Around Our Classrooms

Year 5 White

Year 5 White have had an action-packed term so far! Term 3 has seen students have dived into Antarctic and sub-Antarctic geography, history, and biology. A major highlight was our trip to the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery, where seeing regional artifacts and specimens brought animal adaptations to life. Learning how fragile these polar ecosystems are led naturally into meaningful reflections on how we can care for creation and protect the habitats of the unique creatures we have studied. Beyond science, the class completed stunning artwork for the Arts Festival and rehearsed music and dance routines to share with family and friends. Students also enjoyed dressing up as their favourite book characters for Book Week and have been exploring sensory and figurative language for narrative writing.

JATNET Japanese Speech Competition

Congratulations to our Year 3–8 students who recently represented Mount Carmel College in the annual JATNET Japanese Speech Competition.

The JATNET Speech Competition is a statewide event open to students learning Japanese across Tasmania. In preparation, our students demonstrated commitment by attending weekly after-school sessions where they worked on writing, learning, memorising and practising their speeches.

The competition assesses not only students’ spoken Japanese, but also their non-verbal communication skills. Students were encouraged to consider their pronunciation, fluency, expression, gestures and overall presentation to communicate their message as effectively as possible.

Students recorded their completed speeches on video, which have now been submitted to the judges for assessment.

We are incredibly proud of all the students who represented Mount Carmel College. Their resilience, persistence and dedication throughout the preparation process have been wonderful to see. They have worked hard to challenge themselves, develop their Japanese language skills and strived to achieve their personal best.

A huge congratulations to all our participants, and thank you for your commitment and enthusiasm. We look forward to celebrating their achievements when the results are announced, which are expected by the end of this Term.

House Drama

All three Houses are working hard in their weekly rehearsals for House Drama, which will be held on the final day of Term Three after lunch in the Hall. All the best to all of the Houses for their performances!

STRIVE: Building Confidence Through Experience

This term, Year 8 students have taken part in a range of STRIVE experiences designed to stretch them, connect them to community, and build skills for the rest of their Year 8 journey.

Some explored Hobart through city navigation challenges, joined a Landcare session (spotting the rivulet's famous platypus), and bushwalked on kunanyi/Mount Wellington. Others gave back through aged care visits, cooking for Vinnies, and helping prepare College events. Some found calm through yoga, mindfulness, and art therapy, while the rest tested their grit through boot camps and outdoor challenges.

Together, these experiences build confidence, resilience, teamwork, and independence, qualities that will matter on camp, on the Mountain Walks, and beyond.

What we saw were some students diving straight into new situations, while others needed more time and encouragement, and that is exactly as it should be. STRIVE is not about being fastest or strongest. It is about showing up, having a go, and taking the next small step.

Growth is not a race and each of our Year 8s has something to be proud of this term.

As the College heads towards camp and the Mountain Walks, we encourage Year 8 students to embrace new opportunities, support one another, and stay open to a challenge. Often, the things that feel hardest at first become the experiences students grow from most.