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Christmas Liturgy

Last Wednesday, our Fr Kaz and our Pre-Primary students hosted our Nativity Liturgy. A big thank you to our Pre-Primary team for preparing the students. Such a wonderful way of reminding us of the true story of Christmas.

Year 3G Assembly

Thank you to 3 Green and Mrs Anne-Marie Terry for their performance last Friday, reminding us about the importance of Advent. Yes, we are excited about Christmas but we need to prepare our hearts and minds and to be people of Hope, Peace, joy and love!

Christmas Carols and K-5 Awards

Thank you to all of our Primary families for attending our Primary Carols and Awards Evening. It was a wonderful celebration of Christmas Music, and a celebration of the year, with recognition of those K-5 students who received awards on the night. A special thank you to Ms Laura van Rijn for her preparation, and coordination of the event – a huge task!

To view the Kindy to Year 5 award winners, please click here.

Year 6 Graduation Mass & Awards Night

On Tuesday night we celebrated a huge milestone for our Year 6 graduating class of 2025. Our Year 6 students, families and College staff celebrated a beautiful Mass, followed by our annual Year 6 Awards. It was a beautiful occasion and a fantastic celebration of our Year 6 cohort. I was particularly impressed by the fantastic graduation song, ‘Unwritten.’ A huge thank you to our Year 6 teachers Mrs Lara Gray, Ms Imogen Crostella, and Ms Grace Sloan for the work in preparing the Year 6s. We wish our Year 6’s every success as they move into our Marcellin campus.

To view all the award winners for 2025 please click here.

Class Reps 2026

Thank you to those parents who have volunteered to be a class representative in 2026. We are still looking for class reps for PPG, 3B, 4G and 6R. Please refer to the email send from Mrs Edwina Battersby, Leader of Wellbeing earlier this week.

Reports

Primary reports are available to view via SEQTA Engage.

Should your child not be returning to Newman College in 2025, we remind parents of the requirement to download all reports from SEQTA Engage by 31 December.  After this time the student record is archived.

2026 Primary Staffing

Please see below for 2026 Primary Classroom Staffing

	Blue	Green	Red
PK	Colomba Iannitelli EA: Julie Topini		Megan Bankes EA: Poppy Corbett
Kindy	Sarah Francia EA: Lisa Matthews EA: Julie Topini	Kellie Craig EA: Suzanne Pluske EA: Elliana Celisano	Lisa Carbone EA: Helen Cawley EA: Kate Bartlett
Pre-Primary	Sarah Isherwood EA: Naomi Fisher	Amy Donnelly EA: Lisa Matthews (M) EA: Lucinda Hope (T-F)	Rebecca Rose EA: Lisa Johns
1	Tess McKenna	Catherine Nicolaou	Holly Cooper
2	Alessia Chiera	Kylie Mawson	Amy Dawson
3	Melissa Heaver	Drew Elliott	Sharon McAuliffe
4	Sarah Dalton	Nikita Rees	Erica Horn
5	Delia Kretzmann	Josh Houwen	Lucy Zambonetti (M-T) Robyn Hatchett (W-F)
6	Imogen Crostella	Renee Micale	Lara Gray

As we draw the 2025 school year to a close — a milestone year for Primary — I would like to extend my sincere thanks to all families for your ongoing support, partnership, and trust.

We look forward to welcoming Mrs Laura Christopher as the incoming Head of Primary in 2026.

Thank you for your support during my time acting in the role across Terms 2, 3 and 4. It has been a privilege to serve our community.

Wishing you and your families a merry and blessed Christmas.

Mrs Sarah Pagett

HEAD OF PRIMARY (ACTING)

2026 Parent Sundowner              

All parents are invited to attend the Welcome Sundowner on Friday 6 February in Founders Court on the Marcellin Campus, 5.00pm-7.00pm. This is a ticketed event. Tickets are $36 and can be purchased online here.

This is a great opportunity to experience Family Spirit, meet new people and catch-up with those you already know. Members of the College Executive will be present to meet and chat with our parent community. 

