Principal's Message

Welcome to St Brendan-Shaw College, where our students are challenged to be the best version of themselves through Faith and Deed. We are proud of our record of academic success; however, no individual is defined by their ATAR or TCE score. In an ever-changing world, our role as educators is to ensure all students have a pathway to success, and our broad range of vocational education and training (VET) pathways forms part of our offering.

As Principal of St Brendan-Shaw College, I have high expectations of staff and students, and this next period of time is a particularly exciting one for us as a College community as we begin to improve our pedagogical approach to learning through Insight into learning based on Barak Rosenshine's, Principles of Instruction. The College has invested significantly in this program, which has proven to improve student performance.

As a Catholic school, we nurture the spiritual dimension innate in every human, and we provide a wide range of extracurricular activities that complement our curriculum in developing the mind and body. These opportunities enhance our sense of community and provide students with the opportunity to shine and express their gifts. 

We have an outstanding uniform at St Brendan-Shaw College, and it is my expectation that students wear this well and with pride at all times, as this forms part of our identity.  

We value community and seek to give witness to our vision of having a generosity of human spirit. This is lived on a daily basis through my expectation of all members of our community to demonstrate respect for self, others, and their environment.

More than any time in education, the wellbeing of our students needs to be nurtured to ensure all students continue to develop a positive sense of self. I believe that providing targeted quality learning experiences and programs supports this. Over the coming 12 months, I look forward to making many announcements in this area.

I would like to thank all members of the community for the way I have been welcomed to St Brendan-Shaw College, and I look forward to a positive 2023.

I am available to parents and the wider community and can be reached by calling the College and contacting my Executive Assistant, Mrs Iola Turner by email to principalsea@sbsc.tas.edu.au.      

Mr Stuart Ralph
Principal

Meet the Principal

Mr Stuart Ralph was appointed as Principal of the College in 2023. Prior to taking the appointment, he was the Deputy Principal at St Patrick's College in Launceston. 

He attended the University of Tasmania from 1997-2000, where he attained a Bachelor's Degree in Human Movement, later with a Master's Degree in Educational Leadership at the Australian Catholic University. He has also completed a Graduate Certificate in Religious Education. 

Mr Ralph has been married to his wife Julia for 15 years, and they have four children: Cohen 11, Harry 9, Lenny 7, and Chloe 4.

Mr Ralph is a keen fisherman and a volunteer member of the Pipers River Fire Brigade, Tasmanian Fire Service. In his earlier years, he played cricket with the Clarence Cricket Club and football with the Clarence Football Club. He also umpired AFL football, umpiring 4 NTFL Grand Finals, 3 SFL Grand Finals, and 42 Senior VFL games from 1999-2008.