Volleyball on the Rise at Newman College
Volleyball is quickly becoming one of the fastest growing sports at Newman College, with excitement and enthusiasm building across the College community as students set their sights on the Australian Volleyball Schools Cup this December on the Gold Coast.
Last week, our Gold Coast Volleyball teams officially began their journey, hitting the court for the first time as they prepare for months of training, competition and teamwork. From the very first session, it’s clear that something special is beginning to take shape at Newman College, with every team bringing extraordinary energy, commitment and team spirit to the court.
Adding to the excitement is the exceptional calibre of coaching supporting our students, we have Shelby Maher, captain of the Super League winning Perth Steel, leading the coaching program. Shelby has been heavily involved with Volleyball WA at an elite level as both a player and coach, and brings a wealth of experience, expertise and genuine passion to the program.
Over the years, Shelby and Miss Kononen have developed a formidable volleyball partnership, guiding teams to the Australian Volleyball Schools Cup on multiple occasions, with one of those remarkable journeys seeing one team advance all the way to the Gold Medal Match.
“Schools Cup was one of the highlights of my time at school,” Shelby said. “It is such an incredible experience because it is about so much more than volleyball. You build friendships, confidence and memories that stay with you long after the tournament ends. I am really excited to help the students grow as players, enjoy the journey and create those same experiences together.”
In a truly wonderful full circle moment, fellow coach Lucie Wilcox was once coached by Shelby herself and was part of the team that reached the Australian Volleyball Schools Cup grand final. Now, the pair stand side by side on the coaching bench, inspiring and guiding the next generation of Newman College volleyball players with firsthand knowledge of what it takes to compete at the highest level.
While there is still plenty of hard work ahead, the early signs are incredibly promising. The dedication, enthusiasm and culture already developing within this program is something the entire College community can be immensely proud of.
This is only the beginning of the journey, but one thing is already certain — Newman College is well and truly making its mark on the volleyball map, and the best is still to come.
From the Vice Principal – Term 2 Week 3
Secondary Colours and Honours Update
Next week, students will receive a co-curricular report for their time at the College until the end of 2025. This will include a list of recorded co-curricular activities and an accumulated total for each pillar.
Students will be provided with a form to complete if they feel there are records missing from their report. We ask that students and families are patient as these forms are processed; Year 11 and 12 forms will be reviewed first as a priority. We are looking forward to acknowledging our next group of Colours and Honours recipients at the Celebration Assembly on Tuesday 30 June.
An overview of the College Co-Curricular is available here.
- Child Safeguarding Policy
- Marist Child Safe Adult Code of Conduct
- Code of Conduct for Parents and Adults
Mrs Beth Murphy
VICE PRINCIPAL
Secondary Update – Term 1 Week 9
Pathways and Careers Information: Year 10
Year 11 prerequisites for 2027
Year 10 students and families have now received the prerequisites for Year 11 subjects at Newman College for 2027. This is to allow for goal-setting in time for the Semester 1 Year 10 report. Prerequisites for Year 11 2027 can found at:
A summary of the different pathway options for Year 11 and 12 can be found by clicking here.
In Term 2, all Year 10 students will commence their subject selection research, in preparation for Year 11 2027.
Career conversations for parents
The WA Government offers a suite of free resources to assist parents and guardians with starting career-related conversations. Families can access them here.
Pathways and Careers Information: Year 11
Selecting Year 12 subjects
Please see below a summary of the rules for selecting subjects in Year 12, 2027:
- Students who select a Year 12 ATAR subject must have achieved at least 50% in that ATAR subject in Year 11.
- Students who select a new Year 12 ATAR subject in Year 12 (not having studied that subject in Year 11) will be required to seek permission.
- Students with a predicted ATAR of less than 70 will not be permitted to continue the ATAR Pathway in Year 12.
- Students who have an ‘E’ grade in a Year 11 General subject will not be permitted to re-select that General subject in Year 12.
- For students wishing to enter the UniReady or UniPath Programs in Year 12:
- If coming from the ATAR Pathway in Year 11, students must have passed at least 4 Year 11 subjects.
- If coming from the General Pathway in Year 11, students must have a ‘B’ grade or better in at least 4 Year 11 subjects, including English.
Alternatives to University
Did you know that University is not the only place you can obtain a degree? There are several alternatives here in Perth:
- SAE: Offers degrees in things like Animation, Audio, Game Development, Creative Industries. https://sae.edu.au/
- ACAP: Offers degrees in things like Psychology, Criminology, Social Work. https://www.acap.edu.au/
- EIT: Offers degrees in Engineering, IT, and Renewable Energy. https://www.eit.edu.au/
For students thinking of attending University
- TISC has a series of videos explaining things like ATAR calculation, prerequisite subjects, scaling, and preferences. You can find them here: https://www.tisc.edu.au/static/guide/video.tisc
- Here is a parents guide to University: https://www.ecu.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0006/1099446/ECU-Parents-Guide.pdf
- And here is the “First in Family” resource, for students who might be the first in their family to attend University: http://firstinfamily.com.au/
- Are you thinking of attending a University Open Day? Dates are below. This blog might help you: https://infocus-careers.com.au/2024/02/20/year-11-how-to-approach-university-open-days/ or this one: https://myfuture.edu.au/assist-others/open-days
Pathways and Careers Information: Year 12
Key dates for TAFE and University applications for 2027
For those students applying for TAFE for 2027, applications will open in September of this year and close in November of this year. You will be advised of this at the time.
For those students applying for University for 2027, early applications (early offers) will open in June and you will have until mid-December to lodge your application. Closer to the time you will be provided with instructions and further information about applying.
Year 12s are welcome to come and collect (and keep) any of the University handbooks that are on the table near my office. These can be very helpful in making your choice.
