Focus Newsletter - Term 3 Issue 1 - 2025

Acting Principal Leader

Dear Parents, Carers and Students,

Welcome back to staff, students and parents for Term 3. The general consensus this week has been that this winter is one of the coldest for a while, with freezing morning temperatures slightly offset by a few hours of warm sunshine in the early afternoon. Hopefully the new school term will see the sunshine continue.

The first fortnight of this term features several significant events – including the launch of the Delany Foundation Reachout charity program for 2025 by Dr Zac Duke at our first College Assembly for this term, Year 7 Parent/Teacher/Student Interviews, Allwell Learning Assessment Tests for Year 8, and the rescheduled Athletics Carnival. For the first time in many years, the Athletics Carnival was held on our College fields, allowing us to add some exciting novelty and team events that will give the students even more opportunities to participate in the day.

In the next two weeks we look forward to the commencement of the Trial HSC Examinations for Year 12, Year 7 Camps at Narrabeen, the Under 13 NRL Schoolboy Cup Rugby League Gala Day, and the NRL Schoolboy Cup quarter final against traditional rivals, St Gregory’s College Campbelltown.Early notice for parents as well, that our Staff Spirituality Day for 2025 will be held on Friday 22 August and our annual Father’s Day Mass will be held on Friday 5 September at St Patrick’s Church, Blacktown.

At our College Assembly this week we challenged the students to take every possible opportunity available this term to get involved in College community events. Examples of activities that were presented to the students included the Athletics Carnival, Push-Up Challenge for Men’s Mental Health, RUOK Day, Year 12 Graduation, and on the longer-range radar – Multicultural Day in Term 4. Interestingly, many studies in Australia and across the world have shown a strong correlation between increased involvement in extra-curricular activities, better wellbeing, and higher academic achievement.

Delany Reachout Launch
This week, we proudly launched the 2025 Delany Reachout campaign at our College assembly, led by Dr. Zach Duke. Delany Reachout is all about compassion, action, and community. The program supports the Delany Foundation, which funds education and community projects in a number of developing countries where the Patrician Brothers work - helping those who need it most. We look forward to all students getting involved - whether it be through our upcoming Mufti Day or other activities this term. Zach finished his presentation by handing over $100 in cash to kick off our fundraising for 2025.

Finally, we welcome several new and returning staff members for Term 3. As previously announced, Mr David Sullivan joins our Blacktown community as Acting Assistant Principal - Pastoral Care. But we also welcome back Mrs Irene Melki, who returns from leave to work in partnership with Mr Craig Beacroft as Year 7 Student Formation Leader, and several other teachers returning from extended leave blocks, including Mr Haddad, Mr Del Rosario and Mr Singh. Ms Joshi and Ms Magenta will also be working with us for Term 3.

Brian Edmonds
Acting Principal

Acting Assistant Principal - Pastoral Care

Student Uniforms and Presentation
School uniforms serve several important purposes, especially in high schools. For boys in particular, uniforms can be particularly beneficial for a few reasons:

Equality and Discipline: Uniforms create a level playing field among students, reducing differences and peer pressure related to clothing choices. We don’t want the appearance of a young person to become a competition between who can afford to get the biggest diamond earrings, the most expensive haircut or best Nikes. Having a uniform eliminates the opportunities for boys to feel inadequate or embarrassed because they don’t have access to what others may have and promotes a sense of equality.

Focus on Learning: Uniforms help minimise distractions in the learning environment. Students can focus more on their learning and less on fashion trends.

Sense of Belonging: Wearing a uniform fosters a sense of belonging to the school community. It promotes school pride and identity, which can enhance overall morale and cooperation. Being new to the school, I was impressed that all the boys wear their full team uniform (i.e. jersey, shorts and socks) with pride during Thursday sport.

Preparation for Future: Many workplaces have dress codes or uniforms, so wearing a school uniform prepares students for professional environments later in life. Even people working on a construction site have dress requirements (e.g. steel cap boots, covered shoulders, etc). Whether we like it or not, our appearance is grounds for judgement in society. Appearing scruffy or casual in nature in a workplace may be the reason why a young person is unable to get a job or a company earns that big contract.

