Category: Uncategorised

Auxiliary Bishop Don Sproxton to Newman College 

Today we had the pleasure of hosting the Auxiliary Bishop Don Sproxton at the Marian Campus.  His pastoral visit coincided with his visit to St Cecilia’s Wembley Parish.  Our relationship with the Parish, and our Parish Priest, Fr Kaz, is an integral part of growing the faith life of our school.  At our Early Education campus, introducing students to parish life is exemplified by our prayer liturgies and our Early Childhood Education Religious Education curriculum.

Students at Marian enjoyed meeting Bishop Sproxton this morning as part of his Pastoral visit to the College and local surrounds #Celebrate #shinethroughdiscovery @johnfinneran @PerthCatholic @CatholicEdWA @simon__martino @LisaMcclue pic.twitter.com/fH0XZvdUY2

— Newman College (@NewmanCollegeWA) November 5, 2021

This week, for example, we celebrated All Saints Day and All Souls Day with a beautiful liturgy in the Parish.  Year 2 presented to their peers the litany of saints focussing on St Marcellin Champagnat, St John Henry Newman, and St Mary of the Cross MacKillop.  The invitation to prayer in the liturgy created a sense of what it means to be a part of our Marist community which celebrates family spirit, simplicity and presence through the relationships we develop.

In recent weeks the Australian Catholic Church held its first Plenary Council Meeting.  The aim of this significant event in the Australian Church is to invite Catholics into a participatory spirituality that reflects our place in the world.  At the heart of this intent remains the relationships that are formed through community that is in communion with each other.

In 2021 our Strategic Priority Area, A Catholic School in the Marist Tradition, focussed on the strategic intents, Faith Formation and Community Outreach, Advocacy and Service.  The outcome of these intents is to invite our young people to participate in their faith by how they build community through their presence and service.  The introduction of our Gamechangers Christian Leadership Program and our service program in Years 7 and 8 and the growth of our mini Marist program in the Primary school highlights our commitment to service and living faith in a practical and tangible way.

Significantly, the highlight every week in our school is our PK-12 Family Mass where students, families and staff gather to celebrate and give thanks for our community.  I warmly invite all families to consider coming to our Mass which commences at 8.10am every Thursday in the Champagnat Chapel.

 

Arts Festival 

For anyone who attended the opening of the Student Art Exhibition, I am sure you would agree that this was an excellent display of incredible talent and skills of our students.  I take this opportunity to thank the teachers for their dedication to this learning area ensuring that our students ‘let their light shine’ through nurturing and developing such talents.

Congratulations to staff and students on a magnificent showcase.

Parent Soiree 

Thank you to all those who attended the Soiree on Friday 29 October.  It was a lovely way to finish the year and for the College leadership to show its appreciation for the collaboration and support received throughout the year.

Newman Parents Consultative Committee (NPCC) 

Thank you to those parents who attended our last NPCC meeting on Monday evening.  We had the opportunity to review our Annual School Improvement Plan and provide feedback about our strategic intents for 2022.

In 2022 we will be providing the NPCC meeting as an online option to hopefully increase attendance.

Click here to view the NPCC minutes.

Consolidation of PK-6 at the Churchlands Campus 

As families are now aware through correspondence circulated two weeks ago, plans are progressing to ensure a mid 2022 commencement of the build.  We continue to test our plans with staff, students and families who have volunteered to be part of the design process.  It is hoped that we will have a digital flythrough towards the end of November that we can share with the community.

Staff Celebrating 30 Years Service to Catholic Education 

Each year, CEWA, acknowledges and celebrates those staff members who have given extended and dedicated service to Catholic Education.  This year the event was celebrated with a breakfast at the Crown.  We had 4 members of staff who were acknowledged:  Liliana Bellandi, Josie Parker, Bernie Roberts and Sharon Wills.

School fees 

Our school fee schedule and letter will be communicated to families in the next fortnight.

