Issue 4 - July 2023
- From the Principal
- Dates for the Diary
- Student and Staff Achievements
- Learning Area News - Visual Art
- Learning Area News - Performing Arts
- Learning Area News - HPOE
- Learning Area News - Technology
- Learning Area News - English
- Learning Area News - HASS
- Learning Area News - VET
- Learning Area News - Languages
- Learning Area News - Learning Support
- Home Group News
- From Student Services
- School Notices
From the Principal
There is something so completely optimistic about passing the Winter Solstice, knowing that the days have begun their slow lengthening process, gaining momentum over the month of July, until that morning when we notice that it is light enough to get ready for a day of college without switching on every light in the house. The other thing about those lengthening days, are the mornings when, from so many windows of the College, we will see kunanyi decorated with snow. We are just so lucky to live and work in this place, with fruit toast, a warm drink, and a friendly greeting available every morning from our breakfast club program at the canteen.
As we close Term 2, I cannot help but look back over the tremendously busy term that is characterised by huge events such as the Hobart College musical. This term of course, The SpongeBob Musical was the joyful, community themed show we all needed. We had Enrichment Day this term, and another fun, celebration of the Hobart College community of staff and students by holding our Dark HoCo breakfast. A huge thank you to Rosemary Beswick for organising this year’s event. We also held our annual Talent Quest, which is a special event, where students take courage and pride in celebrating their special skills to an incredibly supportive Hobart College community.
We also welcomed approximately 700 Year 10s who visited the College for our annual taster day. The Grade 10s were wonderful in their participation, kindness, respect, how they were organised, and how they displayed gratitude to the College staff throughout the day. The numbers attending the taster day does indicate a potential continuation in the number of students wishing to attend Hobart College. I was stoked to meet this excited and aspirational group of Year 10s and am looking forward to seeing them next year. A huge thanks to the co-ordinators, and the teachers from Hobart College and the Hartz Collective schools. The re-structuring of the entire College, for a day of engaging timetabled activities for that many young people is a huge undertaking.
We had our second meeting of the Hobart College Association this term. We discussed the School Improvement Plan, the Executive Summary of the External School Review, the big list of infrastructure projects we hope to achieve over the next two – three years, and of course, the achievements of the College. A big thanks to Marc Ransome for being our Chair and to the committee members for supporting the college.
In closing, I want to thank the whole staff for the work they have done over the course of this term in ensuring a supportive learning environment that meets the needs of all our young adults. As you know, our staff go to such great lengths to care for the individual needs of each student but to also take the time for additional instructional support. During the Mid-Year Assessment Period (MYAP) all staff worked tirelessly to maintain the learning program for VET and programs other than level 3 and 4 courses, whilst also supervising exams and supporting students taking exams. The huge task of assessing student work and exams is now well underway, ready for teachers to provide Mid-Year reports in Term 3.
We have a few retirements to announce this term. It is impossible to image the individual contributions each of these phenomenal educators have made to not just our students, but to staff teams and students across multiple sites throughout their careers. Lynn Jarvis has been a teacher at Hobart College since 2007. She has been such a valued member of the Maths/Sci dept. Congratulations Lynn and thank you! Rosalie Kinstler is also officially retiring at the end of this term, and we thank Rosalie for her passion for teaching in the HASS area as well leaving her mark on the performing arts department and the home group program in her previous leadership roles. Sue Le Messurier is also retiring at the conclusion of term. She is a remarkably generous person, whose relentlessly high expectations of both students and staff are a real beacon for all of us.
I will close by saying how grateful I feel to be the substantive principal of Hobart College. Your support, as friends and families, staff and students at the college is invaluable in this community-based work of education. I will be relentless in seeking the continual improvement of the college. I encourage you to join me in taking a moment to reflect at this mid-year point, on how lucky we are to be members of the HoCo community of teachers and learners.
