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From the Principal – Term 4 Week 4

Jenni Vile on 01/11/2024

Term 4 offers a lot!

As we reach the halfway mark of Term 4, it’s time to take a breath and just marvel at the achievements and involvements of our students and staff at this busy but rewarding time of the year. Here are just a few of the wonderful involvements of the past fortnight:

Pre-Primary Green Assembly

There’s nothing better than a ‘classic’ tale to tell, and our PPG students brought great joy to this week’s Marian Assembly with the story of the Gingerbread Man. Besides the great entertainment on show, Mr von Bergheim recognised the class for their use of Talk for Writing in their performance.  

Primary Disco

The return of the Primary Disco was certainly well received by our students and they enjoyed the excitement of discoing in the big arena of the Marist Auditorium. The Year 12, 2025 student leaders joined them and, along with the staff, created a special event.

Arts Week – Kaleidoscope

Creativity takes courage, and students expressing themselves in the Arts do more than just tend to their own growth and stretch their boundaries. Newman College life isn’t complete or well-rounded without a thriving Arts scene. Borrowing from Pablo Picasso’s quote  ‘The purpose of art(s) is washing the dust of daily life off our souls.’ The Arts bring out the best in us.

A week of celebrating and showcasing the Arts saw our students and Art team host the Art and Technologies Exhibition, Music Collective Concert and the Dance Showcase to round out the week. In between, there were smaller events to celebrate. Congratulations to all students involved and to our Arts, Technologies and Auditorium teams. What was truly inspiring during Kaleidoscope was the sense of Family Spirit on display in the artists, creators, musicians, dancers and designers.  

  • @stephenheathphotography
  • @stephenheathphotography
  • @stephenheathphotography
  • @stephenheathphotography

Year 5 Leadership Retreat & State Schools WA Cross Country

In preparation for becoming the leaders of Primary in 2025, Year 5s spent the day understanding leadership and how they could contribute to a better community next year.

In the SSWA Cross Country event, the determination and talent of our Year 4-6 runners shone through with great personal and team efforts.

Primary Grandparents Day

Grandparents are the great gift in families, and we were delighted to host so many proud grandparents at this annual event. Beginning with Mass, our cherished visitors then spent time in classrooms and enjoying morning tea. Our Primary children were so excited and eager to bring their grandparents into games and activities in the classrooms. I am sure there were a few stiff joints the day after as grandparents got right into activities on the floor and small chairs.  

Maggie Dent-  From the Sandpit to Adulthood

We were pleased to again host Maggie Dent at the College as she spoke to a full Marist Auditorium crowd about navigating parenthood and childhood development. Maggie’s presentations and writings are always so accessible and supportive of parents’ work in raising young people.

All Saints Day

This edition of the newsletter ends with the celebration of All Saints Day. We are all aware of the growth in the celebration of Halloween in Australia. It certainly is an opportunity to bring joy to children and foster a sense of community as our youngest ones explore their neighbourhoods under the watchful eyes of family. Our Christian tradition runs deep in this celebration too. All Hallows Day, or All Saints Day is a holy or hallowed day in recognition of the saints. The eve before was the preparation for Hallows Day, hence Halloween. 

Primary Update Term 4 Week 2

Jenni Vile on 18/10/2024

Year 5 Green Assembly

Year 5 Green shared their learning with us this morning in their assembly at Lavalla campus. The focus of their assembly was centred around their ‘Top 5 Tips to staying safe online’. Year 5 Green acted out some situations and shared with the Lavalla community strategies and ways that we can stay safe in the online environment, which is so important in today’s world. The class finished with a fantastic dance to the song ‘Safe and Sound’. Thank you to 5 Green for their wonderful assembly, reminding us of the importance of staying safe online and giving us some great strategies to help us do so!

Grandparents’ Day

We look forward to welcoming all grandparents to our Grandparents’ Day celebrations next week on Thursday 24 October. Please refer to the previous Newsletter for further information. Maps will be provided on the day to assist you in finding classrooms around the Marian Campus. The RSVP has now closed for this event.

PK-12 Faction/Guild Alignment

As you will have read in the Newsletter at the end of last term, as part of the process of moving onto one campus and aligning our PK-12 College, in 2025 we will be refining our faction system in primary to provide consistency for families across our PK-12 community.

As part of this, the current Primary four faction system is evolving into an 8 Guild system. This will mean factions are consistent across the entire College and will be better for our families in the long term. From the start of 2025, students will be placed into one of our 8 College Guilds.

