Category: Secondary

Final Assembly Year 12 Students

On Thursday we recognised and celebrated the commitment, hard work, diligence and effort of our Year 12 students over their time at Newman College. Our Sports Centre was alive with students from Years 5-12 celebrating the leadership of our College and the ceremonial handing over from the Class of 2019 to the Class of 2020. Our Graduation Assembly is a symbol of hope for our College community: of what is doable, what is achievable, what is possible. It was a festive occasion underpinned by speeches and a collage of photos that reflected the wonderful contribution Year 12 students have made to the life of our College.

Our Guest Speaker, Ms Celia Hammond MP, Federal Member for Curtin, spoke of the mark our students can make in the world. She encouraged the 2019 graduate class to take the opportunities that they will be afforded in the years ahead…. and “to let their gifts and talents shine.” Ms Hammond also reminded the students that their exams are still ahead; to continue to work hard and ‘give it your best shot’.

It has been a great year for our leaving class. I would like to acknowledge and thank Mrs Rebecca Bramanto Leader of Wellbeing Year 12 for her own leadership. Her commitment to this cohort has been unconditional. The care, hope and support she has offered them has been commendable. Thank you to PCG teachers and all teachers of Year 12 students.

For Year 12 and all our Marist community, the heart of who we and what we represent is in how we are present to each other in the relationships that we form, we cultivate, and we celebrate. Being present to each other in service and in love engenders the family spirit that underpins the culture of this school. Over the next four weeks Year 12 will complete their mock exams and will have their Graduation from the College in Week 2 of Term 4.

We pray for them in this time and wish them every success for their last exam period and the completion of their courses.

2020 Leadership

We also celebrated the right of passage of the leadership of our College to Year 11 students as they take the Leadership baton forward. I would like to thank and acknowledge all our Year 11 students who participated in our Leadership Formation Program for 2020. Leadership is about honesty, integrity, confidence, inspiration, delegation, decision making, commitment, accountability, creativity and empathy. Congratulations to Anastasia Berti and Mitchell Harris who have been appointed as College Captains for 2020 and all those students who have been selected for leadership. I know that you will let your light shine! (The full list of student leaders for 2020 can be found in another part of this newsletter).

Catholic Performing Arts Closing Concert

Vice Principal, Lisa Fogliani, and I attended the Closing Concert on Monday 16 September. We were delighted to see some of our Newman students perform, in particular the Newman College Massed Choir & Madjitil Moorna Singers perform their outstanding rendition of the Acknowledgement to Country, Koort Doodjarak Yewool (A Heart Song), accompanied by piano, guitar and didgeridoo. My sincere thanks to the many staff who prepared our students for their performances and to families who ensured students attended the numerous rehearsals and events during the course of the Festival. Click here to watch the performance.

Marian Campus Athletics

The Marian Campus Athletics Carnival was held on Thursday and we were most fortunate to have been blessed with magnificent weather. All enjoyed a wonderful community event, with lots of participation and talent on display. I thank the families who attended and supported this very enjoyable day. Click here to access further information and photos from the day.

Lavalla Grandparents Day

It was lovely to see so many grandparents attend our Lavalla Grandparents Day on Wednesday. Our students thoroughly enjoyed taking their family members through their classroom and viewing their work. Thank you to all those families who supported this very important event. Further information and photos are available in the Primary School part of this newsletter.

Marist Brothers Community Churchlands

During the last part of this Term, two Marist Brothers who have been closely associated with the Newman College community have passed away, Br Nello Facci and Br Bill Dillon.

• This week, Br Nello Facci, 67 years a Marist Brother, was laid to rest from our Champagnat Chapel. In his Eulogy, Br Peter Carroll, Australian Provincial Leader of the Marist Brothers spoke of his life, that he gave unstintingly and generously to the service of God and to God’s people, especially the young. Br Nello Facci was a member of the Marist Brothers Churchlands Community and had moved more recently to Mercycare for specialised care. Br Nello served in a number of communities across Australia, including Subiaco and Newman College. The Requiem Mass was a truly fitting celebration and I thank our students for their prayerful and respectful presence and the College Choir whose performance was magnificent.

• Br Bill Dillon was a dedicated supporter and worker within the Education Support Centre at Newman College up until 2004. He was also an active member of the Vinnies. Br Bill passed away peacefully soon after celebrating his 90th birthday in Melbourne.

