Category: Primary

I am the resurrection and the life. If anyone believes in me, even though he dies he will live, and whoever lives and believes in me will never die (John 11:25) 

I find it hard to believe that we are already about to enter Week 9! I often find myself wondering just where the time has gone. I’m sure many teachers, students, and families can probably relate to this feeling too! It is very easy to get wrapped in the busyness of the things that are happening around us, but when we do this, we often miss some of the simple, yet beautiful things that are happening right in front of us. At the beginning of the year, our Acting Principal, Dr Lucie McCrory, spoke about the importance of presence – of being there for one another, taking the time to see those who are among the least in our community, and to encounter others with love. 

These last few weeks I have been looking for this in our community – the ‘God moments’ that help make our Marist Community so special. Moments like Madeline Huo in Year 4 who donated $200 from her own savings to Caritas, Lucy Hayes in Year 5 who ran her own stall to raise $100 for Caritas, Mr Matthew Box and his class in the Marcellin campus who have been leading the way with donations among PCG classes, and Miss Jade Nicotra, who has galvanised Catherine Guild to get involved in a number of fundraisers this term. In addition to this we have had no shortage of student leaders wanting to get involved in raising money for Caritas, and bringing events to their fellow students that are fun and engaging as they seek to make a difference.  

I hope as we come towards the end of this term, everyone can find some time to reflect on what these last few weeks have been like for them, and that perhaps if they haven’t had the chance to see the God moments around them, that they take the time to reflect on this as we move into our final weeks of Lent. There are so many wonderful things happening around us, if we only take the time to see them.

Caritas Fast Tuesday 21 March

Project Compassion brings thousands of Australians together in solidarity with the world’s poor to help end poverty, promote justice and uphold dignity. On Tuesday, in support of Project Compassion, over 80 students on the Marcellin Campus took part in the Caritas Fast. Facilitated by our student leaders, participants had only a barley sugar for morning tea and a small bowl of rice for lunch as an act of solidarity and to raise awareness to the plight of those in other parts of the world. We are very grateful for the support of those students who took part, and who were able to raise almost $1000 to contribute to the Caritas cause. Well done to all students who took part, especially to our Guild Leaders and our Social Justice Captains Maddie and Sophia. We also owe a big thanks to Mrs Daphne Peters for her leadership and support of students in this initiative. 

Primary Students’ Reconciliation this term

This term, students from Years 4-6 have been taking part in Reconciliation, facilitated by Fr Kaz from St. Cecilia’s parish and Fr Hyginus from Our Lady of Grace parish. The Sacrament of Penance, or Reconciliation, is an opportunity for students to speak about the mistakes and sins they have made so that they may receive forgiveness from God, and in turn, grow their relationship with God. This is an important spiritual practice, and it was lovely to see students engage in this process so well. Our Year 3 students will make their Sacrament of Reconciliation in their parishes a little later in the year, and we will certainly keep them in our thoughts and prayers during that special time.  

Year 8 Retreat

Last Thursday we welcomed our Year 8 students to the auditorium to celebrate their retreat under the guidance of 24:7 Youth Ministry. Students had a chance to build their relationships with each other across games and small group sharing around their thoughts and experiences in their lives so far. The focus of the retreat was around relationships – particularly between students, families, the College, and the Church. Well done to all students who took part so enthusiastically and enjoyed the day, and to Year 8 LOWB Mrs Smith for her support of students throughout the day. 

Student Led Prayer Reflections 

For the past few weeks, we have been very grateful to our Year 12 Faith and Liturgy Captains, Grace and Isaac, who have been leading weekly prayer reflections in the Marian room, which is an intimate prayer space within the Champagnat Chapel. The prayer reflections have been occurring Fridays at 8.15am with a focus on Lenten Prayer reflection and will continue next week also. This will return again for a period of time during Term 2, and again in Term 3 too. All students are welcome to attend these short prayer services; they are a great way to centre yourself for the day, and to take the time to reflect on a piece of scripture as we seek to better understand the life of Jesus.

Easter Liturgies 

Easter is an important time in the Church’s liturgical calendar and this year our Easter liturgies in the Primary school will focus on the events of Holy Week, giving students an opportunity to reflect on the life, suffering, death and resurrection of Christ.  All families are invited to join us for the Easter Liturgies at Marian and Lavalla on Thursday 6 April.  

The Marian Easter Liturgy will commence at 9am in St Cecilia’s Church 

The Lavalla Easter Lavalla will gather in the auditorium at 11am. 

The liturgy at Marian will be led by our Year 2 students while all other students are invited to participate by coming dressed as villagers, wearing accessories over their sports uniform. This may include a tea towel/cloth over their head and/or a gown with a sash. They are also encouraged to bring a small palm branch to wave during the entrance procession. 

