Dear Parents

As we enter Holy Week, we prepare to celebrate the three great events of our Church’s year; Holy Thursday, commemorating the Last Supper and Christ washing the feet of His Disciples, recall the sacred moments of Christ’s passion and death on Good Friday and celebrate the joy, hope and faith of the Resurrection on Easter Sunday. These three great moments are the Easter Triduum.  

It’s a time also for us to remember our special role as teachers in a Catholic school, supporting our parents in leading your sons and daughters to a fuller understanding of the faith we proclaim. At Easter we are called to renew that faith and to restate the promises that were given on our behalf at baptism. 

Likewise, it is a time for us as a school to remember and commit anew to our Mission. 

To celebrate as a Eucharistic community.

To encourage each other to give courageous witness to gospel values.

To reach out to all, but especially the needy, the broken, the deprived, the lonely, the rejected.

To affirm and promote the giftedness of every student.

To challenge each other to excel in academic, sporting, cultural and service endeavours.

To strive to develop responsible self-discipline.

To foster loyal and supportive relationships amongst parents, students and teachers.

To respect the differing beliefs of others.

This means that our duty to uphold the Mission of the College, a sacred one entrusted to us, has never been more important than it is now.

As Pope Francis reminds us, we teach the gospel and we preach the risen Christ – we are far more than just a ‘compassionate NGO’. These are words we should listen to; from someone who has given his life in service to the poor.

In Holy Week this year, let our prayers be for those in our care – that they be open to the word of God, and for ourselves as parents and teachers – that we speak and live the word of God.

Holy Week & Easter Liturgies

Holy Thursday, Mass of the Lord's Supper at 7.00pm at Christ the Priest

Good Friday, Celebration of the Lord's Passion at 3.00pm at Christ the Priest

Easter Saturday Vigil at 7.00pm at Christ the Priest

Easter Sunday at 8.30am at St Mary's Snug and at 10.00am at Christ the Priest

Teachers Wanted!

Although parents are the first and most important teachers, school teachers are pretty important too and we are in the midst of a national teacher shortage – particularly in our regions and particularly in some specialist secondary areas. All schools in all three sectors - state, Independent and Catholic - have been impacted and St Aloysius is no different. We have had to occasionally call on temporary and relief staff to teach classes this Term and, although the teaching program has not been interrupted as it was during COVID, it is still a pressing and ongoing concern. There are many reasons for this; fewer graduates entering the profession over the past three years, an aging and retiring workforce, COVID and many other factors. Education Ministers and the Federal Government have recognised this as a major priority and formulated a raft of strategies to address this issue, however there is no quick fix. Fortunately, we will start Term 2 fully staffed, but we have had to reallocate some staff from other duties to achieve that and we will still need to call on our wonderful relief and temporary staff from time to time. I thank all parents for your support as we navigate these challenges.

Bus Behaviour 

I commend students on their behaviour on our buses and for following the rules, keeping rubbish to a minimum and not engaging in behaviour that distracts the driver. I have reminded all students today of just how important this is – in a smaller way to keep the buses clean and support our bus providers and in a much more important way to ensure the safety and comfort of all on the buses. Misbehaviour on the buses is a serious and potentially dangerous issue and we need to be very strict in our expectations. 

Please support us and the safety of all by emphasising to your children, the very important reason we expect excellent behaviour on the bus.

Enjoy the Break

I take this opportunity to thank all staff for their outstanding work over the year to date and to wish all who work at St Aloysius Catholic College a restful and blessed Easter and holiday.

I would also like to thank all students for their contributions and I’m sure no urging is required from me for them to enjoy the break from school.

To all parents and indeed all in our community, may we celebrate the joy and hope of Easter together and share in the good news that this time brings.

Best wishes for a safe and happy break. 

Expressions of Interest Welcome for Kindergarten, 2024 and Year 7, 2024.

Kindergarten, 2024 enrolments are welcome! Kindergarten children must be aged four on the 1st of January of their Kindergarten year. Applications are due by Friday, 5th May 2023. Families new to the College are required to have an enrolment appointment prior to this date. Applications for Year 7, 2024 are also still being accepted. All enrolment enquiries are requested to complete the Expression of Interest form on the College website and the College will then contact you regarding an enrolment appointment and tour of our facilities with a Deputy Principal. Enquiries for all other year levels are always welcome, subject to availability. The Expression of Interest Form is available here.

Enrolment Officer, Melissa Dance is available to assist you with all of your enrolment requirements, either at enrol@staloysius.tas.edu.au or by 6229 0108.

- JUNIOR CAMPUS -

Gardening Club

Gardening Club has started again at the Junior Campus and our budding gardeners have been clearing and planting new plants in our gardens at school.  

Hair with Heart

Last week Ivy Jackson in 3 White cut off her long locks for a great cause. The plan has been three years in the making to cut her hair to donate to children suffering temporary and permanent hair loss. We at the Junior Campus are very proud of Ivy for doing such a selfless act. Well done Ivy you are a star!

