Acting Deputy Principal
Mrs Kim Mooney
Henry Ford famously said, “If you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll always get what you’ve always got”.
We can apply this quote to the start of a new year. Last year’s results and achievements are now in the past but can provide direction for what lies ahead. For those young men who achieved outstanding marks by working tirelessly, and demonstrating a positive attitude, the challenge is to continue to push yourselves to achieve even greater things. If you didn’t achieve what you were capable of last year, then examining what you can do to achieve a different outcome this year is important. This might mean you need a more structured homework study plan, or you might need to focus more during class. Here at St Virgil’s, it is a three-way partnership between student, parent/carer and the College, but ultimately, it is up to the student to take ownership of their own learning. We look forward to supporting all our young men in achieving what they are aiming for in 2025, and welcome them back to the College.
Years 7 – 9 Parent Information Evening – Thursday 27 February
This evening is an important part of the transition process we provide here at the College for our new students. It provides an opportunity for new parents/carers to meet their son’s Pastoral Care teachers, and for all Year 9 parents/carers to hear information about their son’s pathway opportunities into the Senior Years.
We ask that if you are attending the evening, please respond via the EdSmart communication you received recently so that we can cater adequately for the BBQ that will follow the information sessions being held from 6.00 pm to 6.45 pm. The BBQ is a great opportunity to meet other parents and to form connections within our College community. Please be in the Quadrangle by 6.00 pm to ensure a prompt start to the evening.
The Years 7 -8 session will include a welcome by members of the College Leadership Team and small group discussions in PC groups, where you will meet other parents/carers and key staff. This will be led by the PC teachers.
Year 9: We will have a separate session with all the Year 9 parents/carers, and students in the Joyce Performance Centre. Members of our Learning Team will give you important information about the pathways into Senior Years. This will help our young men to make informed decisions about their future subject choices. We will also have our Career Advisor (Mr James Dalton) on site for questions and further information about Apprenticeships, TasTAFE, University and other Learning Pathways.
Class Allocations
The determination of class groupings is taken very seriously at the College. Assessment data, application to learning, student engagement and social behaviour have all been taken into consideration when forming these class groups.
As you can appreciate, accommodating the individual preferences of each student at the College is simply not achievable. Being with friends is not a sufficient reason for an immediate change and, from our experience, does not always support academic success. Settling into a new environment will always take some time and we encourage all students to give the best version of themselves to support this transition which will ultimately support their learning.
Any requests for change will be assessed at the end of Term 1, 2025 within the class change policy. Consultation with your son’s Head of House or PC Teacher as the first point of contact is strongly encouraged.
Bus Routes
Thank you to all our parents/carers who have returned the bus conduct forms sent out previously. The college is committed to supporting our bus companies to ensure all students have a safe journey here and back from the College and the bus conduct forms are a part of this process.
The Year 7 students were placed on buses over the last fortnight to help with their transition. From now on however, it will be their responsibility to ensure they catch the correct bus. Staff are always available at the bus stop in the afternoon in the College to assist, but we ask that parents/carers check the timetables on the links below and ensure their son is clear which bus they should take.
In consultation with the bus companies, we have made the decision to remove the schedules from our website and instead provide direct links to the companies’ information. This will mean parents/carers have up-to-date information with which to make their decisions. If you require further information, please contact the bus company directly.