Category: Early Childhood

As we come to the end of Week 6, we have so many things to be grateful for, including the outstanding contribution of our students to all areas of College life. I also like to acknowledge the support of our families who partner with our staff to create a community based on our Marist characteristic of Family Spirit. It is this collaboration that allows our students to “Shine through Discovery” in their learning and discover their unique gifts and talents. I encourage our students to continue to create, collaborate and challenge themselves as we head towards the end of Term 1. 

Key Dates and Events 

Please be reminded that we are communicating key dates and events through the newsletter in the ‘Key Dates and Events’ pod.  It is our hope that this will reduce the number of emails sent out to families and make accessing information easier.   

Please note: SEQTA notices were turned off last year and are no longer a communication platform. Students in years 7 to 12 should check their team’s channel regularly.

Newman Parents Forum

I encourage members of our College community to join our Newman Parents Forum with our Parent Representatives and Executive Committee members on Monday 13 March @ 6.00pm in the JHN Hub. This meeting is an opportunity to share input and feedback and serves to help advance the best interests of those within our College Community.  We look forward to welcoming you next week. All parents across the community are welcome to attend this event. 

Please click HERE to view the agenda. 

Neurodiversity Week  

In Week 7, the College will be participating in Neurodiversity Celebration Week.  Through discussions, prayers and activities, we aim to raise awareness and challenge misconceptions about neurological differences. Neurodiversity is an umbrella term used to describe alternative thinking styles, such as Dyslexia, DCD (Dyspraxia), Dyscalculia, Tourette Syndrome, Autism and ADHD. The College will focus on understanding, valuing, and celebrating the talents of neurodiverse minds through our activities during the week. Parents can find more information at: Neurodiversity Celebration Week (neurodiversityweek.com). 

Parent Teacher Interviews – Years 10/11/12 

Parent Teacher interviews have been scheduled for Thursday 23 March, 3.40pm – 8.00pm.  Parents will have the choice of face-to-face or online meetings.  Booking details and instructions will be shared by email. We will once again be using PTO to book meeting times.  

2023 Adolescent School Based Immunisation Program – Y7 and Y10

There have been significant changes to how you provide consent for your child/children to receive immunisations via this program.  Consent must be given via a new online program VaccinateWA 

Further details can be found HERE 

Monday 1 and Tuesday 2 May Y7 – HPV (human papilloma virus), dTpa (Diptheria, Tetanus and Pertussis) 
 

Tuesday 6 June Y10 – Meningococcal ACWY vaccine 
 
Please note: only students that have registered their consent via the online platform by Monday 24 April will receive immunisations on the above dates.   

If you have any queries, please contact  

Fiona Halden 
CAHS – Community Health 

Clinical Nurse – School Based Immunisation Program 

16 Rheola Street, West Perth, 6005 |   

M: 0405 657 994  t 08 9321 1312  |  w cahs.health.wa.gov.au  w fiona.halden@health.wa.gov.au 

Y7-12 Twilight Tours 

Future families have been invited to join one of two twilight tours taking place on our Secondary Campus on Tuesday 14 March.  This is a great opportunity for the College to provide an insight into College life along with being provided with further enrolment information.  We look forward to welcoming them to our College Community.   

Senior Student Blazers 

Students in Years 10 to 12 are required to have their blazers braided.  The cost for this service is $25.00 payable at the time of drop off. The Uniform Shop will only accept blazers that have been drycleaned with the drycleaning tag still attached.  The last day for drop-off will be Friday 24 March.

‘Whoever drinks this water will get thirsty again; but anyone who drinks the water that I shall give will never be thirsty again.’ John 4:14 

Marist Connect Night 

Last Wednesday, Year 11 and 12 students from St. Joseph’s College Northam joined students from Newman College to take part in our first Marist Connect Night of the year. This is an opportunity created in partnership with Marist Youth Ministry for our young Marists to connect with each other, as well as those from other schools. The night was a great way to build connections, and deepen our relationships with each other. Students celebrated with activities, games, and the opportunity to reflect on their Marist journey thus far. It was wonderful to see students coming together to simply be present to each other, and to enjoy their time together.  

Student Led Reflection 

All students are warmly invited to attend our student-led prayer reflections which occur in the chapel every Friday at 8.15am. These reflections run for approximately 15 minutes and occur at different times throughout the year. Our prayer focus for Term One is Lent, with reflections running right up until Week 9. In Term 2, our student-led prayer will focus on our Marist theme for 2023, as well as other topics that are relevant to our students. A big thank you to Isaac and Grace, our Faith & Liturgy Captains of the College, who are leading these events, along with the support of our other Year 12 leaders. We look forward to welcoming students to these reflections over the year. 

