Newman News Term 4 Week 8: From the Deputy Principal Wellbeing Secondary
As 2019 draws to a close, I would like to wish all our students and families a safe holiday and Holy Christmas. The Christmas holidays offer each of us an opportunity to reflect on our relationship with Jesus while also being grateful for the special people in our lives.
On behalf of our students, I would like to thank the staff for all their efforts in 2019 and the way in which they have supported our students throughout the year. We have a magnificent group of staff who not only support learning within the classroom but also provide numerous opportunities outside of it including such things as social occasions, camps, retreats, school tours, sports and the arts.
Have a great Christmas and a Happy New Year.
Years 7-11 Awards
Today the College held its Years 7-11 Awards afternoon. This afternoon was an opportunity to recognise students who have been outstanding across 2019. Students were recognised in the areas of curriculum, Guild leadership, sport and academic achievement. Congratulations to all our students on a terrific year, and a special thank you to the staff who made the afternoon such a memorable event.
Click here for the list of Award winners and more photos from the day.
Solve It
As in previous years, students in Years 7-9 have been busy taking part in Solve it. This is a project-based learning task that students complete outside of their normal classroom routine. Students work in groups made up of various year groups. Students are presented with a real-life problem and work as a group to put forward a solution. This process involves defining it, discussing it, creating a solution, tweaking the solution and finally pitching it to their peers & staff.
Problems for the 2019 groups included topics such as wellbeing challenges for FIFO workers, better ways to assess students other than exams, the College relocating our Marian Campus to the Churchlands site and ways the College can make better use of its space.
The Solve It final takes place on Thursday 12 December in the Marist Auditorium. Good luck to all our students.
2020 Uniform Guidelines and Grooming Expectations
Over the break, I strongly encourage students and parents to ensure uniforms are ready to go for the first day back, and that your child’s personal appearance is in keeping with College expectations. It is important that we start the school year on a positive note and the College is consistent in its expectations across Years 7-12. Please see the table below which contains further details.
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Girls
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Boys
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| Additional Sundry Items available from Uniform Shop – College bag, College sports bag, College Padlock |
Personal Appearance
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Return to School Dates 2020
On Monday 3 February, we will be welcoming our incoming Years 7 students, new students to the College and our Year 12 students. Further information will be sent to families in early January regarding specific details on how this will look for students.
Our first full College day will be Tuesday 4 February when we will have all of our Years 7-12 students on campus.
CDP Update 2020
The capital development on Marcellin Campus has begun. Students and staff will have limited access to Founders Court and A block for the remaining week, while C & W blocks are completely closed to students and staff. It is important that students obey the signage around the College and do not enter the building site. Failure to abide by the safety measures in place will put people at risk of injury.
Over the Christmas break work will increase on the site and a large amount of large and noisy work should be completed while students and staff are absent. We look forward to watching our capital development plan unfold over the coming months.
Marist Students Leadership Gathering
The Marist Student Leadership Gathering was an enriching experience for the four Year 11 students that participated last week. It was a great opportunity to not only network with other student leaders across Australia, but also share the positives and negatives about each other’s schools with the purpose of cultivating and planning for improvements within their own schools. They had the opportunity to hear from a range of guest speakers including current Principals and past College Captains. This helped them gain insight into their role as leaders and how to tackle various issues that arise.
Another key component of the gathering was to identify and evaluate good and positive leadership, recognising strengths and weaknesses of their own to nurture and facilitate for their leadership next year. Marist Youth Ministry organised the retreat in an engaging and faith-filled way, allowing the students to collaborate and create, while also learning different methods of prayer and spiritual reflection, to aid them with taking a step back, calming themselves and reflecting for best practice. Overall the students took away a myriad of skills and an experience they will treasure.
Aleisha Crump, Religious Education Teacher
Taking Action in Three Easy Steps
On Thursday 21 November, the Newman Nature Team organised a guest speaker to address our Years 7, 8 and 9 students about ways we can all make small daily steps to improve and help our environment.
A community-based group, Lost Environmentalists, presented to the students about three simple ways we can make a big difference to our environment and our local community. Jessica Taylor represented the group and helped us to understand the powerful impact we can have. Another member of the group is one of our alumni, Felicity Keet.
