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Newman News Term 1 Week 6: From the Principal

13 Mar 2020

Advocacy for Social Justice

We challenge our students during Lent to participate and contribute to Caritas Australia’s Project Compassion. Caritas Australia is the International Aid and Development Agency of the Catholic Church. Its work includes delivery of long-term development programs working with the poorest of the poor around the world.

Our students PK-12 have been involved in raising awareness and fundraising across each campus. Our Year 2 Green class led a beautiful reflection and prayer that raised the importance of water projects in developing countries. The children were incredible in their animation, empathy and solidarity, particularly on the impact of water projects in communities. Both Marian and Lavalla Campuses participated in ‘Walking for Water’ (in solidarity for those in need) and Lavalla campus also conducted a cake stall. This same empathy was reflected at the Year 12 Assembly that focused on the same justice and human rights issue. The indicators in 2020 are stark; 1 in 7 people still go hungry every day and 1.2 billion people do not have access to clean drinking water.

It is important that our students, regardless of age, consider and reflect on the notion of supporting and being of service to others. Building empathy, compassion and understanding is critical in their development as people as it is in providing a salient reason why faith and love underpin the Christian narrative.

As a fundraising and awareness-raising event, the College student leaders organised a Caritas Fast on the Marcellin Campus. Over 200 students fasted to promote the work of Caritas and to raise money for Project Compassion. Again, I was in awe of the commitment, agency and advocacy of our students and staff.

This Lent I urge all families to get to know more about the work of Caritas and support them through Project Compassion. Click here to learn more.

Year 12 Mentor Program

The Year 12 theme for 2020 is #2020vision. At the core of this theme is how they will complete their final year through participation and leadership to the significant rite of passage events highlighted by their forthcoming ball. Integral to their final year is the Year 12 Mentor Program. Students have been assigned a teacher and or leader to meet with them regularly to work and provide support in their learning and wellbeing.

This week I met with the eight students who I will mentor throughout the year. Each student is really excited by what is ahead of them though anxious about the unknown. There are many support structures to assist students throughout the months ahead. Our Homework Club, for example, has been a great space for students and teachers to come together to learn and seek help. Course and subject counselling have also been critical to ensure students are on the right learning pathway.

The simple actions are often the most effective for success:

take time to reflect and set goals
give 100% in every class
ask questions
seek help always
be present to each other
have a positive attitude
and enjoy the journey.

Marist Life Formation

Mark O’ Farrell from Marist Life Formation visited Newman College last week.

13 Mar 2020

The College places great importance on providing a holistic education for our students. At an Early Childhood level this encompasses many aspects of a child’s learning and development. We are constantly striving to cater to the diverse learning needs of our students, and continue to offer learning opportunities that are engaging, exciting and build on the learning areas of the Western Australian Curriculum. Excursions and Incursions are an opportunity to provide experiences that allow children to explore, extend and enrich their learning, whilst reinforcing the learning objectives of the classroom curriculum. This Term, our Kindy and Pre Primary students will be venturing out on excursions to Kings Park’s Naturescape and through this they will explore the culture of the Noongar people. Additionally, Constable Care will be visiting our campus this Term to reinforce the concepts that we teach in our Keeping Safe: Protective Behaviours curriculum. Many more opportunities such as these will continue to be provided throughout the year, and we thank parents who kindly volunteer their time to assist with supervision during these events.

Grandparents Open Morning – Friday 27 March

We extend a warm invitation to all families to attend our Grandparents Open Morning at our Early Childhood campus on Friday 27 March from 8.30am until 10.00am. Click here for more information about the morning.

Newman College Production; Roald Dahl’s Matilda the Musical

The College is proud to present Roald Dahl’s Matilda the Musical; coming to the Marist Auditorium in April 2020.

Adapted by Dennis Kelly and music and lyrics by Tim Minchin, Matilda the Musical is a story of a special girl with an extraordinary imagination and proudly features a cast and crew comprising students from Years 5-12. Click here to read the full synopsis of the story.

Matilda the Musical will be performed over 5 days:

Wednesday 1 April, 6.30pm
Thursday 2 April, 6.30pm
Friday 3 April, 6.30pm
Saturday 4 April, 1.00pm (Matinee)
Saturday 4 April, 6.30pm
Sunday 5 April, 1.00pm (Matinee)

Tickets: Family (2 Adults + 2 Children) $80, Adult $29, Child/Concession $19

Click here to purchase tickets.

