Term 1, Week 9, 2023
The Principal
Steven O’Connor, Principal
End of Term 1
The end of the first term is already upon us and as the weather turns and daylight saving ends, we reflect on a busy and productive term and prepare for Term 2 ahead. 2023 has provided St Patrick’s (and all other schools) with a more predictable and consistent routine and it has been really terrific to see the boys throw themselves into their classwork, into the co-curricular activities and sport on offer, into their camps and into the College community.
There were many highlights, including the St Patrick’s Day Mass, assembly and celebrations! Providing the community with a traditional Feast Day on this important day allowed students, staff and some Old Collegians to celebrate one of the great strengths of the College – community relishing its traditions, excellence and joy!
I trust that students and staff enjoy the holidays at the end of the term. I am looking forward to travelling with the group heading to Darwin and the Tiwi Islands on the College Football trip just after Easter. This trip is always a highlight for all involved and I am sure will be really appreciated by the students who attend in particular.
Easter
The season of Easter is about many things but it certainly about hope. As a Catholic school in the Edmund Rice tradition, the power of hope cannot be underestimated as we continue to work with our students and walk alongside them on their journey through school and towards their adult lives. Remaining hope-filled is vital in our mission and in our work.
One of the last statements Jesus made on the Cross was: “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.” (Luke 23/24). Forgiveness of every person who harms us is one of the great saving lessons and salvations of Good Friday.
Then, a few days later, the first words of the Risen Lord Jesus at the Resurrection Victory of Easter is: “Peace be with you.” (Luke 24/36). Easter peace is the first gift to us from our healing God.
This Easter let us receive these gifts of forgiveness and healing peace like never before! Let us begin in our hearts, so easily torn apart by bitterness and selfishness. Let us remember those in war-torn countries around the world; those who live in fear of retribution from brutal, tyrannic regimes; and those, closer to home, who suffer from domestic violence, bigotry and discrimination.
Let forgiveness and healing peace flow into our world, into our communities, into our families and friends. May these gifts give us the courage to develop real neighborliness' and solidarity to those in our streets and communities and to those who continue to live in isolation and in fear. Let the homeless and lonely this Easter receive not more pious sentiments but real practical charity and care.
Let the forgiveness and healing peace of the Risen Lord Jesus reign this Easter and into the future! May we be filled with joy and hope at Easter and in our College community.
Happy Easter to all!
Steven O’Connor
Principal
Mission
Geoff Brodie - Assistant Principal, Mission & Identity
Prayer is turning the heart toward God. When a person prays, he or she enters into a living relationship with God. Of course, one cannot learn to pray in the same way one learns a technique. Strange as it sounds, prayer is a gift one obtains through prayer. (cf Youcat, p.258)
With these words I warmly invite all in our community to participate in our inaugural Holy Week Vigil. This Vigil, through the grace of God, is the invitation to enhance the faith and spirituality of our community by prayerfully encountering the events of Holy Week. During the Vigil our Old Collegians’ Chapel will be permanently and prayerfully occupied by members of our community from 7pm on Wednesday 5 April to 7am Thursday 6 April.
Families and students have been sent further details about participation but please do not hesitate to contact me if you wish to know more.
Last Sunday, ten students generously gave up their Sunday to participate in the annual Walk with Mary procession in Melbourne – a commitment of the College that stretches back over thirty years. Our students that carried a (very heavy!) statue of Mary and her icon through the city centre – preceded by Mass in stunning St Patrick’s Cathedral - conducted themselves with remarkable composure and reverence, not only enhancing the experience for themselves, but also for all those in attendance. Sincere thanks to the following students, and to our Faith in Action Trainee, Mr Zenon Czulij, for his excellent coordination: Noah Quick, Paterson Meneely, Angus Rothe, Nicholas Belleville, James Shaw, Ripley Aubrey, Tim Thomas, Callum Jungbauer, Darcy Baxter, and Jacob Rae.
Every year on the Monday of Holy Week the Diocesan Mass of the Oils takes place in Ballarat’s St. Patrick’s Cathedral. The oils blessed and consecrated during the Mass are associated with the sacramental actions of Baptism, Confirmation, Priesthood, and Anointing of the Sick. This Mass – where every parish gathers to receive their oils for the coming year – is a real sign and experience of the unity of our Diocese and of our Catholic faith. College student leaders, Sam Clark, Matthew O’Brien, and Lachlan Brodie will be present, and Year 7 student Max Brodie will assist as an altar server.