- Step 1: BYO
Remember to bring your own containers to minimise waste. The most significant impact we can have bringing our own reusable water bottles. A habit we are all embracing regularly. - Step 2: Take 3
Where possible minimise plastic pollutants from the environment by picking them up and putting them in the bin. Jessica helped us to realise the significant impact we could make if we each committed to picking up one piece of plastic a day for one year. We could help prevent 219,000 pieces of plastic from making their way into our waterways. - Step 3: Keep up to date
We can make a difference by advocating for the environment with our local members of Parliament.
Thank you to Alyssa Wardle for organising the presentation on behalf of Newman Nature. A special thank you to Jessica Taylor and her team from Lost Environmentalists for their generosity of time and preparation to help us see that we can take action today!
SolarBuddy
In their study of Geography in Term 1 this year, Year 7 Humanities students investigated the features that make a place livable. They discovered that some areas of the world are not as fortunate as we are in Australia, but that there is something that we can do to help; becoming part of the SolarBuddy project to provide renewable energy-powered lights for communities in need.
This year’s lights were delivered to Papua New Guinea, one of the most remote places on the planet, with the steep slopes of its majestic mountains making access to its people difficult. Here a diverse population lives in isolated pockets and speaks over 850 different languages. 400 lights, some of them made by Newman College students, were distributed by helicopter along the Kokoda Track to children attending Alola, Isurava and Hoi Elementary Schools. The children are able to use these solar lights rather than the expensive batteries or dangerous kerosene lamps that they had to use before.
SolarBuddy lights were also used to assist those who had to flee to care centers as a result of the volcanic eruption in Manam Island, Madang. The lights helped to inspire students to return to class.
We are very proud of Year 7 2019’s role in helping to illuminate the future of those children living in energy poverty. The impact of their donation is clear in the beaming smiles of the children who received their gift.
Catherine Bagg, Leader of Learning Humanities
Latest Sport News
- 2019 Highlights
- Individual Accomplishments
- Newman Sporting Association News
Homework Club
Homework Club will finish for 2019 at the end of Week 8. Thank you to all students, Marist Youth Mentors and staff that supported the Homework Club this year. In particular, I extend my thanks to Mrs Carolyn O’Connor, Ms Natalee Calegari and Mrs Sarah Pagett for their supervision and coordination of numeracy and literacy support initiatives.
Canteen Week 9
Thursday 12 December
Sundry items will be available at both recess and lunch as normal. Lunch on this day is restricted to a SAUSAGE SIZZLE at a cost of $3.00. Students can make payment using cash or their SmartRider card.
Counselling & Wellbeing Team
Healthy Headspace: Part 4 – Coping Skills & Mental Health
In the previous newsletters this Term, we have looked at some healthy habits related to sleep, eating, exercise and social interactions, which have a positive impact on mental health. In addition, it is important for each person to develop positive coping strategies, so that they can maintain their mental health when life presents its inevitable challenges. These things will be different for each person, but may include helpful self-talk, relaxation techniques, talking to someone, or creative activities such as writing or art.
Although it is normal for young people to feel down, angry or anxious at times, if these feelings persist for long periods, or impact negatively on daily life (e.g. school, work, relationships), they may be signs of a mental health difficulty. The below changes may be of concern if they are new, noticeable and persistent (lasting at least a few weeks):
- Not enjoying/wanting to be involved in usually enjoyed activities
- Changes in appetite or sleeping patterns
- Unexplained irritableness or anger
- Reduced performance at school
- Engagement in risky behaviours that they would usually avoid
- Difficulty concentrating
- Seeming unusually stressed, worried or down, or crying for no identifiable reason
- Expressing negative, distressing or unusual thoughts
If you are concerned that your child’s mental health is affecting their daily life, it is important to let them know that you are there to support them and that you can help them to access additional support. A good starting point is to schedule an appointment with your GP, who will be able to make a referral to a mental health professional. The sooner any concerns are acknowledged, and support is accessed, the sooner things can start to improve for your child.
The Counselling Team would like to wish you all a safe and peaceful holiday and we look forward to seeing you in 2020.
Beyond Blue
Three million Australians are living with anxiety or depression. Beyond Blue provides information and support to help everyone in Australia achieve their best possible mental health, whatever their age and wherever they live.
You can find more information by visiting the website.
Holiday Time
Holidays are a great time for students to catch their breath after a busy year. There are lots of activities on offer for students to get involved in. Below are some links that may be useful when trying to make plans over the Christmas break.