By Mrs Liz Illingworth, Principal

WELCOME TO TERM 3

Welcome to our first newsletter for Term 3. The term is well underway with students engaged in their learning and in our extra-curricular activities.

Term 2 wound up with parents/guardians having access to their child's Academic Reports for Semester 1 and an opportunity to meet with their child's teacher. I hope that each of you had the opportunity to read your child’s Report and discuss with them their successes and challenges from the first half of the year. Perhaps there was also an opportunity to discuss learning, attendance and engagement goals for Terms 3 and 4.

When parents/guardians have conversations at home that support the conversations that teachers are having in the classroom, we know that students are more successful in being ready to learn. With this support and guidance we see students engage further in their learning and take all the opportunities that are presented to them.

I hope that Term 3 will be one where the College and parents/guardians can continue to work together to ensure that all of our students are committed to participating fully and respectfully in all that our College has to offer.

COLLEGE UNIFORM

When our uniform is worn correctly by our students it demonstrates that the wearer is a member of a community. Accepting an enrolment at St Patrick’s College encompasses many things - one of these being the wearing of our College Uniform.

Please ensure that you, as parents/guardians, are supporting us in ensuring that your child is wearing the College uniform correctly.

For more details about uniform expectations, please see the St Patrick's College Uniform Protocol.

'PARENTAL AS ANYTHING' PODCAST

There is so much talk about our young people and the pressures they are under as they navigate their world. Psychologist Bec Sparrow shares a Podcast on ABC Listen, Parental as Anything, normally just a 25 minute episode each week.

Bec’s Podcast on Wednesday 3 July was based on Anxiety, a topic that is real to many parents/guardians and many of our young people. You might find her Podcast, 'How can I help my anxious teen' useful.

Here is the link to Bec Sparrow’s Podcast: Parental as Anything

POSITIVE PSYCHOLOGY AND PRODUCTIVE PARENTING SESSION

The College will be hosting a parent/guardian event focused on supporting our young people through Positive Psychology and Productive Parenting. Sue Langley, a global expert in the practical application of emotional intelligence, positive psychology and neuroscience will be hosting two sessions on Tuesday 27 August at 6:00pm or 7:30pm in the Guilford Theatre.

This is a free event, and we would love parents/guardians to come along. Don't miss this unique opportunity to enhance your understanding of positive parenting.

RSVP through the following link: https://stpatricks.co/3VNSMB5

CROAGH PATRICK MASS

Last Friday our Year 9 students attended Mass celebrated by our new Parish Priest, Fr Vinco Muriyadan. Our students participated enthusiastically, engaging with Fr Vinco’s message and actively listening to the Gospel of the Mustard Seed. The seed that was spread on poor land - failed, it yielded nothing. Yet the seed that fell on fertile ground flourished and produced much. Fr Vinco linked the Gospel with Star Wars. Luke Skywalker chose wisely, he made good choices, he flourished. Anakin on the other hand chose the dark side, he chose evil over good. The message, choose good, be kind, be caring, be compassionate and you will flourish.

Thanks to all involved in preparing and celebrating a beautiful Mass.

STAFFING

Mr Shaun James will be leaving the College next Friday. Mr James has been the Director of Pastoral Care at Croagh Patrick for the past 18 months. We thank Shaun for his work in this space and wish him all the best as he moves in new directions. Mrs Janelle Mannion will move across from our Middle School to Croagh Patrick in the upcoming weeks. We will soon let you know who will be replacing Mrs Mannion in the Middle School.

Have a great week! 

2025 Martin-Lyall Scholarship

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, which will be credited in January 2025.

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 to be received strictly by 5:30pm on Friday 23 August 2024.

I look forward to receiving many applications.

Click to read the latest issue of the Launceston Parish Bulletin here: https://stpatricks.co/4d0afxN

By Mrs Lindsey Hills, Deputy Principal – Learning & Achievement

2025 Subject Selections and 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

2025 Subject Selection Guides are available on Schoolbox for your reference. In week 4 students will be emailed login details to make their subject selections for 2025. These will be open for one week and open the evening of the Subject Information Evening.

