Issue 10 | - St Patrick's College

By Mrs Liz Illingworth, Principal

KEEP THE FIRE BURNING! BLAK, LOUD AND PROUD

National NAIDOC Week is celebrated across Australia in the first week of July. At St Patrick’s College our celebration of NAIDOC Week has been held over this last week of Term 2.

NAIDOC Week is an opportunity for all Australians to learn about First Nations cultures and histories, and participate in celebrations of the oldest, continuous living culture on earth.

We commenced the week with a Flag Raising Ceremony, beginning with a Welcome to Country from Aunty Netty and attended by students from across the College. With the theme of NAIDOC Week 'Keep the Fire Burning', a highlight for the week has been the fire pit lit during each lunch time to acknowledge the importance of fire and the common experience we all have of yarning around a fire.

We finished our NAIDOC celebrations with a performance from Scott Darlow at our College Assembly today. Scott, a Yorta Yorta descendent, has been touring Australia and the world as a speaker and musician for years.

As stated on his website, “He has built a reputation as someone who can connect with both school age youth and corporate audiences alike, and communicate with them about his indigenous culture, Australian history, racial tolerance, harmony and important social matters”.

PRINCIPAL STUDY AWARDS - EXCELLENCE AND ENDEAVOUR

Today in our College Assembly, students who received excellent academic results for the first Semester of learning were acknowledged.

We congratulate them on their excellent results. We also congratulate all other students who have done their best academically over the first two terms.

CELEBRATIONS ACROSS THE COLLEGE

Last Saturday was an exceptional community day at the College. A large crowd of students, staff, parents/guardians and Old Collegians were present to watch both our Senior Girls and Boys teams play in their respective SATIS Football Final.

Both teams demonstrated exemplary teamwork, skill and sportsmanship to take out the premierships. Congratulations to all involved in such a great community day.

As we finish up for Term 2 today, we look forward to seeing all students in Years 7 - 12 return on Tuesday 23 July.

All the best and enjoy the holiday break!

By Mr Jack Prosser, Ascent Coordinator

It has been a super busy term for the Ascent program. We began with the return of the Melbourne Expedition in our Year 12 program. With our team heading off in Week 1, we spent our time learning about different social challenges, meeting people who had experienced sleeping rough for periods of their lives, and spending time with organisations who work to combat these challenges. In Year 12 we followed in the footsteps of Nano Nagle, seeing the values of dignity and compassion at work in our time out on the street with 300 Blankets, listening to John share his experiences at the Big Issue and in the incredible rehearsal we joined with the Choir of Hard Knocks.

Our Year 10s kicked off in Term 2 with Base Camp and we have an Ascent record of 45 leaders in the team. They’ll spend the rest of 2024 following the spirit of Edmund Rice with lots of mentoring opportunities, particularly with students from our feeder primary schools.

Year 11 students are in the midst of their year long relationship with the Grade 6 classes of St Paul’s Primary School Bridgewater and St Brigid’s Primary School, New Norfolk. We were fortunate enough to have a guest presentation from Mr Stuart Kelly, who is a former principal of both primary schools. Stuart offers incredible insight, not just into the adversity communities face, but also their incredible strength and the lessons we can learn from them too. The Year 11 team has done a fantastic job engaging with their buddies and facilitating the programs.

An exciting time to have all three Ascent teams active for the first time since 2019.

By Mrs Lindsey Hills, Acting Deputy Principal – Learning & Achievement

Principal Study Awards

At our full school assembly today, we celebrated the Principal Study Awards recipients in Years 7-12, and their academic excellence and achievements. These awards recognise the dedication, diligence and outstanding academic accomplishments of students in all learning areas in Semester 1, 2024.

Congratulations to all the recipients of the Principal Study Awards, you are an inspiration to all of us.