Alternatives to University
Did you know that University is not the only place you can obtain a degree? There are several alternatives here in Perth:
- SAE: Offers degrees in things like Animation, Audio, Game Development, Creative Industries. https://sae.edu.au/
- ACAP: Offers degrees in things like Psychology, Criminology, Social Work. https://www.acap.edu.au/
- EIT: Offers degrees in Engineering, IT, and Renewable Energy. https://www.eit.edu.au/
Applying for Medicine or Dentistry or Veterinary Science for 2027
All students who wish to enrol in Medicine or Dentistry in 2027 (including Assured Pathway at UWA and Notre Dame) will need to sit the University Clinical Aptitude Test (UCAT) this year.
Please see below for some important dates:
- 3 March 2026: UCAT bookings open
- 15 May 2026: Deadline to book your UCAT for 2026
- 12 June 2026: Deadline if you need to cancel your UCAT booking
- 1 July 2026: UCAT testing begins
- 5 August 2026: Last test date
- September 2026: Results available
You can check https://www.ucat.edu.au/ for further information, practice tests, and tips to succeed. It is recommended to book a UCAT as early as possible as demand for testing places is high.
UWA
The official handbook for entry to Medicine at UWA can be found at this link and Dentistry at this link. Please note that Medicine and Dentistry at UWA are postgraduate courses and require completion of a relevant Bachelor degree prior to entry.
Curtin
Curtin University offers the only direct entry medical program in Western Australia. In 2025, the cutoff ATAR for this course was 93.
In addition to the UCAT, students considering applying for Medicine at Curtin University are also required to sit the CASPER Test. Further information about CASPER can be found here: https://acuityinsights.app/ and here: https://www.nie.edu.au/products-listing/category/56-casper-test-preparation
The official handbook for entry to Medicine at Curtin can be found at this link.
University of Notre Dame
The University of Notre Dame offers a small number of places in postgraduate Medicine via an assured pathway for school leavers. Information about this option can be found here:
https://www.notredame.edu.au/programs/school-of-medicine/postgraduate/doctor-of-medicine-wa
Veterinary Science
Students wishing to enter Veterinary Science at Murdoch will need to undertake the Casper testing during 2026, by June at the latest. Further information can be found here: https://www.murdoch.edu.au/schools/veterinary-medicine/study/admissions/casper-situational-judgement-assessment
University information
- TISC has a series of videos explaining things like ATAR calculation, prerequisite subjects, scaling, and preferences. You can find them here: https://www.tisc.edu.au/static/guide/video.tisc
- Are you the first person in your family to attend University? This might assist: http://www.firstinfamily.com.au/
- Here are some useful tools to prepare students for the transition to University: https://unireadytoolkit.com.au/
- Here is a parents guide to University: https://www.ecu.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0006/1099446/ECU-Parents-Guide.pdf
- This resource is a place where you can ask current University students questions about their University courses:
https://course-consultants.com/
University scholarships
| Curtin University | Search scholarships | Curtin University, Perth, Australia |
| Edith Cowan University (ECU) | ECU | Overview : Scholarships |
| Murdoch University | Scholarship finder (murdoch.edu.au) |
| Notre Dame University | Find a Scholarship | Notre Dame |
| University of Western Australia (UWA) | The University of Western Australia : Scholarships (uwa.edu.au) |
| Christian Leaders Scholarship | https://ichthys.org.au/christian-leaders-scholarship/ |
Gap year information
Students interested in taking a gap year in 2027 might find the following interesting:
- Defence Force Gap Year: https://www.adfcareers.gov.au/careers/gap-year?page=2&perPage=21&query=
- And: https://infocus-careers.com.au/2022/07/13/leaving-year-12-these-gap-year-ideas-may-interest-you/
- Also this Marist volunteering opportunity: https://maristyouthministry.com/bridge-builders
UPCOMING CAREERS EVENTS
If you are thinking of attending a University Open Day, this link might help you get the most out of it: https://myfuture.edu.au/assist-others/open-days
From the Vice Principal – Term 1 Week 7
Marist Basketball Carnival
Newman College is excited to be hosting 19 schools from around Australia for the 2026 Marist Basketball Carnival. The carnival will commence Sunday evening with Mass and a Welcome BBQ, followed by four days of competition and a Presentation Dinner.
This is a fantastic opportunity for our students and staff to connect with our extended Marist community and we are excited to showcase our College and city.
Two of the courts will be live streamed each day from 8.00am. To view the live stream follow the links below:
To view the fixtures and live score updates in Play HQ click here.
Best of luck to our students and staff involved in the Carnival.
Afterschool Duty of Care – Secondary
A reminder to parents that students need to be picked up or have left campus no later than 3.40pm each day, at this time, duty will cease. Homework Club is available to all Marcellin students Monday to Thursday until 5.00pm in the John Henry Newman Hub.
Social Media and Smartphones
Last year, prior to the rollout of the Social Media ban, we asked families to complete a survey regarding their child’s Smartphone and Social Media use. We had a great response, and have been working through the data to pinpoint how best to assist our students and families in tackling key concerns in this area.
At Newman Parents Forum this past week, we discussed possible ways forward with the information that we have, and determined that the key areas of concern for families are the impact of these devices on students’ ability to concentrate and sleep. We now ask for further details on this issue from our community so we can create strategies, support and education for the coming year. A short survey can be found here.
We would also like to direct families to the College’s Mobile Phone policy. As outlined in the policy, students are not permitted to use their mobile phones during the school day.
- Child Safeguarding Policy
- Marist Child Safe Adult Code of Conduct
- Code of Conduct for Parents and Adults
Mrs Beth Murphy
VICE PRINICPAL