Year 6 and Year 1 Buddy Day

'On Thursday 30th of March, we went to see our buddies at the Junior Campus. First we chose our buddies, my buddies name was Evie. Evie and I went out for lunch together. After lunch we did some crafts together. We made an Easter bunny cup and an Easter headband. The Easter bunny then came and put lots of chocolate eggs in the Easter cups we made together, it was super cute and fun. Evie was really fun and energetic. I loved playing with her and doing crafts with her, I can’t wait to go see her again!'
By: Charlie Dale

'We ate our lunch then me and Ethan found a ball that we passed to each other out in the playground. After lunch we made Easter bunny headbands and Ethan drew on it. We also made an Easter bunny cup, we put ears, eyes and a nose on it. We put chocolate Easter eggs inside the cup and told them the Easter bunny had filled their cup with chocolate.'
By: Darcy Longman

'My buddy's name was Tendai. Her all time favorite color was pink and the proof was in our craft where everything was pink. [...] A lot of my old buddies found me when we were in the playground and wanted to play with us so we all played together.'
By: Evie McGunigle

- MIDDLE CAMPUS -

- HUMANITIES -

Year 7 HASS

- YEARS 11 and 12 -

Year 11 Outdoor Education 2

Students and staff have been dividing their time between Mountain Biking and Archery, scoring very highly by the unit's end. This was largely due to the expert tutelage from Van Diemen's archery instructor, Mr Schaefer Marx.

It has been a busy second half of term for sport in the College, across both the Junior Campus and Middle Campus.

Soccer Club

The College has received a staggering 210 registrations for soccer this season, with a total of 27 teams! We are busily preparing for the soccer season, with round 1 kicking off on Saturday, 29th April. Training will commence for teams in Week 1 of Term 2.

A reminder that families must complete their child players registration by 22nd April 2023. This link was provided to parents last week through email.

Junior Winter Netball Roster

The Junior Winter Netball Roster started on Monday, 20th March; three Year 5/6 teams and two Year 3/4 teams played after school on a Monday afternoon against other participating local schools. A reminder to families that there will be no netball during the term break and games will continue Term 2.  

- Inter School Swimming Carnivals -

During Week 9, our Primary Swimming Team had the opportunity to participate in two inter school swimming carnivals. 

Huon & Channel Swimming 

On Wednesday, 29th March the team participated in the Huon and Channel Swimming Carnival at the Huonville Pool. They enjoyed the best weather conditions of the week while participating in an outdoor pool setting.  We finished in 2nd place in the Division A Carnival. Congratulations to the team on this wonderful result.

STCPSSA Swimming Carnival

On Friday, 31st March the team enjoyed the challenge of participating in the Primary Catholic Swimming Carnival at the Aquatic Centre. The program for this carnival is shorter and the depth of competition is strong. Congratulations to the team for the excellent manner in which you participated and represented the College.  We could not be prouder of you.

SSATIS/SATIS Athletics Carnival

The SATIS Athletics team had a huge couple of days, starting with the southern SATIS Athletics Carnival on 24th March at the Domain Athletics Centre. It was a great day, with some incredible efforts by our athletes. At the end of the day, their efforts were rewarded with St Aloysius winning the Junior Co-Ed Shield for the first time. This is an incredible achievement, well done team!

The State SATIS Carnival was held on Tuesday, 4th April at St Leonards, Launceston. The team had an early start and late finish, with the bus departing at 5.00am and the team not returning to school until after 7.00pm. The commitment shown by our students was outstanding.

Thank you to our captains, Blake Doyle and Sunita Buamee who led the team at both carnivals.

Pennant and shield results are available from the SATIS website: https://satis.com.au/

SATIS Volleyball

Congratulations to the Year 7/8 girls who participated in the SATIS Year 7/8 Girls Volleyball Roster this term. A further congratulations goes to SACC Blue who played in the final against St Mary's College on Monday afternoon, coming away with second place.

HIIT Fitness

Students have hit the gym hard recently, with a very solid effort during the All Aerobics circuit and the very challenging Penalty Box workout. The effort has been incredible from the vast majority of students.

Senior Drama performances - Term 2

Year 1 HaSS - Geography

This term, Year 1 Geography students have been learning about their place in the world. As part of their HaSS unit, children explored Aboriginal stories and perspectives about the concept of ‘place’. 1 Green, 1 Blue and 1 White students took part in a lesson learning about the Aboriginal concept of Country, including sea, sky and land. Guided by the College’s Aboriginal Student Success Teacher, children read the book ‘We love Country’ and experimented with using four of their five senses to see, hear, smell and feel different elements of Country. This new picture book, developed by the Department for Education in collaboration with Aboriginal Education Services and Early Learning, provided fantastic opportunities for the children to understand and value our Tasmanian Aboriginal histories and cultures. The interactive lessons took place outside in the Aboriginal learning circle at our Junior Campus. This sand/yarning circle is called Mannena, which means Earth in the south eastern dialect of the palawa.

