Assistant Principal - Religious Identity & Mission 

Legacy Piece 

On Monday 4 August, our Year 12 and Prep students were led by Keith Dougall, and Rosalie Hamilton, talented glass artisans, to create a beautiful glass tile each, which will become part of a special legacy piece for our College. These individual tiles will be combined into a cross, symbolising unity and creativity across our College community. This stunning artwork will commemorate our continuing journey as a Kindergarten to Year 12 College, and once completed, it will be displayed at the Senior School as a lasting reminder of the collaboration between the two campuses. 

It was a fun day, with all the students engaged with creating something special, the Year 12 students assisting the Prep students with the cutting and designing. Look out for the 2024 and this year’s cross in the Doyle wing when you are wandering around the Choomalaka Festival and Feast next month. 

Gumnuts to Buttons 

"From Gumnuts to Buttons" is an interactive educational program developed to teach Tasmanian Aboriginal history from an Aboriginal perspective. It uses a visual and hands-on simulation to help participants understand the impact of colonization on Aboriginal people. The program is presented by community members, who have been trained to deliver the program and equip others with the knowledge to foster understanding and respect for Aboriginal culture. On Monday 11 August, Year 9A, B and C will undertake the program. 9D and E will complete their program on Thursday 28 August. 

Please take the time to discuss their learnings with your child after their session.  

The Man of the Shroud 

Next Wednesday and Thursday, our Years 9 and 11 students will be attending The Man of the Shroud exhibit at Guilford Young College. This exhibit is currently touring Tasmania and uses scientific, historical and theological lenses to examine this linen burial cloth that bears a resemblance of a man who was brutally tortured and crucified: 

• To this day, no one knows how the image was formed 

• The image was formed after the bloodstains congealed on the cloth 

• The results of the 1988 radiocarbon-dating that dated the Shroud to the Middle Ages have been shown to be unreliable 

• There are five scientific and three extrinsic dating methods that place the origins of the Shroud much nearer to 1st century Palestine 

This is an exciting opportunity for our students. Please complete the permissions by Monday. 

Religious Literacy Assessment

Next week our Year 8 students will undertake an online assessment during their Religion lesson, designed to provide a “point in time” snapshot of students’ religious knowledge and understanding. All Catholic schools in Tasmania participate in this online assessment of 40 questions. The data is used to help guide the development of the religious program in Tasmanian Catholic schools. 

Vinnies Homelessness Breakfast 

On Tuesday this week, eighteen of our Years 11 and 12 students braved the cold weather to attend and serve at the annual Vinnies Homelessness Breakfast, designed to raise awareness of the serious issue of homelessness. They listened to a range of guest speakers and took a moment to reflect on the lived realities of those experiencing homelessness in Tasmania. 

Butlers Boots  

Boots are slowly trickling in the Butlers Boots initiative, thank you, but I am sure there are more sports boots sitting in cupboards at home that could help a young person participate in a sport, that would be otherwise impossible for them. 

The program facilitates boot swapping, where underprivileged kids can receive or swap a pair of pre-loved footy or soccer boots—free of charge. To make this possible, they rely on generous donations from families who may have outgrown or no longer need their boots. We will gratefully accept any you don’t need anymore! 

St Virgil’s College is supporting this initiative by asking for donations of clean, preloved football and soccer boots in all sizes. Please send in any boots that your son no longer needs. With our help, we can get more kids out on the field, feeling included, confident, and ready to play. 

Please drop these donations off at the front office.