By Mrs Liz Illingworth, Principal

As we come to the end of our first term, now is an ideal opportunity to pause and reflect on all that Term 1 has been. It is always a busy term, filled with events and activities that run alongside our academic programs. Athletics Carnivals, St Patrick’s Day Mass and Cup, Swimming Carnivals, Camps and Retreats, and the many sporting and cultural co‑curricular activities that take place are not simply add‑ons to what we do at SPC. They are essential components of our work as we partner with you—our families—to grow St Patrick’s College people.

These experiences are powerful expressions of our College Values, particularly Endeavour and Excellence. When students step outside their comfort zones, try something new, or commit themselves to participating even when it feels challenging, they are living out Endeavour. When they give their best effort, support their peers, and take pride in representing their House or their College, they are demonstrating Excellence in action. These values are not confined to the classroom; they are cultivated in every space where students learn, grow, and contribute.

I always feel a sense of sadness for the students who choose not to attend our community events such as carnivals, retreats, camps, and reflection days. I know and understand that these days can be challenging for some. I also know that not everyone can run fast, swim well, or loves camping. But the benefits of being involved go far beyond being good at something or enjoying a particular activity. Participation builds confidence, resilience, connection, and a sense of belonging and community. It helps students discover strengths they didn’t know they had and reminds them that they are part of something bigger than themselves.

When students show up, try, and engage—even when it’s not easy—they are practising the very qualities we hope to nurture in them. Endeavour is about effort, courage, and persistence. Excellence is about striving to be the best version of oneself. Our Term 1 experiences have given students countless opportunities to grow in both.

Rowing Presentation Evening and Blessing of ‘Ascent’

Recently we celebrated the end of an extremely successful rowing season for the College. Rowing Captains Maddie and Isaac, supported by Head of Rowing - Mr Adam Symons, ran a fantastic evening of celebration and recap of the season. A highlight of the night was the Unveiling and Blessing of our new Rowing Shell - ‘Ascent’ - a quad for our younger rowers.

This season the committed groups won many trophies and awards. Highlights included the Aggregate Senior Boys Shield at the Head of the River and successes at the National Rowing Championships where students from the College performed exceptionally. Students medalled in three events at Nationals and our congratulations go to:

Gabbie Tonnelly, Morgan Butler, Stella Manion, Eleanor Pietsch, Ella Farquhar, Lachlan Tonelly, Samuel Dettmer, Isaac Pietsch, Nate Bristol, & Jasper Twitchett

The Performance Project

This term staff and students have been working hard on our 2026 Performance Project, under the guidance of Ms Alana Lane and Mr Joseph Rice. ‘Performance Project 2026’ is a showcase of the outstanding performing, visual and media arts here at SPC. A musical, site-specific feast that takes the audience on a journey – literally. At the core is our Wakakirri – or ‘story dance’ - because great stories can inspire change. We look forward to presenting this Project to you in Week 4 next term.

Student Leadership

Last week, our Student Executive presented their Term 1 Assembly. They amplified their student voice around our Value of Endeavour and Excellence, challenging every member of our community to strive for Endeavour and Excellence. If your student has not fully engaged with our community in Term 1, I urge you to enter into conversation with them, challenge them, encourage them and support them to become fully committed and participatory members of St Patrick’s College - the benefits are worth it - connection, resilience, belonging, community...

Our students across the College step up in many ways. This Term, our Year 7 and 8 Core Captains, our Year 9 Community Captains, and our Aspiring and Emerging leaders alongside the Student Executive have supported many events across the College. These included Year 7 Parent Information evenings, Project Compassion Events, Principal Tours, Flag Raising and Lowering, Event Organisation, Relay for Life, College Tours and work in many other areas. We are grateful and encouraged by the work our students do to support their peers and others in our College and local community.

