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We are already in at the end of week 3 in the last term! We have had so many events already this term; Grandparent’s Day, Year 10 Formal, the College and Parish Fair and the Year 5s are on camp as I write this. Our senior students begin their TASC exams next week and they are in our prayers. I hope they may be able to complete the exams to the best of their abilities.
The students at St Aloysius Catholic College have a broad range of interests, skills and abilities and our aim is to be able to meet this diverse range while also keeping true to the importance of structure and purpose through a recognisable St Al’s way. It is a delicate line to walk, but understanding that we cannot be all things to all people, but rather be clear in what we offer and be true to our identity will allow us to be consistent and predictable for staff, students and families. This allows people to make decisions about whether they want to be part of our shared journey. This clarity means that, if you choose us, you have confidence in our direction and we will be able to work together closely to achieve the best results for the students, which is the main game. I understand that, at times, people will not agree with us and I never blame people or become angry about people who choose another school. The key is about being open and consistent.
A wonderful example of a community working together was the College and Parish Fair. The College was able to host the event at the Senior Campus, in the grounds and also inside the Blessed Carlos Acutis Building. Volunteers from the Parish and College communities, parishioners, parents, staff and students, worked together to create a wonderful atmosphere which I was very proud to be a part of. The Fair raises important funds for the Parish and College but the greater purpose is the coming together as a community which was on full display. The event also allowed the community to see the new campus and appreciate the wonderful resources that our students have.
Our founders, The Sisters of Charity follow Ignatian Spirituality and one of the key ideals of this spirituality is accompaniment. Accompaniment is the idea of providing leadership or guidance by walking with others; being present and available. In a busy world, where time is precious, being available can be difficult. Being present enables us to develop meaningful relationships and foster understanding. One of my goals as a principal is to be present for staff, students and parents and, this year, I have had many meaningful conversations with members of our community. We don’t always agree, and that is fine, but I hope people have felt they have been heard even if a decision is not the one they would have made. I don’t wish to offend staff or parents, but the conversations with students are my favourite as it reminds me of why we are here.
God Bless and Be the Good,
Mr Paul Reidy – College Principal
From the Junior Campus...
All Saints' and All Souls' Day
No doubt, there will be some students who are excited about the prospect of Halloween. The notion of trick-or-treating is becoming more prevalent in Australian society, with children eagerly putting together outfits and trekking off on adventures around the neighbourhood. Halloween, originally known as All Hallows Eve, is the eve of All Saints' Day. Halloween evolved from ancient Celtic traditions honouring those who have passed and the beginning of winter. Halloween, All Souls' Day, and All Saints' Day share a historical and spiritual connection. Although it may not seem as cool or exciting as dressing up as Buzz Lightyear, the exhilaration of knocking on a door and getting a treat may not have been realised without these significant days in the Catholic calendar.
All Saints' Day (November 1st) and All Souls' Day (November 2nd) are significant religious observances in the Christian calendar. All Saints' Day celebrates the saints, both known and unknown. It is a day where we can draw inspiration from the courage and faith shown by those who aspire to make a difference. All Souls' Day honours the departed and is a time to remember those lives we have lost and offer comfort to those grieving. These occasions remind us of the importance of bearing witness to those who typify the Gospel values and sending love to those suffering in silence.
Although these concepts might seem quite heavy or deep for children, there are some simple ways that you can observe these occasions. It might come in the form of lighting candles as a symbolic gesture of remembrance and prayer. You may like to offer prayers at home or mass for those who have died and ask God to provide support to families who are struggling with the formidable challenges of loss or grief. Some families during this time also enjoy sharing special memories of incredible summer holidays and birthday parties. Through these simple gestures, children will better appreciate the sentiment connected to Halloween.
End of Year Events
We appreciate the patience of our family members and extended school community as we finalise our end-of-year celebrations. You will receive communication via Compass of significant events across the college that you can add to your diaries. The college is also constructing a 2025 calendar for our family members to ensure these dates are presented with ample notice in the future.
For now, tread gently and take care of yourselves.
