Category: Secondary

I hope everyone has had a wonderful first two weeks to begin the term. We were very fortunate as a staff to commence our term with the Marist Life Formation team where we undertook a faith formation day alongside our other Marist communities from Western Australia – Bunbury Catholic College and St. Joseph’s School Northam. It was a wonderful opportunity for us to reflect on our Marist theme for 2023 and to gather together as one Marist Community. 

May the month of Mary 

This week marks the beginning of May, the month of Mary. This is an especially important time for our Marist community, with Mary playing such a pivotal role in the formation of the Marist Brothers. 

Many people may be unaware, but when Marcellin Champagnat first went to school as a child, he only stayed one day due to the cruel nature of his teachers. He left to work at home with his Dad instead and was able to do some learning with his mother.  

Years later, when Champagnat was ordained as a priest, he knew that he wanted to make Jesus Christ known and loved to young people everywhere and to provide an education to those in his community. However, having remembered his own time at school, Champagnat was determined to create a different experience for his students. Following his ordination, Champagnat travelled with a group of his friends to Fourvière in Lyon where at the feet of Mary, they promised to establish the Society of Mary (which later became the ‘Little Brothers of Mary’ or the ‘Mary-ists’ and eventually the Marists). Champagnat and his brothers dedicated themselves and all their good works to Mary. They wanted to educate children in the way of Mary – showing compassion and gentleness to the young people in their community. In this way, to be Marist means to be a disciple of Mary. The month of May is the perfect time to remember this and reflect on this throughout the month. I hope everyone can take some time to reflect on where they see Mary working in their lives. 

2023 Marian Lecture

Each year, the Marist Association hosts a Marian Lectue – an opportunity for the community to come together to share in a message of hope and share in conversation around a particular theme or topic.  

The 2023 Marian Lecture features a conversation with Dr. Medi Volpe about our Marist theme for 2023: A revolution of love and tenderness. This 1-hour lecture is a great opportunity to understand our Marist theme and to better understand how we can bring to life a revolution of love and tenderness in our own lives. This lecture is a live-streamed event and is open to all members of our community, including the general public.  

Participants can enrol via the form below, and have the option of watching from home, or gathering together with other participants at the Newman College Auditorium.  

You can register your intent to attend via the Microsoft Form below, which in turn will be registered with the Marist Association.  

We look forward to sharing in this event very soon! 

Mother’s Day Mass 

Families are warmly welcome to attend our Mother’s Day mass celebrations next week. We look forward to welcoming all of our mothers and mother figures and celebrating their contributions to our community.

Marist Theme Art Competition 

Students and families should keep an eye out for information coming shortly about an upcoming Art competition based on our Marist Theme for 2023. 

Students will be invited to submit a piece of artwork that reflects the Marist theme for 2023 – Created & Called: A revolution of love and tenderness. There will be categories for students from PK–12 with prizes for award winners. Winning entries and honourable mentions will be showcased at our PK-12 Arts Festival later in the year.  

We are looking forward to sharing details soon and seeing lots of excellent entries! 

Year 9 Game Changers Retreat 

On the 28^th of May, a wonderful group of Year 9 Game Changers students assembled at St Joseph’s Church in Subiaco for their Regional Retreat Day.  The students chose to begin the day with a beautiful Mass led by Monsignor Kevin, before meeting up with Issy, their Marist Youth Ministry MC for the day. From there, the group discussed the meaning and role of simplicity in their lives and how we, as Marists, are encouraged to live in the present. As Albus Dumbledore once said, “It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live!” The students then explored the importance of solidarity and how they can contribute to this in not only their own communities but also the wider global community, even if it’s just in small steps. In summary, the Year 9 Game Changers had a fun yet reflective day and, by the end, had bonded closer as a youth group and become excited to ‘change the game’ for the year ahead. 

Izzy Ochtman – Marist Youth Ministry & Youth Chaplin 

Year 10 Game Changers Retreat 

This morning, the Year 10 Game Changers students set off to St. Joseph’s Subiaco to take part in their final La Valla Retreat Day. In the spirit of embracing our journey, students studied the symbol of the compass, and reflected on their personal North’s, East/West’s, and South’s (Goals, distractions, and significant past experiences). This symbol will be used to remind the Year 10’s that it is the compasses needle (people whom we can look to for guidance) that will make it a lot easier to find our True North. The day provided a safe and relaxing space for the students to reflect deeply on their lives moving forward, as we know many big decisions lie ahead for them! 

Izzy Ochtman – Marist Youth Ministry & Youth Chaplin 

Upcoming Events 

• Tuesday 9 May – Year 8 Game Changers Retreat 
• Thursday 11 May – Year 3 Reconciliation Retreat 
• Tuesday 16 May – 2023 Marian Lecture 
• Thursday 18 May – Year 4 Eucharist Retreat 
• Thursday 18 May – Secondary LifeLink Launch 
• Thursday 18 May – Year 11 & 12 Marist Connect Evening 

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.  

