Category: Uncategorised

Return to Term 3 

A warm welcome back to all our Newman families.  I am very grateful that our state was able to return to post lockdown freedoms to enjoy the holiday period, and to return to school as normal.  I trust that all families enjoyed the break from the daily routine and hope that you had the opportunity to relax, be present to each other and spend time together. I would like to reassure families that should another lockdown event occur, the College is well-prepared to move to our Remote Learning Plan at short notice.

College Production – Little Shop of Horrors 

The Little Shop of Horrors was hugely entertaining. I enjoyed the pure spunk of all the actors, the amazing set and of course the music, dancing, lighting and costumes. What a show! Angela and Fraser beautifully depicted the ingenious mix of sweetness and dangerous naivety. Mr Mushnik’s presence was strong and Doctor Orin Scrivello owned his evil character with pizazz. My favourite scene, besides the closing surprise (ssssh) was the wicked but humorous musical number ‘Be a Dentist’. Massive congrats to all the cast, crew and staff who have dedicated their time and energy to put together a thoroughly entertaining masterpiece.

I highly recommend getting a group together and making a night of it (or day – matinee!). My 11 year old daughter, Zoe, absolutely loved it. So perfect for families with upper Primary kids and older.

To purchase you ticket please click here.

Events 

• Catholic Schools Performing Arts Festival – I was delighted to attend the official opening ceremony of the Catholic Performing Arts Festival program on 22 July at St Mary’s Cathedral.  Our students will be involved in a number of events throughout August, and we look forward to being present at their performances to enjoy the fruits of their hard work and dedication.
• Athletics Carnival, Marcellin Campus – The Secondary school community looks forward to participating and competing at the Athletics Carnival at Challenge Stadium on Thursday 5 August.  We hope that all students engage with the day’s events to support their Guild and year group.

Newman Parents Consultative Committee Meeting (NPCC) 

Parents and guardians are encouraged to attend our next meeting on Monday 9 August, commencing 7.00pm in the Marist Auditorium.  This forum provides an opportunity to hear from members of the College leadership, to learn about the strategic directions of the College and to seek feedback about concerns parents may have.   We look forward to seeing our families represented.

Fourviere Day  

Last Friday marked the 205-year anniversary of Fourviere Day, when the first twelve aspiring Marists climbed the hill in Lyon, France, to pledge their intent to found a Society of Mary. They made this promise in the shrine of Our Lady of Fourviere. Their unwavering commitment and intent to bring about a better world by making Christ known and loved by students, has resulted in, today, over 600 000 students being educated under the Marist charism. St Marcellin Champagnat, along with the other eleven priests and seminarians, have shown us what is possible with an intent, presence, simplicity and a desire to love God in the way of Mary. Marist Colleges around the globe are renowned for their ethos founded on a sense of ‘family spirit’ and a ‘love of work’.

Looking to the Horizon 

We are facing unprecedented challenges on a worldwide scale; social, economic, technological and environmental. These forces are providing society with multiple new opportunities and avenues for human advancement. It has been said many times that the future remains uncertain, we cannot predict what is normal or next, we need to be open and ready for whatever tomorrow brings. The children entering education in 2022 will be young adults in the early to mid 2030s. The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development’s Learning Framework 2030 stated that schools must prepare students “for jobs that have not yet been created, for technologies that have not yet been invented, to solve problems that have not yet been anticipated. It will be a shared responsibility to seize opportunities and find solutions. To navigate through such uncertainty, students will need to develop curiosity, imagination, resilience and self-regulation; they will need to respect and appreciate the ideas, perspectives and values of others; and they will need to cope with failure and rejection, and to move forward in the face of adversity. Their motivation will extend beyond getting a good job and a high income; they will also need to care about the well-being of their friends and families, their communities and the planet.”