COVID-19 Staff Vaccinations 

Families would be aware by now that all school staff in Western Australia are to be fully vaccinated before the commencement of the 2022 school year as mandated by the Western Australian Government.  Newman College will be following advice by Catholic Education WA in implementing this directive.

 

 

Mr John Finneran
PRINCIPAL

 

I had the great privilege of attending our Year 12 graduation event at Optus Stadium on Wednesday evening, and it was so beautiful to see families, staff, and students gather together to celebrate the achievements and contributions of the Class of 2021. Graduation is one of those special moments that can become a real marker in life, meaning we can sometimes drift through the busyness of life and it is only during the significant moments we pause to reflect on all things, and sometimes even wonder how we got here so quickly.

Our first words, first steps, first day of school, last day of primary school, are all wonderful moments to take stock and reflect on the journey our children (and us as parents) have been on. We are very much looking forward to celebrating the primary graduation of our own students in just a few short weeks, and I’m sure the celebration and emotion in the air during that occasion will match what we saw on Wednesday.

Key Dates – Next fortnight

Click here to view the key dates for the next fortnight.

St. John Henry Newman Feast Day 

Last week we had the most wonderful opportunity to gather as a whole school community in the Marcellin gymnasium to celebrate the Feast Day of St. John Henry Newman. It was such a beautiful sight to see the oldest and youngest students of our College in the one building, and the rendition of Sub Tuum at the conclusion of mass was one of the best I have heard in my time at Newman College. Following mass, students were able to partner up with their buddies to take part in some wonderful activities centred around designing and creating a square foot garden prototype as part of our STEM Festival.

It was a great day of learning, inspired by St. John Henry’s rich life as a scholar and master of learning, as well as a beautiful day of community. Thank you to all teachers and families for their support on the day, as well as our Leader of Learning, Miss Katya Anderson, for her contributions in organising the day.

Year3 Blue Assembly

This morning we celebrated a wonderful assembly with 3 Blue presenting an amazing ABBA inspired item on the story of the Prodigal Son. It was a very creative way to demonstrate to students the importance of forgiving others, and how God is always there to show love and forgiveness to us.

We also acknowledged our participants and award winners in last term’s ‘Have Sum Fun’ online maths competition, as well as a host of students who have already impressed their teachers this term with merit awards.

With only one term left to, we hope all of our students can continue to work hard and finish strongly in their learning right up until the last day!

Marcellin Award 

This week we awarded the Marcellin Award to Billie Wyeth in Year 3. Billie showed great leadership skills and courage when she spoke to our whole school at assembly this morning about her experiences with Dyslexia, and how this has impacted her learning. She shared a video with the school which helped to give students an understanding of dyslexia, and her honest, touching reflections resonated with students across the school. October is the month where we can raise awareness of dyslexia and other related learning disorders.

We congratulate Billie for sharing her personal message with us today, and inspiring her classmates to think of others. You are a very deserving recipient of the Marcellin Award Billie!

New Staff Welcome 

This term we welcome Miss Imogen Crostella to our primary staff. Miss Crostella worked on our campus in Term 2 alongside Mrs Fitz, in the 4 Blue classroom, completing her final pre-service teaching placement. Miss Crostella is going to be here this term in place of Mrs Anita Jurat and will work with students in the Learning Support role. Mrs Jurat has unfortunately had to take some time off from school this term as she spends some time recovering from a personal health issue.

We hope that you will join us in keeping Mrs Jurat in our thoughts and prayers, but also welcome Miss Crostella should you see here in and around the school.

Year 5 Student Leadership Workshops 

We were so proud today to welcome almost 75 Year 5 students along with their teachers to the first of our leadership workshops for our forthcoming Year 6 leaders. Students have been invited to nominate for a sports captain or student councillor position, and have been invited to attend two workshops, as well as a retreat day as a way to develop their understanding around what it means to lead others. This morning students explored a number of topics including the importance of understanding our values, and how just the littlest moments in life can make the biggest difference. I am very excited about the commitment and desire of our students to affect great change in our community.