We look forward to seeing you there.

Middle School & Croagh Patrick

Middle School and Croagh Patrick students are commencing their subject selection discussions next week, with information sessions provided during cohort gatherings and transition processes.

Senior School

The Year 10 Futures Day was held in the final week of Term 2. This day featured the delivery of information on the Tasmanian Certificate of Education (TCE) and an interactive mini expo, where students can haf their individual questions answered by staff and representatives from different education and training institutions, industry representatives, the Australian Defence Force and the University of Tasmania. It was pleasing to see our Year 10 students eagerly gather information about their futures, and meaningfully engage with external providers around their options and future pathways. Thank you to all those involved, particularly Mr Ryan Wiese (Assistant Curriculum Director), Ms Kate Rockliffe (Curriculum Director - Senior School), Ms Jodie White (Future Pathways Coordinator) and our Future Pathways team.

We are also currently holding our Year 10 and 11 Pathway Planning Interviews with students and parents/guardians in Weeks 1-3 this term to support the 2025 subject selection process. Information about booking these sessions can be found on Schoolbox. However, if you have been unable to attend and you/your child are still eager to receive some guidance beyond that already offered to students they can approach our Future Pathways team. Please contact Ms Kate Rockliffe (Curriculum Director - Senior School), Mr Ryan Wiese (Assistant Director - Senior School) or Mrs Lindsey Hills (Deputy Principal - Learning and Achievement) to arrange a time or you can email careers@stpatricks.tas.edu.au.

NAPLAN

NAPLAN Individual Student Reports results are being posted in the mail to families this week. We look forward to sharing some of the cohort results with you in the coming weeks.

By Ms Jodie White, Future Pathways Coordinator

Mainland University Applications 

To apply to mainland universities, you need to apply in the State where you want to go to university.

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. This is particularly important if you are considering a competitive course, like medicine or law.

Please consider the following for mainland university applications:

• Mainland School Recommendations/Early Offers – You apply directly to universities BUT are still required to create an account at specific University Admissions Centre for each State.
• Check prerequisites, entry requirements and closing dates as they all differ.
• You will require a Unique Student Identifier (USI) – it is a National Government requirement that all students planning to study at university or VET programs need a USI: https://www.usi.gov.au.
• You must have a TASC ID.
• Use a personal email account – not St Patrick’s College email.

Further resources and help is available at The Good Universities Guide, The Good Careers Guide and Course Seeker.

Monash University Visit

The Monash Information Evenings provide prospective students with a broad overview of what it's like to study at Monash and the opportunity to ask any questions.

Find out about:

• Their ten diverse study and discipline areas;
• Undergraduate course types, such as their 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 6 August 2024

Time: 6:30 - 8:00pm

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

Register here

Senior School Subject Information Night

WHEN: Tuesday 13 August, 4:00 – 7:00pm

The Future Pathways team will be available at the Senior Subject Information Night to answer any questions or discuss subjects, pathways or options post Year 12. In attendance will be UTAS, UTAS HAP Team to discuss the Year 12 UTAS High Achieve Program, along with TasBGAS to chat about the Australian School based Apprenticeships available to students in Years 10, 11 and 12.

Tasmanian Building Group Apprenticeship Scheme - TasBGAS

With the 2025 TasBGAS Certificate II in Construction – School Based Traineeship, you can earn and learn by combining school and work while in Year 10, 11 and 12.

For any current Year 9 or 10 students interested in participating in this program for next year, please see me in Future Pathways to register. Kane Sanders will be coming along to the Senior School Subject Information Night to talk about this program and answer any questions.

Click for more information here: https://tasbgas.com.au/

Launceston USA College Scholarship 

Chelsea Tuck was announced the 2023 Women’s Para-Cyclist of the Year for Tasmania by Aus Cycling.

Samuel Lindsay won the silver in the Victorian U18 10km Road Championship over the holidays, with a time of 45.49.