I’ve heard the counter argument from young people that by having a strict uniform policy, we are taking away their individuality and ability to express themselves. As young people, we are striving to educate people who are more than their appearance. In their formative years, by standardising our appearance via a uniform, we seek to assist in the development of a Patrician man that is strong in character and seeks to grow their personality, values and use of their vocabulary to great effect rather than relying on wearing the latest designer brands or expensive clothing items to gain attention or define who they are.

At Patrician Brothers' College Blacktown, like in many schools, these reasons make school uniforms a valued part of the educational experience, providing structure and fostering a positive learning environment for our young men. The support of all parents/carers in ensuring their sons attend school on-time and presented in their uniform correctly is greatly appreciated.

Sneakers are not school shoes!
Most school shoe brands ( such as Clarks) offer a variety of widths and comfort levels that can’t be matched by other types of shoes. They can be customised with orthotics easily and are durable and long lasting.They are also considerably cheaper in most instances ($80-$160) than sneakers such as Nike Air Force (RRP $170).

There has been an increase in 2025 of students attending school in black sneakers/runners (e.g. Black Nike Air Force or Air Max, Asics). Sneakers/runners are not school shoes at Patrian Brothers' College Blacktown. This rule has been in place since the school's inception and it has never changed. If a student has special orthotic needs, we encourage you to speak to a podiatrist/specialist and make arrangements to wear the appropriate school shoes with orthotic inserts to ensure their health needs are met.

Sneakers are not to be worn to school on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday or Friday. It is also strongly recommended they are not worn on Thursday (sport day), due to the fact they are not appropriate for most sports. Most school shoes come with full leather outer and sports mesh lining with extra padding (more than Nike Air Force Max), are more durable, last longer and are significantly cheaper.

David Sullivan
Acting Assistant Principal
Pastoral Care

Assistant Principal - Learning, Teaching and Innovation

Writing For Purpose
One of the great privileges of my role is undertaking Learning Walks throughout the day to observe the quality teaching and learning occurring across our classrooms. Week 1 of this term was particularly positive and pleasing to witness. I observed calm and focused learning environments characterised by clear expectations and strong levels of student engagement. I extend my sincere congratulations to all students for their ongoing commitment to fostering such productive learning spaces.

Throughout Term 3, the focus of our Writing for Purpose Improvement Plan is to promote intentional and consistent writing practices across all classrooms, practices that move beyond the foundational skill of note-taking. Students will be explicitly taught how to structure formal responses to questions. In most KLAs, the ability to correctly structure a paragraph is a critical and relevant skill that must be explicitly developed to support formal writing tasks. This approach is designed to improve students' ability and confidence in responding to examination-style questions, as our data indicates that all students would benefit from targeted support in this area.

Year 12 HSC Trial Examinations
We wish all of our Year 12 students the best of luck as they commence their Trial HSC examinations next week. These students have been working for two years in preparation for the HSC. These Trial HSC exams are an important assessment task for each course and also an opportunity for the students to experience the look, feel and process of a HSC exam operation in readiness for October. Please keep our students in your prayers over the coming few weeks.

Heath Borg
Assistant Principal 
Learning, Teaching & Innovation

Religious Education and Mission

Year 10 Delany Formation Day
On Wednesday, July 30, ten of our Year 10 students travelled to Delany College, Granville, to attend the Delany Formation Day.  They met with students from Delany College, Patrician Brothers’ College, Fairfield, All Saints Catholic College, Liverpool, and Holy Cross College, Ryde.  Our five schools make up the Patrician network of schools in Sydney.

The purpose of the day was to learn about Daniel Delany and the impact he had on teaching young people about Christ. Some of the activities our students participated in included: learning about the life of Daniel Delany, The Daniel Delany Campaign, and they participated in workshops about Daniel Delany and Patrician Spirituality. We finished the day with a liturgy and lunch, continuing building positive relationships with our other Patrician schools.

The highlight of our day was definitely the icebreaker activities, where some of the boys sang Taylor Swift songs with students from other schools.

We are most grateful to the staff and students of Delany College, Granville, for their generous hospitality, and for facilitating the events of the day.  We are also grateful to Mr Nammour, who accompanied our students.

