Author: Jo Dunn

ADVOCACY, SOCIAL JUSTICE & SERVICE-LEARNING PARTNERSHIPS

Developing relationships and learning to engage in the world is fundamental to the growth of any person. At Newman College, our Marist characteristic of Presence calls us to actively engage with each other and grow our sense of community. This is exemplified through our Ministry Plan which is designed to provide our College Community with a framework through which to engage and live-out the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Its outcome may not be measured during the student’s College life. It is our aim that the values of faith, love, hope and service will manifest themselves during the student’s lifetime, and that their Catholic, Marist school experience will be one that transforms and animates them to be people of the Gospel.

Key priorities within our Ministry Plan are advocacy, social justice and service learning partnerships. The aim is to provide a framework for social action that is inspired by Gospel values, which seeks to provide the Newman College community with local opportunities to collaborate in ministries of outreach of the Catholic Church. Over the next week, I will be accompanying sixteen Year 11 students and four staff from our College and St Joseph’s College Northam to the Philippines. This immersion has become an integral component of our College life because it stimulates our students’ sense of social justice and heightens their awareness of the opportunities for service in the community, both now and post school. Pope Francis contends that “the measure of the greatness of society is found in the way it treats those most in need, those who have nothing apart from their poverty.”

The immersion has three components:

1. Pre-Immersion – Understanding why: Students and staff complete a program prior to the experience that focuses on learning about the structural injustices that cause poverty and oppression in the Philippines. We learn about the issues that affect young people that include abuse, human trafficking, homelessness and substance abuse. To this end we investigate and learn about the projects undertaken by Catholic Non-Government Organisations (NGOs) such as PREDA, the KUYA Centre, and ERDA Foundation. These projects specifically aim to support communities and develop the dignity of the individual to allow them to live and be afforded the rights that we all should enjoy. To support this understanding, we also focus on Catholic Social Teaching (CST) Principles with particular reference to the Church’s preferential option for the poor and the common good.
2. Immersion – On ground experience: The students spend time with our partners (NGOs) to witness their work and walk in solidarity with the young people and communities. Being directly involved in activities encourages them to critically reflect on their experiences, enabling them to integrate the meaning of these experiences into their ongoing journey of faith and life.
3. Post Immersion – Growing our Culture: The impact of the individual may not be measured in the short term. However, in an endeavour to raise awareness across PK-12, the immersion participants are called to action through developing a digital reflection of their experience. This is used to support our fundraising for Caritas Australia, Marist Solidarity and these agencies. Students also present to all staff and in classroom visits.

The impact and effect of this advocacy and immersion experience to the Philippines for our community has been extraordinary. Four years of this experience has grown the culture of engagement and service within and outside our school. We have established a partnership with St Joseph’s College Northam that engages students and staff from both Marist schools in this project. Our fundraising efforts have doubled and the awareness raising is now part of our pastoral program. Students have used the experience to develop their skills and capacity for critical reflection. This has enabled many students, post-school, in their application for tertiary study and for securing work in human rights and ministry. The most pleasing aspect is our community recognising the work and mission of the Catholic Church. Our students see how good works, with advocacy and service being a fundamental part of this mission.

We wish our group every blessing for their journey ahead.

Photo 1: ERDA – Sabana community

Photo 2: Simon Martino and John Finneran with children from local streets.

Photo 3: John Finneran with George, Social Worker from KUYA Centre for Street Children, with children from local streets. (Newman students will visit this area on 3 December.)

Marcellin Champagnat “showed himself to be a first-class educator of young people. His success in transforming the mostly poorly educated youth who wanted to be Brothers into capable teachers and religious educators was extraordinary. He was present among them, gave them good example, and helped them to develop humanly and spiritually. The secret of his success lay in the great simplicity with which he related to his young followers and in his great confidence in them.” (In the footsteps of Marcellin Champagnat, #23). Today, Newman College continues in Marcellin’s footsteps by working towards the development of the ‘whole person’, socially, emotionally, intellectually, physically and spiritually.

Over the course of the last two weeks, students have been challenged to stand in solidarity with the poor and the marginalised both locally (St Vincent de Paul Christmas Appeal) and internationally (supporting the Kuya Centre in the Philippines). In true Marist style, students and staff across the College, have opened their hearts to those in need with an overwhelming demonstration of support.

Year 11 Philippines Immersion

Yesterday our Year 11 Philippines Immersion group were commissioned at our Thursday Morning Community Mass.

On Saturday 23 November, sixteen Year 11 students from Newman College and St Joseph’s School, Northam, begin their two week Immersion in the Philippines accompanied by Mr John Finneran, Principal, Mrs Carla Pastorelli, Leader of Wellbeing Year 11, Mr Tom Williams, Assistant Head of Sport, Mr Simon Martino, Leader of Wellbeing Year 9 and Mr Shane Bransby, teacher, St Joseph’s School, Northam.

The students attending are:
Jessica Ashwood, Anastasia Berti, Kate Broderick, Brodie Major, Meg Hobson, Mitchell Harris, Charlotte Easden, Ruby Vance, Samuel Giumelli, Samuel Beeton, Tegan Connelly, Damien Lockyer, Grace Collins, Jack Towie, Kate Harris (St Joseph’s School, Northam) and Hannah Morrison (St Joseph’s School, Northam).

