Category: Alumni

International and National Disasters 

The last two weeks have seen the world change again with the conflict in Ukraine and the natural disaster in the Eastern States.  It is difficult to imagine the trauma and tragedy that has resulted from these events.  The Marist theme for 2022 Known and Loved Dignity for all invites us to reflect on the beauty of human life.  The privilege we have in our country is that war and destruction of life is not on our doorstep.  However, it is important that we as a community recognise our place in the world and that we offer our ongoing prayers and thoughts for this community.

Our Brother and Sister school in Lismore, Trinity College, has been devastated by the floods of northeast NSW.  The school is uninhabitable and there is limited prospect of students returning in the short term.  Through the Marist Fundraising Appeal, the College has been able to actively contribute funds to supporting this community in their endeavours to restore teaching and learning onsite (please see Ministry section for more detail).  Thank you to everyone who donated to this appeal.

Ms Julie Ryan, Marist Schools Australia Regional Director 

We were most fortunate to have received a visit from Julie Ryan this week, her first visit to Perth since May 2021.  The purpose of Julie’s trip was to visit the school and meet with the College Leadership Team, staff and students.  In addition, Julie and I met with the Executive Director CEWA, Dr Debra Sayce and Vicar for Education and Faith Formation Archdiocese of Perth, Fr Vincent Glynn, to discuss the College’s position with Catholic Education WA and our role as a Catholic school within the Archdiocese of Perth.

Julie has recently confirmed her intention to conclude in her current role at the end of June 2022 and commence richly deserved retirement from full time work. Her support of Newman College has been untiring over the past 5 years ensuring visits to the West 3-4 times per year.  We look forward to farewelling Julie as a College at the end of Term 2.

COVID-19 Update 

The disruption caused by COVID-19 in our Community persists as case numbers increase in the wider community and changes to social measures and contact tracing evolve.  Please click here to view the College’s latest update.

I wish to commend the students for their resilience and adaptability as changes to their day-to-day life occur.  The wearing of masks of our Primary students has been embraced and I thank families for supporting the College’s enacting WA Health regulations as they are rolled out.

The College now has a dedicated COVID-19 team dealing specifically with COVID-19.  An email address has been set up to enable families to send any queries or report a positive case to our team through this email – covid@newman.wa.edu.au

Events

Although many restrictions have been placed on events so far this term it was wonderful to see today students in action at our Years 3-6 Faction Swimming Carnival.  Our students, over and over again, have risen to the occasion and continue to display a strong spirit, passion and commitment to their school.

NPCC, Monday 14 March, 4.45pm

I encourage members of our College community to attend the online NPCC meeting on Monday evening, the focus of which will be the College’s Annual School Improvement Plan 2022 and processes in managing the outbreak and its impact at Newman College.  A SMS will be sent out on Monday including the link, or you can join by clicking here.

John Finneran
Principal

COVID-19 Update 

The disruption to the 2022 school year has continued with the increased number of COVID-19 cases in the community.  As families are aware, we are working closely with WA Health through AISWA (Association of Independent Schools Australia) in determining procedures for supporting students and staff who test positive to COVID-19.  This has not been an easy time and the challenges presented to our community have been commensurate to an ever-changing landscape.

As per my last communication to families of 24 February (published on the College website), the process for contact tracing and identification of COVID-19 cases has been refined due to the quantum of work required to provide more timely information.  Contact tracing will now be conducted by the College.  To ensure an efficient and effective process, we have created an addition to our College COVID-19 web page so that parents can complete our ‘Reporting Form’ should their child test positive for COVID-19.  I wish to assure families that students who test positive or who are identified as close contacts will be well supported by the College.

I recognise that there has been some frustration in our community but am grateful for your patience and ongoing support.  I am very pleased at the way our students have commenced their learning this year and responded with youthful exuberance and resilience to this crisis.  One of the key pillars of a successful school is a settled environment.  Despite the myriad changes, our students have adapted quickly which bodes well for the term ahead.

As more information is provided by AISWA, we will inform parents and guardians of the impact on our local context.

