Focus Newsletter - Term 2 Issue 4 - 2025
Acting Principal Leader
Dear Parents, Carers, Staff and Students,
This week, we celebrated the Feast of Corpus Christi - a special day in the Catholic calendar that focuses on the real presence of Jesus in the Eucharist. It reminds us that Christ is not distant or abstract but present among us every day in a very real and tangible way.
At school, this feastday offers us a powerful reminder of what it means to be a Christian community. Just as the Eucharist brings people together around the table of the Lord, our school is a place where we gather daily - to learn, to support one another, and to grow together in faith and friendship.
In a busy school environment, the idea of "real presence" also challenges us to be more present to one another - to listen well, to notice those in need, and to make time for what truly matters. Whether it’s showing kindness to a classmate, including someone who feels left out, or offering help without being asked - these everyday actions reflect the love of Christ made present in the Eucharist.
This feast also brings to mind the well-loved prayer of St Teresa of Avila, who reminds us: "Christ has no body now but yours, no hands, no feet on earth but yours." It is a poignant reflection of how we, as a school community, are called to make Christ present through the way we live and serve.
As we reflect on the meaning of this feast, may it inspire us all - students, staff, and families - to bring Christ’s love into our school and beyond, through our words, our actions, and our care for one another.
A Prayer for Corpus Christi
Lord Jesus,
You gave us the gift of the Eucharist to remind us that you are always with us.
Help us to be your hands and feet in the world -
to serve where there is need, to speak with kindness,
and to love without limits.
May we recognise you in one another,
and may our school be a place where your presence is seen and felt each day.
Amen.
In terms of school news - the last fortnight at the College has been busy but very productive, with events including: a visit by the UNSW Gateway team to Year 11 Student Wellbeing classes, two further sessions in our Academic Enrichment program for Year 12 students - namely Memory Mnemonics and a Writing Masterclass, Year 10 Examinations, two games in the NRL Schoolboy Cup against Holy Cross College from Ryde and All Saints from Maitland, our second Student Representative Council meeting for Term 2, the Lifted Leaders formation event hosted by the CSPD Mission Team at WestHQ for our senior leaders, and finally, our Term 2 Mufti Day for the Delany Foundation.
As parents would recall - our Athletics Carnival was washed out several weeks ago. Since then, we have tried to find another suitable date at the Blacktown International Sports Park at Doonside but without success. Instead, we have decided to hold the carnival on our school fields, an option that we had organised several years ago but was unfortunately washed out several times. We have now locked Friday 1 August into our calendar for the carnival - which will allow us sufficient time to select representatives for the PDSSSC Athletics Carnival. The bottom fields will be marked for running events and we will also set aside space for a limited number of field events, as well as organising a range of novelty events on the top field. This will ensure that all students have numerous opportunities to participate throughout the day. While the track will be grass rather than synthetic, and a slightly irregular shape - having the carnival at school presents a number of logistical advantages for students and staff.
Brian Edmonds
Acting Principal
Acting Assistant Principal - Pastoral Care
As we reach the end of Week 8, I want to take a moment to congratulate our staff and students for their ongoing dedication and hard work.
A continued 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.
As members of our school community, the way we behave on public transport to and from school reflects not only on ourselves but on our entire school community. It is important that students demonstrate courteous and considerate behaviour such as; offering seats to those in need, keeping noise to a respectful level, following transport rules, not spitting, and treating drivers, passengers, and property with care. Public transport is a shared space, and we all have a role in making it safe and pleasant for everyone.
We remind students that their journey to and from school is an extension of the school day. Positive behaviour builds trust with the wider community and upholds the good reputation of our school. Let us all take pride in how we present ourselves, always showing respect, kindness, and integrity.
This week we celebrate the Feast of Corpus Christi, a reminder of the incredible gift of the Eucharist - Jesus’ real presence among us in the form of bread and wine. In receiving the Body and Blood of Christ, we are nourished and united with Him, called to live as His presence in the world. This sacred celebration encourages us to be people of compassion, unity, and service, sharing Christ’s love in our school and beyond. May we always treasure the Eucharist and be strengthened by it in our daily lives.