The process we used for allocating Guilds to all Primary students is outlined below in sequence:

  • Primary students with siblings already in the secondary school have been placed into the same guild as their sibling(s).
  • Year 6 students have already been placed into a Guild for Year 7, 2025 and this will not change. As a result, primary students with siblings currently in Year 6 have also been aligned to this Guild.
  • After categorising those with siblings in secondary or Year 6, we have aligned the students’ current primary faction colour to the base colour of the new allocated guild shirt:
    • Primary Marcellin faction (blue) to Camara or Mackillop Guilds (base colour blue).
    • Primary Delany faction (red) to Marcellin and Catherine Guilds (base colour red).
    • Primary Knox faction (green) to Romero or Brigid Guilds (base colour green).
    • Primary Brigid faction (yellow) to Chisolm or Thomas More Guilds (base colour purple).

All parents in Kindy – Year 5 will receive an email in the coming week which will advise of the 2025 Guild for their family.

Students will be able to start wearing the Guild sports shirts (pictured below) at the start of the 2025 school year. The uniform shop is currently working to stock these new, smaller-sized guild shirts and more information will follow regarding when these shirts can be ordered. Please be advised that it is not compulsory to have the new Guild top at the start of next year. As with any uniform change, there will be a phase-in period, which in this case will be 2 years. Throughout this 2-year period, students can continue to wear their existing coloured faction top.

Currently, each of the four factions has two Year 6 sport leaders. Moving into next year with our 8-Guild system, each guild will have one Year 6 sport captain. This will retain a total of 8 sport captains.

Whilst this is a change for our community, it is an important step and a very exciting time. Your support in ensuring the alignment of our PK-12 College is greatly appreciated.

Parent Representatives

In 2024, we were required to move to only having one Parent Representative for each year level due to a lack of parent volunteers for these roles. I would like to take the time to thank these parents for their efforts this year. It is greatly appreciated.

In 2025, we are wanting to move back to having 1 parent rep for each class across the school. Of course, this relies on having enough parent volunteers.

Before the end of this term, information will be sent out to Primary parents asking for expressions of interest for the Parent Representative roles in 2025. In the meantime, I encourage parents to consider putting their hand up for this class role in 2025 to ensure we have enough people to cover all classes.

I have included below a short explanation of what the Class Parent Representative role involves:

The Parent Representative role is purely a pastoral and social role for members of the class. The focus is purely and primarily a social, community-building role, which may involve liaising with the class teacher with regard to any support required. In 2025 we continue to ask parent reps to refrain from providing their parent groups with reminders or information about classroom/school events, dates, etc. In 2025, it is essential that parents refer to official College communication (SeeSaw, email, Newsletters) as their main source of information as all details are provided through these channels, and not rely on parent reps for this information.  

Newman Norms / Medals of Marcellin

Our new Newman Norms are now on our website and I encourage you to have a look at these expectations for our Primary students – Newman Norms – Newman College. Each week our staff and students will focus on 1 Norm, to discuss and unpack what that norm means for our students in their day-to-day school life.

Recently Maddie (Lavalla) was drawn out of the raffle for demonstrating our Newman Norms. Congratulations to all students who received a raffle ticket in the past fortnight.

Our token jars have been emptied and we have started the competition for our Term 4 winning faction!

Hats

With the warmer and sunnier weather back, it is timely to provide a reminder that all primary students are required to wear a hat during recess and lunch times, as well as during sports lessons. If your child does not have a hat, please ensure they are provided with one as soon as possible. Please also check the lost property on both primary campuses if you are missing one. 

2024 Swimming Lessons (Years 1-6)

An email was sent to families of students in Years 1-6 earlier this week regarding upcoming 2024 Swimming Lessons. It is essential that all Year 1-6 parents complete the registration (via the link in the email) by Monday 21 October.

URSTRONG

A reminder that parents will continue to have access to a FREE URSTRONG parent membership. We hope that as a URSTRONG Family, you will reinforce the important messages of empowerment, self-compassion, & kindness at home.

2025 Class Allocations

Shortly, teachers will commence working on class groupings for the 2025 school year. Many factors are considered when selecting student class placements, including gender, pastoral needs, social and emotional needs, academic needs, special learning needs, and relationships. Every effort is made to give children the best opportunity to succeed. All Newman College teachers are outstanding professionals in their field, and students will receive a high-quality education no matter which class they are placed in.