Our annual Easter Egg Drive is well underway – please give generously through Homerooms – and our Annual Edmund Rice Day Walkathon will take place on May 5. One of our key post-Covid goals is to return to the spirit of generous fund-raising that is at the heart of our celebrations marking the day. Information will be sent home before the end of term about student fund raising in 2023.
“The event of Christ’s death and resurrection is the heart of Christianity, principal fulcrum of our faith, powerful lever of our certainty, impetuous wind that sweeps away every fear and indecision, every doubt and human calculation.” (Pope Benedict XVI) Our Easter faith proclaims that suffering, evil and death is not the last word in our story, for in Jesus’ Resurrection eternal joy and hope have come in a special way into the world. Just as we share in the life and joy of those we love – family, friends, those in need – when we love God we share in God’s eternal life. What a gift! And that gift is the fulfilment of our hearts’ deepest desires. May your Easter be a time of renewal and great joy.
Blessings,
Geoff Brodie
Wellbeing
Kevin Robillard - Assistant Principal, Pastoral Care & Wellbeing.
2023 Student Congress Leaders
Student Congress at St Patrick's College is a formation of students from Year 7 to 11 who can voice and raise opinions on different matters in the school. Two weeks ago students went through a process of nominating themselves and completing an application to be selected as a representative for their Year level.
Six students were chosen across 5-year levels to create a 30 student Congress membership. This student representative council is in addition to the Student Council which is composed of all Year 12 students.
Student Congress has a focus of improving student connection to the school and looking at ways to support and raise awareness of various events in our community. The group this year will be initially tasked with designing house shirts, exploring uniform questions along the idea of implementing and designing ties in support of different causes, as well as promoting acceptance and inclusivity through taking actions for Reconciliation week, Pride Month, Men’s health week, RUOK Day and NADOC week. Student will also be able to table ideas and questions that arise through the year on behalf of all students.
One of our first formal gatherings will be when we come together on Monday April 3 with the Year 12 Student Council and have a leadership lunch in the pavilion. We will explore the concept of student leadership, insure student leaders know each other, and of course have pizza. This gives younger students a chance to discover the impact Year 12 leaders have on the school, as well as, set agenda and common goals for both groups to work towards for the rest of the year. I look forward to working with our student leaders throughout the year.
2023 STUDENT CONGRESS LEADERS
Let’s Talk Program
St Patrick's College is lucky to have three student counsellors in the college to support our student wellbeing needs. Together we have designed a document that promotes students to talk to someone if they are concerned or worried about something. Research shows that young people who have a trusted adult to talk to when they are worried are more likely to see help. We also know that young people will reach out to others if the process is clear and easy to do so. Our counsellors are available to all students at St Patrick's College.
Some of the images below are taken from our booklet. Students can access these from around the school including front reception and Year Level Coordinator offices. A reminder that the United Nations Convention on the rights of young people state every child has the right to be heard and to be believed.
Year 8 Camp
Year 8 students attended camp from Monday March 27 -29. Students were bused out to Lady Northcote Discovery Camp. This is a bush camp located in the picturesque Rowsley Valley, between Bacchus Marsh and Ballan. Students participated in 10 different activities over two days including high ropes, canoeing, mountain biking, disk golf, Yabby fishing, and team building activities. The activities help build self-confidence and give students an opportunity to try many new things. Students were mostly placed with others they have classes with allowing the development of relationships that translate into classroom cooperation and learning.
A huge thank you to Hannah Walter and Sam Cue, our Year 8 co-ordinators for the time to plan, organise and run this camp. It is never easy taking close to 250 students away together and you did a remarkable job! Another big thank you to the Year 8 homeroom teachers, as well as, teaching and LSO staff who attended. What I saw was an amazing group of staff supporting boys, participating in the activities, and supporting each other to make the 3 days a success. The students had a great experience which could not happen without you spending the night yourself away from your families and comforts of home.
Thank you,
Kevin.
Learning & Innovation
Carol Roberts - Assistant Principal, Learning & Innovation
As educators, we know that getting the curriculum right will make all the difference, in our students’ learning and outcomes.
In a recent report by The Grattan Institute, it was revealed that in the majority of Australian classrooms, students are not consistently taught the same things, leading to a ‘lottery’, when it comes to student learning.
The reason that this variation occurs, is due to the approach to curriculum planning. In a high number of Australian classrooms, teachers within a school are not using the same instructional materials as teachers of the same subjects and year levels, favouring an independent approach to curriculum development. Students are frequently not being taught the same things as their peers in other classes.