Our thoughts and prayers are with the Marist Brothers Communities, both locally in Churchlands and across Australia.

Deputy Principal Mission and Catholic Identity

As previously advised to all families, Mr Daniel Lynch, Deputy Principal Mission and Catholic Identity has been appointed to the position of Director of the Office of the Archbishop, commencing 28 October 2019. He will conclude his tenure in this community at the end of this Term.

Daniel has been a valued member of our College and has made a remarkable contribution to the growth of our faith community. He has reframed Catholic Identity PK-12 and has been instrumental in the development and implementation of our Marist Ministry Plan. The calibre of his work has been widely recognised within the life of the Catholic Church here in the Archdiocese of Perth which has ultimately led to this remarkable opportunity.

We wish Daniel every blessing and success as he embarks on this next stage of his career.

Proposed International Marist Education Network

Globally, the Marist family is exploring the concept of an International Marist Schools Network. Echoing calls from the last Marist General Chapter held in Colombia in 2017 and the Marist International Mission Assembly held in Kenya in 2014, a group has been convened of Marists in leadership positions from different regions throughout the world to lead a process of consultation and discernment.

On the Feast of the Assumption 2019, people working in and associated with Marist schools in 80 countries across the globe are invited to respond to a short survey which has been translated into the four major language groups used by Marists: English, Spanish, French, and Portuguese. Marist educators throughout the world are being invited to:

• Imagine the reality of an international network of Marist schools as a global family with an evangelizing action rooted in the world of school and education;
• Explore together the benefits this could bring to the children and young people whom Marists serve, as well as to their families.

Parents and Guardians are being invited to complete a short online survey. The survey has ambitious participation targets, which underscore the critical importance of every Marist educator’s voice – 100% of Marist Principals, 100% of Marist teachers and staff, 15% of students, 5-10% of parents, and an open invitation to all Marist Brothers and those Marist lay teachers who have moved to new employment or have retired. Similar to our own Australian Plenary Council consultation, the data gathered will be processed through computerised qualitative research tools, in this case undertaken by the internationally renowned Creativity Laboratory at the Marist University in Porto Alegre, Brazil.

I therefore invite parents and guardians to participate in the survey (please click here), which will be open until 15 October 2019.

Thank you

Thank you to all staff, students and their families for a wonderful Term. We are indeed blessed with the opportunities afforded to us in this community. I am so pleased at the way our students embrace their learning and the relationships that they have formed with each other. I pray that we take the time to enjoy the break and come back refreshed in Term 4.

Aboriginal Catholic Ministry – Archdiocese of Perth

In collaboration with the parish volunteers of the Parish of Floreat/Wembley and former Newman parent Peta Cooper, students in Religious Education classes have been preparing ‘get well’ cards for Aboriginal Catholic Ministry to distribute to Aboriginal patients who travel from across Western Australia to access health care services at St John of God Hospital, Midland. On discharge from hospital, patients travelling home to remote parts of Western Australia are provided with a care package of toiletries and essential items to assist them with their transition from hospital to home. Accompanying these items are handmade ‘get well cards’ from Newman College students. We are immensely proud of the contribution our students have made through these tangible acts of kindness, supporting those who they will never meet. Thank you to our RE teachers and students for leading this process. We look forward to continuing to support this wonderful initiative into the future as part of our 2020 launch of the Newman College Reconciliation Action Plan.

Year 11 Marist Association Philippines Immersion – Cross Cultural Competencies Workshop

As part of their formation program prior to undertaking the Philippines Immersion, our Year 11 Marist Association Philippines Immersion students recently undertook a cross-cultural competencies workshop led by friends of Newman College, Fr Israel Quirit and Fr Garner Vergara. Both Fr Israel and Fr Garner were born and raised in the Philippines prior to coming to live in Perth. Our students were given a first-hand guide to Filipino cultural practices and norms which equip them to confidently engage in a cross-cultural context as part of visiting the communities they will spend time with on their immersion.

Remar Gold Graduation

The Remar Gold Graduation will occur on Tuesday 22 October to celebrate and acknowledge the incredible achievement of rowers who have completed the three years with Remar. The Year 12 Gold Rowers will be joined by their parents and staff for a meal to celebrate their journey and wish them well for their future endeavours.

