By Mr Stuart Ralph, Principal

Senior Ball

On Saturday evening, our Senior Year 11 and 12 students celebrated their Senior Ball at the Country Club in Spreyton. It was beautiful to see our Senior cohort come together, particularly with our significantly larger senior school, to dance, enjoy a sit-down meal and, most importantly, enjoy each other's company. I enjoyed seeing parents and siblings share their St Brendan-Shaw College education.

I congratulate our students on the evening for their maturity and exemplary conduct. I would also like to thank our Senior Coordinator, Mr Michael Stocks, and our committed staff, who ensure our students continually have enriching experiences outside the classroom.

Reconciliation Week 27 May – 3 June

Next week is National Reconciliation Week, a time for all Australians to learn about our shared histories, cultures, and achievements and explore how we can contribute to reconciliation in Australia.

The National Reconciliation Week theme for 2024, Now More Than Ever, reminds us that no matter what, the fight for justice and the rights of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people will – and must – continue.

Our First Nations team have several experiences planned for our students.

Social Media and Mobile Phones

Over the weekend, an article in the Herald Sun suggested increasing the age limit for students to register for social media accounts to 16.

The Prime Minister is backing moves to raise the minimum age for registering social media accounts from 13 to 16. He has endorsed banning children from registering social media accounts until they are 16, saying too much online engagement at a young age is seriously damaging their mental health. This would give teenagers extra time to grow without being subjected to social pressures that can be exacerbated online.

As a college, we have decided to ban mobile phones from being used on campus between 8:00am - 8.45am. Leadership made this decision based on the alarming number of students accessing mobile phones before school. As Principal of the College, I believe this is a positive move to support our students and is more aligned with our Mobile Phone Protocol for students.

The provision of senior students being able to access phones in the senior area will remain.

Sports

Congratulations to our Senior Girls Basketball team for their nail-biting loss to Guilford Young College. Our students conducted themselves in an exemplary manner and fought to the end. In the second half, we had many baskets hit the back of the rim and not drop in for us, and that was the difference between the two teams. Coming back from 9 points down deep into the final quarter after leading for most of the first half, our girls were 3 points down with 30 seconds remaining and possession in our court. Guilford Young ran out winners by 5 points.

Thank you to Mr Steve Ryan, Mrs Jo-Anne Aherne for coaching and managing the team and Mrs Cheryl Sheehan for running the bench at each home game. The girls look forward to taking on Guilford Young College in the College Championships in Hobart in July.

Our Senior Boys' Football team remains undefeated after defeating St Patrick’s College at home yesterday, 90 - 51. Our Junior Boys' Football team lost this afternoon to Ulverstone High.

Seeing our junior soccer players representing the College on Monday evenings has been great. As a community, we should be incredibly proud of how many students we have representing the College in Sports. Our Devon Netball teams have been performing well on Saturdays, and our NSATIS Netball teams will commence next term.

Debating

Last evening, our College debating team hosted our Launceston Colleges, and the topic for debate that our senior girls engaged in was “Money can buy happiness”. Our students argued the negative. I was highly proud watching Kate Weeks, Harriet Mendham and Isabella Tilt debate so convincingly that money simply can't buy the simple things in life, such as quality relationships and family time, and reflecting on their own experiences from the heart.

Vale Mr Mark Smith

It is with great sadness that I report the passing of Mr Mark Smith. Mark was a valued community member, serving on the College Board from 2007-2013, as Chairman from 2007-2009, and on the Maintenance Subcommittee from 2007-2018. We extend our thoughts and prayers to Mark’s wife, Debbie and his sons, James, Nick, Myles and Travis.

Yours sincerely,

Mr Stuart Ralph
Principal

What we have once enjoyed we can never lose. All that we love deeply becomes a part of us.
– Helen Keller

Helen Keller was an American author, political activist, and lecturer (Born in 1880, Alabama, USA). Losing sight and hearing at a young age, Keller was driven by a desire to learn and understand the world, mastering various forms of communication, including speech, sign language, and Braille, with the help of her teacher, Anne Sullivan.

