Author: Jo Dunn

Dear Parents and Guardians  

One of the strengths of the Newman Community is our Marist ability to be present to each other, particularly during times of struggle.  The incident that occurred last week on the Year 11 Outdoor Education camp to Brides Cave, with the tragic passing of the External Abseiling Instructor, highlights the need for our community to continue to support one another.  There is a great strength in our togetherness. This sense of family spirit is foundational to our school and has its roots in our Marist heart and spirituality.  

Thank you sincerely, for your ongoing support of the College, the students, and our generous staff.  

With Holy week approaching in week ten and Easter almost upon us, now is a good time to stop and remember what this time means to us.  Easter is a season that represents, hope, new life, and new beginnings. A perfect time to close the term, reorient towards our chosen path, as we move towards the holidays.   

Year 12 Ball   

The Year 12 Ball was held Friday 10 March.  It was an outstanding evening filled with dancing, laughter, camaraderie, and collegiality. The young women were stunning, and the young men looked very dapper. The leadership of this cohort in 2023 has been exemplary and the success of the Year 12 Ball was testimony to this point. A special thank you is extended to the Leader of Wellbeing, Miss Gemma Beekink, the PCG teachers and all staff who supported the event in some capacity.

Newman Parents Forum

The Newman Parents Forum met on Monday 13 March to discuss a number of items including College communication, uniform alignment and our Annual School Improvement Plan.  The meeting was well received with a decent spread of parents attending the event. The Newman Parents Forum is a great opportunity to stay informed, provide feedback to the College Executive and collaborate on upcoming projects.   

Secondary Twilight Tour

The College held its second Twilight Tour on our Secondary campus last week. Newman is attracting great interest from families in surrounding areas. There were over 300 people in attendance. The new Principal, Mr Andrew Watson opened the night. It was a great opportunity to showcase our beautiful school and to provide insight into College life and our Marist way. The families present left the campus with a positive and excited vibe.   

Harmony Week  

Harmony week is a celebration that recognises our diversity and brings together Australians from all different backgrounds.  It is a day that fosters inclusiveness, respect and a sense of belonging.  This week the students shared aspects of their culture by engaging in discussions, prayers, and activities across the College.  The students were encouraged to come to school in the traditional cultural dress of their ancestry to support Harmony Week. It was a joy to see so many students embrace their culture and the spirit of Harmony Week.   

NAPLAN Online Testing 

The National Assessment Programme – Literacy and Numeracy testing commenced this week for students in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9.  Students are assessed in writing, reading, conventions of Language (spelling, grammar and punctuation) and Numeracy.  All testing was completed on an online platform.   Thank you to Mr Bernie Roberts, Director of Curriculum Administration and his team for the preparation and for overseeing of this week-long process. 

ACC Swimming Carnival  

Congratulations to all the students who competed in the A Division ACC Swimming Carnival. The students had a magnificent attitude of encouragement, coupled with a competitive spirit. We placed third overall, a great result. Well done and thank you to each student who participated. A huge thank you to Mrs Marnie Barrett Leader of Sport and the whole Health and Physical Education Team for training, co-ordinating and facilitating these wonderful opportunities for our students. 

Graeme Wood First XI Cricket Shield 

It is with great delight that we congratulate our Marist Cricket Team who won the Graeme Wood First XI Shield this week. Their teamwork and encouragement of each other was strong, they were worthy winners of this significant shield. A special thanks to Mr John Lucas, Br Paul Murphy and Mr Bern Willet who supported the team.

Events Ahead

We look forward to the significant events occurring in the next two weeks; Zero 2 Hero Parent Series and the Year 11 and Year 12 Drama Excursion, Marist Basketball Carnival over east, Game Changers Gatherings, College Tours, the Marian Campus Fathering Project, our Easter Liturgies and Final Assemblies.  

It has been a rewarding but challenging term for our whole Newman Community. We have had to face unprecedented events, and as we move towards the closure of Term One, let us remember to continue to be kind, present and supportive to all those we encounter. Go gently. 

Dr Lucie McCrory  

PRINCIPAL (Acting) 

I am the resurrection and the life. If anyone believes in me, even though he dies he will live, and whoever lives and believes in me will never die (John 11:25) 

I find it hard to believe that we are already about to enter Week 9! I often find myself wondering just where the time has gone. I’m sure many teachers, students, and families can probably relate to this feeling too! It is very easy to get wrapped in the busyness of the things that are happening around us, but when we do this, we often miss some of the simple, yet beautiful things that are happening right in front of us. At the beginning of the year, our Acting Principal, Dr Lucie McCrory, spoke about the importance of presence – of being there for one another, taking the time to see those who are among the least in our community, and to encounter others with love. 

