Thursday 2 February – Y11 and Y12 Parent Information Sessions, 6.30pm Gym and Auditorium
Friday 3 February – Parent Welcome Sundowner, 5.30pm Marist Auditorium
Wednesday 8 February – PK-12 Family Mass, 5.00pm Marcellin Oval
Thank you for your ongoing support and partnership throughout the 2022 school year. It is a great privilege to be involved in the lives of young people and I thank our families, parents, and carers for your trust in the College to nurture your daughter’s and son’s development and growth. I also offer my thanks and gratitude to our teachers and support staff for their commitment to our students and families.
Wishing you all a safe and holy Christmas and a happy New Year.
Save the Dates
Friday 3 February – Parent Welcome Sundowner
Please join us in celebrating the start of the 2023 school year, as we welcome new families into our community, and reconnect with each other. To purchase tickets please click here
Wednesday 8 February
The College warmly invites our College community, students, staff and families, to join us to celebrate our PK-12 Family Mass to commence the 2023 school year. The Eucharist will commence at 5.30pm on the Br Terrace Gleeson Oval. More information will be forthcoming.
Reports
Families in Years K – 11 will have access to their reports from 4.00pm on Friday 9 December.
Please ensure you can log into SEQTA to retrieve the reports. Any families leaving Newman College, including our class of 2022 students, are reminded to download all reports from SEQTA as files will be archived at the end of December and will no longer be accessible.
Booklists
Please click HERE to access booklists for students in years 7 – 12.
2023 Term Dates
Term 1
Monday 30 Jan – Staff Commence
Tuesday 31 Jan – Staff Professional Learning Day (College Closed)
Wednesday 1 Feb – Students Commence: K-Y7 and New Students Y8 -11 (Orientation)
Thursday 2 Feb – Students Commence: Y8-12
Monday 6 March – Labour Day – Public Holiday (College Closed)
Thursday 6 April – Term concludes for staff and students
Term 2
Monday 24 April – Marist Faith Formation Day (College Closed)
Tuesday 25 April – Anzac Day – Public Holiday (College Closed)
Wednesday 26 April – PK-12 Students return
Monday 5 June – Western Australia Day – Public Holiday (College Closed)
Friday 30 June – Term concludes for staff and students
Term 3
Monday 17 July – Staff Professional Learning Day (College Closed)
Tuesday 18 July – PK-Y10 Parent Teacher Interviews
Wednesday 19 July – PK-12 Students return
Friday 11 August – Staff Wellbeing Day (College Closed)
Monday 14 August – Staff Catholic Faith Day (College Closed)
Wednesday 20 September – Y12 last day
Friday 22 September – Term concludes for staff and students
Term 4
Monday 9 October – Staff Professional Learning Day (College Closed)
Monday 9 October – Y7 2024 Orientation Day
Tuesday 10 October – PK-12 Students return
Thursday 23 November – Y11 last day
Friday 1 December – Y10 last day
Thursday 6 December – PK-Y9 last day
Friday 8 December – Staff Professional Learning Day (College Closed)
Monday 11 December – Staff Professional Learning Day (College Closed)
Tuesday 12 December – Staff final day (College Closed)
Tuesday evening was a wonderful celebration of our Year 6 students primary school journey. The St John Henry Newman Learning Hub provided a beautiful backdrop for the Awards ceremony, as our students reflected on the journey that lies ahead of them on Marcellin Campus. Congratulations to our Annual Award winners on their significant achievements:
Year 6 Subject Award Winners 2022
Religious Education
6 Blue: Mitchell Short 6 Green: Lucas Stanway 6 Red: Sienna Larcombe
Digital & Design Technologies – Ruben Zafiropoulos
Physical Education
The Physical Education award is presented to the student who has performed at a high level throughout all physical education classes throughout the year.
Luke Rombouts
Annabelle Adamini
Outstanding Athlete
The Most Outstanding Athlete award is presented to the athlete who has shown consistent success across the swimming, cross country, and athletics carnivals.
