7 April, 2017 Term 1 Issue 4 Soccer, Rd5 Rugby League, Rd1 27 April NAPLAN Trials CSDA Debating, Rd 1, 28 April MCS Soccer, Rd6 Rugby League, Rd2 4 May CSDA Debating, Rd 2, 5 May NAPLAN

Educating Boys in the tradition of the Patrician Brothers since 1952

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100 Flushcombe Road Blacktown 2148 www.patsblacktown.nsw.edu.au

7 April, 2017 Term 1 Issue 4

Gift of Patrician Community I had the pleasure recently of attending the 75th Anniversary of the founding of Delany College, Granville. It was a fantastic occasion which high-lighted the continued relevance and importance of our shared Patrician Charism. You may recall that I previously wrote: The future success of Catholic schools is depend-ant on their ability to develop a distinctive identity based on the integration of faith and learning. Most Church documents, such as The Catholic School on the Threshold of the Third Millennium, clearly stipulate the distinctive aims and charac-teristics of Catholic schools. What they do not do well is instruct us on the actual practice. How do we create an appropriate educational environment that has Christ as the foundation? Fortunately at Patrician schools we have a clear advantage! We are blessed with a rich and power-ful Charism. The Patrician Charism. Gifted to us by Bishop Daniel Delany in 1808 in Tullow, Ire-land, it has been kept alive by generations of Pa-trician Brothers and now lay teachers. This Charism gives us definition. It gives us an identifiable personality - a clear and tangible link with our Church and faith development mission. It is so powerful that Catholic school sys-tems world-wide seek to replicate it: “all Catholic schools should claim a charism to educate in a special way that benefits the contemporary Church and society” (The 21st Century Catholic School). Another advantage we have is the connection with our fellow Patri-cian schools. This is not a superficial ‘sister school’ association.

This is a concrete, animated and spiritual ‘brother school’ connection! The Patricians have bequeathed us a wonderful legacy built upon the inspiration of St Patrick and the work of Bishop Daniel Delany. Much of what we enjoy, value, treasure and honour revolves around the culture of our Irish and Patrician herit-age. Much of that is of course found in our greatest resource – the people in our community. The most significant aspect of our success has always been the quality of our relationships. This is something we must never lose. It is part of the fabric of our Patrician story. Our founders, the great order of the Patrician Brothers, have gifted us the most crucial elements of success – care, empathy, compassion and respect. In this changing, increasingly narcissistic society, we must work even harder to take care of each other! Santo Passarello

Assistant Principal

St Patrick’s Day Mass

Public Speaking

Merit Awards

Swimming Carnival

KLA Feature—Performing Arts

KLA Feature— Creative Arts

Aim High

Patrician Events

Easter Events

Open Night

Notices

FIRST DAY of Term 2, Wed 26 April

MCS Soccer, Rd5 Rugby League, Rd1 27 April

NAPLAN Trials 28 April

CSDA Debating, Rd 1, 28 April

MCS Soccer, Rd6 Rugby League, Rd2 4 May

CSDA Debating, Rd 2, 5 May

NAPLAN Tests 9 - 12 May

MCS Soccer, Rd7 Rugby League, Rd3 11 May

CSDA Debating, Rd 3, 12 May

Next Newsletter ‘The Focus’ Mailed 12 May 2017

St Patrick’s Day Mass Pictured are some of our talented staff celebrating our

Patrician Identity.

Excellence and Innovation in the Patrician Tradition

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From the Assistant Principal As always, Term One has been a busy time at Patrician

Brothers’ Blacktown, with the last fortnight seeing a number

of major events and activities. Last week we held two gath-

erings of our entire school community. The first was a Col-

lege Assembly where we revisited our 2017 theme in prayer

and song, encouraged the students to engage with the Project

Compassion appeal during Lent, and then, amid great excite-

ment and fanfare, announced the overall winner of the recent

Swimming Carnival. Next morning we held our annual St

Patrick’s Day Mass, which saw the students again enthusias-

tically involved in both prayer and music.

Last week we also held our Year 12 Progress Interviews.

This is the next stage in a 12 month process of encouraging

and supporting our senior students as they prepare for the

HSC Examinations and the cooperation of the parents who

attended was evident in all interviews. We hope that these

discussions will contribute to better engagement with learn-

ing for their sons.

The other major event in the past week was the Open Night

for Year 7 2018 students and their parents. We followed a

tried and trusted format of a brief presentation in the Hall,

extensive tours of the school led by students and staff and

then supper. Attendance on the evening was overwhelming

and our guests were certainly treated to some entertaining

and interactive classroom displays and activities organised

by our staff. In addition to the efforts of our staff throughout

the evening – well over 200 students volunteered their time

to assist as tour guides, participate in displays and activities

and to assist with ushering, entertainment and hospitality.

Feedback from the parents and Year 6 boys was very posi-

tive, with many expressing their amazement at the range of

opportunities offered by the school and the obvious pride of

our students in their school.

In other news, Year 12 Half-Yearly Examinations com-

menced last week and so far the students seem to be coping

very well with the experience. Of course, this is the final

internal examination block before these students face the

Trial HSC Examinations early in Term 3 so it is crucial that

they use this opportunity to hone their examination skills,

study organisation and time management.

This week Year 7 students have been at Mulgoa participat-

ing in Camp Week. Over recent years, Year 7 Camps have

been very successful and we are confident that this experi-

ence will not only contribute to the resilience and skills of

individual students but will also serve as a community build-

er for this cohort of students.