Please see the upcoming schedule for the next two weeks: 

• Thursday 11 May, Chisolm and Year 3 Blue (Mother’s Day) 
• Thursday 18 May, Camara and Year 4 Blue  

We look forward to seeing you there 

Thank you for a wonderful term. It has been a fantastic start with so much to celebrate as we head into the holiday period.  

Term two students are to return to school wearing winter uniform.  The first day of school for all students is Wednesday 26 April. Please take this opportunity to check your child’s clothing sizes to make sure they fit.  Students in Years 4 – 12 are required to wear their blazer.   

Students are to be reminded of the expectations relating to their personal presentation and they must return to school with correct hair (styles and colour), nails, and jewellery.  

On Monday 24 April we welcome Andrew Watson, the new Principal to the College.  We are also hosting Bunbury Catholic College and St Joseph’s Northam will join with Newman College staff for a faith formation professional development opportunity with the Marist Life Formation Team. This day will see the three Marist communities come together to reflect on our 2023 Marist Theme, Created and Called.  

Newman College Assessment Policy 10-12 

The College Assessment policy outlines the requirement that students in Years 10-12 must have a medical certificate for being absent for in-class assessments due to illness. Where students miss an in-class assessment and cannot provide a medical certificate they will be awarded a zero as per the College Assessment Policy.  

The integrity of assessments in Senior School is important and as such the assessment policy requirements allows the College to invigilate assessments for all students that are valid, explicit, fair, equitable, publicly accountable, reliable and in adherence with statutory requirements, including those required by the School Curriculum and Standards Authority.   

The Assessment Policy and these requirements have been communicated to parents by the Deputy Principal Teaching and Learning at the 2023 Year 11 and 12 Information Evenings for parents and students and via recording sent out for Year 10s. Further communication has been provided in the fortnightly newsletter and students have been briefed on the requirement. Medical certificates can be obtained in person with your GP, via online medical GP services or at your local pharmacy. When students have obtained a medical certificate, these can be forwarded onto absenteesecondary@newman.wa.edu.au 

Extended Absences 

Parents are reminded that all extended absences must be referred to the Vice Principal. 

lucie.mccrory@newman.wa.edu.au 

CODE OF CONDUCT

Dear Parents and Guardians

Welcome to the end of Term One, and what a term it has been for the Newman community!

Last year, after a particularly intense storm, had passed and once the rain cleared, I took my daughter for a drive to a popular walking spot not far from Newman. On the way there in the car, we noticed something developing out the front windscreen; it was spectacular in the sky. Against a backdrop of passing clouds, two rainbows emerged. The colours were bright and vivid. When we got out of the car, I looked around me. I saw that the storm had left behind a landscape that was both transformed and rejuvenated. The air was clean and crisp, the trees and grass were a vibrant green, the sky had cleared beautifully with the twin rainbows proudly glowing, and the birds were even chirping joyfully. I was struck by the way in which nature responded to the storm with such resilience and beauty. Despite the destruction that the storm had caused, and there was still debris around, the earth had bounced back with a renewed sense of vitality and hope. This experience reminded me of other examples of nature’s resilience that we have all witnessed over the years. We have seen trees that have been damaged by lightning strikes, fires, or heavy winds, only to grow back stronger or different and perhaps more beautiful than before. We have seen flowers that have been trampled underfoot, only to rise again with renewed vigour. These occurrences are powerful reminders from mother nature that during and after the face of adversity, there is always the potential for growth and renewal. This process of death and new life, of endings and beginnings, is evident in our Christian Easter story. The Easter story of Jesus’s death on Good Friday, followed by a 3-day period of waiting to the resurrection of Jesus, in a different form, on Easter Sunday, reflects the same theme that mother nature continually shows us. As humans, we will have difficulty in our lives, followed by periods of waiting or stagnation and with the hope and light of Christ, we overcome and rise again. We have certainly seen this pattern in our own community this term, and genuine and caring support from each other has been critical to the process.

Kindergarten to Year 12 Easter Liturgies

With the conclusion of our term, we saw all three campuses celebrating the Easter season of new life. Staff and students came together to participate in liturgical celebrations. It was a fitting way to close a rather large term.

Year 10 to 12 Parent, Teacher, Student Interviews

In the Years 10 to 12 Parent, Teacher, Student interviews provided a formal opportunity for teachers and parents to discuss student achievements and progress. Feedback was given along with actionable steps for students to meet their goals. The hybrid model of both face-to-face and online via Teams was received well by families, and we look forward to the Year 7 to 9 Parent Teacher Student interviews on the first Thursday of next term.

