Newstead College eNews - November 2024

From the Principal

With exams and assessments complete, students now have that nervous wait for their results. Errors in a few exam papers have left some students, and teachers, angry and upset. I want to assure all students and their parents that students should not be disadvantaged. Marking Coordinators and Markers will look at how students have responded to the affected questions, and specific marking approaches will be developed for each question. For example, this could involve removing an affected question from the exam and basing results on all other questions, or providing marks for a wide variety of potential responses depending on how a student interpreted the question.

We must remember that the internal assessments will still from a large part of the final result. Time will be spent comparing internal and external results and large discrepancies will result in further analysis and discussions.

Principals will be working closely with TASC to further develop quality assurance measures in an attempt to avoid this in the future.

Although this has been a short term, there has still been lots happening around the College. Staff and students visited Korea during the holidays, and I am sure you will enjoy seeing their photos in this newsletter.

We welcomed Minister Jo Palmer who enjoyed talking to students about some of our careers and university programs, practical work in Health Services, Playgroup in Childcare and our Level 3 Art work on exhibition in our Gallery. Robert had been eagerly waiting all morning to meet the Minister and show her his gingerbread house.

Enrolments of Year 10 students into Year 11 have been taking place in northern high schools throughout this term. Students had individual appointments with one of our course counsellors, and I hope they feel excited about joining Newstead College in 2025.  

It’s not too late to enrol or even to change your mind about subjects so please contact us if you have any questions or concerns. We are certainly looking forward to meeting our new cohort of Year 11 students and welcoming back our Year 12 students in February.

Recently, our Year 9 Challenge Days with Queechy and Prospect High Schools have been very successful. I am not sure if students or teachers had more fun! Today we welcome Brooks High School students for their Challenge Day. 

I wish all families a very Merry Christmas, a relaxing holiday and all the best for 2025.

Dianne Freeman
Principal

VET Celebration Evening

Last night, Newstead College held our VET Celebration Evening, with more than 130 students and guests present to celebrate the achievements of our VET students.

A big congratulations and thanks to our VET teachers for continuing to go above and beyond for our students, providing our students with industry-standard learning environments so they can thrive, build confidence, and develop the required skills and knowledge to enter their chosen industry.

The award winners are:

Certificate II in Retail Cosmetics

• Commitment & Dedication – Molly
• Outstanding Achievement – Olivia

Certificate II in Salon Assistant

• Commitment & Dedication – Sarah
• Outstanding Achievement – Eliza

Certificate I in Skills for Vocational Pathways

• Outstanding Achievement – Lucas

Certificate I in Skills for Work & Vocational Pathway

• Outstanding Achievement – Shannon

Certificate II in Cookery

• Commitment & Dedication – Lincon 
• Outstanding Achievement – Zaki

Certificate II in Hospitality (Bar Operations Short Course)

• Outstanding Achievement – Layla

Certificate II in Community Services (Health Focus)

• Commitment & Dedication – Jayla
• Outstanding Achievement – Alyssa

Certificate III in Early Childhood Education & Care Year 1

• Commitment & Dedication – Eve
• Outstanding Achievement – Lorna

Certificate III in Early Childhood Education & Care Year 2

• Commitment & Dedication – Lily
• Outstanding Achievement – Sharlie

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Year 9 Challenge Days

Year 9 students from Queechy, Prospect and Brooks High Schools recently took part in Challenge Days at Newstead College, engaging in a variety of innovative activities. Competing in teams, the students strove to accumulate the highest scores across the different challenges. The creativity, teamwork and friendly competitive spirit on display across campus was fantastic to see. Congratulations to Tutor Group 9D (Queechy) and Care Group 9-3 (Prospect) for emerging as the overall winners! 

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Minister for Education visit

We had the pleasure of welcoming Minster for Education The Honourable Jo Palmer for a tour of Newstead College. The Minister’s visit began in the Gallery, where Year 12 Art Studio Practice student Layla introduced her body of work ‘Fraudulent Mind’ ahead of its unveiling at the official opening of our Pre-Tertiary Art Exhibition. Minister Palmer then explored our VET Community Services (Health) facility with students Emmy and Izabella, and visited our Early Childhood Education and Care facility to see Playgroup in full swing. Our Careers Team and students Addison and Zali welcomed her to our Careers and UniHub, and Rory and Monique had the opportunity to share their experience of our amazing Driving for Jobs program.
 
