Phoenix - Term 2 2022
Acknowledgement of Country
The Ignatius Park College Community would like to humbly acknowledge the Wulgurukaba peoples on whose land our College is located, as well as the Bindal peoples on whose land many of us live and travel across daily. We respectfully thank the elders of this traditional land both past and present for guiding us through the journey of time to where we are today. This spiritual and cultural journey is significant in allowing the freedoms our society has today. As a community we reflect on the history of Australia and its First Nations peoples and ask all elders to guide us to a promising and enriching future. As a community we will continue to develop our minds to be respectful and learn from Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islanders as well as all people who make up this country of Australia.
From the Principal
Dear Alumni of IPC,
Welcome to our second edition for the year. I hope that you continue to find this magazine as a way of remaining connected with the College. As the world continues to find new ways of allowing people to remain connected, our possibilities are ever expanding. As a college, we will continue to make use of these possibilities, while being very conscious that our college now includes people whose connection to the school was many years ago and like me, prefer the opportunity to read a traditional form of communication, albeit one that is now available online.
This term, while Shaun Clarke has been on leave, I have been Acting Principal at the College. While I have been at the College for 7 years now, it is certainly a different view from the principal’s office. I have certainly enjoyed the opportunity to observe and be part of the many of the bigger activities at the school this term.
Unfortunately, along with the rest of the world, we have continued to be frustrated by the effects of Covid this term. Commentators are starting to refer to a new reality that the virus is forcing on the world. I am not sure about that and those of you older and wiser than me would be able to reflect that there has been other times in recent history where things have been disrupted, as much, if not more, than what we are experiencing now. Maybe we will look back on the last few years in a future edition of this journal as a minor bump in the history of the College.
What I do see is the capacity for our staff and students to adapt to the changing nature of the school year. We have had cancellations and postponements, staff unavailable and classes disrupted. But we are still going and moving forward.
It has certainly been good to re-start many of the activities that make the college different in our community, the sport, the community service programs, the parent involvement. There has been a number of highlights.
- Our first face to face full parent/teacher interviews in two years.
- The inter-house cross country (although delayed by rain – in Townsville in late April!).
- The annual celebration of Edmund Rice Day.
- The various football codes starting up their school competitions.
- The combined Schools’ Musical production of Beauty & the Beast with a number of our boys stealing the show (I am probably being a bit parochial on that point).
- Grandparents’ Day which we celebrated with the grandparents of our newest students.
There has been much to celebrate in the midst of all the wider world concerns.
At a school leadership level, Term 2 is the time when many of our enrolments for the following year come in. Already in Year 7 this year, we have a large number of boys whose fathers are old boys of the college. As we finalize our enrolments for next year, I am regularly speaking to fathers who are also old boys enrolling their sons for next year. It is very satisfying to see and gives us a great sense of family at the school.
John Doolan | Acting Principal
UPDATE ON THE LEARNING RESOURCE CENTRE
The Ignatius Park College library has served generations of students in its present location since the College opened in 1969. Over the years, it has been a central part of the school. During that time, the College has grown and the needs and purpose of a school library have changed and as much as possible, that space has been re-configured and new technology and facilities have been added. However, the space struggles in size and capability to meet the contemporary needs of students.
Thankfully as this newsletter goes into publication, the construction of the College’s new Learning Resource Centre is well underway. This facility will allow students to engage with learning opportunities in a spacious two story stand-alone building. The centre is the first major project at the College since the construction of the John Fisher Building (also known as the Year 7 Building) in 2015. It will not only provide up-to-date technology in an inviting environment with students but has been constructed to anticipate the future learning needs of students in the 21st Century. Opening of this new centre is expected in early Term 4.
The final stages of our Learning Resource Centre redevelopment will be a continuation of a walking trail from the Edmund Rice statue to a yarning circle situated near the pool entrance car park. The trail will meander through a landscape garden between the new Learning Resource Centre and Ross River Road. Like the bricks around the Edmund Rice statue there will be an opportunity for members of our College community to have names placed on bricks of students who have attended Iggy Park over the past 53 years. This includes current students. Each brick is $50.00 and includes the name of the student and the year they commenced at the College. It is planned to have the trail completed at the end of the year. Orders can be placed via the below link.
Take this opportunity to immortalise your name as part of the history of Iggy Park.
Central Queensland Rowing Regatta
Over the holidays the College took 35 students down to a chilly Rockhampton Fitzroy River for the Central Queensland Schools Rowing Regatta. Competing against 10 other schools we're pleased to have placed 3rd in the entire regatta with a very impressive medals tally of 17!!!
6 GOLD
5 SILVER
6 BRONZE
Rowing is a co-curricular sport that was introduced at Iggy Park in the early 2000’s. Although only a small number of students represented the College in crews within the founding years, the sport has continued to grow throughout the years. The College now has four rowing boats and over 35 students who are committed to this sport and have represented the College at regattas at both the state and national level. It is a sport that requires so much more than its physicality. It requires the rowers to work as a team, as the boat is only as fast as the weakest rower, it is never about the individual, it is always about the crew to row as one, committed to each other through to the finish line. This takes great character and grow’s awesome young men. The sport has continued to grow with the support of both dedicated parents and coaches who are committed to this sport. Iggy Park has now become a highly recognised College in rowing.
