By Mrs Liz Illingworth, Principal

Old Collegian - Ariarne Titmus

We have already reached the end of Week 2, Term 3.  One of my favourite celebrations over the past two weeks was watching Old Collegian and Olympic champion, Ariarne Titmus, set the world record in the women's 400-metre freestyle, powering to the gold medal in 3 minutes, 55.38 seconds at the World Aquatics Championships.  

Success such as what Ariarne achieves has nothing to do with luck and everything to do with hard work, determination and a belief in yourself.  We celebrate and are proud of Ariarne’s achievements and acknowledge her as a fantastic role model for us all and especially for our students who are striving to be their best selves.

Planning

I am unapologetically biased when I tell people that our students are so lucky to have such a great network of amazing staff around them.

At the end of last Term, our Year 10 students attended ‘Futures Day’, a day where students are guided through the new dynamics of Year 11 and 12. Throughout the day they were supported in learning about academic pathways, VET pathways and School-based Apprenticeships. They also attended an Expo showcasing the many options for their future pathways, and of course were reminded about the magnificent co-curricular activities students can continue to engage in at St Patrick’s College in Years 11 and 12.  

Currently, our Year 10 and 11 students are able to make appointments to work with our Futures Pathway team and other experienced staff to begin their planning for next year.

As a Year 7-12 College, our role is to ensure that each of our students have the best opportunity to be as successful as they can over their final years of school, whether they are pursuing an academic or a VET Pathway.  I encourage each of you to take up the opportunities that are offered.  Please be aware that Subject Selection guides for the Middle School, Croagh Patrick and our Senior School can be accessed through Schoolbox.

During this week, we have shared information with our Year 10 and 11 students and parents/guardians regarding applications for the Martin-Lyall Scholarships.  Please discuss this with your child/ren.

Thank you to our amazing team who work with our students to support them, and to you, during this important time.

Co-curricular

This week, I had the pleasure of attending the Winter Concert and was incredibly entertained.  Our students are so talented, and again, supported by amazing staff to be so incredible in this space.  Other activities have recommenced for Term 3, please encourage your child/ren to involve themselves in all the College has to offer them.

Coping with Social Media

In the last week of Term 2, Marty Ogle worked with our Middle School students and ran a Parent Workshop focusing on the topic of 'Coping with Social Media'.   In the article below, Marty shares some of the information he discussed with our students, which may also be helpful in supporting you.

Enjoy your weekend!

Kind regards,

Mrs Liz Illingworth

Principal

By Marty Ogyle

Recently, I took a whole day session with Year 7 and 8 looking at all aspects of social media and the internet. We discussed the positives and the negatives involving the use of all devices including phones, computers, iPads, gaming devices and even smart TVs. We looked at how it is possible to do history checks with these devices, and how we need to:

i) Respect our devices by taking care of them as they are very expensive and, more importantly, respect others and ourselves when we use them.

ii) Make good choices when using them. For example, when we are asked to stop using them by an adult at school or home, we should do so straight away rather than talk back or complain.

iii) Be aware of the dangers and the good things that social media and these devices can bring into our lives.

We looked at various issues concerning social media including bullying, scams, fake news, laws, addiction and security. The students and staff were very forthcoming with ideas and suggestions and they even participated in a survey that found approximately 95% have a phone, over 50% had received an upsetting email/post and around 70% of them have trouble sleeping – this is not surprising as many of them have TVs in their rooms and are allowed to take devices into their room unsupervised. One final survey question revolved around how many of them were worried/sad/tired of adults at home constantly being on devices – please note this figure was just over 40% but I fully understand that many adults need to do this due to work.

Meeting with a number of families in the evening was great and they asked many questions, the main one being how to actually get their children off the devices. I reminded the parents that they pay for the devices and also pay for the WIFI, and that it is essential to put together a family digital agreement. A good time to introduce these for older children is when you are getting a new device. The enthusiasm and participation with such a crucial teenage topic was very pleasing. I hope the sessions gave everyone time to reflect on their use of social media. Please remember …

        The internet gives us access to everything;

  but...

           it also gave everything access to us!