Congratulations to the following students who have been recognised for their commitment to the College in the following areas:

Captains of Art - Ella Young and Emily McMullen

Captains of Music - Tory North and Carmen Michiel-Burnham

Captains of Drama - Ella Mannion and Max Eastman

Captain of Dance - Mia Carroll

Captain of Ethics - Isabella Perry

Captain of Debating- Meg Kotynia-Soley

Captain of Choir - Felix Marshall

Captains of Athletics - Josie Chambers and Lily Smith

Wishing all Staff, students and families a fabulous break over the next two weeks. We look forward to seeing students returning to the College on Monday 4 May in Winter Uniform. Thank you all for your ongoing support of the College across the term.

Click here to read the latest Parish Bulletin.

By Mrs Lindsey Hills, Deputy Principal - Learning and Achievement

Next term, our Year 7 students will begin the Enhanced Learning Fundamentals (ELF) program. In preparation, students are being guided on what to expect, including how the program will run and how to come organised each day. This early preparation is designed to ensure a smooth and confident start, supporting students to engage positively from the outset.

The program dedicates 25 minutes of every morning to targeted literacy and numeracy support in flexible groups, allowing instruction to be responsive to student needs. We look forward to continuing this important work and supporting strong learning growth for all students.

By Mr Nick Foster- Head of School - Croagh Patrick

Success

Noun: the favourable or prosperous termination of attempts or endeavours; the accomplishment of one's goals.

I watched with interest our School Executive present to the student body on the importance of excellence and endeavour. Both will lead to success. They presented in a humorous way the importance of these two attributes and how success can be measured in so many areas of College life. To challenge yourself in all areas of school life. We know that we can aim for the stars with confidence, because there are already footsteps on the moon.

A recurring theme of success is also the recognition that to be successful often requires selflessness. To sacrifice your game for the good of the team. To sacrifice your ambitions for the good of the overall goal. To do your part in group assignments or school plays. We all need the teacher or coach who recognises the importance of hanging on, who stresses the importance of positive body language, that helps children grow through their endeavours. Who would prefer to see a team lose well than win badly. That develops a life based on working hard and being selfless, not selfish. Who knows that only in the dictionary does success come before work. Who knows that footsteps on the moon came through team effort and perseverance.

I see this in so many parts of the education that occurs at our College. It occurs in both curricular and co-curricular activities. To try their best yet sometimes fall short of the ultimate goal. But, also to succeed, to see them all play their part, to be selfless.

At a Year 10 careers forum I once heard the question – “what would be your idea of the worst thing that could happen in your life?”. For me, the answer would be being stuck in my Year 10 maths class in 1985. I never was the greatest of maths scholars! The presenter, however, had a different answer. His answer? In twenty years’ time meeting the person you could have been. Quite confronting and thought provoking.

In gathering this week I asked our students to think about this, to challenge themselves, to utilise their teachers, their parents, their friends to be the person they could be. I remember years ago a student returning to school to see their former tutor and tell them of her success. She really was excited to tell them of her path since leaving school. In her words, “I wanted you to see I’ve grown up to be the person you knew I could be.” I encourage us all to have the discussion of what our children aspire to be.

Pablo Picasso wrote;

Each second we live is a new and unique moment of the universe, a moment that will never be again. And what do we teach our children? We teach them that two and two make four, and that Paris is the capital of France. When will we also teach them what they are? We should say to each of them: Do you know what you are? You are a marvel. You are unique. In all the years that have passed, there has never been another child like you. Your legs, your arms, your clever fingers, the way you move. You may become a Shakespeare, a Michelangelo, a Beethoven. You have the capacity for anything. Yes, you are a marvel.

As we approach the end of the term, and our young charges become weary, it is not always easy to see them as marvels. They are, however, unique children who we work with together to nurture, to love, to help become the person they can meet in twenty years with joy. God gives gifts called children; it is up to us to help unwrap them.

Enjoy the break with your children.

By Mr Cameron Ivory - Head of School - Middle School

As the sun sets on Term 1, we take a moment to look back at the incredible journey our Middle School students have embarked upon. From the nervous first steps through the school gates to the confident strides seen in the final week, it has been a term defined by community, courage, and a whole lot of school spirit.