Early in Term 4, students will be asked by their Classroom Teacher to nominate five friends, of which at least one will be placed in their 2025 class.

If you believe your child has special pastoral needs that may need consideration, you are asked to contact your child’s classroom teacher or contact me via email at ryan.vonbergheim@newman.wa.edu.au early in Term 4.

Any requests must be provided to the class teacher or myself by 3:00pm Tuesday, 22 October (next week). Requests made after this date cannot be considered.

Parents should understand that requests cannot be guaranteed as staff must consider a wide range of factors when creating class groupings within a triple-stream school. Parents should be aware that requesting a specific teacher is not a consideration in the class allocation process.

Once class lists have been finalised, they cannot be changed. Class lists will be published to families at the conclusion of our Move-up Day, details of which will be communicated next term.

Fathering Project

The next Fathering Project Event will be held on Friday 8 November from 4:30-6:00pm at Marian Campus. This event is for children and dads of students at Marian Campus. The event will be Paper Planes and Pizza. Please see the flyer below.

To book tickets please click on this link – https://www.trybooking.com/CVRNO

Ryan von Bergheim

HEAD OF PRIMARY

From the Vice Principal – Term 4 Week 2

Jenni Vile on 18/10/2024

Grandparents’ Day Mass

We are excited to welcome all grandparents to our upcoming Grandparents’ Day celebration on Thursday, 24 October. This special occasion offers a wonderful opportunity for students to share their school experiences with their grandparents, fostering intergenerational connections and celebrating the significant role grandparents play in our lives.

The day will begin at 8.10am with Mass in the Champagnat Chapel for Lavalla and Marcellin families, which will be followed by light refreshments. At Marian Campus there will be a liturgy at 9am at St Cecilia’s Church. Following the Liturgy, grandparents are warmly invited to visit their grandchild’s classroom. Students from Pre-Kindy to Year 2 will proudly showcase their work and learning environments, offering a glimpse into their daily school life.

We look forward to celebrating the invaluable contributions that grandparents make to our Newman College community.

Arts Week

From Monday 21 October to Friday 25 October, we will be celebrating Arts Week, a vibrant celebration of creativity. Throughout the week, students will have the opportunity to engage in a variety of activities designed to showcase their artistic talents.

Our Arts Department will provide students with the opportunity to participate in daily quizzes covering themes such as Movie Quotes, Album Covers, Music, Visual Art, and Musicals. Lunchtime will be filled with fun interactive events, including Charades, Taskmaster challenges, a Silent Disco, Colouring-In Competitions, and an Art Exhibition featuring student artwork. Additionally, special after-school events will highlight the diverse talents of our students, including a Music Collective and a Dance Showcase.

Arts Week promises to be a celebration of creativity, collaboration, and appreciation for the arts within our College community. We encourage all students to get involved and celebrate their artistic expression.

Kaleidoscope – Newman College Arts Festival

The Newman College Arts Festival is a Term 4 highlight, showcasing the creativity and talent of our students. We invite families and friends to join us for a range of performances and exhibitions from Wednesday, 23 October, to Friday, 25 October.

The festival kicks off with the Visual Arts & Technologies Exhibition Opening Night on Wednesday, 23 October, from 4-7pm in the Marist Auditorium. Students from Kindy to Year 12 will have their artwork on display, including pieces from every primary student. There will also be music, dance, and drama performances every 15 minutes, along with food trucks, face painting, and fairy floss on the oval to create a festive atmosphere. The exhibition will be open for public viewing on 24-25 October, from 8am-4pm.

On Thursday night, join us for the Music Collective from 6-8pm in the Marist Auditorium, featuring vocal and instrumental ensembles from Lavalla and Marcellin, along with solos from our talented Marcellin Scholarship students. No tickets are required—just come and enjoy the music!

The festival wraps up on Friday, 25 October, with the Dance Showcase from 6:30-8:30pm, showcasing performances from our primary and secondary dance troupes. Tickets are required for this event: $12.50 (concession) and $17.50 (adults). You can purchase tickets here.

We hope to see you at the festival to celebrate the incredible work of our students!

WACE Examinations

Many of our Year 12 students will soon be sitting their final WACE Examinations commencing on Monday 28 October. Please remember them in your prayers, asking for focus, confidence, and peace during this important time. We are incredibly proud of their hard work and dedication and look forward to seeing each of them achieve their personal best.

World Teachers’ Day – Friday 25 October

World Teachers’ Day acknowledges the significant role our teachers play in shaping the future through education. This day shines a spotlight on the dedication, hard work, and profound impact of teachers around the globe, offering us a chance to honour their invaluable contributions to society.

