3 May 2024

Principal’s Report

The year has started with its usual rhythm of our cohort of year 11 students coming in and settling into a new way of learning, our year 12’s settling into their final year of formal education, and our 2023 year 12 students being acknowledged and celebrated in our Academic Awards Assembly. 

With over 1500 students enrolled at LC this year, a number of changes have been established to enable these additional students to be accommodated.  Extra classrooms have been created and staff recruited to ensure that students are accessing the courses that they need to study to either track them towards a career focus, or to enable them to determine a possible focus! 

Our newly refurbished library is proving a real hit, with many more students accessing the space for both study and socialising.  It is great to see them playing cards and board games and engaging in conversations with each other. 

It is also good to see our students utilising some of our other gathering places around the College.  We have worked over the last couple of years to ensure that students feel comfortable to connect with each other and study here on site, rather than moving away from campus. 

This year we welcomed two new staff to the role of Assistant Principal, Mandy Wenn and Stuart Austin.  They both bring a wealth of experience to our leadership team and have certainly hit the ground running with their portfolios. 

The beginning of 2024 has also seen the introduction of our new College logo.  We will be working over the next 12 – 18 months to update signage and other marketing materials to reflect the new graphics.  Last year we worked with a graphic design company to work on a revitalized image that was connected to the images of the past.  The outline of the ‘shield’ still has representation of the three merging rivers – The South Esk, The North Esk and The Tamar.  The top representing the façade of the main building on Paterson Street and the letters – LC which is what most people refer to when talking about Launceston College. 

We are very happy with the new logo, it’s fresh and contemporary.  We have also retained our motto – Tradition, Vision and Excellence as there was strong belief that these three elements best captured our culture. 

Looking for ways to improve is a constant here at LC, with our focus on attendance and attainment as one of the drivers.  Our school improvement plan for 2024 has some key actions that we will all be working on to ensure student success.  Support from our parent community is essential in this and strong links between home and school are key.  Please ensure that you reach out to me, or one of the APs or to Home Group or Subject teachers with any information that can help us to better understand and support your young person. 

Vicki Mackrill
Principal

East Coast Adventures with our International Students

On Thursday, 14^th and Friday, 15^th March, our international students enjoyed a trip to the east coast.  Leaving early Thursday, we headed to Bicheno where our first stop was Natureworld.  Students enjoyed close encounters with kangaroos, a baby Tasmanian Devil and even held a baby wombat.  Following this, we headed back to the Blow Hole.  It was a pretty rough day; the Blow Hole was spraying water everywhere.  We walked around the coastline, past the Gulch, to have some beach fun.  That night, we went to the Fairy Penguin viewing, where we were able to catch a glimpse of one fairy penguin making his way to shore.  The next day was spent on the Pennicott’s Wine Glass Bay Cruise.  Students were in awe of the rugged coast line and the beauty of Wine Glass Bay.  We enjoyed lunch at Wine Glass Bay before returning back to Coles Bay.  Most definitely, the highlights for all our students were Natureworld and the Cruise.  

This term we will be saying farewell to three of our international students.  Karolina and Matilde’s nine-month stay has come to an end – they were lucky enough to enjoy a summer Christmas!  Ariadna will also be returning home after her short stay this term.  Thank you all for being such a vibrant part of our international student program, you will all be missed.  All the best for your return home. 

TSC REASONABLE ADJUSTMENTS – WRITTEN EXAMS – LEVEL 3 & 4 Subjects

TASC recognises that some students may not be able to access or participate in courses on the same basis as other students without access to reasonable adjustments for written exams due to physical impairment, social/emotional impairment, cognitive impairment, sensory impairment, illness or being a humanitarian entrant.  

Please contact me with any queries or clarifications – fiona.crocker@decyp.tas.gov.au or 63327866.  

Application must be submitted through Fiona Crocker (B302) by Friday 5^th July.  

Library News

The college library has become a hub of activity, study and socialisation since the refurbishment.  The fiction collection is now in Genre order and the non-fiction is in Learning Area order.  The front facing shelves have been very popular with both students and staff with many new resources continually added and borrowings have increased.   

Magazines and newspapers are also available. 

Olivia Skirving from UTAS is available in the library Careers Room on Mondays and Tuesdays to answer any student enquiries.  