Vinnies Van
Each fourth Wednesday of the month staff and students from our College take staff Vinnies Van. This is an opportunity for our students and staff to give back to the community. I would like to thank the staff and students that volunteer their time for this important service to the community.

Thursday Morning Mass
This week we had to cancel our Thursday Morning Mass as Fr. Dooley was unwell.  We wish him a speedy recovery.  Thursday Morning Mass will resume next week at 8:15am in the College Chapel.

Breakfast Club
Breakfast Club runs every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday in the Senior Cafe (next to the Hall) from 8:00am - 8:35am.  College staff and members of our Faith in Action Team serve cereal, toasties, fruit, and juice.  There is no cost, and all students are welcome. Come and join us for breakfast and a chat!

School Based Sacramental Program
Eleven students from our College have been preparing to receive their Sacraments of Initiation during Term 2.  We have been meeting during Wellbeing Lesson time, and the students have been learning about the Sacraments of Baptism, First Holy Communion, Reconciliation, and Confirmation.

First Reconciliation will be held on Thursday, August 21, after the College Mass at 8.15am in the School Chapel. All students who have participated in the program will attend this mass. Parents and carers are also welcome to attend the Mass, and should sign in at the Front Office before coming down to the Chapel.  Alternative arrangements will be made for any students in Year 7 who are on Camp at this time.

Holy Mass in celebration of First Eucharist and Confirmation will be held on Monday, August 25, 7.00pm at St. Patrick’s Church, Blacktown (51-59 Allawah St, Blacktown NSW 2148). Some of our students will also be receiving the Sacrament of Baptism at the Mass.  All families and friends of the students receiving their Sacraments are most welcome to attend the Mass, and are encouraged to arrive and be seated in the Church by 6:45pm.

We have already had expressions of interest from families who are interested in the School Based Sacramental Program for next year.  If you would like your son to prepare to receive the Catholic Sacraments of Initiation at school in 2026, please contact Mr Greg Beacroft [ gbeacroft@parra.catholic.edu.au ].

Anthony Pope
Acting Leader of Learning Religious Education

Dean of Knowledge Management and Analytics

During the next two weeks, Year 12 will complete their Trial HSC Examinations. This can be a very stressful time for the boys as they strive to achieve their personal best and demonstrate what they know and understand. The Australian National University has an excellent article on managing stress during this time, highlighting exercise as a key strategy. 

https://www.anu.edu.au/news/all-news/how-to-manage-exam-stress%E2%80%AF

The Trial Examination Timetable can be found on Compass under the Community icon, School Document page. Year 12 Students are only required at school when they have an examination. They are asked to be in the Cafeteria 20 minutes before the exam is meant to start. The normal assessment procedure applies to the Trial Exams. If the student misses an exam for any reason, they will need to complete an Illness/Misadventure form with appropriate evidence as outlined in the Assessment Policy. The Resource Centre is available for Year 12 Students to study between their Examinations.

HSC Study Guide
The HSC Study Guide is online now, packed with everything HSC students need to kick their exam goals!

Students can find:
1. HSC advice from famous graduates like Panthers captain Nathan Cleary, entrepreneur Dessy Hairis, author Tracey Lien and INXS legend Kirk Pengilly.
2. Advice from HSC markers, teachers and recent graduates for different HSC exams.
3. Common misconceptions about the HSC and ATAR explained.
4. Strategies to manage and reduce exam stress.
5. A multiple-choice quiz to test their knowledge with family and friends.

There’s also practical mental health and wellbeing advice from the experts at ReachOut – with tailored tips for parents and carers on supporting their children in the lead up to exams.

If you have any questions, please contact me at the College.

Mark Robinson
Dean of Knowledge Management and Analytics

Pathways and Partnership Update

University Open Days
Open day season is approaching! Attending open days is one of the most valuable and informative experiences for those students considering studying at university or a private college. Whilst websites and virtual tours can provide us with key facts and information, nothing beats visiting a university campus in person.

Marie Lane
Pathways and Partnerships Leader

Resource Centre Update

Welcome back to Term 3
A warm welcome back to all students and staff for Term 3. A reminder that the Resource Centre hours are as follows.