Future Initiatives  

• In order to stay at the forefront of educational innovation and to promote future focussed student engagement, the College is committed to ongoing partnerships with industry, student and teacher feedback and professional learning and growth planning for our staff, who are the key force behind student learning and engagement. Among other initiatives, next year the College will be moving to Teams and OneNote for the delivery of teaching and learning. The Primary years will continue to integrate Seesaw as an additional learning and engagement platform.
• New Roles 2022:  This week, the College will advertise for a Director of Learning Technology and Spaces and a Director of Transformational Learning. These two PK-12 leaders will work closely with the Senior Leadership Team to keep the College looking to the horizons, to upskill our staff and renew our learning spaces, for improved student outcomes.
• Kindergarten Flexibility:  We understand that a number of families in our community would benefit from greater flexibility when entering children into our Kindergarten Program. Therefore, from 2022 and beyond we will be expanding our offering to include a five-day and a four-day Kindergarten Program, alongside our three-day offering. Impacted families will be contacted by email and telephone in the coming week, which will provide an opportunity to indicate their family’s preferences.

Storm Damage, Update

As communicated during the holidays, the unprecedented storm that moved across Perth on Friday 9 July caused damage to the St John Henry Learning Hub.  We are continuing to work with our insurance company, builder and associated contractors to complete the repairs in a timely manner.

We were delighted to have been able to identify the Good Samaritan who stepped in to assist staff with reducing the flooding and resultant damage in the Marian Campus Hall.  It was none other than our very own parent Mr Chris Hazebroek. We acknowledged and thanked him at the Marian Campus assembly today.

Newman Alumni 

One of our intents at Newman in the coming year, is to reconnect with our growing Alumni body. These connections will enable the Marist charism to be celebrated and passed down through the generations as one Newman family.

Wishing you all a fantastic start to the term.

Dr Lucie McCrory
PRINCIPAL (ACTING) 

COVID-19 

Thank you to families and students for your support over the past week in conforming with the West Australian restrictions imposed on Perth and Peel regions last Sunday 27 June and Monday 28 June.  We are extremely grateful that schools have remained open during this time so as to ensure that the teaching and learning program for Term 2 could be completed smoothly.

For those events that have been postponed this week, respective families and groups will be advised of new dates once re-scheduled.

We hope that Term 3 brings a return ‘to normal’.  In the event that this does not occur, Vice Principal, Dr McCrory, has outlined the College’s contingency plans in her Newsletter article today.

Families are asked to monitor the WA Department of Health website for updates and exposure sites.

Marcellin Campus Assembly 

On Wednesday at the Principal’s Assembly at the Marcellin Campus we ‘gathered’ via online means to give thanks for the term and the efforts of so many during what has been a very long Term 2.

My address to secondary students included an analogy of the television show, MasterChef, and the application and endeavour required to reach a particular goal.
In MasterChef, other cooks are in the galleries looking down on the contestants, generally being very supportive and encouraging – much like our students having the support of their teachers, their peers and their families.

I also challenged each student to consider what respect means to them, how we would like to be treated, how we would like to be spoken to, how we would like to live.  At the beginning of Term 3 we will focus on the non-negotiables that will strengthen how we build a culture of excellence in this school which, put simply, is underpinned by what it means to be part of a respectful Marist community.  Each year group across the school, from the sandpit of Early Childhood to Year 12 will focus on this central element in the new term.

To view a recording of this Assembly please click here.

Acting Principal Term 3 (Weeks 1-5) 

I will be taking a period of leave for the first five weeks of Term 3 with the intention to travel through the north-west of WA with my family.  That is of course if the current COVID-19 restrictions are lifted.

During Weeks 1-5 of Term 3, Dr Lucie McCrory will be Acting Principal and Mr Simon Martino will be Acting Vice Principal.

I wish Dr McCrory and Mr Martino all the best in their new roles and I look forward to returning to the College at the commencement of Week 6.

Upcoming Holidays 

Understandably, there will be many families disappointed about the possibility of cancelling interstate holidays.  However, I trust everyone enjoys the break in routine that school holidays provides and the opportunity to enjoy some family time.

John Finneran
PRINCIPAL

This week our semester one reports will be released to families via SEQTA. There is a lot of time and effort that goes into preparing student reports, and I hope families can take some time over the holiday break to discuss the report with their child, and even set some goals or areas of focus for next semester. If I could, I would especially encourage parents to look at the ‘effort’ mark in the report as well as the values on the final page. This is the indicator of how much your child is working to their potential, and for many students, can often mean more than a letter grade. It is in indication of the effort, commitment, and attitude they have towards their learning – things that will matter long after the C’s & B’s are forgotten.

