18 June 2025 — Week 9, Term 2
Welcome from the Principal
Dear Families
With the onset of Winter and the crunch of frost underfoot, athletics season is certainly upon us at St Patrick's School. An air of anticipation is certainly building as we look forward to travelling to Clifton to participate in the annual combined interhouse athletics with St Francis de Sales School, Clifton.
During our whole school Assembly on Friday 13 June, I made a concerted effort to link our school values of love, dignity, integrity and justice to our school liturgical and sporting icons.
To set the scene, we commenced with a video clip of the final of the 1992 Olympic 400m event from Barcelona. The favourite was a British runner, Derek Redmond. At the 200m mark, Derek heard a pop in his left hamstring and collapsed on the track in severe pain. Instead of giving up, he mustered his inner strength and began to hobble towards the finish line. Still some 80 metres from the finish line, his father appeared from the crowd, rushing onto the track to support his son as he navigated the final stage of his race. I have no idea who actually won the gold medal for this event but the determination provided by Derek Redmond certainly lives on in sporting folklore. "You don’t have to be a Gold medalist to be an Olympic Hero!!” The video clip is well worth viewing - click HERE to watch it!
We then compared and contrasted the life stories of Mary Mackillop, Matthew Denny and Wayne Bennett. All three have been part of the fabric of St Patrick's School at one point in time or another.
St Mary of the Cross Mackillop was instrumental in the school's inception back in 1916. She lived a humble life supporting the needs of women who were at risk of either financial or marital hardship, was committed to the education of rural and remote children and put the needs of the less fortunate ahead of her own. What an example to follow!
Matthew Denny is the current Olympic Bronze medalist for discus, throwing a distance of 69.31 metres using a 2kg discus. The current school record for 13 years is 25.31 metres set by T. Cowley in 2001, throwing a 750 gram discus. If you have ever heard Matthew speak, he always talks about the team and uses the we rather than the singular, I. Matthew's love of athletics started with the humble bean bag and vortex throws as a young student at St Patrick's.
Wayne Bennett is another name synonymous with Allora. Wayne is a past student St Joseph's Convent School before it was renamed as St Patrick's School. Wayne Bennett's resume as a rugby league player and coach is both extensive and significant. From coaching numerous Queensland State of Origin and Australian sides to reaching icon status as an NRL coach with Brisbane, South Sydney, St George and Redcliffe. Wayne's coaching mantra centred on the premise that ability will only get you so far. Work ethic and displaying an exemplary attitude to learning your craft and listening to your more experienced elders are the true pillars of sporting success. Who can argue with that?
The three icons of St Patrick's School have several common themes. Success, first and foremost, comes from hard work. You need to be willing to "roll up your sleeves and get stuck in", as my mother would have told me on countless occasions. Each icon also has an understanding of the importance of the team. There is no I in Team. And finally, all three icons, whilst they have experienced great success, each have suffered many failures and challenges along the way. As Derek Redmond would say... "You don’t have to be a Gold medalist to be an Olympic Hero!!”
As a school community, we look forward to our athletics carnival on Friday with St Francis de Sales School. Please find below an updated program of events for your information.
As always, if you have any queries or concerns, please contact the school.
Keith Blaikie—Principal
Keith.Blaikie@twb.catholic.edu.au
Icons - St Patrick's School
General Information
Shaping our future - perception survey
Coming soon: Your chance to help shape our schools' futures
Every two years, families from our school communities share their views through the Shaping our future – perception survey. It’s a valuable way for us to reflect on how each of our schools are living out Toowoomba Catholic Schools shared purpose: enabling full and flourishing lives.
This year’s survey will be sent via Sentral on Monday, 21 July.
Please keep an eye out for it – your feedback helps shape the future of all 32 Toowoomba Catholic schools.
We will also be asking Years 5 to 12 students from across the diocese to complete a student version of the survey during Catholic Education Week at St Patrick's School.
For more information, please email: Keith.Blaikie@twb.catholic.edu.au
Parents and Friends Association
Next Meeting - Wednesday 25 June
The next St Patrick's P&F Meeting will take place on Wednesday, 25 June commencing at 6:00pm. Parents may attend either in person or online and everyone is welcome to attend. Please note that the St Patrick's Parish and School Fete Meeting will be held at 6:45pm directly after the conclusion of the St Patrick's P&F Meeting.