Primary Easter Raffle

Please refer to the Ministry, Outreach and Advocacy section of the newsletter for more information.

Walk for Water

Today the Marian Campus held a Walk for Water to raise awareness of the many wonderful water-based Caritas projects around the globe which are funded by Project Compassion. Please refer to the Ministry, Outreach and Advocacy section of the newsletter for more information.

Marcellin Award

Congratulations to the following students who received a Marcellin Award in Weeks 5 and 6:

Mason Whitehead, Year 2 Blue – For being a kind and inclusive student.
Harvey McGrath, Year 2 Green – For the reverence he displayed during the Ash Wednesday Liturgy, showing he understands the importance of prayer and God’s love in his life.

The Marcellin Award at Marian Campus is drawn from submitted nominations each Wednesday morning at Prayer Assembly.

13 Mar 2020

“We are called to be Christ’s witnesses through a gift of the Spirit and not on account of our own merits.” Pope Francis

Year 10 Retreat Day

The day invited our students to reflect on their relationships with self, others and God. The focus of the day was integrity, service and leadership. As the students move into Senior School, how will they demonstrate their leadership skills which are the call of service to others? Led by the Youth Mission Team, students learnt valuable lessons through drama, video clips, small groups, games and personal sharings which challenged the students to be the best version of themselves as they navigate through their final years of Secondary School.

Student Reflections

“This experience was exemplary as it was a great day of reflection and focus on our future and our leadership.” Max Hobson

“It was a great day and I think it was a good idea to get away from school work and to get involved with other people.” Charlotte Ding

Primary Easter Raffle

In our efforts to raise funds for Caritas Australia’s Project Compassion appeal this Lent, we will be conducting our annual Primary Easter Raffle fundraiser at Lavalla and Marian Campuses on Thursday 9 April.

Tickets will be distributed to students on Monday 16 March and additional tickets will be available from the office on both campuses. Tickets are 50c each or 6 for $2.50.

Many thanks to the generous donations already made from our families. Further donations of eggs or baskets can be dropped at both the Marian or Lavalla offices.

It has been fantastic to see many families purchasing “slavery free” brands of chocolate. A few of the slavery free chocolate labels can be found below and are available from ALDI, Coles, Woolworths, OXFAM, Chocolatier, Green and Black and Whittakers.

REMAR Blue/Gold Embarkation Camp

Year 11 and 12 students in Remar undertook their Embarkation Camps between Thursday 5 March and Saturday 7 March. The primary aim of the Embarkation Camps is to allow students to form a Christian community, and grow as faith filled individuals. Both camps were highly successful in helping the students to come together as a caravel and prepare for the year ahead.

Year 12 Retreat Student Reflections

“I really enjoyed retreat for multiple reasons. Everyone really came out of their shell and went into it ready to learn new things, become better people and widen their beliefs and understandings. Everyone kind of moved away from their normal groups and instead came together as one. I learnt a lot about family, friends and religion. I’m truly grateful for that.” Eva Thomas

“The Year 12 retreat has to be a highlight of my Newman journey. As a year group, we became so close and I found that it was very beneficial in giving me somewhere to take some time out during a very busy time of year. I spent my time with people that I don’t often talk to and building strong relationships with the people in my Guild and the other Guilds that joined us.” Meg Hobson

Project Compassion Update

Shrove Tuesday

Our students came together across all campuses to sell/cook pancakes for Caritas in preparation for our Lenten period. A big thank you to our staff and students who came together to prepare and sell the pancakes and those that purchased them on the day. We were able to raise over $1100 for Caritas.

Walk for Water Marian/ Lavalla

There are many countries around the world who do not have access to clean running water. In some of the world’s poorest communities, it’s normal for women and children to walk for hours to collect water. In fact, 263 million people worldwide spend over 30 minutes per round trip to collect water from a safe source.

Today, Marian and Lavalla held a Walk for Water to raise awareness of the many wonderful water-based Caritas projects around the globe which are funded by Project Compassion. The main purpose of the event was to provide students with an opportunity to stand in solidarity with other children around the world who do not have easy access to safe drinking water.

The Kindergarten to Year 2 students at Marian Campus were challenged to Go Further Together, with each child walking a section of the oval with an empty bucket before being given the opportunity to have a second turn, this time carrying a full bucket. This symbolised the difficulties faced by many children around the world – having to leave their home, walk a long distance to a water source, and then carry a heavy bucket home.

