From the Vice Principal – Term 4 Week 6

Jenni Vile on 21/11/2025

Year 7-11 Awards Celebration and Primary Christmas Carols & KG – Y5 Awards

Next Wednesday, 26 November, our Secondary students will gather for a special Celebration Assembly recognising the outstanding achievements of Semester Two. The assembly will acknowledge excellence across academics, sport and leadership, including the presentation of Academic Excellence and Subject Awards, Sporting Awards and Guild Awards. We will also introduce our Student Guild Representatives for 2026 and take a moment to thank and farewell staff members who are concluding their time with us.

On Friday evening, it will be our Primary students’ turn to shine. This joyful occasion will celebrate a wide range of achievements in academic and mission areas, accompanied by musical performances from each class to help usher in the Christmas season.

We look forward to gathering as a community next week and celebrating the wonderful gifts and contributions of our students.

Year 6 Mass and Graduation

Newman College is excited to celebrate the achievements of our Year 6 students as they complete their primary years and prepare for the next stage of their education journey. The Year 6 Graduation Ceremony will be held on Tuesday, 2 December, from 5 – 7pm, beginning with a Mass in the Champagnat Chapel, followed by an Awards Ceremony in the Marist Auditorium. This special event will honour the accomplishments of our Year 6 students and we look forward to celebrating with them and their families.

Philippines Immersion

Next Thursday 27 November, our Year 11 Philippines Immersion will commence, with thirteen students and three staff departing Perth for Manila. They will be embarking together on a unique opportunity to immerse themselves in another culture and bring to life our vision of being “good Christians and good citizens.”

During the trip, students will visit four key organisations, including a local PK–12 Marist College similar to our own, where they will have the chance to listen, learn and connect with Filipino students their age. They will also spend time at the Marist Asia Pacific Centre, where young brothers undergo formation to become Marist Brothers. Additionally, students will visit agencies that support vulnerable children, including those who have experienced abuse or face unstable family situations that lead them to live on the streets.

Our hope is that this experience inspires students to grow in their heart for service, returning with a deeper awareness of God’s presence, even in challenging circumstances. We wish our students and staff a safe and meaningful journey and look forward to hearing about their experiences upon their return.

Marist Cricket Tour

The College’s 1st XI cricket team depart Saturday 29 November for Brisbane. The team will compete in the 51st Marist Cricket Carnival at Marist College, Ashgrove. This is the ‘A’ division of two carnivals happening at the same time.

The team of thirteen, accompanied by Mr Bern Willet, Mr John Lucas and Mr Jake Goncalves, will play 5 games over the week and will celebrate Mass and Dinner with other students and staff of Marist Schools from across the country.  Led by Captain Sam Weston and Vice Captains Koby Ashford and Sam Malajczuk, they are looking forward to a competitive carnival. We wish them all the best of luck.

Social Media – Incoming Ban Legislation and College Policies

On 10 December the Social Media Ban for children under the age of 16, with some platforms intending on implementing the ban earlier. It is important that you speak to your children about this change, below are some practical tips and points for you and your child to discuss ahead of the change:

  • Save any Snapchat memories to their camera roll
  • Get alternate contact numbers or emails for their friends
  • Save copies of Instagram, TikTok or Facebook posts and photos
  • Cancel any online subscriptions for social media platforms
  • Be aware of scams promising to reactivate accounts

Earlier this term, consultant Paris McNeil hosted an information session on the ban and the recording is available here:

The College recently sent home a social media and smartphone survey to families, it is still available here for those who have yet to complete it. So far, over 500 families have completed the survey, and the data shows that there is overwhelming support from parents for the social media ban / delay and that a large number of families would also support a stronger stance on general smartphone use for children.

Parents, Guardians and Students are reminded of the Student Use of Mobile Devices Policy. Notably that students must not use mobile devices during school hours or during school-related activities unless authorised to do so by a staff member.  Students who need to contact home during school hours must do so by accessing the Student Reception at Marcellin or the Primary Reception at Lavalla.

2026 Uniforms

As previously communicated, we would like to remind families of the following changes as they purchase their uniforms for 2026:

Commencing 2026 onwards:

  • The College belt must be worn in Term 2 and 3 with the College trousers.
  • All primary students will need a guild shirt in line with the PK- 12 Guild system implemented in 2025.

Commencing 2027 onwards:

  • The grey skirt will be the only option to wear in 2027. The slate blue skirt can only be worn in Years 7 to 12 until the end of 2026.

Mission Update – Term 4 Week 6

Jenni Vile on 21/11/2025

Recently, my family and I had a couple of visitors stay with us at home. My mother-in-law has been visiting from Cairns, spending time with her grandchildren, while only a week before, we welcomed my brother, who had travelled home from England to spend some time with his nieces and nephews before the Christmas break. It was a busy time in the lead up. Getting the house ready, planning out different things to do and just generally looking forward to seeing people that, as a family, we dearly love, but just don’t not get the opportunity to see very often.

