From the Principal

Dear Parents, Students, and Friends of St Virgil’s College, 

Olympic Success

We are thrilled to congratulate Maximillian Giuliani (SVC 2012-19 – bronze medallist in the 4x200m men’s freestyle relay) and Jacob Despard (SVC 2010-13 – shattering the 4x100m relay national record) on their outstanding performances at the Paris Olympic Games. We are immensely proud of their achievements and rejoice in their success. As a College that champions participation in a broad range of academic and co-curricular activities, we recognise the importance of fostering well-rounded young men. Jacob and Max have exemplified the values of commitment, endurance, self-discipline, and the strength of relationships—qualities that were nurtured during their time at St Virgil’s.

Catholic Education Week

Catholic Education Week is a time to celebrate the strengths and achievements of the 38 Catholic schools across Tasmania, including St Virgil’s College. This year’s theme, "Joyful in Hope, Faithful in Prayer," embodies our commitment to upholding Catholic values while nurturing a spirit of optimism and resilience among our staff and students.

Staff and student representatives attended the Catholic Education Week Mass at St Mary’s Cathedral on Thursday, followed by the Catholic Education Tasmania Staff Awards Ceremony held at our very own Joyce Performance Centre. This ceremony recognised the outstanding contributions to Catholic education, including those with 25 years of service. A special thanks to Mrs Kim Mooney and Ms Amelia Daun for coordinating the students' attendance at Mass, and to our Hospitality students, under the guidance of Mr Aaron Lucas, for preparing and serving refreshments following the awards.

Mary Rice Day

Today, we celebrated Mary Rice Day, raising awareness and much-needed funds for the Edmund Rice Centre in Kenya. The Centre supports young people with disabilities by providing access to education, vocational skills, therapy services, and outreach programs. It also supports parents by offering skill training and income-generating activities. St Virgil’s College has a long-standing commitment to the Edmund Rice Centre, and our annual fundraising efforts are vital in supporting its operations.

The day began with a presentation from our guest, Br Frank O’Shea, followed by Mass, a soccer match, shared lunch, and a walkathon. It was a wonderful day where students from both campuses came together for a worthy cause. I thank the students for their donations and their enthusiastic participation in the day’s activities.

Staffing Update

This week, we welcomed back Mr Daniel Lapolla, Deputy Principal, after his 10-week renewal leave. I would like to thank Mrs Kim Mooney and Mr Thymon Venter for stepping into various leadership roles during Mr Lapolla’s absence. We are fortunate to have such experienced staff to take on these responsibilities when needed.

We also welcome Mrs Frith James, who has joined us this term as an Administration Officer. Mrs James brings valuable experience from her previous roles at The Hutchins School and OneSchool Global. Additionally, Mrs Peta Jelkic has started as PA to the Principal, bringing her expertise from the Royal Hobart Hospital and St Brigid’s Catholic School.

This week, we bid farewell to Ms Laura Trenham, who will be taking up a teaching position at MacKillop Catholic College. We wish her all the best in her new role. We are pleased to announce that Ms Elizabeth Cain and Mr Ian Murtagh will cover Ms Trenham’s role for the remainder of the year. Ms Cain joins us from St Patrick’s College in Queensland, while Mr Murtagh recently completed his Master of Education and a teaching placement at St Virgil’s in Term 2.

Please join me in congratulating Mrs James, Mrs Jelkic, Ms Cain, and Mr Murtagh on their appointments and warmly welcoming them to our College community.

Important Dates

Father’s Day Breakfast

A reminder that on Wednesday 28 August at 7.30 am the Junior School will be holding our annual Father’s Day Breakfast. I look forward to welcoming Fathers and significant males in the lives of our young men to this important College event. 

Years 8 and 9 Subject Selection Evening

Years 8 and 9 students will commence subject selections when families, students and staff gather in the Joyce Performance Centre on Wednesday 28 August at 6.00 pm. I encourage all to attend this important evening where the subject selection process will be discussed, career and university pathways explored and an opportunity for students and parents/carers to engage with Heads of Department to learn more about subject offerings in Year 9 and Year 10 in 2025. Please mark this important evening in your calendar and I look forward to seeing you on the night.

Student Free Day

On Friday 6 September, the Senior School will be having a student-free day. Senior secondary staff will participate in a moderation day with other Senior secondary teachers across the state from Government, Catholic and Independent schools. The purpose of moderation provides teachers with an opportunity to work on how to improve student learning outcomes and improve the consistency of judgements. These connections with other senior secondary teachers will be highly important for our teaching staff which will support their professional development. The Junior School (Kindergarten-Year 6) will operate as usual with no impact on students on the day.

Jon Franzin

PRINCIPAL