Zero 2 Hero Parent Series

On Monday 27 March, the College in partnership with Zero2Hero, presented our first of three events for the year. The ‘Nourishing Young Minds’ presentation provided detailed evidence-based information to primary parents regarding appropriate nutrition for young developing minds. The College welcomed leading experts Bobbie McPhail and Sarina Shirazee to the Marist Auditorium. They provided parents with practical measures on how to nourish young minds.  The two experts were joined by our Head of Primary, Mr Ryan von Bergheim who gave insights into the College’s own support mechanisms and expertise in this area.

The Zero2Hero Parent Seminar Series provides a wonderful opportunity for parents to hear from leading experts in topical and relevant areas of concern. There will be two more seminars this year, and we hope to see many parents participate in this exceptionally well-organised partnership venture between Newman and Zero2Hero.

PK-Year 2 Fathering Project

The Fathering Project recognises that fathers, and father figures, play a vital role in the lives of children. The evidence demonstrating fathers’ potential to positively influence their children’s health and mental health, social success and academic achievements is robust and compelling.

Research suggests that absent, disengaged, ill-equipped or busy fathers are a significant social issue that impacts the lives of Australian children and young people. We are living through a time of rapid social change, where community views of fatherhood are actively changing. Research suggests that many fathers and father figures are struggling to fulfil the joys, challenges, and responsibilities of being an engaged Father in the modern world. Many Fathers are struggling alone, contributing to poor mental health outcomes and higher rates of suicide and domestic violence. Delivering engaging prevention and intervention programs and research-based resources will equip fathers with the skills to be the best Father they can be and improve the lives of fathers, children, and families for generations to come.

This term, several motivated Marian parents have chosen to lead the College’s support of the Fathering Project. Their goal is to provide opportunities for fathers of Newman College students with an opportunity to engage with their children in fun activities. On Friday 31 March, the first event took place at the Marian campus, which was a Paper Planes and Pizza activity. Around 250 fathers or father figures and children attended the event. I am told that it was a wonderful and uplifting occasion which was enjoyed equally by the students and their fathers.

The goal of the coordinators is to host one event per term. Details of the next event will be made available to the community in due course.

Principal’s Assembly

At the Principal’s Assembly and Campus Assemblies in Marian and Lavalla, we acknowledged significant sporting and service achievements and contributions across the College. Students who demonstrated the Marist characteristics during the term were also recognised.  The Principal’s Commendation Award in Secondary is given to students who set an example to others in the school community.  I would like to again acknowledge and congratulate the following recipients of the awards; they are wonderful examples of our students living in the Marist way.

Jasielle Tan received the Marcellin Award (PK-2).

Oliver Slavicek received the Marcellin Award (Years 3-6)

Lucas Maher and Georgia Burt (Year 7)

Jasmine Love and Callum Bick (Year 8)

Oliver Groughan and Emma Lindsay (Year 9)

Ella Nguyen and Stefan Constantine (Year 10)

Bailey Moorfield and Faith Jones (Year 11)

Owen Hayes and Sean Heaney (Year 12)

Caritas Project Compassion

We have been raising much-needed funds for Caritas Project Compassion over the course of the Lenten season. Fundraisers have included the Primary Easter Raffle, bake sales, donations, a hilarious Staff Dance Off Concert and a Staff and Student Netball game. I have been inspired to see both students and staff get behind this worthy cause.

In conclusion

I would like to express my gratitude to the Marist Brothers, College Advisory Council, Executive and each and every member of the Newman staff, student, and parent community for your support this term, during my time as Acting Principal. It has been an incredible privilege to lead this wonderful community, and I am so grateful for the opportunity to have served in this role during this time of transition. Over the last three years, I have been continually inspired by the dedication, talent, spirit and Marist heart of the students, staff and parents here at Newman. I have seen firsthand the amazing things that can be accomplished when we come together in family spirit, and I am so proud of all that we have achieved together during this term.

Term 2 will see our new Principal, Mr Andrew Watson commencing. I would like to extend a warm welcome Mr Watson. I have no doubt that he will bring new perspectives and vast experience, with a deep commitment to excellence and to the success and well-being of our students and staff. I offer my best wishes and full support to Mr Watson as he embarks on his new journey. I know that Mr Watson will find Newman to be an extraordinary community, filled with talented and passionate individuals who are welcoming and committed to excellence, family spirit and a love of work.

I have been invited to go on the Marist Pilgrimage these holidays with 30 other Marists from across Australia. We will travel to the Holy Land and Champagnat country during the Easter break for a spiritual encounter. It is a trip that I am both humbled and excited to be experiencing and I am very much looking forward to entering the pilgrim mindset this Sunday. 

Finally, I would like to wish you all a happy Easter and a restful holiday break. May this be a time for you to reconnect with family and friends, and to find joy in the simple pleasures of life. I am so grateful to be a part of this wonderful community, and I look forward to seeing you all again next term when I return as Vice Principal.

Dr Lucie McCrory

PRINCIPAL (Acting)