At Newman College, we are truly blessed to have such committed and passionate educators who go above and beyond in their roles. Our teachers are deeply invested in helping our students “Let their Light Shine” and guiding them to become Good Christians and Good Citizens. Their dedication to living out the Marist characteristics of Family Spirit and Presence, not only in the classroom but across all aspects of College life, is inspiring.

On this special day, I encourage you to take a moment to thank your child’s teachers. I am confident you would agree that we are fortunate to have such devoted and selfless individuals serving our College community.

Year 5 Retreat

The Year 5 retreat focuses on providing formation for our students as they prepare to nominate for the positions of Student Council and Sports Captains in 2025. Facilitated by 24:7 Youth Ministry, students will have the chance to explore what it means to be a leader, and the example Jesus provides to us. Students will also explore the Fruits of the Holy Spirit – the qualities and attributes we can demonstrate to live as the Holy Spirit guides us. The day will include the opportunity for games, collaborative learning, and individual reflection. We hope your students enjoy a wonderful day!

Game Changers

Next Tuesday afternoon, our Game Changers students will come together to celebrate another great year of Youth Ministry, taking part in some games and other collaborative activities as they bring their year to a close. Students will enjoy some pizza and drinks, as they reflect on the relationships they have built throughout the year, as well as the learning and development that has taken place. We hope it is a fitting end to what has been a wonderful year for these students and their mentors.

Uniform Changes

We would like to inform you about some important updates regarding the College uniform, particularly in response to inquiries from parents about the availability of the new skirts arriving later in the term. These skirts will be available for purchase during orientation appointments for new students.

In addition, the Uniform Shop will be reducing the price of current skirts, skorts, and girls’ trousers to $45. Please note that these items, sold at the reduced price, can only be worn for the next two years.

Students currently in Year 6 at Newman College, transitioning into Year 7, will be permitted to continue wearing the old grey skirt for two years. All new students to the College will be required to purchase the new skirt.

We are also excited to announce that, starting in 2025, the Guild system will be expanded to include all students from PK-12. This means that Marian and Lavalla students will also be placed into one of the eight Guilds. To allow for a smooth transition, we will be phasing out the current faction shirts at Marian and Lavalla over the next two years, replacing them with Guild shirts for all students from PK-12. For more details about this change, please refer to the Primary section of the newsletter

Maggie Dent Presentation: From the Sandpit to Adulthood

We are thrilled to announce that Newman College will be hosting renowned author, educator, and parenting expert, Maggie Dent, on Monday, 28 October 2024. Known for her down-to-earth, practical advice, Maggie’s presentations are always a favourite among parents. In fact, this event has proven so popular that it is already sold out!

During her talk, Maggie will share her invaluable insights on the “10 keys to parenting”—essential tools to help raise happy, healthy, resilient children who are ready to reach their full potential.

We look forward to welcoming Maggie and our Newman College community for what promises to be a fantastic evening.

Child Safeguarding Policy

Marist Child Safe Adult Code of Conduct

Code of Conduct for Parents and Adults

From the Principal – Term 4 Week 2

Jenni Vile on 14/10/2024

Welcome back to Term 4! The first two weeks of the new term have seen all classes settle back into the good routine of learning and teaching. It has been so energising visiting classes across Marian, Lavalla and Marcellin campuses, and watching our students dive deeply into their learning. We welcome new families to our community who have begun their Newman College journey in Term 4. 

Year 12 Graduation Mass & Awards Ceremony 

This significant rite of passage was held on October 16 at Optus Stadium. Fr Garner celebrated Mass and families, staff and the Class of 2024 then moved into a formal dinner and presentations. Each student was presented to the community, acknowledging their place as graduating students from Newman College. Subject and College awards were also featured alongside the 2024 College Captains’ Address. The Class of 2024 was acknowledged for their legacy to our community and sharing the night with families was so special for our staff. Our prayers are with the Graduates as they prepare for WACE examinations or move into traineeships, apprenticeships, TAFE or work.  