In terms of reminders for this fortnight – all parents would

be aware that student attendance has been a major focus this

year following an extensive review of attendance data from

2016. Students whose attendance was of particular concern

last year were issued with formal notice of review for this

year, while all other students received a letter explaining our

expectations and outlining the consequences that could fol-

low in cases where attendance rates fell below our target of

94%. To keep parents informed, this week we are sending

letters to all families providing up-to-date attendance data

for their son(s). Please feel free to contact the relevant Year

Coordinator if the attendance data contained in these letters

raises questions or concerns. This focus on attendance is

diocesan-wide and similar work is being done in the other

Catholic dioceses and the NSW state school system.

Parents also have an important role to play in this process.

Ultimately, whatever level of attendance that parents allow

or tolerate will become the standard, and probably the habit,

that their sons will adopt as they move through their school

education and into further education or the workplace. Not

surprisingly, whenever parents accept questionable excuses

for not attending school such as tiredness, uncomfortable

weather, dislike of sporting and community events or strug-

gling to keep up with work are accepted – the commitment,

work ethic and resilience of their sons quickly deteriorate.

Before long, reluctance to come to school becomes avoid-

ance and then refusal. Needless to say, in a highly competi-

tive job market in Western Sydney, attendance and reliabil-

ity are qualities that all employers value highly.

Mr Brian Edmonds

Congratulations to Public Speaking

finalist, Year 12 student,

Sidney Alcantara. He is pictured below with his proud coach

and mentor, Mrs Courtney Spencer.


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St Patrick’s Day Mass We recently gathered as a school community to celebrate the feast of St Patrick, the patron saint of the Patrician Brothers. On the 2 February 1808, Bishop Daniel Delany formally declared that the first Patrician Brothers would dedicate their lives to continue the mission of St Patrick. Like Saint Patrick, and as declared in his great prayer, The Breastplate, the Brothers strive to see Christ in creation and in the people to whom they have committed their lives. The Mass was a great faith experience, enhanced by the reverent participation of all those gathered, an inspirational homily by Fr Peter Confeggi and outstanding music. During Mass, Fr Peter challenged us all to continue the work of the Patrician Brothers and to commit ourselves to ‘Make a Difference’. Mr Gregory Beacroft, Liturgy Coordinator


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The Legacy of St Patrick: A Saint for Our Times The celebration of St Patrick’s Day is a wonderful opportunity to reflect on this great Saint of our Church and of our Patrician Charism

Patrick was a man of prayer, an exile, a refugee; a justice seeker and a creative teacher. His legacy to us today is his spirit of prayer, his missionary methods and his readiness to speak and act for justice. Many legends have sprung up around the story of St Patrick. The truth about him can be found in his own life story called His Confessions. Patrick was one of many who was captured and brought to Ireland and sold as a slave. He says that it was here in exile and in loneliness that he came to know God, to have conversations with God, to trust in God and in God’s love and protection. (Confessions) After 6 years of slavery he escaped, went home and studied. He says he could constantly hear the voice of the Irish call-ing him back. Eventually he was ordained a priest and came back to Ireland as a missionary in 432 AD. His mission in Ireland was far from easy as he preached the Gospel and spoke out against injustice. What is the legacy that St Patrick has left us? His spirit of prayer. He had a great devotion to the Blessed Trinity and one of the most beautiful prayers that we have is called the Breastplate of St Patrick. This prayer has also been set to music. His missionary methods. He did not destroy the customs of the heathen Irish but he connected them to Christianity. So today in Ireland there are many places of pilgrimage to sacred places and to holy wells that date back to long before the time of Patrick. He was an exile and a refugee. We can pray to him for the thousands of refugees who are fleeing persecution and violence and for those who have to migrate to find work. He spoke out with very strong language against slavery. His courage and example can encourage us to speak out to-day against human trafficking. He preached and practised justice to all especially the poor, the down trodden and the persecuted. He had great respect for women.

Lorica of Saint Patrick (full version) I arise today Through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity, Through a belief in the Threeness, Through confession of the Oneness Of the Creator of creation. I arise today Through the strength of Christ’s birth and His baptism, Through the strength of His crucifixion and His burial, Through the strength of His resurrection and His ascension, Through the strength of His descent for the judgment of doom. I arise today Through the strength of the love of cherubim, In obedience of angels, In service of archangels, In the hope of resurrection to meet with reward, In the prayers of patriarchs, In preachings of the apostles, In faiths of confessors, In innocence of virgins, In deeds of righteous men. I arise today Through the strength of heaven; Light of the sun, Splendor of fire, Speed of lightning, Swiftness of the wind, Depth of the sea, Stability of the earth, Firmness of the rock. I arise today Through God’s strength to pilot me; God’s might to uphold me, God’s wisdom to guide me, God’s eye to look before me, God’s ear to hear me, God’s word to speak for me, God’s hand to guard me, God’s way to lie before me, God’s shield to protect me, God’s hosts to save me From snares of the devil, From temptations of vices, From everyone who desires me ill, Afar and anear, Alone or in a multitude. I summon today all these powers between me and evil, Against every cruel merciless power that opposes my body and soul, Against incantations of false prophets, Against black laws of pagandom, Against false laws of heretics, Against craft of idolatry, Against spells of women and smiths and wizards, Against every knowledge that corrupts man’s body and soul. Christ shield me today Against poison, against burning, Against drowning, against wounding, So that reward may come to me in abundance. Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me, Christ in me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me, Christ on my right, Christ on my left, Christ when I lie down, Christ when I sit down, Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me, Christ in the mouth of every man who speaks of me, Christ in the eye that sees me, Christ in the ear that hears me. I arise today Through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity, Through a belief in the Threeness, Through a confession of the Oneness Of the Creator of creation St. Patrick (ca. 377)


