2020 Recognition Awards

How lucky are we to have teachers like these? It is with great pride that we congratulate Jenny Noble (Junior School Extension Teacher) and Deearne Spaulding (Senior School Teacher), who have been named as recipients of the Catholic Education Commission Tasmania Recognition Awards for 'Outstanding Service as an Employee within Catholic Education'.

Thank you, Jenny and Dee for your outstanding contribution to teaching and learning at St Mary's College, and all you do for our students.

Words of wisdom for Year 12s

The final year of school is usually the most challenging, and that's without the additional stress of a global health pandemic.

As Year 12 students bunker down to prepare for their end-of-year exams, we asked some of our alumni to share their advice and words of wisdom on getting through that last stretch of Senior School.

The College wishes all students the very best of luck over the coming weeks. We are very proud of you all!

'Your best is enough'.

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'Don't stress, there are many roads to Rome.

Study the best you can and no matter the results, celebrate your achievements knowing you have done your very best. Don't dissect your exam afterwards - you can never fully remember what you wrote, you are only torturing yourself. Good luck for the future.'

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'Don't think that you'll have just one career for the rest of your working life. If you believe in your own abilities and are prepared to study, you can achieve anything. As the world changes and your life circumstances alter, you may find your current career no longer suits you. That's not failure, it's just the way life goes. Best of luck going forward, girls.'

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You are enough - please don’t stress, it is wasted emotion. Seek solace from your family, laughter from your friends and know that your teachers love you.'

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'Be true to yourself, always.'

Budding artists make their mark on Yacht Club

Painting is underway on a mural that is set to transform an exterior wall of the Royal Yacht Club of Tasmania.

Student artists, Nandhini Ramanathan (Year 9), Molly Topham (Year 10) and Adele Harman (Year 10) began work on the large-scale creation in Term 3, in collaboration with local artist, Robi Glimar.

Adele, Molly and Nandhini are very talented young women who are passionate about their artmaking. The students appreciated the opportunity to work with a professional artist and, of course, the chance to exhibit their work in a permanent, public exhibit.

Projects such as this are invaluable for our art students. It provides opportunity for young artists to develop a visible sense of being within the art world, as well as strengthening their understanding of their identity as an artist.

In class, the students have been learning about public art as a highly effective tool of communication given the works integration into the environment it can be accessed by a wide range of people. This project provides the girls with the chance to experience how positive community relationships can be developed through this visual aesthetic.

Check out the progress next time you're in the area!

Sarah Adams

Learning Area Coordinator Visual Arts

SMC Science Competition

Well done to the students who were successful in the annual SMC Science Competition. Participants were judged on the quality of their Science Investigations and Reports. Winning students will receive their medals and trophies soon:

Best Project 2020

Amelie Cox (Year 10)

Most Original Project 2020

Eliza Gurney (Year 10)

Adele Harman (Year 10)

First

Lillian Scott (Year 7)

Anna Fracalossi (Year 8)

Jessica Skinner (Year 8)

Varaidzo Marunda (Year 9)

Estella Whiting (Year 9)

Zoe Brown (Year 10)

Grace Burbury (Year 11)

Second

Sofia Lumb (Year 7)

Ruby Cox (Year 8)

Niah Bester (Year 8)

Kendra Vizer (Year 9)

Caitlin Marr (Year 10)

Emily Walter (Year 10)

Third

Madison Mackey (Year 7)

Adalia Hauler (Year 8)

Mikayla Penglase (Year 8)

Isabella Thurley (Year 9)

Madeline Cannan (Year 9)

Laura Pennicott (Year 10)

Merit

Rianna Scott (Year 7)

Grace Cox (Year 8)

Charlotte Coutts (Year 8)

Imogen Brown (Year 10)

Ansa Le Grange (Year 10)

Amelia McMahon (Year 10)

Ella Booth (Year 10)

Happy campers at Blue Lagoon

While it might not have been the camping experience they had originally hoped for, Year 5 students had a blast during their recent day trip to Blue Lagoon at Dodges Ferry. Student, Lucy Pinelli has provided the following report.

On Monday 19 October Year 5 went to the Blue Lagoon campsite. We did some activities that we were supposed to do at our overnight camp, which was cancelled because of COVID-19. We were split up into three groups and rotated around the activities. We had different groups of people in the groups, including some that we played with, but also people we didn’t really know as well. We did activities like archery, team building obstacles and campfire cooking.

At archery we learned how to hold the bow and shoot an arrow at the target, teaching us patience and commitment. At team building we did some obstacles as a team, working together to overcome different challenges. Finally, we sat around a campfire, cooking damper and toasting marshmallows. Blue Lagoon prepared lunch for us on the day. We had their version of a healthy Subway, then fruit and warm chocolate cake for dessert! We were very lucky to be able to go to Blue Lagoon even if it was for only one day. We all had so much fun!

Find photos from the day camp here.

Year 6 'staycation'

Sometimes the most fun you can have is in your own backyard. Just ask the Year 6 classes, who recently participated in a special event to celebrate their time as leaders in the Junior School, and to help make up for missing the annual Canberra trip this year. Held over three days, 'Staycation' featured a jam-packed program including a leadership day, which saw students enjoy breakfast and a talk with a group of Year 12 Prefects, followed by leadership and teamwork activities. The students launched head-first into day two with an action-packed visit to Supaworld - involving trampolines, rock climbing and a high ropes course - and Zone Bowling. The week wrapped up with the Year 6s joining their Prep buddies on a walk to the train park, where they hosted a teddy bears' picnic before watching a movie together, complete with delicious ice creams. It was certainly an eventual three days and everyone agreed that they needed the four-day weekend to recover!

College life in pictures

Hiking to new heights

Jungle fever hits the Junior School

Into the labyrinth

Assembling desks for the upcoming school musical!

Community news

Get into hockey clinic