The Years 3-6 students completed a relay event with classmates, carrying a bucket full of water to walk a cumulative total of 3km.

It was a terrific way to raise students’ awareness of issues that face many communities across the globe and discuss steps we can take to support them through Caritas during Lent.

Caritas Fast

On Wednesday, students in Years 7-12 were invited to participate in the Caritas Fast. Over 170 students participated which saw them forgo their usual meals through the school day. The students were given barley sugars at recess and a handful of cold, cooked rice at lunch and a muffin at the end of the day. This small amount of food aimed to help students appreciate how little some people in our world have to eat. It was a fantastic day which helped raise $2790 for Project Compassion. Thank you to all those who participated and a special thank you to the Ministry Team, Guild Coordinators, Guild Captains, Mrs McFadden and Mr Jones for their support in the lead up to and on the day of the event.

Community Mass

A reminder all parents, guardians and families across our PK-12 College are invited to attend the weekly Thursday morning Mass in the Champagnat Chapel, 8.10am – 8.35am. The Mass is an important way that we as a Catholic community seek to nourish and live-out our faith in community with one another.

Sacrament Reminder

Families are reminded to visit their relevant parish website for all information regarding 2020 Sacrament dates and registration. The enrolment dates vary, so please take the time to clearly understand the process for your parish. Students in Years 3, 4 and 6 will undertake preparatory work in class so they are able to receive the Sacrament in their local parish.

12 Mar 2020

“Transmitting the faith is done at home, because faith is always transmitted in dialogue, dialogue within the family, at home, in the climate of the home. This is your task: to transmit the faith with your example” – Pope Francis

Year 12 Retreat

This week, the Year 12 students had the opportunity to reflect on who they are and where they are going in 2020. This time of quiet reflection allowed students to ponder what is important in their lives and consider the question from our Marist Theme ‘what will you do with your one wild and precious life’. Students also had a number of opportunities to explore and deepen their spirituality and faith experiences through small group sharing, reflective prayer and celebrating the Eucharist. The experience has led to a greater sense of community and a recognition of the dignity of each student in the cohort. The group is to be congratulated on the way they were prepared to be open and trusting of the possibilities presented in this unique time away.

Lent

Lent began with Ash Wednesday (26 February) in Week 4. This is a significant day in our Christian calendar as it marks the 40-day period of almsgiving, fasting and prayer in preparation for the coming of Christ at Easter. We celebrated this liturgy across all campuses and our Year 12’s came together during their retreat to reflect on how we can prepare for the Easter story.

Shrove Tuesday

To celebrate Shrove Tuesday, pancakes were sold at both the Lavalla and Marcellin Campuses, while Marian students made pancakes with their classroom teachers. All students were invited to make a gold coin donation and these funds were in support of Project Compassion.

2020 Project Compassion

Project Compassion Caritas Australia’s annual fundraising and awareness appeal was launched at Newman College on Ash Wednesday. Project Compassion brings together millions of Australians in solidarity with the world’s poor to help end poverty, promote justice and uphold dignity. This year’s Project Compassion theme is: GO FURTHER, TOGETHER! Each week of Lent, Caritas profiles a person who is involved in a Caritas project and always gives 100%. These stories can be found here. We encourage families to watch the videos and discuss them as a family. Students on all three campuses will have the opportunity to learn about Project Compassion and the work of Caritas. They will also be encouraged to come up with creative ways in their classes and PCGs to fundraise for Project Compassion.

In support of the Archdiocesan Launch for Project Compassion, representatives from Years 6 to 11 joined 43 Perth schools at Sacred Heart College. They participated in Welcome to Country and Smoking Ceremony, the celebration of Holy Mass by Bishop Justin Bianchini, a pancake morning tea and a Just Leadership workshop supporting Caritas Australia’s mission to end poverty, promote justice and uphold dignity.

Caritas Fast

This year, in support of Project Compassion, students on the Marcellin Campus are invited to participate in the Caritas Fast to be held on Wednesday 11 March (Week 6). Families can access information about the event by clicking here.

Year 7 Retreat Day

Year 7 students had the opportunity to continue to develop their friendships and grow in understanding of themselves as they embarked on their retreat day. The day was facilitated by the 24:7 Youth Ministry Team who provided thought provoking reflections that challenged students to step outside their comfort zones. This formation experience is part of our commitment to a holistic education for our students and help them become the best version of themselves.