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Public Speaking 2017

The well-known American poet Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, “Speech is power- power to persuade, to convert, to compel.’ The boys who represented the College in this year’s Catholic School’s Debating Association Public Speaking competition certainly persuaded and compelled their audiences. The competition is run across three consecutive Friday nights and is a knockout competition. The boys had to select from a list of topics, including ‘Socks’, ‘Mud, Mud glorious mud’, ‘In defence of the Kardashians’ and ‘Strong and Con-stant.’ They could interpret the topic in any way they chose – with most speeches commenting on social issues such as tolerance, the dangers of reality TV, social media and tech-nology. The boys were judged not only on their content, structure and presentation, but also their ability to speak within the time limits – from 4 minutes in Year 7 to 8 minutes for the seniors. This year we had 10 representatives from the College who participated in Round 1. The boys were: Pavithran Visakeswaran Year 7 Joshua Pinto Year 7 Harkirat Singh Year 8 Josh Kehal Year 8 Isaac Rosario Year 9 Fisii Pilitati, Year 10 Robbin Hernandez Year 10 Dennyson Veloso Year 11 Rameez Parkar Year 12 Sidney Alcantara Year 12 From this group, we had 4 boys progress through the Zone Finals which were held at St Ignatius College, Riverview – Pavithran Visakeswaran, Harkirat Singh, Dennyson Veloso and Sidney Alcantara. To get to the Zone Finals is an out-standing achievement –when you think that we are compet-ing against 65 schools. From this group of 4, we had one student who made it through to the Grand Final held at Marist College, North Shore– Sidney Alcantara. To make it this far into the compe-tition is an exceptional achievement as he is one of the top 12 speakers in Sydney Metropolitan Region. Running a competition like this involves the efforts of many. I would like to acknowledge the staff who gave up their time to help the boys prepare and who came to support them. Thank you to Mrs Spencer, Ms Bocasan, Mrs Paton, Ms Netos, Ms Collins and Ms Tynan for their support. Ms Zorica Bicanic, Public Speaking Coordinator

Merit Awards Congratulations to the following students who will be re-ceiving bronze awards at the next year assembly and silver awards at the next College assembly. Bronze Awards Lachlan Bojarski 7C15 Brock Crook 7C15 Louis Cruz 7C11 Uaale Elisara 7C12 Cameron Frendo 7C12 Jack Humphreys 7C13 Hunter Newsome 7C15 Joshua Pinto 7C16 Janbaz Saddhar 7C11 Daniel Stacey 7C12 Pavithran Visakeswaran 7C14 Austin Wood 7C12 Matthew Wormleaton 7C18 Darcy Brettle 8D26 Aayush Chand 8D25 Junior Faatonu 8D20 Rupansh Jain 8D27 Purav Joshi 8D20 Josh Kehal 8D22 Vikhil Lal 8D18 Mawut Mawut 8D25 Liam Moriarty 8D15 Frank Palmiotto 8D25 Jandeep Saddhar 8D25 Roman Severino 8D26 3 Awards Harkirat Singh 8D15 Rajvir Singh 8D16 Jacob Spiteri 8D16 Reese StoDomingo 8D27 Mohammad Syed-Zaidi 8D15 Lucas Tabone 8D26 Dut Deng 9B3 Lionard Mahfoud 9B6 Sebastian Salman 9D11 Marquel Sarabia 9E10 Ruel de Guia 12E8 3 Awards Rameez Parkar 12F10 Silver Awards Darcy Brettle 8D26 Josh Kehal 8D22 Reese StoDomingo 8D27

Remember to hand in your merits once you have a total of 10 merits. Good luck to all in the upcoming fortnight! Mrs Natacha Warnant, Merit Awards Convenor


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College Swimming Carnival A wonderful community day! Our boys were sensational in both their behaviour and participation. Thank you to Mr Van D’Morias who organised the day. Results 2017 House Results 1 MacKillop Magpies 2948 2 Histon Hounds 2934 3 Massey Marlins 2480 4 Delany Devils 2412 Age Champions 12’s Zack Hardman Mackillop 13’s Mitchell Hodge Mackillop 14’s Chris Yuan Histon 15’s Nicholas Suryathyo Massey 16’s Daniel Kucheruk Massey 17’s Roland Podesta Histon 18’s Eddisson Munoz Histon Records 16s 50m Butterfly 27:92 Daniel Kucheruk 16s 50m Breastroke 31:90 Daniel Kucheruk 16s 50m Backstroke 30:07 Daniel Kucheruk Opens 50m Breaststroke 27:84 Eddisson Munoz Participation Results Cleanliness (50 marks) 1 Massey 41 2 Delany 40 3 MacKillop 38 4 Histon 37 5 War Cry (100 marks) 1 Massey 88 2 MacKillop 69 3 Delany 63 4 Histon 57 5 Costume (150 marks) 1 Massey 140 2 Histon 123 3 Delany 121 4 MacKillop 92 5 Student Attendance 1 Histon 2 MacKillop 3 Massey 4 Delany 5 Totals for Participation 1 Massey 541 2 Histon 497 3 Delany 490 4 MacKillop 472


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Performing Arts Term One is nearly over and the Performing Arts KLA has been busy in lots of different areas of the College, from classwork through to performances at Masses, Liturgies and Open Night to name a few. Firstly, an introduction to the staff members in this hard working team at the College. Mrs Karen Davidson (Performing Arts Coordinator, Music) Mr Mark Domars (Music) Mr Anthony Silvestrini (Music) Mr David Walker (Music) Ms Jacqueline Mercieca (Drama) Ms Irene Netos (Drama)