Referencing Students have access to referencing guides available digitally on the library intranet page or can request a printed copy from library staff.  There are books available for APA, MLA and Harvard.  

 UCAT books are available for students to borrow who would like to study for the UCAT test and are pursuing a career in medicine, dentistry or clinical sciences. 

Book, film and writers’ clubs are held in the library on Wednesdays at lunch times on alternating weeks and Chess Club is on Thursdays at lunch time.  There are also games available such as Uno, decks of cards, Selfish, Monopoly Deal, Pass the Pugs and Spot-It. 

Students can access digital resources such as eBooks, Audiobooks, digital magazines, comics, and graphic novels. The Sora app can be downloaded from the Google Play Store or Apple APP store on a phone or tablet or via a web browser on a laptop or PC.  

Students can have 5 loans and 5 holds of resources which can be borrowed for up to 28 days. Students can have as many magazines as they wish for a maximum loan period of 21 days. 

Students can borrow laptops and hotspots from the library for 2 week loans, to use at home to complete assignments.  They can be renewed once from the due date for an additional 2 weeks if they are returned on time.  

Maths News

Students and teachers have kept very busy in the Maths Department starting off the year strong in the broad range of courses we are offering in 2024. During lunch time, Maths tutorials are always visited by an influx of students in B211, where they are offered incredible support from a range of dedicated Maths teachers every single day of the week. 

Students can participate in several Maths competitions this year. The first of these, from the Mathematical Association of Tasmania, was held on April 4^th. This problem-solving competition is challenging, so we congratulate the students who participated on a job well done. Interested students should see their Maths teacher for more information about any of the upcoming competitions in 2024. 

You Day was a fun time for students and teachers alike. Many students visited the Maths stall throughout the day where they could sign up for maths competitions, attempt the maths problems and enter in our Guess the Lollies in the Jar Competition. Congratulations to Zoe who guessed the right number and won all the lollies! 

Engineering and Science News

2024 AMC Career Expo:  Engagement and attainment starts with familiarising Engineering and Science students with career pathways. Engineering Design students attended the 2024 AMC Career Expo, where they met and interacted with over 100 Australian marine and Off-shore engineers and scientists.  

Taswater TERHAP presentation:  Taswater Capital Engagement Specialist Hagen Rieck and his team visited and presented at Launceston College. This afforded the Engineering Design and Physical Science 3 students the opportunity to learn from Taswater staff and engineers about the engineering and ecological transformation of the Tamar estuary. 

Economics Excursion

Economics students visited two farms in the Deloraine area this Term as part of their work on applying supply and demand theory to primary industries. 

At Gala Farm, Bek Dornauf introduced us to Tasmania’s happiest cows, a product of the Dornauf’s fully automated robot dairy where cows select when and how often they need to be milked. We also met with Andrew Terry from Tasmanian Berries who gave us a crash course in pest management, foreign labour and how to stagger berry production to take advantage of higher prices.  

A huge thank you to Bek and Andrew for giving up their time to meet with our students. Our expert navigation of the Meander Valley region also gave our students an unscheduled tour of some of Tasmania’s beautiful backroads. We still made it to an ice cream stop at the end – a bonus shout-out to Andrew for supplying the accompanying berries! 

Miranda Baulis
Economics Teacher 

National Schools Constitutional Convention (Excerpts from full article)

During March, I accompanied four other Tasmanian delegates to Canberra to join 86 students from schools around the country for the 29^th National Schools Constitutional Convention. During the conference, we heard from a range of keynote speakers on issues of federalism, fiscal imbalance, residual powers, taxation powers and High Court interpretation that stem from Section 96 of the Constitution. We were taking the following proposition to a referendum: 

‘To delete Section 96 of the Australian Constitution and to replace it with the following words: “The Commonwealth shall return three quarters of all revenue into the Consolidated Revenue Fund to the States, unless a majority of States agree otherwise.”’ 

A welcome to country by ngunnawal Emerging Elder Selina Walker inside the chamber reminded us that Canberra is a meeting place, and how lucky to be here we were. Following this, the Hon. Minister for Education Jason Clare officially opened the convention. 