Year 6 Retreat 

Last Thursday, students from Year 6 gathered together in the Auditorium for their Confirmation retreat. Beginning their day by sharing in our community mass, students had the opportunity to develop their understanding about the Sacrament of Confirmation, what it means a Christian life, and also discover both the fruits and the gifts of the Holy Spirit. Students had a great day sharing in discussion, activities, games, and reflection. Thanks to our Year 6 students below for their recap of the day: 

The Confirmation Retreat was amazing. There was all sorts of games and fun videos that all had a connection with the Holy Spirit, and we learnt heaps. One of my favourite games was Octopus where you had to get past the octopus and if you got tagged you would become seaweed. We had fun learning about the gifts of the Holy Spirit, the seven sacraments and more. (Jake Parry) 

 Exciting, fun and educational! It had it all at the Year 6 Confirmation Retreat. On the 2^nd March the Year 6 students joined together in the auditorium to learn about the Sacrament of Confirmation, led by the amazing 24:7 Youth Ministry. We really enjoyed all the games and fun activities, our favourites were the dress up activities and the activity where we watched parts of movies and matched the themes to the 7 gifts of the Holy Spirit. (Avia & Mila Picotti) 

Year 7 Retreat 

Yesterday, students from Year 7 came together to celebrate their retreat. One of the major themes of the retreat centred around family – the notion of how we are all connected and can impact each other, both in our own families and also as a family here at school. The retreat was also a great opportunity for students to connect with each other, and to develop some of their friendships which have begun to blossom over these first weeks at school. We are very grateful for the support of Mr Will Hoffman and the 24:7 Youth Ministry Team for delivering such a great program to our students yesterday.  

Year 11 World Religions Excursion 

Last Wednesday, our Year 11 students had the opportunity to travel one of many locations in Perth to learn about different religions across the world. Students took this trip in order to support the learning they had been doing in class. Students had a choice of travelling to the following: 

• Buddhist Temple 
• Jewish Synagogue 
• Australian Islamic College 
• Sikh Gurdwara 
• Hindu Temple 

Students from Year 11 took the time to write a short recount of their experiences which you can read below: 

The year eleven students had the privilege of visiting the Australian Islamic College (AIC), in Kewdale, and immensely enjoyed meeting the friendly staff and students, as well as learning about the compassion, solidarity and spirituality of the Islamic faith. Upon arrival, the staff showed us part of the school grounds and talked with us about what it meant to be Muslim. They let us ask questions and educated us on how Muslim people worship and pray to Allah, which means God in Arabic, how certain men and women were allowed to dress, what foods are not to be eaten according to the Quaran, the holy book of Muslims, and the five pillars of Islam, which are proclamation of faith, prayer, alms-giving, fasting and pilgrimage. After a morning tea session, we were given a tour of the Mosque (a Muslim house of worship). Before entering the Mosque, we had to take our shoes off, as a sign of respect and to remain clean whilst inside. We were taught how Muslims worship Allah and how all Muslims must pray five times a day whilst facing Mecca, the birthplace of the prophet Mohammed. Overall, the hospitable staff and students of AIC were especially kind and educational, and it was interesting learning not only the differences but also the similarities, between the Catholic and Islamic faith.  (Estelle Keller) 

The Perth Hindu Temple or Shiva Meenakshi Temple was an amazing experience for everyone who went. I enjoyed the different traditions and cultural practices involved in the Hindu religion, and I left with a variety of knowledge. The man who met us at the door was extremely welcoming and inviting making us feel very involved. He was extremely enthusiastic and gave us a great insight into what this religion means to many. When we first entered, we received a blessing from the priest involving good health, education and energy. We were given the option to participate in a religious practice involving feeling God’s presence in water and reflect in prayer. Newman college students were extremely grateful for this wonderful opportunity, and we all took away something special. (Anna Grayden) 

We had a great experience at the Sikh Gurdwara Perth this morning. We learnt many things about the Sikh religion and their practices. We were required to wear a headscarf and to remove our shoes before entering the prayer hall. When we entered the prayer hall we had to bow to the Guru which was in front of the priest. We sat down on the ground to be below the Guru, and we were not allowed to point our feet towards or face our backs to the Guru. We learnt about the Sikh religion and one of their greetings, ‘Sat Sri Akaal’. Which translates to ‘God is truth’. We then left the prayer hall and were taken into the community kitchen which they serve food to anyone who comes into the Gurdwara, and were served some delicious food. We had a great time.  (Scarlett Poor) 