Safe Routes to School

The school has been working in collaboration with the City of Stirling to establish a “Safe Routes for School” guide for Newman College. The guide maps the safe walking routes from the neighbourhoods surrounding the College to promote active transport. Families may access a digital version of the guide here and hard copies will be available to students in 2026.

• Child Safeguarding Policy
• Marist Child Safe Adult Code of Conduct
• Code of Conduct for Parents and Adults

Thank You and Farewell

As I wrap up my two years as Vice Principal, I want to express my sincere thanks. Returning to Newman College has truly been a gift. This community – our incredible staff, families and of course, our students – has reminded me every day why our work matters.

I have cherished the conversations, the trust, the laughter and our shared belief that we are here to help young people become their very best, to let their light shine. It has been a real privilege to serve this community and I will always be grateful for all it has given me.

Wishing you and your families a safe, restful and holy Christmas, and every blessing for the future.

God Bless!

Michael Chiera

VICE PRINCIPAL

Leader of Wellbeing 2026

We would like to take this opportunity to sincerely thank our secondary Leaders of Wellbeing for their commitment to and support of our secondary students in 2025.

We would like to particularly extend our appreciation to Mr Scott Smith for his support of our Year 9 students this year.

In 2026, the following staff will be responsible for the holistic development of our secondary students, along with the Pastoral Care Group teachers: 

• Year 7 – Mrs Lara Vlahov – lara.vlahov@newman.wa.edu.au
• Year 8 – Miss Tiyana Kerimi – tiyana.kerimi@newman.wa.edu.au 
• Year 9 – Mr Jake Goncalves – jake.goncalves @newman.wa.edu.au 
• Year 10 – Mr David Husband – david.husband@newman.wa.edu.au 
• Year 11 – Mr Nathan Pereira – nathan.pereira@newman.wa.edu.au
• Year 12 – Mrs Lara Ognenis – lara.ognenis@newman.wa.edu.au 

Year 9 Colour Run  

Our Year 9 students marked a significant milestone—the completion of their Rite Journey program and the halfway point of their secondary education—with a vibrant Colour Run celebration! The oval was transformed into a sea of colour as students and teachers came together to enjoy an afternoon of fun, laughter, and connection.

This event was the perfect way to celebrate three years of hard work and commitment, capped off with a delicious pizza lunch. A heartfelt thank you to Mr Scott Smith, Leader of Wellbeing (Year 9), for his organisation and facilitation of this memorable occasion.

Year 7- Year 11 Awards Assembly

On Wednesday 26 November, our Year 7–11 students and their families gathered in the Gymnasium and Marist Auditorium to celebrate and farewell at the Annual Awards Ceremony. The event was an opportunity to recognise our students’ achievements in academics, service, leadership, the arts and sport.

We were pleased to welcome so many families to celebrate these exceptional achievements. A special moment was the Guard of Honour to farewell long-serving staff who have contributed so much to Newman College.

The ceremony also included some outstanding performances from the Year 10 Band, who played “Don’t Look Back” by Oasis and the Ruah Choir.

Congratulations to all our award recipients and thank you to our staff, students and families who made this a special day.

To view the award recipients, please click the link below:

• Year 7 Award Winners
• Year 8 Award Winners
• Year 9 Award Winners
• Year 10 Award Winners
• Year 11 Award Winners

Community Celebration, Discovery and Fun at Newman College
What an exciting couple of days for our Year 7–9 students. Ministry Day and the Discovery Festival celebrate two of the things that make our College so special and both were amazing events.

Ministry Day – Guild Pride, Marist Heart
Year 7–9 came together as a College on Tuesday with our theme of Guild Pride – Marist Heart. The day started with an inspirational talk by Mr McClorey about what it means to be part of the Marist community.
Students spent time getting to know their guilds, their patrons, and the values that make these patrons special role models for our community. Each guild was creative in showing off their identity and spirit by creating a guild motto, designing a guild mascot, and making a chant to show off their uniqueness. The chants were super fun and competitive (and loud!) and in the end Camara, with their dance routine, were crowned the champions!

Discovery Festival – Discovering with Curiosity and Wonder
On Wednesday, the students explored new experiences and tried things outside their usual comfort zones. There were over 30 activities on offer and the students were able to choose from a huge range of experiences, including science experiments, arts and crafts, outdoor adventures and more ‘niche’ pastimes.