   James Veitch – Everyday Power

Mr Marty Ogle

Marty’s Consultancy

The Martin-Lyall Scholarship arose from the generosity of the late Mrs Rosemary Gleeson-West in memory of her parents, Mr Athol Winton Martin and Mrs Maida Kathleen Lyall, who both lived and worked in Tasmania.

Sadly, Mrs Gleeson-West passed away in 2016, however it was her wish to continue the scholarship via her Estate.  Mrs Gleeson-West had a great affinity for both the Tasmanian and St Patrick's College communities and her generosity will always be fondly remembered.

Two students from both Year 10 and 11 will be awarded the scholarship, which is a once off contribution of 50% of the net annual tuition fees at St Patrick’s College and will be credited in January 2024.

Year 10 and 11 students and parents/guardians have previously been emailed information on how to apply for the scholarship. This information is also available on the Schoolbox student and parent/guardian portals.

All applications are strictly to be received by 5:30pm on Friday 18 August 2023. 

I look forward to receiving many applications.

Looking for something fun to do on a Thursday night? Come along to Youth Group for some good conversations, thinking points and just a fantastic time together. Run by Fr Chatty, sessions occur on the second and fourth Thursday evenings during term time. 

Time: 6:00pm - 7:30pm

Location: St Albie's Hall, 46 Margaret Street

Come give it a try!

By Mrs Alanna Stretton, Deputy Principal – Learning & Achievement

Subject Information Evenings

In Week 4 of Term 3, the College will be holding Subject Information Evenings to assist students to make informed subject selections for 2024.   All students and parents are strongly encouraged to attend these information evenings as it is an important part in the process of ensuring students select the most appropriate subjects in 2024.  This is a wonderful opportunity to speak to subject Teachers and Heads of Learning.  The Senior School Subject Information Evening will be held on Tuesday 15 August, and the Croagh Patrick and Middle School Subject Information Evenings will be held on Thursday 17 August. More information will be provided closer to the Information Evenings. We look forward to seeing you there. 

Year 10 Pathway Planning Interviews

The College is inviting all Year 10 students and parents/guardians to make an appointment to attend a Year 10 Pathway Planning interview with their child.  

These interviews provide an opportunity to discuss career options and possible pathways and give a more detailed and personalised explanation of the TCE and ATAR. Furthermore, the interviews offer explanation on how each student can optimise their subject choices, including TASC and VET subject opportunities, offered at the College in Years 11 and 12.  

These interviews have been occurring over the first three weeks of Term 3 in the lead up to the Subject Information Evening in Week 4 of Term 3.  Parents/guardians will have received information about booking an interview time.  You only need to book one appointment as each staff member involved covers the same information. 

Year 11 Pathway Planning Interviews

Year 11 students and parents/guardians have also been invited to make an appointment to attend a Year 11 Pathway Planning interview. Students can attend the interview by themselves, or parents are welcome to attend the interview with their child. These interviews are designed for Year 11 students who need some support and guidance to assist them with their subject selections.

Semester 1 Academic Achievements 

On the last day of Term 2 at the College assembly, students’ academic achievements for Semester 1 were acknowledged.  Academic Excellence Awards were given to students who have applied themselves across learning areas and achieved outstanding results in most of their subjects.  The following students were awarded Academic Excellence Awards: 

I would  like to congratulate all students who received an award, as their hard work and dedication to their studies is something to be proud of.

By Ms Jodie White, Future Pathways Coordinator

Mainland University Applications Now Open For 2023

To apply to mainland universities, you need to apply in the state where you want to go to university – NOT in the state where you live. 

For mainland university applications, you need to go through a University Admissions Centre for each state and make an account before you apply. There are one off application fees for each Central Admissions Centre which vary from each state.

The good news is that applying in more states can INCREASE your chances of getting a place, because you can nominate the maximum number of preferences in each state. Which is particularly important if you’re considering a competitive course, like medicine or law.