Social Events - Term 2
The following social events have been confirmed for Term 2:
- Friday 20 June - St Patrick's P&F Family Get-to-Together at 3:00pm at the Railway Hotel.
As always, if you have any questions or queries, please contact the school or the St Patrick's P&F directly via email at stpatspnf@gmail.com.
Pacific Seeds 88 to Educate Charity Campdraft - Art Competiton
Do you love drawing or colouring in? Then we have just the thing for you!
Our Campdraft Art Competition. There are two parts and you can enter either one or both:
- Colour in the picture (Please see below or ample copies will be provided during Week 10)
- Draw your own picture to accompany the story, An 88 Point Ride (see below).
Judging will be done at the Pacific Seeds 88 to Educate Charity Campdraft over the course of the weekend of 23 and 24 August. Mark it in your calendars and follow the Facebook page for updates.
An 88 Point Ride - Author Unknown
“Out!” she shortened her reins and called for the gate.
Focus. Determination. Instinct. She would draw on all of those as she galloped for the first peg…
Watch his eye. Watch his ear. Wherever he looks, that’s the way he’ll run. Think fast, act slow! She would need to master her thoughts if she was going to put this big black Angus steer around the full campdraft course.
Hooves pounded and dust flew as the beast gained speed. She urged her big bay gelding forward and turned him around the first peg.
Steady now, as she maneuvered in behind, ready to change over for the second peg. Sitting back in the saddle, she pulled on the reins and her horse, trained and practised, watching the cow just as keenly as his rider, slowed and changed stride, racing up the outside to guide the animal around the objective.
Just the gate to go – the final obstacle. One breath… Two… Steady… Focus…waiting for the exact moment that she would need to move up on the beast’s shoulder.
Now! She steered her horse faster, and he, sensing the urgency and wanting the win just as much as his rider, stretched further. Cheers from the crowd – her friends and wider campdrafting community – pierced her focus.
Just a few more strides… and … hey diddle, diddle, straight through the middle!
A smile split her face and she slid her hand along the neck of her horse - her team mate, her friend.
The score came through: 22 for cut out, 62 for horse work, and 4 for the course. A big 88 points!
Pacific Seeds 88 to Educate Charity Campdraft
We are gathering raffle items for our upcoming Pacific Seeds 88 to Educate St Patrick’s Charity Camp Draft. But not just any items. We are running a raffle with a small twist and we are seeking your help. Do you know of a local Artisan? What is an Artisan I hear you say? It is a person that makes quality distinctive products in small quantities often by hand or traditional methods. We are chasing handmade quality raffle donations such as pottery, paintings, woodwork or leather work. The options are endless. Please have a think if you know someone with some special talents who would be able to donate some of their valuable time to craft the Pacific Seeds 88 to Educate St Patrick’s Charity Camp Draft a donation.
So far, we have the Allora Men’s Shed creating a box, dolls house or saddle stand (TBC). We also have a CWA lady crocheting us a blanket and a local Artisan donating a handmade bird house.
The raffles will be run in a silent raffle form and will promote the Artisan as we sell the tickets. Each raffle ticket sold will be placed in the box of their chosen prize.
Please let us know if you know someone who fits the brief. We are using our local connections to tap people on the shoulder to support our cause.
Congratulations Katelyn! - Darling Downs Tennis
Congratulations to Katelyn! She competed in the Darling Downs Tennis trials on Monday, 9 June, in Dalby, finishing 4th overall and earning selection to represent Darling Downs in Cairns. What an incredible achievement—we’re so proud of you!
Teaching and Learning
Basic Gaming and Social Media Rules for Primary School?
Young children may not be on social media yet, but at this age, they start to interact with others in online worlds. Such video games, apps, and websites (like Animal Crossing or Minecraft) are closed environments where kids can explore, meet friends, and let their imaginations run free.
One challenge for parents and caregivers is helping children balance time spent playing in these online worlds -- which can draw them in for long periods -- and time spent offline. And, even though online worlds have rules about behaviour, some children find ways around them. It's important to talk with children when you first introduce these games about how to avoid and respond to harmful behaviour.
Children younger than 6 probably shouldn't play in virtual worlds. If your kids can't yet read or write, they'll be frustrated in online worlds.
1. Set up accounts together. By creating usernames and passwords together, you can walk your children through the basics of safe and appropriate online behaviour.