Keller wrote several books, including her autobiography, The Story of My Life. Her deep sense of compassion, shaped by her own experiences, fuelled her advocacy work, and through her writing and public speaking, she inspired and mobilised others. These attributes collectively made Helen Keller an extraordinary figure whose legacy continues to inspire many.

Please see the list of upcoming events below. Events with asterisks (*) have additional details, which can be accessed by clicking on the event. 

Senior students, there are many more wonderful images. Check your College email on Friday afternoon for the link to access the image folder from the Senior Ball!

The University of Melbourne’s mobile Escape Room, Le Cambriolage, is on a grand tour across Tasmania!

Last Tuesday, they joined us at the College, and our French language classes had a fantastic time participating in this exhilarating 90-minute crime-solving adventure. They imagined themselves in Paris, unravelling mysteries to recover a stolen artefact from the famous Musée d’Orsay.

This was a unique chance for our students to dive into the French language and culture in the most thrilling way possible. What a great way to ignite a passion for language learning!

Here's what our students had to say about The Heist.

"The escape room by the University of Melbourne was enjoyable. There were lots of challenges that made us puzzled. There was one particular challenge where we were given limited time to solve these puzzles. This challenge required teamwork and thinking outside of the box. This escape room was so fun; we would do it again if we could."

"The French escape room was very fun. Our class was split into groups of two or three and each group was given a suitcase of puzzles to complete. There was also a van that we had to go through to find a key. Overall, the escape room was fun, challenging and a great experience."

"My group had a great time solving this mystery, it was very enjoyable and was challenging enough to still have fun. Going down to the van and having a timer for explosives really put us on a time limit to finish faster. We also liked how the storyline really captured our desire to solve the mystery."

"The escape room had us puzzled from the start. The story behind the escape room was very strategic in every detail and was well explained by Sarah and Bianca (facilitators). Working together in a team to figure out the storyline about the theft in the museum. An enjoyable experience to end our afternoon."

"The escape room made by the University of Melbourne was an amazing experience for all of us participating. The challenges really made us think and challenge ourselves, after we finished the main puzzle we went to a different location where we had to complete another puzzle within a certain amount of time. Overall, this experience is definitely a must-do for anyone who enjoys French."

By Mrs Crista Christie, Teacher

In a jam-packed full-day excursion, some of our Year 10 Agricultural students were lucky enough to visit four large-scale farming enterprises in the Sassafras farming district. At our first farm stop of the day, students heard from Mat Young about the evolution of his cropping journey and the connections he’s developed with restaurants and other local businesses. He demonstrated the important role technology plays in increasing efficiency and reducing wastage. Students marvelled at the automated weighing scale and crush that has reduced the time, energy, and number of workers Mat requires to treat, weigh and crutch his large flock. Mat also explained that the technology reduces stress and has created a more peaceful process – so it’s not just better for Mat, it’s also better for the sheep! Mat is a living example of flexibility and adaptability; farmers don’t just automatically have a market to sell to. Sometimes, they must attract a target market or adapt to market expectations. He explained that his approach to farming has always been based on opportunity, trial and error, risk and reward. This has served him well and made him a well-known source for restaurants and markets.

Our second stop of the day was to one of the Elphinstone’s properties. Students were guided around the main sheds, where Scott Elphinstone identified the property plant and equipment required to finely mulch and mix an optimal feedlot mix for his beef cattle. Scott explained to students the importance of monitoring the cattle’s diet and health for optimal growth and final product. Students were amazed by the complexity of the operation and the amount of rules and regulations Mr Elphinstone has to adhere to in order to fulfil his weekly beef contract to Woolworths. It’s one thing to hear about it in a classroom, but it’s quite another to stand beside a 35 cubic metre mixer wagon and a New Holland T7 250 hp tractor and see a thousand beef cattle grazing.

Gemma Elphinstone also provided students with a bit of insight into Elphin Pastoral’s involvement in the genetic development of potatoes – both to improve the quality of potatoes for their intended purpose (chip, baked, fried, etc.) but, more importantly, to withstand and survive diseases and pests that pose risk to certain varieties. All to help innovate and improve produce health and quality. Scott and Gemma highlighted to students the importance of monitoring your costs and inputs to maximise yield and quality, no matter what you’re farming.