A commitment to Slavery Free Chocolate

In 2020, Newman College has committed to using slavery free chocolate during Project Compassion.

By being responsible about the products we buy and use for fundraising, we are ensuring that we are not contributing to the multi-billion dollar trade that exploits human beings through the slave trade. Pope Francis said that “every person ought to have the awareness that purchasing is always a moral – and not simply an economic – act.”

We cannot, in good conscious, raise money for projects that work to uphold the dignity of the human person, and at the same time, buy products that deny people their dignity.

As such, staff, students and families will be asked to buy chocolates that have one of the following three logos on their wrappers:

Some of the places people can buy slavery-free chocolate from:

ALDI
Coles / Woolworths
OXFAM
Chocolatier – one of the early slavery-free makers in Australia
Green and Black’s
Whittaker’s

Sacrament Reminder

Families are reminded to visit their relevant parish website for all information regarding 2020 Sacrament dates and registration. The enrolment dates vary, so please take the time to clearly understand the process for your parish. Students in Years 3, 4 and 6 will undertake preparatory work in class so they are able to receive the Sacrament in their local parish.

28 Feb 2020

Lent

We entered into the season of Lent with our Ash Wednesday Liturgies across the College. Each occasion was marked by the distribution of Ashes on the forehead of all members of our community signifying our fidelity to God and to our Christian spirituality. We are encouraged to look at this period of Lent as a journey. This should be a time of inner reflection and, at the end of the Lenten journey, we should expect to find ourselves at a different place spiritually than when we started. We will be holding our Lenten Appeal through Caritas Australia, Project Compassion. Students will be encouraged to participate in awareness and fundraising activities for communities in need across the world. I thank you in advance for your support.

The past fortnight has been one of celebration. During Week 3 we welcomed back to the College our High Achievers of 2019. The Marcellin Guild Swimming Carnival followed on the Thursday and we finished the fortnight today with the Lavalla Swimming Carnival.

High Achievers Assembly

The High Achievers Assembly recognised the High Achievers of the Class of 2019 in both ATAR and General Pathways. The focus of this assembly is to engage our students in Years 10-12 to consider how they will develop and grow as learners in their final years of school. The presence of our high achievers sets the benchmark of what is possible and what is doable for our students. Patrick Diamond (winner of the JJ Clune Award for Overall Outstanding Graduate of 2019) spoke to the assembly about the challenges he faced in his final years of school. Significantly, he identified the relationships he had with his teachers and friends as being the greatest factor in his success.

In my address to the assembly I spoke to the achievements of the recipients of The Australian of the Year Awards. The simple message is that if we want to achieve great things, commitment, resilience and perseverance to our aspirations is integral to our ongoing success. Students in our community need to aspire and dream about the things that are possible. We want every member of our community to take each day as a new opportunity to learn something new, to deepen our knowledge, cultivate relationships and participate and contribute to every moment of each day. Newman College affords so many opportunities that, for many people, are a privilege. It is incumbent that we take responsibility for our own learning, for our futures.

Download 2020 Principal’s High Achievers Address

College Advisory Council

The College Advisory Council convened its first meeting of the year last evening where newest member, Joseph Burke, was welcomed. Joseph, Director of Lark Lawyers, is an ex student, Class of 2001, and brings legal expertise to the membership.

The role of the Advisory Council is to provide:

Advice and support to the Principal in order that the Principal can lead the College effectively as a Catholic school community, with its evangelising and educational mission shaped by Marist spirituality and educational practice.
Advice on strategic and master planning, and review and make recommendations on College policy and finance matters as required by Marist Schools Australia policy.

Current members of the College Advisory Council are:

John Finneran
Br Terry Orrell
Stephen Lee (Acting Chair 2020)
Michael Sullivan
Nerreda Hillier
Veronika Metcalf
Joseph Burke

28 Feb 2020

Thank you to all parents and care givers for their attendance, support and presence at all our Parent Information Evenings over the last three weeks. This is an important opportunity to connect with the College Leadership Team and teaching staff.

Parent Teacher Interviews are another opportunity for collaboration and partnership. This term, families with children in Years 7, 11 and 12 will be invited to meet with teachers to discuss the learning journey of their children. Information regarding these evenings will come from the Leaders of Wellbeing and appointments can be made using PTO (Parent Teacher Online).

