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Feast of the Assumption

This week we celebrated the Feast of the Assumption as a K-12 College, which is the Patronal Feast Day of the Marist Brothers. One aspect that makes us Catholics different from other Christian denominations is our developed and rich understanding of Mary. We have a tradition that gives Mary the honour and respect that she deserves. Marists direct their life in the way of Mary, they acknowledge that she can teach us a great deal through her examples of virtue and saying yes to whatever God passed to her, with faith, grace, and courage. She has a special role within our Church and particularly within our Marist Tradition. Pray with Mary, as an ever-present mother, and she will lead you into a far deeper relationship with Christ. Your spirituality will be much deeper than you could ever achieve by your own direction.

For the first time, Newman College conducted concurrent Masses, comprising a combination of Year Groups. The Pre-primary and Years 2, 3, 5, 9 and 11 Students celebrated Mass together in the Auditorium and the Kindergarten and Years 1, 4, 6, 7, 8, 10 and 12 Students celebrated Mass in the Marcellin Campus Gymnasium. It was a wonderful celebration of Mary, and it was a delight to enable the mixing of our generations of students. Our Kindergarten students were able to see our Year 12 students who enjoyed Kindergarten at Newman also, ‘Newman Lifers’. It was pointed out that by the time they reach the same Year 12 milestone, our current Year 12s will be 30! The school years are such a formative experience for students and having the mix of age groups really brings home the significance and indelible nature of these fundamental forming experiences

Wellbeing Week

Feeling well, or ‘wellbeing’ is fundamental to our overall health and enjoyment of life. Taking care of our wellbeing should be both an individual and a collective pursuit. Being present, allows us to consciously monitor how we are travelling emotionally. This week the College celebrated Wellbeing Week. Each day, we focussed on one important aspect of ‘being well’. Monday’s focus was ‘healthy’ exercise and food; Tuesday’s focus was ‘connected’, with the entire school coming together for the Assumption Day Mass and Lapathon; Wednesday’s focus was ‘present’ with a focus on noticing the bodily movements and flow; and Thursday’s focus was ‘grateful’ with parents, teachers and students affirming all that is good in life. On Friday 13 August our staff will participate in Professional Learning led by Perth based international leadership speaker, Mr Brendan Spillane. The topic of the first session will be looking inward for wellbeing, and the second session will explore the impact we have on others.

The hope is that our community continues to learn about, and commits to, behaviours that promote wellness; these behaviours include sleep, exercise, and a balanced diet. It is essential to monitor the status of our own mental health and stress levels, and then act accordingly. If we become aware of our own stress triggers, we are better able to take responsibility to address and minimise these. Paying attention to what and who provides us with life giving energy and happiness, allows us to feature these more regularly in life. As a community, we need to give ourselves and each other permission to lean towards the area of life that requires immediate attention. In doing so, we can remain a strong, supportive and connected community of well ‘beings’.

Gratitude Gatherings

As part of our Wellbeing Week, on Thursday we conducted Gratitude Gatherings across the College where staff, parents and students had the opportunity to vocally celebrate all that they are grateful for at Newman. Thank you to parents for responding to the call for staff appreciation and gratitude comments. We received over 200 parent entries from PK-12, some of which were read out today and the rest will be delivered tomorrow. To be grateful for something or someone, and to not share that gratitude, is like buying and wrapping a gift, and never giving it. We rise and experience happiness by lifting others.

At the secondary event, we acknowledged the #Good Samaritans Matthew De Rossi and Joel Uren, who came to the aid of two elderly grandparents in the Lavalla campus on Tuesday afternoon. Their car broke down in the carpark and these Year 12 students assisted with jumper leads and waited for the RAC to arrive, while also entertaining their young grandchildren. Our grandparent could not speak highly enough of these students and said that if these students were examples of our youth, then the future was in good hands.

Angelico Art Exhibition

We were delighted to hear this week that Eliza von Perger and Charlotte Laurent will be award recipients at next Tuesday’s Angelico Presentation. Congratulations to Eliza and Charlotte and I look forward to attending this event with them.

Charlotte Laurent

Eliza von Perger

The Exhibition can also be viewed at Forrest Centre, 221 St Georges Terrace Perth from Monday to Friday, 9am-5pm, from 9 to 27 August. A virtual tour will also be available on the Catholic Arts website at the completion of the Exhibition.

Education Support Review

During Term 3, the College will be undertaking a review of the Learning and Education Support area. This review is being conducted by Associate Professor Dianne Chambers, The University of Notre Dame, Fremantle. Dianne is an author, lecturer and international presenter in the space of Learning Needs, Inclusion and Diversity. She will conduct an audit of our Diverse Education offering and will make recommendations early in Term 4 on our structures, policies, processes and feasibility and sustainability of our current reasonable adjustments. We look forward to hearing her recommendations.

