Senior School News

Bonorong wildlife tour | A window into real-world conservation 

Students from our Years 11/12 VET Tourism class and Year 10 and 11 Biology cohorts recently visited Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary, where they had the chance to get up close with some of Tasmania's most iconic native species – because you're never too old for a wombat encounter, a cheeky Tasmanian devil interaction, or a kangaroo snack run.

The excursion gave students a rare behind-the-scenes look at Bonorong's wildlife rescue program and its on-site veterinary hospital.

They heard directly from sanctuary staff, who explained how injured and orphaned animals are treated and rehabilitated, and shared upcoming conservation initiatives and ongoing efforts to protect Tasmania's unique species – including a forthcoming trial vaccination for Tasmanian devils affected by facial tumour disease. 

For our Tourism students, they were asked to consider the experience of the visitor at the site. Some of their insights are shared below: 

My experience at Bonorong was fun! I enjoyed learning about the animals and interacting with the wildlife. – Chelsea R

I enjoyed the excursion to Bonorong.

The tour guide was informative, and being able to feed the kangaroos was definitely the highlight! – Megan M

Bonorong was an inviting sanctuary that was interactive and filled with information. The staff had good customer service that kept us engage and made me want to go again. – Phoebe W

I found my time at Bonorong enjoyable. During the tour I learnt lots of interesting facts regarding the animals. The tour guide was very clear and easy to understand. The staff were polite and the place overall was very pleasing. – Rita S

Year 7 Readers' Cup | Students go head-to-head in class finals

This term, Year 7 students participated in a fun-filled Readers' Cup competition during their library lessons. Working in groups, students read a selection of books before competing in both class-level and year-level challenges based on their knowledge and interpretation of the books. 

It was fantastic to see so many keen readers engrossed in a range of great titles. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins and The Fall by Tristan Bancks were the most popular books.

The class finals were an exciting event between five Year 7 groups: the 'Book Belles', 'Awesome Readers', 'Cool Beans', 'Locked In' and 'Walking Dictionaries'. All groups put in an amazing effort, and the game show buzzers were popular. 

It was a close competition, with only a few points separating the groups. The winning Year 7 team were the 7B Book Belles: Charlotte Cranage, Madison Jackman, Stella Quarrell and Isabelle Godfrey, pictured below. 

We look forward to participating in the Readers’ Cup again in 2027 with a new Year 7 class.

Mrs Jaeger and Mrs Carlyle

Teacher Librarians

Year 10 Career Experience

Year 10 Career Experience has commenced at SMC, and it's been great to see our students stepping out of the classroom and into the workplace, gaining valuable first-hand experience across a wide range of industries. 

Thank you to the many businesses and organisations who generously welcomed our Year 10 students and invested in them throughout their work placements and thank you also to those who have signed up to host students during the school holidays and into Term 3.

 Experiences like these are invaluable, giving students the chance to apply their learning in real‑world settings, build confidence and understand the rhythms and responsibilities of the workplace. 

Pictured L–R: Hailee Marney (Year 10) during her placement at North Hobart Vet Clinic, and Audrey Bessell (Year 10) gaining hands‑on experience at Leap Health.

Year 10 student, Alvie Browning, who is exploring a future in paramedicine, was fortunate to meet a current paramedic and tour Ambulance Tasmania, gaining valuable first‑hand insight to support her career research.

Think fast, Year 12!

Friendly rivalry and some seriously quick reflexes took centre court last Friday as our Year 12 students faced off against the St Virgil's College Year 12 cohort in an epic dodgeball match. 

Congratulations to SVC on claiming back-to-back wins, and a big well done to all students who joined in the fun. 

With a shared pizza lunch beforehand, it was a fantastic way for our students to unwind, reconnect and wrap up the week on a genuinely positive note.