By Mrs Liz Illingworth, Principal

This week we celebrated Teacher Assistant Appreciation Week. We have nearly 50 amazing Teacher Assistants working across our College supporting our learners every day. The contribution that our Teacher Assistants make to our College is incredible and we are grateful to each and every one of them for their magnificent work.

Often parents/guardians talk with me and other staff about the difficulties of raising teenagers and young adults. This period can be a really turbulent time for our young people as they seek to develop their identity, greater independence and transition into the adult world. As parents/guardians and educators we have a role to walk alongside our young people and support them as they move through these years. It is normal teenage behaviour to test boundaries and to take risks. As parents/guardians and educators, it is our role to continue to provide guidance, support, direction and maintain boundaries.

At a time where our young people are constantly being influenced through their feeds and media about how they should be, it is more important than ever that we provide consistency, be a role model and support to our young people. The teenage years can be bumpy and hard and this is normal. It is during these periods of adversary that our young people grow and develop their resilience. They need to show up, they need to focus on developing connections, they need to practice positive thinking and they need to focus on what they can control.

There are many excellent resources to help us as parents/guardians. The Raising Children Network has information about development and strategies for raising children of all ages. Information is evidence-based about parenting teenagers, setting boundaries, communicating, wellbeing, and supporting young people through challenging periods.

As we move into the second half of Term 3 our Year 11 and 12 students enter an important part of their academic year. Our Senior Students have only six weeks of learning left. It is important that all students are at College and fully engaged in their learning opportunities over this time. This time can also be challenging for our students as they worry about their futures, worry about exams and getting work finished. Again, supporting our young people is essential. Maintaining a balance between study, physical activity, sleep, and social connection is key to navigating this stretch successfully. Encouraging them to keep routines steady, ask for help when needed, and take things one day at a time will help them perform at their best while keeping stress manageable.

As a College we are now planning for 2027. If your child is not returning to St Patrick's College in 2027, please complete this form, Not returning to SPC for 2027 to support our planning as soon as possible. Closing date for notification is Friday 18 September 2026

Enjoy the weekend!

Click here to read the latest Parish Bulletin:

By Ms Kate Rockliffe - Curriculum Director - Senior School

Student survey: TASC Years 11 and 12 Student Survey – Assessments and GeinAI TASC is seeking feedback from senior secondary students about their experiences and views on assessment and the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in their learning and assessments. Student feedback will help TASC ensure that assessment practices remain fair, valid, and equitable, including ensuring that course assessment remains a demonstration of student’s own learning and achievement.

Congratulations to these students for their achievements:

Gabrielle Eyles recently performed in the St Cecilia Performance Challenge. She placed first in two sections: Contemporary/Popular Piano 14 Years Old and Piano Grade 5.

Travis Liddell competed at the Tasmanian State Swimming Championships in Hobart and won the State Championship for Backstroke, making him the 2026 Tasmanian State Champion in the event. He also achieved several other podium finishes across his other events, including a second place in the open backstroke event.

Isla Mayes and Bonnie Kerslake have been shortlisted in the 2026 Young Tasmanian Writers' Prize. Isla in the Senior Section for her entry 'What girls get up to', and Bonnie in the Junior Section for her entry 'If these walls could talk'.

Do you know of a student's achievements outside of College life? Share it with us at https://stpatricks.co/StudentSuccess

By Mrs Elizabeth Buckler - PIC Swimming

On Tuesday, 25 August, a strong pod of St Patrick’s College swimmers represented the college at our annual NSATIS swimming event held at the Ariarne Titmus 50m Competition Pool in Launceston. This was our first outing of the year and bodes well for SATIS due to be held on Friday, 18 September.

Individual NSATIS record breakers were Travis Liddell and Swimming Co-Captain, Olivia Hinds. Travis swam the U13 50m Freestyle in 27:41, beating last year’s record time of 27:47, and Olivia swam a record-breaking time in the Girls Open 50m Breaststroke of 34:19, a comfortable jump on last year’s record of 35:83.