Dr Libby Robinson
Principal
Dates for the Diary
- Monday 24 July – First day of Term 3. Regular school day for College students (student free day for Primary and High School students)
- Tuesday 1 August – Parent Information Evening, for new enrolments in 2024
- Monday 14 August – Reports emailed home
- Monday 12 to Sunday 20 August – Science Week
- Tuesday 22 August – Vocal Showcase 6:30pm @ Mt Nelson Theatre
- Wednesday 23 August – Performing Arts Showcase 6:30pm @ Mt Nelson Theatre
- Thursday 24 August – Parent Teacher Evening: 4pm-7pm
- Friday 25 August – Final day for course changes
- Friday 1 September – Study at Home Day (Staff Moderation Day)
- Wednesday 6 September – End of Year Music Showcase (Level 3 Music)
- Thursday 7 September – Olinda Groove Showcase (Contemporary & VET Music)
- Wednesday 27 September – College Lap
Student and Staff Achievements
VET SKILLS TASMANIA TASMANIAN TRAINING AWARDS
Congratulations to Hobart College has 7 talented people who have been shortlisted for the annual Skills Tasmania Tasmanian Training Awards for VET staff and students across the state. Congratulations to the following nominations:
Jude Mullane | VET Teacher/Trainer of the Year Award |
Patrick Lincoln | Equity VET student of the year award |
Hannah Whitehead | Indigenous award |
Kaelah Gordon | VET in Schools student of the year award |
Maddison Leslie | VET in Schools Student of the Year Award |
Bianca Severini | VET in Schools Student of the Year Award |
Grace Gregson, Zara Fenton, and Chelsea March
Represented Tasmania in the National School’s Debating Championships (NADC) in Melbourne last week. The NSDCs are Australia’s most prestigious school debating competition.
Chelsea was presented with the prestigious ‘Highly Commended Speaker’ award at the final ceremony.
Mackenzie Ford
A huge congratulations to Mackenzie (far right in image below), for not only her selection for the Tasmanian Devils team, but also for the National Allies squad! Mackenzie, along with 6 other young Tasmanians and the Tasmanian Devils Coach (also selected to lead the Allies squad) will be training in Sydney for the opening match of the AFL National Under-18 Championships.
Well done to all these talented Tasmanians, and we hope you have a ball in Sydney Mackenzie.
Tristan Styles
Congratulations to Tristan on being selected for the Australian Gymnastics team. Tristan has flown over to New Zealand in the last week of term to compete in the Trans-Tasman Championships.
Curtis Read & Emily Best
Congratulations to Curtis and Emily on their selection for AFL & AFLW Umpiring panel.
Max Johnstone
A huge congratulations to Max on his selection to captain the under-18 Tasmanian Hockey team playing at the national championships in the last week of term.
Jacob Gardener
Congratulations to Jacob for achieveing 1st place for U18 Tasmanian Secondary All Schools Cross Country Championships.
Billy French
Congratulations to Billy on his selection in the Australian Trampolining team to compete in the Trans Tasman in Tauranga New Zealand.
Poppy Kennett
Congratulations to Poppy on being a Tasmanian Institute of Sport targeted scholarship holder for Rowing.
Learning Area News - Visual Art
ArtRage 2022
ArtRage is an annual initiative of the Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery that exhibits the top works from young Tasmanian artists in year 11 & 12 studying Art Production or Art Studio Practice as part of their Tasmanian Certificate of Education.
These artworks have been selected by QVMAG from works shortlisted by the art teachers of the various colleges from across the state. The works exhibited reflect the originality of the individual students and the creativity that is encouraged by these schools.
22 students were selected from the Hobart College 2022 examination exhibition – a great achievement from all our wonderful emerging artists!
Congratulations to:
- Avia Basiak
- Miranda Maguire
- Xanthe Godfrey
- Miwa Clark
- Rosie Sayer
- Ella Murray-Grosse
- Poppy Robinson
- Obi Goodwolf
- Miriam Langford
- Grace Ren
- Mabel Sutherland
- Brodie Scholes
- Ash Morris
- Alma Faludi
- Daisy Clarkson
- Freya Pennington
- Kiora Hogan
- Milly Tucker
- Kate Standen
- Solomon doyle
- Sienna Exton Hussein
- Noah Gardner
Learning Area News - Performing Arts
SpongeBob the Musical
Congratulations to the cast, orchestra and crew on their spectacular production of SpongeBob the Musical! Audiences were blown away by the high energy choreography, eclectic score & hilarious acting as the company brought the story of SpongeBob to life. Watch this space for the announcement of the 2024 College Musical.
Screen Home Group
The new screen home group houses a fantastic collaboration between media & drama students. They will be collaborating throughout the home group program to create live streaming events. You can watch their first project below of HoCo News, filmed live in the new Media studio in D Block. The shoot was run as you would expect in an industry studio news environment with our news anchors, Aiden and Niamh, doing a great job reading the news live via a teleprompter. This was a live recording. There is no editing. It was switched as a live event via a 7-person crew including news stories created by the Media 3C class. Keep an eye out for future live streams.
Music Videos Released
The music performances from the launch concerts in term 1, have now been released on the Hobart College Performing Arts and Olinda Groove youTube channels.
