Latest news
Welcome to Term 1
St Mary’s College was a hive of activity this week as we welcomed new and returning students to the 2021 school year.
It was wonderful to see so many happy, smiling faces, both inside classrooms and across the school grounds, as students settled into the rhythm of school routines.
For those families new to the College, we warmly welcome you and hope you have a fantastic experience. May you enjoy your St Mary’s College learning journey!
New leadership staff
We are delighted to welcome a number of new staff members to the St Mary's College community in 2021.
We are also pleased to share we have our College Leadership Team in place for the new academic year, which includes the addition of two new leaders who are outstanding educators.
We welcome Caroline Wilson-Haffenden into the role of Acting Director of Junior School for 2021. Caroline has transferred from the Director of Primary at Mount Carmel College and will be the Director of the Junior School here for a year, while Brigid Knight is on leave. Caroline brings with her a great depth of knowledge of, and passion for teaching and learning.
We welcome Louise Bender into the role of Director of Pedagogy. Louise joins us from St Aidan’s Brisbane, where she was Deputy Principal, and prior to that, The Hutchins School and Sacred Heart College, New Town, where, in both colleges, she was Director of Learning and Teaching. Louise is replacing Simon Eade, whom we farewelled over the break as he moved into a secondment role at Catholic Education Tasmania.
We have created a new role, Director of the Senior School. Andrew Clarke has moved into this role from Identity and Mission and brings with him experience in leadership and organisation.
This created a vacancy for the Director of Mission and Identity, which Sharon Lawler, a woman of great faith and an experienced educator, has capably moved into.
We are really excited by our new College Leadership Team. With these appointments, we are well placed to move ahead with our learning agenda.
Matilda the Musical
School's in for Matilda Wormwood! The St Mary's College 2021 production of Roald Dahl's Matilda the Musical is set to hit the stage from 25-27 February!
Tickets are selling fast, so be sure to book in your seats at www.playhouse.org.au.
Directed by: Leah Smith with musical direction by Scott Weston and choreography by Georgina Taskunas. Based on the book by Dennis Kelly and original songs by Tim Minchin.
When: 25-27 February.
Venue: The Playhouse Theatre, Hobart.
Duration: Two hours and 30 minutes (including interval).
Thirty-six talented cast members comprising St Mary's College Year 7-12 students, St Virgil's College and Guilford Young College were selected for their dancing, singing or acting talent, with 27 students and staff involved in the band and backstage crew.
The final stages of rehearsals are now in full swing in preparation for the opening night. We are so excited for our Performing Arts students and hope you all enjoy the show!
Calling all keen debaters
Are you keen to improve your public speaking? Do you like working as a team? Are you interested in local, national and global issues?
The first debating meeting of the year will take place on Thursday 11 February at 12.45pm (at the beginning of lunch). Come along to find out what's involved and register your interest in joining or coaching a debating team.
- The debating season begins on 10 March.
- Debates occur fortnightly on Wednesday evenings and are hosted at different schools (either beginning on 10 March or 17 March depending on the year level).
- There are six rounds of debating in a season, followed by two rounds of finals for the top teams.
- Debating meetings will take place once a week as negotiated with your coach and team.
- Year 11/12 students who coach can use debating to work towards Community Service hours.
If you have any questions about debating at St Mary's College, please contact Gillian Goldsworthy.
Gillian Goldsworthy
HaSS Learning Area Coordinator
Introducing 'Life and Faith'
As we communicated in the last Fountain newsletter for 2020, commencing this year, the Religious Education program in Years 5-10 will be renamed 'Life and Faith'.
Life and Faith is a subject which seeks to engage all learners in the search for meaning, developing skills of critical thinking and reflection in order to become people of hope who work for justice and peace in the world today. It uses the Good News for Living curriculum as a framework in order to explore core Christian beliefs, doctrines and practices, as well as engaging imaginatively, respectfully and critically with the major world religions, spiritual traditions, philosophies and worldviews.
Life and Faith encourages students to grow in fullness of life within a conscious, transformative relationship with God through Jesus Christ and in the Holy Spirit.
Sharon Lawler
Director of Identity and Mission
College Board - Expressions of Interest
St Mary’s College is seeking Expressions of Interest from parents and carers to be considered for nomination to the College Board.
About the Board
The College Board is a consultative and advisory body which supports the school Principal in strategic, planning and policy matters with respect to:
- Ensuring the school’s Vision guides all areas of school life.
- Supporting the development of the Catholic identity, ethos and mission of the school.
- Contributing to the development and evaluation of proposals for the school’s strategic direction, including finances, buildings, and other resources for the recurrent and long-term effective operations of the school (a background in financial management is desirable).
- Formulating local policy for the conduct of the school in consultation with the staff, parents, students, and volunteers of the school.
- Overseeing the implementation of the Catholic Education Commission Tasmania (CECT) policy.
- Supporting the Principal and the Director of Business and Operations.
Meeting and time commitment
The College Board meets on a monthly basis on Monday evenings from 4.30pm to approximately 6.30pm (eight meetings per year), with the option to attend online.
The appointment is for an initial three-year term. Board members can serve a maximum of two terms. The position would commence in Term 2, 2021.
If you are interested in nominating for a position on the Board, you should submit an Expression of Interest document including a summary of your relevant skills, attributes and experiences and an outline of why you are interested in taking on this role and how you can support the College in its mission of providing Catholic education in the Presentation tradition, plus a copy of your CV.
Expressions of Interest close Friday 5 March 2021 and should be addressed to the Principal, Helen Spencer.
For more information or enquiries, please contact Board Chair, Daniel Marr.
Towards 2023
Towards 2023: supporting Tasmanian students with more opportunities through Catholic education.
A message from Catholic Education Tasmania (CET):
Tasmanian students can look forward to an exciting new vision for Catholic education and increased educational opportunities in the greater Hobart region.
To meet the needs of more students and their families across southern Tasmania, Catholic Education Tasmania is embarking on a project to extend the provision of Year 11 and 12 education in the greater Hobart region from two college sites to five.
From the commencement of 2023, three colleges - MacKillop Catholic College, St Aloysius Catholic College and St Virgil's College - will progressively extend their educational offering to Years 11 and 12. This will provide certainty for the future needs of students and complement the excellent Year 11 and 12 education currently provided by St Mary’s College and Guilford Young College.
By combining our strengths, CET will create a fully operational and sustainable senior secondary system in the Hobart region that delivers improved outcomes by creating opportunities for Tasmanian students that would not otherwise be possible. By engaging in this collaborative approach, the extension of our senior secondary offerings is expected to deliver a range of benefits to our students, families and colleges.
*Subject to approval