In many ways, this is the same sense of expectation and hope that we experience in the lead up to Christmas. Soon, we will begin the season of Advent, a very special time in the Church calendar where we prepare for the arrival of Jesus. When I was younger, I understood this in the literal sense – that we are awaiting the celebration of the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem. But as I grew older, I began to understand Advent on a deeper level, too. That we are also preparing for the coming of Christ in our hearts. We do this through how we choose to live our lives, through prayer, love, and kindness to others. 

The season of Advent also invites us to slow down, be still, notice God’s presence, and make space for Jesus in our busy lives. It encourages us to make time for prayer, be present to those who matter most, and still our focus, so we can live and love in the way of Jesus. As we come towards the end of the school year, my great hope for students and families is that they might enter into this season of Advent with a quiet heart. A heart that allows us to slow down, to put aside the distractions of Christmas parties and presents, and focus on how we can bring God’s love to those around us; how we can prepare not just for the birth of Jesus into the world, but the birth of Jesus into our hearts.

Philippines Immersion

Next week, we will say goodbye to our Year 11 students as they venture with Mr Box, Miss Mincherton, and Mrs Cooper to the Philippines for our annual Immersion. Students will visit a number of organisations that seek to support children who are living on the streets or who have been victims of serious abuse. They will offer their support and have the chance to encounter the stories of others, helping them grow in understanding and solidarity.

Sometimes, families might wonder why we have these types of experiences for our students.

An immersion can have many purposes. It can give students the chance to experience a different culture, to build empathy and compassion and to encounter our faith and values through lived experience. In the preparation we had with Year 11 students, we spoke about how the purpose of immersion is not to come back as a fully formed human, ready to leave their life behind to become a missionary. Rather, it is about opening our hearts to the experiences of others and being prepared to listen to where that may lead us. Perhaps developing a heart of service for those in need, no matter our career or vocation.

Two years ago, I visited the Philippines with a group of students for the first time, and since then, there has not been a week in which I have not found myself thinking about the people I met and the experiences I had. What does that mean for me? I am still not sure, in some part. But it sits within me, in my heart, like a whisper, constantly present as I reflect on the important things in life for me and my family.

I would like to invite all members of our school community over the coming weeks to keep our students and staff in their prayers as they begin their journey. We pray that they are kept safe and well, and that they may have an experience that touches their hearts and shapes them in life-giving ways.

Mr Stuart McClorey

DIRECTOR OF MISSION & CATHOLIC IDENTITY

From the Principal – Term 4 Week 4

Jenni Vile on 07/11/2025

Lavalla Opening and Blessing 

As we close Week 4 of this final term, I reflect on the joyous event celebrated last Tuesday, the Blessing and Official Opening of Lavalla – our completely new PK-6 learning community. What an amazing journey it has been from the first visionary moment to the celebration of welcoming our Marian students to join Lavalla at the beginning of Term 3. We carry so much gratitude to so many for their contribution to realising the dream of our whole community united on one campus site. This historic occasion made me reflect on an extract I received recently entitled Builders of a New Hermitage – Message from the XXIII General Chapter of the Marist Brothers:  

Two hundred years ago, Marcellin Champagnat and the first Brother raised stone upon stone in the valley of the Gier to build the Hermitage.  They worked with bare hands, great courage, and unwavering faith, but always with deep trust that the work was God’s. As the psalmist reminds us and as Marcellin always said “If the Lord does not build the house, in vain do the builders labour” (Psalm 127:1). 

The Hermitage was never only a building. It was a home of fraternity, a school of the Gospel, and a springboard for mission.  The river Gier that flowed beside it carried timber, refreshed the Brother, and symbolised the Spirit’s constant presence. 

The vision of building a new Hermitage sits well with our celebration of the opening of the completed Lavalla build. There has literally been the building with bare hands, the courage to stay the course and trust that our new creation moves us to build further a communion, a community that brings hope and opportunity to our young people. It is not the extensive and innovative primary resource that we only celebrate and cherish, it is what we do as a community within the facility that matters. As a College, we are grateful to the following leaders, supporters and significant contributors to the project: 

  • Dr Frank Malloy, National Director MSA 
  • Br Peter Carroll, Provincial of Star of the Sea Province and the Marist Brothers 
  • Mr Darren McGregor, Regional Director MSA 
  • Mr John Finneran, immediate past Principal Newman College 
  • The College Advisory Council 
  • The College Finance Committee 
  • Newman College Executive 
  • Ms Lisa Mc Clue, past Head of Primary 
  • Mr Ryan von Bergheim, past Head of Primary 
  • Mr Thomas Wagner, past Director of Engagement and Operations 
  • Mr Steve Halley Wright, past Director Finance and Administration 
  • Munns Sly Moore Architects 
  • Badge Construction 
  • Borrell Rafferty Surveying 
  • Pritchard Francis Light 

Year 11 Finish 

Today, our Year 11 students finished formal classes and then on to two weeks of examinations. As the WACE examinations close for Year 12s shortly, we also wish our Year 11 students all the best in the coming weeks. 