Students could be seen laughing and having fun at the petting zoo, decorating Christmas cookies, multi-sports, rugby, Newman’s Amazing Race, Year 5/9 buddies and much more. It was great to see the students embrace all the activities with such a positive and enthusiastic attitude.

Staff have worked extremely hard to make both of these events possible. Thank you to Mr McClorey for leading us through Ministry Day. Thanks to Ms McKnight and Mr Roberts, and all the staff involved in the Discovery Festival, for their organisation and participation.

State Sporting Representation

Congratulations to the following students for selection in the Western Australian teams in their respective sports:

• Dylan Pearson, who represented Western Australia in the 2025 Touch Football U14s Boys Championship. The Northern Spirit competed at the Junior State Championships at UWA, Perth from 28 – 30 Nov 2025.

State and National Representation is an honour and an important stepping stone in an athlete’s journey. We commend these students for their dedication and commitment to their sport. If your child has achieved state or national recognition in their sport or extra-curricular activity, we would love to hear about it so we can celebrate their success.  Please let us know the details by filling out this form. https://forms.office.com/r/qaCxCYLNX6

We would like to wish all of our secondary families and friends a very Merry Christmas, Happy New Year and a safe holiday break. We look forward to welcoming everyone back at the start of the 2026 academic year.  

Mrs Anna Scanlan

DEPUTY PRINCIPAL SECONDARY (ACTING)

Newman Parents Forum

The Term 3 Newman Parents Forum will take place on Monday 1 September. This term, parents and guardians are invited to attend two sessions on some key topics relevant to our College Community. Please register your attendance here.

• New Social Media Legislation and support for Parents and Students: This session will guide parents through the implications of the new Social Media Legislation, prohibiting the use of platforms for children under the age of 16 from December onwards. The session will give parents a forum to guide the College in how they can tailor information and strategies for parents and families as they manage this transition.
• The Marist Mission Today: Parents will have the opportunity to understand how the vision of St Marcellin Champagnat is alive in our College community today, and explore further the Marist Charism, which is so unique to Newman College. Suitable for all families.
• Reframing Failure: Teaching Resilience Through Setbacks: A practical session to explore ways to support your child from early primary to senior school when things don’t go as planned. You’ll learn simple strategies for building resilience, reframing setbacks as opportunities, and shifting from “I can’t” to “I can’t yet.” We’ll also look at responding to disappointment without rushing to fix it, nurturing a healthy mindset, and encouraging self-compassion. Suitable for all families.
• Equip, Guide Thrive, Program Overview: The session will provide parents with a deeper understanding of the EGT Program, a holistic initiative that extends the foundations of the U R Strong and Zones of Regulation programs in the primary school. This program integrates academics, faith, and wellbeing, ensuring that students are supported to grow as confident learners, compassionate people, and resilient individuals. Parents will explore the framework and its key elements, connections to the 2024 DISA data and Strategic Improvement Plan and the programs from years 7-12. The session will also provide practical points on how you can support your child at home with what they are learning in the EGT.

Guild Activities Year 1 to 12

On Tuesday 9 September students in Year 1 to 12 will be participating in Guild activities. This is the first time that we will celebrate Guild Spirit since the College has come together on one campus. Students will be buddied up with another year group and will participate in team and spirit building activities, with the purpose of creating connections across the Lavalla and Marcellin campuses. We are looking forward to this opportunity to build community. Students are permitted to wear their Guild Uniform on this day.

• Child Safeguarding Policy
• Marist Child Safe Adult Code of Conduct
• Code of Conduct for Parents and Adults

Mr Michael Chiera

VICE PRINCIPAL

Earlier this week, I took a trip out to Officeworks to grab some items for a reflection I was running with Mr Husband and the Year 12 students. When I returned to my car and was just about ready to drive off, a young fellow reversed into me, damaging the rear door of my car. In that initial moment, my immediate thought was one of total frustration. After all, of all the things I needed that day, this was certainly not on the list! However, before I got out of the car I steadied myself – I thought quickly about the person who had just driven into me. Were they ok? Would they be upset? What could I do in that moment to bring just a little bit of calm to the situation? I got out of my vehicle, and there he was – a young man no more than 20. Very quickly I saw myself as a young driver in this man, and even though they are still in primary school, I saw my own children in him too…wondering how they might be encountered should they have their own bingle one day. We were both ok, swapped our details, and in amongst the several apologies he shared, we spoke about how it was all ok – these things happen, especially when we’re young, and as long as we’re both ok that’s what really matters.