Yours Faithfully
Samuel Morey – Deputy Principal: Junior Campus
From the Middle Campus...
Mrs Nickie Birchall – Acting Deputy Principal: Middle Campus
From the Senior Campus...
Dear Students, Parents, and Staff,
As we embark on the final term of the year, we want to take a moment to reflect on our journey and celebrate our achievements together.
First and foremost, a heartfelt thank you to everyone involved in making our recent College and Parish Fair at the Senior Campus a resounding success. Your dedication and hard work truly made the event memorable and enjoyable for all.
Our Year 10 Senior Dinner at Peppermint Bay, organised by our Year 10 Coordinator, Mr. Tom Elkhair was a wonderful celebration for our Year 10 students as they danced and reflected on their time at the College. We appreciate Mr Elkhair's efforts it bringing this together.
The Pyjama Day fundraiser aimed at supporting children in foster care saw staff and students come to school in their PJs to show their support for this important cause. Thank you to Mrs Marriott and the Year 11 students for organising this great day.
Today marks the last day for our Year 11 and 12 students. We wish all of you the best of luck in your upcoming exams. We look forward to celebrating your achievements at the Awards Assembly on November 29th.
Let’s finish the term strong by maintaining our standards and expectations. Together, we can make the most of the remainder of the year!
Japanese Online Exchange
Our year 7-10 Japanese online exchange sessions have continued this term, with our 9/10 class chatting to the Japanese class they spoke with in March. It was absolutely wonderful to see students getting in touch with their Japanese peers once again and talking about topics they are interested in. Our students tested their Japanese and worked hard to interpret meaning throughout the session. Reflections from our 9/10 students show exactly how this experience is valuable and can provide our students with opportunities going forward.
"I loved being able to communicate with people in their native language and I really enjoyed learning new things about people."
"I enjoyed talking to the Japanese kids again, talking about things we both enjoy and our favourite places and foods from Japan and Australia."
Our final three Year 7 classes have also had their session for the year, with all having a wonderful time. What was most pleasing to see was Year 7 students stepping up and filling the occasional silence with respectful questioning techniques and showing genuine interest in their international guests. The Japanese students are learning English and were so grateful to have an opportunity to practice with native English speakers. The atmosphere in the room during these times is always exciting and full of positivity. Here are what some of our Year 7s
"I enjoyed having the opportunity to talk to Japanese people and learn about them and their culture."
"I enjoyed learning about Japan and what they do in their free time."
"It was great talking to people who I had never talked to before and leaning new things about Japan."
"Talking to people in a different country was really different and fun!"
"I enjoyed that we got to speak to Japanese people and make Japanese friends."
"It was great that we got to talk to people on the other side of the world!"
Duke of Edinburgh – Silver Camp
ICAS Competition
Towards the end of last term, a group of students from Year 2 to Year 10 at St Aloysius Catholic College took part in ICAS competitions.
What is ICAS?
ICAS is an online academic competition that gives students the opportunity to challenge their higher order thinking and problem-solving skills in English, Mathematics, Science, Writing, Spelling Bee, and Digital Technologies. All students were invited to take part in these competitions although only a relatively small group took up the opportunity. ICAS evaluates each student’s performance against other competition entrants across the state and nation. The St Aloysius students who took part achieved very impressive results. Those students who received a special award are listed here, but congratulations must also go to the other students who took part in the competitions, and who didn’t manage to get a higher award this year.
ENGLISH
Year 2: Islay Marriott – Distinction; Thea Tsitsi – Credit.
Year 7: Raphael Martini – Merit.
Year 10: Imogen Martini – Distinction.
MATHEMATICS
Year 2: George Gordon-Smith – Credit; Islay Marriott – Credit.
Year 8: Blake Pickett – Credit.
Year 10: Chen Liang – High Distinction; Harry Boon – Credit; Imogen Martini – Credit.
SCIENCE
Year 2: Islay Marriott – Distinction.
Year 7: Raphael Martini – Credit.
Year 8: Blake Pickett – Distinction; Campbell Leitch – Credit.