On Tuesday, we visited the Jewish Synagogue at the Temple of David. The group was greeted by the Rabbi and led on a tour of the synagogue. Rabbi Kim taught us about the Jewish rituals and practices that are important in their religion. The boys were invited to wear the Kipa’s (skull caps) as the Rabbi showed us the Torah, Rams horns and provided us with matzo, the Jewish bread in the form of a cracker. All students that participated were extremely grateful of the wonderful opportunity granted to us and the new experience that we thoroughly enjoyed. Thank you to all that helped make this excursion possible! (Darcy Bird) 

Visiting the Fo Guang Shan Buddhist temple was a fun and insightful experience. We were first welcomed with green tea and then taken to the temple where we learnt about Buddhism and placed a candle in front of the statue as a sign of respect. After, we enjoyed making origami lotus flowers, which represent purity, and tried traditional calligraphy, writing out the Three Acts of Goodness in Mandarin; Do Good Deeds, Speak Good Words, Think Good Thoughts. Thank you to all the people at the Fo Guang Shan temple and the teachers who made the day great.  (Ariana Mason) 

Easter Raffle

This event is a significant fundraiser for Caritas Australia, and the money we raise through the Easter raffle helps to support various programs in developing nations.  We are very grateful for the support of parents and families in this initiative and hope we can again raise a wonderful amount of money to support Caritas. Please click HERE for further information. 

Upcoming events  

There are a number of important events coming up over these next few weeks in the Ministry calendar: 

• Tuesday 14 March: GameChangers Meeting (Yr 8-12) 
• Thursday 16 March: Year 8 Retreat 
• Tuesday 21 March: Caritas Fast Day 
• Week 7/8: GameChangers Launch Year 7 
• Year 4’s and 6’s celebrate The Sacrament of Reconciliation as part of their Religious Education program 

Community Mass 

It has been wonderful to see everyone at our Thursday morning Community Masses over the past two weeks. A reminder that the whole College community is warmly invited to join us in the Champagnat Chapel at 8.10am on Thursday mornings for Mass celebrated by one of our local Parish Priests and hosted by our students from Marcellin and Lavalla. 

Please see the upcoming schedule below; 

• Thursday 16 March, Marcellin & 5 Red 

• Thursday 23 March, MacKillop & 6 Blue 

We look forward to seeing you there. 

The Lenten Season commenced this week. It is a season for honest reflection, repentance and commitment towards greater intimacy with God, and hence towards a more virtuous version of self. The Lenten experience has the power to transform our lives through this deeper and more intimate relationship with our Creator, God. At the heart of intimacy is the essence of truly knowing and being known by another (in-to-me-see). We often choose measurement language to describe the space in our intimacy levels. An intimate friend is one that we feel very ‘close’ to. They know us on a true and ‘deep’ level. If the relationship diminishes in intimacy, we say our friend has become more ‘distant’. A relationship with a person who we do not know well can be described as having ‘surface’ or ‘shallow’ intimacy. 

Intimacy is not about distance or depth, it is relational. We can feel distant from the person sitting right next to us, similarly we can feel close to a person living in a different country. Being present to someone in our Marist way, promotes intimacy and is based on trust. The quality of trust is at the heart of intimacy with God. The greater the trust, the closer we allow the relationship to be. When trust is undermined, intimacy suffers. Sacred scripture teaches that God is intimate with those who trust in Him. The more we trust in God, the more intimately we come to know His presence in our lives. When we feel disconnected and distant from God it is frequently linked to a breakdown in trust, such as sin, grief or disappointment. When we repent or repair and heal in a relationship, the intimacy returns. During lent, we take the time to grow our intimacy with God. We do this through honest reflection in prayer (the Latin root word for prayer is ‘ask earnestly’), repentance, giving to those in need, exercising detachment through various forms of fasting and a commitment to be better.  

As a community we celebrated Shrove Tuesday in Marian, Lavalla, and Marcellin with pancake sales before school and at recess. Ash Wednesday liturgies occurred on 22 February in St Cecilia’s Church for our early year students, the Champagnat Chapel for students in Years 3 to 6, our College gymnasium for students in Years 7 to 11 and at the camping grounds in Serpentine for our Year 12 students who are on retreat.  We are committed to supporting the work of Caritas Australia this lent through their largest fundraising drive, Project Compassion. Caritas is the Catholic Church’s international aid and development organisation. Project Compassion through Caritas “mobilises Australians to raise much-needed funds to help alleviate poverty, promote justice and uphold dignity in the most vulnerable and marginalised communities in the world”.  