Year 8 Science - Fire by Friction 

Year 8 Science students have been investigating traditional fire-starting methods used by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples. Ten ‘friction boards’, borrowed from the Fr John Wall STEM library were available for students to use in their practical lessons exploring energy transformations. First Nation students Zayne Synnott and Lincoln Penney proudly demonstrated three different methods: the drill, the saw and the plough: successfully showcasing palawa knowledges, technologies and processes. Many students were successful in creating small puffs of smoke and reaching high temperatures as they used friction to create heat. Students enjoyed the challenge of the task and developed their understanding and appreciation of the importance of patrula/fire to Australian Aboriginal societies and the ingenious methods used to create it.

Year 11 Excursion

On 29th March our Year 11 students went on an excursion to Blackmans Bay Beach as part of our focus on Aboriginal spirituality. This focus forms an important part of our TASC studies for Religion in Society 2. During this excursion, students met with local Elder and knowledge holder Uncle Rodney Dillon and learned about the deep knowledge of Country that Aboriginal people have shared and held for thousands of years. Students learnt about sea Country resources such as kelp water carriers. Uncle Rodney also explained the significance of ochre. Ms McWatters cooked us up some saltbush and wallaby snags which were enjoyed by all! 

SETAC Holiday Opportunities

SETAC (South East Tasmanian Aboriginal Corporation) is running a holiday program during April. They are also hosting a community camp at Murrayfield on Bruny Island.

Further information about both programs can be found below.

Holy Week

Year 2 started our Holy Week commemorations with a beautiful, joy-filled Palm Sunday liturgy with plenty of palm waving, dancing and singing as the Junior Campus celebrated Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem.

In Religious Education lessons across the College, students have been engaged in Stations of the Cross reflections, including an Easter basket of Stations of the Cross eggs at the Junior Campus, each one containing a symbol of Jesus’ journey to His crucifixion.

At Holy Thursday Mass today, some of our Year 4 and 5 Sacramental Candidates, as well as other youth of the parish, lead us in preparing the altar for the Mass of the Lord’s Supper. On Good Friday, the youth of the Parish will act The Stations of the Cross around the grounds of the church at 10.00am.

Please see the attached poster with information on upcoming Parish services.

Sacraments Immersion Day

In collaboration with the Kingston-Channel Parish, Year 4 and 5 students participated in a Sacraments Day facilitated by Fr Mike, Mrs Polly Marriott and Mrs Leanne Prichard from the Catholic Education Office. Mrs Marriott immersed students in a Godly Play Baptism story; they heard the history of, and connections between, Reconciliation and the Eucharist from Fr Mike; and participated in fruits of the spirit games and constructed a pinwheel in a Confirmation session with Mrs Prichard.

We look forward to deepening our students’ faith journey in our Parish Sacramental Program. This looks to support the promise made by parents in Baptism to guide their child in faith and is a family oriented, Parish and College supported program.

If anyone would like to find out more about Baptism, Reconciliation, Confirmation or Eucharist, please contact Mrs Polly Marriott Pauline.marriott@catholic.tas.edu.au or Fr Mike Delaney mike.delaney@aohtas.org.au

A timetable of the 2023 Parish Sacramental Program is attached.

Vinnies

Congratulations to our 2023 Vinnies Committee:

• President: Charlotte Clifford
• Vice-President: Jenna Simmons
• Vice-President: Declan Shai Smith
• Treasurer: Laura MacFarlane
• Secretary: Elsie Boon

They received their badges from Vinnies Youth Engagement Officer, Elle Bates and were acknowledged at our MC assembly today.

Thank you to Charlotte and Jenna, who represented St Aloysius at the Vinnies Induction Mass at St Therese’s in Moonah, and collected our 2023 Vinnies Candle.

Purple Day

The College was a sea of lilac, violet and indigo on Purple Day as we raised almost $2000.00 for Project Compassion! The Year 10 VET Community Service students did an excellent job of face painting and nail polishing at the Junior Campus and their skills were greatly appreciated! A new activity this year, suggested by Vinnies students, was 'colour tag' which was played on the oval at the Middle Campus for $2 a game until it was rained off in the afternoon. Thanks also to the Food Studies department who made and sold white chocolate and purple ‘blondies’, which were delicious!

Project Compassions is Caritas Australia’s Lenten Appeal and supports vulnerable communities in need in both Australia and overseas. https://www.caritas.org.au/project-compassion/

Purple is the colour of Lent and reminds us of Christ’s resurrection and sovereignty.  

Child Dental Benefit Scheme

O'Grady Drama Workshops 

Term 2 Cricket Hub