Category: Primary

Seminal skills in literacy, numeracy and general capabilities in information, communication technology and critical thinking support learning at school so students can navigate opportunities beyond Year 12.  Our Vision for Learning, Shine through Discovery, exposes students to the essential skills of collaboration, creativity and critical thinking which are increasingly important in an age of disruption and change.  Discovering how we work with others, co-learning and co-constructing ideas is important in working with others and developing good working relationships.

Reporting and Parent Teacher Interviews

My sincere thanks and gratitude to all teachers for their commitment to quality assessment and reporting of student learning.  A-E reporting from Years 3 to 10 reflect the SCSA Judging Standards which benchmark student achievement at the end of the academic year.  Semester One reports reflect student progress towards the end of year benchmark.

Student reports will be available to families on Friday 5 July via the SEQTA Engage portal.  Please note that Year 10 reports will be uploaded on Friday 21 June.

SEQTA logins to access Reports

Please Click here to access details on the SEQTA Engage login process then use the below link to login.

Click on the below link to access the SEQTA login screen.
https://coneqt-p.newman.wa.edu.au/

Teachers will be available on Tuesday 23 July from 10.00am – 7.00pm to discuss your child’s progress.  A PTO invitation will be sent out to families nearer this time with instructions on how to book interview times.

Collaboration between families and school is important for student success and we look forward to coming together to set learning goals for the semester ahead.

Newman Parents

The College is very fortunate to secure Cybersafety expert Susan McLean to speak at the Newman Parents meeting on Wednesday 12 June at 7.00pm in the Marist Auditorium.  I encourage all families to attend this seminar and learn about the positive benefits of technology as well as what we as parents need to be aware of.  More information can be found here http://www.cybersafetysolutions.com.au/

DISA

Thank you to all parents that completed the DISA survey in the past week. This feedback is very important in shaping the 2020-2022 Strategic Plan and for measuring the success of our Vision for Learning. The data collected will be shared with parents at the Newman Parents Consultative Committee meeting next term.

Code of Conduct / Child Protection  

A reminder to all families that the Code of Conduct can be accessed via the College website HERE. 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. 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.

Child Protection and Safety  

In addition to writing to the College community regarding our Code of Conduct, we feel it is also appropriate to communicate the processes, policies and frameworks the College applies to ensure our school is a safe place for all children and that our staff are informed, assessed and aware of their responsibilities to this commitment.

Working with Children Checks 

The Working with Children Check (WWC Check) is a compulsory screening strategy in Western Australia and the Christmas and Cocos (Keeling) Islands.

The WWC Check aims to protect children by:

• deterring people from applying to work with children where they have a relevant charge or conviction on their criminal record that indicates they may harm a child;
• detecting new charges and convictions of those people who hold a current WWC Card and preventing them from continuing to engage in child-related work where their criminal record and behaviour indicates they may harm a child;
• protecting children by creating awareness that child safety is a whole of community responsibility.

Newman College has strict processes in place to ensure all staff (teaching, non-teaching, casual relief staff) contractors, clergy and visitors to the College, who are working with children are compliant and validated through the Working With Children database.

More information can be found  HERE  https://workingwithchildren.wa.gov.au/about 

Any questions relating to our Child Protection strategies, please contact me at the College.

This week at our Marcellin Campus Assembly, I spoke about the importance to the world of having a “big idea”. As children, we all dream about what we want to be when we grow up. As we grow, we start to conjure up ideas that we are keen to develop, lead and share with the world. This Term, I have had multiple students come to me with ideas that they want to share with our College and with the wider community. One was from a student in Year 5 who succinctly argued with evidence why the College needed to create more opportunities for recycling so to improve the impact on our environment. Two sisters from Year 2 and Year 6 want to set up a textiles group that would donate proceeds to Caritas from money raised from the sale of what they produce. For each of these proposals I witnessed passionate, engaged and determined young people.

On the weekend we as Australians voted in the Federal Election which gives us as citizens the opportunity to contribute and participate in defining the country we are and the one we want to become. Elections are touchstones in a democratic country in the consideration of these ‘big ideas” known in political-speak as policies. At Newman College I want our students to believe that they can contribute their big ideas to the world. Ideas are not just for politicians or interest groups to take forward but for all of us. Ideas matter! Having passion for something matters; having a voice matters! Over 200 hundred years ago St Marcellin Champagnat had a “big idea” to educate young marginalised rural children. Today this idea is alive and well in 80 countries across the world.

In 2019 it is incumbent upon all of us to participate and make a contribution here at school in our learning and in the wider community. You don’t have to leave school to participate, to engage and seek to be transformative.

In Term 3, there are two ways we can have our voice heard:

1. At a school level, we are developing our Strategic Plan for the next three years and we will have a series of meetings with students, staff and parents to hear your ideas.
2. I have written to our newly elected local Federal Member, Celia Hammond to visit our community to meet with our students and hear what is important in the lives of young people in the western and northern suburbs of Perth and therefore Australia.

St Marcellin contended that he wanted our students to be good Christians and good citizens. Let’s give our students every opportunity to do so.

Parent Engagement

One of the characteristics that is valued enormously at our College is parent engagement. The contributions, volunteering and presence of parents at Newman College is highly valued. Using just one example, this was never more evident than at our recent NPCC Meeting. Thank you to the twenty parents who came along to discuss and give input to the strategic direction of the College. We discussed early childhood engagement, the upcoming Capital Development Project and student wellbeing.

Download NPCC Meeting Minutes Term 2

We have another opportunity for parents to attend our Community Forum where the Capital Development Project will be presented by our Architect. This will take place on Monday 27 May, 7.00pm, in the Marist Auditorium. Click here for further information and to RSVP.

What is Parent Engagement?

Parent engagement in schools is defined as parents and school staff working together to support and improve the learning, development and health of children and adolescents. Parent engagement in schools is a shared responsibility in which schools are committed to reaching out to engage parents in meaningful ways, and parents are committed to actively supporting the learning and development of their children and adolescents.

Studies have shown that parent engagement in schools can promote positive education and health behaviours. Research shows a strong relationship between parent engagement and educational outcomes, including school attendance and higher grades. Parent engagement in schools has also been identified as promising protective factors for adolescent risk behaviours and outcomes.

An example of the importance we place on this is our next Newman Parent evening which is facilitated by Susan McLean from CyberSafety Solutions. This event is to be held on Wednesday 12 June, 7.00pm in the Marist Auditorium.

It is not just within the school gates that this partnership and parent involvement is bound. Outside of the classroom and when at home, finding practical ideas for parents to engage in learning in a way that is meaningful and purposeful takes time. Ongoing parental involvement reaps benefits in many ways, including shaping positive attitudes. We value your participation!

Performing Arts Festival for Catholic Schools and Colleges 2019 Awards

The resounding success of Masquerade, the 2019 College Production, has been further recognised by the Catholic Performing Arts Adjudicators. The production received Outstanding Award recognition, the highest level of success that can be attributed in this section of the Performing Arts Festival for Catholic Schools and Colleges. Congratulations to all of those who collaborated to make this exceptional production come to life on the stage last Term.

National Simultaneous Storytime

On Wednesday 22 May, students on the Marian Campus participated in the National Simultaneous Storytime, an annual campaign that aims to encourage more young Australians to read and enjoy books. I had the great privilege of reading Alpacas with Maracas by Australian author and illustrator Matt Cosgrove. We had a lot of fun and the event highlighted the value of story-telling.