There will also be an Easter Liturgy taking place at 2.30pm in the gymansium for Marcellin students, with a focus on The Sations of the Cross. 

Easter Raffle

A reminder to our Lavalla and Marian families to get your raffle tickets for our annual Easter Egg raffle! All proceeds go to our funraising efforts for Caritas. We have had a a good number of donations of eggs and chocolate from our families, but there is lots of time still to drop off a donation or two to the Marian and Lavalla offices. Prizes will be drawn on the afternoon of the last day of term – good luck and remember…you have to be in it to win it! 

Community Mass

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. 

Our final Community Mass for Term 1 will take place on Thursday 30 March and will be hosted by Romero and Year 5 Blue. 

Please see the upcoming schedule for Term 2 below; 

• Thursday  27 April,  Catherine and Year 3 Green 
• Thursday 4 May, Brigid and Year 5 Green 

We look forward to seeing you there. 

Dear Parents and Guardians

One of the great aspects of the Lenten season is that we are encouraged to take time out to reflect on our relationships with each other and with God, our Christian journey, and the direction of our lives. Taking this time to reflect and be at peace, allows us to see more clearly how our life unfolds. As we move towards Easter, we are encouraged to repair what needs repairing and refresh and renew our lives and relationships so that we can better manifest as the person that we are called to be.  Living out our Marist characteristic of family spirit requires each of us to acknowledge and address areas of our life that need attention, and perhaps even the foibles of our own personality. In such a way, we trust others to do the same, whilst accepting them as they are. When we meet people where they are, and accept them as they are, we are exercising the Marist characteristic of presence. From this safe place, relationships can flourish.   

International Women’s Day

On Wednesday 8 March, we celebrated International Women’s Day, a Global Day of Recognition which celebrates the cultural, economic, social and political achievements of women. The day also marks a call to action for accelerating women’s equality. The latest Australian Government Gender Equality Scorecard was published in December 2022, we still have a way to go!

Newman Parents Year Group Representative and Executive Induction

Our Parent Year Group Representatives from PK to Year 12 and the Newman Parents Executive attended an induction during Week 5, to learn about their roles as parent and College advocates and community builders. The night was a great success, and we extend our sincere thanks to these parents who have volunteered their time to collaborate with the school in this fashion.

Newman Parents Forum (NPF)

The first Newman Parents Forum for the year is scheduled for next Monday 13 March at 6.00pm in the St John Henry Newman Learning Hub. All parents are welcome to attend.  Most of the College executives are in attendance at these meetings, it is a good opportunity to meet the leadership team face to face.

I and the Acting Vice Principal, Simon Martino met with the NPF Executives (Benjamin Ker, Christina Folley, Gina Thornberry and Stella Rapanaro and Deborah Attard Portughes) and discussed the agenda for the next meeting.  We will cover the items outlined below:

• Parent Feedback – Celebrations From NPF
• School Update
• Capital Works
• ASIP Review
• NPF Structure
• Communication and Feedback Process
• Uniform Review
• Any other Business

Information Evening

Thank you to students and parents for attending the Education Support and Year 7 Information Evenings during Week 5. The Information Evenings were important occasions for parents and students to attend and collaborate with the PCG teachers and leaders, to share information about the journey ahead. These nights set the tone for the year ahead. It was clear by the student response that the Year 7s are looking forward to their adventure camp in Term 2.  

Year 3 to 6 Swimming Carnival

At the College pool last Friday, we ran the Years 3 to 6 Swimming Carnival. The House spirit and enthusiasm from all participants went a long way to making the carnival a success. Student cheerleading was about the loudest I have ever heard! It was a hot day, and students appreciated jumping in the pool to both compete and enjoy the day.

Congratulations to all competitors throughout the day.  A huge thank you to all the staff and students who assisted in the event to make it the success that it was. Thank you to the parents who attended and supported the students. It was a wonderful turnout.

Reconciliation Years 5 and 6

During the sacrament of reconciliation, we acknowledge our wrongdoings (sins) before God. We express our regret and sorrow and receive the forgiveness of Christ. We make reparation for what we have done and then resolve to do better in the future.  Reconciliation is a healing process that results in an increase in personal freedom. Freedom to live in greater harmony, and freedom to love. The students from Years 5 and 6 who made their reconciliation last week did so with grace and commitment.

Events Ahead 

We look forward to the significant events occurring in the next two weeks, which include the

Newman Parents Forum scheduled for Monday 13 March; Secondary Twilight Tour on Tuesday 14 March; NAPLAN Assessments, Reconciliation 6B, Allwell Testing, ACC Swimming Relay Training, Year 11 Reconciliation, Fame Auditions, Lion King Musical Rehearsals and the upcoming Year 10 to 12 Parent Teacher Interviews on Thursday 23 March.

Wishing you all a blessed next few weeks.

Dr Lucie McCrory 

PRINCIPAL (Acting) 

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.