Over the past fortnight, our community has been treated to some truly terrific examples of school spirit in action. Across a range of events, students and staff alike demonstrated what it means to belong, to connect and to support one another across year levels and beyond the school gates.

A standout highlight was the inaugural Penquite Community House Event, an ambitious and impressive undertaking that successfully combined six separate events into one large‑scale community celebration. Throughout the afternoon and evening, vertical interactions were on full display as students from different year levels came together with enthusiasm, pride and genuine care for one another. Seeing older students encouraging and guiding younger peers, while families and wider community members joined in the festivities, reinforced the strength of our House culture and the power of shared experiences.

This strong sense of unity carried into the Penquite Inter-House Athletics, where participation, encouragement and positive energy were valued just as highly as results. As a Triple Jump official on the day, it was wonderful to see firsthand how students proudly represented their Houses, cheered on their classmates, and demonstrated respect and resilience, creating an atmosphere that celebrated effort and inclusion.

Our Together@Elphin Assemblies further reinforced these themes, providing meaningful opportunities for students to gather, share, celebrate achievements and strengthen relationships across year levels.

Feeling connected to peers, to students beyond your own year group and to the wider community is fundamental to wellbeing and engagement. This past week was a powerful reminder that school spirit is not just about events, it is about relationships, belonging and the collective pride we take in being part of something bigger.

Congratulations to our students for making such an impressive start to the 2026 school year.

Ross Patterson
Principal

Last weekend,  a small team of Scotch Oakburn students represented the school in the Launceston Rotary Club Soggy Bottom Boat Regatta.

The students have spent many hours designing and constructing cardboard boats in their own time during play breaks and even after school.  Five boats were constructed and in their efforts were rewarded with four of the five making it to the finish line.  Oliver Randall (Year 6), William Heckendorf (Year 6), Alistair Randall (Year 4) and Lawson Dray (Year 4) managed to take first place for the fastest time in the U12 Div 1 +3 team members. They were followed with a fast-finishing Isabell Underhill (Year 4), Elsie Workman (Year 4) and Alarice Patterson (Year 3) who placed second in this same category.

A great day was had by all, with the students demonstrating a strong sense of belonging and teamwork with pride. A huge thank you to the supportive parent group for their valuable assistance at the event.

Naomie O’Loughlin
Head of Extension & Enrichment – Elphin

This term, Penquite has introduced WELLIO lessons into our weekly pastoral program.

WELLIO is an Australian, evidence‑based wellbeing and social–emotional learning platform for students from Kindergarten to Year 12. It supports schools to deliver engaging, consistent wellbeing lessons using a large library of curriculum‑aligned content, short student surveys, and simple data dashboards. All lessons can be taught with or without devices.

What WELLIO Offers

• 600+ psychologist‑designed lessons on mental health literacy, healthy relationships, resilience, online behaviour, empathy, vaping and substances.
• Short wellbeing surveys that give the College insight into student needs and emerging issues.
• Flexible lesson sequences so schools can respond quickly to current issues affecting young people.

Penquite students completed a wellbeing survey at the end of 2025, which is guiding our 2026 wellbeing priorities.

Why We Use WELLIO

Parents often see the impact of wellbeing challenges at home—stress, anxiety, friendships, peer issues, or online behaviour. WELLIO provides a proactive, consistent structure so wellbeing is taught in a planned way rather than only in response to crises.

WELLIO helps schools address:

• limited teacher time to plan wellbeing lessons
• varying confidence in delivering sensitive content
• the need for programs that adapt rapidly to new issues (vaping, social media, online behaviour)

In short, WELLIO ensures wellbeing learning is:

• proactive, not reactive
• consistent across year levels
• guided by student feedback and data
• aligned to national wellbeing and child‑protection frameworks

Evidence and Recognition

WELLIO is recognised nationally as an evidence‑based wellbeing program and is listed in guides such as:

• the ACER Wellbeing Program Guide
• the Be You Programs Directory

Its lessons draw on Positive Psychology, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and Social and Emotional Learning, which are known to improve resilience, coping skills, emotional regulation, social connection and overall wellbeing.

More than 600 schools across Australia currently partner with WELLIO.

