Activity options

The SMC Art Club for Year 7 and 8 students is a fantastic way to meet up with friends, learn how to use acrylic paints and create on trend portraits. The SMC Art Club meets on Fridays at lunchtime.

For more information contact Sarah Adams: [email protected].

A selected group of dedicated Year 3 and 4 singers are taken for a choir experience during a designated lesson time during the school day. They perform at assemblies, eisteddfods and public concerts such as the Gala Music Night.

For more information contact Mary Faulkner: [email protected].

Year 5 students are taken for a choir experience each fortnight for a designated lesson time during the school day. Students perform during grade assemblies, eisteddfods and public concerts such as the Gala Music Night.

For more information contact Mary Faulkner: [email protected].

The Senior Choir is a group of Year 7-12 students who enjoy singing a mix of contemporary and choral pieces. The choir is open to anyone who wishes to sing. Performances include liturgical events, eisteddfods, public concerts such as Carols by Candlelight, Festival of Voices and the Gala Music Evening. The choir is made up of between 20-40 singers and rehearses every Wednesday during lunch time.

For more information contact Scott Weston: [email protected].

More experienced singers are invited to participate in the Senior Choral Group. Students need to be able to hold a part and the group is a lot smaller than the choir, consisting of six to eight singers. Performances include liturgical events, eisteddfods, public concerts, Festival of Voices and the Gala Music Evening. The Choral Group is an award winning ensemble whose repertoire includes gospel and jazz music, choral and contemporary four to six part pieces and acapella singing.

For more information contact Scott Weston: [email protected].

The Senior Concert Band is a large ensemble that consists of Year 7 to 12 students. There are between 25 to 40 dedicated instrumentalists who meet Friday afternoons to rehearse for an hour. They play a diverse selection of charts, ranging from – movie and TV themes, pop charts, big band and jazz charts and classical music from the old masters. Performances include eisteddfods, public concerts, the Gala Music Evening and Prize Giving. Over the years, the band has toured the mainland performing in many schools and public venues. The Senior Concert Band warmly welcomes newcomers and any student with some instrumental and note reading skills can join. The girls are fantastic and often the older students will mentor and help the younger players.

For more information contact Scott Weston: [email protected].

The debating competition is run by the Tasmanian Debating Union between southern Tasmanian schools. Teams debate fortnightly on Wednesday evenings at participating schools around Hobart. The competition usually begins in March and finals are held towards end of Term 2.

The debating competition is open to all Year 7-12 students who show an interest in debating. There are no try-outs and no previous experience is needed.

Students can sign-up to be involved at the start of the school year. Meetings to prepare for the debates usually take place during lunchtimes, but some class time is also given when necessary.

For more information contact Lorise Clark: [email protected].

The Jazz Ensemble is modelled on the 1940s big band format (such as that of Benny Goodman). Saxophones, trumpets, trombones and a rhythm section (bass, guitar, piano and drums) are the only instruments featured in this ensemble. Students from Years 7 to 12 practice big band/jazz charts and perform at eisteddfods, public concerts, the Gala Music Evening and Prize Giving. Over the years the Jazz Ensemble has toured with the Senior Concert Band to the mainland, performing in many schools and public venues. The Jazz Ensemble consists of students wanting to have a unique musical experience; one that is different to the Concert Band, and who want to learn how to improvise and learn to play the nuances of jazz music. As with the Concert Band, the Jazz Ensemble warmly welcomes new comers and any student with some instrumental and note reading skills can join.

For more information, contact the Performing Arts coordinator, Scott Weston: [email protected].

The String Ensemble consists of students and teachers and the repertoire being performed is contemporary in nature. This group has grown in numbers over the last few years. Modernised rock classics, movie themes and traditional string music are but a few genres rehearsed and performed. The String Ensemble is open to Year 7 to 12 students, however knowledge of the instrument and notes reading skills are required. Performances include public concerts, the Gala Music Evening and Prize Giving.

For more information, contact the Performing Arts coordinator, Scott Weston: [email protected].

The Footprint Project is a student-led group who are interested in the environment and in making our school, community and world a more ethical and sustainable place. The group is involved in a whole range of activities, from making posters and movies to share at school, to attending events and being involved in the Science and Sustainability Fair. The students involved help to decide what the group is going to focus on and how they might make a difference.

Any student or staff member can join the Footprints Project. Just come along to any meeting during the year, or see/email Mr Phil Shanny. The group meets during lunch times in room S218 every few weeks, with meeting reminders sent out in the daily bulletin.

