By Mrs Liz Illingworth, Principal

ADVENT - EXPECTANT WAITING, HOPEFUL ANTICIPATION AND JOYFUL WAITING

As a Catholic community we have now entered the season of Advent. We celebrated the first Sunday of Advent last week.

Advent is a time of preparation - a time of joyful celebration preparing for Christmas. Over the four Sundays of Advent we celebrate Hope, Peace, Joy and Love. If each of these four celebrations were front and centre in our lives during December, I am sure we would enter Christmas relaxed and ready for the birth of Jesus, and full of gratitude for what we have.

This time of year is also a time where we can acknowledge that many in our local and national communities are struggling. Thank you to all our families who have supported our Vinnies Christmas Hamper Appeal. This is just one way each of us are able to practise our College value of Social Justice, by giving to others. Thank you to staff and students who have packed our hampers to ensure that they make their way to Vinnies ready for distribution.

CELEBRATION AND REFLECTION

As the academic year draws to a close, we have much to celebrate. We are looking forward to welcoming all in our St Patrick’s College community to our End of Year Mass and Graduation Ceremony on Tuesday 12 December commencing at 6:30pm. This is an opportunity to celebrate all that is St Patrick’s College and a time to reflect on the accomplishments and challenges that we have encountered during 2023. All students in Years 7-12 are expected to attend and sit in their Tutor Group.

It is always a great pleasure to celebrate our students and their amazing talents and achievements. The Launceston Catholic School's End of Year Concert held on Thursday, 23 November was such an event. I was amazed to witness the progress students made from the early stages of the Instrumental Music Program to the magnificent performances of our Senior Bands.

Congratulations to our Music Award recipients, Ashlee Cherry and Jackson Wright for Service to Music, and to Cameron Cook for Outstanding Achievement in Music.

Thank you and congratulations to our Music Captains for 2023, Ashlee Cherry and Imogen Williams, who have been exceptional over the year, and to all our staff and parents/guardians who have contributed to this successful program and evening.

A number of our Year 7/8 and Year 9/10 students recently participated in the Regional High School Basketball Championships and performed exceptionally well. Of our eight teams, six played in the Grand Final and four teams will represent the College in the State Finals this coming weekend - we wish them all the best.

2024

We look forward to welcoming students in Year 7, 9, 11 and 12 on Wednesday 7 February, and Year 8 and 10 students on Thursday 8 February, 2024.

Please note: Metro 'School Special' buses will not begin operating until Thursday 8 February 2024.

I would like to take this opportunity in our final Newsletter to wish you all a safe, happy and holy Christmas.

By Mrs Belinda Chapman, Retreat & Reflection Day Coordinator

During Term 4 the Year 7s and Year 8s participated in their second reflection day, in paired classes.

The Year 7s were guided through a playful walk through the Mass. Each activity aimed to help students have a better understanding of the meaning and purpose of each of the elements of Mass. Through these activities they learnt a  number of things, some of which included: that they are welcome at Mass just as they are; what some of the postures and actions mean; how stories help us connect and engage; that Eucharist means thanksgiving; how our daily lives are also sacred spaces; that the very word Mass means to ‘go out’, be who we are called to be and to serve others.

Students brought along a soup ingredient and our volunteer cooks, Tina, Jan and Stewart, turned it into a delicious meal for our lunch. This was part of our day that connected with the staff skit, the Soup Stone Story, helping us all see how we each bring something to the table and we all make up the Body of Christ.

We are grateful to our priests of the parish - Fr Ben, Fr Chatty and Fr Jessie - who each said Mass for us at the end of the days.

The Year 8s engaged in a day on the theme of Social Justice. They visualised some key statistics of our world by representing 135 million people each, getting a good idea of some of the areas of injustice where we do not have fair, right or complete situations in our world. Then, moving from the whole world, they were introduced to a few people whose lives are affected by injustice through film, story and game. Students had the chance to notice and name some of the issues and blockages to justice, as well as noticing and appreciating the stable things in their own lives.