Our next leadership workshop takes place at 8.00am next Friday in the library.

Year 5 Family Life Incursion 

This week, students from Year 5 gathered separately as boys and girls to attend an incursion from the Catholic Marriage & Fertility Services who presented the workshop, ‘I am Nature’s Greatest Miracle’. This presentation gives students a gentle introduction to puberty which is an important part of being human. Students were encouraged to embrace their uniqueness and to appreciate the great gifts God has given us by keeping their bodies and minds healthy. All students were also encouraged to speak to their parents about the presentation, and to listen to their advice.

Next week, the year 6 students will take part in their own workshop titled, ‘Becoming a Man; Becoming a Woman’.

 

Ipad & Internet Safety 

Over the past couple of weeks there have been some instances of students accessing age-inappropriate materials at home on their devices, and this information being picked up by our own CyberSafe software at school. I would like to take this opportunity to remind parents of the importance of monitoring your child’s online activity at home, and making adjustments where possible to limit your child’s access to inappropriate or dangerous materials. For information on how to check your child’s internet history you can follow this useful link here. You can also make some very simple and easy adjustments to your child’s iPad to limit their access to different types of innappropriate materials including web content, apps and games by clicking this link . If you have any questions about our IT safety systems or other ways you can protect your children, please feel free to reach out to myself, or the IT Support team here at the school.

 

I trust Term 4 has commenced well for all families.  Over the last two weeks there have been so many opportunities for our young people across the life of the school.  Our Year 7 cohort for 2022 commenced the term with their Orientation Day with over 210 students in attendance.  Year 10 made their way in blustery conditions to Margaret River for their week-long adventure camp, while our Year 12 cohort finished their mock exams.  In our primary school, we had our buddy day which was a great example of our Marist family.

The most pleasing event was our St John Henry Newman Mass which brought our whole school together. Over the next couple of weeks, we keep in our prayers our senior students as they complete their journey at Newman College.

Consolidation of our PK-12 College 

It is with great excitement that I would like to announce the successful completion of an agreement between the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Perth and the Provincial of the Marist Brothers. This agreement will allow for the consolidation of the Early Childhood facilities of the Marian campus onto the Newman College, Churchlands site. This development process will commence in 2022, with an expected completion ahead of the 2024 school year.  Please click here to read more.

Year 12 Graduation

On Wednesday evening we celebrated the Class of 2021 at a ceremony at Optus Stadium, with 720 people in attendance.  It was a magnificent occasion, commencing with Mass and followed by the formal Graduation presentation.

The cohort’s motto, #togetherasonein21, has held true throughout the year.  Our Year 12 students, as individuals and as a collective, have conducted themselves in a commendable manner and have exemplified our College’s Vision for Learning ‘Shine through Discovery’ – let your light shine (Matthew 5:16).

In my speech I spoke of the last six years of Secondary school for these students and the changes in the world that have occurred, particularly with the advent of Covid-19.  We trust that we have equipped our students with the skills and attitude to navigate the ever-changing world into which they are about to embark.  To view my speech in full, please click here.

St John Henry Newman Feast Day 

Last Friday we celebrated the Feast of St John Henry Newman with a whole school Mass in the Marcellin Campus Gym.  This was possible as the Year 12 cohort had exams and the Year 10 cohort was away on camp.
It was a wonderful celebration in honour of our College namesake, St John Henry Newman, and of our PK-12 College gathering together as one school.

Arts Festival – Parent Soiree 

All parents, current and prospective, are invited to attend the Parent Soiree on Friday 29 October, to be held in the Marist Auditorium.  Please click here for more information and to purchase tickets.

Newman Parents Consultative Committee (NPCC) Meeting – Monday 1 November 

The College’s Annual School Improvement Plan for 2021, as shown below, has been completed and rated by the staff.  I will present the results at the upcoming NPCC Meeting.

During December the staff will work on the 2022 Annual School Improvement Plan.

 

Mr John Finneran
PRINCIPAL