Other stand-out 50m Freestyle performances were seen by Toby Fair in the U13 boys, who was placed second behind Travis Liddell in the 50 Freestyle; Emmerson Lowry, who came third in the U16 Girls; Jack McLean, who came 3rd in his Open age group; and Olivia Hinds, who was placed second in the Open Girls.

100m Freestyle superstars were Travis Liddell, Emmerson Lowry, Swimming Co-Captain Elouise Frerk, and speedy Jack McLean – teammates who swam times of 1:01.75, 1:08.18, 1:03.95, and 56.59, respectively.

50m Breaststroke standout performances include Travis Liddell and Toby Fair, who were placed first and second, respectively, in the U13 Boys; Ivy Cartledge, who came home in first place in the U14 Girls; Addison Frerk, who achieved third place in the U15 Girls; Lucas Gray, who came in third place in the U16 Boys; Jack McLean, placing third in Open Boys; and Olivia Hinds, who came in first place in the Girls Open event.

Afternoon races included the ever-challenging Butterfly, and crowds saw Travis Liddell, Cooper Reeve, Jack McLean, and Elouise Frerk shine with times of 33:89, 28:27, 29:69, and 31:78.

The 50m Backstroke events were dominated by U13 Travis Liddell and Toby Fair, who came first and second in their event with times of 33:34 and 37:44. Oliver Green was placed second in the U15 Boys Backstroke event with a time of 33:78; Lucas Gray won his U16 Boys event with a time of 29:71, followed closely by Cooper Reeve, who swam 31:13. Emme Lowry, Jack McLean and Olivia Hinds were placed third, second and third in their age groups with times of 37:03, 30:55 and 35:31, respectively.

The highly anticipated relay teams achieved success, with the U13 Boys Freestyle race won by Travis Liddell, Toby Fair, Leo Matthews, and Huon Lockett. The U14 Boys placed second in their Freestyle relay, thanks to Jack Gray, Arvin Kaveh Rad, Stuart Innes, and Frederick Peel. Other successful Freestyle Relay teams included the Boys U15, comprised of Oliver Green, Henry O’Toole, Will Cackett, and Santino Ramirez, who came first; the The Girls U15 team of Addison Frerk, Aimee Morgan, Alexis Harmey, and Imogen Lee, finished third; the Boys U16 team of Lucas Gray, Cooper Reeve, Timothy Innes, and Campbell Spencer took first place; the Girls U16 team of Emmerson Lowry, Erin Ackerly, Zoe Limbrick, and Milla Johnston swam confidently into second place; and both the Girls and Boys Open teams of Jack McLean, Lucas Jarman, Kayne Goss, Oliver Hodgetts, Elouise Frerk, Olivia Hinds, Alice Verbeeten, and Lam Minh Dan Nguyen were placed second in their events.

Regarding the Medley Relay events, the U14 and U16 Boys achieved first-place success (U14: Travis Liddell, Toby Fair, Jack Gray, and Arvin Kaveh Rad; U16 Boys: Lucas Gray, Oliver Green, Cooper Reeve, and Timothy Innes). Both the Girls U16 and Boys Open achieved second place: U16: Emmerson Lowry, Addison Frerk, Zoe Limbrick, and Erin Ackerly; Open Boys: Jack McLean, Lucas Jarman, Kayne Goss, and Oliver Hodgetts. Rounding out the event, the Open Girls achieved third place with Elouise Frerk, Olivia Hinds, Alice Verbeeten, and Lam Minh Dan Nguyen.

Pennants won on the day included the Boys U15 and Boys and Girls U16, with some strong second places in the Boys U14, Girls Open, and Boys’ Open groups. Finally, NSATIS Shields brought back to St Patrick's College included the Boys Junior Shield and the Boys Aggregate Shield.

All in all, NSATIS was a successful start to our campaign, and Mr McLaughlin and I would like to send a special ‘thank you’ to those swimmers who accompanied the team as strong reserve swimmers and gave up their class time to support co-curricular activities such as school swimming. Without you, our team wouldn’t be competitive.