Year 7

Johaan	Alex
George	Durkin
Ella	Farquhar
Oliver	Green
Clarice	Kirschbaum
Gabrielle	Ling
Grace	Matthews
Aimee	Morgan
Matilda	Stevenson

Year 8

Erin	Ackerly
Stephanie	Gardner
Lucas	Gray
Timothy	Innes
Max	Miller
Lam Minh Dan	Nguyen
Isabel	Perry
Phoebe	Reardon
Marina	Stagg
Poppy	Symons
Gabriella	Tonelly

Year 9

Darcy	Cherry
Annabelle	Cook
Hazel	Doyle
Linkoln	Grainger
Ashton	Mahar
Isabel	McInerney
Harry	Mowat
Zoe	Ricketts
Sarah	Ringsgwandl

Year 10

Jack	Arnold
Chloe	Axman-Friend
Mariana	Caravia Cumming
Max	Eastman
Georgia	Harmey
Meg	Kotynia-Soley
Elyssa	Langham
Felix	Marshall
Jack	Miller
Isabella	Perry
Annabelle	Pyke
William	Symons

Year 11

Sebastian	Johnston
Emilia	Macri
Rory	McMahon
Emily	Reardon
Sophie	Reardon
Kaitlin	Rheinberger
Meg	Rickerby
Isaiah	Stingle
Oliver	Viney

Year 12

Jasmine	Axman-Friend
Sophie	Blackberry
Chloe	Coates
Emily	Crack
Theo	Duff
Anna	Herd
Amber	Hinds
Maisie	Howard
Asha	Lowe
Annaliese	McNeair
Otto	Middleton
Owen	Millar
Kate	Rigby
Gabriella	Smith
Piper	Van Emmerik

Mid Year Examination Results and Feedback

The Senior School Mid Year Examination period concluded in Week 9. Our students performed admirably. We are proud of their commitment to their studies and we are excited to see the outcome of their hard work. Results and feedback on student performance in their examinations will be published on Schoolbox in the coming weeks, after teachers have had an opportunity to mark and moderate. Please note that Progress Reports are unlikely to reflect their mid year examination performance, as report writing for teachers closed on the final day of the Mid Year Examinations.

Catholic Education Tasmania - Professional Development Day Term 3

On Monday, 22 July all teachers at the College will be participating in a Catholic Education Tasmania professional learning day. This day will focus on high impact teaching practices. Due to this, students will commence Term 3 on Tuesday, 23 July.

Year 10 Pathway Planning Interviews

Year 10 students, together with their parents/guardians, have been invited to make an appointment to attend a Year 10 Pathway Planning interview. These interviews provide an opportunity to discuss career options and possible pathways, give a more detailed and personalised explanation of the Tasmanian Certificate of Education (TCE) and Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR), and advise on how each student can optimise their subject choices, including Year 11/12 TASC subjects, Vocational Education and Training (VET) courses and Australian School based Apprenticeships (ASbAs) opportunities. These interviews are held in the first three weeks of Term 3, prior to subject selections for 2025 occurring in Week 4.

These interviews are highly advantageous and recommended for all students and their parents/guardians, as they provide families with guidance based on the students interests, future aspirations and teacher recommendations. The interviews are held between 2:00pm-5:30pm on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons. Interviews will be available with the following staff members:

Jodie White: Future Pathways Coordinator/Careers Advisor
Shayne Russell: Careers Advisor
Nicole Withers-Howard: Careers Advisor
Ryan Wiese: Assistant Director Senior School
Kate Rockliffe: Acting Curriculum Director - Senior School
Rachael Holloway: Head of School - Senior School
Lindsey Hills: Acting Deputy Principal - Learning and Achievement

Students who would like to book an appointment time during school hours, and are unable to be accompanied by their parents/guardians, may do so through any of the abovementioned staff members. Alternatively, they can see Mrs Nicole Cullen in her office located near the Front Office.

Year 11 Students: Subject Selections for Year 12 & Pathway Planning

Year 11 students and their parents/guardians have been invited to make an appointment to attend a Year 11 Pathway Planning interview. Parents/guardians can attend with their child after school or Year 11 students may attend on their own during the school day. These interviews are designed for Year 11 students who need some support and guidance to assist them with their subject selections for Year 12.

The interviews are held between 2:00pm-5:30pm on Wednesday afternoons in Weeks 2-3 of Term 3. Interviews will be available with the following staff members:

Jodie White: Future Pathways Coordinator/Careers Advisor
Kate Rockliffe: Acting Curriculum Director - Senior School
Lindsey Hills: Acting Deputy Principal: Learning and Achievement

Year 11 students may also book in to see any of our Careers Advisors outside of these times, as usual. They can do so in person (Future Pathways are located in the Library) or by emailing careers@stpatricks.tas.edu.au.

Subject Information Evenings

In Week 4 of Term 3, the College will be holding Subject Information Evenings to assist students in making informed subject selections for 2025. It is highly recommended that all students and their parents/guardians attend, to ensure students select the most appropriate subjects to study next year. This is a wonderful opportunity to speak to subject teachers and Heads of Learning about subject offerings and future pathways.

