By Mrs Liz Illingworth, Principal

LAP IT UP

Last Friday, our Year 12s participated in Lap It Up XVIII. It was a fabulous day where our students walked, ran, swam, played water polo, biked, and shared each other's company from 9.00am to 9.00pm.

The event was about community, spirit, friendship, awareness raising, and challenge.

The day began with our Community and Spirit Captains, Cooper and Alannah, addressing our whole community about Lap It Up, Headspace, and the importance of mental health. Our College Captains, Georgia, Hugh, Will, and Maggie cut the starting ribbons, and were led by our drumline, closely followed by the rest of the Year 12 cohort for the first lap.

The day continued for our Year 12s supported by performances from our talented musicians, an Egg and Bacon McMuffin Brunch, a Headspace presentation, a Colour Run at lunchtime, a ‘Doff Doff Stick’ competition, Parent/Guardian and Pet Hour, and a sausage sizzle for dinner. To conclude the day, the whole cohort walked one last lap together, gathered, and sang O Patrick Hail.

It was a wonderful community event, showing connection, community, and friendship, while simultaneously raising awareness and funds for mental health.

Well done to all students, and a big thank you to our amazing staff for supporting the event!

YOUR NEW GUIDE TO RAISING KIDS IN AN ONLINE WORLD: ESAFETY COMMISSION

Helping children and young people navigate the online world can be challenging. That’s why we’re pleased to share the Online Safety Guide, a practical guide designed to help parents/guardians better understand the online environments young people use every day.

It covers key online safety topics, from gaming and social media, to cyberbullying and AI-generated content and provides practical ways to support your child to have more positive online experiences.

You can start with a section or topic that seems relevant right now, or dip in and out as needed. Either way, it will help you:

- understand common online risks and issues

- learn what helps in different scenarios

- talk with your child about what they do online

- know how to respond if something goes wrong.

A special thank you to our Parent Advisory Group members for their contributions to the development of this guide. ( esafety.gov.au )

UPDATES TO OUR MOBILE PHONE PROTOCOLS FOR TERM 4

From the start of Term 4, students are required not to use mobile phones inside school buildings before or after school (with an exception for making purchases at the Ballygriffin Cafe when students enter the College in the morning). This is part of our transition toward a complete ban on mobile phone use on College grounds by 2027. We appreciate your assistance in helping our students adapt to this change.

PARENT & GUARDIAN PHOTOGRAPHY REMINDER

A reminder to parents/guardians: to ensure that we meet our Safeguarding responsibilities, please do not take photos or videos on College grounds or during College events. Official photos are taken by authorised photographers or College staff using official devices, and these are shared via Portal Plus.

CONTACTING AND MEETING WITH STAFF AT THE COLLEGE

Recently, some community members call and arrive at the College hoping to talk with or meet with staff. We value our partnership with our parents/guardians, however a reminder that this is not always possible immediately. Staff are often teaching or in meetings and will not always be free to meet. If you need to speak with a staff member, an email or phone call first can save time so that a meeting time can be arranged.

Of course there are times when an emergency situation may arise and we will always try to accommodate where possible.

SWIMMING CAPTAINS 2026

As you are receiving our Week 8 Newsletter, our swimmers are due to board the bus to return from Hobart following the SATIS Swimming Carnival. I am sure they would have had many successes today and as always displayed amazing team and College spirit.

Our College Swim Team had success recently at the NSATIS Carnival and we are proud of their work.

Congratulations to our 2026 Swim Team Captains - Elouise Frerk and Olivia Hinds: the leadership from these girls has been outstanding.

CATHOLIC SCHOOL PARENTS ASSOCIATION - NATIONAL PARENT SURVEY

The CSPA 2026 Parent Survey on Student Wellbeing and Learning is interested in the perspectives of parents/guardians of one or more children who attend a Catholic School in Australia. Parents/Guardians who would like to share their views on existing and emerging concerns and interests they may have in relation to their child/children’s wellbeing and learning are invited to consider completing this anonymous, confidential, and completely voluntary online survey.

More information about the study, how to have any questions answered, and how to participate can be found by clicking the link here.

Enjoy your weekend.

By Mr Cameron Ivory - Head of School - Middle School

Heroes Among Us – Building Connections. Creating Memories. Celebrating Everyday Heroes

The Penola Innovation Centre was buzzing with energy as members of our Middle School community gathered for the annual Boys Unite evening. Centred around this year’s inspiring theme, "Heroes Among Us – Building Connections. Creating Memories. Celebrating Everyday Heroes," young men accompanied by their significant male role models filled the venue for a night dedicated to strength, connection, and shared growth.

The night was designed to foster teamwork and plenty of laughter. Attendees put their speed and skill to the test in fast-paced Minute to Win It challenges, explored new dimensions in Virtual Reality, and channelled their creativity through Art. These hands-on sessions set a welcoming, high-energy tone, giving young men and their role models a valuable chance to create lasting memories side-by-side.

