Focus Newsletter - Term 1 Issue 2 - 2025

Acting Principal Leader

Dear Parent, Carers, Staff and Students,

In the past fortnight we have had several major events that highlighted the importance of our Catholic faith in our Patrician Brothers’ Blacktown community.

Our Opening Mass two weeks ago was the first of these events, with Fr Wim Hoekstra joining us to celebrate the start of the 2025 school year. Fr Wim took the opportunity to encourage our staff and students to face the challenges of the year ahead with faith and hope, and to let God speak to us in the large and small moments in our lives as we journey together. As always, our musicians, led by Mr Del Rosario and Ms Solo and featuring an impressive student choir, were exceptional, and they played a huge role in setting the atmosphere and prayerfulness of our liturgy.

Several days later, our Year 12 students set off for their Senior Retreats, spread across there venues at Mulgoa, Mittagong and Varroville. Research and anecdotal feedback gathered across many years confirm that Senior Retreats are among the most powerful and highly valued experiences that students have during their time in secondary school and this has certainly been our experience at Patrician Brothers’ Blacktown. This was a wonderful opportunity for our students to experience a sense of stillness and reflection where they could reflect upon their life journey and relationship with God. Feedback from staff, students and parents afterwards confirmed the value of this experience for all involved.

The third event I would like to highlight, though very different in nature to these two recent school experiences, is the Enhancing Catholic Identity (ECSI) Survey that is currently being conducted within all Parramatta Diocesan schools.  CSPD has partnered with the Katholieke Universiteit (KU), Leuven to conduct a broad-ranging survey that will provide insights for teachers and leaders regarding how the Catholic identity of their community is experienced and expressed by its members. This will enable schools to tailor formation opportunities for their communities. In doing so, the Diocese of Parramatta will join a number of other dioceses throughout Australia that use these surveys to reflect on and guide the next steps in developing their Catholic Identity. We thank all staff, students and parents who have generously participated in this survey and extend an open invitation for anyone who can find a spare 45 minutes to complete the survey before the closing date of 27 April. We fully understand that time is becoming an increasingly precious commodity for many parents, and that quite a number of our parents have already completed this survey in their children’s primary schools in 2024, but if you can assist, we would certainly appreciate your involvement.

Best wishes to your families as we enter Lent on Ash Wednesday this week and commence our faith journey towards Holy Week.

Brian Edmonds
Acting Principal

2024 HSC High Achievers

Last week, we welcomed back our 2024 HSC High Achievers to celebrate their incredible success!

A special congratulations to Timothy Su, our College Dux, who achieved an outstanding ATAR of 98.05.

We are also proud to share that over 90% of students who applied for university received an offer, including 20 early entry offers.

Congratulations, boys! Your hard work and dedication have truly paid off. We are so proud of you!

Acting Assistant Principal - Pastoral Care

As we embark on the sacred season of Lent, we are reminded of the profound journey of reflection, repentance, and renewal that prepares us for the joy of Easter. Lent is a time to deepen our relationship with God, embrace prayer, fasting, and almsgiving, and seek to grow in faith and love.

The 40 days of Lent mirror Jesus’ time in the desert, where He fasted and prayed, overcoming temptation to fulfill His mission. In our own lives, this season calls us to examine our hearts, let go of distractions, and refocus on what truly matters: our relationship with Christ and our call to serve others.

Here are some reminders about basic College expectations and requirements.

A reminder 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 who do not comply with these guidelines may be sent home if the issue cannot be resolved promptly.

I want to stress the importance of attendance and how critical it is for learning gains. We thank parents for their support in this imporant matter. A reminder that satisfactory school attendance is one of our conditions for participation in school representative sport and extra-curricular activities such as excursions. The attendance of all students who nominate for school, PDSSSC and subsequently NSWCCC representative teams will be checked by the Assistant Principals before squads/ teams are selected and announced. Students with poor attendance will not be included in these teams and a process of monitoring and review will be applied until the attendance rate of the student/s in question has improved. As the students are well aware, the same attendance rules apply to several of our elite competitions such as NRL Schoolboy Cup.

Finally, a reminder about procedures for students who need to sign out early on school days. If your son needs to leave school early on any particular day, parents or carers need to write a note in their son’s diary indicating the reason for early sign-out from school and the exact time of departure. This note must be shown to the relevant Student Formation Leader who will co-sign the note to give approval. If there is no note and/or it has not been approved by the SFL, the student administration office staff will not allow the student to leave school. The only exception to this procedure will be students whose parents have been contacted by the office staff for other reasons, such as illness or injury.

