Newstead College, Launceston
[11.11 a.m.]
Ms ARMITAGE (Launceston) - Madam Deputy President, one of the most important year 11 and 12 schools in Launceston is Newstead College. Situated in the quiet surrounds in the inner suburb of Newstead in Launceston, the college boasts quality amenities and education uniquely offered to Launceston students. The college prospectus correctly notes that the friendly size of the college ensures all students have the opportunity to work in smaller classes with highly skilled teachers. This allows a comparatively greater emphasis to be placed on both academic and vocational pathways, thereby maximising the potential means of success for every student.
This valuable offering provided by Newstead ensures each student, regardless of their circumstance, has support available for their studies and managing their pathways to university or work. The availability and convenience provided by the healthy student:teacher ratio allows proactive steps to be taken by staff to give our young people the best chance of success in their careers and life.
Newstead College runs an eclectic range of subjects managed by highly skilled and experienced teachers, as is the case with all colleges. The 2019 theatre production serves as an excellent example of the college's particular type of educational excellence. I remind all members that Little Shop of Horrors opens on Wednesday, 4 September; this production highlights the college's dedication and the students' commitment to theatrical enterprise. In May this year Newstead College musical theatre students attended workshops run during the 2019 Australian Musical Theatre Festival. Comprising contemporary dance, vocal training and accent work, these workshops delivered invaluable advice and coaching to students, ensuring Little Shop of Horrors will be a memorable production and an experience that students will carry with them throughout their musical and theatrical careers.
Newstead College also boasts a significant degree of diversity, exposing its students to global perspectives and opportunities. Earlier this year 14 students from Brazil commenced study at Newstead College as a result of a partnership between the Tasmanian Government and Pernambuco State, Brazil. In its fourth year, this exchange program has gone from success to success. According to the college's March newsletter, students in every public school in Pernambuco are offered an opportunity to improve their English language skills by studying abroad. They undertake rigorous English, Portuguese and maths exams and the students who achieve the best results are offered the opportunity to travel to Australia, New Zealand, Canada and other countries to give them international experience. As of July, the Brazilian students are thriving and making the most of every opportunity offered by Newstead College to improve their English language skills and experience all Tasmania has to offer.
Preparation for university is a keystone offering of Newstead College. With the mid-year exams held at the end of June and in early July, the college takes significant steps to ensure students are prepared both to perform academically and to exercise self-care to avoid burnout or overwhelming stress. Newstead has an extensive tutorial program covering all level 3 and 4 pre-tertiary subjects, which enables students to receive extra assistance with assignments, further exam practice and additional explanations of theory and ideas covered during class time. In May, Newstead College also invited a presenter from Elevate Education - an organisation that runs programs to coach students in study skills - to provide a seminar for the students in the lead-up to the mid-year exams.
Taking a holistic approach, Elevate's seminars are designed to achieve behavioural change in students to develop efficient and effective study techniques through the stages of learning, mastering and creating.
As a consequence, I am highly confident that Newstead College students will perform extremely well in their academic endeavours, as well as have the confidence to celebrate their successes and reflect on areas that need further attention, supported by the suite of programs and tutorials run by teachers and support staff at the college.
Madam Deputy President, Newstead College is a flagship educational institution in Launceston. I encourage members of this place, as well as students and their parents considering colleges, to learn more about Newstead College and all it has to offer.
Today I have only been able to merely touch on some of the college's outstanding offerings. Its proactivity, dedication to educational excellence and global outlook make it a formidable institution providing access to, in the college's motto, 'Excellence, Opportunity and Success'.