Year 10: Chen Liang – High Distinction; Harry Boon – Distinction; Imogen Martini –
Distinction.
SPELLING BEE:
Year 2: Thea Tsitsi – Credit.
ICAS MEDAL WINNER
To win an ICAS medal for a subject, students need to have achieved a remarkable score that is the highest in their region. This year Chen Liang (Year 10) won a Medal in both Mathematics and Science. Chen has taken part in the ICAS competitions every year since Year 3, and he has won the Mathematics Medal every year for seven years in a row. To top that off, he also won the Science Medal in Year 3 as well as this year in Year 10. What a remarkable achievement!
Frank MacDonaled Memorial Prize Presentation
Highlights and Hopes for our Year 11/12 Pathways to Work Class
The Year 11/12 Pathways to Work Class have been busy reflecting on the highlights from this year and what they hope to achieve in 2025!
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2024 Highlights |
2025 Hopes |
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Eddie
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Graduating Year 12 and doing gym work with Sophie |
Going to TAFE |
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Scarlett |
The Sydney Retreat because we got to make friends with people from different states. |
Graduating Year 12 |
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Tameira |
Having our own private common room |
Graduating Year 12 |
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Talia |
Getting to do outdoor experiences and food |
Getting a job and being able to sort clothes at Vinnies |
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Raf |
Going to the Year 12 Leaver’s Lunch |
Making a decision about what I’m going to do next year! |
Congratulations and good luck to our Year 12 Leaver’s and we look forward to creating more highlights for our 2025 Year 11 and 12 Cohort!
Primary Athletics Carnival
On Wednesday, 23rd October we hosted our rescheduled Primary Athletics Carnival at Gormley Park. The weather was perfect and the venue was great! It was wonderful to see all of students in Year 3-6 out in their house colours, supporting their team mates and participating to the best of their ability!
A big thank you to our HPE Team for all of the work that went into planning the day, planning one carnival is a mammoth job and having to plan a second one due to the weather is even bigger!
Term 4 SATIS Sport
Our Term 4 SATIS sport is off to a great start! This term we have students participating in touch football, tennis, cricket and Aussie rules.
Launceston Cup Soccer Carnival
Congratulations to all of the St Aloysius soccer stars that competed in the Launceston Cup during the term break. We had a number of SACC Soccer Club teams entered as well as students playing in their club teams.
It was a fantastic weekend of soccer!
Interschool Chess Tournament
Pyjama Day
Our Senior students organised a very successful pyjama day on the Friday afters Show Day allowing our Year 9-12s to attend school and study in comport while raising awareness and funds for the Pyjama Foundation supporting young people in foster care. Stay tuned for an update on how much we raised.
Catholic Mission Mass and Soctober
Footy Colours Day
Footy Colours Day, on the last day of Term 3, raised $775 across the College for the Archbishop's Samaritan Fund which assists Tasmanian families in need. Well done to those who dressed up and wore their colours with pride! Thanks to our Senior Student Leaders who organised an AFL jumper design competition across the College. The entries were excellent, and judging was hard work!
Grandparent's Day
Grandparent's Day was a great success, building connections and community at all three campuses! The Junior Campus was a buzz of excitement with a special extended breakfast club, photo booth, scavenger hunts, and choir and dance displays. The Middle Campus also showcased musical and technological skills with two bands and the vocal group: St Aloysius Voices. Year 9 and 10 Food Studies students served a delicious morning tea and then grandparents and special people were invited to stop in at the Senior Camus for a speciality coffee or cold drink and tour of the facilities with some interesting specimens under the microscope for viewing in our new science labs! A special thanks to all the staff who took time out of their busy routines to plan, prepare, create and rehearse to make this day such a success.
We received some wonderful feedback and photo from the grandparents of a new Year 8 student who were ‘adopted’ by some additional MC students and given an impromptu tour:
“What a wonderful school… We were greatly impressed by how the students were so easy going and very relaxed with interacting with teachers… And finally for a send off they formed a guard of honour to our car.”
