Good afternoon Parents and Carers

It is a particularly busy time in our College with much to celebrate this week.  A number of our students have represented our College and themselves in the highest regard.  On Wednesday SRC Executive members Jet Spicer and Luka Mansell attended Mass with myself at St Patrick’s Latrobe, where we had the opportunity to celebrate with the Year 6, 1 and Prep students.  Luka and Jet led the Mass readings and set a fine example to the younger students.  Over the rest of the year different members of the SRC will accompany me fortnightly as we look to strengthen our relationships within the local Parish and St Patrick’s Latrobe.

Last weekend at the State All School’s Rowing Championships Year 8 students Leeyah Clemens and Moleigh Clemens won the Year 8 Girls double event and Year 12 student Olivia Yeates won the school girls single.  I would like to congratulate all our rowers who represented the College and wish them well for this weekend and look forward to seeing them in action at the Head of the River held at Lake Barrington on Saturday.

Congratulations to Senior Students Harriet Mendham (Devonport) and Luka Mansell (Sheffield) who have participated in the Lyons Youth of the Year over the last few weeks.  College Captain Felicity Purton will compete at Port Sorell this weekend.

Year 9 student Erina McLaughlin over the past few days has been representing Tasmania at the School Sport Australia - All Schools Triathlon series held at Mersey Bluff.

Congratulations to a past student of the College, Reyne Smith on making the playoffs in the  NCAA Men's Basketball competition. Having graduated from the College in 2018, Reyne spent time at the basketball Centre of Excellence at the AIS before heading to the University of Charleston. Into his second season as a Cougar, Reyne continues to be a vital member of the team, building on his outstanding rookie year where he was named rookie of the week five times and made the 2021-22 CAA All-Rookie Team.  

( Photo - https://cofcsports.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/reyne-smith/5610)

Our Senior Girls Basketball Team have also advanced to the NSATIS final where they will take on St Patrick’s College Launceston.

As previously advertised the College will be looking to implement the Rite Journey program to Year 9 in 2024.  Our House Coordinators have spent the past week visiting St Patrick’s College in Launceston and participating in their ceremonies.  This is part of our staff development process as we look to 2024.

Steve Biddulph writes about the Rite Journey:

“Teenagers need to be actively taught how to be good adults, and that some kind of active process has to happen to get them across the line.  That definite teaching, and some kind of  “rite of passage” help to bring home to them the honour, and responsibility of becoming an adult and how special that is.  That thinking about what kind of man or woman you want to be, can really help when they are put in difficult or risky situations, as all young people are.

Teenagers have all the great things you have given them while growing up, but something is needed to bring this all together and say ‘you are now beginning adulthood’.  It has to be something solid, spread over time, and involve teachers and parents working together to make it meaningful.  There’s a lot to learn about being an adult and making choices and being independent and not expecting mum and dad to look after you all your life”.

For more information about the Rite Journey (web page has recently been redeveloped) please visit the following link; https://theritejourney.com/

Having worked with the Rite Journey program for over a decade I am excited for this opportunity that awaits our Year 9 students and am sure that parents will understand the value of such a program as we work together over the next 12 months ready to implement with our Year 9 students in 2024.

I would like to again thank all families for their support in ensuring students are meeting our uniform expectations.  Walking around the College on a daily basis I need to commend the students for the way they are presenting!!

A reminder to all Parents that our Welcome BBQ for all new families is next Thursday 23 March from 5:30 - 6:30pm.  This is a great opportunity to meet the Leadership Team and your child's House Coordinator and Homeroom teacher.  For your convenience, the Uniform Shop have kindly extended their trading hours until 5:30pm on this evening to allow families an extra opportunity to stock up on winter uniform requirements in readiness for Term 2. 

The College is currently in the process of visiting our local Catholic feeder schools in preparation for our enrolment information evening on Thursday 30th March.  If you know of someone who may be interested please bring this to their attention.

Kind regards,

Last night the SBSC debating team hosted the North West Debate Roster. Traditionally, the host school caters for food, but none can do it better than SBSC thanks to our very own Mrs Weslake. 

To start the night, we mingled amongst other teams before choosing our debate topics. Unfortunately SBSC 1 did not have a team to debate against, but SBSC 2 prepared to debate against Launceston Grammar. 