It can be a difficult thing to do – to face a situation with a sense of calmness or patience, when all of your initial instincts are to explode or rush straight to a conclusion. Viktor Frankl, a psychologist who lived through the Second World War, wrote about this phenomenon. He was arrested and sent to a concentration camp, where he lost almost everything – his parents, his brother, even his wife.  

In the camps, he saw suffering beyond imagination. People were starving, mistreated, and stripped of their dignity. But Frankl noticed something: even though everyone was in the same horrible situation, people responded in different ways.  

Some became cruel, clinging to power wherever they could. Others gave up completely. But a few held onto their humanity- helping others, and finding reasons to hope.  

Frankl realised later that the difference in those prisoners wasn’t in their circumstances, but in their response. He later wrote these words:  

‘Between stimulus and response, there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom.’  

He meant that even when life seems unfair, when we are confronted with challenges, or when we are struggling, the one thing no one can take away is our ability to choose how we respond.

In last Sunday’s Gospel we heard the story of the adulterous woman. Religious leaders drag a woman before Jesus, demanding justice. They remind Him that the Law of Moses says she should be stoned. It’s a tense moment.

They expect Jesus to react quickly – to either approve of the punishment or contradict the law. But Jesus does neither. Instead, he pauses.  

Rather than speaking right away, He bends down and writes in the dust. We don’t know what He writes, but in that silence, something powerful happens. He creates space – space for reflection. Space for the accusers to examine their own hearts.  

And then He says:  ‘Let the one who has never sinned throw the first stone.’  

One by one, the crowd leaves, until only Jesus and the woman remain. He looks at her and says: ‘Neither do I condemn you. Go, and sin no more.’  

Jesus doesn’t ignore her mistakes, but He chooses mercy over judgment. He creates a space between the moment of accusation and His response. In that space, He chooses love.

So what does this mean for us?  

We all face moments when we want to react instantly – when we feel angry, hurt, or frustrated. Maybe someone says something rude, and we snap back. Maybe a friend lets us down, and we hold a grudge. Or maybe you battle peak hour traffic every day, and just the smallest thing can tip you over the edge.

But Jesus and Viktor Frankl teach us something powerful: there is always a space before we respond…and in that space, we have a choice.  

How do you respond to those challenging moments in your day? Or in your life?

Do you choose judgment or mercy? Do you choose anger or kindness? Do you choose to react or to respond?  

As we approach the end of Lent, it is a good reminder that there is time left to grow into the fullness of who God has created us to be – or as I would say to students – to move the dial just a little further along. Take the time to think about the circumstances or situations where maybe you need to create space. It could be at work, at home, or within a particular relationship…and next time you find yourself in that situation, remember, you have the power to choose how you respond. Let your response reflect the best of who you are, helping you to grow as a person – and perhaps even allowing others to encounter Jesus Christ through your considered words and actions.

It’s not easy, but it will be worth it.

Mother’s Day

I would like to extend a warm invitation to all our students, mums, and mother figures to our Mother’s Day celebrations next term. There will be two special celebrations:

• Thursday 8 May Mother’s Day Community Mass at 8.00am (Lavalla & Marcellin)
• Friday 9 May Mother’s Day Liturgy at 9.00am (Marian) Further details can be found in our flyer.

To find out more, click here.

Marian Lecture            

On Tuesday 13 May the College will host a live stream of the Marian Lecture in the Marist Auditorium. The Marian lecture is an annual event hosted by the Marist Association. This years lecture will be presented by Professor Stan Grant, and will delve into the Marist theme for 2025; Pilgrims of Hope: Look Belong.

All members of the College community are invited to this free event. Further information and booking are available here.