How WELLIO Supports Parents

WELLIO helps families by giving students:

• shared language to talk about friendships, feelings, stress and online behaviour
• consistent wellbeing messages across the school
• early support when concerns arise
• reliable, research‑based lessons in an era of online misinformation

WELLIO at Penquite in 2026

This year, Mentor Teachers are leading weekly Wednesday WELLIO sessions across Middle and Senior School.

To support the College’s updated expectations around mobile phones and wearable devices, our first modules have included:

• healthy digital habits
• mobile phone use
• technology‑related dependency

Later this term, WELLIO lessons (Years 10-12) will align with guest speakers, including Paul Dillon’s visit in April. Before and after his presentation, students will complete lessons on informed decision‑making, harm minimisation and safe choices around drugs and alcohol.

The Wellbeing Team will also follow up promptly on concerns for individual students or small groups, providing supportive and educative responses that build stronger self‑regulation and healthy habits.

Should you have any questions regarding the WELLIO program please don’t hesitate to contact me at kylie.wolstencroft@soc.tas.edu.au.

Kylie Wolstencroft   
Director of Wellbeing – Penquite

Today, our Year 7 students returned from an unforgettable five-day ‘Valley Life’ Education Outdoors experience at our Valley Campus in Fingal. Living in their tent Mentor-class communities, students embraced the challenges and opportunities that camp life offered.

Highlights included a memorable survivor night, sleeping under tarps and flies, as they camped on the river flats, and an exhilarating day at the Hollybank high-ropes course, a clear favourite among many. Students also worked together to build rafts, paddle canoes along the South Esk River, and enjoyed games and reflective times, which were woven throughout the program.

Supported by our dedicated Education Outdoors team, Year 7 staff, and enthusiastic Year 10 leaders, students strengthened key Learner Attributes of Collaboration, Effective Communication and Self-Regulation. Whether problem solving in groups, navigating outdoor challenges, or developing independence in daily camp routines, they contributed to and have grown within their class community.

The overarching goals of the program, building respect for the natural environment, developing teamwork, communicating effectively, and practising persistence, were evident as students met each challenge displaying with courage, curiosity and commitment.

It was a wonderful week of growth, connection, and adventure and we are grateful to all who have contributed to this program. It was wonderful to see the ways in which students engaged, supported one another, and embraced ‘Valley Life’.

Kiran Oates Pryor
Head of Penquite Campus – Middle

Celebrating Lunar New Year, Lent and Ramadan in 2026

This year, our Scotch Oakburn College community has the privilege of witnessing an extraordinary global convergence. For the first time since 1863—and not to occur again until 2189—the Lunar New Year, the beginning of Lent, and the first day of Ramadan have all unfolded within the same 24 hour period. This rare alignment invites billions of people worldwide, and our own diverse College community, into a shared season of renewal, reflection, and hope.

On 17 February, communities across East and Southeast Asia celebrated the Lunar New Year—a moment of reunion, honouring ancestors, and welcoming fresh beginnings. Within hours, Lent commenced for Christians on 18 February, beginning a 40 day journey of introspection, prayer, and self discipline. As the new moon appeared, Muslim families around the world entered Ramadan, a sacred month defined by fasting, generosity, and attentiveness to God and to one another.

For Christians, Lent ultimately leads to Easter—the central celebration of the Christian faith. Easter proclaims hope, reconciliation, and new life through the resurrection of Jesus Christ. In a year where Lent aligns with other major observances, Easter’s message of transformation and renewal resonates even more strongly across communities.

Although these traditions arise from different cultures and faiths, they share profound themes: community, gratitude, reflection, generosity, and hope. Such synchronisation invites us to recognise the beauty of our interconnected human experience.

At Scotch Oakburn College, this convergence resonates deeply with our commitment to honouring all faiths and none, and our connection to the Uniting Church. We strive to rejoice in diverse faiths, cultures, and languages; celebrate the equal worth of every person; and intentionally listen to all voices within our community.

Across our campuses, some families may be preparing reunion meals, others beginning their Lenten journey toward Easter, and others rising before dawn for suhoor before the Ramadan fast.

This rare alignment invites acts of compassion and learning, perhaps through celebrating Lunar New Year, participating in Lenten service, or attending an open iftar. Above all, it reminds us that renewal is a universal longing that binds us together.

Jamie Breden
Head of Faith & Community

Thursday 20 February 2026 saw the running of the Middle and Senior School Inter-House Athletics Carnival at the Northern Athletics Centre. With a full day of competition and smooth event flow, students from Years 6–12 participated across track, field and novelty events. Conditions were very warm and windy after a chilly start to the day. This didn’t deter strong performances and excellent participation across all Houses.