Victor Hunt
Acting Assistant Principal - Pastoral Care
Assistant Principal - Learning, Teaching and Innovation
The Power of Reading for Enjoyment: Building Successful Writers at School
Skilled readers bring background knowledge and vocabulary to their writing, which supports the creation of coherent and meaningful texts. Research shows that students with broader reading experiences are more capable writers, as they can draw upon a wider range of language and ideas. Reading for enjoyment is one of the most important foundations for becoming a lifelong reader and, critically, a fluent and successful writer. This is especially important for boys, who often need extra encouragement to engage with reading. When boys discover books and texts they enjoy, their confidence and abilities as both readers and writers grow significantly.
To help adolescents develop these essential skills, experts recommend at least 20 minutes of reading for enjoyment each day. This daily habit not only boosts academic achievement but also builds motivation and creativity, setting students up for success across all subjects. At school, there are multiple formal opportunities for reading each day. Families can support a regular reading routine by encouraging reading at home, in the car on the way to school, during training, or while travelling to a part-time job. Providing access to a variety of literature, and modelling positive reading habits at home, further support students’ literacy development. Our College library and your local community library also offer opportunities to borrow books or simply enjoy reading in a quiet space. Happy reading!
Heath Borg
Assistant Principal
Learning, Teaching and Innovation
Religious Education and Mission
Thursday Morning Masses
It has been wonderful to see a growing number of students and staff, and even some parents, attending our Thursday Morning Masses in the College Chapel. We are most grateful to our Parish Priests for celebrating Mass with us each week. Mass begins each Thursday in the Chapel at 8:15am.
School-Based Sacramental Program
We presently have 11 students across all grades preparing to receive the Catholic Sacraments of Initiation (Baptism, Reconciliation, First Eucharist, and Confirmation). The students will be receiving the Sacraments next term.
If you would like your son to participate in the Sacramental Program next year, please contact Mr Greg Beacroft by calling the school or sending him an email (gbeacroft@parra.catholic.edu.au).
Special Religious Education
Each week Mr Beacroft takes a dedicated group of Year 10 students to Blacktown South Primary School to teach scripture classes to Years 1, 2, 5 and 6 students. Our students plan and run scripture lessons that deepen their students' understanding of the Catholic Faith. I would like to thank both Mr Greg Beacroft and the Year 10 students for their dedication to the SRE program.
Beyond Easter - Our Church Returns to Ordinary Time
While the stores stopped selling Easter Eggs back in April, our Church has been celebrating Easter right up until the Feast of Pentecost, which fell on Sunday, June 8. Since then, we have returned to the season of “Ordinary Time”; but it is worth remembering that “ordinary” doesn’t mean “usual” - it means that we are following a mostly chronological and logical progression through Jesus’ teachings and actions during our Sunday liturgies. But the move from Easter to Ordinary time isn’t a jolting one: at the end of Easter we pause to reflect on the mysteries of our faith. Last week we celebrated Trinity Sunday, where we focused on the great mystery of the Holy Trinity; and this Sunday we focus on the Feast of Corpus Christi (The Body and Blood of Jesus), where we reflect upon the mystery of Christ’s real presence in the Eucharist.
May we take the spiritual gifts of renewal from the Easter Season into our lives and actions as we enter back into Ordinary Time.
Anthony Pope
Acting Leader of Learning - Religious Education
Dean of Knowledge Management and Analytics
Year 8-11: Reports and Parent, Teacher Students Interviews
Working in partnership with families to support student learning is of vital importance to the College.
Reports for Years 8 to 11 will be issued on Tuesday, 1st July. We will then be conducting face-to-face
Parent/Teacher/Student Interviews to discuss these reports and your son’s progress for this semester.
Interview times this year will provide increased access for parents across an evening and a whole school day. The details listed below.
Dates
Wednesday 2nd July 3.30pm - 6.30pm (Dinner Break: 5:00 - 5:30pm)
Friday 4th July 9:00am - 2:30pm (Lunch Break: 12:30 - 1:00pm)
Venue: Patrician Brothers’ College, Blacktown, in the Hall
Process: Parents need to log in to COMPASS and book the appointments. The instruction sheet is also
attached to the COMPASS communication that was sent to parents on 11 June 2025.
Mark Robinson
Dean of Knowledge Management and Analytics
Pathways and Partnership Update
Uni Step-Up Completion Ceremony
It was a most exciting evening on June 4 at the Australian Catholic University (ACU) for the Uni Step-Up Completion Ceremony for the 2024/5 cohort.
