By Mrs Liz Illingworth, Principal

CATHOLIC EDUCATION WEEK AND BLESSED CARLO ACUTIS EXHIBITION

This past week, we celebrated Catholic Education Week. The theme for this year’s celebrations, 'Joyful in hope, faithful in prayer', is taken from St Paul’s letter to the Romans – “Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction and patient in prayer” - Romans 12:12.

Catholic Education Week is a shared celebration across our state of our mission and of our people. It is a time to recognise the unique characteristics of our Schools and Colleges and celebrate all that we encompass. Some of our students and staff attended Mass and shared lunch together with their peers from our local Catholic Primary Schools.

On Wednesday afternoon our staff had the opportunity to gather to celebrate the contribution they make to our communities at the Catholic Education Awards, held at St Thomas More’s Primary School.

This year, the celebration was particularly important for us at St Patrick’s College. Ms Leigh Hart, our Head of School at Croagh Patrick, was awarded with an ‘Outstanding Service as an Employee within Catholic Education’ Award for 2024. Leigh is an outstanding educator and leader at our College and her contribution over many years has impacted and supported students in so many areas - particularly in the Arts. We congratulate Leigh on this award and thank her for her contributions to St Patrick’s College, our students and our staff.

This week our College Chapel has hosted the Carlo Acutis Exhibition & Relics which our students have visited to view the displays. The exhibition shows the life and work of Blessed Carlos Acutis (1991-2006). Blessed Carlo is a teenage saint-to-be, famous for his love of Jesus and helping the poor and his online promotion of Eucharistic devotion. Carlos’ life was marked by compassion, humility, and a steadfast commitment to his Catholic values. This exhibition has been an opportunity for us as a community to celebrate our Catholic identity.

MEMORIAL GARDEN OPENING

Last week, we celebrated the Blessing and Opening of our Memorial Garden at St Patrick’s College. Our Memorial Garden is situated next to our Chapel, providing a sacred space for all. The space is dedicated to the staff, students, and community members of St Patrick’s College who have passed away.

This Memorial Garden will serve our community as an important and special place where we can gather, pause, and remember those who have come before us, helped shape St Patrick’s College, and made unique and essential contributions to our school.

We are grateful to all who have been involved in this project.

KINDNESS AND CELEBRATING THE GOOD IN OTHERS

When we are kind, it feels really good. This is because being kind causes positive changes in our brain due to a boost in the release of serotonin and dopamine. When you extend your kindness, not only do you personally get a boost, but so does the person you are being kind to, and so do those around you. Developing a culture of kindness amongst all in our community is important to help support the wellbeing of all - staff, students and community.

Hand in hand with being kind is taking the time to celebrate. Each week I am astounded by the many events and activities that occur across our College which allow our students to participate in our Community, share their talents and participate in outreach to others.

In the past week alone I have witnessed our VET Coxswain students graduate from the Australian Maritime College, our Year 10 Ascent students run an Ascent Day for St Finn Barr’s Primary School, the Winter Concert, the first Year 12 Ski Trip, the Homelessness Awareness Walk, Year 10 Drama Performances, the Blessing and Opening of our Memorial Garden, Soccer, Volleyball and Netball games, and many Pathway Planning meetings. 

This is just a sample of things that have occurred at the College on top of all the learning that happens each day. I want to acknowledge the amazing work our St Patrick’s College staff do that supports our students and allows for all of these events to occur. Thank you to all, your work is so valued and appreciated by our community.

POSITIVE PSYCHOLOGY

Don’t forget to register for the upcoming Parent Session - Positive Psychology for Productive Parenting on Tuesday 27 August 2024, 6:00pm or 7:30pm in the Guilford Theatre.

To register your attendance please complete the following form: stpatricks.co/PositiveParenting

Please click on or copy and paste the link into your web browser. We hope to see you there.

I wish you all ‘joyful hope’!

The College is currently developing classes for 2025 and, as part of the planning process, parents/guardians are required to complete a Notification Form if their child(ren) currently in Years 7-11 are not returning due to transitioning to another educational institution or workplace. 