Hamish Macgregor
Kaydee Van Deventer
Italian/Languages – Alessandro La Verghetta
Music – Joshua Woods
Visual Arts – Ruben Zafiropoulos
Performing Arts – Madison Bradford
Year 6 Major Award Winners 2022
Commitment to Learning
The Commitment to Learning awards are presented to one student in each class who consistently strives for self-improvement through a reflective process, completes tasks on time, demonstrates independent work habits and always works collaboratively with others. They set an excellent example to their peers in their diligent approach towards their learning.
6 Blue – Tayla Berghan
6 Green – Zac Sindall
6 Red – Emily Mainstone
Citizenship Award
This award acknowledges a student who has proved to be an outstanding young citizen by their attitude towards fellow students and teachers, their behaviour both within the school and in their community and their willingness to participate in activities and projects. They are a person who sets an example for their peers, contributing positively to our school community at every opportunity.
Hamish Macgregor
Saint Marcellin Champagnat Award
The Saint Marcellin Champagnat Award is built on our Marist Charisms; and is presented to a student who demonstrates a knowledge of our Faith, shows active service, care and respect for others, has a genuine love of work and an approach of simplicity in all that they do. They are the difference maker in our community, doing all that they do in the way of Mary with humility, courage and strength.
Andie Anderton
Proxime Accessit (Runner up Dux)
This award is presented to a student who has worked consistently hard all year to demonstrate a very high level of academic success. This student embodies the Marist characteristic of Love of Work and has set a fine example for their peers.
Joshua Woods
Saint John Henry Newman Award (Dux)
This prestigious award is presented to one student who has displayed consistently high academic achievement and application across all key learning areas. They have demonstrated outstanding results across all subject areas, working diligently and consistently all year to achieve success.
Kaydee Van Deventer
Pizza Pool Parties & Marian Water Fun Day
This week our students in Year 3, 4 and 5 enjoyed their annual Pizza Pool Party, with many smiles and laughs being enjoyed as students splashed and cooled off in the College pool. Our Marian Campus students had a wonderful time on the water slides today, and the excitement on their faces was a wonderful culmination of the busy term.
We hope the event enabled students to celebrate their hard work and achievements from across the year with their friends and teachers.
Year 2 Assembly – Farewell to Marian Campus
Our Year 2 students performed a beautiful rendition of the Dr Suess book “Oh! The places you will go!” which is a very accurate reflection of what lies ahead for them as they transition over to our Lavalla Campus.
Their entrance to the song ‘Fame’ also set the scene beautifully, for the celebration and reflection of all their wonderful learning and achievements across the Marian Campus.
A very big thank you to their teachers for preparing such a wonderful farewell event.
Christmas Carols
Thank you to our families for joining us on Wednesday evening for our Primary Carols & Awards evening. I have had overwhelmingly positive feedabck frgom families and teachers on the atmosphere of the evening. Our students sung beuatifully, and the sense of Newman College community was very evident across the evening.
A special thanks to Ms Ava Bilton for her countless hors of preparation in teaching the carols to our students, and to our Newman Voices choir for their support of the event also.
Annual Awards Winners
Congratulations to the following students on their wonderful achievements.
In the Way of Mary Awardpresented to the student who embodies the Marist faith throughout the year in their daily words and actions.
Shine Through Discovery Awardpresented to the student who has achieved outstanding academic achievement over the school year
Br Francois AwardPresented to a student who has demonstrated exceptional growth in their learning over the school year.
