Today, we celebrated our first PP-2 assembly on our new campus in the auditorium. Pre-Primary Red performed their assembly about living and sharing this amazing land we live on. With understanding of our First Nations People, we care for country with our heart – our Koort in Noongar. Pre-Primary Red taught us some Noongar words, and ways of telling stories through symbols, song and dance. Aboriginal culture is one of the oldest living cultures and as true Marists, we show respect and we share the land we walk together hand in hand. A huge thank you to Pre-Primary Red, Mrs Rebecca Rose, and Mrs Lisa Johns.
Athletics Carnival
The Guild Athletics Carnival is taking place on Friday 12 September. A reminder that Pre-Primary finish the Carnival at 12.30pm. Pre-Primary students who are not being picked up at this time will return to Pre-Primary, where they will be supervised by their teachers.
The Athletics Carnival is a compulsory event for Years 1-6, with all students expected to attend the entire day. If your child is unable to attend or needs to leave throughout the day, please email me sarah.pagett@newman.wa.edu.au ahead of time.
Book Week
Last Tuesday, we celebrated Book Week in style with two fabulous parades. Thank you to all staff and students for their amazing efforts in ensuring our most loved book characters came to life. A huge thank you to Ms Nikki Cresp for her work is organising the parade and various incursions that have occurred over the past week.
I am aware that the gap between parades was not ideal for some families who were waiting in between. We have taken on this feedback and will modify the layout in 2026. These events look different now that we are on one campus, so your patience is appreciated while we fine tune.
Father’s Day
We would like to invite all the Dads, Grandfathers, father figures and special men in our children’s lives to join us in celebrating Father’s Day. Join us for a Sausage Sizzle on Friday 5 September from 7.30am on the grassed area near the Basketball Courts. Followed by a K-6 Father’s Day Liturgy at 8.45am in the Undercover Area. Please RSVP your attendance here.
We are also calling out for some Mum helpers to support us in cooking and serving the sausages. If you can help, please register here.
PP to Year 6 Disco
Get your dancing shoes ready! Our School Disco will be held on Friday 19 September.
As you know, the College has a hands-off policy to help ensure that everyone feels safe and respected at school. The Primary Leadership Team and staff regularly talk with students about the importance of keeping hands and bodies to ourselves. While some children see play fighting as fun, it can quickly escalate and result in someone being hurt or friendships being damaged.
We would appreciate your support in reinforcing with your child the importance of showing care for others by keeping hands off. Together, we can help all students enjoy positive, safe playtimes and strong friendships.
The College has celebrated Wellbeing Week this week, with each day focusing of a different aspect of wellbeing. Our focus for Tuesday was Together Tuesday, highlighting the importance of relationships for our own wellbeing. Students participated in a team building activities during EGT.
On Wellness Wednesday, we explored the power of mindfulness, and students completed a meditation in PCG. Cohorts gathered for Thankful Thursday and had an opportunity to give thanks to other members in the College community, and were reminded of how practising gratitude can have a positive impact on our wellbeing. Guild Representatives acknowledged their PCG teachers and Leaders of Wellbeing. In the Year 10 Gratitude Assembly, we acknowledged Austin Wyeth, who was awarded the Bronze Medallion for Courage Youth Awards at Surf Life Saving WA’s Coastal Bravery Awards earlier this month. This honour is awarded to young people under 16 who show courage and use their surf lifesaving skills. Austin received the award for his incredible bravery at Scarborough Beach, where he came to the assistance of two men struggling in a rip. His quick thinking and decisive action helped bring one of the men safely back to shore before lifeguards arrived to assist the second. Well done, Austin. We are so proud of you! Students were invited to participate in various service activities at lunch, such as a community clean up and letter writing to young people in war-torn countries.
Fitness Friday highlights the importance of an active and healthy lifestyle for our overall wellbeing. Staff were encouraged to use various movement breaks during classes, and at lunch there was a staff vs student soccer match on the oval.
Wellbeing Week provides an opportunity for staff and students to focus on various aspects of wellbeing by building habits, awareness, and a community that supports long-term health and happiness.
Transperth:
As representatives of our College community, it is important that all students demonstrate respect and responsibility while travelling on public transport. The way we conduct ourselves reflects not only on our own character but also on the wider school community.
We remind students to always uphold the Newman Norms by:
Using polite and respectful language at all times.
Offering seats to those in need, including elderly passengers, parents with young children, and people with disabilities.
Keeping noise to a considerate level and avoid disruptive behaviour.
Respecting the property of others and leave buses and trains clean and tidy.
Following the directions of transport staff promptly and courteously.
By showing kindness, courtesy, and maturity, we contribute to a safe and positive experience for everyone travelling. Thank you for your cooperation in helping us maintain the high standards expected of our students, both at school and in the wider community.
Recognition of State Representation
Congratulations to the following students for selection in the Western Australian teams in their respective sports:
Julian Cameron and Michael Moschopoulos from Year 7 who have been selected to represent Western Australia in the 2025 Football (Soccer) 12s Boys Championship. This team will be competing at the School Sport Australia National Championships in Ballarat, VIC from 25 October – 30 October 2025.