Transitioning to secondary school is no small feat. Our Year 7s have spent the term navigating new timetables, mastering the art of locker combinations, and adapting to the high expectations of our school community. Watching them settle into these new routines with such enthusiasm has been a highlight for our community.

A major milestone was the recent House based Hollybank Excursions. This wasn’t just a day out of the classroom, it was a foundational experience designed to build resilience by navigating the challenges presented on the Treetops Adventures tight ropes and ziplines, providing the opportunity to deepen connections with their peers and House staff outside of the classroom and very importantly, they learnt that we all go further when we lift others up

While the Year 7s were settling in, our Year 8s were heading out! The Year 8 Camps were a resounding success, offering students a chance to disconnect from screens and reconnect with nature—and each other. Whether it was through shared meals, braving the weather or team-building activities, the growth in maturity and independence across the cohort was evident.

We believe that education goes beyond the textbook and earlier this Term our Year 8s participated in the Burn Bright program. These sessions were specifically tailored to our Year 8s to encourage and challenge students to think about their influence, develop leadership skills regardless of their formal titles and enhance wellbeing through practical, relatable strategies.

It was inspiring to see our students engage so authentically with the Burn Bright team, proving that our Year 8s are ready to lead with kindness and purpose in our College.

Always a highlight of our College calendar we celebrated our faith, our heritage and our community spirit with the St. Patrick’s Day Mass and Cup. It was a wonderful opportunity for our Middle School students to participate in the spiritual life of the school, showing great reverence during the Mass followed by their spirited participation in the Cup activities. While being a day that celebrates who we are as a College, this is also a day where students and staff come together to form a true sense of belonging and what it is to be a person of St. Patrick’s College.

This spirit was also evident at our major sporting events. We saw excellent attendance and participation at both the Athletics and Swimming Carnivals where it wasn't just about the fastest times or longest jumps; it was about every student who donned their house colours, gave their best effort, and cheered until they lost their voices!

As we head into the Term break, we congratulate our students on a stellar start. You’ve navigated new routines, braved the heights of Hollybank, and shown what it means to be a leader in Year 8.

Enjoy a well-deserved rest, recharge those batteries, and we will see you back for more adventures in Term 2!

By Ms Jodie White - Future Pathways Coordinator

Inviting all Year 10, 11 and 12 students and parents/guardians to the annual Co-Op Schools Career Expo.

Wednesday 20 May 2026, 5.30pm – 8.00pm at the Launceston Conference Centre – Door of Hope.

By Ms Fiona Mowat - Instrumental Music Coordinator


Two years ago, the Community Music Program launched the Honours Band Project. The purpose of this initiative is to provide aspiring young brass, woodwind, and percussion musicians with the opportunity to perform alongside high-quality musicians in a skilled wind band environment.
The following students will be playing in a special concert on Friday 17 April alongside the members of the Community Music Wind Orchestra as part of the 2026 Honours Project: Tory North, Dan Nguyen, Carmen De Michiel-Burnham

By Hamish Goody - Drum Sergeant

Last weekend, the senior Green Beret’s drumline and the junior drumline had the honor of working alongside Campbell Phillips, the coordinator and founder of D2 drumline, the country's premier marching drumline. This opportunity is utilised often multiple times a year. Campbell gives the drumline skills to use throughout all of our musical careers, and the knowledge to see where we need improvement, to continue building skills on our own. This weekend rehearsal was the first of many to come, to work towards our performance night on Saturday 4 July. 

The performance will include multiple songs performed to backing tracks. It will be great to see how the seniors progress to achieving this. It was a special rehearsal for the junior drumline, as it was their first rehearsal of the year and their first time working with Campbell. It was great to see the seniors taking on the role of leadership and working with the juniors to pass down knowledge. It will be great to see how both the senior and junior drumlines progress as the year goes on, and how the juniors tackle their first year in the drumline.