If you have any feedback from the day or if there’s anything you’d like to see in the future at one of our community events please contact Polly Marriott, Director: Mission at Pauline.marriott@catholic.tas.edu.au.
College and Parish Fair
The College Parish Fair was a spectacular success, blessed with perfect sunny weather and the vibrant energy of our College and Parish community. Held for the first time at the new Senior Campus, the event attracted families, friends, and local residents for a day filled with fun and entertainment.
The Fair featured a variety of activities, from ‘Kids Alley’ and rides to food stalls and live performances from our student musicians and dancers. The new campus proved to be an ideal venue, with its spacious grounds and welcoming atmosphere, creating a fantastic setting for the fair.
A special thank you goes out to the many volunteers and dedicated staff members who worked tirelessly behind the scenes to make the day run smoothly, in particular Fair Coordinator; Pauline Ims. Their hard work and enthusiasm were key to making the event such a success.
Multicultural Mass
On Migrant and Refugee Sunday, 29th September, the Kingston Channel Parish held its annual Multicultural Mass at 10:00am at the Church of Christ the Priest. Many nationalities and cultures were represented with prayers in a number of languages, numerous flags, and cultural dress, music and food.
We look forward to celebrating our Parish Feast Day on Sunday, 24th November with the Feast of Christ the King. On this weekend there will only be one Mass on Sunday at 10:00am at the Church of Christ the Priest. After this Mass, all parishioners are invited to bring a plate to a shared morning tea/lunch in the Sisters of Charity Centre.
Artist in Residence – Tom O'Hern
Week 2 of Term 4 was an exciting time for our Year 7-10 Visual Art students. Our students had the opportunity to work collaboratively with our resident artist, Tom O’Hern, in the beginning stages of his mural project on the Middle Campus basketball court. Each visual art class has undertaken a number of drawing games and activities to practise creating characters and encourage them into a world of new ideas and approaches to making.
Following this preparation, students used spray cans and brushes alongside Tom’s helpful guidance to create a striking product. Tom is set to work on the mural himself in week 3 and add his own final touches. If you are around the Middle Campus, please be sure to check out the mural – the photographs do not do it justice!
Rock Bands and Choirs at Middle and Senior Campus
Our rock bands have been playing at indoor and outdoor assemblies and events throughout the year. This year our Senior Rock Band has been joined by three other bands and two choirs. Each group includes a sound “engineer”. These students play a crucially important and creative part of each band's success.
The Senior Band paved the way last year with remarkable progress and commitment. Everyone was shocked when, early in 2023, the band began with weekly 7am rehearsals every Friday. This gave us uninterrupted quality rehearsal time and barely a week was missed throughout the remainder of last year, and this productive tradition continues. This shows amazing commitment from all students involved.
They are playing a wide range of classic rock and worship songs, including some really tough pieces. Each student’s improvement has been remarkable over this time. The only thing we haven’t been able to achieve is a name better than “Senior Rock Band”.
Huge shout out to Mrs Jessica Agius and Mrs Tania Steenholdt for their amazing support.
We have a second Year 9/10 band - which really surprised everyone at the Arts Exhibition in September. They did a fantastic performance and drew the audience right in!
Our Junior Rock Band is a Year 7 band and has played at assemblies, the Arts Exhibition and the College Fair. Audiences have been amazed at this talented and unafraid young band!
Last but not least is our amazing Year 5/6 Band. It is the only band to have a name other than their! After some fun ideas, the girls settled on Defy Gravity and even have bright green and pink band T-Shirts emblazoned with this name!
St Aloysius Voices is made up of two choirs, one based at the Middle Campus and one at the Senior Campus. We are so grateful for the help of Mr Camilo Sanchez, a choir specialist, who helps run the training and rehearsals for these fledgling vocal groups. Also, thanks to Polly Marriott, Nick Marshall and Andrea Reece for helping to encourage our bravest of students!!