Kindy Red
Lucas Pitcher
Charlotte Alchin
Sienna Bendall
Kindy Green
Sienna Jowett
Leopold Boyatzis
Ethan Philpott
Kindy Blue
Harvey O’Keeffe
Logan Morphett
Lily Jopson
Pre-Primary Red
Lily Jones
Sidney Williamson
Sofia Tassone
Pre-Primary Green
Lincoln Rodgers
Pia Nair
Noah Smith
Pre-Primary Blue
Ava Petherick
Leon Di Benedetto
Finley Shephard
1 Red
Leo Porter
Poppy Head
Sam Honeywell
1 Green
Emerson Dolz
Leith Morgan
Donovan Johnson
1 Blue
Miranda Porter
Odette Taylor
Connor Whitehead
2 Red
Nina Gordon
Benjamin Van
Wynter Cybulski
2 Green
Taylor Heng
Luke Parry
Leonardo Cardaci Anza
2 Blue
Ella Reilly
Lucas Ramsden
Joshua Bower
3 Red
Ella Jones
Noah Mawson
Jack McCagh
3 Green
Oliver Duck
Lachlan Rear
Alyssa D’Agostino
3 Blue
Franklin Walker
Lucius Van Zyl
Samantha Glyde
4 Red
Zoe Teh
Ryan Magee
Nicholas Ausmeier
4 Green
Julian Cameron
Rita Kirk
Cooper D’Agostino
4 Blue
Sloane O’Brien
Kate Gordon
Liam Cooley
5 Red
Savannah Otten
Elena Thornberry
Griffin Chester
5 Green
John Haarhoff
Mavrick Patterson
Eva Glew
5 Blue
Berkley Blizzard
Lola Vogl
Arlia Della Franca
2023 Student Council & Faction Captains
The 2023 Student Council and Faction Captains were announced at our Carols event. This announcement followed a thorough process where students were requried to provide a written application detailing their desire and suitability for a position on the student council. Individual speeches were then delivered to their peers, teachers and members of leadership, after which the Year 5 cohort of students and teaching staff voted.
Congratulations to the following students who form our 2023 Student Council:
Noah Parelli
Nicholas Heng
John Haarhoff
Cooper Raguseo
Otis Keane
Sophie Parry
Ava Di Pietro
Elise Cakar
Eva Menzies-Stewart
Grace Taylor
Congratulations to our 2023 Faction Captains:
Brigid: Rhys Hearn & Arlia Della Franca
Marcellin: Mavrick Patterson & Mya Cantelo
Delaney: Stefan Moscholopolous & Isla Kalebic
Knox: Jordy Vladich & Layla Bornmann
Stationary supplies for Lavalla students
There are no booklists for Primary school students and supplies will be provisioned by the classroom teachers.
However, parents of Lavalla Campus (Year 3 – Year 6, 2023) students will require the following items:
* pencil case * scissors * ruler * glue stick * lead pencils & eraser * blue pens & red pens * highlighter * coloured pencils * textas * earphones
Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. (Galatians 6:9)
It is hard to believe that the end of another school year is upon us. The Marist theme for 2022 Known and Loved: Dignity for All has encouraged us to recognise that human dignity is at the heart of the Gospel. As young people in a Marist community, it is our job to bring dignity to others in the way we speak, act, and encounter those around us. It is our job to seek out those in our community who are among the least, or the invisible, and invite them into relationship with us. This year, we have seen many examples of this lived out in our community, whether it has been through our many social justice and youth advocacy initiatives, or simply an inviting smile or friendly hello to each other as we pass each other in the hall.
As we enter the season of Advent, we remember that this is a time of great hope and anticipation as we prepare the celebrate the coming of Christ – a story told so beautifully this week by our Pre-Primary students in their Liturgy. My hope is that all of our students and families can enjoy this special time together, having a safe, restful, and peaceful Christmas break. We look forward to welcoming all families back again next year.
Pre-Primary Liturgy
On Thursday 1 December, staff, students, and families gathered in St Cecilia’s church to celebrate our Pre-Primary Liturgy. With the support of their teachers, the PP students told the story of Jesus’s birth through songs, actions, and spoken word, delivering a recount that was both emotional and heartwarming. It is so beautiful to see our youngest students participate so wholeheartedly in our liturgies, and I would like to especially thank our PP team and Mrs. Short for their contributions in guiding our students through this event. It was wonderful to see so many families in attendance too.
Student Leaders Gathering
Last week, twelve of our 2023 student leaders took part in a Student Leaders Gathering at Ern Halliday Recreation Camp in Hillarys. These leaders were joined by representatives from West Australian schools St. Joseph’s College Northam and Bunbury Catholic College, as well as South Australian schools Sacred Heart College, and Cardijn College. Students had the chance to come together in fellowship to both develop friendships, as well as spend time together learning what it means to be a young person in school leading with a Marist Heart. It was a wonderful three days spent together, culminating in a Eucharistic celebration here in our Champagnat Chapel. We certainly look forward to inviting our Year 11 students of 2023 to attend again next year.