The third farm of the day was a starkly different operation, a mere 2km away as the crow flies. Matt Ryan guided students through his herringbone dairy; built from a significant proportion of second-hand/recycled materials and equipment. Mr Ryan laughed as he explained, “It was great to save in some areas by recycling and repurposing, but a large part of our decision-making was to be environmentally conscious. We consider it in every aspect of our farming practices.”

He pointed out solar panels that power a large proportion of his operation and a water catchment system that recycles water used to clean the diary, which is then irrigated back to the pasture, preventing pollution in waterways. Mr Ryan also shared the heartwarming side of working with the dairy cows he loves and values; he spoke about their personalities, intelligence, and his passion for ensuring their quality of life. He joked with students about cows being judgmental, having favourites, and their stubbornness—and how working with animals is an enriching experience. 

He also shared his journey as a young, humble plant worker for Harvest Moon who worked and saved, bought a truck, worked and saved, bought another truck, worked and saved, creating a successful trucking company, which allowed him to be where he is today, fulfilling his dream of being a farmer. He reminded students that they have every capacity to do the same. 

“Farming is scientific and technological now. They [primary industry] need educated and motivated up-and-comers,” said Ryan, charging students with paying attention in school and bringing back skills through their education. Our students found his words inspiring.

Finally, students experienced the logistics of harvesting, storing and transporting produce. Heidi Radcliff guided students through their enormous cool room and chill blaster at Rhebanvale. She unpacked the benefits of keeping produce at chilled temperatures to improve quality, freshness and longevity. In addition, students could see the vastness of the extensive raspberry tunnels grown by a contractor on Radcliff property; enormous tunnels lined the horizon as far as the eye could see. The view, that is symbolic of the sector, is vast, productive, innovative and constantly changing.

Heidi is not only an inspiring female farmer in Tasmania, but she is also an active community member who cares, volunteers, and generously gives. It was the perfect place to end the excursion – as Heidi opened her heart and passion for the land, she reminded students, “Farming is more than a job, it’s a lifestyle.”

For the benefit of the students who were there with me on the day, I asked each of the farmers the same final question before we left their property, “As an agricultural employer, what do you look for in a worker? Are there any particular skills or qualities you look for?”

It was compelling that all four said the same thing in their own way. Scott Elphinstone cut straight to the point, “I don’t care what you know, I care about your attitude.”

“Fundamentally, we need people who are flexible and willing to work. If you do that, there’s plenty of money to be made in agriculture. I’m sending my longest-serving employee of 20+ years on an overseas trip this year because that’s how much I value him. His work ethic and attitude are as rare as hen’s teeth. We need more young people that’ll get up early and do the work, just like Gareth here.”

I sincerely thank the Sassafras farmers for their time, generosity and knowledge.

Acknowledgements

• Mat Young, Elphin Grove Farm
• Scott and Gemma Elphinstone, Elphin Pastoral
• Matt Ryan, Ryan Group
• Heidi Radcliff, Rhebanvale
  

Are you interested in a career as a performer? Audition for the John Bell Scholarship!

WHO IS ELIGIBLE?
Applicants must be 16 years of age or older by 31 December 2024 and be enrolled in a regional high school full-time in 2024.

DATES
Registration opens 1 February 2024
Auditions take place during Terms 2-3, 2024

They will be conducting in person auditions on Tuesday June 4, Hobart. 

The Scholarship information, including the selection and application process, can be found at John Bell Scholarship.

The Outdoor Education class was treated to an action-packed and adrenaline-fueled experience at the Hollybank Treetop Adventures high ropes course recently. Students took on the challenge of navigating the many obstacles and zip lines across the courses of differing complexity.

This week, Lance from Roam Cycles joined our Outdoor Education class to bring his experience as a bike mechanic and speak with our students about maintenance and safety. Students had a ‘hands-on' experience changing a tyre, repairing a chain, performing bike safety checks and ensuring rider safety in preparation for our MTB unit, which will culminate with a Derby camp.