Mainland School Recommendations/Early Offers – apply directly to universities BUT you are still required to create an account at specific University Admissions Centres for each state. Check prerequisites, entry requirements and closing dates as they all differ. 

Resources – The Good Universities Guide, The Good Careers Guide and Course Seeker

Monash University Visit – Tuesday 8 August

The Monash Information Evenings provide prospective students with a broad overview of what it's like to study at Monash and get all their questions answered.

Find out about:

• Our 10 diverse study and discipline areas
• Undergraduate course types, such as our comprehensive and specialist courses, double degrees and pathway programs.
• How to apply: everything you need to know about VTAC, key dates and deadlines.
•  Scholarships and fees.
• SEAS and the Monash Guarantee.
• Accommodation options.

Please see details below:

Monash Information Evening - Launceston

Date: Tuesday 8 August 2022

Time: 6:30 - 8:00pm

Location: Peppers Silo Hotel, 89 - 91 Lindsay Street, Invermay, Tasmania, 7248

Register here

Senior School Subject Information Evening - Tuesday 15 August, 4:00 – 7:00pm

The Future Pathways team will be available at the Senior Subject Information Evening to answer any questions or discuss subjects, pathways, or options post Year 12. In attendance will be the UTAS HAP team to discuss the Year 12 UTAS High Achievers Program. Additionally, TasBGAS, and Learning Partners will be in attendance to chat about Australian school-based Apprenticeships that are available to students in Years 10-12.

Tasmanian Building Group Apprenticeship Scheme - TasBGAS

2024 TasBGAS Certificate II in Construction – School based Traineeship. Earn and learn – combine school and work while in Year 11 and 12.

For current Year 10 students interested in participating in this program next year, please see Ms White in Future Pathways to register.  Kane Sanders will be coming along to the Senior School Subject Information Evening to talk about this program and answer any questions.

https://tasbgas.com.au/

Job Opportunities

2024 Apprenticeships - Vos Construction

Last Term, Catholic Education Tasmania joined us at St Patrick’s College to trial their Insight Project with teachers of northern Tasmania. 

The Insight Project is a transformative teaching program based on the science of learning and reading. Led by a team of proficient educators, Insight focuses on improving curriculum, cognitive science, and high impact pedagogy.

Teachers who attended were exposed to several programs through a number of workshops, later applying what they had learnt with students throughout the day. 

Through trialling the Insight Project, we will assist in enhancing student achievement and empowering our educators with the knowledge and tools they need to succeed.

By Emily Watts-Heazlewood & Kaleb Watts, Drama Captains

At the end of last Term, our Year 11 Drama Class and Year 12 Theatre Performance class performed their mid-year exam pieces to eager audiences in the College’s Guilford Theatre.

TASC 3 Drama tackled the deep and thought-provoking adaptation of Jackie French’s novel Hitler’s Daughter. The play centres around the life of Hitler’s young daughter and her experience in war-torn Germany, as told by a young girl named Anna to her friends as they wait for the school bus here in Australia. This split staging allowed audiences to connect with the two different worlds, through moments of comedy and solemnity. Congratulations to Mrs Schipper, TASC 3 Drama and the Technical Theatre class for producing such a polished and meaningful performance!

Once upon a dreary Week 10, just as written exams had come to an end, the TASC 3 Theatre Performance class performed their mid-year exam - Grimms’ Tales - featuring a range of classic tales by the Brothers Grimm. Different to traditional mid-year plays, the class focused on creating an experience for the audience. Many traditional fairy tales, such as Hansel and Gretel, Rumpelstiltskin, Iron Hans and Ashputtel (the original Cinderella), were performed, interconnected with solo performances from wicked witches and the Big Bad Wolf. Grimm's Tales featured many larger-than-life performances, capturing the talent of our Year 12 performers and Director, Ms Hannah McCarthy-Oliver!

Register your interest in our upcoming Social Innovation and Enterprise Events.