Enrolments for students who are continuing at St Patrick’s College next year will be automatically progressed; therefore, parents/guardians are not required to complete the Notification Form.

NOTIFICATION OF STUDENTS NOT RETURNING IN 2025: DUE FRIDAY 20 SEPTEMBER 2024

To advise the College of any students currently in Years 7-11 who are not returning in 2025, parents/guardians must complete the Notification Form below by either clicking on or copying and pasting the link into their internet browser by Friday, 20 September 2024. If notification is not received by the due date, the 10-week late notification fee, as per the Catholic Education Tasmania Terms of Enrolment, will be applied unless there are extenuating circumstances (i.e. student leaving for full-time employment). Waiving of the late notification fee will be approved at the discretion of the Principal.

NOTIFICATION FORM (Please only complete if not returning in 2025): https://stpatricks.co/3AqJx2K

IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR PARENTS/GUARDIANS OF STUDENTS RETURNING IN 2025

For students continuing at St Patrick's College in 2025, no further action is required, however, it is recommended that parents/guardians re-familiarise themselves with the Terms and Conditions of Enrolment and Student Health and Safety Agreement, by either clicking on, or copying and pasting the links below into your internet browser.

Terms of Enrolment: https://stpatricks.co/3o2CRz1

Health and Safety Agreement: https://stpatricks.co/21HaSA

Thank you for assisting the College in this important planning process.

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.

By Annaliese McNeair, Community & Media Captain

Our Year 12s are excited to announce our fast-approaching LAP IT UP 24-hour fundraiser, taking place in just under a month on Thursday 5 September! 

This vibrant event, organised entirely by our passionate students, promises the opportunity for our College community to put our Mission and Values into action by raising funds and awareness of the need to support others and how effort makes a significant and meaningful impact.

LAP IT UP XVI will be raising funds and awareness for four local organisations supported by our House groups: Landcare Tasmania, Magnolia Place Launceston Women's Shelter, Migrant Resource Centre Tasmania, and New Horizons Tasmania.

We look forward to the opportunity to continue to raise significant funds and awareness for those in need in our local community, through the generous sponsorship of individuals and businesses:

STUDENT SPONSORSHIP 

Our Year 12s will be seeking sponsorship from family, friends, and community members to support the LAP IT UP event, which may be accepted in cash form or donated through our online donations portal, ‘Chuffed’. Sponsorship money is to be returned no later than 7:00pm, on Thursday 5 September.

BUSINESS ‘ONE HOUR’ SPONSORSHIP 

The event also aims to have each of the 24 hours of LAP IT UP sponsored by a local business for a cost of $100.00. Business sponsorship makes a significant community service contribution to areas of need in our society, while also assisting St Patrick’s College in fulfilling its mission as a Catholic school. Business One Hour Sponsorship requests may be made via email to Mrs Norton-Smith at anortonsmith@stpatricks.tas.edu.au by Friday, 23 August.

Finally, we invite all Year 12 parents and guardians to attend the final hour from 8:00am to 9:00am on Friday 6 September, and the following breakfast BBQ.

We thank our participants and sponsors in anticipation of their support of LAP IT UP XVI, and look forward to continuing this special event in 2024. 

For further information or enquiries regarding LAP IT UP XVI, please contact Ms Holloway via email at rachael.holloway@stpatricks.tas.edu.au.

Click to view the latest issue of the Launceston Parish Bulletin here: https://stpatricks.co/46N43XA

By Mrs Lindsey Hills, Deputy Principal – Learning & Achievement

This week the College held Subject Information Evenings in the Middle School, Croagh Patrick and the Senior School to assist students in making informed subject selections for 2025. It was lovely to see large numbers of students and parents/guardians in attendance, seeking advice on the most appropriate subjects to study next year.

The Subject Selections Portal opened this week. Students would have received their log in details via email on Monday 12 August. The email will come from noreply@selectmysubjects.com.au. If students are unable to locate it, we recommend they check their spam folder in the first instance.