Two record were broken.  Isla Powell-Dean broke the U13 400m with a time of 1:09:00 (previous record 1:10:07, 2010)  and Macie Peterwood, the U17 Long Jump with a jump of 4.74m (previous record 4.73m, 2019).

Final results saw Fox House winning the day, followed by Dean, Briggs and Nance. Congratulations to all students for your outstanding participation, sportsmanship and effort across the day. The 2026 carnival highlighted the qualities we value so strongly—courage, compassion, collaboration, responsibility and respect. Whether competing for records, striving for personal bests or encouraging peers, our students represented their Houses and the College with pride.

Congratulations to our Age Champions:

Girls

Boys

With over 700 students and more than 270 events, the day relies heavily on the support of our staff and wider school community and I thank all those that made the day a success.

Ali Foot
Head of Sport

The Elphin Campus is excited to share that our StudentVoice@Elphin program is now underway for 2026. Over the past week, each class has nominated their Student Voice Class Representative, with students thoughtfully selecting peers who they believe will represent their class with respect, responsibility, and a genuine commitment to sharing student ideas.

Our first StudentVoice@Elphin meeting will be held this week, bringing together class representatives from each class in Year 1 – 4. During these initia; meetings, students will begin exploring how they can gather, share, and elevate student perspectives to help shape positive initiatives within our school.

The role of each representative is to:

• Capture the voice of all students in their class
• Share ideas, questions, concerns, and suggestions raised by their peers
• Work collaboratively with staff and other representatives
• Support school‑wide initiatives that contribute to wellbeing, learning, and community
• Model leadership and inclusive communication

We look forward to seeing how our students contribute their ideas and help ensure every voice is heard at Elphin. Their leadership and insight play an important part in making our campus a supportive and vibrant place to learn.

Renee Hodgetts
Director of Wellbeing – Elphin

Rowers take a sweep of awards

Fantastic results for our senior rowers at the Tasmanian Club Rowing Championships, winning nine Club Championship events and a number of non-championship events.
The highlights from the weekend included the Senior Boys squad winning the U23 Men’s Eight and Senior Girls squad winning the U19, U21 and Open Women’s Eight Championships; the first time a school crew had won the Open Women’s event since 1999.

Overall our wins included the State Championship in U19 Women’s Pair, U21 Women’s Pair, U19 Women’s Coxless Four, U19 Women’s Coxed Four, U21 Women’s Coxless Four, U19 Women’s Eight, U21 Women’s Eight, Open Women’s Eight and the U23 Men’s Eight.

An epic achievment!

Brendon Long
Director of Rowing

Equestrian

Five Scotch Oakburn riders and seven horses have travelled to Hobart to compete in the Southern Eventing Championships in the Interschools classes.

It was a big weekend of riding, teamwork, and learning, and everyone represented the College with pride. Our riders and their events were:

• Aggie Lyne (Year 10) – competed on two horses in the 1* and 95cm eventing.
• Abbi Lloyd Bostock (Year 12) – rode in the 95cm combined training.
• Lucy Johnston (Year 12) – competed on two horses in the 80cm combined training, placing 1st.
• Evie Young (Year 8) – rode in the 80cm combined training.
• Marnie Lyne (Year 7) – competed in both 80cm eventing and combined training, placing 2nd, just behind Lucy.
• Meg Kilby (Year 12) was entered but unfortunately had to scratch.

The team camped together the night before, which made the weekend even more enjoyable. Early the next morning, everyone worked together to plait, organise gear, and make sure each horse was ready and in the right place at the right time. It was a warm, full day of riding, but all riders gained valuable experience and appreciated being part of such a supportive and welcoming team environment. The team are now looking forward to representing Scotch Oakburn College again at the upcoming Interschools Show Jumping event in Longford at the end of March.

We also wish Meg, Marnie, and Aggie the very best of luck as they compete at the 2026 Trials event over the March long weekend.

Lucy Johnston
Year 12

We are pleased to provide a community news section in our news highlighting events in the wider Launceston community that may be of interest to families. Included this week:

• Performing Arts 2026 sessions – something for all ages
• Hockey Come and Try Day – all ages and levels
• NETSETGO – netball for 7-10 years