Social Innovation and Enterprise Intensive: 

The Social Enterprise Intensive will take place over five days. During this time, student teams from multiple schools will work on a social enterprise business idea of their own design. They will learn fundamental entrepreneurship skills relating to design thinking, the lean start-up methodology and the business model canvas. Students will benefit from a range of opportunities to learn from mentors and industry experts. The program will be centred on one or more social enterprise themes (such as homelessness, accessibility, literacy, etc.) and guest mentors will be found for each of the themes. Student teams will select which theme they want to focus on and will work within that theme for the duration of the program.

Pitch Event:

The final event in the conference program will be a pitch event, where students who have excelled in the Intensive will be invited to pitch, alongside other students who want to share their big idea. The pitch event will focus on students as the pitchers, but audience members will be members of the public. There will be a focus on parents, friends and family of the students participating and other student attendees of the conference. The pitch night will have a social enterprise focus, in line with the theme of the other events in the series.

Conference:

The intended audience for the conference is grade 9-12 students who are interested in design, innovation, and entrepreneurship. The conference aims to both inspire attendees with stories of innovation and entrepreneurship in Tasmania and provide opportunities for attendees to gain practical experience with the tools, skills and mindsets associated with entrepreneurship. The entrepreneurship conference will open with a keynote presentation and close with the pitch event.

WHEN: Dates are still being confirmed, however, we will be aiming for late October/early November.

WHO: Grade 9-12 students in the north of Tasmania, interested in design, innovation and entrepreneurship.

WHERE: River's Edge, University of Tasmania Inveresk Campus.

Register Now

James Leake has been selected to play in the All Australian Under 18 team.  James was selected after a fantastic performance within the Allies team at the recent national carnival.

Makkai Kettle, was selected to represent Tasmania in the U14 Junior Rugby Union team at the Southern States Championships in Canberra over the holidays. The Southern States Tour involves state representative matches against SA, ACT, WA, Central West South Coast Monaro and Southern Inland. It was a fantastic opportunity for players to compete at a higher level and the only opportunity to represent their state at 15 side Rugby Union. 

Campbell Young has been nominated for the 2023 Examiner Junior Sports Awards. Recognised for his skills, efforts, and dedication in both soccer and tennis, the award nomination provides an opportunity to acknowledge Campbell’s many accomplishments.

Chloe Collins and Henry Hollingsworth have been selected to play in the U18 State Lawn Bowls team, representing Tasmania in upcoming competitions. 

Seven students from St Patrick’s College recently competed in the Newstead Athletics School series competition. Running across six weeks, those who participated showed great resilience against other schools, with students Savannah McKenzie, Luke McKenzie, and Isabella Davie being awarded gold medals in their respective age groups for the whole series and contributing points towards the Team Trophy. 

Philip Cooper, Oliver Ewart, Xavier Davie and Emmerson Ankin contributed more valuable points, allowing St Patrick’s College to win the Secondary School Trophy for the entire 2023 Newstead Athletics Club School Series. 

Ashlee Cherry (Rowing) and Alex Wojiak (Athletics – Decathlon) have been selected to receive the Tasmanian Institute of Sport Scholarship, which provides support in areas like career and education, high performance coaching, sports science and medicine. This will maximise sporting potential and participation in elite competition.

Ava Lockwood-Roden (Captain), Matilda Allen, Asha Lowe, Sophie Blackberry, Molly Green and Paige O'Neill of the Cavaliers Under 19s, took the TNL premiership last week.

Congratulations and well done to everyone! 

By Owen Millar, Year 11

Since 2004, Burn Bright, a not-for-profit Australian/New Zealand organisation focused on increasing and developing wellbeing and leadership within young people, has been annually hosting a National Leadership Camp, or NLC for short. Each year St Patrick’s College sends a handful of students to participate in this event with around 120 other high school students from across the country. This year, five students were lucky enough to attend the program: Jack Cramp, Georgia Millwood, Sarah Shepherds, Kate Rigby and myself, Owen Millar. This year’s four-day program ran from the 6th to the 9th of June in Stanwell Tops, a small town around an hour south of Sydney. 

