COLLEGE NEWS & NOTICES
TWILIGHT OPEN EVENING 2023
Our annual Twilight Open Evening held on Friday 17 March was an event filled with joy, celebration, and wonder. It was a fantastic opportunity to open our school gates and welcome more than 500 visitors from the community into the College. Front and centre of this evening were our incredible students who represented and showcased the College so beautifully, and with pride. Whether they were a tour guide, a performer, a cook, or an artist; our students were delightful and delivered a memorable event for all.
The evening was a great success and allowed prospective families to view our state-of-the-art facilities and buildings, gather information regarding curriculum and learning programs, meet our expert teachers, ask questions about extracurricular activities, student well-being and more.
DARE TO IMAGINE
The College is proud to continue to compel young women to challenge the status quo and believe in their ability to make a difference in the world. We understand each girl has her own unique interpretation of daring to imagine, and in 2023 we will continue to demonstrate our ‘Dare to imagine’ philosophy via a campaign showcasing various students.
Our first video has been released, featuring Mia (Year 8), who discusses how St Pats teaches young girls the importance of perseverance, resilience, and confidence. Mia attributes this to her teachers’ and friends’ willingness to help, and their encouragement.
Be sure to visit our social media pages to watch Mia’s video, and keep an eye out for more student videos over the coming months!
SPORTING SUCCESS
Interhouse Swimming
Swimming Carnival 2023 was held at the Long Tan Pool on Thursday 23 February. The day was full of bright costumes, outstanding participation and overwhelming cheering and support!
The carnival was a huge success, with students in every age group filling the lanes in every race. It was amazing to see the stands jam-packed with supporters dressed in blue, yellow, purple and green. From those who found joy in participation, to the competitive swimmers, it was great to see everyone having a go, no matter their ability. Participation is what makes a carnival successful and is what made this carnival a privilege to be a part of.
Carnivals are about creating a sense of community through building resilience. All participants stepped up to the plate and swam brilliantly, which was amazing to see. A huge thank you must go to all of the staff who worked to make this day possible. Thank you also to the families and friends who came to support on the day.
Interschool Swimming
Following on from the Interhouse Swimming Carnival, for the first time since 2008, on Thursday 9 March, the College won the A-Schools Interschool Swimming Carnival! The girls arrived at the Long Tan Pool as the underdogs, finding themselves seated in the rain and positioned in lane 8 for the duration of the day; however not even this could dampen their performance.
The College dominated the competition, winning by an incredible 30 points, with Townsville Grammar placing second and St Margaret Mary’s in third. It was a nail-biting finale with an all-ages relay to conclude the day. In a backs against the wall competition, the team persevered and took out first place, displaying tremendous dedication and determination.
LET HER SPEAK
(Debate: to argue about [a subject], especially in a formal matter)
At this year’s extracurricular information event, Mrs Mosch and her debating helpers, Emma Robinson and Mary Lansley, used their powers of persuasion to ensure that the 2023 interschool debating teams were filled to overflowing with exceptional oratory talent. Before long, each team was in preparation for the first of a series of debates against some of Townsville’s best. For some students, this would be their first foray into the world of critical thinking, argument building and persuasive speaking, but for many of our seniors, this year marks the end of many years of collaborative teamwork and self-expression.
While most of us can argue a point, not everyone can do so persuasively. Quality debating requires speakers to reflect deeply on complex issues, listen without prejudice, and rebut – with little to no preparation time – the flaws they have identified in their opponent’s argument. Clear thinking, passion, energy and a strong knowledge base are the tools debaters expertly wield to disarm their foes. Our motto this year is, “I debate like a girl – try to keep up”, and truer words were never spoken. So far, the Year 12 Senior team have secured two wins and the Year 11 Senior team have won one. Powering their way to convincing victory was our Year 10 team, while the Year 9s have continued their years’ long winning streak into 2023. They just secured their 10th consecutive win. It’s fair to say opponents have definitely had their hands full trying to keep up with our girls!
Congratulations to our teams on a fantastic start to the year:
Year 12 Team: Kate Barr, Mia Bassett, Jade de Lange, Emer Friel, Jorja Triffett and Riley Triffett-Dreissen
Year 11 Team: Eleanor Baxter, Adelaide Burke, Lilly Hannay and Rebecca Jones
Year 10 Team: Keeley Adebahr, Brook Anderson, Eryn Matters, Saskia Tresch, Lacy Triffett and Edan Watson
Year 9 Team: Bridget Baxter, Mary Lansley, Mikayla Reinke, Emma Robinson, Matilda Weekers
Year 7 and 8 debating team members will be announced next term, when they will face their first challenge. We look forward to sharing more news about their progress in Term 2 then.
A huge thank you to the following staff who have contributed to Interschool debating this term: Mrs Conni Mosch (College Debating Coordinator and Seniors’ Coach) Ms Jessica John (Year 10), Ms Megan Qualischefski (Year 9) Ms Claire Verapen and Ms Turner (Adjudicator).
TWBC MARSH BURSARY
Applications are open for The Marsh TWBC Bursary. Information on the Bursary can be found on this flyer, and via this link www.tbwc.com.au/education-bursary