Other year groups will have the same opportunity over the course of the year.

Newman Parents – A Night with Dr Justin Coulson

The College is welcoming back Dr Justin Coulson one of Australia’s most respected and popular Positive Psychology & relationships speaker, facilitator, author, and researcher (particularly in family life). The topic he will be presenting is:

Inside the Mind; Raising an emotionally intelligent Child
In this session, Dr Coulson will share his expertise and equip parents to become more emotionally intelligent when it comes to their child.

Sometimes we just don’t relate to our children. It’s like they came from another parent. Did we really conceive, birth, and raise this child? It can be so hard to understand our children.

Inside the mind – Raising an Emotionally Intelligent Child is a presentation for parents to get to the heart of parenting. Or, more specifically, it’s to help parents get to their children’s hearts.

How do we really understand our child? What is really happening inside their mind?

This powerful presentation will change the way you communicate with your child.

See a short intro video by Dr Coulson with more information about the session https://youtu.be/y4b_FS1yYeU The presentation will be followed by a Question and Answer session.

When: Wednesday 18 March, 7.00pm – 8.30pm
Where: Newman College Auditorium, 216 Empire Avenue Churchlands
RSVP: jo.dunn@cewa.edu.au

This FREE session is for parents only. We hope that parents will use the information they learn to better educate themselves.

2020 Pupil Free Days

Term 1	Monday 2 March	Labour Day – Public Holiday
	Friday 6 March	Year 7 Pupil Free Day (after Year 7 Camp)
	Friday 10 April	Good Friday – Public Holiday
Term 2	Monday 27 April	Anzac Day – Public Holiday
Term 3	Monday 20 July	Pupil Free – Staff Faith Formation Day
	Tuesday 21 July	Pupil Free – K-12 Parent/Teacher Interviews
	Friday 14 August	Pupil Free – Staff PL Day
	Monday 17 August	Pupil Free – CEWA Faith Day (College Closed)
Term 4	Monday 12 October	Pupil Free – Staff PL Day

NAPLAN Online

Please find attached an information pamphlet from ACARA regarding NAPLAN Online for 2020. These assessments are scheduled at Newman College in Term 2 Weeks 3 and 4, Tuesday 12 May – Friday 22 May. A schedule will be sent out early in Term 2.

Download NAPLAN Online 2020 Parent Information Brochure

All Year 3, 5, 7 and 9 students will sit the NAPLAN Online.

Parent Teacher Communication Protocols

At Newman College, all teachers have made a commitment that any formal summative assessments are marked and shared with students and parents no later than within two weeks. Teachers from Marian and Lavalla Campuses utilise Seesaw to provide parents with feedback as well as returning marked work samples to students. On Marcellin Campus, the marks are released on SEQTA within this two-week time frame and assessments are returned to students. Feedback from class activities and daily lessons are presented to students in a variety of different forms and all families can expect feedback for learning regularly across the term. Timely feedback is vital in the learning cycle for all students.The College expects that teachers will respond to email communication within two working days. Teachers are not able to respond within one day as they are teaching classes, marking assessments, planning lessons, on yard duty or taking co-curricular activities. I ask parents to accept these timelines as reasonable turnaround times in the busyness of College life. If there is an urgent matter that needs to be acknowledged, a phone call to the Leader of Wellbeing may be the most appropriate avenue.Primary families are asked to communicate with their classroom teacher via email.

Parent Student Communication Protocols

Parents and carers are reminded that if students need to contact home, or a message from home needs to reach a student, Administration staff can facilitate a phone call or relay any messages and information. Students should not be contacting parents during the day, especially if they are unwell or wanting to leave the College.Primary parents must not use messaging functions via the iPad to communicate with their children. This disrupts their learning and does not reflect responsible management of student devices during school time

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. Postings on social media platforms that identify the College or College events are also bound 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.

28 Feb 2020

It is widely acknowledged that parents are the first and most influential educators of children. To maximise the educational outcomes of all students, we strive to foster positive partnerships with families in our journey of educating the whole child. This week’s Parent Information Evening was a fantastic opportunity to come together as a College community and partner in our knowledge, as we animate the educational pathways for your child. Thank you to the many parents who took time out of their busy day, and amid the torrential weather, to hear about our commitments to your child’s learning and to become partners in their success.