By Mr Stuart Ralph, Principal

St Brendan-Shaw College hosted Catholic Schools on the North West Coast for Catholic Education Week this week. His Grace, Archbishop Julian Porteous, celebrated Mass. Our Year 7 students and Student Leaders attended. I would like to particularly thank Miss Sophie Lansley for her outstanding organisation of this event, which saw over 700 additional guests converge on our College for the Catholic Education Week celebration. Mr Kurt Byard and the Rotary Mentor students cooked over 1200 sausages and provided lunch for all the visiting students.

His Grace, Julian Porteous, toured our College during his visit that day. Later in the afternoon, the College hosted the Catholic Education Week Awards Ceremony in the Genesis Centre.

NAPLAN

There has been a lot of hype reported in the media around national statistics for NAPLAN data this week. Some media outlets reported statistics that students were either exceeding, strong, or behind. The correct terminology should be used: exceeding, strong, and developing.

The media often reports on students being below the benchmark in overall performance rather than specific testing areas, such as spelling or numeracy. For instance, one student may excel in reading, writing, spelling, and grammar yet show a need for development in numeracy. While the student may be developing in one particular area, their strong performance in other areas is not reflected in the statistics. I know of one student who recorded strong in reading, writing, spelling, and grammar; however, they recorded a development in numeracy. Is this student behind? Yes, but only in one particular area of their learning.

Our students here at the College perform very well, and we have achieved good academic results. Last year, our Year 12 students performed exceptionally well in their TASC results; 20% of Year 12 Students with an ATAR above 80.

– 11% of Year 12 Students with an ATAR above 85
– 7.5% of Year 12 Students with an ATAR above 90

Our NAPLAN results also support this, with our students being well above state mean data and either above or very close to national mean data.

The most essential information from the data is the percentage gain. We should celebrate students’ learning improvements over the course of their education.

NSATIS

Our senior boys’ Soccer team played Leighlands Christian School in Ulverstone yesterday afternoon, winning 5-2. The boys displayed excellent camaraderie and College spirit. Coach, Mr Ben Tenaglia, has got the team playing well, and Mr Gavin Hicks is managing the team.

Several students have been selected for NSATIS All-Stars teams to play the SATIS representative teams.

We congratulate the following students for selection in the Representative Teams:

Games will be played at St Patrick’s College Launceston on Friday, 11 September.

Senior Girls Soccer

Lulu Graham
EJ Sullivan

Senior Boys Soccer

Baxter Tu
Joss Littler

Senior Girls Basketball

Lucy Aherne
Jade McCoy
Claire Martin

Senior Reports and Parent-Teacher Interviews

A reminder that Senior Reports will be sent home on Tuesday 27 August, followed by parent-teacher interviews on Wednesday 4 September. Please note that students in Years 7-10 will not receive reports. However, parents/guardians of Years 7-10 students can book parent-teacher interviews on 4 September to discuss their child's progress. I encourage all families to regularly check in SEQTA to see how their child is progressing with their academic studies.

Yours sincerely,

Mr Stuart Ralph
Principal

"...Artists of the world, may your many different paths lead to that Ocean of beauty where wonder becomes awe, exhilaration, unspeakable joy". – Pope Saint John Paul II

Pope John Paul II was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 1978 until his death in 2005. He was later canonised as Pope Saint John Paul II. He was a poet, playwright and actor.

By Miss Sophie Lansley, Director of Faith and Mission

Blessed Carlo Acutis Exhibition

On Thursday and Friday last week, the College was honoured to host the Relic of Blessed Carlo Acutis and the exhibition of his website on the Eucharistic Miracles.

A number of St Brendan-Shaw College classes attended the exhibition, as did visiting classes from Our Lady of Lourdes, Sacred Heart Ulverstone, and St Patrick’s Latrobe.

This was both a wonderful learning and reflective experience for our students, who were able to learn about Blessed Carlo’s work, researching and designing a website on Eucharistic miracles, but also on his faith as a young person. During their visit, students were able to look at case studies that Carlo had researched and ask questions of our visiting experts.

There was also the opportunity for students to write prayer intentions which will then be taken to Assisi, Italy where Blessed Carlo’s tomb is located.

Catholic Education Week Mass

This Tuesday, St Brendan-Shaw College hosted the annual Catholic Education Week mass for the North West. Around 500 students and teachers from North West Catholic schools attended the Mass held in the Nazareth centre alongside our Year 7 students and senior SRC.His Grace Archbishop Julian Porteous presided over the Mass, along with our Mersey-Leven Parish Priests, Deacon and altar servers.

This was a wonderful opportunity for our Catholic school communities to meet, interact and celebrate. We came together for both mass and lunch, with Mr Kurt Byard and our Rotary boys running the BBQ - we thank them for serving over 600 people.