To watch our level 3 musicians (Hobart College Performing Arts) please visit this playlist:
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLd7mSsZHaOWicyVvajKphoi-LmafUlLwe
To watch our Contemporary and VET musicians please visit this playlist:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGzWCSRfIiUoa78gqJ6xNX_nRQ-Ju0RFD
A special thanks the the VET Creative Industries (Media) under leadership from Simone Cunliffe and Ben Nelan class for filming and editing this footage.
Learning Area News - HPOE
Tasmanian Secondary All Schools Cross Country Championships
Congratulations to all who ran in the Tasmanian Secondary All School Cross Country Championships at Symons Plains June 20 @ Symons Plains. A fantastic effort by all involved!
Placings of Hobart College students:
- Tom Knauer 8th U/17 Men
- Jacob Gardner 1st U/18 Men
- Isaac Bonsey 3rd U/20 Men
- Emily Best 2nd U/20 Women
Sand River Expedition camp
On the June 16 to 17, the Expedition class visited Sand River, Buckland, for their rock-climbing camp. It was a delightful journey filled with breathtaking sights, valuable lessons, delicious food, and friendly competition.
They delved into the essential skills and safety measures of rock climbing. The Teachers shared their expertise, ensuring that each member of the expedition had a solid foundation in climbing techniques and equipment usage. Our young climbers learned the importance of proper harness use, belaying, and teamwork, fostering an environment of trust and camaraderie.
After an afternoon of exhilarating climbs, they gathered around for a scrumptious barbecue, salads and cake. The sizzling aroma of grilled delicacies filled the air as they shared stories, laughter, and a sense of accomplishment. It was a perfect opportunity to relax and bond with fellow climbers, exchanging tips and recounting their most daring moments on the rocks.
The highlight of the expedition was undoubtedly the inaugural Buckland Rock Climbing Olympics. After dinner, participants pushed their limits, demonstrating agility, strength, and strategy as they worked through the 4 challenges. The atmosphere was electric with cheers and applause, and the spirit of friendly competition brought out the best in each participant.
Mother Nature treated the group to an unexpected and awe-inspiring spectacle—an aurora dancing across the southern night sky. It was a reminder of the incredible beauty and surprises that await all of us in the great outdoors.
White Water Rafting
Outdoor Education classes organised a week of rafting on The Derwent River. Each day, a new group arrived and paddled from Plenty to Hayes and returned for afternoon classes. Students gained experience in the river environment sharing the responsibility of guiding the raft and navigating through rapids. On the Thursday and Friday trips, Advanced Expedition students Xavier and Elijah put their new raft guiding qualifications into practice by leading the group through briefings and teaching others to steer the rafts.
Learning Area News - Technology
Design and Production Level 2 Textiles students have been having a fabulous time this term exploring colour, texture and line using a variety of different decorative and embellishing techniques. In response to the theme Inspired by Nature, students designed and made a tote bag, cushion cover or small art quilt that captured their own unique user identity and needs. Students experimented with different techniques to determine the most suitable techniques to realise their design and then used sewing machine skills to assemble their final item. Decorative techniques included applique, heat-transfer vinyl, hand embroidery, screen-printing, dye, machine decorative techniques, painting, beading and felting. They’ve had a lot of fun! The Inspired by Nature exhibition in on now in the library and will continue for the first couple of weeks into Term 3.
Learning Area News - English
Debating
It has been arguably one of our most successful years for debating with three Hobart College teams making the semi-finals and the HoCo 1 debating team being victorious in the final!
Congratulations to the HoCo 1 team: Grace Gregson, Zara Fenton, Chelsea March. Oliver Brancher and Felicity Jackson for their outstanding performance in the College debating competition this year!
The topic for the finals was: "That we should abolish all academic scholarships to universities". HC1 was on the negative and argued convincingly that merit-based scholarships were more likely to garner the support of private individuals and companies than needs based scholarships and that, therefore, there were likely to be more opportunities for middle income families to be supported at university.
Chelsea jointly won the Adam Marshall Medal for best debater in the College Competition alongside Michael from Friends'.
Well done to all our debaters from the three teams who have represented Hobart College in this year's competition - it has been a fantastic season!
Learning Area News - HASS
There’s always something exciting happening in HASS! Our very own Matt Dalziel, Head of HASS went to Sydney as our Tassie rep at the Educational Advisory Panel of the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA). This panel has representatives from each state, tertiary institutions and the RBA and advises the Bank on issues around its educational program. A recent focus of this panel has been looking into RBA research on the diversity of backgrounds of students studying Economics both in schools and at universities, with a view to developing programs to widen the catchment and talent pool and make Economics graduates more representative of the general population.