Newman Parents Consultative Committee Meeting (NPCC)

Thank you to those parents who braved the weather and abandoned the football to attend our NPCC meeting on Monday evening. Among the operational aspects of the College that were raised, we heard from Ms Jenny Miraudo on the Newman College Norms, Pedagogy and Innovation, Mr Steve Tsocas on aspects of our Digital Transformation, Mr Simon Martino on Reporting and the Lavalla carpark, Mrs Lisa McClue on our Flexible 3, 4, and 5 day Kindy offering from 2022 and Mrs Carla Pastorelli on Year 12 Graduation and Wellbeing Week. I really appreciate this consultative space and thank those parents in attendance.

Storm Damage Update

The Learning Hub continues to be repaired. All the damage has been remediated and we are now in the rebuild phase.

Events

A big thank you to all staff, students and families who were involved in the myriad events that have occurred during the last two weeks. These events include the Years 5 and 6 Wakakirri Dance, Year 7 to 12 Marcellin Athletics Carnival, the Catholic Performing Arts performances and the Winter Sleepout – to name a few. These will be addressed in the relevant sections of the newsletter.

This will be my last newsletter as Principal (Acting) as Mr Finneran will return in Week 6. Wishing everyone a fabulous two weeks.

Dr Lucie McCrory
PRINCIPAL (ACTING) 

 

This week has been a great celebration of all things wellbeing at school. Students have taken part in a range of activities, lessons, and discussions centred around our four themes for the week: physical health & fitness, connection, mindfulness, and gratitude. Whilst I think wellbeing has always played an important role in schools (even when it may not have been called ‘wellbeing’) I think has been recognised even more over these last 18 months. The challenge of the COVID pandemic brought to light the importance of strong relationships, connection with others, and having the time and space to look after ourselves and one another. As adults, it is very easy to get caught up in our busy lives, and often I see parents doing so much for their kids, that we can sometimes neglect to take care of ourselves. I have encouraged all students today to give some time back to their Mum and Dad over the extended weekend break, and give parents an opportunity for some self care of their own too. Parents deserve to be looked after too!

Highlights from Past Two Weeks

Assembly 

Last week students gathered in the Auditorium to celebrate all of our Merit award winners, as well as celebrate Knox faction who were announced as the winners of the Cross Country Carnival. Congratulations to all students who took part in our carnival and for their great efforts on the day. We were also treated to a wonderful assembly from 3 Green. They took us on a journey all over the world exploring some of the different cultures of students in their class. It was so heart-warming to see students working together and so obviously enjoying putting on a show for us all. A big congratulations to 3 Green and all of our merit award winners this week!

Marcellin Award

This week the Marcellin Champagnat award was presented to Damon Caratti from 5 Red. Damon may just be one of the politest young men on our campus. He was nominated by a number of teachers for the kind, respectful, and gentle way he interacts with others. He leads by example through his beautiful actions, and always offers a friendly smile to those that pass him by in the class or playground. Well done Damon on setting such a good example for other students around what it means to be a fine young gentleman!

Wakakirri Dance Festival 

On Thursday August 5 our year 5/6 Primary Dance Troupe performed in the Wakakirri Nation-wide story telling competition at the Perth Concert Hall. Students performed a “story dance” called Sarah’s Heavy Heart, based on the picture book written by Peter Canavas.

The story was one of hope and resilience and friendship. Sarah struggles to carry her heavy heart which is sometimes heavy with worry until she meets a friend and the burden of worry is shared.

The dance was choreographed by Mrs Amy Raveendrakumar and danced expertly by our Primary Junior Dance troupe.  Newman College was awarded certificates of Best Minimalist Set and Best Public Speaking. Congratulations to Mrs Raveendrakumar all the wonderful dancers involved in performing this beautiful story.

IPSHA Cross Country 

Earlier today, 64 students across Years 3-6 ventured down to Bunbury to take part in the IPSHA Interschool Cross Country Carnival. While we can share the results of the carnival in our next newsletter, we can say for sure that students have had a great time today and represented our school very proudly. We owe a big thanks to Mrs Richards our coach Lenny who has been training with our students and working with them to prepare for their big day.

Fiona Wildey visit 

Earlier this week we were very fortunate to welcome former Olympian Fiona Wildey to our campus as she came to speak with our Year 3 and 4 students. Fiona spoke about her experiences at the Seoul Olympics, and the journey that took her there, showcasing to students a number of items of memorabilia, and providing students with some interesting facts about Olympic etiquette among other things. Most importantly though, Fiona spoke about the Olympic values and her own personal values, including determination, commitment, and sacrifice. It was very inspiring to hear her journey, and who knows…she may even inspire a future Olympian among us today!

