By Mr Stuart Ralph, Principal

Much has been happening in our College over the past week, most notably our Arts Evening last Thursday, which showcased all aspects of our Arts Faculty. I congratulate all students on their Visual Art displays and performances on the evening. Despite the cold and wind, our students shone brightly! 

I would like to acknowledge Ms Jo-Anne Hoare for her service as Head of our Arts Faculty and our fantastic staff: Mr Michael Allen, Mr Paul Kenny, Mr Gerry Peters, Mrs Marlii Forward, Mrs Josie Lutwyche and Mrs Susie Winkler, who all made the night a tremendous success.

NAPLAN

Recent media coverage of the 2025 NAPLAN results has highlighted Tasmania’s top-performing schools, using data published by the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) on the My School website.

In the list of Tasmanian secondary providers published by The Mercury, St Brendan-Shaw College appears at number 12, with our Year 9 students achieving an average NAPLAN score of 584.2 across reading, writing, spelling, grammar and numeracy. This places St Brendan-Shaw College among Tasmania’s top-performing secondary schools and as the highest-ranked Catholic school on the secondary list.

The results reflect the steady work of students and staff over several years.

These results are a credit to our students, our teachers and the support of families. They speak to the daily, consistent effort that happens in classrooms, not to a single test day.

We have been investing in high-impact teaching strategies, building staff expertise in the Science of Learning and working closely with students on clear learning goals. This NAPLAN data is one encouraging sign that this work is bearing fruit.

SATIS Cricket

Last week, our Senior SATIS Cricket team participated in a 20-20 competition in Launceston. I would like to thank Mr Sam O’Keeffe and Mr Rory Kirkwood for supporting the students. Our students are commended for the exemplary way they represented the College.

The team consisted of Lochie Reid, Charlie Casey, Tyson Crawford, Judd Broomhall, Nathan Davis, Joe Sullivan, Jobe Horton, Lucas Heazlewood, Fletcher Thomas and Fraser Thomas.

ArtRage 2026

Congratulations to Year 12 student Hannah Bell, whose sculpture has been selected for the ArtRage touring exhibition in 2026. Hannah's artwork, which was part of her 'Reclamation' exhibit, will tour the state alongside the top works from young Tasmanian artists in Years 11 and 12. ArtRage is an annual initiative of the Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery (QVMAG).

Year 7 2026 Orientation Day

On Monday, we welcomed our 2026 Year 7 students for their Orientation Day. It was exciting to see the vibrant young learners begin their journey together as students of St Brendan-Shaw College. I reminded every student of the importance of lifting each other up and that this was the beginning of a journey that would create many lasting memories.

Camp and Cultural Experiences

Over the past few days, our Year 10 students have visited the beautiful Tasman Peninsula on Camp, participating in the Cape Hauy walk and going on a Pennicott Wilderness cruise. It was terrific to hear the positive feedback we received from the public around our students' interactions.

Our Year 7-9 First Nations students also embarked on a cultural enrichment overnight camp at Bakers Beach and Narawntapu this week.

I acknowledge the commitment of our staff who provide these essential enrichment opportunities outside the classroom for our students.

Social Media Age Restrictions

I would like to take this opportunity to remind families once again that the Government has recently released information for schools, parents and students regarding the Social Media Age Restrictions Laws, which begin on 10 December.

The changes aim to protect under-16s from the pressures and risks they may face while logged in to social media accounts. I encourage all parents to start preparing for this change by reading the Parent FAQ.

While the official date is 10 December, Meta has already started removing accounts of users under 16 as of 4 December. This new law requires platforms like TikTok, X, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and Snapchat to take reasonable steps to prevent Australian users under 16 from creating or keeping accounts.

Important Events Coming Up

Monday 8 December: Year 10 Careers Day and Academic Assembly
Wednesday 10 December: The Rite Journey (Year 9) Sending Out ceremony
Friday 12 December: Reports sent home, Year 10 Picnic Day – this is the last day for Year 10
Monday 15 December: Years 7-9 Academic Ceremony
Tuesday 16 December: Years 7-9 Picnic Day, Term 4 concludes

Caritas Office Holiday Closing Dates

Friday 19 December: Caritas Office closes to the public
Wednesday 21 January: Caritas Office reopens

I would like to thank all families for your ongoing support.

Yours sincerely,

Mr Stuart Ralph
Principal

"Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life." 

– Pablo Picasso

Pablo Picasso was a pivotal figure in 20th-century art, famous for co-founding the revolutionary Cubist movement. His influential work, spanning decades and styles, is now treasured in major museums across the globe.

Sunday 30 November 2025 marked the beginning of Advent, an important time in the Catholic calendar. 

Fr Ashan has put together a helpful document that explains some of the symbolism and intentions of Advent. 

Students may like to discuss this further in their Religious Education classes.

Tomorrow is the last day to donate to our Vinnies Christmas Appeal. All donations will be collected by midday on Friday 5 December.