Victor Hunt
Acting Assistant Principal

Assistant Principal - Learning, Teaching and Innovation

Bishop Daniel Delany, founder of the Patrician Brothers in Ireland back in 1808, consistently reinforced the need for young men to do ordinary things extraordinarily well and the subsequent positive impact that these behaviours had on the individual and the wider community. At Patrician Brothers’ College Blacktown we believe that Daniel Delany’s vision from over 200 years ago is lived in the daily works at our College, through academic effort and high expectations, co-existing with high support.

With this in mind, I would particularly like to commend the efforts of our Year 7 students, who have commenced their secondary education with passion and commitment to their studies. We are very fortunate to have such fine young men and their families join us as members of our Catholic, Patrician family. I look forward to meeting our new Year 7 families at our Welcome Evening on Monday 3 March.

I would also like to acknowledge the work ethic, enthusiasm and mature approach to the commencement of their HSC studies, for all students in Year 9 and 10 that are enrolled in the Accelerated Studies of Religion I course and the Early Commencement VET course for Business Services and Hospitality. They will complete HSC courses and sit HSC exams in 2026 and we are very excited to be able to offer this pathway for these students. 

God bless.

Heath Borg
Assistant Principal

Religious Education and Mission

Lent
Next week we commence the liturgical season of Lent. In the early years of Christianity, Lent emerged as a period of preparation for becoming a Christian, culminating in the Sacrament of Baptism, which was celebrated at Easter. People would put dirt on their faces and wear sack-cloth for 40 days in recognition of their sinfulness and as a constant reminder of their desire to reconcile with God and with others. This practice eventually led to the rituals of Ash Wednesday.  On Ash Wednesday we are anointed with ashes in the shape of the cross.  The ashes are made from burning palm leaves that were used on Palm Sunday in the previous year.  The ashes remind us that we sin, and that we are always in need of improving our relationships with God and with others. During Lent we are also encouraged to reflect on our lives, and to renew our commitment to our faith.  Pope Francis gives us some great strategies to repent, reflect, and renew:

Project Compassion
Our school is raising funds to help support Project Compassion, Caritas Australia’s annual fundraising campaign. Project Compassion brings together supporters from across Australia to address the challenges of poverty today, and drive lasting change for a better tomorrow. Join us to help support remote and vulnerable communities across Asia, Africa, the Pacific and in Australia. Your generosity today can help communities access clean water, food security, skills training, health and sanitation and disaster risk reduction training. Together with your support, we can create lasting change today, and for all future generations.

This year we will be using the Project Compassion Schools Online Donation Platform. This means you can donate directly to our school's project compassion total online safely. You can do this by clicking on the link below or using the QR below. Donations of $2.00 or more are tax deductible.

https://fundraise.projectcompassion.org.au/o/patrician-brothers-college-blacktown

Thank you for your support.

Senior Retreat
Year 12 students went on their Senior Retreat from Monday 10th February to Wednesday 12th February. The Senior Retreat allowed students to take time to focus on their relationships with self, others and God. The Year 12 students have to be commended for the way in which they conducted themselves on retreat. By fully participating in the activities and liturgies, students were able to grow in their faith and connection to God. Thank you to all students and staff.

Thursday Morning Masses
We have re-commenced our Thursday Morning Masses. This is a great opportunity to come and celebrate the Eucharist as a community. All students, parents, and carers are invited each Thursday at 8.15am. If parents and carers wish to attend Thursday Mass, they should first sign in at the Parent Reception office.

School-based Sacramental Program
This year we are recommencing our School-Based Sacramental Program where students who would like to become Catholic can complete several of the sacraments at school. There will be 6 lessons in total, to help students to prepare to receive the Sacraments. The lessons will be held on Tuesdays during Wellbeing lessons in Term 2, so that boys don’t miss out on their academic subject classes.

The Sacraments we offer are:

• Baptism – date to be confirmed once applications are received.
• Reconciliation – Thursday 21 August after the weekly College Mass at 8.15am in the School Chapel.
• First Eucharist and Confirmation – Monday 25 August at 7.00pm at St. Patrick’s Church Blacktown.

The first lesson will be held on 13 May, in the College Chapel.

For any further information on the school based sacramental program contact Mr Greg Beacroft on 02 88110300 or gbeacroft@parra.catholic.edu.au

Permission notes will be made available to parents and carers via Compass soon.

