the world where Jesus was born and lived out His earthly ministry; and where many of our staff and students still have relatives and friends. We pray, as people of hope, that a lasting peace may be restored both in the Middle-East, and in all parts of the world experiencing war and injustice.
We also pray for our own College community, that we might be peacemakers and beacons of hope and love for our families, friends, and community; inspired by the teachings of Christ, and by the works of Daniel Delany and the Patrician Brothers. May we seek to see Christ in all, and be the face of Christ for all during this Advent season.
The Advent Wreath and Nativity in our Staff Lunch Room
Thursday Morning Mass
Thank you to all of the students, staff, and parents who attended Thursday Morning Masses during 2024. Thursday Mass has been a great opportunity throughout the year for our College community to gather in prayer and to welcome Christ into our day. We are grateful to our priests for celebrating Mass with us each week, and we also thank Mr Greg Beacroft, Mr Victor Hunt, and our Student Formation Leaders for organising our liturgies and readers each week.
Thursday Morning Masses will re-commence early in Term 1 next year.
Breakfast Club
Breakfast Club has received great support from the College community in 2024. It has been wonderful to see students gather each week to serve and receive breakfast. The last Breakfast Club for the year will be on Friday, December 13. Thank you to all of the staff and student volunteers who have helped throughout the year; and thank you to Miss Ellen Lombo for organising the program.
Vinnies Christmas Appeal
For the last two weeks we have been collecting Christmas food, gifts, decorations, and clothing to donate to St Vincent de Paul so that they can provide Christmas hampers to families in the Blacktown area to make this Christmas brighter. We are incredibly grateful for the donations we have received so far. Year 9 has led the way but the response from other year groups has also been strong. Our last day for receiving donations will be Wednesday, December 11. Our Faith In Action Team members and College Leaders will then organise the donations into hampers so that they can be presented to Vinnies on December 13.
It’s not too late to make a donation!
Anthony Pope
Acting Leader of Learning Religious Education
Donations made during the first week of the 2024 Vinnies Christmas Appeal
Dean of Knowledge Management and Analytics
As we approach the end of another semester, we want to take a moment to reflect on the achievements and progress that our students have made over the past semester.
Semester Two reports will be published for parents, guardians and students on Friday, 13th December to review. These reports provide a comprehensive overview of your child's academic performance, including grades and attendance information. We encourage you to take the time to discuss the report with your son and celebrate their successes. If you have any questions or concerns about the report, please feel free to schedule a meeting with your child's teacher by calling the College. Interviews will be conducted on Wednesday 18th December from 11:30am- 3:00pm.
We look forward to recognising some of the notable achievements of our students during this semester at our Annual Awards Ceremony on Monday, 16th December. From academic accomplishments to extracurricular achievements, the boys continue to excel in various areas. We are immensely proud of their dedication and hard work.
Thank you for being an integral part of your son's education. We look forward to another successful year ain 2025.
Mark Robinson
Dean of Knowledge Management and Analytics
Pathways and Partnership Update
Year 10 SUISS - Preparing for your Future
During the Step Up into Senior School (SUISS) program, students attended a session called Preparing for Your Future. This session focused on showing students the importance of the next two years in building up skills and knowledge to help make a successful transition from school to their post-school pathways.
A key part of the session was to help students understand key terminology used in career development. Students also learn some key facts and statistics from recent labour market data. A takeaway for students was that the majority of occupations in the next 5 years will require both a post-school qualification as well as employability skills.
In order to make a well informed decision about their post-school pathway, students were shown the importance of knowing and understanding key labour market information, and the questions they need to be researching and asking.
The Year 10 students are to be commended for their positive and enthusiastic attitude towards the Preparing for Your Future session. I look forward to working with these students more next year.
If you or your son have any questions relating to career pathways and partnerships, please do not hesitate to contact me via email at mlane1@parra.catholic.edu.au or by phone on 02 8811 0316.
Marie Lane
Pathways and Partnerships Leader
Year 12 Formal
Year 7 2025 Orientation Day
SUISS Program
Annual Sports Awards
Battle of the Bands
Congratulations to Mrs Jane Solo and Mr Clemens Del Rosario for their outstanding performance in the CSPD Battle of the Bands competition held at Nagle College last week. Our band, comprising a group of senior and junior Music students, won the Pop category and also the prestigious Overall Best Band title. Music has always been a major part of our school culture and we are excited to see the next generation stepping up.