Music Tuition
palawa kipli – bush tucker tours/kipli takara
As the weather warms up and the plants are starting to flower and produce fruit, all First Nation students in Years 5 to 12 were given the opportunity of going on a remarkable kipli takara/bush tucker tour with Palawa Kipli. Visiting piyuri kitina at Risdon Cove we were guided around the natural pantry and learnt a great deal about native edible plants. Led by Kitana Mansell from the Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre (TAC), the tour explores this significant cultural and historical site. As we walked around the property, we learnt about the culinary uses of many different plants, tasting some along the way. At the end of the tour we were treated to a delicious meal prepared by Kitana. The College is grateful to Palawa Kipli and the Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre for providing us with such unique learning opportunities for our students.
For more information about Palawa Kipli, visit their website and instagram.
Ryka Ali – cultural dance performance
For the second year in a row, Ryka Ali recently visited the College. This year his sister Billie accompanied him. Together they presented the legends of their family clans through song, dance and didgeridoo. It was an incredible opportunity for students to learn about Torres Strait Islander culture. Ryka’s heritage stems from the Yidinji clans of Cairns, the Kuku Yalinji clans of Mossman and the Torres Strait Islands. A winner in the Young, Black and Deadly Talent Quest (2003) Ryka is a proud ambassador for Australia’s Indigenous youth. Working since he was 12, both with his family and solo, Ryka has performed in schools, festivals and at cultural events throughout Australia and the world. The performances are now part of our Year 7 Religion unit on Creation.
Many students volunteered to get up on stage and learn the dances. Even a group of teachers learnt and performed a kangaroo dance. The College is grateful to Ryka and Billie Ali as well as Sheldon Thomas who represented the local palawa/pakana Community and ensured our interstate guests felt welcome.
Well done to all the students and staff who participated so enthusiastically!
Key Dates for October and November
*please refer to the College Calendar for full details
| Monday, 4th November |
Sport and Extra Curricular Photos – MC |
| Tuesday, 5th November |
Sport and Extra Curricular Photos – JC |
| Thursday, 7th November |
Sport and Extra Curricular Photos – SC |
| Friday, 8th November |
Huon and Channel Athletics Carnival |
| Saturday, 9th November |
P and F Trivia Night, BOOK NOW via Qkr! |
| Monday, 25th November |
Year 7 Orientation Day |
| Thursday, 28th November |
Secondary Schools Triathlon |
| Friday, 29th November |
Final Day of Classes for Year 10 Primary Schools Triathlon |
Term Dates for 2025
2025 and 2026 Enrolments
Kindergarten, 2025 and 2026:
There are limited vacancies available for 2025 so please complete an expression of interest HERE.
2026 Enrolment Applications are due Friday, 9th May 2025, please complete an expression of interest HERE.
Year 7, 2026:
2026 Enrolment Applications are welcome and due Friday, 14th March 2025, please complete an expression of interest HERE.
Year 11 and 12, 2025 and 2026:
2025 and 2026 Enrolment Applications are welcome, please complete an expression of interest HERE or contact Melissa Dance, Enrolment Officer for further information, sacc.enrol@catholic.tas.edu.au or 6229 0108.
Current Year 10 families – if you are planning for your child to continue their education elsewhere next year, you will need to withdraw their enrolment for 2025, otherwise, it will be assumed they are continuing at the College. To do this please email sacc.enrol@catholic.tas.edu.au.
This applies to students in all Years that will not be returning to the College in 2025.
If you and your child are undecided and would like to have a conversation, please do not hesitate to contact either of the staff listed below for advice and planning:
Brad Canning – Deputy Principal: bradley.canning@catholic.tas.edu.au
Marcelle Ottaway – Careers Advisor: marcelle.ottaway@catholic.tas.edu.au
Notice of Student Withdrawals
Our P&F 2024 Trivia Night is not far away.
We are now taking bookings via the Qkr! App.
Join us and our superstar Quiz Masters, Dave and Scott, for a fabulous night of trivia and fun.
Saturday, 9th November, 7:00pm in the Sisters of Charity Centre.
$10pp, BYO drinks and nibbles.
Tables will be set for 10, you can specify your team mates when you purchase your tickets.
Get your friends together and support this great community event!
Follow the Facebook event for details!