Grandparents Day Liturgy, Class Visits and Morning Tea 

What a way to end the week! We welcomed over 400 grandparents to our first combined PK-6 Grandparents Morning at Lavalla. Grandparents are the great treasure of families and the pride they had in their grandchildren at today’s visit warmed everyone’s hearts. In chatting with our guests at morning tea, it was so uplifting to hear that many have been past students of our school. Thank you to our team for their work in bringing about a great morning and every blessing to our wonderful grandparents at Newman College.  

Recently, I informed the community of the news that Mr Michael Chiera, Vice Principal, had been appointed to the position of Principal Servite College from 2026. This is a great achievement for Michael and we recognise his great contribution to Newman College over the past two years. The opportunity to lead and serve your own community is a special gift and responsibility for a senior leader. Marist Schools Australia has begun the process of appointing the next Vice Principal to Newman College and we will keep you up to date with this news.  

Wishing all our students and families a wonderful weekend.

Mr Andrew Watson

PRINCIPAL

From the Vice Principal – Term 4 Week 4

Jenni Vile on 07/11/2025

Minor change to Secondary Times of the Day from 2026

In 2026, Equip Guide Thrive will be combined with Extended PCG and will take place on a Wednesday. This change will not impact student start and finish times. The updated times of day are below:

Transperth Service Change – 412
Transperth has advised that from November 30, there will be a route change to the 412 Bus. In the afternoon, the service will no longer deviate via Newman College. The following links provide additional details on the service change and information on alternative routes. If you have any queries, please direct them to Transperth.

College Calendar Update

Beginning next week, the College Calendar will be updated to include new filtering options. Families will be able to view events by selecting filters for ‘Whole College’, ‘Primary’, and/or ‘Secondary’ on both the College website and the College App.

Newman Parents Forum

The Term 4 Newman Parents Forum is scheduled to take place on Monday 10 November at 6.00pm. All parents and guardians are invited to attend in person, in the John Henry Newman Hub, or online via TEAMs. The agenda and TEAMs link are available here.

Social Media Ban – Parent Session and Survey

Last Thursday, the College hosted an online parent presentation on the forthcoming Social Media ban. Guest speaker Paris McNeil outlined the implications of this change and shared practical strategies for how parents and the wider College community can best support students in navigating this transition. Links to the recorded presentation can be accessed below:

To continue supporting families and students in this area, we invite parents to complete a short anonymous survey about their children’s use of smartphones and social media. The insights gathered will help us better understand community perspectives and identify the key areas where further guidance and support may be needed. The link to the survey is here. We encourage all parents to complete this 5-minute survey.

Mr Michael Chiera

VICE PRINCIPAL

Primary Update – Term 4 Week 4

Jenni Vile on 07/11/2025

Grandparents Day

This morning, we welcomed approximately 400 grandparents to celebrate Grandparents Day. The morning consisted of a beautiful Liturgy, time spent in classrooms, followed by a morning tea for grandparents. A huge thank you to Fr Kaz for celebrating our Liturgy, Mrs Short and Mrs Battersby for their organisation of the event, the maintenance team for their help with all things logistics, Year 1 and 2 teachers, and all students who helped prepare the liturgy.

Year 1-6 Swimming Lessons

All students in Years 1 – 6 will take part in the College’s in-school Swimming Lessons Program in Week 6 & 7.

Registration is compulsory and is due by the end of today. It is essential that you register your child so classes can be finalised in time for our lessons to commence.

Please click here to read the information about registering for swimming lessons.

Fathering Project

Class Lists- Pastoral Requests

Thank you to the many families who reached out with specific pastoral requests for their child in 2026. I remind families that the strict deadline for these was Friday 24 October. We are now well advanced in the process of finalising class placements for the upcoming school year. As such, we are unable to consider any further requests.

Carpark

I have noticed some issues re-emerge this week in regards to the carpark.

  • Double parking at Kiss n Ride entry.
    • Cars are still double parking at the start of the kiss n ride lane, preventing parents from proceeding to the carpark. I have had parents report waiting for 20 minutes or more due to cars doing the wrong thing. If the kiss n ride lane is full, please proceed to the loop where you will be prioritised to re-join the kiss n ride lane.
  • Parking on the grass
    • There are an increasing number of cars parking on our beautiful landscaping and, at times, damaging the reticulation. Please avoid parking on the grass.