Economists bring a range of skills and knowledge to both private sector and public policy decisions, so it is vital that there is a high degree of Economic literacy amongst the population and people working in the field that can understand issues and policy implications from a wide range of perspectives. Issues such as the ‘robo debt’ saga are a great illustration of what can go wrong when policies are developed without broad input from a diverse range of perspectives. This has been a very commendable mission of the RBA in the last couple of years and it is very pleasing to be a part of this important work.
Matt will also be participating in the biannual ‘Teacher Immersion Event’ which brings together Economics teachers from all over Australia. This event will include workshops on teaching tricky topics run by RBA staff and leading teachers, as well as demonstrating new resources that the RBA has developed and discussions on research specific to the teaching of Economics in Australia. Economics teachers in many schools don’t have colleagues to share ideas and resources with, so this PL event is incredibly helpful for improving educational outcomes.
If you are considering a career in Business, Engineering, politics and social policy-development, then Economics is the subject for YOU! Talk with Matt in Term 3 if you want to know more about this very exciting area!
Learning Area News - VET
Resume workshop
On June 6, VET students benefited from guest speakers Matt Howard & Rick Daniell from Mas National. They delivered great advice for crafting resumes, cover letters and provided valuable information about career pathways and apprenticeships. The VET students from multiple classes were thoroughly engaged in the session and gained valuable insight into the world of work and useful strategies of how to get their resume noticed in a highly competitive world of work.
Tourism Class Drysdale House & Mac01 Tour
On Thursday June 29, the VET Certificate II in Tourism class headed off to TasTAFE’s Drysdale Campus to tour the fantastic educational facility, and to better understand what career options are available after College.
Sue Leake, Drysdale’s Certificate III and Advanced Diploma coordinator, gave the class a comprehensive tour of all the fabulous resources and facilities that Drysdale has on offer. The class toured the guest bedrooms, classrooms, kitchens, barista classroom, butchery classroom, bakery classroom, library, training bar, and then finished the day being catered and waited on by the Drysdale students in their restaurant.
The tourism industry in Tasmania has just exceeded the 1 billion dollar mark since COVID, and many exciting opportunities for employment are becoming available for young workers. Now is a wonderful time to further train and enter this exciting industry. The quality of food on offer at Drysdale, is also an enticing motivation to pursue further studies post-College.
Following this visit, the Hobart College VET Certificate II in Tourism Class headed to the fabulously unique Federal Groups Macq01 Hotel to meet with a past Hobart College Alumnus, Lucy Palmer. Lucy now works full time at Macq01 as a Storyteller Guide.
Lucy led the Tourism class through the Evolve Bar, Reception, Old Wharf Restaurant and The Story, before heading upstairs to see Macq10’s 3 styles of rooms ranging in price from $400 to $1500 per night. All rooms are named after a famous Tasmanian, and fully stocked with fine Tasmanian produce.
For the last part of the tour, Lucy guided the group around the wharfs of Hobart and through the city to explain the changes that have occurred over the last 200 years in Hobart.
A fascinating and informative day out for the Tourism students, who are all now more prepared in how to guide and lead their own full day tours of South East Tasmania next Term.
Learning Area News - Languages
Hobart College French Students- A Winning Team!
The annual state-wide Alliance Française competition for students of French sees students from both public and private schools compete to find the top candidates across several different language skills. In years 11 and 12 candidates are examined in three sections: conversation, listening comprehension and poetry recital. The competition has two sections: the main section is for first time year 11 and 12 students whereas the Hors Concours section is for students who have either spent a prolonged period in France or who may speak French at home or who have already achieved an EA award in Level 3 French. Our Hobart College students performed wonderfully. Their results are as follows:
LEVEL 3
CONVERSATION
1st Prize: Axel Garcia Ferreira
2nd Prize: Ruby Levett
3rd Prize: William McKay
Hors Concours Prize:
Sara Valloire
Mentions Honorables:
Max Smets
LISTENING COMPREHENSION
1st Prize : Charlotte Jefferis
3rd Prize: Will McKay
Mentions Honorables:
Sophie Aldred & Axel Garcia Ferreira (equal) }
Sarah Valloire (hors Concours)
Ruby Levett
POETRY
1st Prize: Sophie Aldred
3rd Prize: Ruby Levett
LEVEL 2
CONVERSATION
2nd Prize: Astrid Lewis
POETRY
Mentions Honorables:
Mia Booker
Astrid Lewis
Learning Area News - Learning Support
This week, the Preliminary English and Maths class visited the city to explore sculptures and murals from the Vibe City Laneway through to Wellington Court, the Mall, the Cat and Fiddle Arcade and then on to explore the amazing street art in Bidencopes Lane, recently updated during the Dark Mofo festival.