At St Patrick’s College, we have adopted an innovative approach to curriculum planning and instruction. In 2022, we introduced shared curriculum planning to St Pat’s.
In this model, lesson plans are uploaded to a shared location, so that all teachers in the team can access them. Then, everyone teaching a particular subject and year level teach their class from the same lesson plan. The choice of content is made at the school level, with collective agreement among teachers – this approach prioritises students, providing a sequenced learning path and avoids unintentional double-up.
Another advantage of this model is that teaching team members provide feedback to each other on the lesson. In this way, our lessons are developed, reviewed, and refined by a whole team of experienced educators. The benefits to students are immense - their lesson materials have been developed by a team of highly skilled teachers, rather than one teacher. Our students become the recipients of collective wisdom.
Most importantly, we remove the lesson lottery for students.
Significantly, individual learning needs are better addressed in this model. Opportunities for support are built into our lessons, and through shared planning, teachers have reported increased time to address individual student learning needs. When supports work well in one classroom, teachers share these practices with their team, so that other students can benefit from the most effective tried and tested instructional strategies.
This speaks to equity and justice for our students. We ensure that every student will experience the highest quality of instruction. It also speaks to collective wisdom, collaboration and sharing between educators as being central to all we do, when it comes to curriculum planning and lesson delivery at St Pat’s. Our teachers pool their collective knowledge – and the power of this, along with the benefits to our students, are immense.
Carol Roberts
Assistant Principal – Learning Innovation
BAS Swimming
Louise Macquire - Swimming co-ordinator
2023 BAS Swimming Report
On Wednesday 29th March, the 2023 St Patrick’s College Swim Team have made recent history by convincingly winning the annual BAS Swimming Championships. Our last win was back in 2019 when Josh Stahl was Swim Captain for that year, Coach Stahlie’s son!
Of the 43 Individual races in the 55 race carnival, we won 15 races and placed 2nd in 17 races – that is 74% 1st or 2nd. Notable performers here are the Year 10 Swimmers Jack Lanyon and Tom Urquhart -
- Jack Lanyon won all his 3 individual races and 2 relays – 100m Freestyle (59.29), 50m Backstroke (29.72 - 0.44 away from the 1990 record), 50m Butterfly (29.01)
- Tom Urquhart 50m Backstroke (31.33 - 0.44 away from record), 50m Breaststroke (33.92 - 0.48 from record), 50m Freestyle (28.11)
7 other swimmers won their races. They are –
Year 7 - Will Richardson 50m Butterfly A and 50m Freestyle A,
Year 8 - Riley Boadle 50m Backstroke B,
Year 9 - Miller Stott 50m Backstroke A and Cam Belleville 50m Freestyle B,
Year 10 - Hugo Johnston 50m Breaststroke B,
Year 11 - Jack Bennetts 50m Backstroke B and
Year 12 - Nathan Louw 50m Freestyle A, Lewis Gilbert 50m Freestyle C.
6 swimmers came 2nd in their individual races –
Miller Stott 50m Butterfly A and 50m Freestyle A,
Blake Scott 50m Backstroke A and 50m Breaststroke A,
Hugo Johnston 50m Freestyle B,
Nathan Louw 100m Freestyle and 50m Butterfly, and Lewis Gilbert 50m Backstroke.
Of the 55 races, there were 12 Relays in the program, and we won 6 of these Relay races. All the Medley races were won – Junior, Intermediate and Senior – and the 13/U, 15/U and Open Freestyle Relays were won. These races were so very exciting to watch. Every swimmer swam their hearts out.
Achievements like these are the result of many, many hours, days and nights, months and years of swimming training. As well, many swimmers joined in the training sessions offered by the College throughout Term 1.
Congratulations to every swimmer in the BAS Swim Team; your result has counted towards this outstanding, tremendous victory over BCC, Damascus and BGS.
Thank you to our formidable coach Mr Mark Stahl and to our Captains Nathan Louw, Jack Bennetts and Harry Robinson. Thank you also to Mr Simon Dyer, Mr Jason Lappin and Mr Max Faulkner for helping with administration tasks and with swim duties at carnivals.
The next carnival is ACC Swim Championships – Wednesday April 3rd – at MSAC 5- 8pm.