And now an overview of what our students have been up to in music, drama and dance! Year 7 Music Three things we have learnt in Music this year:

We have learnt to play CAA Blues

What music is

The Lighthouse game. What has been challenging? It has been challenging learning the notes to remember on the recorder for CAA blues and the type of notes, their shape and value. What have we enjoyed? We have enjoyed learning to play the recorder and doing fun class challenges. Ximan Viacrucis & Brooklyn Young 7MU4 Year 8 Music Three things we have learnt in Music this year:

We have learnt how to play the walking bass line on a keyboard

We have learnt about treble and bass clef notation

The names on the notes on the keyboard. What has been challenging? Playing the keyboard with both hands simultaneously! What have we enjoyed? We have enjoyed learning the rhythms of the music pieces and playing them by ourselves on the keyboard as well as listening to them. Harkirat Singh & Krish Patel 8MU1

Performing Arts Special Feature


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Year 9 Elective Music Three Things we have learnt in Music this year:

We have been learning different instruments and gaining confidence in performing

We have learnt about chords and tabs on guitar

We have been learning about the characteristics of Folk music.

What has been challenging? The most challenging thing for us is having confidence in performing. What have we enjoyed? The social element of practical time and the challenges asso-ciated with learning of new instruments. Augustino Mau’u & Russel Soriano 9MUSB Year 10 Elective Music Three things we have learnt in Music this year:

We’ve learnt about composing Jazz pieces,

Improving performance confidence by playing a piece called “Autumn Leaves’,

Learning about various blues scales and intervals. What has been challenging? Learning pieces that extend my ability on guitar, such as ‘The Entertainer”. What have I enjoyed? Practical lessons have been fun as I can practise and grow in my performance skills. Shera Grewal, Fisii Pilitati & Manuel Fagela 10MUSA Year 11 Preliminary Music This Term in Music I have been learning how to analyse music using the concepts of music and new musical terms such as rubato (freedom in time). I have found stepping out of my comfort zone and playing music from different genres rather than just Classical challenging. This has inspired me as it makes me work harder to improve my skills. I chose this subject because I love music and it is a part of my everyday life. Ethan Cruz, 11MUS This Term in Music I have been learning how to break down a piece of music and understand the use of the concepts of music. Remembering all the new musical terms has been challenging. I love and am inspired by acoustic artists and songwriters who tell stories in their music. I chose this sub-ject because I am passionate about writing music and it is something I want to do when I leave school. Jordan Dibou, 11MUS Year 12 HSC Music This Term in HSC music, we have been looking at the topic, An Instrument and its Repertoire. In front of family and peers in the hall, Year 12’s this Term had their first perfor-mance assessment after school. This is where they show-cased a performance major work on which they were given valuable feedback from a panel of markers. The boys were also given the opportunity to perform these pieces at Open Night underneath the D Block. This was followed by intense revision for the aural component which the boys sat during the half-yearly exams. This term a new strategy was intro-duced, the Music Master Class. The Master Class is a fo-cussed session for senior students to gain a deeper insight into the performance techniques. The aim will be to continue these sessions across the next two terms. Mr Anthony Silvestrini, Music Teacher


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Year 9 Drama In Year 9 Drama, we have just completed our Improvisation unit. During this time, boys explored the ways in which they could create scenes spontaneously and without any prepara-tion. This unit tested the boys as they had to work collabora-tively to enhance their listening and concentration skills whilst thinking on their feet and recognising opportunities when they arose. Last week, we started our new unit- The Elements of Production. This unit incorporates both a theo-retical and practical insight into the elements of production. The boys worked on a research activity where they complet-ed an individual study on the various elements, such as set design, costume design, front of house and directing. As part of the practical component for this unit, the boys designed and created costumes for various characters out of toilet pa-per. Ms Irene Netos, Drama Teacher Year 10 Drama Year 10 have dived head first into their acting craft by start-ing the year with a dramatic monologue unit. There is no greater test for a budding actor in terms of emotion, memory and dramatic context as Monologues are performed by one actor alone on stage for a period of time delivering a pre-prepared script. During class time, we have enjoyed focusing on the perfor-mances of the greatest actors of our time such as Leonardo Dicaprio and Robin Williams and have presented the same script in different ways in order to demonstrate how emotion plays such an important role in performance. Ms Jacqueline Mercieca, Drama Teacher During our first Term Drama lessons we have been studying and performing Monologues. Monologues are long speeches in films and plays. Monologues are usually long and compli-cated, so it requires a lot of effort and time to memorise and perfect. It can be frightening to perform in front of an audi-ence but the whole experience is made much easier by Miss Mercieca’s teaching which is very interesting, comprehensi-ble and overall entertaining. Darcy Carroll, Drama Student Year 12 HSC Drama Year 12 Drama are shifting into HSC mode by working hard on their Individual Performances. All students have selected Monologue as their performance piece and have begun writ-ing scripts and gathering ideas. These choices have come on the back of watching some of the top HSC performances in the state at an excursion to “OFFSTAGE ‘earlier in the year with many students being directly influenced by what they saw on stage. Ms Jacqueline Mercieca, Drama Teacher “OFFSTAGE helped us to understand how the styles we have learnt are used in performance and what the top stu-dents in drama are expected to do. It also gave us an idea of what you have to do to get one of the top marks in the school and maybe even in state” Aku Makki Students will begin to bring their performance choices to life in coming weeks with scripts due shortly after the holidays. Their focus will then move to their second major project for the year; the Group Performance piece. Some of the Group Performances we saw helped us to understand some ele-ments of performance such as unison and how the actors work together in their Group Performances. The perfor-mances we saw were excellent and helped us to add ideas to our own performances.” Nathan Segavcic and Aku Makki