Minister Palmer’s visit wrapped up at Cafe Cypress, where Robert was delighted to present the festive gingerbread houses that Foods students created in our kitchen. 

TASC results

Attention students: All student results will be emailed on Wednesday 18 December at the mail address you provided when completing your Student Declaration with TASC. You still have until Tuesday 17 December to update your email address. This can be done on the TASC website: Update your email address

International trip

Our 2024 international college trip took students and staff on a fun and fascinating two-week tour of South Korea. In Seoul, they dressed up in traditional hanbok, ascended Lotte World Tower, explored the COEX Aquarium in Gangnam, and glimpsed North Korea at the DMZ. They also visited scenic Busan, soaked up ancient history in Gyeongju, and visited teacher Charlie’s hometown of Daejeon, where they enjoyed a half-day school experience at Daesung Girls’ High School and also had the chance to meet Charlie’s family. It was a fantastic and memorable experience for all. 

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Tasmania Police Charity Trust Bike Ride

Our School Psychologist, Mai, and HPE & Outdoor Education teacher Damian have been training hard for the 18th annual Tasmania Police Charity Trust Bike Ride, which is this year raising funds for Down Syndrome Tasmania and Special Olympics Tasmania. The challenging 3-day ride starts on Thursday 28 November and is about 400km long, travelling from Deloraine to Poatina, Cradle Mountain, and finally Strahan. 

Sadly Damian won’t be riding due to injury, but is still raising funds. We wish Mai the best of luck ahead of the journey. You can make a donation here: 

Tasmania Police Charity Trust - TPCT Bike Ride 2024 | Mai Frandsen
Tasmania Police Charity Trust - TPCT Bike Ride 2024 | DAMIAN FRENCH

ARTS - VISUAL

At the opening of the Newstead College Pre-tertiary Art Exhibition Bones, we explored and recognised the achievements of talented Newstead College Art Studio Practice and Visual Art 3 students who have worked hard on their practice this year.

2024 Awards:

• George Richardson Award – Layla
• Principal’s Photographic Award – Addison
• People’s Choice Award – Mia
• Encouragement Award – Makayla
• Newstead College Staff Award – Layla
• Visual Art Award – Elloise
• Photographic Award – Luke
• Principal’s Visual Art Award – Paige

ArtRage selected artists:

• Luke
• Elloise
• Addison
• Bayli
• Vincent 
  

Congratulations to all exhibiting students on their impressive efforts this year. Community members are invited to visit the Newstead College Gallery to view the exhibition during school hours. 

HPE

Kobe and Tassie Inclusion team claim back-to-back win

For the second year in a row, Tasmania has taken out the Division 1 National Inclusion Title at the AFL Open! We congratulate Kobe, team vice-captain and Newstead College student, and former student Brayden Cowell on this incredible achievement. Their hard work, determination, and teamwork have made our college and our state immensely proud. 

Schools Triathlon Challenge

Six Newstead College students competed in the Schools Triathlon Challenge, held in Devonport on 21 November. Rory and Edward competed in the individual event and then joined Caden, Ella, Marley and Manahil in the team event. The students worked well together, and overall, the event was a positive experience for the group.

Quamby Bluff excursion

The last Outdoor Leadership project for the year took students to Quamby Bluff in the Great Western Tiers. Congratulations to Summer for leading a successful adventure!

Mountain biking

Join the Newstead College Outdoor Education students as they explore the stunning mountain biking destinations in northern Tasmania! From lush forests to rugged trails, our students have been honing their biking skills, enhancing their safety knowledge, and building strong social connections. Watch them tackle challenging terrains, support each other, and grow together. 

MUSICAL THEATRE

Newstead College is thrilled to announce that its 2025 college production will be SIX: Teen Edition, following a successful application for the rights to perform this new original musical. The show retells the lives of Henry VIII’s six wives in a modern, high-energy pop concert format, blending history with contemporary music and empowering themes.

SIX is high-energy, and requires students who are enthusiastic about dancing, singing, and sharing the power of women. It’s time to rewrite her-story.

For your chance to be involved, enrol in Musical Theatre at Newstead College for 2025.