Leo Prinsloo, Year 8, who has been selected to represent Australia at the Asian Youth Open Championships & Training Camp in Hangzhou, China, from Friday 8 August to Sunday 17 August 2025.
Ana Mainstone in Year 11 and James Barnard in Year 12 who have been selected in the ACC All Star AFL Team. They will represent the ACC against a All Stars AFL Competition on Friday 29 August.
State Representation is an honour and an important stepping stone in an athlete’s journey. We commend these students for their dedication and commitment to their sport.
If your child has achieved state or national recognition in their sport or extra-curricular activity, we would love to hear about it so we can celebrate their success. Please let us know the details by filling out this form. https://forms.office.com/r/qaCxCYLNX6
Pathways and Careers Information: Year 10
Subject selection for Year 11, 2026
Thank you to all the students and families who have now completed their subject requests for Year 11, 2026. The College is now in the process of constructing the timetable for next year, and after this process students and families will be advised of their allocated subjects for Year 11.
Apprenticeship Opportunities 2025
The March 2025 edition of the Apprenticeship Intake Guide has been published recently. This has details of dozens of apprenticeship opportunities with many major employers. You can access it here: Apprenticeship Intake Guide 2025
Pathways and Careers Information: Year 11
Re-selecting subjects for Year 12, 2026
Thank you to all the students and families who have now completed their subject requests for Year 12, 2026. The College is now in the process of constructing the timetable for next year, and after this process students and families will be advised of their allocated subjects for Year 12.
For students thinking of attending University
TISC has a series of videos explaining things like ATAR calculation, prerequisite subjects, scaling, and preferences. You can find them here: https://www.tisc.edu.au/static/guide/video.tisc
The March 2025 edition of the Apprenticeship Intake Guide has been published recently. This has details of dozens of apprenticeship opportunities with many major employers. You can access it here: Apprenticeship Intake Guide 2025
Pathways and Careers Information: Year 12
University Early Offer information
Please see below for the latest available Early Offer information.
Early Offers are now open, and all Year 12 students have been provided with information about how to access the TISC system and enter preferences.
Early Offers are available for ATAR and non-ATAR students. Must achieve WACE and meet any prerequisites. Submit your application via TISC, putting your Curtin Early Offer course as your first preference. Full information and list of eligible courses at: https://www.curtin.edu.au/study/undergraduate/early-offers/
Edith Cowan University
Full information and list of eligible courses at: https://www.ecu.edu.au/degrees/early-offer-program Open to ATAR, Certificate IV, and UniReady students. Submit your Early Offer application by placing an eligible ECU course as your first TISC preference. First offers released to students on 2 September 2025.
Murdoch University
Must achieve WACE and meet any prerequisites. Early Offers for Certificate IV and UniReady/UniPath students will be conditional on passing. Submit your application via TISC, putting your desired Murdoch Early Offer course as your first preference.
Submit your application via TISC, putting your desired UWA Early Offer course as your first preference. Open to ATAR Pathway students only. Students can apply for an Early Offer for all degrees excluding Assured Pathways to Medicine, Dental Medicine, Podiatric Medicine or the Bachelor of Biomedicine (specialised). Students must satisfy UWA’s English requirements and any subject prerequisite requirements. Further information at: https://www.uwa.edu.au/study/how-to-apply/early-offers/FAQs
University information
TISC has a series of videos explaining things like ATAR calculation, prerequisite subjects, scaling, and preferences. You can find them here: https://www.tisc.edu.au/static/guide/video.tisc
The March 2025 edition of the Apprenticeship Intake Guide has been published recently. This has details of dozens of apprenticeship opportunities with many major employers. You can access it here: Apprenticeship Intake Guide 2025
UPCOMING CAREERS EVENTS
EVENT
DATE
LINK
Defence Force Engineering Careers Information Session
The Term 3 Newman Parents Forum will take place on Monday 1 September. This term, parents and guardians are invited to attend two sessions on some key topics relevant to our College Community. Please register your attendance here.
New Social Media Legislation and support for Parents and Students: This session will guide parents through the implications of the new Social Media Legislation, prohibiting the use of platforms for children under the age of 16 from December onwards. The session will give parents a forum to guide the College in how they can tailor information and strategies for parents and families as they manage this transition.
The Marist Mission Today: Parents will have the opportunity to understand how the vision of St Marcellin Champagnat is alive in our College community today, and explore further the Marist Charism, which is so unique to Newman College. Suitable for all families.
Reframing Failure: Teaching Resilience Through Setbacks: A practical session to explore ways to support your child from early primary to senior school when things don’t go as planned. You’ll learn simple strategies for building resilience, reframing setbacks as opportunities, and shifting from “I can’t” to “I can’t yet.” We’ll also look at responding to disappointment without rushing to fix it, nurturing a healthy mindset, and encouraging self-compassion. Suitable for all families.
