Acting Deputy Principal and Senior School Report
November 30, 2021
by Acting Deputy Principal and Director of the Senior School, Mr Hamish McCrum
On Sunday evening we farewelled our Class of 2021 at our inaugural Valedictory Cocktail Party. This opportunity presented itself when we were endeavouring to put on some sort of function or dinner at short notice, having been notified restrictions might be easing. It was fabulous to farewell our Year 12s with a face-to-face celebration, without masks. The atmosphere was very positive. And very pleasingly, the new format gave parents and students the ability to move around and socialize with lots of different people, much more so than our previous sit-down dinners. I am grateful for the staff who organized the event, particularly Roger Le Grand and Andrew Chamings. We wish all the boys well with their future endeavours. We hope that they develop into men who are a strength to those around them in times of difficulty, men who are purposeful and who choose to do what they know is right.
Last Tuesday we celebrated the achievements of many of our students at the Senior School Awards Ceremony. It is fitting that we stop at times and acknowledge the efforts and achievements of our peers and take some inspiration from that which is good in each other. At St Pats, students are proud of their colleagues’ academic achievements. Competition evolves into admiration and respect. This is not the case in all schools. I spoke to them at this time about the importance of what is expected of them in regard to application and effort by: their parents, their teachers and themselves. If we expect a lot, and if students expect a lot of themselves they will achieve far more than if we allow expectations to be lowered. The academic and sporting awards are included at the following links:
Congratulations to Guy Ripley, Campbell Marshall and Damian Irvin who enjoyed a 3 way tie for the overall Dux of Year 10, and to Ben Mornane, Dux of Year 11 and to Toby Clack, the Year 11 Proxime Accessit. On this Friday we will celebrate the achievements of our Junior and Middle School students, as is appropriate. Please see the reports from these schools for lists of their various award winners.
Year 11 and Year 12 students are reminded that Unit 3/4 results are released on Thursday December 16 at 7:00am by VCAA, and ATARs are also released by VTAC at this time. The results and ATAR service is a free service however, students need to pre-register prior to December 16 so as to receive results on this day. Students are able to register by going to https://resultsandatar.vic.edu.au They will need their VTAC number which can be obtained by emailing Mr Steven Biggin. Preferences may be changed for first round offers up until 4pm December 20. If a Year 12 student is yet to put in a VTAC application, this can be done through the VTAC website up until 5pm this Friday December 3, additional fees apply.
We will soon be able to close the book on the school year of 2021. The last two years have not been easy on us. Some families will have suffered financially. All families will have had to contend with some unknowns, some social isolation and even some anxiety or fear. These two years have not been easy, but they could have been much worse. The emergence of the Omicron strain of the virus has panicked some, however this variant appears to have mild symptoms. We go into 2022 with a fair degree of optimism that COVID 19 will not cause lockdowns etc in the year ahead. I have hopes that what does not kill us can make us stronger, that students may be able to handle things a little better in all areas of their lives when things do not go to plan.
Finally, I wish you all a safe and happy Christmas. May the students do much reading over the break. May you all enjoy good times with families and return safely at the end of January.