Junior School News

Sacramental program

This year, 18 students from the St Mary’s College Junior School and seven from the St Virgil’s Junior School continued their faith journey by celebrating the Sacraments of Penance, Confirmation and First Eucharist, building on their first Sacrament of Baptism. One SVC student was even baptised just before making his First Reconciliation.

Pictured above: Back row (L–R): Rita Van Loon, Essie Kline, Estelle Lampard, Juliette Robinson, Charlotte Cranage, Amelia Burke.

Middle row (L–R): Saoirse Murphy, Jessica Rodriguez, Violet Burke, Beatrice Shea, Olivia Hazi, Aurelia Santos. 

Front Row (L–R): Frankie Schaller, Isabelle Cranage, Isabel Nichols, Elodie Di Palma, Sandy An. 

Since February, the students have prepared through weekly school lessons and several family sessions each term at the Cathedral Centre.

On Sunday 31 August, our students celebrated their First Eucharist at the 10.30am Mass at the Cathedral, marking the completion of this year’s program. They were joined by other participants in the Cathedral program, including students from various Catholic and Government schools. 

As always, it was a joyful occasion. Year 4 student Saoirse Murphy had the special joy of celebrating with her grandparents, who travelled from Ireland for the occasion. As Frieda Miller (Year 3) was unable to attend on the day, she will celebrate her First Eucharist at the 10.30am Mass on Sunday 14 September.

Some students chose to complete the Sacramental Program in their own parishes. Congratulations to Caitlin McCulloch (Year 4), who celebrated at Corpus Christi, Bellerive, and Brigitte Gravell (Year 4), who did so at St Paul’s, Bridgewater. We commend them both for completing this important step in their faith journey.

Congratulations also to Amelia Santos (Year 5), who completed all three Sacraments in 2024 as part of the Cathedral group. This experience made her a wonderful support to her sister Aurelia this year. Well done, Amelia!

If your baptised child (Year 3 or above) is ready to join the 2026 Sacramental Program, feel free to email me anytime at mrootes@smc.tas.edu.au. You can also keep an eye out for Cathedral notices, which will be advertised before the end of the year.

Margaret Rootes

Religious Education Learning Leader (Junior School)

Back to the classroom for our SMC dads

Power tools were swapped for glue sticks, briefcases traded for building blocks and serious faces replaced with giggles and playdough as our Kinder dads stepped into their childhood shoes for our Father's Day Games Afternoon last Thursday. 

While the rain kept us indoors, the fun was anything but limited! Dads painted like pros, built epic cardboard towers, snuggled in for story time and shared plenty of laughs with their little one. 

It was a joy to see our dads fully immersed in the world of play, sitting cross-legged on the mat, getting creative and making special memories together. 

Thank you to all the dads – and grandads – who joined us and reminded us that sometimes, the best way to connect is... to play!

Kinders go wild at Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary 

As part of their inquiry into the world of living things, our Kinder students recently enjoyed an exciting and educational visit to Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary. 

During their excursion, they hand-fed friendly kangaroos, observed a variety of fascinating bird species – including the rare albino black cockatoo, and searched for elusive nocturnal creatures such as quolls and possums. 

One of the highlights for our young explorers was watching the Tasmanian devil in action, which captivated everyone's attention. 

To top off the experience, the group made a new feathered friend: Lucy Goosey, the Cape Barren goose, who happily strolled alongside our Kinders. She did, however, give a gentle nip to anyone who got a little too close! Watch out! 

Inspired by their adventure, the Kinders have now created their very own wildlife sanctuary in the classroom, where their imagination and learning can continue to thrive. 

Kinder creations for super dads

It doesn’t get much cuter than this! Our Kinder students poured their hearts into creating thoughtful Father’s Day gifts. Well done to these budding artists!