High Achievers Assembly

On Wednesday 16 February we celebrated our 2021 High Achievers.  Our assembly was planned to be held in the gymnasium with 1130 Years 7-12 students to celebrate our High Achievers of 2021 and our Years 6 and 12 student leaders.  But due to the announcement of new COVID restrictions in WA, this occasion was presented online.

At the assembly, I spoke of this year marking 150 years of Marist Education in Australia in which the first school class occurred in 1872 at the Rocks, Church Hill, in Sydney.  As part of the 150 years celebrations, all Marist schools were invited to engage with a special initiative, the Marist Alumni Project.  The project has been designed to identify and celebrate significant contributions that Marist educated women and men have made to our Nation over the past 150 years, echoing the dream of Saint Marcellin for Marist education, ‘to form good Christians and good citizens’.  The outcome of the project is the creation of an Anthology of Outstanding Australian Marist Alumni.

I spoke of the significant achievements of some of our past alumni and suggested that one or two 2021 High Achievers, of whom we were celebrating, might also go on to become an Outstanding Alumni in the future.

Please click here to view my speech in full.

Newman College Council Meeting 

On Thursday 17 February the College Advisory Council commenced its meetings for 2022.  At the first meeting we welcomed new member, Greg Wheeler, to the Finance Committee and Advisory Council and look forward to his contribution, given his diverse financial and past student experiences.
The key theme of the meeting was the commencement of the new company, Marist Schools Australia Limited, the newly established entity which has the single focus on the governance and administration of Marist schools, including Newman College.

John Finneran
Principal

The start of 2022 has been significantly disrupted by COVID-19 and the myriad guidelines that have been put in place for schools.  I assure parents that the College is doing all it can to ensure a safe environment for our staff and students.  Please click here to visit the COVID-19 page on the College website to view correspondence that has been circulated to date.  As more information is provided by the WA Government, we will inform parents and guardians of the impact on our local context.

Newman College Council Formation

Last Saturday, our College Council members attended a beginning of year formation program, delivered by a member of the Marist Mission and Life Formation Team.  The opportunity to reflect on our mission was summed up in the quote ‘Mission comes first.  The church does not have a mission.  The mission, rather, has a church’, (Bevans 2009).  At the heart of our Marist community is our family spirit which is built on the premise of the common good articulated by our Founder, St Marcellin Champagnat, to make good Christians and good citizens. As a leadership, our decision-making matrix is underpinned by our formative experiences in mission and our commitment to the faith and learning development of our young people.

Our Vision for Mission is our guiding light in our school in how we engage with our Catholic Identity and how we create formative experiences.  We aim to provide opportunities for our young people where they reflect on critical questions that determine their place and engage in the world.

At our Student Leadership Commissioning Mass this week, Monsignor Kevin Long noted that leadership is underpinned by service which, put simply, is action.  For our young people the questions of rights, responsibilities and power to be good Christians (and Citizens) is a process of discernment.  As a Catholic school, this discernment is based on the principles of Catholic social teaching, the Gospel imperatives and our experiences of mission.

200 years ago St Marcelin Champagnat identified the need for education for dislocated rural children.  This ambition was to enable underprivileged youth the opportunity to participate and ultimately compete in the world.  Marist education is now in over 80 countries across the world and serves over 800,000 people.

In 2022 we hold the same ambition to create the opportunity for our young people to participate and make a contribution both individually and collectively to our society with the view to consider the other person, however challenging that may be at times.

The Sesquicentenary of Marist Education in Australia 2022, Marist Alumni Project 

This year marks 150 years of Marist Education in Australia in which the first school class occurred in 1872 at the Rocks, Church Hill, in Sydney.  As part of these celebrations, Marist Schools Australia is recognising those who have been educated by the Marists and have made a significant contribution to Australian society.  All Marist schools across Australia have been invited to nominate those who have made such contributions.  Following extensive research by our Archives Team, a number of worthy candidates were identified and the common denominator of all was clearly their service to the common good.  The outcome of the project is the creation of an Anthology of Outstanding Australian Marist Alumni.

Next week we will be celebrating the High Achievers of 2021 and, at that event, I will provide an outline of some of those with whom the College has chosen and subsequently nominated.

We look forward to the weeks ahead with the hope that as one community we can walk together in solidarity.

John Finneran
Principal