Bring It On Dance Bring it On is a hip-hop dance competition. This is an extra-curricular activity that students can register to participate in regardless of their level of dance ability. The activity is su-pervised by teaching staff but is entirely run by the students. From selecting music, choreographing and teaching sets and routines through to developing staging and selecting cos-tumes, the senior students work cooperatively to develop a 5- minute routine. Under the guidance of a mentor provided from the Bring It On organisation the students develop lead-ership skills as well as the ability to build rapport within the team. This year the team consists of students from Years 7, 8, 9, 11 and 12 with a large percentage of senior students. The team have been rehearsing after school weekly and have completed a large component of the routine. The heats will be held on Saturday 24th June at Stanhope Leisure Centre.


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Creative Arts We have had a great start to the year in Visual Arts and Pho-tography with students looking at artists that have “made a difference,” reflecting our College theme for 2017. Analys-ing environmental artists or ones that have informed people of the plight of the refugees. During the school Christmas holidays, we had four students exhibit their artworks at The Blacktown Art show. Jamie Lopez, Darcy Brettle and Jamie Murray displayed their envi-ronmental paintings. Russell Guevara exhibited his sculptural Kookaburra made from wooden pegs. The curators of the show were very ex-cited and made positive comments about the student’s art-works and the boys were excited to exhibit their works in the local community. The Year 12 students have all started their major works and they are using lots of various materials including photog-raphy, painting, ceramics, sculpture and drawing. Year 7 are very excited to be working in our state of the art facilities and they have all started to experiment with various materials and creative writing. Year 8 are exploring the “Under The Sea,” theme and using clay to produce three-dimensional artworks. Year 9 have been explor ing still life ar t and the ar tistic practices of Pablo Picasso. They are about to start printmak-ing using Lino Tiles. Year 10 have researched Chr isto and Andy Goldswor thy and are very excited to create their own site specific sculp-tures. Ms Gretel Collison, Creative Arts Coordinator

Creative Arts Special Feature


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Year 11 Visual Arts Interview with Russell Guevara Describe the current artworks you are working on at the moment? I am creating a bike sculpture made from wire and a 2D art-work from ink and A4 paper. I mainly used one medium for the wired bike sculpture and used only black and white ink for the 2D artwork. What part of art do you find most enjoyable? I enjoy experimenting with different techniques to accom-plish the tasks. To find something that I like in art and test different ideas is what I find most enjoyable. Describe your art style. I like to create simple yet deep artworks that have a concept. My style has simple colours and designs, I want people to see different perspectives when looking at my artworks. Interview with Prabhjeet Singh Describe the current artworks you are working on at the moment? In class we are working on our assignment, on the topic of objects in art with the use of mixed media and printmaking techniques. What part of art do you find most enjoyable? The most enjoyable part of this assignment is getting to learn new forms of art which in this case is lino printing. Describe your art style I like sketching cartoons and drawing in a realistic way. Sometimes I do pencil shading which gives my artwork a 3D style and makes it stand out and feel amazing. Interview with Isaac Hogan Describe the artworks you are working on at the moment? The current art work that I am working on is a mixed medi-um piece centred around the theme of “The Bike” and how it is a piece of technology that has “travelled” through time (pun intended). This artwork is composed of the Physical media such as lino prints and wire sculptures, as well as dig-ital imaging, graphics and photography. What part of art do you find most enjoyable? I'm sure if you ask any art student they will always say that the practical part of art is the most enjoyable of the class, but I thoroughly enjoy all the art theory and art study that we do in class. Learning about the context behind certain art move-ments and any connotations and messages that are behind them. As well as this, studying famous artists and what moti-vated them to create their iconic artworks is fascinating. Describe your art style My art style consists of digital image editing and modifica-tion on software like Adobe Photoshop, usually working with my wacom bamboo tablet to edit and draw digitally. But I also enjoy pencil and paper sketching from life.


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Aim High Launch Our targeted high achievers for 2017 and their respective mentors met recently to launch the 2017 Aim High Program. We look forward to their growth in confidence and development. Pictured are some of the students and their mentors.


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Students additionally have access to the HSC Hub which provides them with extra video lessons to help them consolidate understanding of knowledge and concepts. During the Term they will have access to tutorials run by teachers at the school that will support their physical and mental well-being. The program aims to make sure that students set themselves high expectations but that their experience of the HSC is a positive one. The most important aspect of preparing for the HSC is that students remain positive, focus on their strengths and remain motivated and energised. The aim is for boys to attain their goals and for personal growth and well-being to be maintained, not to be overshadowed by the inevitable stresses of the HSC. Congratulations to the following boys for being selected for Aim High: Christopher Addison, David Alam, Sidney Alcantara, Anshul Arora, Noorpal Babrah, Bailey Broom, Thomas Cowan, Ruel de Guia, Jonathan Espinas, Cheran Ganesan, Malvin Khan, Lachlan Kellam, Marwin Manlangit, Jonathan Mifsud, Adrian Morelli, Eddisson Munoz, Navil Nadan, Brandon Nour, Rameez Parkar, Anthony Pecora, Kiano Pomento, Senthil Ra-havan, Robbie Singh, Brock Sperinck, Arshdeeep Thind, Zach Thompson, Haile Zabala, Zachary Zapata, Nicholas Zay. Thank you to the following staff members who have generously given of their time to mentor these students: Mr Colm McCaughan, Mr Jim Prendergast, Mrs Danuta Paton, Mrs Krista Erenavula, Mrs Zorica Bicanic, Mr Chris Duffy, Ms Natalie Collins, Ms Irene Netos, Ms Jaimee Bocasan, Mr Alan Dadisho, Mrs Tania Hogan, Ms Alyssa Magno, Mrs Marie Lane, Ms Jessica Fleming, Mrs Courtney Spencer, Mrs Manuela Lavaselli, Mr David Walker, Mr Ben Miller and Ms Melissa Luppino.