Weekly Thursday Morning Community Mass (Champagnat Chapel – 8.10am – 8.35am)

All parents, guardians and families across our PK-12 College are invited to attend the weekly Thursday morning Mass. Our weekly Newman College Community Mass is an important way that we as a Catholic community seek to nourish and live-out our faith in community with one another.

Perth Launch of the Social Justice Statement 2019-2020

We celebrate Social Justice Sunday on 29 September. This year, the Australian Bishops’ Social Justice Statement is titled: ‘Making it Real: Genuine human encounter in our digital world’. Four Year 10 students from Newman College attended the Perth Launch of the statement hosted by the Justice, Ecology and Development Office of the Archdiocese of Perth. The statements shares Pope Francis’ challenge to us to ‘boldly become citizens of the digital world’. It points out that we are called not just to be inhabitants of this world, but active citizens shaping it. The statement was launched in Perth by Auxiliary Bishop Don Sproxton. Click here for further details about the Social Justice Statement.

Student Reflection

“I appreciated how it was relevant to young people in particular. I certainly learned a lot and it really made me think. It is so easy to get caught up in this ‘artificial’ world of fake news and social media. It is so ironic how technology has the ability to connect people while disconnecting people at the same time. One of the biggest challenges for my generation I think is understanding what is and isn’t real because we think that seeing is believing. We often lose sight of what is really important in life – and that is the people around us from which we can learn so much from. I know I personally often forget to appreciate the people around me, but at the end of the day, the people in our lives are a gift from God. Technology makes it easy for us to access and share information, to socialise, to entertain ourselves etc. However, it is so important to disconnect, to ground yourself, be in the moment and be grateful.” Year 10 Student

AUSTRALIAN CATHOLIC YOUTH FESTIVAL

The Australian Catholic Youth Festival (ACYF) is a national gathering of Catholic young people established by the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference (ACBC). It exists to provide young Australians with opportunities to deepen their relationship with Jesus, be empowered to be disciples in the world today and encounter and celebrate the vitality of the Church in Australia. This year the ACYF will be held in Perth between 8 – 10 December. Young people between the ages of 14 and 35 from around Australia will be invited to:

• Participate in high-quality formative and experiential opportunity for young Catholics to encounter Jesus Christ, in the context of the Catholic Church in Australia;
• Listen to and discuss the issues and challenges in the lives of young Catholics in Australia;
• Engage with local examples and connections of vocations, social action, liturgy and prayer, Catholic music and faith formation.

Students in Year 9 from the College will be invited to apply to attend ACYF. This event will take the place of the Remar Embarkation Camp this year.

Save the Children – Op Shop Toy Donations Appeal

Save the Children is looking for donations of quality toys that they can sell in their Op Shops.

Download Toy Donation Appeal

Dr Michele Connolly RSJ – Free Seminars

The Council for Australian Catholic Women (Perth) invite you to hear New Testament lecturer, Dr Michele Connolly RSJ at two free events in Perth.

Michele is a Sister of St Joseph of Lochinvar NSW and has studied in Melbourne, Chicago and Berkeley. She has taught at the Catholic Institute of Sydney since 2001.

• Friday 25 October: WOMEN in the CHURCH: REFLECTIONS FROM THE NEW TESTAMENT. Men and women are invited to attend. 6.00pm – 9.00 pm (light refreshments served from 5.30pm).
• Saturday 26 October: WOMEN and the GOSPEL OF MARK: INSIGHTS FOR TODAY. A day for women only. 9.30am – 4.00pm (light refreshments served from 9.00am. Light lunch included).

Both events will be held at James Nestor Hall, Catholic Education Office 50 Ruislip St Leederville.  Please RSVP by Monday 21 October to kerrymacfarlane2@gmail.com or 9397 5988

St Vincent de Paul Blanket Appeal

A huge thank you to everyone who donated blankets to the St Vincent de Paul Blanket Appeal this term. We were overwhelmed with the generosity of the donations. Your support will enable the St Vincent de Paul Society to continue to help thousands of Western Australians this year.

St Vincent de Paul Christmas Appeal

The St Vincent de Paul Christmas Appeal will begin in Term 4. There are struggling parents who are going without food so their children can eat. Many disadvantaged families cannot afford to buy healthy food and often have to choose between paying a bill and putting a meal on the table. Your support makes it possible for Vinnies to assist over 50,000 people each year. More information will be communicated to families in Week 1, Term 4.