By Mrs Minami Ivory - Teacher

From 15 to 22 March we were delighted to host two teachers and 14 students from our sister school, Omi Brotherhood, as part of our ongoing exchange program. During their stay, the group immersed themselves in local life with our wonderful host families and engaged in various school activities to experience Tasmanian culture firsthand.

We are incredibly grateful to the host families and staff who supported this visit. Our thriving relationship with our sister school relies entirely on the generosity of our volunteers.

Beyond these biennial visits, we also host Japanese exchange students for one month each year, while our own students enjoy reciprocal opportunities to study in Japan or join the annual Japan Tour. If you are interested in hosting a student, going on an exchange, or joining the next Senior School Japan Tour, please contact me for more information.

Congratulations to Grace Ebbelaar, who was selected in the 2026 Tasmanian 19 & Under State Netball Team and named captain. Grace recently competed at the National Netball Championships in Melbourne.

Congratulations to Xavier Davie on his outstanding achievement of a silver medal in the Men’s U20 Decathlon at the Australian Athletics Championships.

Congratulations to Abby George who recently competed at the Australian Junior Championships for Ten Pin Bowling in Queensland.

Congratulations to Year 7 students, Ivy Furfaro and Presley Burrows, who have just returned from competing at the Australian Little Athletics Championships in Brisbane. Both girls were selected to represent Tasmania following the state individual championships and travelled with the Tasmanian team to Queensland for the four day trip. Ivy and Presley achieved personal best performances during the competition.

Congratulations to Oliver Green who has been recognised as a national finalist in the Australian Science Teachers Association iCubed Awards 2025 for his project, The Effect of pH on Protein Breakdown Using Pancreatic Enzymes. His work was first identified at the state level as outstanding and subsequently selected for national judging, placing him among the top students from more than 7,000 entries across Australia. This achievement reflects the exceptional quality of his scientific investigation, demonstrating advanced analytical thinking, strong methodological design, and a high level of academic rigour, and represents a significant accomplishment at a national level.

Want to submit a student achievement? A reminder that the 'Share Student Success' form is located in Schoolbox under 'Student Life'.

By Mr Karl Michael & Harri O’Toole - Sport Coordinators

As the term comes to an end, we encourage you to take a moment to reflect on the past few months and the many sporting events and activities that have taken place.

It has been an incredibly busy and rewarding term, with close to 200 scheduled matches across basketball, cricket, table tennis, tennis, and football.

Alongside this, we held 10 carnivals (Athletics, Swimming, and our St Patrick’s Day Carnival), as well as attended the NSATIS and SATIS Athletics Carnivals.

We have seen some excellent results including:

NSATIS Senior 1sts Boys Basketball
NSATIS Senior 3rds Boys Basketball
NSATIS Cricket 7/8 Division 1 (SPC vs SPC Grand Final)
NSATIS Cricket Senior 2nds - Runner Up
NSATIS Tennis 2nds Girls - Runner Up
NSATIS Athletics Carnival - winning 5 of the 7 shields
SATIS Athletics Carnival - winning 5 of the 9 shields
Rowing - Refer to previous rowing reports for an extensive list of achievements. 

However, what stands out most is not the results, but the level of participation across all sports and year levels.

At St Patrick’s College, we place great value on students getting involved. Sport provides an opportunity to challenge yourself, build resilience, develop friendships, and contribute to a team.

Thank you to all students for your commitment, effort, and sportsmanship, whether representing your House at carnivals or the College in your chosen sport.

We would also like to sincerely thank our staff, coaches, umpires, and parents for their ongoing support and for their time, energy, and dedication. We are very grateful for all that you do.

We now look forward to Term 2, with Junior Soccer, Senior Football, Junior Football, Junior Netball, Hockey, Badminton and our Cross Country Carnivals ahead.

We encourage all students to continue getting involved and making the most of the opportunities available.

Have a blissful Term break.