Mr MATT KEAN (Hornsby—Minister for Innovation and Better Regulation) (18:05): Today I pay tribute to an outstanding school in my electorate, St Patrick's Catholic School Asquith, which has been providing educational excellence for the past 60 years. St Pat's, as it is affectionately known, has an amazing staff, strong leadership and happy students. For more than 60 years it has built a reputation that is second to none and is held in high regard across the community. When I visit the school I am always met by students who are happy, smiling and quick to tell me about how they love their school. Whether they are academic or they love their sports, there is something for everyone at St Pat's. This is testament to the hardworking staff who go above and beyond for every student who attends the school.
First opened on 28 January 1958 by the Sisters of Mercy, the school had 28 students—eleven in kindergarten and 17 in a combined first and second grade class. The first sisters, Sister Mary Antoinette and Sister Marie Bernadette, lived at the convent at Waitara. The classes were held in the old church, which is now used as the hall, and the children sat on church pews. For the first few weeks they managed without desks, blackboards or any equipment. The sacristy, which is now the school tuckshop, was used as a storeroom, a canteen and the sisters' lunch room. As the school was being held in the church, the sisters were required to pack away all the equipment on Friday afternoon and unpack each Monday morning. Parents would assist the sisters with this work each week.
The bond between the school and the parent body has always been strong at St Pat's. By January 1959 the foundation stone was laid on the land adjoining the church and the school was born. By this time the school had grown to 150 students. It was opened and blessed by Cardinal Gilroy. The Sisters of Mercy withdrew from the school in 1987 but the tradition and values they introduced are still very much at the school today. I was pleased to see a number of the Sisters of Mercy back at the school to help celebrate the sixtieth anniversary. The school, which is much larger now, is led by Principal Bernard Cumming. He is the kind of principal everyone wants to have at their school. The students respect him, he leads an amazing staff and he provides an education environment that is second to none. He is supported by Assistant Principal Kylie Huggins, along with a 20-plus teaching staff who are dedicated to providing the best educational experience for the children in the school.
One staff member who needs mentioning is Christine McNamara—known to the students as Mrs Mac. She started teaching at St Pat's 51 years ago. After four years she left the school to teach elsewhere and have a family. However, she came back in 1984 and has been there ever since. She has touched the lives of many students. I thank Mrs Mac for her hard work and dedication to the school and the broader community and each of the students she has taught. It is teachers like her that make St Pat's the great school that it is. Leading the school is the parish priest Father Shaju, Parish Administrator of the Ku-ring-gai Chase Catholic Parish, and assistant priest Father Shiju. St Pat's is one of two schools under the Ku-ring-gai Chase Catholic Parish. As a Catholic primary school, the priests' support of and relationship with the school are vital. I thank them for what they do at the school and for the students, helping to keep their faith in Jesus alive.
One aspect that is very evident at the school is the strong sense of community and the hardworking parent body. From the beginning of the school when parents would assist the Sisters of Mercy to today when the parents and friends association runs a number of events throughout the school, the bond between parents and school is strong. For the last two years Karen Price and Melissa Turnell have done an outstanding job leading the parents and friends association. Erica Mulvany has taken over this year, and I am sure she will continue the hard work of the parenting body. From fetes to photo days and running the canteen, the parents are always there to help raise funds for the school and to provide that important link between home and school life. I thank all the parents past and present who have supported the school and built it into the proud institution we know and love today.
I am pleased to meet the St Pat's school leaders every year when they visit me in Parliament. I look forward to meeting the current leadership team of Joshua Day, Ally Griffiths, Alex Pezzuto and Madeleine Ward when they visit Parliament later this year. I also am proud to award the Matt Kean Leadership Award to one student each year. Last year Thomas Cosgrove was the winner of the award, and it was thoroughly deserved. When I attended the sixtieth anniversary celebrations at St Patrick's, it was wonderful to see how many lives have been touched by the school. Congratulations to Karen Pezzuto who organised the amazing event and Doris Russell who prepared the amazing display in the school hall. I thank Doris for the great work she did putting it all together. Congratulations to St Patrick's on its wonderful achievement. May there by 60 more years of students, teachers and parents who are able to enjoy a quality Catholic education in our community.