Another story and scripture helped to give examples of dignity, showing that when we treat each person as a brother or sister, we really start to work towards justice.

Students discovered some key ways of being that will help us all work towards social justice, starting with the people around us.

Click to view the full issue here: https://stpatricks.co/3Nk6GYd

By Ms Leigh Hart, Head of School – Croagh Patrick

Term 4 at Croagh Patrick is always busy and this year has been no exception. We again set our students the 24 hour Solo Camp challenge in Week 3. This is a pivotal part of the Rite Journey Program, where students spend time away from technology and are given the opportunity to reflect, give thanks and plan their future. In Week 4, we had our fabulous Art Show and Music showcase. This year all proceeds from the silent auction went to the 24 Carrot Garden Program which develops community gardens in underprivileged schools in Tasmania. Our Hands on History class also presented displays of their learning this semester. In Week 5, we had our Open Windows performance. This year it was titled Broadway Baby and highlighted song and dance from musicals from the 1950’s through to today. The dance, drama and musical theatre classes all combined to produce this show and played to a full audience.

In Week 6 the Business and Economics classes held a small enterprise lunchtime with students, creating small businesses just for the event.

In Week 7, our Homegroups prepared to challenge themselves in the Amazing Race. Students were placed in teams and had to run the streets of Launceston, solving clues and overcoming challenges in order to complete the race in a short time frame. This was a great opportunity for all students to apply what they had learnt in class all year.

We also celebrated the end of the Rite Journey Program with the Sending Out Ceremonies. Parents were again invited to join their children in affirming their growth and change into adulthood. Each Rite Journey group holds their own ceremony with students , teachers and parents all taking the opportunity to speak about what they had gotten out of the program.

Finally in Week 8 our students went on camp. The girls attended their camps in the first half of the week, and the boys in the second half. Students could choose from the following activities: surfing, sea kayaking, snorkeling, rock climbing, mountain biking , tours to the east coast animal sanctuary and trips on a glass bottom boat. I cannot think of a better way to finish their Croagh Patrick experience.

Thank you to all those who helped make Term 4 at Croagh Patrick an amazing one. 

Annabelle Pyke has been selected for the Athletics Tasmania state team to attend the Australian All Schools Track and Field Championships in Perth WA.

Sebastian Hardinge has also been selected for the National All Schools Athletics Championships to represent Tasmania. He will be competing in Javelin, Discus and High Jump.

Well done Annabelle and Sebastian, we wish you both the best of luck. 

To view the full PDF version, please click here: https://stpatricks.co/472jsBX

In Term 4, our Year 8 3D Art class explored spirit animals. Within this process they created armatures, then used paper mache to cover them. Once dried they used indigenous print paper as a final layer. Below are some examples of their final pieces. 

In November, our Year 10 Photography students travelled to Launceston CBD to capture 'City Life' for a class photo competition. With city life also being the theme of the competition, all students involved had the opportunity to show Launceston through their own eyes, capturing beautiful images of local parks, historic buildings, roads and finer details. Judged by SPC art staff, there were three winners:

1st Place - Ella Beale
2nd Place - Annabel Davis
3rd Place - Charlotte Boyd

Well done to all students involved! 

Subject Confirmation for all students (Year 7-12 2024) will have been sent to all parents/guardians on Friday 17 November. If anyone has not received their subjects, or would like to make changes to the subjects listed, please contact the relevant Director of Curriculum listed below. 

Year 7 and 8 - Mrs Jacqui Bourne

Year 9 - Ms Sally Angus

Year 10 - Mr Ryan Wiese

Year 11/12 - Mrs Lindsey Hills

For those who are happy with their selection, please see the attached details regarding the student booklists for 2024. 

The Department of State Growth has determined that Metro Tasmania will commence running school bus services from the first day of Term 1 for Tasmanian Government schools. 

