The Season of Advent

By Mrs Liz Illingworth, Principal
ADVENT - EXPECTANT WAITING, HOPEFUL ANTICIPATION AND JOYFUL WAITING
As a Catholic community we have now entered the season of Advent. We celebrated the first Sunday of Advent last week.
Advent is a time of preparation - a time of joyful celebration preparing for Christmas. Over the four Sundays of Advent we celebrate Hope, Peace, Joy and Love. If each of these four celebrations were front and centre in our lives during December, I am sure we would enter Christmas relaxed and ready for the birth of Jesus, and full of gratitude for what we have.
This time of year is also a time where we can acknowledge that many in our local and national communities are struggling. Thank you to all our families who have supported our Vinnies Christmas Hamper Appeal. This is just one way each of us are able to practise our College value of Social Justice, by giving to others. Thank you to staff and students who have packed our hampers to ensure that they make their way to Vinnies ready for distribution.
CELEBRATION AND REFLECTION
As the academic year draws to a close, we have much to celebrate. We are looking forward to welcoming all in our St Patrick’s College community to our End of Year Mass and Graduation Ceremony on Tuesday 12 December commencing at 6:30pm. This is an opportunity to celebrate all that is St Patrick’s College and a time to reflect on the accomplishments and challenges that we have encountered during 2023. All students in Years 7-12 are expected to attend and sit in their Tutor Group.
It is always a great pleasure to celebrate our students and their amazing talents and achievements. The Launceston Catholic School's End of Year Concert held on Thursday, 23 November was such an event. I was amazed to witness the progress students made from the early stages of the Instrumental Music Program to the magnificent performances of our Senior Bands.
Congratulations to our Music Award recipients, Ashlee Cherry and Jackson Wright for Service to Music, and to Cameron Cook for Outstanding Achievement in Music.
Thank you and congratulations to our Music Captains for 2023, Ashlee Cherry and Imogen Williams, who have been exceptional over the year, and to all our staff and parents/guardians who have contributed to this successful program and evening.
A number of our Year 7/8 and Year 9/10 students recently participated in the Regional High School Basketball Championships and performed exceptionally well. Of our eight teams, six played in the Grand Final and four teams will represent the College in the State Finals this coming weekend - we wish them all the best.
2024
We look forward to welcoming students in Year 7, 9, 11 and 12 on Wednesday 7 February, and Year 8 and 10 students on Thursday 8 February, 2024.
Please note: Metro 'School Special' buses will not begin operating until Thursday 8 February 2024.
I would like to take this opportunity in our final Newsletter to wish you all a safe, happy and holy Christmas.