Similar to the Step Up Into Teaching (SUIT) program, Uni Step-Up students study first year university units during school holiday periods in course areas such as Business, Criminology, Exercise and Sport Science and Nursing. The completion of the Uni Step-Up course can lead to guaranteed entry into an ACU university course, after completion of the HSC.
The College congratulates Mac Orsini for successful completion of two units in the Exercise and Sport Science program. In the Business program, we congratulate Thomas Thornton for successful completion of two units, as well as Ethan Quinn who successfully completed one unit.
We hope that the Uni Step-Up program was a valuable experience for all our students, and that it leads to a smooth transition from high school to tertiary education.
Marie Lane
Pathways and Partnerships Leader
Resource Centre Update
Chess Tournament
Our final 8 played fabulous games on June 6th, with Jeremy Espinas, Corey Rasmussen, Osborn Chen and Naman Rawat making it to our semi-final games.
The semi-finals were held on Tuesday June 10th, with Corey opposing Naman and Osborn facing off against Jeremy.
Osborn countered Jeremy’s move quickly and with precision, the match only lasting a few minutes before Osborn came out on top, while Naman and Corey were locked in a tit-for-tat battle of skill until the very end, where Corey reigned victorious with his final 2 pieces to check Naman’s single King.
With this, we had Corey vs Osborn on our hands for the championship game, which was held last friday June 13th. Both players were skilled and eager, with a strong start from both, however, after a steady match, Osborn was victorious.
Congratulations, officially, to our 2025 Patrician Brothers’ Blacktown Chess Tournament winner
Osborn Chen
Osborn received a first place certificate, donuts and a travel-size chess board for his win.
Again, I’d like to thank everyone who participated in the Chess Tournament this term, from our avid competitors to encouraging onlookers- we cannot wait to hold our tournament again in 2026.
Resource Centre Puzzle Update
This term in the Resource Centre we’ve seen an amazing interest in our College puzzles, with a stunning 5 puzzles completed in 8 weeks.
This 132 piece Tiger puzzle was completed in a matter of days, solely by Tasi Faamausili of Year 7.
A special shout-out also goes to our new resident puzzle masters - Jodeci Vahaakolo-Fifita, Jasais Ah Kee and Jude Aloisio - who completed 3 of our 500 piece puzzles in just under 3 weeks.
Beth Head
Senior School Assistant - Resource Centre
History
Year 7 History in Action
In History this week, Year 7 students took part in an immersive lesson on archaeological practices. Through a hands-on activity, they were introduced to the tools and techniques used by archaeologists in the field. Working carefully at their designated dig sites, the students applied grid and mapping skills to record their findings as they excavated. Over the course of the lesson, they uncovered a variety of miniature artefacts, including a Pharaoh’s sarcophagus, gemstones, pearls, dinosaur fossils, and shark teeth!
The lesson was met with enthusiasm as students uncovered their finds, and then documented their discoveries and developed their own hypothesis about how these objects might have been used by historians to understand the past. This activity not only introduced students to archaeological methods but also deepened their understanding of how historians investigate history.
Breana Chadid
HSIE Teacher
Sports Report
NRL Schoolboy Cup Report
Round 2
Patrician Brothers' College v All Saints College Maitland
Our Final Round match against All Saints Maitland, took place on Tuesday 17 June. This match was particularly significant as both teams entered the game undefeated in this year’s competition, with the winner qualifying for a double chance in the final series commencing next term.
This match marked our school’s first regional game in over a decade, and our team faced the challenge of a lengthy two-hour bus journey to Maitland. Despite this, they started the game with remarkable energy and determination. The players exhibited strong physical defense, and their hard running allowed us to score five tries in the first half, leading to a score of 28 to 6 at halftime.
In the second half, our team maintained their strong performance, adding another 20 points to secure a decisive victory with a final score of 48 to 6. This win not only showcased the talent and teamwork of our players but also ensured that we finished in first place after the pool matches.
Strong performances by the whole team included with Riley Davis, who scored three tries and successfully kicked six goals, totalling 24 points. Additionally, Tyler Peken and Cobi McCloskey each contributed two tries, while Phoenix Tauasa also made a significant contribution by scoring.
Looking ahead, our next game is scheduled for the 13th of August against St Gregory’s College, Campbelltown. We are currently awaiting confirmation of the venue details and will communicate this information as soon as it becomes available.
Greg Beacroft
Head of Rugby League
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