The heart of the evening came when the room gathered to hear inspiring personal reflections from three standout figures in our community: College Vice Captain William Symons, alongside teachers Mr Dave Hayward and Mr Jono James. Together, the speakers explored what it truly means to be an everyday hero - a person defined by character, heart, and purpose. Each delivered a moving testament to the heroes in their own lives, speaking candidly about navigating adversity, overcoming challenges, and how their role models shaped them into the people they are today. Their openness provided a powerful reminder of how steady guidance and positive male mentorship can transform young lives.

An event of this scale relies on incredible teamwork. A heartfelt thank you goes out to every student and mentor who attended and contributed to the warm spirit of the evening, as well as the staff and student volunteers who assisted behind the scenes. Special thanks goes to Mr Jonathon Ray and our talented Hospitality students for catering an amazing spread of food and drinks that kept everyone refreshed throughout the night. It was an unforgettable evening that truly celebrated the everyday heroes among us.

We wish to inform our community that, from the beginning of 2027, we will commence phasing out the current House, Rep and Croagh polo tops. This transition will occur over the next two years, with all students expected to wear the new House or Croagh polo by 2029.

The new House polo will replace the Rep polo, meaning students will only need one top.

The new polos are expected to be available for purchase from Midford from December 2026.

By Mr Jarrod Fawdry - Teacher

2026 has again been a fantastic year for Legal Studies at the College. We have been lucky to have two Level 3 Legal Studies classes and two Year 10 Introduction to Legal Studies classes - evidence of a strong interest in law amongst students at the College. Students across these classes have been fortunate enough to draw on the experience of their amazing teachers, Mr Thomas McCormack, Mr Roy Stewart, and Mr Jarrod Fawdry.

Term 3 has been a particularly busy term for these classes and their teachers.

Week 5 saw the two Level 3 Legal Studies classes attend the annual Utas Lawfest at the Sandy Bay campus where students enjoyed the opportunity to network with fellow students from across Tasmania, while also exploring topical legal issues through lectures delivered by Utas staff such as Professors Tim McCormack and Matt Killingsworth. Students were also fortunate enough to hear about the personal experiences from His Honour, High Court Justice Robert Beech-Jones who was the keynote speaker for the day. His Honour regaled the audience with stories about his own studies as a student of law, notable cases he had presided over, particularly those from his time acting as Coroner, and left students with several words of wisdom regarding the importance of the separation of the judiciary and executive government.

During Week 6 our Year 10 Introduction to Legal Studies class visited the Launceston Magistrates Court where they were able to observe several cases which included matters listed for facts and sentencing, plea, mention, or first appearance. The class were surprised when, due to completing the list early, His Honour Justice Andrew McKee closed the court and held an impromptu Q & A with our students, even allowing some to try on his gown while sitting in his seat at the head of the court room!

Finally, in Week 7, students from the two Level 3 Legal Studies classes participated in an excursion which again took them to Hobart, this time to visit the Ron Barwick Prison (which forms part of the larger Risdon Prison Complex) and Parliament House. While at the prison students were able to tour unoccupied parts of the prison while speaking with the managing Superintendent about the programs run at the prison and general conditions which staff and prisoners are exposed to as part of this sentencing option. At parliament, students observed question time and the introduction of a new bill in the House of Assembly and then toured the chamber of the Legislative Council and the Parliamentary Museum. This experience allowed students to witness first hand the most severe form of punishment in our criminal justice system, and to also gain a deeper understanding of the role parliament plays in ensuring our community is protected by contemporary legislation.

All students were a credit to our College, participating with respectful curiosity and it was excellent to see some of the future lawyers, police officers and justice workers exploring what may form their future workplaces.

Thank you again to students and to all staff who supported these incursions and excursions - without your help and engagement these experiences could not happen.

Congratulations to Olivia, who recently competed at the 2026 Tasmanian State Championships in Hobart and won four individual state titles, including the 100m backstroke, breaststroke and freestyle, and the 200m individual medley, as well as silver in the Women’s Open 50m, 100m and 200m breaststroke, making her the second-fastest woman in the state.

Her relay teams also won gold in both the freestyle and medley relays. This performance also qualified her for the 2027 Australian Age Nationals, which will be held in Brisbane in April.

Congratulations to Campbell Woodgate, who has been selected to represent Tasmania in the u14 Boys State Soccer Team, competing in the Talent ID Cup at the Home of the Matildas in Bundoora Victoria from 30 September - 2 October.

Congratulations to Robert Webb, who received the Australian Scout Medallion, the highest award a scout youth member can receive.

Congratulations to Year 10 students Samantha Taylor and Ryan Sansom, who have been recognised in ABC’s 2026 Heywire competition! You can listen to their stories here: ABC Heywire - Samantha, ABC Heywire - Ryan

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