2023 BAS Swimming Championships
Individual Events WINNERS – 15/43 events
Year 7 Will Richardson – A Butterfly, A Freestyle
Year 8 Riley Boadle – B Backstroke
Year 9 Miller Stott – A Backstroke - and Cameron Belleville – B Freestyle
Year 10 Jack Lanyon – 100m Freestyle, A Backstroke and A Butterfly
Tom Urquhart – B Backstroke, A Breaststroke and A Freestyle
Hugo Johnston – B Breaststroke
Year 11 Jack Bennetts – B Backstroke
Year 12 Nathan Louw – A Freestyle
Individual Events 2nd – 17/43
Year 7 Noah Connell – B Backstroke, A Breaststroke, B Freestyle
Year 9 Miller Stott – A Butterfly, A Freestyle
Year 9 Blake Scott – A Backstroke, A Breaststroke
Year 10 Hugo Johnston - B Freestyle
Year 12 Nathan Louw – 100m Freestyle, A Butterfly
Year 12 Lewis Gilbert – C Freestyle
Relays Won 6/12
13 and Under Medley Relay : - Will Richardson, Noah Connell, Cam Belleville and Miller Stott
15 and Under Medley Relay : - Jack Lanyon, Tom Urquhart, Hugo Johnston and Blake Scott
Open Medley Relay:- Nathan Louw, Harry Robinson, Lewis Gilbert and Alec Carthew
13 and Under Freestyle Relay : - Miller Stott, Cam Belleville, Riley Cook and Riley Boadle
15 and Under Freestyle Relay : - Jack Lanyon, Tom Urquhart, Hugo Johnston and Sebastian Valenzeula
Open Freestyle Relay:- Nathan Louw, Harry Robinson, Lewis Gilbert and Alec Carthew
32/43 and 6/12 wins or second place out of 55 events in the program!!!!
Well done everyone. Very proud of you!
Ms Louise Macquire
Clontarf Academy at St Patrick's College
It has been a huge term 1 for the St. Patricks Clontarf Academy. We opened our doors to the boys for the first time at the beginning of the term and we couldn’t have asked for a better welcoming into the community. The Clontarf Academy is made up of two worker’s David Friebel, the Academy’s Director whose family recently made the move back to Victoria after several years working for Clontarf in the Northern Territory Academies. David brings a strong understanding of the program and a structure that has seen success in several different schools. Additionally, Clontarf was pleased to welcome back Christopher Saunders, a St Patrick's College Old Boy who has been in similar experiences and programs in his time at St Patrick's College. Chris brings a familiar face to the space and knows the ins and outs of the College Community, building strong relationships with both the staff and students instantly.
The support from the College’s staff who granted an insightful amount of feedback and support into the learning of each of our Indigenous students. We invite all St Patrick's College staff to come participate, have a feed, provide feedback whenever they feel appropriate. David is quoted as saying that “we want to support the teachers and make their life easier, support them in what they do best, which is to teach, teach our Academy boys”. We look forward to working closely with the staff in the coming years.
The Parents of our Indigenous students put faith and trust in our program to be able to achieve several goals we had this term. We will continue to build trusting relationships with the parents of our Academy boys so they are aware of each activity, each win, small or big, and every time our Academy boys may need a bit more care and support. Clontarf staff will always make themselves available whenever parents may have any concerns of their son’s well-being or just want to track how they are progressing in school.
Finally, our Academy boys, the heart and soul of the Clontarf Academy, the reason we get up for those early morning trainings and work hard to see a huge improvement in overall attendance. The Saint Patrick’s College Clontarf Academy exists to improve the education, self-esteem, life skills and employment prospects of young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander men attending Saint Patrick’s College, and by doing so, we equip them to participate more meaningfully in society.
Clontarf, just this term, have provided the Indigenous Students of St Patrick's College with a number of opportunities to showcase the Clontarf Spirit represented by our pillars of; education, leadership, well-being, sport and employment. These values were put on display at a number of events and activities both on and off campus. A highlight of this term was taking away the students with the top attendance to attend the ‘Respect Cup’ at GMHBA stadium in Geelong. We had a chance to explore local workplace’s and interact with our partners such as Woolworths, Australia Post, Freudenberg and Fulton Hogan where the boys were able to learn about a variety of industries and pick up some tips in transitioning from school into employment and further study.
As part of the Clontarf Academy inductions, our boys had the opportunity to create our academy values. We asked the question to each of our Academy boys in their respective year levels; “what makes a good bloke?”. The values the students identified were resilience, respect, and encouragement. These values are set the standard for behaviour, not just in the academy space, but in the school and wider community.
