Category: Early Childhood

While the summer holiday affords our families the opportunity to recharge and reflect, our Facilities Team has been readying the College for the commencement of the 2019 school year. A number of major activities undertaken will provide an improved experience for our students as they commit to the challenges that lie ahead of them. We thank the Facilities Team, led by Reece Jones for their hard work and dedication during this period. Major works have included:

• Refurbishment of change rooms at the Sports Centre
• Refurbishment of change rooms at the Pool
• New basketball rings and markings in Lavalla’s Br Theophane Hall
• Refurbishment of Technology Block including new paint and carpets
• Refurbishment of the Music Centre including new paint and carpets
• Installation of new sprung floor in the Auditorium Studios
• New perimeter fencing at Marian
• New security entrance at Marian
• High pressure cleaning of trafficked areas
• New paint to stairs and trafficked areas
• Substantial landscaping works and maintenance

The College has also commenced preparatory work for planned developments commencing Semester 2 2019 at the Marcellin Campus. This included the relocation of lockers during the holiday period. Further details of the project will be released in the coming term with information and consultation nights scheduled.

Welcome to the start of the 2019 academic year. In particular, we welcome our new families and staff to our Marist Community. I hope the Christmas break has given time to strengthen and renew relationships with family and friends.

The heart of our faith community is centred on Family Spirit that fosters support united in Christ’s love. In 2019 our Marist Theme, “We are called to be holy by living our lives with love and by bearing witness today”, comes from the Gaudete et Exsultate, the Apostolic Exhortation written by Pope Francis on the call to holiness in today’s world. For our community, this can be practically lived out in how we seek to provide opportunities for our students and staff to build strong foundations for their faith, learning and ultimately their wellbeing.

In 2019 we continue to consolidate our Vision for Learning – Shine Through Discovery (Let your Light Shine – Matthew 5:16) and our Ministry Plan which set the framework on how we challenge, collaborate, create and celebrate our learning. Ms Lisa Fogliani, Vice Principal, and I were invited to the International Congress for School Effectiveness and Improvement (ICSEI) in Stavanger Norway to present a symposium. This opportunity was afforded as a result of the successful development and implementation of the College’s Vision for Learning – Shine Through Discovery. More detail of this will be provided in the first Newsletter of Term 1.

The outstanding achievements of 2018 have provided our College with a wonderful opportunity to springboard into 2019. Our best wishes to all parents and guardians as they prepare their children for the return to school and we look forward to welcoming all students and their families to Newman College.

May the love of Christ bless our Community.

John Finneran, Principal