These last few weeks I have been looking for this in our community – the ‘God moments’ that help make our Marist Community so special. Moments like Madeline Huo in Year 4 who donated $200 from her own savings to Caritas, Lucy Hayes in Year 5 who ran her own stall to raise $100 for Caritas, Mr Matthew Box and his class in the Marcellin campus who have been leading the way with donations among PCG classes, and Miss Jade Nicotra, who has galvanised Catherine Guild to get involved in a number of fundraisers this term. In addition to this we have had no shortage of student leaders wanting to get involved in raising money for Caritas, and bringing events to their fellow students that are fun and engaging as they seek to make a difference.  

I hope as we come towards the end of this term, everyone can find some time to reflect on what these last few weeks have been like for them, and that perhaps if they haven’t had the chance to see the God moments around them, that they take the time to reflect on this as we move into our final weeks of Lent. There are so many wonderful things happening around us, if we only take the time to see them.

Caritas Fast Tuesday 21 March

Project Compassion brings thousands of Australians together in solidarity with the world’s poor to help end poverty, promote justice and uphold dignity. On Tuesday, in support of Project Compassion, over 80 students on the Marcellin Campus took part in the Caritas Fast. Facilitated by our student leaders, participants had only a barley sugar for morning tea and a small bowl of rice for lunch as an act of solidarity and to raise awareness to the plight of those in other parts of the world. We are very grateful for the support of those students who took part, and who were able to raise almost $1000 to contribute to the Caritas cause. Well done to all students who took part, especially to our Guild Leaders and our Social Justice Captains Maddie and Sophia. We also owe a big thanks to Mrs Daphne Peters for her leadership and support of students in this initiative. 

Primary Students’ Reconciliation this term

This term, students from Years 4-6 have been taking part in Reconciliation, facilitated by Fr Kaz from St. Cecilia’s parish and Fr Hyginus from Our Lady of Grace parish. The Sacrament of Penance, or Reconciliation, is an opportunity for students to speak about the mistakes and sins they have made so that they may receive forgiveness from God, and in turn, grow their relationship with God. This is an important spiritual practice, and it was lovely to see students engage in this process so well. Our Year 3 students will make their Sacrament of Reconciliation in their parishes a little later in the year, and we will certainly keep them in our thoughts and prayers during that special time.  

Year 8 Retreat

Last Thursday we welcomed our Year 8 students to the auditorium to celebrate their retreat under the guidance of 24:7 Youth Ministry. Students had a chance to build their relationships with each other across games and small group sharing around their thoughts and experiences in their lives so far. The focus of the retreat was around relationships – particularly between students, families, the College, and the Church. Well done to all students who took part so enthusiastically and enjoyed the day, and to Year 8 LOWB Mrs Smith for her support of students throughout the day. 

Student Led Prayer Reflections 

For the past few weeks, we have been very grateful to our Year 12 Faith and Liturgy Captains, Grace and Isaac, who have been leading weekly prayer reflections in the Marian room, which is an intimate prayer space within the Champagnat Chapel. The prayer reflections have been occurring Fridays at 8.15am with a focus on Lenten Prayer reflection and will continue next week also. This will return again for a period of time during Term 2, and again in Term 3 too. All students are welcome to attend these short prayer services; they are a great way to centre yourself for the day, and to take the time to reflect on a piece of scripture as we seek to better understand the life of Jesus.

Easter Liturgies 

Easter is an important time in the Church’s liturgical calendar and this year our Easter liturgies in the Primary school will focus on the events of Holy Week, giving students an opportunity to reflect on the life, suffering, death and resurrection of Christ.  All families are invited to join us for the Easter Liturgies at Marian and Lavalla on Thursday 6 April.  

The Marian Easter Liturgy will commence at 9am in St Cecilia’s Church 

The Lavalla Easter Lavalla will gather in the auditorium at 11am. 

The liturgy at Marian will be led by our Year 2 students while all other students are invited to participate by coming dressed as villagers, wearing accessories over their sports uniform. This may include a tea towel/cloth over their head and/or a gown with a sash. They are also encouraged to bring a small palm branch to wave during the entrance procession. 

There will also be an Easter Liturgy taking place at 2.30pm in the gymansium for Marcellin students, with a focus on The Sations of the Cross. 

Easter Raffle

A reminder to our Lavalla and Marian families to get your raffle tickets for our annual Easter Egg raffle! All proceeds go to our funraising efforts for Caritas. We have had a a good number of donations of eggs and chocolate from our families, but there is lots of time still to drop off a donation or two to the Marian and Lavalla offices. Prizes will be drawn on the afternoon of the last day of term – good luck and remember…you have to be in it to win it! 