This means that for 2024, all Metro school services will resume on Thursday 8 February.

This affects all Year 7, 9, 11 & 12 who are commencing on Wednesday 7 February.

At this stage, Metro Tasmania is unable to provide additional charter services for schools returning prior to Thursday 8 February, meaning that students may need to arrange alternative charter services with one of Tasmania’s other bus operators, or need to utilise alternative transport options.

For the full report, please click here: https://stpatricks.co/480cr5g

In the lead up to the end of year school holidays, the Australian Federal Police (AFP) and Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation (ACCCE) is asking education departments to share important safety information internally and within school communities to help prevent sextortion.

Sextortion is a form of online blackmail where someone tricks or coerces people into sending sexual images of themself and then threatens to share the images unless they comply with their demands. The ACCCE is receiving around 300 reports of financial sextortion per month, with the majority of reports involving 13-17 year olds. There are serious safety concerns for victims, with instances of self-harm attributed to this crime.

For more information and further access to resources visit: accce.gov.au/sextortionhelp

Online child sexual exploitation, including sextortion, can be reported to accce.gov.au/report

Saturday 18 November 2023 - Round 8

SPC 10/113 (20 overs) lost to SOC 8/131 (24 overs)

Batting Performances:

Harry Page 52, Cameron Nicholas 19* and Tahj Jones 7.

Bowling Performances: 

Ashton Mahar 2/11 (3 overs), Callum McNeair 1/8 (3 overs), Cameron Nicholas 1/8 (2 overs), Darcy Kitchin 1/13 (2 overs) and Samuel Ward 1/10 (2 overs).

Saturday 2 December 2023 - Grand Final

SPC 8/120 (30 overs) lost to LCS 8/122 (30 overs)

Batting Performances:

Harry Page 30, Cameron Nicholas 11*, Darcy Kitchin 10* and Xavier Hampton 9.

Bowling Performances:

Jasper Lee 2/16 (4 overs), Darcy Kitchin 1/16 (5 overs), Xavier Hampton 1/6 (2 overs), Samuel Ward 1/8 (2 overs), Cameron Nicholas 1/8 (2.1 overs), Owen Woolridge 1/11 (3 overs) and Tahj Jones 1/10 (2 overs).

By Mr Deon Birtwistle, Head of Rowing

Schools Regatta No. 1 - 25-26 November 2023 Lake Barrington

The Schools Regatta is the first of a series of three which ends in 2024 at the Tasmanian All Schools Championships. This is the first major opportunity for the whole SPC Rowing community to race together and it includes the much anticipated new Year 7s, racing for their first time since starting in September 2023. A highly successful outcome for the young (still Year 6) rowers who all finished their races without incident and thoroughly enjoyed their experience. The conditions were incredible for rowing. We raced 84 events across the two-day Regatta with multiple stand-out performances in all age groups. Our winter training, coach expertise and highly supportive families made this Regatta an exceptional performance amongst all other colleges. 

Top five placings:

Ten - 1st
Ten - 2nd
Seventeen – 3rd
Fifteen – 4th
Sixteen – 5th

State Regatta No. 3

Continuing from State Regatta No.2, the weather conditions were again amazing. Our performances improved and more of our rowers stepped-up to the state level racing. Age categories start at u17, which means our Year 8, 9, 10 and 11 rowers race against multiple age groups and state level athletes.

Top five placings of our students in multiple races and crews:

Five – 1st
Six – 2nd
Twelve - 3rd
Nine – 4th
Seven – 5th

A friendly Junior Quad Regatta will be held on Friday 8 December from 5:00pm in Launceston, and the State Regatta No. 4 on Saturday and Sunday 16-17 December at Lake Barrington, finishing the year of regattas for our team. All rowers will enjoy the moratorium and festive break, and are bound to return early January, energised and ready to continue their season.