Sacramental Program 2023
Next year, students in Year 3, 4 and 6 will be preparing for the Sacraments of Reconciliation, Holy Communion and Confirmation. In order for this to happen, families must register their children with their local parish at the beginning of the year so that they can take part in the Sacraments. We work in collaboration with families and parishes to prepare students to receive the Sacraments, which are then celebrated in your local parish. It is essential that you enrol your child to receive the Sacrament in their local parish.
Enrolments details for 2023 Sacramental Programs for the local parishes will soon be available, with some details already available for next year. These can be found below:
I would really like to take this opportunity to thank all families and other members of our community for their very kind and generous donations to our Saint Vincent de Paul Christmas Appeal this year. The Marian, Lavalla, and Marcellin campuses are overflowing with large numbers of donations, and we know these will be received by those in need in our community with grateful hearts. Thank you to all staff, students, and families who have given their support and put their faith in action to provide a difference for others. I certainly hope that as we gather around the table for Christmas this year, we can spare a thought for those in our community who are the least, the lost, and the invisible, and that we may continue to offer our support next year.
Over the last week we celebrated Christmas and the birth of Jesus Christ at a variety of events and liturgies across the College. The highlight without doubt was the magnificent Christmas Carols evening. Congratulations to the Primary school for their participation led superbly by Ms Ava Bilton.
The students have been immersed in a variety of activities that have reflected our Marist family spirit. The joy of Christmas is here and we look forward to spending time with our families over the summer break.
PK-5 Awards
Our awards ceremony was held in conjunction with our Christmas Carols evening. The awards in our College are now aligned across PK-12. Congratulations to all award winners.
Year 6 Graduation
Congratulations to Year 6 for a beautiful Graduation, celebrated with Mass in the Champagnat Chapel and Ceremony in the JHN learning Hub. It was a fitting end, exemplified by a wonderful spirit and excitement about what lay ahead.
Thank you to Classroom teachers – Robyn Hatchett, Delia Kretzmann, Erica Horn and Lucy Zambonetti – and specialised teachers, and all who have been part of their journey during their time at primary school.
Particular congratulations to all award winners for their significant achievements
College Productions 2023
After a period of discernment and consultation I am pleased to announce that our College Productions for 2023 are:
Y3-9 – The Lion King
Y10-12 – Fame
Both musicals will provide students every opportunity to let their light shine. My thanks again to all members of our community for your participation and contribution to our Arts program. Our students, families and staff are highly valued and it is hoped that, together, we can continue to grow our program in the years ahead.
Audition dates will be conveyed early next year by Ms Yvonne Wiese.
Annual School Improvement Plan (ASIP) 2022
Last week we evaluated our ASIP for 2022. The Strategic Priority areas are:
1.A Catholic School in the Marist Tradition
2.Transformational Learning
3.Culture of Innovation and Excellence
4.Sustainability
Each Priority Area has a series of intents which we seek to measure each year. In 2022 highlights included:
The strengthening of our Religious Education program in both curriculum and formation across the College
The growth of our PK-12 Literacy Plan
The development of our Middle Leadership Program, Accelerator – Drive to Excel, which saw Newman College being awarded an Australian Educator Innovator Award.
Consolidation and development of our Primary school relocation
Student led sustainability project
The results will be published in the 2022 Annual Report, which will be located on the College website in the coming weeks. 2023 is the final year of the current Strategic Plan and there will be opportunity to be involved in a community consultation for our new Plan.
Thank you
As 2022 and my tenure as College Principal comes to a close, there have been many groups and individual people who have made a significant contribution to the development and growth of our College.
A full list of thanks and acknowledgements will be in our College Yearbook available in 2023.