Equip, Guide Thrive, Program Overview: The session will provide parents with a deeper understanding of the EGT Program, a holistic initiative that extends the foundations of the U R Strong and Zones of Regulation programs in the primary school. This program integrates academics, faith, and wellbeing, ensuring that students are supported to grow as confident learners, compassionate people, and resilient individuals. Parents will explore the framework and its key elements, connections to the 2024 DISA data and Strategic Improvement Plan and the programs from years 7-12. The session will also provide practical points on how you can support your child at home with what they are learning in the EGT.
Guild Activities Year 1 to 12
On Tuesday 9 September students in Year 1 to 12 will be participating in Guild activities. This is the first time that we will celebrate Guild Spirit since the College has come together on one campus. Students will be buddied up with another year group and will participate in team and spirit building activities, with the purpose of creating connections across the Lavalla and Marcellin campuses. We are looking forward to this opportunity to build community. Students are permitted to wear their Guild Uniform on this day.
This week I have been in Mullewa with Br. Paul, Miss Ellis, and our Year 11 Game Changers students. Every year in the final week of August, students from Newman College travel to Mullewa to assist the town in the setup of their Wildflower Show, as well as their Agricultural Show, which is on this weekend. Additionally, we spend time with the students of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Primary School which is the local Catholic primary school, culminating in a disco which our students run at the end of the week.
The opportunity to travel to Mullewa is one our students have really come to cherish over the years, and it is very common at the end of our week for students to ask if they can come again in Year 12. But what is it about a week away in the country that is so endearing to our students?
The answer, in part, lies in the strength of community experience while we are there. Life in Mullewa reminds us that joy is not found in busyness or distraction, but instead in presence – being with one another listening, sharing stories, and just working by side. It is in the warmth and hospitality of all those we encounter, and the welcoming and accepting nature of everyone we meet. It is an opportunity for our students to not just hear about community, but to see it in action, as people from all over the town come together to support each other.
Mother Teresa once said, ‘prayer in action is love, and love in action is service’. The immersion in Mullewa offers students the chance to embody this ‘love in action’ in a very real and practical way. Whether it’s setting up the racetrack, sweeping out the sheds, or running the school disco, each act of service is an expression of love for others – simple, genuine, and life-giving. St. Marcellin Champagnat’s dream was to form young people as ‘Good Christians and Good Citizens,’ and this is exactly what our students have been working on this week. It is so great to be a part of something so special, and for our young people to represent themselves and Newman College in such a positive way.
‘Mary, our Good Mother – Pray for us’. In our litany for prayer, we are very used to saying this as a Marist community. Today, Friday 15 August, marks the Church’s celebration of the Feast of the Assumption. In the very early years, post the Ascencion of Jesus, the Church we now know was in its infancy and better described as the Jesus movement. The next few hundred years saw the successors of St Peter and the missionary disciples discern and capture our beliefs. While a few hundred years sounds like a long time, it is relatively short considering the nature of the times in communication and evangelisation. From the 400s-600s, the Christian communities became quite clear on the position of Mary and Marian devotion in our faith. It was then in 1950 that Pope Pius XII declared that the Assumption of Mary into heaven was a solemnity to be celebrated in the liturgical calendar.
This brings us to our celebration of the Feast of the Assumption. We know that St Marcellin Champagnat entrusted the Marist project to Mary, and it was through Mary that Marists were to make Jesus Christ known and loved in the educational and pastoral work of Marists. This is why the Feast of the Assumption holds such an important place in the lives of our Marist community at Newman College. It is on Mary that we model our way of being present to one another.
It was an absolute joy to bring our Lavalla and Marcellin communities together in the celebration of Mass today on the Assumption. The joy of a community modelled on Mary continued in the fete activities, Lavalla Buddy time and family spirit which followed Mass today. Well done to the Guild Co-ordinators, Guild Student Leaders, Primary and Secondary staff and students for a great day!
Catholic Performing Arts Festival
We are in the second-half of the Catholic Performing Arts Festival and Newman College students have shone in performance across music and dance. Just this week, 5 of our Dance Troupes performed at Perth Convention and Exhibition Centre for a Dance Showcase and excelled. Last weekend, our Dance groups performed in the School to Stage Dance Competition and were placed:
1st – Liturgical Dance 2nd – Hip Hop 2nd – Senior Contemporary 2nd – Senior Jazz 3rd – Year 7 Jazz 3rd – Senior Jazz Plus, a spectacular performance from our Year 8/9 Jazz troupe.
Great things are happening with our whole Arts program, which includes our Music, Drama and Visual Arts alongside Dance.
Year 9 Parent Information Evening
We were pleased to host the Year 9 parents and students at the College on Tuesday evening. This is the first time that we have brought the discussion of Year 10 and senior years’ studies to Year 9 in such detail. It is so important to build the understanding with students of applying yourself to your studies and understanding the requirements ahead with subject selection and pathway selection. Partnering with our parents to share the conversation can only lead to better support of our students working towards their personal best. Thank you to Beth Murphy, Deputy Principal Teaching & Learning PK-12, for designing the evening, and to Scott Smith, Leader of Year 9 Wellbeing and Justin Farley, Leader of Pathways for their work in the presentation. A key part of being in Year 9 this year is The Rite Journey and this program is about building the understanding and skills to start leaving childhood and preparing for adolescence and early adulthood.