For more information or to get involved, contact Phil Shanny [email protected].

The school garden activity ‘Green Thumbs’ is an initiative of the sustainability group which involves the College sharing a garden plot at the top of the school, with St Virgil’s College. Girls from all grades are invited to attend either as a science lover, garden nut, nature lover, worm fanatic, dedicated fruit tree trimmer, determined seed-to-plate mystic, budding agronomist, broccoli-lover, or just a girl who needs to overcome a ‘dirty’ ‘wormy’ phobia! Whatever phrase you coin, gardening is our passion and growing and harvesting is our reward.

The program is so flexible – anyone can join at any time! Just turn up at the garden any Thursday from 12.45pm until 1.30pm. Be prepared to don gloves, fetch water and compost, feed very hungry worms and spread their soil and tea upon the crops. Being patient will reward you with a bag of the freshest, purest and home-grown vegies or herbs at harvest time. There are only four rules: respect each other, attend regularly, share generously and enjoy!

If you would like to be part of Green Thumbs, watch out for the student leaders to be named in The Fountain newsletter early in the school year.

The Musical occurs every second year for Senior School students. Students from Years 7 to 12 are required to audition. Even though there is a lot of work involved rehearsing, a lot of fun is had and the performances are unforgettable. The musicals showcase the talent of the girls at St Mary’s College and are productions the students fondly and excitably talk about for years to come. Production roles are given through an audition process and include Principals, Chorus, Dancers, Musicians, Backstage, Lighting and Sound. Auditions are open to everyone.

For more information contact Scott Weston: [email protected] or Leah Wallace: [email protected].

Are you someone who has a heart for social justice? Then come along and get involved in the Justice Action Group that works to promote and improve social justice issues. We will be working with other students from Catholic, government and other independent schools as part of the Justice Action Network. Every student from Year 7-12 is welcome to get involved in this new and exciting group!

For more information contact Andrew Clarke: [email protected].

Philosothon involves preparation for an event where students participate in small group philosophy workshops with other schools, then deliver their discussions to an audience and judges from the Philosophy school at the University of Tasmania.

Any student from Years 8 – 12 who has an interest in philosophy, debating and pondering the bigger questions in life is welcome to participate. There are no try-outs or previous experience required, just attend the initial lunchtime meeting to register your interest. Each April/May a notice is placed in the Daily Bulletin promoting the competition and inviting students to join. Preparation for the event takes place over four lunch time discussions, before the event one evening in mid June from 4.00pm until approximately 7.00pm at Guilford Young College.

For more information contact Andrew Clarke: [email protected].

A sewing/craft club is on offer for Secondary students. It’s perfect for those who want to extend their skills by learning how to knit; crochet; sew up a hem; fix a button; learn other craft/sewing skills; or even make your own formal dress! The Year 7-8 group will meet on Tuesday lunch times at 12.45pm and the Year 9-12 group will meet on Tuesdays after school from 3.30pm – 5.00pm.

For more information contact Rosemary Dwyer: [email protected].

For one week in July (usually during the school holidays), school students from across the state converge upon Hobart for a week to learn about, and debate in parliament as part of the Tasmanian Youth Parliament. Participants form a nominal Government and Opposition to debate issues which they consider important. In teams of three to four, students write their own Bills to be debated throughout the week in the Tasmanian House of Assembly.

It’s not all debating though, participants engage in a range of activities whilst at the residential conference based at Springvale Hostel in New Town. Workshops and notable speakers are arranged around the facilitation of new skills which the students can rely and build upon well after the conference. There are also a range of social activities planned throughout which gives the students time to relax and network with others across the state.

The Tasmanian Youth Parliament is entirely run and organised by young people under the age of 25. All Tasmanian schools with students in grades 10 or higher receive an invitation to enter a team in the Tasmanian Youth Parliament early in the year. Applications for the next Youth Parliament have not yet opened, however keep an eye out for an announcement on dates to come.

To qualify for the residential camp, students also need to participate in training sessions and maintain regular contact with their Taskforce Mentor. These sessions are generally held in April and May.

St Mary’s College has a long association with St Vincent de Paul. We have groups that run in the Junior School and Senior School. We support all SVDP initiatives at a state level and especially commit to the annual Winter Woollies drive and annual quiz night that attracts a large gathering of socially just-minded people.

For more information contact Andrew Clarke: [email protected].