This has been my sixth Marist community and I have been nourished by the example of our Churchlands Marist Community. I wish to acknowledge and thank the Marist Brothers involved in our College community; in particular Br John Furlong, Churchland Brothers Community Leader, Br Terry Orrell, Campus Minister, Br Paul Murphy, Education Assistant, Br Noel Hickey and Br Joe Hughes for their presence in our lives.
The gift of leading a PK-12 community is the richness in the diversity of children across all ages and the various parts of our school. Our students reflect our aspiration which is for them to realise the gifts and talents God has given them. Each student is valued and is valuable and I thank them for their presence and in making Newman College the great school that it is.
Thank you to the College staff for your tireless commitment to your work and more specifically to our students. Your professionalism, energy and passion for your craft is exemplified not only in our results but in the culture that values people and celebrates growth.
To the College Executive and Senior Leadership Team, my thanks to your unwavering support of me, characterized by a love of work, a listening ear and a joy that has made my role so much easier. Particular thanks to Dr Lucie McCrory, Vice Principal, for her tireless commitment to excellence and animation for staff and students.
Throughout my seven years at Newman two members of our College Executive have been there from the beginning – Steve Halley-Wright and Josie Parker. They have been an incredible support to me exemplified by a Marian heart and wisdom that has enabled me to be a better leader. Stephen’s work as Director of Finance and Administration is without peer and foundational to our growth for years to come. Josie in her 25th year as Executive Assistant at Newman College was recognised with a Marist Award for excellence in Melbourne recently for her outstanding commitment and service to Marist Education. She exemplifies our Marist characteristics in every facet of her work and presence. We wish her every blessing in her retirement.
Finally, to all members of our community, thank you. For my wife Anita, our children Ursula and Stephen, we have been blessed with the privilege of being part of this great Marist community. Our prayer for the future is that the transformational power of the love of Jesus Christ continues to nourish this College, best summed up in the words of our founder St. Marcellin Champagnat,
“May their lives been an echo of what you have taught them”
It was wonderful to welcome our 2023 students to the Marian Campus on Monday morning. Students and their parents had the opportunity to meet their Kindy teachers and spend some time familiarising themselves with their Kindy classrooms and classmates. Parents were also invited to an information session and morning tea in the Marian library, to assist them in their child’s transition into Newman College.
There are still a very few limited places available across our 5-day, 4-day and 3-day Kindergarten program for 2023. If you know anyone who is considering Newman College for their kindy child in 2023, please encourage them to contact our Registrar, Ms Jo Dunn at registrar@newman.wa.edu.au as soon as possible.
Marian Assembly
Last Friday, Pre-Primary Green students led us in an amazing assembly that showcased their co-constructed Talk4Writing text “The Three Chickens Gruff” with a very grumpy onion that lived under the bridge. It is wonderful to see these examples of the students writing showcased, and brought to life through a dramatic representation of the story.
Well done also to all our amazing Merit Award winners, who demonstrated in many ways the College’s pedagogical pillars of Collaborate, Celebrate, Challenge and Create.
Lavalla Assembly
On Friday, students from 4 Blue presented a wonderful play called “The Pirates and the Monster”! This was a lovely story which shared the message that education will open a lot of ‘hidden passages’ and we can share in its treasures! We also acknowledged the efforts of students receiving the Catholic Performing Arts Awards. Congratulations to all students on their success over these past few weeks!
Remembrance Day services
Remembrance Day was respectfully marked across the College, with students at both Marian and Lavalla observing a minute’s silence in their respective Remembrance Day Services.
Students at both campuses were reminded of the significance of the day, as we all continue to show our gratitude for the fallen service men and women who bravely fought to provide us with the freedoms that we enjoy today.
Year 5/6 AFL Dockers Cup
The Year 5/6 AFL girls competed on Monday 31st October. The team went through the pool games undefeated. We then played IONA College in the final as they were also undefeated from their pool.
The final was a tense battle, with our girls coming away victorious. The team should be very proud of their display of sportsmanship and football skills, they played at a very high standard throughout the whole day.
A big thank you to Miss Tildi Sergeant for helping to coach the team on the day and the parents who came along and supported.