Newman students in the Game Changers group and students from Years 10 and 11 have experienced international immersions into the third world countries, like the countries Project Compassion supports. These experiences open their eyes and hearts to the needs of those in the developing world. Project Compassion has been launched at school and we encourage families to support this worthy cause.  

High Achievers Assembly  

We congratulate the Class of 2022 on their achievements as a graduating class. Their successes are evident not only in their results, but in their contribution to the College. We had an opportunity to celebrate our top achieving students last week, who returned for our High Achievement Assembly. Alumni and High Achiever, Max Hobson delivered an authentic and insightful speech at the Assembly. He acknowledged the challenges associated with the pressures of final year of school and reiterated the importance of each person finding their own pathway to graduation, one that aligns with both passion and area of skill.

Marist Association Gathering

The Marist Association gathered last Wednesday in the Champagnat Chapel.  There were discussions and a survey about the future of the Association. It was a time to reconnect as a companion group.  The Marist theme for 2023 “Created and Called: A revolution of love and tenderness” was introduced with prayer sessions and reflection.

KG -Year 6, 8, 9 and 10 Information Evenings

Thank you to students and parents for attending the Information Evenings over the last two weeks. The Information Evenings are important occasions for parents and students to attend. We take the opportunity to introduce the classroom and PCG teachers and leaders and share information about the journey ahead. These nights set the tone for a productive year.

Lion King Cast

Primary students were invited to audition for the College Junior School Production the Lion King. Congratulations to all the students who auditioned and thank you for your wonderfully positive attitudes during the audition process. Thank you to the staff who undertook the rehearsals and discernment process for selection. Congratulations to the students who have been chosen to be part of the cast. It is promising to be an amazing show. Rehearsals will commence in Term 2. Thank you specifically to Producer, Yvonne Wiese and Director, Ava Bilton. 

Fame Rehearsals

“Fame” is the Senior School Production for this year.  Auditions will take place on Tuesday 21 and Wednesday 22 March at the Marist Auditorium.  Documentation has been released outlining the Audition process in more detail.  

Rehearsals commence Tuesday 2 May followed by a compulsory parent meeting which will detail technical and dress rehearsals. All rehearsals and performances will be held at Newman College in the Marist Auditorium. 

Year 7 to 12 Swimming Carnival

The Swimming Carnival showcases the talents of many students, there is fierce competition and much enjoyment and novelty. This year eight records were broken, and many special moments occurred on the day. I am told one such moment was the spontaneous singing of the whole Year 12 cohort in the novelty pool. They renditioned the crowd with a verse of the Sub Tuum, our College song.  

Many thanks to all the staff and parents who attended to support the students. A special thanks to the Health and Physical Education, Guild, PCG and Leader of Wellbeing staff. It was the first carnival for the new Leader of Sport, Mrs Marnie Barrett, supported by our new Sporting Administration Assistant, Ms Kate Thayer and Deputy Principal (Acting), Mrs Sarah Ellam. They did a magnificent role in organising the day.     

School Curriculum and Standards Authority Exhibition and Awards Ceremony

On Friday 17 February, the School Curriculum and Standards Authority held a ceremony in recognition of students who achieved General, Subject and VET Exhibition Awards. Saskia Wigley from the Class of 2022 was invited to receive recognition for Outdoor Education ATAR. We congratulate Saskia on this significant award.

Year 12 Retreat

The Year 12 Retreat was this week, and I had the pleasure visiting the students and staff in Serpentine for the Ash Wednesday liturgy.  I thank the students for the way in which they immersed themselves in this very significant and reflective opportunity. Year on year in the exit survey, Year 12 students note that the retreat was the highlight of the final year of school life.  For many students, this will be their last opportunity to take the time to reflect on their place in the world, their connection to God and to each other.  In many ways, Retreat is a significant rite of passage for our students as they prepare to conclude their secondary education and go off to carve a life for themselves in the world beyond Newman.  

Newman College Advisory Council

The College Advisory Council convened its first meeting of the year on Thursday evening. Our Advisory Council is integral to the governance of our College. Our Advisory Council provides advice and support to me as Principal (Acting) and the College Executive Leadership Team in the governance of our school.  Each member of our Advisory Council is appointed by Marist Schools Australia and comprises both parents and community members with diverse experience in a variety of disciplines.  