Choosing the topic “that the voting age should be lowered to 16”, we prepared four case arguments - the impacts on politics, the economy, environment and social awareness. Despite the strong case and plan presented, we lost against the passionate Grammar team. 

When we next host the roster, we invite any parent/carer and student to come along for some amazing food and to experience what a heated debate is really like!

The two SBSC teams extend a huge thank you to Mrs Littler, Mrs Gamble and Mrs Weslake making the night possible. 

In the third week of Lent, our next Project Compassion story is of Priscilla, who lives with her husband, Charles, and two of their grandchildren in Zimbabwe. Climate change continues to bring unprecedented challenges for people living in Zimbabwe’s most vulnerable and remote communities.

During times of intense drought and food shortages, Priscilla had to commute to the town centre and wait in long queues to collect food. 

With the support of Caritas Hwange, Priscilla learnt conservation farming skills to grow drought-resistant crops. Priscilla produced a bumper harvest in her first year of practising conservation farming. She used the funds from her harvest to start poultry farming, which enabled her to sell eggs to pay for her grandchildren’s school fees, books and stationery. Poultry farming provides a safety net for Priscilla and her family during times of hardship, like the current drought.

While the situation in Zimbabwe and across eastern Africa remains dire, the work of Caritas Hwange means that Priscilla can learn the techniques, tools and resources she needs to build resilience and support her family during this current food crisis.

▶️ Watch Priscilla’s story here:

www.caritas.org.au/project-compassion/priscilla-story-video

�� Support Project Compassion today:

www.caritas.org.au/project-com...

We are on the lookout for an Art and Digital Photography Teacher. Permanent/Ongoing Position Part Time (0.50 FTE)

Applications Close: 24 March 2023

To apply or learn more, click the link below.

https://www.sbsc.tas.edu.au/aboutsbsc/employment

During the Term 1 holiday break, our College Uniform Shop will open on Thursday, 20 April between 2:00 pm - 7:00 pm. Upon Term 2 commencement, the Uniform Shop will be open for an additional day on Wednesday, 26 April, between 8:00 am - 11:00 am. Winter uniforms are now in stock and ready for the changeover beginning Term 2.

A reminder to parents that bookings are no longer required and that purchases can be made online by visiting the Midford website.

Usual trading hours will return on Thursday, 27 April.
Tuesday 8:00 am - 4:00 pm
Thursday 8:00 am - 4:00 pm 

Lachie Cowan was barely home from the hospital after he was born before he was wearing his first Carlton Football Club guernsey. Tonight, Lachie steps out onto the field to fulfill his childhood dream!

Our Girls Firsts team travelled to Marist this week and unfortunately came up just short of the win, with Marist defeating us 56 to 53.

The girls will host St Patrick's College in the NSATIS Grand final next week with the day and time TBC.

Year 9 Student Erina competed in the National All Schools Triathlon and Aquathlon Championships yesterday at the Bluff in Devonport. Erina did a fantastic job during her event, placing 29th in her category. Well done! 

This past weekend was the School State Championships. Our team of 10 competed and came away with some outstanding results. Leeyah and Moleigh Clemens took out the State Championship of the Year 8 girls' double, and Olivia Yeates won the school girls' single.

As well as these championships, 10 crew and single events qualified for the A final. One of these includes the Year 9 girls' coxed quad (Matilda Spaulding, Moleigh Clemens, Leeyah Clemens, Eloise Fieldwick, and Sarah Ellis (cox), who took out silver. 

As well as this, our team took out three fourth places in the A finals, including the school girls quad - which was a composite with Launceston Grammar (Sarah Ellis, Olivia Yeates, Milly Phyland, and Matilda Spaulding (cox)), the Year 9 girls double (Matilda Spaulding and Eloise Fieldwick) and the Year 9 girls single (Matilda Spaulding). Which are all outstanding achievements. The last school regatta is this weekend, where the team will compete at Head of the River before a few students head off to Perth for Nationals.

Hi, I’m Mrs Kiralee Page, the Lyons House Coordinator. I have two children, five alpacas, four chickens, two cats, and a dog. I enjoy gardening and taking care of my pets in my spare time. Anyone who knows me knows how much I love my alpacas, and I’m currently learning how to turn their wool into yarn!