Swimming lessons
This week, students across Year 1 to Year 6 began swimming lessons in our College pool. There have been lots of excited faces as they embark on this 2-week program that is run by the Newman Swim Club.
There are also some items of lost property on each campus as a result of these lessons. You may wish to pop past and see whether any of these items belong to your child/ren.
2023 Transition Afternoon
Next Friday 25 November, students from Kindy to Year 5 will undertake a transition session, which is designed to provide students with a smooth move into their 2023 class.
Students will be informed of their 2023 classroom allocation and will then spend a session with their 2023 classroom teacher and classmates. This session will be focused on familiarising students with their new learning space and undertaking some fun activities.
Class lists will be distributed to families that afternoon, and parents are encouraged to support their child’s placement and successful transition by engaging in positive discussion about the process and excitement about the future possibilities for their child. No changes to class allocations will be possible, once class lists have been distributed.
Year 3 Transition – 2023
On Friday 25 November, all current Year 2 students will attend a Transition Day at the Lavalla Campus, in preparation for 2023.
The purpose of the day is to familiarise students with the Lavalla Campus, and will involve a range of lessons and activities that will allow them an experience of the Campus.
Students should wear their blue Newman College sports uniform and bring their school bag containing recess, lunch, a water bottle and the College hat.
Families can drop students off at the Campus from 8.15am, and students can assemble in the Lavalla Hall where their Year 2 teachers will be waiting. Students should be collected from Lavalla from 2.45pm.
iPad Program – 2023
To enhance learning opportunities within the classroom, from 2023 Year 2 and 3 students will be provided with access to new College owned and controlled iPads. The iPad bundle will include use of the iPad with 256GB of storage, Logitech Rugged Combo, Touch Keyboard and Apple Pen. All software will be included.
The iPads will be stored and charged at school in locked cabinets located in every classroom
Students will have access to the same College owned iPad at school until the end of Year 6
At the end of Year 6, students will be required to return the device to the College
Parents and Students will be required to sign a Responsible User Agreement that outlines their obligations and responsibilities
If a student leaves the school at any time before the end of Year 6, the device will be restored to factory settings and repurposed
There will be an ICT levy of $300 per year on your child’s fee account
Students in Year 3 to Year 5, will continue to utilise their BYOD iPad device as per the previous arrangement.
We continue to encounter challenges with student’s appropriate use of digital devices on a regular basis. Many of these challenges occur outside the school setting but become problematic when they affect a range of Newman students. Further, many of these problems could be avoided with appropriate controls being implemented by families on their child’s device.
The College utilises a Cyberhound appliance that allows us to allow/block websites and filter internet traffic looking for inappropriate or concerning language the students have used. Additionally, we also have mail filtering for all emails sent and received to the Newman email domain which looks for inappropriate content. However, with Apple iMessage the College cannot pick up inappropriate content due to the way that the iMessage service works, whereby Apple encrypts the message when it is send it and it only gets unencrypted on the recipients end.
Parents can disable iMessage for their child. Parents should be establish their child’s device as a “child” account that you create through Apple family. This will allow you to disable built in apps including iMessage and FaceTime.
Other services like FamilyZone also allow parents to control usage, by locking the app during certain times of the day. However, your child would still be able to see the messages outside of those hours. There’s more information on how iMessage keeps your messages safe here and how you can block built in apps on Apple Family here.
Families are reminded that students ARE NOT permitted to use any messaging service during the school day, and we ask parents to support this policy by not contacting or replying to their child through their iPad at any point during the school day.
Year 6 Ceremony and Awards
Primary Christmas Carols and Awards evening
Wellbeing
As we move closer to the end of the year, we recognise that the students are starting to get tired and ready for the summer holidays. During this week, we have taken the time to remind students about the importance of still following school routines and ensuring they are being respectful and polite to their peers and staff.
This gives us the opportunity to reflect on ourselves as Marists and our Marist Theme for the year; “Known and Loved, Dignity For All”. We are being called not simply to recognise the dignity of all, but let the world know about it by the way we live our lives for and with others.