One outstanding display of these values was seen in the recent Victorian Clontarf Football Cup where the St Patrick's College debuted as the ‘St Pat’s Panthers’, taking away the Grand final win against the visiting Mildura Clontarf Academy. The St Pat’s Panthers played brilliantly as a team, their first time on the field together. While getting the win was great, the most pleasing aspect was the ‘Clontarf Spirit’ in which they played the game, the ‘good bloke’ mantra was on display. The boys are looking forward to more opportunities to play against their Clontarf brothers around the state and know that to get on these teams, their attendance and behaviour will have to be up to scratch.
Be sure to keep an eye out for the many different activities and community interactions with the Academy, Chris and Dave will be available if anyone is wanting to get in contact.
Performing Arts
Monique Allen - Head of Drama
DAV Debating
The Debaters Association of Victoria’s schools’ competition kicked off last week at Ballarat Grammar and our two teams were eager to start their seasons.
Our D Grade debating team is mostly made up of year 8 debaters who came up against some tough competition in Ballarat and Clarendon College as they debated “That it should be compulsory for students to partake in extracurricular activities”. The D Grade team only went down by a respectable two points and should be very proud of their efforts. A big thank you to their coach Mr. Dirk Stickland who is a wonderful addition to the debating staff.
Excitingly, our Year 10/11 debaters got off to a flying start taking arguing “That Australia should not provide military support to foreign conflicts.” A big congratulations to Mrs. Trudi O’Callaghan and her team who won the debate by 5 points, a massive effort!
Spamalot Showcase
A very exciting new event is taking place next week that will showcase the wonderful talent involved in our 2023 college production Spamalot.
The ‘Spamalot Showcase’ will present scenes from the production for a very special audience of invited students from years 9 and 10 here at SPC. Our Drama Captain James Halsall will lead a discussion on performing arts pathways and opportunities at St. Pats, and the drama staff will give an overview of our new Performing Arts Centre.
Invited students will need their parents to give permission via PAM for them to attend this fantastic display of talent.
Music
Jerry Lau - Head of Music
Associated Catholic College (ACC) Music Workshop.
Last week, on Monday, 20 March, a group of musicians participated in the ACC Music Junior and Senior Jazz Ensemble Workshop, held at Parade College, in Bundoora.
The workshop focused on improvisation through conduction - allowing students to experience conducting an ensemble in an impromptu manner.
Feedbacks from our students was excellent and a lot of them expressed that experience to learn along with likeminded students from other schools was invaluable.
2023 ANZAC Day Marching Band Rehearsals
The St Patrick’s College Marching Band has once again been invited to lead the Parade on the ANZAC Day, Tuesday, April 25, 2023, in the Ballarat City Centre.
It is an honour to be able to serve our community by involving our fine young musicians to contribute to such important event. Peter Gunn, a past student and member of the armed forces, is working tirelessly in preparing our students in a series of rehearsals afterschool.
Mr Jerry Lau
Head of Music
Chess
Nathaniel Winfield, coordinator of Chess
Peace and joy to you on this day.
Twelve of our students competed today at Kryal Castle for a chess tournament. This was against local schools and those from Melbourne, some we hadn’t been face-to-face with before like Xavier College and Alphington Grammar. We placed 3rd overall, with Clarendon winning by just two points.
Mason Armstrong and Cameron Frame took home bronze medals, and Leonard took home a silver. 7 of the 12 of our students qualified for State Finals. A special thank you to Zenon for his support on the day!
Rowing
Tom Nash, Head of HaPE & Rowing Coordinator
The St. Patrick’s College rowing program has had an extraordinary season, complimented by a great day out at the Ballarat Associated School’s Head of the Lake Regatta, which resulted in the attainment of the Harold Deveson Trophy for the Boys’ Premiership. It’s nice to have the trophy back after a 6 year hiatus.
The Head of the Lake regatta didn’t signal the end of the season for the St. Pats rowing program – there was still unfinished business for the boys and their coaches as they travelled to Nagambie for the Victorian State Championships and Junior Schoolboys State Championship regattas, as well as the Footscray Saltwater Regatta in Melbourne.
The standard of competition at the State Championship regattas in Nagambie was immense, and whilst we are all proud of the efforts displayed by our athletes, a particular congratulations needs to go to the Year 10 boys program who backed up their Head of the Lake “clean sweep” with a dominant performance at their Junior Schoolboys State Championships. It was a sight to behold as race-after-race the leading crew in the Year 10 races was a St Pats crew.