Year 5 Special Visitor 

Yesterday afternoon, Year 5 students had a special visitor to their classrooms. 5 Blue student Luke Rombouts brought in two of his bobtail lizards to show to the classes. Luke was a wealth of knowledge as he discussed all things habitat, feeding, and characteristics. We are very grateful to Luke and for the learning experience he was able to share with his classmates.

Carpark 

This week I was out in the carpark making some observations of driver behaviour. Unfortunately, we are having trouble with vehicles double parking next to the drive through lane, and children walking through these vehicles into their own car. This is a very dangerous thing to do, and I am quite afraid that if this continues, it will eventually lead to an accident or injury of a child.

We encourage parents to display patience in our Lavalla carpark and demonstrate good road safety practices.  Please park your vehicles in the parking bays provided and walk over to pick your child/children up from the waiting area. This will assist with child safe practices and remove any risk of injury to students.

We appreciate your cooperation. We are currently reviewing the carpark pick up/drop off situation.

Important Information For The Next Two Weeks

There are so many events coming up over the next two weeks. Make sure you mark these down in your calendar!

Week 5 

• (Week 4) Friday 13 August – Pupil Free Day (Staff Professional Development)
• Monday 16 August – Pupil Free Day (Catholic Day)
• Tuesday 17 August – Speak Up Awards Finals
• Tuesday 17 August – Lavalla Music Night
• Thursday 19 & Friday 20 August – Year 6 Leadership Camp
• Friday 20 August – 3 Red Assembly

Week 6 

• Wednesday 25 August – Year 3 & Year 4 Unit Mass
• Wednesday 25 August – Year 5/6 Art Extension Artist in Residence Program
• Thursday 26 August – ‘Write a Book in a Day’ Competition
• Friday 27 August – Book Week Parade in Marist Auditorium

St Vincent de Paul Winter Sleepout and Blanket Appeal 

From Monday 19 July to Friday 6 August, in the lead up to our Winter Sleepout, we are asking students to donate a blanket for the St Vincent de Paul Winter Appeal. Your donation can help provide blankets and warm clothing for a family experiencing homelessness. Large collection baskets will be located in the entrance of the Chapel on the Marcellin Campus, and in the Office Administration area at Lavalla and Marian Campuses.

On Friday 6 August students in Year 7 – 12 have been invited to participate in the St Vincent de Paul Winter Sleepout. For those students who have expressed interest in attending this event, a Consent2Go will be sent home to their families with more information.

Assumption Day – Lifelink 

On Sunday 15 August, the Catholic Church celebrates the Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. On this Feast, Catholics traditionally celebrate Mary going to heaven. The tradition is that ‘God took Mary, body and soul, to heaven after her life on earth had come to an end’.

This Feast Day was chosen for the Marist Brothers at the time of their foundation by Saint Marcellin Champagnat, the founder of the Marist Brothers and Marist Education. As one of 53 Marist schools across Australia, the Feast Day of the Assumption is an annual opportunity for all members of the Newman College community to gather, give thanks, and to celebrate our shared Marist identity.

Students across all campuses will celebrate Assumption Day on Tuesday August 10. The day will commence with a whole school Mass, followed by a Lapathon, and a Buddy Day for the Primary students. We will be raising money for a local charity called Lifelink. More information about this event has been sent out to families.

Thursday morning Community Mass

Our Thursday morning community Mass is a wonderful way to begin your Thursday and come together as a community. Each week a different Guild and primary Year group will lead the celebration with one of our local priests who support of College. All families and students are invited to attend this weekly celebration. Please note there will be no community mass celebrated on August 5 due to the Marcellin campus Athletics Carnival.

Gamechangers 

On Tuesday July 27, our Gamechanger students from Year 7 – 12 participated in a leadership workshop where they thought about what characteristics make a great leader and what it means to be a servant leader. Thank you to Liam Street from Marist Youth Ministry for running this session.

It is a great pleasure to welcome back all families to the beginning of another term, though if you are like me, you might be scratching your head wondering how we found ourselves in the middle of another year so quickly!

One of the most important things we speak with students about when beginning a new term is the expectations we have for them. This includes not only the ways we want students to engage in class and the approach they take to their learning, but also the expectations we have for students in how they treat each other and interact in the classroom and playground. This year, the College has been working to develop some important norms and non-negotiables around both the teaching and learning of students, and the behaviours and actions of students. These have been designed with one thing in mind – community. It is about creating a safe, consistent experience for all students and staff within our school, and makes clear and visible the things that are most important when it comes to creating an effective learning environment. These norms will become an important focus for students over the course of this term, and the year ahead. It is my hope that all students can achieve the behaviours and actions that have been set out, and work to help build a strong community of learners that reflect the Marist values of our College.