I would like to highlight the contribution our students made for the event, as they were truly outstanding. Our senior SRC students ushered all the visiting schools, making sure all felt welcome. Our Year 7 students who attended the mass participated well and wore their College uniforms correctly and proudly. We also had a number of students in the choir who helped lead the congregation and did a fantastic job. We thank them, Mr Gerry Peters, Mrs Kelly Hicks and Mrs Alexandra Lawrence for putting together the music for this Mass. Thank you, in particular, to Yenuli Idirimanna, Hannah Bell and Hayley Wescombe for taking part in the Mass itself.

Library invites staff and students to express their creativity and love for reading during this year's Book Week. We encourage individuals and groups to get creative with book-themed costumes that capture the magic of reading. Join in on our celebration in the Library at lunchtime on Friday 23 August. Grab a friend and strike a pose at the Library’s Book Week Photobooth!

Your costume can be as simple as a prop, or make an outfit from recycled materials that you have at home. There’s lots of costume ideas online, and our local op shops have a variety of clothes and accessories to choose from. For more information, please see your Library staff.

Reading connects us and opens doors to new worlds, so which character will you be?

From Mr Daman Peters, Student Representative Council Coordinator

Mark your calendars and gather your friends for the SRC’s Trivia Night Fundraiser on Friday, 30 August. This event promises to be an exciting evening filled with eight rounds of thrilling trivia, games, and raffle draws. Thanks to the generosity of local businesses and community members, there are amazing prizes to be won!

The event will raise funds for Warrawee Women's Shelter, a vital community service that supports women and children in need. Warrawee provides a safe haven, helps families get back on their feet, and connects them with essential services to build a better future.

Event Details
Date: Friday, 30 August
Time: 6:00 PM - 9:00 PM (6:30 PM start)
Venue: Genesis Centre, St Brendan-Shaw College
Cost: $80 for a table (up to 10 people) or $10 per individual
Food Options: BYO food and drinks welcome, soft drinks available for purchase, or pre-purchase a table platter when registering for $60.

To book your table or individual spot, please register and make payment at the College Reception or by calling 6424 7622 by Wednesday, 28 August.

Lucy Aherne recently attended the inaugural National Indigenous Performance Camp at the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) in Canberra, which was held in the first week of August. The event brought together 26 talented young athletes, aged 15-17, from across Australia for an intensive four-day live-in camp.

The camp, a first in the Indigenous performance pathway, offered a unique opportunity for both athletes and coaches to work with the best in their field. Led by two of Australia’s top coaches, Peter Lonergan and Kerry Williams, the camp set a new benchmark for Indigenous sports development.

The AIS facilities, renowned for their excellence, played a crucial role in elevating the camp experience, providing an environment that was described as second to none. This event marks a significant step forward in supporting and nurturing Indigenous talent across the nation.

We extend our congratulations to Lucy for her outstanding participation.

By Mrs Debra Bonde, Deputy Principal Wellbeing & Administration

We are delighted to announce that Dr Andrew Fuller, renowned clinical psychologist, family therapist, author, and speaker, will be visiting our school community on Monday 9 September. Dr Fuller brings a wealth of experience and expertise, having worked with over 4,000 schools and 500,000 young people across Australia, New Zealand, Asia, and the UK.

Educational Sessions for Students

Throughout the day, Dr Fuller will be running tailored educational sessions for our students.

Brainology: Your Amazing Brain – for Years 7-10 will focus on understanding and harnessing the incredible power of the brain to enhance learning and resilience.

Systems for Succeeding in Senior School – will be provided for our senior students, offering them strategies and systems to excel in their studies and beyond.

Evening Session for Parents and Families

In addition to the student sessions, Dr Fuller will host a special session for parents and families at 6:00 PM in the Nazareth Centre, titled Biohacking Learning for Parents - Helping Your Child Develop the Skills for Learning Success. This free event is an invaluable opportunity for parents to gain insights into supporting their children's educational journey.

About Dr Andrew Fuller

Dr Fuller is the creator of Learning Strengths™ and has dedicated his career to building resilience and the resilient mindset in young people, which he defines as "the happy knack of being able to bungy jump through the pitfalls of life to rise above adversity and obstacles". His mission is to help people create futures they can fall in love with. An Honorary Fellow at the University of Melbourne, Dr Fuller has also served as a scientific consultant for the ABC and is a regular presenter on Radio National. His work spans various programs focusing on neuroscience and education, neurodiversity, mental health promotion in schools, substance abuse prevention, violence and bullying reduction, suicide prevention, and assisting homeless young people.