Anthony Pope
Acting Leader of Learning Religious Education

Dean of Knowledge Management and Analytics

Term One is a busy term at the College. Year 7 and 9 will complete the NAPLAN tests between March and 24 March. The timetable and requirements for NAPLAN has been posted on Compass. Students will need a fully-charged device with the NAPLAN browser installed on it and a set of headphones.

Year 12 have their Assessment Block 24 March to 4 April. Information and timetable have been posted on Compass. Students are asked to consult each subject's Assessment Notification for the specifics of the assessment.

Year 10 will participate in the Academic Assessment testing on 2 April. Part of this testing is a Careers Assessment. This testing will play a vital role in helping the boys choose their path from Year 10 onwards. Information about the Academic Assessment will be published on Compass at the start of next week.

Mark Robinson
Dean of Knowledge Management and Analytics

Pathways & Partnership Update

Career Tools
The College subscribes to a fantastic online careers resource called Career Tools. Staff, students and parents can access the website, with students and teachers having additional access to the Career Tools platform. Students will be completing some of the career journeys on the platform during some of their fortnightly Wellbeing lessons, but can also utilise the plethora of resources available on Career Tools at home. At present, students in Years 9-12 all have access to Career Tools. Year 8 students will gain access later in the year during the subject selection process.

The Career Tools website can be accessed by parents and carers through Compass as shown below.

There is a wealth of information and resources for you to explore. You are also encouraged to subscribe to the Career Tools newsletter (bottom right of the homepage).

Careers of Today - Parent Education Forum 2025 - Western Sydney
Parents and carers are invited to attend the upcoming Careers of Today - Parent Education Forum 2025 - Western Sydney.

This is a fantastic opportunity to better understand the labour market and to learn more about how to support your son on his career development journey.

With various representatives from key industries and institutions in attendance, this is sure to be a most informative and insightful event.

Please note, there is a small entry fee per family. For more information, see the flyer below.

If you have any questions about Career Tools and/or career pathways and post school options, please reach out and contact me via email mlane1@parra.catholic.edu.au or phone (02) 8811 0316.

Marie Lane
Pathways and Partnerships Leader

Resource Centre Update

Library Lovers Day
On 14 February we celebrated Library Lover’s Day, where students were invited to participate in activities in the Resource Centre, including our Book Scavenger Hunt and Make Your Own Bookmark. We had a great turnout for the event and I want to extend my great thanks to all students who made the effort to complete the scavenger hunt or design a bookmark.

If you designed a bookmark, they have been laminated and are now ready for collection in the Resource Centre so don’t forget to stop by!

Premier’s Reading Challenge
The Premier’s Reading Challenge is back again for 2025!

The Challenge is open to all students in Years 7-10 and “aims to encourage a love of reading for leisure and pleasure in students, and to enable them to experience quality literature. It is not a competition but a challenge to each student to read, to read more and to read more widely.”

The PRC officially opened on Monday 24 February, if anyone would like to participate they can fill in the student entry form on the Patrician Brothers’ E-Library or see myself in the Resource Centre for further information.

Students in Years 7-10 who participate are challenged to read 20 books between now and the end of August - including 10 from the PRC list and 10 of their own choice. We have a PRC section in the library and our staff are happy to help with any questions students may have.

No Phones in the Resource Centre
A reminder for all students that the Resource Centre is a place with lots of other activities available and therefore we ask you not to use your phones. Chess is available every day at Lunch, along with the ability to use the space for silent study and reading whenever you feel like it.

Remember to Return
Any students who have borrowed books over the holidays or have old text books from last year are asked to please return them to the library as soon as possible.

It’s never too late to return a book!

Beth Head
Senior School Assistant - Resource Centre

Sports Report

PDSSC First XI Cricket 

Round 1
v
St Patrick's College Dundas

A last minute change of the draw in combination with Year 12 retreat made organising the team for the Round 1 game against St Patrick's College Dundas, difficult to organise.

However, in true Patties style we managed to get 11 enthusiastic young men on the field to play cricket.

While Dundas proved to be too strong at the end of the game, I was very proud of the spirit shown by the team. Special mention must go to Jimmy Carden who top scored with 22 not out and took a wicket in his first game of cricket. Riley Davis also took a wicket (and had a catch dropped) on his debut for the school. Congratulations to also to Harry Dawes, Dhishan Shankar and Jeff Thomas who took good catches.

Adil Tariq is also worthy of note. One of the few regular A Grade members who were able to play, he led the team admirably and was a great support on the day.

Dominic Cullen
Coach