If students are having trouble locating their log in details or lodging their subject preferences, they can contact their Curriculum Director or Mrs Nicole Cullen on ncullen@stpatricks.tas.edu.au for assistance. 

2025 Subject Selection Guides remain available on Schoolbox for further information.

Paige O'Neill has been selected in the 2024 21/U Australian Squad and will be participating in a Squad Camp and Fiji Tour during August. 

At the recent Performance Challenge in Launceston, Jack Adams came 1st place in the Class 10 & 11 and Grade 7 & 8 Piano Solo, and 2nd place in the Class 24 piano and Contemporary Piano 17 Years categories. 

Congratulations and well done to these students. 

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

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

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 Thomas Page & Charlotte Cox, Music Captains

It's certainly been a busy month for the music department! The Launceston Competitions saw the College bring home five first-place medals by Harmonia, Key-Notes and the Flute Ensemble, one second-place by the Clarinet Ensemble and one third-place by the Senior Saxophone Ensemble. 

The Drumlines recently spent a weekend working with Campbell Phillips, the founder of D2 Drumline, honing their skills and repertoire. The Concert and Big Bands also continue to vigorously prepare for the upcoming music tour to Canberra. Both the String Quartets performed at the St Cecilia Performance Challenge and played some beautiful pieces.

Winter Concert 

On top of all of this, the annual St Patrick's College Winter Concert took place at the Door of Hope last Tuesday. Attended by staff, students and parents, it was a resounding success, showcasing the incredible talent and work ethic of our students.

Some students had spent weeks preparing for the night, often rehearsing at school on weekends, early in the mornings or late into the evenings to ensure they were prepared to deliver their very best on performance night. These efforts were greatly appreciated by a very impressed audience.

The St Patrick's College combined Drumlines opened the event with a BANG, performing a piece titled Shock. They were followed by 15 other ensembles, including the Clarinet, Saxophone and Flute Ensembles, The String Quartets, the String and Symphony Orchestras and the Development and Intermediate Bands to great praise. The College Concert Band ended the evening with a stellar rendition of Eire and The Great Locomotive Chase, a fittingly upbeat end for such an amazing evening.

Nights like this wouldn’t be possible without our dedicated music teachers, administration, students, stage crew, supportive families and the Friends of Music Association. A big thank you is owed to all involved. We congratulate our fellow students on their wonderful performances and wish the best of luck to the members of the Concert and Big Band ensembles who will embark on their mainland music tour later this month.

Watch this space as we tune up for the End of Year Concert! 

By Rick Smith, Public Speaking PIC

The Public Speaking team had a busy and energetic first half of the year. We have a small team at the moment but that hasn’t prevented us from participating with enthusiasm all year.

Lions Youth of the Year Competition

The Lions Youth of the Year Competition is for students in Years 10-12. This year, Gabriella Smith from Year 12 participated and began at the club level with her speech that urged us to find our spark and, through actions within our control, bring about positive change in the world. She additionally gave two impromptu speeches at each final. It was rewarding for all team members to have Gabriella represent the College successfully at both club and regional finals, and make her way to being one of three state finalists.

Rostrum’s Voice of Youth Event

Rostrum’s Voice of Youth event saw Xavier Ombao from Year 9 compete for his third year and Hannah Madden, also from Year 9, for her first time, both in the Junior section. Each student gave prepared and impromptu speeches. Although they didn’t finish in the formal placings, both showed their growth in confidence and speaking skills since beginning their preparation. Additionally, both demonstrated the College spirit through their determination and their warm congratulations to the eventual winners. We look forward to Xavier and Hannah competing again in 2025.

Legacy Junior Public Speaking Awards

The Legacy Junior Public Speaking Awards are for students in Years 7-9. Past entrants from the College encourage participation as this is a valuable opportunity for speaking in a supportive and welcoming environment. Entries have closed for this year but students considering Public Speaking as a co-curricular activity in 2025 are encouraged to attend meetings to learn more. Times and dates are shown on the Student Bulletin.