Topics Covered in the Parent Session:

• How parents can help their children to learn
• Increasing motivation & concentration
• Ideal learning times
• Identifying the best (and worst) times for learning
• Neurochemistry and learning
• The importance of systems over goals
• Building upon learning strengths

Event Details
Date: Monday 9 September, 2024
Time: 6:00 - 7:00 PM
Location: Nazareth Centre
Entry: Free

RSVP (Google Form): https://sbsc.me/DrAndrewFuller24

Please RSVP by Wednesday, 4 September 2024

Pre-Event Preparation
To maximise your learning from this session, we encourage you to complete the analysis of your own learning strengths. Details will be provided to you upon completion of your RSVP.

Please be aware that there is a 2-hour parking limit between the hours of 9:00 AM - 3:30 PM on school days. 

Council monitors the area, and a substantial fine is issued to drivers who park longer than permitted.

We congratulate College Captain Jet, who travels to Canberra this week to participate in the Australian Government's Youth Steering Committee. The committee's members come from every state and territory.

The Youth Steering Committee is working with the Minister for Youth, the Honourable Dr Anne Aly MP, to design and implement the Youth Engagement Model. The Committee also advises on government policies and programs impacting young people.

The first Youth Steering Committee was established in November 2022. It comprised 14 young people, ages 13 to 24, from across the country.

Jet is one of two representatives of the Youth Steering Committee who will travel to Samoa in October to attend the International Youth Convention.

Mr Sam O'Keeffe, Sports Coordinator

Last week, all three of our NSATIS teams were back on the field or court. Our girls' soccer and netball teams headed to Burnie to take on northwest rivals Marist Regional College, and the NSATIS boys' soccer team hosted St Patrick's College Gold.

The Lady Saints soccer team had another close encounter but secured the win to keep their season undefeated. Chloe was textbook in the goals, keeping out a barrage of shots from MRC, which kept the Lady Saints in the game. Lulu found herself on the scores list again with a great goal, and this was backed up with a second goal from Felicity, which was to secure the 2-1 victory and hold the NW bragging rights in girls’ soccer. The win sees the Lady Saints sitting comfortably in 2nd position and eying off finals in their first year back since 2018.

In netball, the Lady Saints saw some great improvement from the previous weeks. Knowing they would have a good tight game against MRC, the Lady Saints were in the game for almost all four quarters. Their closest game of the season, the Lady Saints would eventually go down 32-24. However, Mrs Clarke and Miss Steven praised the girl's performance and improvement in their third game and how well they are coming together as a team.

The Saints men had a challenging day against top side St Patrick’s College Gold. They played a solid first half, staying in the game with two goals. However, it was a game of two halves, and with lapses in concentration, SPC capitalised with a barrage of goals to seal their victory. The Saints men would eventually go down 9-2.

This week in NSATIS Sports, while the Lady Saints had the bye in both Netball and Soccer, the Saints men were on the road to Leighland Christian School in Ulverstone. With Leighlands being a new school to the NSATIS roster, there were a few unknowns, and historically, Leighlands has been a soccer hub for the North West Coast. However, the Saints men were prepared for the job. With great leadership from Eli Savage who netted his first goal of the season the men handled the ebbs and flows of the game well never losing control of the game, capitalising on defensive mistakes from Leighlands, the Saints men secured the victory with a 5-2 win. This gives the Saints men three wins from four games, keeping them in the top four and in the race for another finals appearance.

Next Wednesday, all teams will be on the road heading to Scotch Oakburn College.

NSATIS Swimming

The NSATIS Swimming team have been busy over the last month training and preparing for the NSATIS and SATIS swimming carnivals later this month and in September. Students have been training on Thursday mornings at Splash under the guidance of coach Mr Butcher and local swimming coach Ms Ali Pease. These sessions benefit our swim team, leading them into these major carnivals and preparing them for a higher level of swimming experience. Following the sessions, the students enjoy team breakfast back at the College before starting their day. The team would like to thank Mrs Brown, Mrs Bourke, Mrs Turner and the senior students for preparing the breakfast for the team each week.

By Mrs Whitney Banfield, Teacher and Careers Advisor

The senior secondary Work Readiness class participated in the $20 Boss project throughout Term 2, where they worked in small teams to create a business. With the profit made from these businesses, we decided as a class to purchase items that are currently in demand for those less fortunate and donate them to Grans Van at the Loaves and Fishes headquarters.

Monash University Information Session

Wednesday, 7 August, Monash University was on campus delivering information to our interested year 10-12. A big thank you to our friends at Monash for visiting us face-to-face and for the valuable information.

Mrs Jones in Devonport is looking for 3-4 new food & beverage staff.

Food and Beverage Attendants:

• Prior experience in a restaurant or hospitality environment is preferred but not necessary (training will be provided for committed candidates)
• Friendly, positive attitude with a passion for customer service
• Ability to work under pressure and in a fast-paced setting
• Availability to work split shifts and weekends
• Team player with good communication skills

If you're ready to join a dynamic team after our winter break, we'd love to hear from you! 

Send your resume to info@mrsjonesrbl.com.au.