VET Student Successes

Danika's nursing pathway

Danika, Class of 2024, has secured part-time employment as a healthcare assistant in her home town of Campbell Town, which means she can work in her chosen industry while studying a Bachelor of Nursing at the University of Tasmania next year. Danika’s favourite subject at college has been the Certificate II in Community Services (Health Focus), which she credits as a key factor in landing her new role.

Well done, Danika! 

Emmy's nursing/paramedic pathway

Originally from Flinders Island, Emmy has completed the Certificate II in Community Services (Health Focus) at Newstead College and has now been accepted into the Bachelor of Nursing program at the University of Tasmania. Emmy's exceptional skills in communication, clinical procedures, and problem-solving have prepared her well for this next step. With a goal to become a paramedic, she aims to complete a postgraduate qualification after her nursing degree to achieve this ambition. We are incredibly proud of her accomplishments and look forward to seeing her thrive in her nursing career and beyond.

Monique’s nursing/dementia care pathway

Monique has completed the Certificate II in Community Services (Health Focus) course with distinction at Newstead College. Inspired by her grandfather, who has dementia, Monique has developed a deep passion for providing high-quality care to elderly people. Her outstanding performance in all aspects of the course, combined with her practical skills and understanding of health care, has set a strong foundation for her future. She is set to pursue studies in the Diploma of Nursing course at TasTAFE next year.

We look forward to seeing Monique make a significant impact in the lives of people in the community.

LEARNING SUPPORT

Our Learning Support students had an amazing time enjoying four action-packed days of activities across Northern Tasmania. From team-building challenges to fun-filled adventures, they've embraced it all: Ten Pin Bowling, croquet, bike riding, karaoke, Christmas cooking, strawberry picking, and so much more. Highlights include visits to Anvers Chocolate, Longford Berries, Port Sorell, George Town Regent Square and the pump track, and Heritage Forest. Plus, delicious counter meals, barbecues, berry ice-creams, pizzas and chips, cake and 'Minute to Win It' team challenges added to the excitement. 

We are so grateful for the support from the following businesses who made these activities possible – a lovely collaboration between community and college: Port Sorell Bowls Club, St Leonards Croquet Club and Longford Berries.

FOOD & HOSPITALITY

The Line 5 Food and Hospitality Enterprise class recently celebrated the completion of a very successful year in Cafe Cypress by inviting their parents and some of their teachers to join them for afternoon tea. The students prepared their favourite recipes, which included their much sought-after sausage rolls and featured a significant amount of chocolate. We had some justifiably very proud parents and our students can be equally proud of their progress and achievements in 2024. 

Driving for Jobs success

The Driving for Jobs Program at Newstead College is pleased to announce another successful student. Year 11 student Sarah (ex Scottsdale High School) is from the North-East area. She recently passed her P1 test and accessed the Driving for Jobs program for help with increasing her mandatory driving hours. We congratulate Sarah on this achievement!

All eligible NC students are encouraged to participate in this program. For more information, please contact Leanne in the College Library on Mondays, Tuesdays (afternoons) or Wednesdays.

Funds raised for mental health awareness

Newstead College students were proud to donate $878.65 to mental health non-profit Speak Up Stay Chatty recently. They raised the funds through the college’s Market Day event, which featured 24 student-operated micro businesses.  

Students met with Speak Up Stay Chatty representative Callan on Friday 25 October to mark this fantastic effort.  

Enrol now for 2025

Enrol at Newstead College for 2025 for an exceptional education experience tailored to your interests and aspirations. Our friendly size provides a personalised learning experience that empowers you to achieve excellence, embrace opportunities and realise your version of success. 

• Students from government schools, please email newstead.college.transitions@decyp.tas.gov.au or phone 6332 3278
• Students from non-government schools are invited to book an enrolment interview online: Newstead College 2025 Enrolments

Useful documents

• Newstead College Course Guide 2025
• Newstead College Information Guide 2025

Key dates

Mark your calendars with these important College dates for the remainder of 2024 and the new year.

2024

2025

*Please contact us on newstead.college@decyp.tas.gov.au or leave a voice message on 6332 3232 with any queries in the week prior to the office open date.

Term 1: Thursday 6 February to Friday 11 April

Term 2: Monday 28 April to Friday 4 July

Term 3: Monday 21 July to Friday 26 September

Term 4: Monday 13 October to Thursday 11 December