A week later, at the Footscray Saltwater Challenge Regatta in Melbourne, nine (8 rowers and a coxswain) competed, for the first time, in an eight. These boys had been recently training once a week in the eight to prepare them for the transition to senior rowing which is involves rowing predominantly sweep as opposed to the previous season where they scull (basically, as Year 9 and 10 students, the boys row with two oars whereas in senior rowing the boys row with one oar). The expectations were minimal at the regatta and it was seen as a fun way to conclude a fine season…. The boys had other ideas and made light work of their competition, winning by 2-3 lengths.
Other areas of the rowing program have been busy too, with the last month of Term 1 seeing the next generation of rowers welcomed to the shed. We’ve had close to 5-6 crews worth of Year 8 rowers at the shed and learning about how the boatshed operates and more importantly, having some fun with their mates and peers on the water. I hope that this experience has been enjoyable for the boys so far and that it has them eager and hungry to get involved when the new season starts in Term 3.
Finally, two crews are fortunate to be currently competing at the Rowing Australia National Championships. The Senior Division 1 crew consisting of Nedd Bennett, William Hexter, James Halsall, Paddy O’Brien and Isaac Martin (coached by David O’Doherty) and the Year 10 Division 1 crew of Henry Reinehr, Hugh Jackson, Harrison Grant, Lachie Belleville and Harry Lester (coached by Craig Murfett) are deserving crews of this opportunity to compete on the National stage on the back of very impressive seasons.
Currently, the Senior Division 1 crew have successfully made it through to the Under 19 Mens Coxed Four Semi Final after a 1st place result in their repechage. The Year 10 Division 1 crew have just finished their Heat in the Under 17 Mens Coxed Quadruple Scull
These boys have lots more racing later in the week in the following events:
Senior Division 1:
- Under 19 Mens Coxed Four
- Schoolboys Coxed Four
- Under 19 Mens Coxed Eight (a composite crew with the Division 1 crew from Ballarat Grammar)
Year 10 Division 1:
- Under 17 Coxed Quadruple scull
- Schoolboys coxed quadruple scull
We wish these crews and their coaches the best of luck
As the 2022/2023 season draws near, I would like to take one final opportunity to thank the rowing community for their incredible support of the St Patricks College rowing program. The support of the families, the students and the school staff has been immense and appreciated and also to the incredible coaching staff that work with our rowers and coxswains. You have provided them with the ultimate experience, and I know that they are very grateful for your time.
Thanks once again for what has been a great season, and I look forward to seeing everyone again next year and welcoming many new families to the rowing community.
Ps – a reminder that there is a 45minute meeting next Wednesday, 5 April in the Spring Board Room (meet at front reception) at 5.30pm for all prospective families who will have a child (children) in the 2023/2024 rowing season.
Sport
Jason Lappin, Head of Sport
Volleyball
Senior BAS Volleyball Grand Final SPC Blue v BHS
On Wednesday 22nd of March SPC Blue travelled to Ballarat High School to play the BAS Volleyball grand final. High School’s team were the only ones to defeat SPC Blue this year, so everyone knew it was going to be a hard won match and they weren’t disappointed. To add to this the Grand final is decided in 5 sets untimed, where during the regular season it is a maximum of 3 sets and 1 hour duration.
SPC came out with a solid first set, winning by 8 points. BHS responded strongly, winning the next 2 sets, meaning that the season rested on the result on set 4. The boys responded with a fantastic display of skills and never looked like losing and then concluded the 5th set in fine fashion. This come from behind win lasted 2 hours and meant that SPC Blue are now back-to-back winners of BAS Volleyball, with basically the same team winning in 2022. Congratulations go to;
Lochie Rowe (Captain)
Mitch Collins (Vice Captain)
Zach Patullo
Damian Irvin
Finn Watson
Lachie Fazzalari
Big thanks to Mr Sutton for organising and coaching the team this term. His commitment and expertise lead our boys to sucess.
Year 7/8 Dual Pitch Cricket
SPC Green & Gold
SPC GREEN/GOLD 3/98 lost to BGS 5/100
After a couple of very wet days, it was a lush and slippery BGS ground that greeted an undermanned combined SPC Green/Gold side for our final game of the season. The lush outfield made scoring difficult but it was still an impressive batting display from the SPC batsmen, with 4 batsmen facing their full quota of balls, with Henry Hopkinson leading the way with a stylish 16, including the only boundary of the match. SPC able to make their way to a solid 3/98 from the 20 overs.