Community Mass

A reminder that the whole College community is warmly invited to join us in the Champagnat Chapel at 8.10am on Thursday mornings for Mass celebrated by one of our local Parish Priests and hosted by our students from Marcellin and Lavalla. 

Our final Community Mass for Term 1 will take place on Thursday 30 March and will be hosted by Romero and Year 5 Blue. 

Please see the upcoming schedule for Term 2 below; 

• Thursday  27 April,  Catherine and Year 3 Green 
• Thursday 4 May, Brigid and Year 5 Green 

We look forward to seeing you there. 

Dear Parents and Guardians

One of the great aspects of the Lenten season is that we are encouraged to take time out to reflect on our relationships with each other and with God, our Christian journey, and the direction of our lives. Taking this time to reflect and be at peace, allows us to see more clearly how our life unfolds. As we move towards Easter, we are encouraged to repair what needs repairing and refresh and renew our lives and relationships so that we can better manifest as the person that we are called to be.  Living out our Marist characteristic of family spirit requires each of us to acknowledge and address areas of our life that need attention, and perhaps even the foibles of our own personality. In such a way, we trust others to do the same, whilst accepting them as they are. When we meet people where they are, and accept them as they are, we are exercising the Marist characteristic of presence. From this safe place, relationships can flourish.   

International Women’s Day

On Wednesday 8 March, we celebrated International Women’s Day, a Global Day of Recognition which celebrates the cultural, economic, social and political achievements of women. The day also marks a call to action for accelerating women’s equality. The latest Australian Government Gender Equality Scorecard was published in December 2022, we still have a way to go!

Newman Parents Year Group Representative and Executive Induction

Our Parent Year Group Representatives from PK to Year 12 and the Newman Parents Executive attended an induction during Week 5, to learn about their roles as parent and College advocates and community builders. The night was a great success, and we extend our sincere thanks to these parents who have volunteered their time to collaborate with the school in this fashion.

Newman Parents Forum (NPF)

The first Newman Parents Forum for the year is scheduled for next Monday 13 March at 6.00pm in the St John Henry Newman Learning Hub. All parents are welcome to attend.  Most of the College executives are in attendance at these meetings, it is a good opportunity to meet the leadership team face to face.

I and the Acting Vice Principal, Simon Martino met with the NPF Executives (Benjamin Ker, Christina Folley, Gina Thornberry and Stella Rapanaro and Deborah Attard Portughes) and discussed the agenda for the next meeting.  We will cover the items outlined below:

• Parent Feedback – Celebrations From NPF
• School Update
• Capital Works
• ASIP Review
• NPF Structure
• Communication and Feedback Process
• Uniform Review
• Any other Business

Information Evening

Thank you to students and parents for attending the Education Support and Year 7 Information Evenings during Week 5. The Information Evenings were important occasions for parents and students to attend and collaborate with the PCG teachers and leaders, to share information about the journey ahead. These nights set the tone for the year ahead. It was clear by the student response that the Year 7s are looking forward to their adventure camp in Term 2.  

Year 3 to 6 Swimming Carnival

At the College pool last Friday, we ran the Years 3 to 6 Swimming Carnival. The House spirit and enthusiasm from all participants went a long way to making the carnival a success. Student cheerleading was about the loudest I have ever heard! It was a hot day, and students appreciated jumping in the pool to both compete and enjoy the day.

Congratulations to all competitors throughout the day.  A huge thank you to all the staff and students who assisted in the event to make it the success that it was. Thank you to the parents who attended and supported the students. It was a wonderful turnout.

Reconciliation Years 5 and 6

During the sacrament of reconciliation, we acknowledge our wrongdoings (sins) before God. We express our regret and sorrow and receive the forgiveness of Christ. We make reparation for what we have done and then resolve to do better in the future.  Reconciliation is a healing process that results in an increase in personal freedom. Freedom to live in greater harmony, and freedom to love. The students from Years 5 and 6 who made their reconciliation last week did so with grace and commitment.

Events Ahead 

We look forward to the significant events occurring in the next two weeks, which include the

Newman Parents Forum scheduled for Monday 13 March; Secondary Twilight Tour on Tuesday 14 March; NAPLAN Assessments, Reconciliation 6B, Allwell Testing, ACC Swimming Relay Training, Year 11 Reconciliation, Fame Auditions, Lion King Musical Rehearsals and the upcoming Year 10 to 12 Parent Teacher Interviews on Thursday 23 March.

Wishing you all a blessed next few weeks.

Dr Lucie McCrory 

PRINCIPAL (Acting)