At NLC, we were split up into small groups of about nine or ten delegates. These were called tribes and included three mentors, who were Burn Bright volunteers from across Australia and New Zealand. Each day was filled with different incredible experiences, including listening to keynote speakers, discussing various topics with our tribes, participating in tribal challenges and activities, and making lifelong friendships along the way. 

The theme of NLC 2023 was kaleidoscope and the concept of leading in full colour. NLC broke leadership into four main parts; values, service, grit, and vision, with each day focusing on a different aspect. The five keynote speakers were Nathan Strempel, Layton Fraser, Sue Emmerson, Robyn Moore and a panel of athletes led by Hannah Darlington. Each gave an insightful speech surrounding leadership and life which were crucial to the success of the camp. Personally, I took a myriad of things away from NLC, including the importance of maintaining strong relationships, how self-confidence can change your life and how to live a truly lifeful life.

Recently, we have noticed an unfortunate issue with emails sent to BigPond and Hotmail addresses being marked as spam. This occurrence can lead to important school updates, event invitations, and other essential communications unintentionally being missed or filtered into the spam folder. 

We understand the frustration and inconvenience this may cause, which is why we strongly recommend parents switch to using a Gmail account for school correspondence. We believe this will greatly assist in enhancing your experience and allows for us to provide a level of service and support. 

If you do not have a Gmail account already, please go to www.gmail.com and click 'Create Account'. Once your account is created, log in to your Schoolbox account and update your contact details.

If you already have a Gmail account, please ensure that the email address we have on file for you is up to date. If it is not, you can update it via Schoolbox. 

We understand that changing email addresses is frustrating, but we believe that making the switch to Gmail will ensure smoother and more consistent communication between the College and parents. 

Should you have any questions or need assistance with the transition to Gmail, please refer to the Gmail Help Centre here: https://support.google.com/mail/?hl=en#topic=

Click here for more information. 

By Launceston Grammar 

On behalf of Principal, Mr Dale Bennett and our Pastoral Care team, we warmly invite the wider St Patrick's College community to attend our upcoming event: Moving kids and teens from anxiety to resilience - Presented by Dr Jodi Richardson

As parents we play the most important role in helping our children when they experience mental health challenges, including anxiety. And whether they experience the everyday variety of anxiety that comes with being human, or anxiety that gets in the way of school and life – there are skills and strategies we can teach our children to not only help them cope but thrive. Now, and over their lifetime. Anxiety is common, treatable and there’s so much we, as parents and caregivers, can do to help.

Dr Richardson is an anxiety and wellbeing speaker, bestselling author and host of the popular weekly podcast 'Well, hello anxiety'. She is an international speaker, the best-selling author of Anxious Kids and Anxious Mums and a respected media commentator in the wellbeing and parenting space. She has commented via The TODAY Show, ABC Breakfast, Sunrise, The Age, Weekend Today and more.

When: Monday 14 August 2023

Time: 7:00pm to 8:30pm

Venue: Assembly Hall, Senior Campus, 36 Button Street Mowbray

Attendance:

Free and available to all parents and carers in the wider Launceston community. 
Age disclaimer: This event is suitable for parents and carers and is not suitable for children or teens.

By Mrs Mallory Schipper, Student Wellness Coordinator

SPEAK UP! Stay ChatTY - Short’s Day

During Term 2 the Wellbeing Committee participated in our first SPEAK UP! Stay ChatTY - Short’s Day event.

SPEAK UP! Stay ChatTY works to promote positive mental health and prevent suicide by normalising conversations about mental health and encouraging people to seek help when they need it.

The Wellbeing Committee’s goal was to spark and prioritise more conversations about mental health. We stood unified in breaking down the stigma surrounding mental health and suicide and raised over $900 as a school community.