Due to being quite short on players, BGS kindly offered up a couple of extras to sub in for us in the field and our boys did an excellent job of incorporating them into our side. The fielding display was superb, with a couple of excellent saves on the boundary and two run outs helping curb the BGS scoring. Ollie Davies was the pick of the bowlers, spinning a web around the BGS batsmen, picking up 2/12 from his 2 overs. Ultimately however, it was the extras (52 vs 36) that proved the difference in the game as both sides struggled on the slippery pitch.
Regardless of the result, both sides can certainly hold their heads high, having displayed excellent sportsmanship and skill throughout not only this game, but the season on the whole.
Gerry Willis (SPC Green Coach).
SPC Blue
SPC Blue 0/160 def BCC Red 4/110
An undermanned SPC Blue took on an equally undermanned BCC Red at Vic park 3.
There were some notable scores amongst the batters who all retired after facing their mandatory 20 balls.
Will Steenhuis compiled an aggressive 31, Aayush Ahlawat a stylish 25, closely followed by Ethan bartlett and Sasha Volz on 24 and 22 respectively.
With only a few in the field (7 including bowler and wicketkeeper) many catches that would normally have gone to hand found vacant spaces, however some tight bowling and excellent fielding saw the BCC boys fall to be 1/6 after the first 5 overs. However, extras were again an issue and top scored for BCC with 36!
Notable performances were Tom Sharp with 2/9 off 3 very tight overs, and Elroy Monk snagging his first wicket of the campaign with 1/10 off his 2 overs.
Once again the spirit amongst the boys was fantastic, they were equally encouraging of each other and the opposition.
It has been a wonderful year that should see the Blue boys near the pointy end of the ladder.
Tennis
Intermediate Tennis
The St Pat’s Intermediate Tennis boys had a whirlwind of a season through term 1, with fixture changes, unavailability, injuries, and weather, constantly causing interest for our boys. However, with three of the eight teams in this year’s competition being St Patrick’s – we had all eyes set on a flag.
It was decided that SPC White would be placed into the tournament as our ‘A Team’ with most of the boys setting their sights on playing in this four. While our other two teams would be made up of the remaining eight boys. SPC Green and SPC Blue held their own each week, getting some close results and a couple of wins, but eventually falling short of points, finishing the season in 7th and 8th places respectively with Green taking away two wins from the six weeks.
In a more comprehensive manner, SPC finished the season on top of the ladder. Taking out a 4-0 win in the final round against across the road counterparts, Clarendon, to take the flag! This undefeated season was one of outstanding character, with the team only being challenged by few opponents.
Thank you to all the boys on the way they conducted themselves each week and showed great spirit and sportsmanship, in a win, lose or draw.
BAS Senior Tennis Finals
BAS Tennis finals will be played on Friday March 31st.
1st IV v BCC
2nd IV v BGS
Congratulations to both teams for making the BAS finals.
Big thanks to Mr Liam Young and Mrs Kate Millan for their work in organising and supporting the boys this season. Thanks for your tireless work.
BAS Golf
We had the BAS Golf Championships on Tuesday, March 21 at Midlands Golf Club. We had a record number of boys keen to represent the school. Some of the results from the day:
18 Hole Senior Competition Hole Competition top 3
1 Lachlan Barratt: +11 83
2 Reuben Haase: +12 84
3 Tom Bosworth: +19 91
18 Hole Junior Competition Hole Competition top 3
1 Lachie Squire: +19 91
2 Ethan Drever: +23 95
3 Ted Murphy: +28 100
9 Hole Competition
SPC occupied the first 9 placings of the 9 hole competition. These players finished in the following order:
1 Nicholas Belleville: +1 F 37
2 Cooper Beseler: +3 F 39
3 Lachy McPhan: +3 F 39
4 Max Kinniburgh: +4 F 40
5 Noah Quick: +5 F 41
6 Jack McCann: +6 F 42
7 Harry Charleson: +6 F 42
8 Lenny Ward: +6 F 42
9 Cooper Neil: +7 F 43
AGSV Invitational Competition
Well done to the following boys that have been selected to represent the school at the AGSV Invitational Tournament on Thursday May 4th at Spring Valley Golf Club in Clayton Sth.
Tom Bosworth
Reuben Haase
Lachlan Baratt
Lachie Squire
General Information
Next week we will be organising sign ups for Term 2 sports. Please keep an eye on out on the daily messages for information.
Please do not hesitate to contact me (jlappin@stpats.vic.edu.au) or our Sports Administrator Mr Simon Dwyer (sdwyer@stpats.vic.edu.au) at t
Basketball
Josh Ebbels - Basketball co-ordinator
During Term One we have had close to 500 boys try out for the SPC Elite Basketball Teams competing at ACC, VCC and Champions Cup level.