2. Make sure your children never share their passwords. Children often give other children their passwords for help in a game. Explain that giving away a password is not safe and can be harmful for your child.
3. If you wouldn't let your children have unsupervised play dates, don't let them go online by themselves. Remember, the social skills they bring to online worlds are the same ones they have (or don't have) in real life.
4. Keep the devices in a central place. This lets you or other family members guide your child as they play online.
Review the apps and sites yourself. Make sure you check out apps and sites before you let your children use them. Don't settle for the most popular apps, games, and sites. Look around for ones that appeal to your kid's interests or have an educational angle.
5. Set time limits. Make sure online play is balanced with offline play and other activities that are good for your child's physical, emotional, and mental health.
6. Talk about how to behave online. Teach your children a good rule of thumb: If they wouldn't say something to someone's face, they shouldn't say it online.
7. Show children how to report misbehaviour. If kids ever see something that makes them feel uncomfortable, upset, sad, or worried, let them know they should tell you or a trusted adult. Show your children how to report inappropriate content or block other users. Explain that this is a healthy way to keep games and apps safe and fun for everyone.
8. Talk about money and what it means to your family. Some sites rely on users to buy extras. Explain your family values around spending money online. Be clear about what you expect your child to do when they come across an in-game purchase.
Return of damaged library books - Mrs Tindall (Teacher Librarian)
The last few weeks have seen an increase in the number of library books that are being returned damaged. If any liquid spills on the book, the damage renders the book unusable. The pages stick together and often also grow mould.
This week, around $60 worth of books have been returned damaged and unusable. I have discussed this with Mrs Heit and Mr Blaikie. We agree that in the future, consideration will be given to charging these costs back to parents.
The library budget is unable to sustain losing the volume of titles that have happened this year. Your help in this area would be greatly appreciated.
A minute's reflection – Lyndal Rick (TCSO Mission/ Identity)
“Come with me, by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.” Mark 6:31
Even naturally morning people (morning fowls, not night owls) might be forgiven for succumbing to the temptation to hit snooze and remain warm under the covers on these chilly mornings. There’s something primitive in our biology that responds to seasonal changes and the natural rhythms of the earth — the shortened days and longer hours of darkness during winter stir within us a desire to slow down.
The natural world around us reflects this same pattern. While the last of the roses are blooming at Laurel Bank Park, the flower beds have been freshly turned and planted, ready for the promise and hope of spring. It seems even the gardens and parks themselves have hit snooze, resting and transforming in winter's quiet contemplation.
On Sunday 6 June, the Church celebrated Pentecost — the hope and joy of the Spirit in the lives of believers. The disciples, waiting in the darkened room and reflecting on their time with Jesus, were unknowingly being quietly prepared to receive the Holy Spirit. The transformative power of the Spirit drew them out from their cycle of inner, quiet contemplation with renewed hearts and energy.
Winter invites us to step into her mystery and reconnect with our inner worlds. Just as we know that the Garden City will be transformed in the spring, our own lives are renewed and transformed through taking the time to rest in quiet places.
Upcoming events
- Friday 20 June - Combined Interhouse Athletics with St Francis de Sales in Clifton from 9:30am until 2:00pm
- Tuesday 24 June - NAIDOC Week Whole School Mass commencing at 9:30am in the Church
- Wednesday 25 June - St Patrick's Playgroup from 9:00am to 10:30am
- Thursday 26 June - Whole School Reward from 11:30am to 12:30pm
- Friday 27 June - Tuckshop
- Friday 27 June - Term 2 finishes at 2:55pm
- Monday 14 July - PUPIL FREE Day (Staff Professional Development) Office is closed
- Tuesday 15 July - Term 3 commences at 8:40am
- Wednesday 16 July - Newsletter
- Friday 18 July - Confirmation (Sacramental Program) with Bishop Ken commencing at 6:00pm in the Church
See the Sentral calendar for more information.
Reminders
Uniform Days
Winter Uniform (commences Tuesday 6 May 2025)
Formal - Monday, Tuesday, Thursday
Sports - Wednesday, Friday
Please remember that we are a...
‘Nut Aware’ School.
Times for Mass at St Patrick's Church are as follows:
1st Sunday - 9am 2nd and 3rd Sunday – 5.30pm
4th & 5th Sunday Liturgy of the Word with Communion - 9am