Jack McLean and Emmerson Lowry will be travelling to the Gold Coast to compete in the Australian All Schools Swimming Championships, as part of the Tasmanian State Team.

Isabel Perry has been selected to compete at the School Sport Australia Swimming Championships on the Gold Coast.

Harrison Millwood, Max Dawkins and Samuel Husband will be competing at the School Sport Australia U15 Boys Football Championships on the Gold Coast.

Annabelle Marshall and Aya Cottom have been selected to represent Tasmania in the U15 Girls AFL team at the School Sport Australia 2024 competition.

Levi Springer, who was Vice Captain of the U16 boys team, was named U16 Runner-up Player of the Series at the National Indoor Cricket Championships. He was ranked top of the leaderboard for the competition and was selected for the U16 Australian All-Stars Team. The U14 Tassie indoor cricket team consisting of George Durkin, Clancy Richmond and Cooper Tasker also made semi-finals and finished fourth on the ladder.

Well done to all students!

By Elyse Campbell and Lilia Colgrave

On July 4, 17 senior school students and three brave teachers embarked on a long day of travel to Japan. We made our way to the Launceston airport with a layover in Sydney, and a ten hour overnight flight to Haneda Airport in Tokyo. After a few days in Tokyo, lots of money spent at vending machines, and a trip to Disneyland, we travelled via bullet train to our sister school in Omihachiman, Omi Brotherhood School. We spent two action packed days at the school cooking takoyaki, visiting a bead factory and learning calligraphy.

We then made our way on the bullet train to Hiroshima for one night to visit the Peace Park and Museum. As a group, we sat down for a nice meal of Okonomiyaki (noodle pancake), and went for a little shopping trip at the Hiroshima mall.

After our night in Hiroshima, we made our way by a fourth bullet train to our last destination, Kyoto, for two nights. We went to lots of temples, and were happy to be there despite the oven-like heat and the dripping humidity.

Although we wanted to stay there forever, it was time to go back to Tokyo and catch the flight back to Australia. People seemed to sleep a lot more on the way back than on the flight there, which made them all very happy, and made the flight go very quickly. Overall, we all enjoyed the trip very much and can’t wait to return to Japan at some point in the future.

Shorts Day

By Molly Tanton and Natalia Byrne, Diversity Captains 

We are thrilled to share the success of our recent Shorts Day event in support of Speak Up! Stay ChatTY. A huge thank you goes out to our Student Wellbeing Committee and the entire College community for their incredible support and participation.

To everyone who braved the cold and the conversation with us on Stay ChatTY’s Shorts Day – thank you! Whether you wore shorts, proudly displayed your shorts badges, purchased a cupcake at our fundraiser, or simply engaged in meaningful conversations, your efforts have made a significant impact.

Across the state and the country, thousands joined us in this initiative, normalising the conversation around mental health and showing the importance of prioritising positive mental health. Together, we raised an impressive $1,900. Every dollar will help Stay ChatTY spark mental health conversations in our community.

We are beyond grateful for your support and excited to see what next year’s Shorts Day will bring. Let's continue to champion mental health awareness and support each other in making our community a place where everyone feels heard and valued.

Borderline Camp X

By Charlotte Cox, Student Wellbeing Committee Member and Community Captain 

At the end of last term, I was fortunate enough to attend Borderline Camp X, a week-long mental health and leadership youth camp held in Brisbane.

Borderline Youth Camp is a free, non-profit organisation specialising in youth mental health, wellbeing and leadership. Borderline is a volunteer-run initiative aiming to break down the stigma around youth mental health. Since its establishment in 2019, Borderline has run 10 programs, (six week-long camps and four weekend programs) influencing over 450 teenagers nationwide.

Borderline is an experience that I will be forever grateful to have had. 

Borderline taught me that it's okay to show emotion and that there is strength shown through vulnerability. You can not choose to be only happy, you either feel the full range of emotions or you turn all of your feelings off. It has guided me to know my self-worth and that I get to have a say in who and what influences my life. 