The skill level and talent on display was nothing short of incredible with many players trying out already representing Ballarat and/or Victoria in Basketball.
Teams of 20-30 have been selected at Junior, Intermediate and Senior levels and now the hard work begins for Mr Hayes and Mr Ebbels to select the best squad possible to represent St Patricks against other Catholic Colleges in Melbourne during Term Two.
Thank you to all the boys who tried out, assisted or simply came to cheer for their mates at the try-out sessions. The energy in the gym during lunchtime try outs was fantastic!
Cricket
Shane Armstrong, Coach 2nds Cricket
BALLARAT GRAMMAR V ST PATRICK’S COLLEGE
15 MARCH 23
BG 4/157 DEFEATED SPC 7/115
Another tough day at the office for Old SPC. We were short on numbers, so we captured some Year 7s who were lurking around the Canteen trying to scab a free donut; stuck ‘em on the bus and off we went to do battle with BGS. Now Grammar is alright, but it’s on the other side of town near the Wendouree Massive and South-Central Howitt St. It just doesn’t have the grandeur of SPC with the ancient oak trees and white picket fence.
Lachie ‘Sugar Foot’ Pritchard took the first ball and approached from the North Wendouree ‘Crips End’, with a smooth action like New Zealand’s Richard Hadlee. The ball pitched short and the Grammar opener tried to send it into Stockland Shopping Centre, but instead caught a top edge and skied it to Patterson who took a good catch behind the wicket. Platinum duck. ‘Shirley’ Strahan Robinson took up the attack and bowled fast, with a healthy amount of short chin music, including some of his Skyhooks numbers from the 70s (0/16). Pritchard struck again with the score at 35 (2/32). The King of Colac and acting captain, Joe Rabbette (1/28), had Howlett (32) amazingly caught by Jack ‘The Flying Scotsman’ Donohue. Running backwards with the ball swirling in the sun, Donohue managed to contort himself, and with the luck of Maradona’s ‘Hand of God’ he took one of the greatest catches seen at any level by an SPC lad. Unfortunately, that was the last of our luck, as strong partnerships piled on the runs. The batsmen knew where the short and downhill boundaries were. Donohue (0/21), Ahlawat (0/8), Lloyd (0/9), Patterson (0/8), Weideman (0/14) and Brodie (1/3) all bowled well at the end of the innings. Grammar 4/157 – a tough chase with a weakened side.
The King and Shirley opened the batting. Rabbette hogged the strike for first three overs before the Horror Movie was there on the TV for Robinson. Out for a duck. That wasn’t so bad, but listening to Year 7 squeakers on the boundary for the rest of the game was too much for the tough Year 11 from Koroit. Pritchard from the Bacchus Hood looked comfortable in the Wendouree Badlands and played some fine strokes, including two fours before being caught for 12. Then it was “Ladies and Gentlemen, please stand and welcome Mr Lachie ‘Death by Boomba’ Patterson”. The girls cricket next door was put on pause as Lachie wielded his axe like Bluetooth the Viking. Lachie hit three enormous sixes square of the wicket like a clay target thrower. He helped Rabbette take the score to 95, but with only 4 overs left, the game was all but over. Oates (8), Irvin (3no) and Lloyd (0) did their best. Weidemann and his phone were out for duck. He was ringing the farm to check if Dad had moved the field bin and marked those lambs out at Rupanyup.
Now to the captain’s knock. Rabbette’s innings was one of patience, class and with a bit of good ol’ Western District biffo. He scored 50 runs including six fours and one six in an innings that showed his maturity and kept us in the game, despite the odds. SPC 7/115
This week we play BCC in a death or glory match. Win and we’re in the finals.
St Patrick's College Mother's Day Mass & Breakfast
Friday, 12th May, 2023
Uniform Shop
The College Uniform Shop will be closed in the first week of the holidays and we will open on Monday 17 April.
A reminder that students must be in trousers for terms 2 and 3.
Viscoe trousers are $49 each.
Wool trousers are $67 each.
Important SPC dates in the next fortnight.
April 3 - College Tours (9am-10.30am)
April 4 - SPC Athletics Carnival
April 5 - Spamalot Showcase (12.40-1.40pm)
April 5 - ACC Swimming Carnival, MSAC
April 6 - End of Term 1, Students finish 2.30pm
Old Collegians Association
St Patrick's College Community Notices
As we approach the end of term, a timely reminder from Vic Roads for those that drop their students at the College...
