From the Acting Principal 

Dear Parents/Carers, Students and Friends of St Virgil’s College,

Cross Country & House Spirit

Today we conducted our Annual Whole School Cross Country for students in Year 3-11. House spirit was on display and another opportunity for the healthy competitive rivalry between the Houses was provided. Participation levels are the key to any House event and our Classroom Teachers, Pastoral Care Teachers and Heads of House should be commended on their encouragement of our young men to participate and get involved. Participation, getting involved, supporting your House and supporting your mates is the true purpose behind our House events. Too often we see boys withdraw because they have a negative perception around how they must perform. Comradery and House spirit does not come from an individual but rather the feeling of being part of a collective. A sense of belonging and connection to something far greater than our own self interests. I commend those boys and young men who always immerse themselves and do the team aspect well. Congratulations to all involved. 

Careers Expo and Pathways

Next Friday 19 May our Year 10s and 11s will be involved in a Southern Catholic Colleges Career Showcase at MAC 02. This has been timed to work in conjunction with our initial career interviews which all year have experienced, to inform the process of course counselling and career pathway options. All Year 10 students will be provided with these experiences which will lead into our Year 10 Subject Selection Evening on June 6 from 6.00 pm to 8.00 pm. As I outlined to all Senior School students on Monday of this week, they have reached the point within their educational journey when they need to be thinking and evaluating their potential pathway options with the support of their families and loved ones. They have also reached a point where what their friends are doing no longer becomes critical to them. Encouraging boys to choose their own journey and one which they believe best suits them. Where and what their friends are going or doing should not dramatically influence their own decision making. I encourage our Year 10s to discuss their thoughts with those who are currently living out these experiences and gauge their feedback to create informed decisions. More information about the Showcase can be found here: https://catholic.tas.edu.au/careers-showcase.

Parents/Visitors On Site

A reminder that all parents and visitors are required to check in at the Front Office upon arrival on both campuses. All queries and questions can be answered at this point. Due to strict guidelines all visitor, contractors and specialists would need to sign in at the Front Office to ensure credentials and approvals have been met. At no point should parents, family members or visitors wander through both campuses. If your son is in student services at the senior school and awaiting to be collected, the Front Office will liaise with them to support your collection. A reminder that as a parent you must be sighted by our staff to ensure our young men are getting collected by parents, carers or guardians as expected. 

Student Achievement

Congratulations to Jonte Tummon (Year 8) who won the Under 15 Male Sidewinder Stage Medal at the recent Tasmanian All Schools Mountain Bike Championships. Along with nine other boys, Jonte was selected from a field of over 80 students to participate in the event on Friday 5 May. A full report will be in the next newsletter.

Best wishes for the week ahead.

Daniel Lapolla

Acting Principal