Thank you to every family who has already contributed. The generosity of our community has been heartwarming to see, and our homerooms have been busy filling hampers with pantry staples and writing anonymous Christmas cards to share messages of hope and kindness.

If you are still able to contribute, some suggested items include:

Essentials: tinned food, pasta and rice, long-life milk, tea and coffee, hygiene products (new and unopened)
Luxuries: Christmas desserts and treats, chocolate and biscuit packs, small decorations, toys or children’s books (second-hand is welcome if in good condition)
Homemade food items are also welcome, as long as they include a clear ingredient list.

Community members without a current student at the College are warmly invited to drop off donations at the Caritas Office.

Thank you for helping Vinnies support families who need a little extra care this Christmas!

With the national social media ban coming, how can we encourage children and teens to get back into reading?

Australia Reads has published an insightful article detailing how reading is a positive, engaging way to fill the gap. Read the full article here. 

The Social Media Age Restrictions Laws come into place on Wednesday 10 December. 

We are pleased to share that the Midford Devonport Uniform Store is now open at 60A Stewart Street, Devonport. Midford has been a valued partner of St Brendan-Shaw College for many years and this new off-campus location makes it even easier for families to access uniforms and fittings.

Regular Opening Hours
• Monday: Closed
• Tuesday to Friday: 8:00 am to 4:00 pm
• Saturday: 10:00 am to 1:00 pm

Christmas Holiday Trading Hours
Midford Devonport Uniform Store will close for the Christmas holidays on Friday 19 December 2025 at 4:00 pm.
The store will reopen on Thursday 8 January 2026.

If your child requires a full new uniform fitting, please book an appointment online to help avoid wait times during the busy holiday period.

Contact
Midford Devonport Uniform Store
Phone: 0461 300 125
Email: devonport@midford.com.au
Address: 60A Stewart Street, Devonport

A new uniform price list is available on our College website. Families are encouraged to refer to the website for any updates to trading hours as we move closer to the end of the year.

We look forward to welcoming you to the new store and continuing to support your family’s uniform needs.

A huge thank you to everyone who joined us for the Arts Evening at St Brendan-Shaw College last Thursday.

The show was a success, featuring artwork across all year groups, alongside performances by our music groups, singers, dancers, and even drama routines. We couldn’t be prouder of the students who stepped up and performed for our community. Taking to the stage can be a daunting experience and every student performed to an extremely high standard.

This event would not have been possible without the dedication of many people. Thank you to our students for the many hours of rehearsal, fine-tuning and for sharing your incredible talent. A huge acknowledgement must also go to our Arts staff for their commitment to coordinating the entire event.

We also extend our sincere gratitude to all supporting staff and students who assisted with setup, pack-down, trouble-shooting and technical support behind the scenes. Finally, thank you to our guests – including our families, those from our Catholic primary schools, and future students – for coming along and supporting the Arts in our College.

Your presence helped make this year's Arts Evening a warm, memorable celebration. We are very proud of what our students are creating and look forward to celebrating their talents again soon.

Dyson Bricklaying is on the lookout for a new apprentice to join their team in the new year.

Wellways Australia will be running a Dungeons and Dragons Group during the school holidays. This will run from 1:00–3:30pm on Thursdays, starting on 15 January, at the Devonport Community House.

The 12-17 age range gives those aged 12 a chance to interact with high school students in a cooperative setting prior to starting Year 7.

There are limited numbers, so get in quick.

Information for parents

What is D&D?

Dungeons and Dragons is a table-top role-playing game where players form an adventuring party. Players explore fantasy worlds together as they embark on epic quests and level up in experience. The Dungeon Master (also known as DM) is the game’s Referee and Storyteller.

There is no winning or losing in D&D. It is a game that focuses on storytelling. The dice just helps you along. Everything is the player’s decision – from what you look like to how you act and what happens next!

D&D also fosters imagination as kids try and come up with some interesting solutions to problems they face in their campaign.

My child does not like speaking in a group. Can they still take part?

Absolutely! We might even come up with a cool in-game reason of why they might not speak much – maybe it’s part of their character’s background or personality as they battle weary veterans of a long-forgotten war! Or maybe they speak a different language that only another player understands. They can ask another player to inform the party about what they would like to do.

The great thing with D&D is that it allows kids to explore actions and consequences in pretend play. Kids are really encouraged to think about how their Player Character might handle difficult decisions, social conflict or moral decisions.

5 December - Twilight Market
7 December - Santa's Street Spectacular!
10 December - Author Event: Terry Aulich at Devonport Library
11 December - Season of Self-Care
13 December - Devonport Farmers Festive Market
13 December - Christmas in the East
14 December - Mersey Singers Christmas Concert
17 December - Person-Centred Emergency Preparedness (P-CEP) sessions
19 December - Twilight Market
20 December - Devonport Festive Farmers Market 'Pop-Up'
20 December - Pub 2 Pub Run 2025 | Devonport City Council