In Weeks 3-5, the Just Act (Vinnies) group will collect for the annual St Vincent de Paul Winter Appeal. This year, we have consulted with the Devonport Emergency Relief team, which provides assistance for homeless and financially struggling people in the local community. They have provided us with a list of what they currently need.

To assist with donations, each Homeroom has been allocated one or two items to collect. However, you can donate anything on the list. Each item collected will be equal to one House point.

Just Act (Vinnies) students will be coming around 2-3 times a week, to collect donations but these can also be given to students' Homeroom teachers each day of the appeal. Don't forget to add your Homeroom number to the tally.

We thank you for your support!

The Rotary Club of Devonport North is seeking placements of three months or more for a student who is a participant with Rotary Youth Exchange in 2025.

If you are interested (persons/families) in hosting, for further information, please contact Vicki Russell, Director of Youth Services, at vrussell2310@gmail.com.

A number of items have been collected in lost property following Year 7 Camp. If you see any items that belong to you, please collect them from the Caritas Reception at your earliest convenience. 

Applications for work experience are open for the mid-year Term Break for Years 10-12. Generally, students pick either Week 1 or Week 2 of their holidays to complete their work experience. 

If your child is interested and has yet to retrieve a form from Mrs Banfield, please have them do so before Friday, 30 May. Forms are due back and completed by all parties by Friday, 14 June. Late forms will not be accepted. 

If you have any questions, please contact Mrs Banfield by email at wbanfield@sbsc.tas.edu.au

Applications for work experience are open for the mid-year Term Break for Years 10-12. Generally, students pick either Week 1 or Week 2 of their holidays to complete their work experience. 

If your child is interested and has yet to retrieve a form from Mrs Banfield, please have them do so before Friday, 30 May. Forms are due back and completed by all parties by Friday, 14 June. Late forms will not be accepted. 

If you have any questions, please contact Mrs Banfield by email at wbanfield@sbsc.tas.edu.au

By Mr Sam O'Keeffe, Sports Coordinator

SATIS Basketball Division 1 Girls Championships
On Tuesday, the SATIS Girls Basketball team hosted Guilford Young College in the SATIS Basketball Division 1 Girls Championships.

In a replay of last year's SATIS Final, there was a lot to play for. The Lady Saints, led by Senior Claire Martin, played a fantastic final. Leading for most of the game, the Lady Saints and GYC put on a fantastic show for the students supporting them and represented the College with great pride.

Unfortunately, the Lady Saints would not finish the game victorious, going down by four points, GYC 56 def SBSC 52. We congratulate Guilford Young College on their win and commend the Lady Saints for their fantastic effort.

A special thank you to outgoing seniors who played their final SATIS Basketball game Ellie Ryan, Jayla McKenna and Claire Martin. All three girls have shown fantastic commitment to SBSC Basketball and have been great leaders in the team.

6Also, a big thank you to Mr Ryan and Mrs Aherne for coaching and managing the team and Mrs Sheehan for scoring all the games this season.

Years 7/8 Soccer
SBSC Green played another home game this week, taking on Marist Regional College. It was a tight game, played with fantastic spirits and teamwork work. SBSC Green got their first win for the season, defeating MRC 3-1. SBSC Navy had a tough task against Leighland Christian School on Monday, with Leighlands the only undefeated team in the competition. SBSC Navy played a good team game and improved as the game went on. Unfortunately, they were not able to secure a win going down 8-2. SBSC Green and SBSC Navy will play against each other next Monday, kicking off at 3.30pm.

NSATIS Football
The NSATIS football team headed to Girdlestone Park on Wednesday to take on St Patricks College in a top-of-the-table clash. SBSC were a few players short this week, but that did not take away their momentum. Going into the game undefeated, the Saints men played a great team game in what was a very physical contest between both teams. The Saints men took the lead early and held this for all four quarters, winning the game 90-51 and securing the top spot on the NSATIS Table as the only undefeated team. Next week, the team will travel to Launceston to take on St Pat's Green again.

Devon Netball – Round 6
SBSC1 41 def SBSC2 24
SBSC3 48 def Reece High 2 41
SBSC4 25 def Leighlands/DHS 18