We congratulate our 2019 Year 11 Philippines Immersion group on taking this next step in their journey following their six-month formation and preparation process.

Kuya Centre Free Dress Day / Crazy Hair Day – Gold Coin Donation

Over the past few weeks, students at the Marcellin and Lavalla Campuses were invited to wear Free Dress and students at Marian come to school with crazy hairstyles to raise both funds and awareness for the Kuya Centre in the Philippines which will be visited by the Year 11 Philippines Immersion group next week. The Free Dress Day raised $1,610.95 and the Crazy Hair Day $382.30. Every dollar raised on this day will be directed to young people supported by the Kuya Centre. The Kuya Centre is a project of Australian Marist Solidarity. You can read more about the Kuya Centre and the work of Australian Marist Solidarity by clicking here.

St Vincent de Paul Christmas Appeal

The annual St Vincent de Paul Society Christmas Appeal provides hope, comfort and dignity to over 3000 families in Western Australia who will be struggling during the Christmas season. As a Catholic school educating in the Marist Tradition, Newman College seeks to reach out and serve those in our community following the example set by Jesus in the Scriptures.

Items for the St Vincent de Paul Society Christmas Appeal will be collected across the College’s three campuses at Marian, Lavalla and Marcellin. In 2019, Newman College will be supporting the St Vincent de Paul Society at both St Cecilia’s Church in the Parish of Floreat / Wembley, as well as at Our Lady of the Rosary, Doubleview.

A letter was sent home to parents outlining the items requested for each campus, as well as details about collection points.

Download St Vincent De Paul Christmas Appeal Letter 2019

Prayers for the Month of November

During the month of November, Catholics are invited to remember all those who have gone before us marked with the sign of faith. Beginning the month of November is the feast of All Saints (Friday 1 November), followed by the feast of All Souls (Saturday 2 November).

You are invited to join our Thursday morning Community Masses at 8.10am to pray with and for those who have gone before us, both as saints, and those who you would like to remember in this month of November. Throughout November, staff and students are invited to write a prayer, or the name of a loved-one, and place it in a sealed box which will be placed at the front of the altar for each of our Masses in November. This box will be in the foyer of the Champagnat Chapel for the month of November. In this way, we as a community are able to unite our prayers in support and remembrance of each other, and to those who have travelled this way before us.

MYM Annual Christmas Trivia Night

Marist Youth Ministry and the Marist Association are hosting a Trivia Night to help fundraise for the Santa Teresa Holiday Program, which one of our teachers Miss Louise O’Mahony will be attending next year. This will be the first Trivia Night Fundraiser, which will run annually, and is open to all ages and families from Newman looking to have a blast and show off their knowledge. With plenty of prizes up for offer, it would be silly not to come! BYO all food and soft drink needed for the night. Click here to purchase tickets. We hope to see you there!

The Birth of Jesus and Christmas

The Centre for Faith Enrichment are running a course titled: The Birth of Jesus and Christmas. The Course runs on Thursdays between 5 December and 19 December, 7.30pm-9.30pm. This user-friendly online course looks at the origins and ‘developments’ of celebrating Christmas throughout the world whilst always returning to the ‘reason for the season’ – the birth of Jesus. The course is run by Rev. Dr Charles Waddell and the cost is $15. Click here for more information.

24:7 FLOREAT  YOUTH GROUP  

• For all youth in Years 6-12
• Every Sunday from 6.00pm – 8.00pm at St Cecilia’s Parish Centre, 47 Peebles Road, Floreat
• Call Sebastian on 0403230395 or Emma on 0412310019 for more information.

Our Vision for Learning aims to support students to build a strong foundation of knowledge and skills as a gateway to discovery. We acknowledge that the development of critical and creative thinkers is paramount to equip our learners to be agents of change in an ever-changing world. Our commitment to foster creativity can be seen across the College; from the IDEAS Lab at Marian, to STEM and Coding opportunities at Lavalla through to our upcoming SOLVE IT program for students in Years 7-9. I commend our teaching staff for exploring new and innovative curriculum ideas and contemporary pedagogy to reach the learner of 2019.

Singapore Learning Immersion

This week 25 students and 4 staff participated and completed a course in problem-based learning and design thinking at the Republic Polytechnic in Singapore. This is a wonderful partnership designed to challenge staff and students to adapt to a contemporary learning environment and to work on real life problems. Thank you to Mr Peter Jones, Mrs Jenny Miraudo, Miss Krystal Skelin and Mr Anthony Bochrinis for their leadership and support for the student immersion experience.

Years 7-11 Awards Ceremony

The College Awards Ceremony for students in Years 7-11 will take place on Friday 6 December commencing at 1.00pm in the Gymnasium. Parents of Award winners will be notified in advance of this date.

Code of Conduct

A reminder to all families that the Code of Conduct can be accessed via the College website. The Code is mandated by Catholic Education Western Australia and the application of the Code extends to all staff, students, parents, guardians, caregivers and volunteers.

The Code seeks to value the dignity of every person, foster positive relationships, ensuring confidentiality and accountability and supports professional boundaries. Events held during school hours AND outside of school hours that are associated with the College are also supported by the Code of Conduct. Any perceived breaches of the Code can be discussed with any member of the Senior Leadership Team. We thank you in advance for your understanding and support of how we strive to partner positively with one another.