Jhorei: “We went into town, we went to see the clock in the Cat and Fiddle Arcade. I really enjoyed exploring the Mall”.
Home Group News
Talent Quest
On the last Home Group of Term 2, we were treated to a diverse array of talent. We had music, impressions, stand-up comedy, dance, drumming, kareoke, magic, poetry, skits as well as a tribute to the Backstreet Boys!
Congratulations to all who performed at our annual talent quest and created an extremely memorable experience for our College community!
Careers Expo
With over 24 exhibitors and a range of hands-on activities and talks, the Red Square was a buzz of activity yesterday during Home Group as students took part in the annual Careers Expo. Thank you to all of the industry reps and organisations that helped make the expo a huge success:
- AFL Sportsready
- APM Futures
- ASMIRT – Radiation Therapy
- Cameron of Tasmania
- Civil Contractors Federation of Tasmania
- Defence Force Recruiting
- Hazell Bros Group
- Huon Aquaculture
- Incat Tasmania
- Kingborough Council
- Marine Solutions
- MEGT
- Par Avion Flight Training
- Speech Pathology Australia
- Spirit Super
- Tasmanian Building Group Apprenticeship Scheme
- Tasmania Fire Service
- Tasmanian Hospitality Association
- Tasmanian Institute of Agriculture (UTAS)
- Tasmania Police Recruiting
- Tassal
- TasTAFE
- University of Tasmania
- Work and Training
Dark HoCo Breakfast
As students arrived on the last Wednesday morning of term, they were treated to a morning of egg and bacon rolls, hot drinks, fire bins and music to celebrate the big term 2 they have just had. Thank you to all who helped out for our annual Dark HoCo Breakfast.
From Student Services
Pride Month
In the month of June, HoCo celebrated PRIDE month in support of the LGBTQIA community. Celebrations involved several events including the pop-up op shop, badge making and the rainbow cupcake stall. Thank you to our College community who supported Pride month and who continuously nurture a respectful environment for all learners including our LGBTQIA students.
School Notices
Academic Integrity
TASC's Academic Integrity Guide for Students is a new student-focused document, replacing the previous Academic Integrity Guide. The Guide provides advice about how to follow TASC's Academic Integrity Policy.
The Guide answers frequently asked questions and explains:
- what academic integrity is
- the different forms of academic dishonesty (e.g. collusion, contract cheating, inappropriate paraphrasing, and recycling)
- the possible consequences of academic dishonesty
- why the student declaration form is important.
It also provides a link to another resource for students: Types of Academic Dishonesty: A (Cartoon) Guide for Students. This illustrates how students can avoid academic dishonesty. Please take the time to carefully read through these guides to ensure you are familiar with the requirements.
Taster Day
On the June 22, before MYAP, we welcomed over 700 grade 10s for our annual taster day.
Students were given a taste of College life, learnt about the courses on offer, and found out about the various opportunities and experiences that our campus provides. A special thanks to all our student volunteers who helped the day run smoothly.
Still have questions about courses or anything Hobart College related? Just E-mail the College office and they will direct your email to the right person: hobart.college@decyp.tas.gov.au
Winter Wellness Campaign
The cooler months bring colds, the flu, COVID-19 and other illnesses.
Being prepared is the best way to protect yourself and your family.
Prepare
Children are most likely to catch and spread the flu. Make sure your child has received their annual flu vaccine. This will boost their immunity against most likely circulating flu strains. It will also help stop them getting very sick.
Plan
If your child is at higher risk of becoming very sick from the flu, COVID-19 or other respiratory illnesses, make a plan with your healthcare provider for when your child becomes sick.
Protect
Protect others by keeping your child home if they’re unwell, encouraging regular hand washing, and covering coughs and sneezes.
For more information, read the [enclosed/attached] parent and carer factsheet or visit the Department of Health website.
Thanks for doing your part to keep our school community safe, healthy, and learning.
Vaping
Below are some useful resources for parents/carers to start conversations with their young person about vaping. Hobart College Student Services is also available to assist students with their understanding of the effects of vaping and their health and wellbeing.
DECYP - Vaping: Support for Young People and Families website: Vaping - Department for Education, Children and Young People (decyp.tas.gov.au)
Documentary "Killers in the Mist" (please note, you will need a ClickView login - all Hobart College students will have a ClickView login)