Our first keynote speaker was lawyer and ANU professor Kim Rubenstein, on the nuances of state and federal funding linked to Section 51. “I want you all to stand up,” she started. “Now, those of you who are not male and not white, sit down.” She smiled wryly at the less than half of the cohort still standing, her pocket Constitution in hand. “Do not forget that, when this document was written, you are the only ones who would have been allowed input.” It drove home how important it was for us to critically examine this document that was democratically ratified by less than half of Australia’s population, and bring perspectives to the debate that hadn’t been heard in the late 1890s. 

Through breakout sessions, soapboxing and group sharing, we slowly untangled and critically examined these sections of the Constitution underlying this debate. (For the record, the constitutional framers would have been penalised on TASC communication criterions for unbearable run-on sentences.

After the referendum, we made our way through Old Parliament House to the Senate chamber, where the deputy president of the Senate Andrew McLauchlan formally accepted our Communique, the culmination of our perspectives on Section 96 and fiscal federal power. 

The National Schools Constitutional Convention gave me the opportunity to develop my confidence, future professional network and career aspirations. I would like to thank Simone Triffitt and Miranda Baulis for their support of my application to this program- I learned so much and met so many incredible peers and leaders. 

Erin Coull
Year 12 Student 

The Gallows - Sucher and Sucher

For its inaugural exhibition of 2024, The Gallows proudly presented "Sucher and Sucher: Works by Bert Spinks," an immersive showcase of Tasmania's multifaceted talent—storyteller, writer, poet, and bushwalking guide. The event commenced on February 15th at 5:30 pm, featuring Will Horan, Founder of Ducane, as the distinguished speaker, ensuring an evening of artistic immersion. Visitors were invited to delve into Spinks' captivating portraits and explore his creative narrative until March 22nd. Over six weeks, our college community actively engaged with the artist's work, fostering connections between artists and students. The Gallows exhibition space serves as an educational resource, enriching the experience of Launceston College's dynamic and emerging young art students across diverse mediums. "Sucher and Sucher" marked an exceptional start to our 2024 exhibition program, uniting artist and student in a celebration of creativity.

Our Second Exhibition which opened on Mark 28 is an intriguing exhibition, "Clouds in the Road, Stones in the Sky," showcasing the visionary works of Tasmanian artist Kevin Lund. The exhibition offers a profound exploration of the intertwining of art and life, reflecting on the delicate balance between discipline and surrender. Through two distinct modes of expression - inks on paper and oil paint on carved and burnt wood - Lund navigates the complexities of existence. The meticulous repetition of ink marks symbolizes focus and discipline, a deliberate effort to quiet the noise within and without. Layers upon layers are built, creating a surface that vibrates with intensity, challenging the viewer's perception. In contrast, the burning of wood represents a negotiation with the uncontrollable, a surrender to the unpredictable forces of life. Yet within this chaos, Lund discovers order and value, finding beauty in the unexpected. This body of work becomes a metaphor for the artist's journey, traversing the space between rigour and release in search of a harmonious balance. As viewers engage with the exhibition, they are invited to contemplate their own relationship with these opposing forces, ultimately finding resonance in the artist's quest for the elusive "sweet spot" where art and life converge. 

Upcoming Exhibitions

Kevin Lund – March 28 
Rob Ikin – May 16 
Art Staff Sabbatical Exhibition - June 
Josh Foley – July 25 
John and Leigh Dobson – Sept 5 

Certificate II in Sport and Recreation and Certificate III in Fitness

It has been a busy term for this group of students, with many peer teaching and coaching activities being planned and executed, as well as multiple opportunities to work within the community at local and regional events. Students have undertaken officiating roles at Trevallyn Primary School and the LSSSA athletics carnivals at St Leonards Athletics Centre. These sessions assist students to not only develop their officiating skills and knowledge, but also communication and leadership skills. Students conducted themselves exceptionally well, proving to be excellent representatives of our program and LC. We congratulate and thank them for their service. 

Andrea Brooke
VET Health and PE Coordinator 

English as an Additional Language

This term, students studying English as an Additional Language Level 1, 2 and 3 have been exploring Australia’s colonial history, including stories of our First Australians and Tasmania’s convict heritage. 

Recently, students had the opportunity to explore The First Tasmanians – Our Story exhibition at the Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery. This excursion was thoroughly enjoyed by students and teachers alike. 

The class is excited to continue the course as they start learning about narratives and persuasive writing. 

Helena Winnberg
Teacher, EALD