Thank you to everyone who supported our event, by braving the cold, braving the conversation and wearing shorts on the shortest day of the year. For more information on SPEAK UP! Stay ChatTY

SPEAK UP! Stay ChatTY - Short’s Day Video 

Push up Challenge

Not only did we participate in Short’s day, our Wellbeing Captains Jade Binns and Charlotte Nation organised the Push-Up Challenge as a school wide event.  This was a unique and fun way for SPC to encourage better mental health and wellbeing through connection, physical activity and education.  With a total of 49 teams, we raised $3,398 for Push for Better, Movember and Lifeline; all aiming to strive for better mental wellbeing and suicide prevention across our community. The 23 days we spent completing up to 220 push ups a day was challenging to say the least. Sharing the load and supporting each other is what allowed us to complete this challenge. As a school we were able to achieve an outstanding result. Prioritising the mental and physical health of our school will be one of the best things we do this year.

By Emily Watts-Heazlewood & Kaleb Watts, Drama Captains

Following the success of the sold-out 2023 College production, School of Rock, 16 students represented the College and performed at the Country Club on Thursday 27 July for the administration teams of Catholic Education Tasmania. The students worked alongside Ms McCarthy-Oliver, Ms White and Mr Mills to reimagine eight numbers for the dinner-entertainment style show and were met with thunderous applause from the attendees. A big congratulations to the following students:

• Jack Adams
• Jasmine Cunningham
• Hazel Doyle
• Max Eastman
• Maggie Hodgman
• Timothy Innes
• Alex Jarman
• Ashton Mahar
• Marguerite McClintock
• Harry Mowat
• Francesca Page
• Kate Rigby
• Molly Spurway
• Kaleb Watts
• Emily Watts-Heazlewood
• Hamish Williams

Thank you to the entire College community for your ongoing support with School of Rock, but now, the curtain has finally fallen, signifying the end of what was a crazy yet fun journey! 

By Mr Harri O'Toole, Sports Coordinator

Soccer

On Monday, the 1sts Boys and Girls took on Scotch Oakburn College (SOC), with both teams winning 3 - 0. 

Girls Goals: Grace Wood: 2, Januka Biswa: 1

On Wednesday, both teams then took on Launceston Christian School (LCS). The senior Girls defeated LCS by 3:1, with goals scored by Chinalle Miller (1), Estelle Tomkinson (1) and Grace Wood (1).

The girls played incredibly well against LCS, who were noticeably tougher, taller and more skilful than Scotch on Monday. Everyone worked so hard, with great passing combinations throughout the match, endless running, and superb teamwork. Chinalle's goal was our first and she caused a lot of chaos for the LCS defence. Estelle scored from about 20 metres out of goal and Grace's goal was a header. 

Last week our Senior 2nds Green team took on SOC and won convincingly 9-1. The game was led by coach Jay Encarnation and Mr Harri O’toole. Under Jay's guidance the team got the job done and had an enjoyable time. 

This week the 2nds Gold played the 2nds Green team. Green won the game 4 - 2 with a debut from our newest coach, Joe Simons. 

Netball 

Our Senior 1sts Netballers played SOC at Scotch Oakburn College on Monday, winning the game 59 – 31. With Ava Lockwood-Roden leading the way through the mid court, Paige and Sophie scored a combined 48 (missing only nine shots) and Molly Green held down the other end. 

The 2nds Gold took on St Brendan-Shaw College at Launceston Christian School, winning comfortably 58 – 8. 

The 2nds Green team took on Scotch Oakburn College at SOC, after the 1sts game and also won 40 - 13. 

Football - Wellbeing 7/8 Football 

On Thursday, our Year 8 Girls played Queechy High School here at the College on the main oval. 

The Year 8 Boys played against Launceston Church Grammar.

Hockey

Our U16 Boys play tonight against LC at 7:00pm at Northern Hockey Centre 2, with the U16 Girls having a bye. 

Basketball

Our 7/8 Boys and Girls division 1 tryouts are well underway this week with various games occurring across the past few days. 

On Friday, 11 of August, the College has a combined session with the 7/8 Girls being held in the Nano Nagle Gym. The Year 7/8 Boys combined session will be held after this, on August 25, also in the NN Gym. 

Our 9/10 Boys Division 1 began their tryouts on August 1, with the girls starting shortly after.