I am passionate about mental health awareness and began my further education in psychology, where I quickly discovered how much I disliked statistics and it was psychiatry, not psychology, that I wanted to study. My main focus was youth mental health. What better way to be involved than by being a person on the ground in a school! This led to me changing degrees halfway to a Bachelor of Education. While obtaining that bachelor, I was a mentor leader and peer support leader to assist new students at the university. During that time, I received an inclusivity award for my actions toward others and my service at the university. Moving from a massive school in Queensland (2500+ students!) in 2018 to Tasmania, where many schools have less than 600 students, initially took a lot of work to get familiar with. Still, it allowed me to focus on that goal of inclusivity and mental health support. This brings me to my current position at St Brendan-Shaw College.

Joining the college as a teacher of English and Humanities, I knew that I wanted to be more involved. Teaching is fantastic, but I wanted to be more than that for the students and my career path. The opportunity to be a House Coordinator became available in 2019, and after encouragement from others, I applied. In this role, I have seen students flourish and grow as they navigate the ocean that is high school. My goals for students in the Lyons House are to develop to be respectful and compassionate citizens who look out for others and speak out against injustices. Lyons students have the privilege of the Tenison Woods building, which is used mainly by our senior students. This means that our Homerooms are all relatively close to one another. Having a quiet, connected space strengthens the sense of community, with students often challenging other Homerooms to card games or other activities. While we haven’t won the House Cup since 2019 - which we can blame the global pandemic for throwing off our streak- students appear proud of their accomplishments and always wear their house colours proudly. The joy of seeing students move through the years and come out the other side as accomplished young adults is one that I will always cherish. Supporting families and their children through college life is a great privilege that House Coordinators get to engage with. A side of the student that many teachers don’t get to experience. One that I am really thankful for.

We have had reason to speak to a few too many students this year about following staff instructions. In the event of an emergency, it is important that we know students will follow the directions given to them for their safety. We practice this each day at school by following the directions given by staff. To be clear, it is our expectation that all students follow the reasonable directions of staff. This means not leaving class without permission, picking up rubbish when asked, and many other things.

Teachers have been given clear instructions that only 1 student from a class is permitted to be out of the classroom at a time, regardless of the nature of the errand. Staff also generally do not let students out for the first and last 20min of a lesson. Exceptions are made for students with documented medical conditions.

Students who fail to follow staff directions, for example, by leaving class without permission, will have detention as a consequence.

Do you think St Brendan-Shaw College is the right option for your family but have yet to have the opportunity to visit? If you would like to learn more about our College programs and facilities, we invite you to join us at the College for this year's Information Evening on Thursday, 30 March, at 5:30 pm.

The evening will provide an opportunity to learn about all aspects of the College, including our pastoral care system, subjects and curriculum, extracurricular activities, and career advice.

We understand that finding the right school community is an important family decision, and we encourage parents to bring their children to the evening. Throughout the evening, staff and students will give an insight into College life and what we offer. The evening will include short presentations, and a guided tour of the College campus, with opportunities for answers to any questions you may have.

We can't wait to welcome you to our community.

We invite all 2023 new families and students who have joined our College community this year to a Welcome BBQ hosted by St Brendan-Shaw College Thursday, 23 March at 5:30 pm until 6:30 pm.

The evening is a fantastic opportunity to meet the College Leadership Team, your child’s House Coordinator, and their Homeroom teacher. We would love to see each of you there and ask that you please RSVP by completing the Google form emailed to you or by calling our office on 6424 7622.

Thank you.

Our SRC is hosting the first-ever walkathon to raise funds for the Tim Blair Foundation! 

We will walk around the oval on Wednesday, 5 April, from 6 am - 6 pm. Students are welcome to join staff for the before and after school sessions, with a class roster running for the walkers throughout the day.

For a gold coin donation, students can wear casual clothes to school. Families wishing to contribute to the foundation can find the details on the poster below.

Skate:life program is on at the Railton Skate Park today from 4.30pm to 5.30pm. Please share this poster through your networks.

Upcoming Dates:

• Friday, 10 March 4.30pm - 5.30pm
• Saturday, 25 March 11.00am - 1.00pm
• Saturday, 15 April 11.00am - 1.00pm

2023 Secondary Roster