If there are any old boys who have a vested intereste in Rowing and would like to contriubte to our program, please reach out to Alix Harrington at the College. Alix.Harrington@ipc.qld.edu.au
Our Rowers would love your support.
CQ Rowing Regatta
First XIII Rugby League - Confraternity Carnival
Ignatius Park College stamped itself as the modern powerhouse of the Confraternity Shield as it stormed to victory over host school St Patrick’s College, Mackay.
Ignatius Park’s 32-0 win, in front of a crowd of 5000 people at BB Print Stadium in Mackay, was its sixth Confraternity Shield victory in the last 10 years.
Steven Lansley said, “Our college really enjoys playing in this carnival. The players buy into camp here and they don’t want to let each other down. Almost all of these players have been together at the college for many years, so they are genuine mates.
“We are very open with the fact that Confraternity Carnival is our biggest target of the year. We start planning in January so it’s satisfying to see it all come together for the boys today.”
The team put on a dominating display throughout the carnival going undefeated and only having 10 points scored against them.
Round Games:
Game 1: Iggy Park Vs Aquinas College 40 – 0
Game 2: Iggy Park Vs Marist College Ashgrove 36 – 0
Game 3: Iggy Park Vs St Augustine’s College CNS 42 – 0
Semi’s:
Game 4: Iggy Park Vs Iona College 30 - 4
Game 5: Iggy Park Vs St Brendan’s College 12 – 6
Grand Final:
Game 6: Iggy Park Vs St Patrick’s College Mackay 32 – 0
Ignatius Park’s Henry Teutau was awarded player of the Final and Jamal Shibasaki taking out player of the Carnival. Ignatius Park was also rewarded for their performances at Confraternity Carnival with 4 players selected in the 2022 Queensland Independent Secondary Schools Rugby League honorary representative team:
Teke Mene - Year 12
Henry Teatau - Year 12
Jamal Shibasaki - Year 12
Elijah Joe - Year 12
The boys are not ready to hang their footy boys up just yet this year. The Aaron Payne Cup continues to playout with Ignatius Park College hosting a home game on 20th July against St Pats Mackay. We welcome all Iggy Park old boys to join us for this home game and an invitation will be send in due course.
Keep up to date with all the Iggy park footy action on IPC socials and our website.
2022 Confraternity
Old Boy's Week
Ignatius Park College would like to invite Old Boys from all over Australia to be a part of our annual ‘Old Boys Week’. This is an opportunity which several old boys supported last year, and we are hoping for this to grow again in 2022. The week involves Old boys sharing their schooling and post-schooling experiences with the current student body and giving them advice on what they have been through. We have found that the students respond very positively to seeing and hearing from our past students regardless of what exposure they have had in their careers. Whether you are a builder, an artist, an accountant or an engineer, our students would benefit from hearing your story. There will also be an opportunity for old boys to reconnect with one another throughout the week. If you feel you can offer something, whether it be a talk with our some of our students, or a full school presentation, please contact Alix Harrington at the College by email Alix.Harrington@ipc.qld.edu.au to confirm your availability.
At this stage we are looking at some time in August.
We would love to have some volunteers!
John Deer | Dean of Well-Being
Congratulations
Iggy Old Boy, Maverick Pegoraro 2020 who represented QLD in the Universites Rugby League State of Origin.
Iggy Old Boys, Tom Duffy, Luke Jack, Eddie Hampson who represented QLD U/19 team in State of Origin game played live on Channel NINE last month.
Iggy Old Boy, Jon Reuben who became the oldest NRL debutant in history on Friday 10th June when he played for St George Illawarra Dragons against the North Queensland Toyota Cowboys.
Iggy Old Boy, 2014 - 2016 Louis Zabala currently in his second pre season with the Brisbane Roar A League Football Club.
Vale
The College passes their deepest condolences to the family and friends of the following Old Boys and any other member of our College who has passed away.
This term, we were saddened to hear of the passing of Brother Tony White, former principal of Ignatius Park College on two occasions, 1974-79 and 1990-94. I include these words from Brother Michael Talty as but a small part of the reflection on Tony’s life.
“As we look at the work of Edmund Rice Education in action in Brisbane’s Gregory Terrace and Townsville’s Ignatius Park College, we see the legacy of many but a significant proportion of it from Tony White’s astuteness, eye for detail and creativity that continue to be built upon. Our communities, province and congregation have gained from Tony’s insights and commitments. Tony was a true son of Edmund Rice being committed to justice and the betterment and welfare of others.”
The College also had the opportunity, one year after his passing, to honour Paul Fanning, old boy of the College, former College Business Manager, Brother’s Rugby Union stalwart and father of Joseph, Matthew and Lachlan, themselves also Old Boys of the College. In commemoration of his service, Brother’s Rugby Union dedicated the training shed adjacent to the College No. 1 Oval in Paul’s name. This was following a mass in his memory in Old Lady’s Mount Chapel attended by over 100 family and members of the College community. A fitting memorial to a man who gave his life in service.
Old Boys Advertising
Please contact oldboys@ipc.qld.edu.au if you would like to advertise your Old Boy business FOR FREE in this section.