Feast Celebrations 

The Feast Day of our College Patron, St John Henry Newman, happened on 9 October. We came together as a College community the following day to celebrate St John Henry Newman with Mass and the Primary Buddy Day. For those unaware, St John Henry Newman was a 19th century significant leader of the Church. Having spent the first half of his life in the Anglican tradition and ordained, Newman became a Catholic on 9 October 1845 after a significant time of discernment, eventually becoming a Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church. In the decision pre-dating the beginning of Newman College, Churchlands in 1977, the orders of the Marist Brother and Dominican and Brigidine sisters settled on the name of the new College as Newman. It first began as the Newman system before evolving into our school today. In St John Henry Newman, the community of the time saw the wonderful example of a person with great spiritual depth and a relational base to faith. St John Henry Newman wrote of a faith where ‘heart speaks to heart’ and this meets the Spirituality of the Heart that is our Marist way- Strong Mind, Gentle Heart. 

This fortnight we have also remembered St Mary MacKillop whose canonisation anniversary falls on October 16. St Mary of the Cross. In Australian education and Christian faith, St Mary stands as a giant who, through the work of her Sisters of St Joseph, brought Catholic education to much of Australia’s rural and regional areas in the late 19th and through the 20th centuries. Our Mackillop Guild is named in honour of Mary MacKillop.  

As you would know when attending our parent nights and major celebrations we pray to St Mary of the Cross and St John Henry Newman, alongside Mary our Good Mother and St Marcellin Champagnat in our Litany of Prayer. 

Celebrating Alumni- Rhodes Scholar 

 

You may have noticed our recent social media posts celebrating Alumna.  Eden Rigo (Class of 2015) who was recently announced as the recipient of the Rhodes Scholarship 2025. She will begin her studies at Oxford University in 2025.

Eden has excelled in sports, drama and academia, and is driven to create equitable, sustainable communities in her work. We have been researching into our 113 year history as a school entity to determine whether Eden is our first Rhodes Scholarship recipient. Eden is in fact our second Rhodes Scholar, the first being Bronte Adams in 1986.

Our College community is so proud of Eden and we look forward to the wonderful impact she will continue to make through her studies and commitment. 

To live is to change, and to be perfect is to have changed often.
St John Henry Newman 

MR ANDREW WATSON

PRINCIPAL

From the Vice Principal – Term 3 Week 10

Jenni Vile on 20/09/2024

St John Henry Newman Feast Day, Lavalla and Marian Campus Buddy Day

On Thursday, 10 October, we celebrate the feast day of our College’s patron saint, Saint John Henry Newman. Newman’s theological writings, especially on the development of doctrine and the role of conscience, have profoundly influenced Catholic teaching and modern theology. Canonized in 2019, Newman’s ideas continue to shape the Church’s understanding of faith, intellectual inquiry, and personal conscience.

To mark this special occasion, the College will hold Masses throughout the day, as well as Buddy Days at our Marian and Lavalla campuses. We look forward to celebrating together as a community.

Parent Information

Year 7 2025 Orientation Day

We are excited to welcome our incoming students to the Marcellin campus for their first experience of secondary school on Monday 7 October. With no other students on campus, we aim to create a calm and welcoming environment, understanding that first days can sometimes feel overwhelming. By reducing the number of people on campus, we hope to make this transition smoother.

The Student Orientation Day is designed to help students:

  • Get to know others in their Guild, which will also be their Pastoral Care Group,
  • Explore the wide range of subjects offered in secondary school,
  • Begin to familiarize themselves with the Marcellin campus,
  • Meet some of the staff they will engage with next year, and
  • Work alongside Peer Support Mentors who will guide them through Orientation Day.

We look forward to welcoming our new students as they begin this exciting journey with us.

Year 12 Examinations

As we head into the holiday break, please keep in mind our Year 12 students who are preparing for their upcoming Mock Examinations, commencing in the second week of the holidays.

Please remember them in your prayers, asking for focus, confidence, and peace during this important time. We are incredibly proud of their hard work and dedication and look forward to seeing each of them achieve their personal best.

Semester 2 Exam Timetable

Semester 2 Exam Feedback Timetable

Uniform Update for Parents and Guardians

We would like to inform you about some important updates regarding the College uniform, particularly in response to inquiries from parents about the availability of the new skirts arriving next term. These skirts will be available for purchase during orientation appointments for new students.

In addition, the Uniform Shop will be reducing the price of current skirts, skorts, and girls’ trousers to $45. Please note that these items, sold at the reduced price, can only be worn for the next two years.

Students currently in Year 6 at Newman College, transitioning into Year 7, will be permitted to continue wearing the old grey skirt for two years. All new students to the College will be required to purchase the new skirt.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone for a fantastic term and to wish you all a restful holiday break with family and friends.

Mr Michael Chiera
VICE PRINCIPAL