Another lesson is to let go of your past; it does not define you or who you are. Borderline created a home and has given me lifelong friendships and a new outlook on life. I can confidently say that, since returning from camp and throughout my time there, I have genuinely never felt happier with my life. My experience at Borderline was transformative, and I wholeheartedly encourage everyone to explore and apply. It will truly change your life for the better.

To summarise, I leave you with a lyric from an original song by Jesse Lazaroo, perfectly summing up his and many other teens' Borderline experience.

“We can share all of our fears, it doesn't bother me, as long as we can be one big family. I know I’m home.”

A reminder to current Year 11 students, who still need to size and order their Year 12 leavers' top for 2025, to please attend the Uniform Shop as soon as possible.

Those students who have been fitted, but are yet to pay for their tops, please attend the Uniform Shop to arrange payment or alternately have your parent/guardian contact the shop to arrange payment over the phone.

St Patrick's College Uniform Shop PH: 03 6341 9933

By Ms Fiona Mowat, Instrumental Music Coordinator

The students in the Music Dept have been very busy already this term, with a Drumline workshop and rehearsal session, extended Concert and Big band rehearsals, plus the inaugural Launceston Big Band Bash - hosted by the St Patrick's College Friends of Music.

With the Concert Band now only 27 days away from heading off on the Mainland Music Tour (the first since 2018) all students are working extremely hard in rehearsals, workshops and performances. 

Working under a guest International Conductor & Clinician, Mr Monte Mumford, the Concert Band students are rapidly improving and developing a very high standard of performance material. The Big Band have also been working under guest mentors, delving into the finer details of jazz and playing as one sound.

On Sunday 21 and Monday 22 July, the students involved in both the Junior and Senior Drumline spent two intensive days going through a visual and technique workshop with our mentor, Mr Campbell Phillips from the Melbourne D2 Drumline. It was the first chance the junior students have really had to play alongside our accomplished Green Beret Senior players. It was, in the words of one member, "the most exhausting, but awesome weekend ever!". These two groups will be performing as a combined item for next week's Winter Concert and all the students are certainly looking forward to it.

On the first day back for students this term, the members of the Intermediate Band travelled out to Westbury to perform and mentor the students in the primary band there. This has been a tradition for over 14 years and one that we are very keen to continue! Our students took the younger ones aside and made sure their playing technique was correct, as well as providing plenty of encouragement. The afternoon culminated in a joint concert for the entire school, which was very exciting for the Westbury children.

On Saturday, 27 July, music students and parents turned out in force to participate in a working bee at St Ailbes Hall, in preparation for its use the next day.

St Ailbes Hall is owned by the Launceston Parish and is used regularly by St Patrick's College for reflection days and workshops. The music families wanted to give back to the hall and the parish by giving the venue a really good clean. This involved cleaning chairs, stacking tables, wiping fridges, benches, washing dishes and then a momentus trip to the tip. It certainly made a big difference to the look and feel of the venue. On Sunday, 28 July, the Big Band participated in the inaugural Launceston Big Band Bash, a community event hosted by the St Patrick's College Friends of Music group. 

A day of jazz, blues, funk, rock, soul and swing music by different groups had over 230 people turn out to listen to our students, plus performers from the Grammar Jazz Ensemble, the Deloraine Big Band, the St Joe's Big Band and an all-girl group, The Chromosomes. It was a great day of dancing, socialising and music making. Requests are already in for another day next year!

Coming up next Tuesday, 6 August, is the annual Winter Concert at the Door of Hope (Launceston Conference Centre). This evening is the only showcase during the year that features all the ensembles from the music department. With students in choirs, bands, strings and drumlines, it will provide a wonderful array of music. The event commences at 7:00pm, and tickets can be purchased at the door.

Finally, we wish the members of the Senior String ensembles all the best of luck as they compete in the St Cecilia Performance Challenge on Friday 9 August.

The Australian Government Department of Education will be collecting specific information about our College, including details about our staff and student body, as part of the 2024 Non-government schools census collection (the census).

For more details about census collection, please click the link here: https://stpatricks.co/4cSVAnP