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Congratulations Delany College Delany College, Granville, once Patrician Brothers' High School, Granville, was established in 1942 with three Broth-ers teaching together in an old church. One of those Broth-ers, then Br Vincent, now Mr Leo Budin, is still alive and in his nineties. Granville was the Brothers' first step into the western suburbs of Sydney, before that our schools were all over the state of New South Wales and in the city of Sydney. Ryde, nineteen kilometres west of the Sydney CBD was as far west as we went before 1942 and Granville. Sixty Broth-ers have ministered in the school - including two members of the CLT – and one still does: Br Charles Barry since 1995. The school was the first Patrician school in Sydney to go co-educational - John Paul II Senior High School (1981) was established as a co-educational school. And for many years it was the school to beat in most sporting arenas. In 1997 the school became a senior high school, it became co-educational, and it took on the name Delany College in hon-our of our founder Bishop Daniel Delany. The Principal to-day is Mr Robert Muscat. Delany College is the eighth oldest school in the world still calling itself Patrician. On St Patrick's Day the college cele-brated its birthday with a Eucharist at the Parramatta Cathe-dral. Br Peter Ryan was present - Provincial Br Paul O'Keeffe was in PNG - and eight other Brothers. Guest of honour was Mr Leo Budin who as a young Br Vincent was one of the Patrician three who composed the founding staff of 1942. Br Charles Barry gave a short history of the college and Br Peter spoke on the Patrician charism using “iPhone” as an acronym to explain the essential elements of a charism. The main celebrant was once Granville parish priest Fr Paul Roberts and once Granville student Fr Bob Bossini. Delany College 75th Anniversary Address by Br Peter Ryan, Congregational Leader of the Patrician Brothers Fr Roberts, Fr Bossini, Mr Muscat, staff/students/parents/friends of Delany College especially honoured guest Mr Leo Budin. Charism comes from the Greek word ‘charis’ which means ‘a distinctive special gift’. The English words charisma and charismatic are derived from it. The media often uses these words when describing outstanding sport stars, actors, sing-ers and comedians because of a unique gift they have to bring passion and joy into our lives. In his letters, St Paul applied the word charism to the first Christians. He wanted them to appreciate that they were ‘gifted people’ and well able to share the liberating good news of Jesus who was ris-en and with them in a new and mysterious way. Today St Paul’s words apply to all of us. Each one of us can grow and share our personal charism for helping others be-come aware of God’s great love for every human being. When enough people share a common purpose for long enough, like the Patrician Brothers or the Delany College Community, they develop a certain way of doing things. The style and behaviour become a charism for their project and is passed on from one generation to the next as if it were a community DNA. It is usual for us to first feel a charism working before we can describe it. An iPhone provides a helpful mnemonic for describing the Patrician charism that is alive in Delany Col-lege. An outstanding example of Patrician charism or ‘way of doing things’ evident in Delany College Community is the huge number of hampers produced at Christmas for St Vin-cent de Paul Society to give to needy families. Your commit-ment to this activity year after year shows all the characteris-

tics I have mentioned. May the greatest blessing of this 75th Anniversary year be that you continue to enrich your life and the lives of others with it. Congratulations Delany College. God bless all of you.

I Individual

Respect for individual dignity, Christ in the heart of everyone; no matter one’s background, no one invisible / overlooked

P Partner-ship

Community builders, families, teach-ers, students, friendship, hospitality, involvement, welcome others especial-ly newcomers, perseverance – the long haul, multi-cultural, multi-faith

H Humility

from “humus” – Latin for ground; grounded / down to earth, respecting earth, live with gratitude, admit mis-takes, receive & give forgiveness, may-be small but with potential

O Oppor-tunity

Create opportunities for good to hap-pen, clear the roadblocks to full life - grow healthy body, mature mind, depth of soul, keep space for God, grow soul by – Bible, Worship, Sacraments, Pray-er

N Need

Recognise needs and do something; the person next to you - God has no hands but yours – attitude of service, against injustice

E Education

For ALL, based on good relationships, “know us before you show us, reach us before you teach us”; Excellence = achieve personal best not competition


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Year 7 Patrician Induction Day

Recently a group of Year 7 students participated in the Year 7 Patrician Day, held at All Saints Catholic College, Liver-pool. This significant event enabled Year 7 students from the Patrician linked schools to come together and explore the Patrician story through a range of activities. The day also allowed students to experience what it means to be part of a larger Patrician community. We found out about the other four Patrician schools: Delany College, Patrician Brothers’ College, Fairfield, Holy Cross College, Ryde and All Saints Catholic College, Liverpool. During the day All Saints peer support leaders helped with the activities and hospitality. We particularly enjoyed “Make a Patrician school chal-lenge”, where groups made up of students from all five