Senior School Subject Information Evening - Tuesday, 13 August in the Edmund Rice Centre (ERC) from 4:00pm-7:00pm
Croagh Patrick Subject Information Evening - Thursday, 15 August at Croagh Patrick from 3:45pm-6:30pm
Middle School Subject Information Evenings - Thursday, 15 August in the Tenison Woods Centre (Middle School area) from 3:45pm-6:30pm

Updated Subject Selection Guides will be available on Schoolbox at the end of this term.

More information about the Subject Information Evenings will be made available to you at the start of Term 3. We look forward to seeing you there.

By Ms Gina Poulton, Teacher

‘Business for good challenge 2024’ - University of Tasmania

On June 27, St Patrick's College Business Studies students in Year 11/12 were treated to an excursion to the University of Tasmania's (UTAS) Inveresk Campus. They attended the ‘Business for Good Challenge 2024', along with approximately 100 students from various schools and Colleges from the north of the state.

An initiative run by the UTAS Business School, students were given the opportunity to learn more about entrepreneurship, hear from lecturers who are entrepreneurs, learn the importance of entrepreneurs in a circular economy and why this is a growing area for businesses today, and understand the shift in businesses to now having a greater focus on corporate social responsibility.

Students came to understand that a circular economy is a system where materials never become waste and nature is regenerated, and that products and materials are kept in circulation through processes like maintenance, reuse, refurbishment, remanufacturing, recycling, and composting. This was highlighted in a key-note presentation by David Giles-Kaye who is the CEO of Waverley Mills, the oldest working textile mill in Australia.

The mill still produces quality textiles and is a market leader in high quality textile production; however, to maintain ‘currency’, they are now committed to “lead the way in innovative, sustainable production processes”.

With this backdrop, students were then tasked with identifying current waste challenges at home, at school and in the community, and tackle the sustainability issues. Working in small groups, students then developed lists that identified where the majority of waste comes from, followed by targeting one of these waste challenges such as clothing, plastics, food, glass etc. They then developed a sustainable strategy for reusing and recycling products.

Students were then faced with the challenge of competing against other groups to:

Develop a pitch for their product
Create a logo
Present a promotional poster
Develop a jingle to sell their product.

All groups met the challenge requirements, presented their ideas and marketed their product to the audience. This highlighted some great teamwork and initiatives in an enjoyable environment.

The excursion really complimented the Business Studies courses students are currently undertaking. Furthermore, it provided a fantastic hands on experience, whilst addressing some ‘real’ business challenges being faced in Australia today.

By Mrs Leonie Smith, Director of Inclusive Learning

Nationally Consistent Collection of Data on School Students with Disability (NCCD)

Every year, all schools in Australia participate in the Nationally Consistent Collection of Data on School Students with Disability (NCCD). The NCCD process requires schools to identify information, already available in the school, about support provided to students with disability. These relate to legislative requirements under the Disability Discrimination Act 1992 and the Disability Standards for Education 2005, which align with the NCCD Guidelines (2019).

Information provided about students to the Australian Government for the NCCD includes:

Year of schooling
Category of disability: physical, cognitive, sensory or social/emotional
Level of adjustment provided: support provided within quality differentiated teaching practice, supplementary, substantial or extensive

This information assists schools to:

Formally recognise the support and adjustments provided to students with disability in schools
Consider how they can strengthen the support offered to students with a disability in schools
Develop shared practices so that they can review their learning programs and improve educational outcomes for students with disabilities

The NCCD provides state and federal governments with the information they need to plan more broadly for the support of students with a disability. The NCCD will have no direct impact on students, and students will not be involved in any testing process. The school will provide data to the Australian Government in such a way that no individual student will be able to be identified—the privacy and confidentiality of all students is ensured.

All information is protected by privacy laws that regulate the collection, storage, and disclosure of personal information.

To learn more about these matters, please refer to the Australian Government’s Privacy Policy here: https://www.education.gov.au/privacy-policy

Further information about the NCCD can be found on the NCCD Portal here: https://www.nccd.edu.au.

If you have any questions about the NCCD, please contact our College Principal, Mrs Liz Illingworth or our Director Of Inclusive Learning, Mrs Leonie Smith.

Please contact the following staff for information regarding support for students with disabilities.