The Resource Centre is open before school everyday from 8:00-8:40am for access to IT, borrowing books and silent study.

We are open at lunch everyday, for regular activities and on Wednesday the Resource Centre encourages participation in Working Wednesday where students are encouraged to work on homework, assessments, personal projects or update their resumes with Mrs. Lane.

After school the Resource Centre is open on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday between 3:00 and 4:00pm for students who would like to stay back and study.

A reminder that phones are not permitted in the Resource Centre before or during school hours. There are a multitude of other activities that students can participate in while in the space that does not require the use of phones. 

Premier’s Reading Challenge Reminder 
A reminder to all students participating in this year's Premier’s Reading Challenge that you have until September 10th to finalise your reading logs.

If you have any issues please contact me at bhead@parra.catholic.edu.au

 Book Week Competition
 The Resource Centre is excited to be hosting the 2025 Patrician Brothers' Short Story Competition

Ahead of Book Week, students are invited to submit original short stories via email to Mrs. Head at:

bhead@parra.catholic.edu.au

These stories will be judged on creativity and originality and the winners will be announced via Compass on Thursday 21 August 

There is no theme, but we ask that all stories be respectful and reflective of the Patrician Brothers' College values.

Stories must be submitted by 15 August 

Rules:

• Open to all students in Years 7 to 11.
• Each entry must have a title and the student’s name and grade on the front page.
• Stories must be original. Plagiarism is not allowed.
• Stories must not exceed 1000 words.
• No mature themes or course language

Beth Head
Senior School Assistant - Resource Centre

Merit Awards

Semester Two Award Recipients

Congratulations to our first round of semester two award recipients, This term marks a very special achievement with Shiv Patel in Year 10, earning the College's first Gold award of the year. As a College community we are proud of our boy's consistency, behavioural and academic achievements and continued commitment to striving for excellence, Well done boys.

Sports Report

11 Brave Warriors
In ancient times when warriors roamed the Earth, a warrior was defined as a person who demonstrated courage and fearlessness in the face of adversity, especially in battle or conflict. On a sunny afternoon on Thursday, 24^th July 2025, 11 brave warriors from the Under 13Ds strode onto Field 2 to play the Patrician Brothers’ Blacktown Under 13Cs in their rugby league semi-final.

Many of you are already thinking there must be some error as a rugby league team comprises of 13 players. However, due to injury and illness, 9 players of the 13Ds squad were unavailable. This did not daunt our 11 warriors because like those that have played for our College in the past, they all showed strength, determination, and willingness to play for each other, inspiring each other to acts of bravery and gallantry. 

After a first half that involved exciting football where players were racing from one end of the field to the other and inspired by their injured teammates on the sideline, our 11 warriors found themselves behind 10-6 at the half-time interval.

The start of the second half saw two teams that knew the winner would be in next week’s grand final and no one took a backwards step. Both sides showed tenacity in defence and ran the ball with plenty of vigour. Unfortunately, exhaustion and the sheer wait of numbers played its toll towards the end of the second half. The Under 13Cs team were able to score two late tries in the final 10 minutes of the match and were the eventual winners 20 to 6 in what was their toughest game of the season.

The efforts of these young men exemplified the five Blacktown Patrician values that underpin our culture - namely faith, hope, service, excellence and compassion.

Our 11 brave warriors from the Under 13Ds Rugby League showed faith in each other, they had hope and always believed they could win. By deciding to play with only 11 players they not only participated in a school event (service), but played with excellence, resilience and perseverance despite the fatigue and their own injuries they picked up as the match progressed. Our 11 warriors also showed compassion and empathy to each other, they were aware of the challenges and difficulties their teammates were experiencing but chose to persevere and not let their themselves and teammates down.

Finally, I would like to congratulate all members of the squad for a terrific season. It has been enjoyable to watch you all grow and develop not only in terms of your skills on the rugby league field, but as young Patrician men who are continuing and enhancing the proud traditions of our College. Also, from all of us from the Under 13Ds we wish our ‘brothers’ - Mr Sultana and his under 13C squad - all the best in their Grand Final next week. 

The 11 Brave Warriors

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Stephen Zahra
Coach