schools, designed a school which had all the features of our Patrician Schools. This was the best day ever! Damien Sinha, 7C14, Agam Gujral, 7C17 and Sahil Singh, 7C12 The Year 7 Patrician Induction day was a great opportunity to learn about the Patrician linked schools. The day started with a liturgy in which all the schools banners were dis-played with their school candles. After the liturgy we took part in many activities. We particularly liked the People Bingo where we shared information about our College and learnt about the other Patrician schools. We thought the day was great and we hope to have opportunities like this again. Pavithran Visakeswaran, 7C14, Logan Pillay, 7C18 and Jack Cadorin, 7C15 We had a great time meeting and getting to know Year 7 students from the other Patrician schools from across Syd-ney. It was really good meeting some of the Patrician Broth-ers, especially those who were former students, like us at Patrician Brothers’ College, Blacktown. We enjoyed the activity were we had to form groups and make human statues. We really enjoyed the day and had lots of fun. Jonathan Miranda, 7C13, Aiden Portugal, 7C11 and Matthew Wormleaton, 7C18 We really enjoyed learning about the history of the Patrician Brothers and Bishop Daniel Delany. The activity we liked the best was finding out about the other schools by going around and asking their students questions about their schools history and Patrician symbols. Making our own Pa-trician school, was very interesting, with many groups choosing to build their school in an under-developed coun-try. Just as the Patrician Brothers have been doing in recent years. Marjan Khan, 7C17, Gerard Abadines, 7C11 and Ira Manas, 7C13

Our Year 7 boys pictured below with Br Aengus Kavanagh dur ing the Patr ician

Induction Day held at All Saints College Liverpool.


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Upcoming formation events for young students and staff Bishop Vincent and Catholic Youth Parramatta have again extended an invitation to our staff, students and their fami-lies to participate in this year’s youth oriented Diocesan Len-ten events. Palm Sunday Youth Celebration The traditional Palm Sunday Youth Celebration will be held on the 9 April 2017. Palm Sunday is the day established by Saint John Paul II in 1985 as International World Youth Day. Pope Francis has imbued the spiritual journey of the next three World Youth Days with a clear Marian tone with this year’s theme taken from Our Lady’s canticle of praise in St. Luke’s gospel - “The Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is His Name.” (1:49) There will be an exciting event in the Cathedral precinct following the evening Mass which will launch our prepara-tions towards the Australian Catholic Youth Festival, the Year of Youth and World Youth Day Panama 2019. Dress: Smart casual. Students and teachers are encouraged to wear CYP branded clothing where possible. Banners: Schools are asked to bring their school banner and to have students walk behind it. Date: Sunday 7 April 2017 Program: 5.00pm Gathering in front of Parramatta Town Hall (182 Church Street) 5.15pm Procession along Church St concluding at St Patrick’s Cathedral (1 Marist Place) 6.00pm Mass 7.00pm CYP event and BBQ Good Friday Night Walk The Good Friday Night Walk continues to be one of the most successful youth events of the Parramatta diocese. Par-ticipants walk from St Patrick’s Church Blacktown, to St Patrick’s Cathedral, Parramatta making stops along the way at the parishes of Seven Hills, Toongabbie, Wentworthville and Merrylands. The walk itself begins at 10.00pm on Good Friday evening and should reach the Cathedral by 7.00am the following morning. There will be refreshment/ bathroom breaks along the way. Date: Friday 14 / Saturday 15 April 2017 Program: 10.00pm Leave St Patrick's Church (59 Al lawah Street Blacktown) 7.00am Walk concludes at St Patrick’s Cathe dral (1 Marist Place Parramatta) Enquiries: Steven Buhagiar, 0415 600 290 or sbuha [email protected] I thank you for your support of these important youth initia-tives of the Diocese of Parramatta. Gregory B Whitby, Executive Director of Schools Catholic Education Diocese of Parramatta Library Update

Premier’s Reading Challenge An invitation is extended to students wishing to take part in the Premier’s Reading Challenge. The Challenge has begun but there is still plenty of time left. Please see Mrs Forrest if you would like to take participate. Homework Centre The Homework Centre in 2017 is thriving, with numbers exceeding our 2016 records. I often stop and watch in awe at our amazing, hardworking and vibrant learning communi-ty! If you haven’t come along, you are missing out! Put it on your list of things to do in Term 2. Here are some of our students’ thoughts It is an exceptional way to extend your learning as teachers take the time to work extra hours for the benefit of students. Saheel Balram, Year 11 There are always teachers there to help. Jordan Miller, Year 8 Teachers are willing to help you with whatever you need and provide us with devices to do our assignments and work. There is always a helping hand for homework. Frankie Zaccheo, Year 8 It is a safe environment where students can gain insight from teachers as well as have a quiet and technologically ad-vanced place to work. Isaac Hogan, Year 11 It helps you to catch up on work and if you need help there are teachers everywhere. Jesua Arispe, Year 7 I choose to attend Homework Centre because it provides me with extra opportunities to advance my learning, connect with my peers and teachers. Firini Ampli, Year 11 It is a great opportunity to use technology and complete any work needed to be done. Teachers are also present and they assist us too. At Homework Centre, you are always deter-mined to do work and you are not distracted. Today, at Homework Centre, some of my peers used the silent study room to record a video for PDHPE. Harkirat Singh, Year 8 It is a fantastic study environment. Teachers across all sub-jects are available and are more than happy to assist. Max Timpanaro, Year 11 It is a wonderful opportunity to do your homework in the presence of teachers. You can ask them questions or even do your homework with them. There is also a raffle which gives you a chance to win lunch from the Sports Canteen and chocolates. You can also read books. That’s why I like Homework Centre. Joshua Pinto, Year 7 Careers Update HSC Careers Expo 2017 is the biggest Careers and Educa-tion event in New South Wales. Exhibitors include providers of HSC Resources, Universities, TAFE and training colleges PLUS 100’s of seminars on HSC subjects, tertiary courses, career, gap year and study advice. Held at the Royal Hall of Industries, Moore Park from Thursday 1st June – Sunday 4th June. Go to hscandcareers.com.au or contact Resources for Cours-es on 1300 190 290 Mrs Vikki Forrest, Teacher Librarian

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Open Night - a huge success. Well over 1,000 people in attendance! Positions for our Year 7, 2018 cohort will be hotly contested!