Click here to view the Newman College Norms.

Highlights from Past Two Weeks

Parent Teacher Interviews 

I would like to thank all of the students, families, and teachers for the positive way they engaged in the parent-teacher interview process. It was great to walk around the campus and see lots of conversations taking place, goals being discussed, and plans put in place for another semester of learning. Parents should know that even though we offer a formal meeting period throughout the year, they are welcome to be in touch with their child’s teacher at any time to discuss the learning or progress of their child. We look forward to building on the positive parent-teacher relationships over the second half of the year.

Cross Country 

Last week we ran the final race of our Cross Country Carnival – a re-racing of our Year 5 boys race! We were fortunate to enjoy some beautiful weather, and it was great to see students enjoying the event so much. A big congratulations to Luke Rombouts, Dylan Hookway, and Mitchell Short who were crowned as our winners for the day. The final results of the carnival will be announced at next week’s assembly. Meanwhile, students have been busy preparing in the cool early mornings before school for the Interschool Cross Country Carnival which takes place in a couple of weeks time in Bunbury. We are sure all of our runners will do us proud! 

Dance Troupe 

Students in the Lavalla Dance troupe have been very busy lately rehearsing for the Wakakirri Festival – a national competition that invites schools to present a story-dance that reflects students’ thoughts, ideas, and aspirations. Our students will have one of their final rehearsals for this event on Monday 2 August, with a community performance taking place in the Marist Auditorium at 2.45pm which all families are welcome to attend. Students will then perform at the Wakakirri concert later that week at the Parth Concert Hall on Thursday 5 August. We wish our students all the best as they compete, and recognise the efforts of students, families, and especially our Performing Arts teacher Amy Raveendrakumar, in helping students be ready for the day!

Arts Club

We have been very fortunate this year to have an Arts Club running each lunchtime on Tuesdays under the guidance of some of our Year 6 students. I am very proud of the lengths these girls have gone to, to provide an experience for many of our younger students, and their dedication to giving back to their school community. Their actions this year are the best example yet of how leadership is not about wearing a badge, it is about actions and they example we set for others. This term, students attending Arts Club will be working on designing a puppet for a competition, with winning entries having the chance to have their puppet constructed by a team of professionals. We are very grateful to the Year 6 girls who have taken this venture on, and also to our Visual Arts teacher Amy Farrell who has helped guide the girls this year too.

Parent messaging

It has come to our attention that towards the end of last term, and this term also, some parents have been messaging their children directly during class time via the iPad, and students messaging parents directly also. I cannot explain how distracting this can be in the day of a student and the interruptions it can cause to learning. It can also create problems in the office when parents arrive unexpectedly to collect their children. If students or parents need to contact each other during the day, it is to occur through a phone call to the office where we can deliver any messages to students. Students will be reminded next week that any messaging during class time falls outside the appropriate use of ICT and a consequence will be put in place as per the school’s ICT policy. If you are concerned for your child during the day, please just let you child’s teacher know and we can be in touch to offer support.

Coder Dojo

Coder Dojo will recommence in Week 3 on Tuesdays from 3.30pm – 4.30pm. All students are welcome to attend, if they would like to take part in coding activities

Lost Property

In the school holidays, I visited my Mum and was telling her about the large amount of lost property we seem to accumulate at the school. We can have a laugh about it now, but when I was at school, coming home without your jumper or school blazer meant you might as well start packing your bags and hit the road! My Mum, who grew up in Ireland as a young girl, told me how they had one jumper in school, and if you lost it there was no replacing it. She can even remember as a child taking knitting and sewing lessons as a Year 4 student, where they would make their jumper for the following school year! I wonder what would happen if made kids do that today! In all seriousness though, many of our lost property issues can be solved if students or parents label their child’s clothes and hats. While teachers encourage students to look after their things as much as possible, it is the responsibility of the student to care for and look after their things. Hopefully this term, we will see a reduction in the number of school blazers, hats, and sports jackets especially which seem to make up the bulk of our items.

Important Information For The Next Two Weeks

There are a very busy couple of weeks ahead in the Lavalla calendar. Look out for the following events on the horizon:

• Wakakirri Dance Troupe Community Performance – Monday 2 August
• BRLA Testing Year 5 – Wednesday 4 August
• BRLA Testing Year 3 – Thursday 5 August
• Wakakirri Dance Concert – Thursday 5 August
• 3 Green Assembly – Friday 6 August
• Wellbeing Week – Monday 9 August – Thursday 12 August
• Assumption Buddy Day – Tuesday 10 August
• IPSHA Cross Country – Thursday 12 August
• Pupil Free Day – Friday 13 August