The members of the College Advisory Council for 2023 are, from left in the photograph. 

Br Terry Orrell 

Ms Christine Antoine (Minute Secretary) 

Mr Stephen Lee (Chair) 

Ms Kim Boekeman 

Ms Nerreda Hillier 

Dr Lucie McCrory (Principal, Term 1) 

Mr Joseph Burke 

Mr Steve Halley-Wright (Director of Finance) 

Mr Greg Wheeler (Deputy Chair; Chair of Finance Committee)  

** Absent Andrew Watson (Principal, Term 2) 

Events Ahead

We look forward to the significant events occurring in the next two weeks, which include the Newman Parents Year Group Representative and Executive Induction on Monday 27 February, continuation of NAS Sports, the Year 7 Information Evening on Wednesday 1 March, Year 10 Allwell Testing on Tuesday 7 March, IPSHA Swimming Carnival for Primary on Thursday 9 March, Reconciliation for Year 5 and Year 6, and the Year 12 Ball on Friday 10 March.  

Wishing our families every blessing for the weeks ahead. 

Thank you to our families for the wonderful start we have made to 2023. There have been many events and so much learning happening across the PK-12 Community. Our community continues to exude our Marist characteristics of Family Spirit and Love of work in everything that we do. 

As previously communicated, we are using the Newsletter as our main form of communication for our families regarding upcoming College events and key dates. Please refer to the Key Events/Dates section for important information scheduled to occur over the next two weeks.

Lent

Lent is an important part of the Church’s calendar, and as such, Newman College celebrated the beginning of lent through a range of activities. I encourage you to read our Ministry & Catholic Identity pod to see images and read about what occurred. 

Parent Information Evenings

It has been a pleasure to welcome families to the College to give them important information regarding the year ahead. Classroom teachers, Leaders of Wellbeing and College Leadership have enjoyed being able to share our vision and hopes for your children in 2023. The evenings have undertaken a renewal with our Pastoral Care Teachers having the opportunity to engage in goal-setting with families. We hope you have enjoyed this partnership and collaboration. 

Year 7’s parent information evening is on Wednesday 1 March. Refer to the details found in the Key Events/Dates or Deputy Principal Secondary sections

Youth Ministry and Advocacy 2023

The College is committed to engagement with the mission and expression of the Church through opportunities for reflection and practical works of outreach rounded in catholic social teaching. With a large range of activities occurring across the College and different agencies, every year we provide information to our families about areas where students can become involved. Please click HERE to read about the opportunities available to our students and families. 

NAPLAN

There have been significant changes in the reporting of NAPLAN results for 2023 onwards. New proficiency standards with 4 levels of achievement for each year level will replace the previous 10-band structure. NAPLAN will continue to measure student achievement in numeracy, reading, writing, spelling, grammar, and punctuation in years 3,5,7 & 9. 

NAPLAN Individual Student Report

The numerical NAPLAN bands and the national minimum standard will be replaced by the following 4 levels of achievement:  

• Exceeding  

• Strong  

• Developing  

• Needs additional support.  

Each category will have descriptors aimed to assist parents in understanding what their child’s literacy and numeracy skills are at the time of NAPLAN testing. 

If your child is in the Strong or Exceeding category, it means they have demonstrated proficiency and that their literacy or numeracy skills are where they should be at this stage of their schooling. If your child has not yet achieved proficiency, then they will either be in the Developing category or the Needs additional support category.  

These changes in the NAPLAN measurement scale will mean that 2023 NAPLAN results will no longer be able to be directly compared to previous NAPLAN results.  

Year 9 Students

Previously in Western Australia, Band 8 data has been used to determine if students have met the minimum literacy and numeracy requirements, and informed parents, students and schools whether the student would be required to sit the Online Literacy and Numeracy Assessment (OLNA), which is required for achievement of the Western Australian Certificate of Education (WACE) at the end of Year 12. With the changes in the reporting of NAPLAN, the School Curriculum and Standards Authority will now report to the College to indicate whether a student has or has met the minimum literacy and numeracy requirements and whether they are required to sit the components of OLNA (reading, writing and numeracy). This information will in turn, be provided to parents.  

Beth Murphy  
DEPUTY PRINCIPAL TEACHING AND LEARNING PK-12

Marist Football Club – Auskick to Year 12

Registrations for Marist Football Club are now open.  Please click HERE for further information on how to register.

Code of Conduct