2023 is a year already filled with promise – for the first time since 2019, the year has started not disrupted by COVID, allowing the plethora of activities and gatherings to continue at pace at the start of our College year.

Our staff have had a week of professional learning prior to our students returning and they were excited to see our students back at the College on Monday.

At our Welcome Back assembly at the start of this week, I reminded our students of the importance of making the most of the opportunities that you have. We are lucky to have the resources and support that we do at our College and it is up to them to embrace those opportunities and make the most of them.  Please encourage your children to take advantage of the extra-curricular activities that are available, seek out new challenges, and don't be afraid to ask for help when they need it.

I also spoke about the value of respect and maintaining high standards. We have high expectations of our students at the College. For our students, this also means working hard, being committed to their studies, and striving to be the best versions of themselves. At our College, we work together to create a positive and inclusive learning environment, where everyone is respected, where opportunities are seized, and where high standards are upheld.

Over this past Christmas holiday period, our Grounds and Maintenance team have done some refurbishment work across the College. These projects include the 6 x Junior School classrooms to include outdoor learning spaces, a new nature playground for Years 4 - 6, four new flexible learning spaces, a new Year 12 Hub, our Uniform Shop has been refurbished, and our Gym is about 80% complete now and we are waiting excitedly for the equipment to arrive. 

Each year our teaching staff build skills of leadership as well as teaching the curriculum. I reminded our students that it is through participation in these activities, and in trying new things that they develop their capacity to lead and influence others. Importantly, it is critical to view our students as leaders of tomorrow, with them being given opportunities to take responsibility and positions of leadership from a very early stage – from our youngest students leading the way in the playground and with friendships, to our Senior students who have roles that are more formally recognised. Remember that engaging in the life of the school community supports successful development as a life-long learner and as a positive participant in our wider community.

As we finish our first week back at the College with our Year 12 Induction ceremony, I look forward to seeing you on our Campus this year.

Joanne Sheehy | Principal

The first week of the 2023 school year at A.B. Paterson College has been full of students sharing tales of their holidays, excitement for the year ahead, and, perhaps most significantly for our Year 12 cohort, celebration as they were formally inducted as Seniors of the College at the Senior Induction Ceremony on Friday morning. It was wonderful for our entire College and invited parents to witness our Year 12 students accepting their Senior Badges from Principal Ms Joanne Sheehy and a very proud moment for each individual student as they crossed the stage. This important event in our calendar signifies the transition of our Year 12 cohort into their final year at the College and formally acknowledges them as leaders of our student body.

After our College Captain, Naia-Rae Fenton, led her peers in the Senior Pledge, each student received their badge and signed the Senior Register. This register is the same one that all Year 12 students have signed at their Senior Induction Ceremony since the College’s inception and represents each student’s acknowledgement of the duties and responsibilities they agree to undertake as a member of the Senior Cohort.

In the Principal’s address, Ms Sheehy urged our 2023 Seniors to reflect on their values and beliefs and to ensure that their values form the basis for which they make all decisions and actions. During the College Captain’s address, Naia-Rae Fenton spoke of how important it is to stop and appreciate the people, opportunities, passion and challenges that the cohort will face throughout the year and how the cohort’s mission is to ‘continue honouring the legacies of past cohorts, ensuring we do so in a way that allows us to pave the way for our own. There are many things we hope to achieve, but above all else, our vision is to foster a sense of unity and inclusivity that encourages everyone to appreciate and participate in every opportunity offered in 2023’.   

In response, Year 11 student, Isabelle Doo, offered words of encouragement and support and to ‘use every day to its fullest potential, collect memories and strengthen your bonds, and never forget the difference each of you are capable of making’. Year 6 student, Javier Segui, reminded the Year 12 cohort that they are all leaders and each and every student in the Junior school looks up to them, hoping they can be as inspiring and special.

This formal occasion not only celebrated the induction of our current Year 12 Cohort as seniors of the College, but also the successes of our recent graduates with the presentation of the Mark Power medals. The Mark Power medal is awarded to graduating students who receive an ATAR of 98.85 or greater and this year we are very proud to award the Mark Power medal to three students from the 2022 cohort: Ahmed Iqbal, Jared Tang and Charles Morris.

The Year 12 cohort entered the DMPC this morning as students of the College, and as they exited through the centre aisle, they left the DMPC as inducted Seniors of A.B. Paterson College. On behalf of the entire College community, we wish our newly inducted Seniors the very best on their journey this year.

Charlotte Brook | Head of Senior School

English Head of Faculty, Anne Wood, attended the Out of the Ordinary: On Poetry and the World conference at the University of Canberra and presented a paper titled “What happened to poetry writing in the senior secondary curriculum in Queensland?”

This conference was a three-day event, held to investigate poetry’s relationship to the everyday and the extraordinary. The event proved to be a wonderful experience for Ms Wood as she shared her ideas and heard from many notable poets.

Congratulations to Year 12 student and Baseball star, Jake Calver, for his role and success as part of the U18 QLD team at the 2023 Australian Youth Baseball Championships.

This was a 10-day tournament where the U18 QLD team won gold for the first time since 2014. Claiming the title of National Champions.

Jake had a wonderful tournament and played an integral role in the outfield and batting line up. His consistent performances at the plate and centre field were commended.

Congratulations to Year 3 student, Siegfried Perez and Year 7 student, Sigrid Perez for the hard work and talent displayed during the 2022 Gold Coast Fencing Academy (Future Olympians Cup).

Siegfried was successfully named Champion – Foil and Sigrid, 1st runner up - Foil.

The College looks forward to following these young athletes future fencing pursuits.

Year 6 student, Lucas Liu, recently did a fantastic job working with the Animal Welfare League Queensland to create their 2022 Christmas Appeal video series.

Click here to watch the video series.

He creatively and talentedly used his voice to portray the thoughts and feelings of Roofus perfectly.

Congratulations Lucas, you are incredibly talented and your willingness to contribute to such a worthy cause helped to make a difference in saving the lives of animals in need.

Congratulations to Samantha Smithers of Year 10 who was selected by Queensland Cricket to compete at the Australian National Cricket for Girls U16.

The competition was held in Canberra in the second week of January where Queensland came fourth in the competition.

Congratulations to Year 9 student, Dinuki Indiketiya, who was recently awarded a bronze medal at the Junior (Under 20's) Queensland State Fencing Championships in the Women's Epee category.

Dinuki's hard work has certainly paid off and we can't wait to see what she achieves next.

Nathan Burgess | Director of Activities

For a comprehensive co-curricular program listing including sports, performing arts, instrumental and other programs, please view the current A.B. Paterson College Co-Curricular Directory.

Co-Curricular Directory 2023

Registrations for the 2023 Netball season are now open.

For more information or to register, please check out the College website page 
A.B. Paterson College | Netball Club (abpat.qld.edu.au)
or please email
netballclubregistrar@abpat.qld.edu.au.