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From the Director of Studies Important Changes to NAPLAN Commonwealth, State and Territory Education Ministers have agreed that the annual NAPLAN tests will move from pen and paper to online testing from 2017, with full partici-pation by all Australian schools by 2019. NSW schools will start their transition to NAPLAN Online later this year by participating in an online practice of the technology or a ‘readiness test’. This readiness test will be held in August and September. A Stronger HSC To help support high school students achieve their best, the Higher School Certificate (HSC) is being reformed. The changes are designed to help motivate and challenge stu-dents to achieve at their highest possible level, reduce exces-sive stress and give students more skills and career options. The reform will create stronger HSC standards by focusing on: - minimum literacy and numeracy standards - updating the curriculum (in progress) - streamlining assessment Year 9 2017 is the first cohort that now need to achieve Band 8 in the NAPLAN tests. It is important that students try their very best to meet this objective. Practice tests will be conducted during Week 1 of Term 2, so that students can identify their challenges. Assessment Task Submission A reminder to parents that Year 10, 11 and 12 students have been issued with assessment handbooks that detail the proce-dure to follow when absent or encountering a misadventure. Applying for an extension will alleviate any anxiety when submitting tasks that are late. It is important that boys learn to submit work on time but in the case of misadventure or illness they have a safeguard and can deal with any issues without it impacting on their final grade. Mrs Danuta Paton Job Vacancy - Networking, Media, Projects - Christian-Muslim Relations The Columban Mission Institute, formerly in North Tur-ramurra, Strathfield (2005-2014) and currently North Syd-ney (2014-2017) is closing in October 2017. While the Columban Mission Institute will close, the Columbans in Sydney will continue to contribute to the missionary aposto-late in various ways through other institutes. For example, the Columbans are committed to continue the Christian-Muslim apostolate - to build on the relations we have established, to promote better understanding be-tween Christians and Muslims, and to promote interfaith among young people through Youth PoWR (Parliament of the World’s Religions). To this end, with Bishop Vincent’s approval, we will be taking up the offer of an office in the Institute for Mission in Blacktown. Since we are moving to Blacktown, it could be ideal for a young person living in that area, someone committed to the faith, with leadership and media skills, interested in contrib-uting to this important dimension of the church’s mission. This position, for Networking, Media & Projects Officer at the Columban Mission Institute’s Centre for Christian-Muslim Relations, is advertised at Catholic Jobs Online job-search service: https://catholicjobsonline.com.au/jobs/networkingmedia-projects-officer-centre-for-christian-muslim-relations/ Apply via e-mail as per the detailed instructions to [email protected]. Rev Dr Patrick McInerney, Columban Mission Institute

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Winter Uniform Blazers are in stock! A reminder that in Term 2 we com-mence with our winter uniform. Project Compassion 2017

Patrician Brothers’ College Blacktown has made an excellent effort to continue to raise funds for Project Compassion. The focus for Week 2 of Lent is Nguyet from Vi-etnam. Nguyet lives with a severe disability, and has suffered isolation in her native Vietnam as a result. A Caritas-supported pro-gram offered her education, creative outlets and much needed community interac-tion. In a small town in Vietnam, a severe disability kept young Nguyet behind closed doors. Constrained by the high demands of her condition, her parents were also isolated from their neighbours. There is a high level of disability in Vi-etnam, particularly as a leg-acy of war, but little support for families whose children have disabilities. People with disability have poorer health outcomes, lower edu-cational achievements, low-

er economic participation and higher rates of poverty than people without disability. The future seemed bleak for the whole family, until Ngu-yet’s family became participants in a program supported by Caritas Australia. A neighbour kindly introduced the family to the Capacity Building for Parent Associations Supporting Children with Disabilities program, which has given them support on several levels. The neighbour, a teacher, has been able to offer Nguyet home-based education, and there is capacity building for her parents and others in the same situation, through their local Parents’ Association. At Association meetings, Nguyet’s mother has been able to increase her skills for managing her daughter’s condition and share her experiences with other parents of children with disabilities. Nguyet has learnt to read and write and better manage her physical needs, and her creative gifts have been unlocked. Now she is increasingly engaging with her neighbours, and she and her parents are more confident about her future. Students at Patrician Brothers' College, with the help of their Homeroom teachers, have been collecting donations each morning and so far this has raised $3,436.35. With the fund-raising through Pancake Day, the total money currently sits at $4451.25! Thank you to everyone for your generosity - you are truly making a difference in the lives of others. You can donate through the Project Compassion boxes, by visiting www.caritas.org.au/projectcompassion or phoning 1800 024 413. Ms Jessica Fleming

Bob Egan Electrical Domestic, commercial and industrial Contact Bob Egan ’an old boy of PBCB’ Phone: 9626 5951 Mobile: 0418251094

UNIFORM SHOP Located next to school office

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Thursday 8.30am - 3.45pm

Five Star Shuttles – Transfers Made Easy Airport and Cruise Transfers Contact: Tony Saba, Director

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Documents

7 April, 2017 Term 1 Issue 4 Soccer, Rd5 Rugby League, Rd1 27 April NAPLAN Trials CSDA Debating, Rd 1, 28 April MCS Soccer, Rd6 Rugby League, Rd2 4 May CSDA Debating, Rd 2, 5 May NAPLAN