I will never forget in my first year of teaching in Kalgoorlie, a time when I was sitting with a family who opened their child’s report. After a quick scan of the letter grades, they quickly admonished their child for not doing better – a child who, although had struggled at times, had always given his best in class. While I am sure this came from a place of love and only wanting their child to succeed, it was heartbreaking to see all the hard work and efforts of this boy evaporate in a single moment. I really hope that families can find something to celebrate for their child this semester – to find something they are proud of and to be able to celebrate that pride and achievement with their child. Sometimes we need to remember that there are many ways children can let their light shine, and it is our job to try and see that too. Once you have celebrated, you can focus on the goals or areas for improvement – seeking to encourage our children to be the best learners and young people they can be.

I would like to thank all students for their efforts in the classroom this semester, and wish them all a safe, relaxing, and restful break.

Highlights from Past Two Weeks

Speak Up Awards 

Last week, students across the campus gathered in the hall to observe the six amazing finalists in our Speak Up Awards competition. Students in Year 5 and 6 have been hard at work this term devising four-minute speeches with the purpose to inform, entertain, or persuade an audience. Students delivered these speeches in their classes, and for some students, again in front of their year level. Six students were then selected across both year group to compete in the final. A big congratulations must go to Thomas Van, Hamish MacGregor, Isabella Crisona, Liam White, Annabelle Adamini, and Harry Dolan for all their hard work and efforts in taking part.

Three students were awarded places on the day and will head through to the next round of the competition where they will compete against other schools. Congratulations to Harry, Isabella, and Liam on their success and we wish them all the best as the move forward into the next round of the competition!

Cross Country 

Last Friday we were blessed with beautiful weather for our Cross-Country carnival. Students raced with great enthusiasm, and it was so pleasing to see so many students encouraging of on another. There were some fantastic displays if athletic ability on the day, and we were grateful to be able to welcome our parent community to attend too. Our winner of the Cross Country Carnival will be announced at our first assembly in Term 3. In the meantime, I hope you will join me in congratulating our age champions and runners up!

Year 3 boys

• 1st place: David Van der Walt
• 2nd place: Julian Cameron
• 3rd place: Hunter Bailey

Year 3 girls 

• 1st place: Demi Boyce
• 2nd place: Amelie Santoro
• 3rd place: Amelia Scott

Year 4 boys

• 1st place: Stefan Moschopoulos
• 2nd place: Otis Keane
• 3rd place: Austin Cumberworth

Year 4 girls 

• 1st place: Allegra Clark
• 2nd place: Jessica Avins
• 3rd place: Layla Bornmann

Year 5 boys 

• 1st place: Luke Rombouts
• 2nd place: Dylan Hookway
• 3rd place: TBA

Year 5 girls 

• 1st place: Kaydee Van Deventer
• 2nd place: Annabelle Adamini
• 3rd place: Livia Bogdanov

Year 6 boys

• 1st place: Jaspar Martin-Booth
• 2nd place: Liam Murphy
• 3rd place: Xavier Dunstan

Year 6 girls 

• 1st place: Clancy Boss
• 2nd place: Chloe Rear
• 3rd place: Madelyn Bertolini

Reports

Please see update regarding reports from our Vice Principal here.

Important Information For The Next Two Weeks

Parent Teacher Interviews 

Just a reminder to all families that our Parent-Teacher interviews will take place on Tuesday 20 July. The interviews are 3-way interviews and your child is invited to attend. These interviews are a valuable part of the collaboration process between teachers and families, and we encourage all parents to be in touch with their teachers. Students will return to school on Wednesday 21 July to commence Term 3.

Grooming & Uniform 

At the beginning of this term, I spoke about the importance of wearing our uniform correctly and students being appropriately groomed coming to school, especially when it comes to our haircuts. I have since noticed around the school there are some very smartly dressed and well-groomed young men and women on our campus! I would like to extend my thanks to these students and their families for their support of our community, and to others who have been making an effort to wear their uniform with pride each day. With school holidays approaching, it is a good time to remind our boys especially of the standards for haircuts. Students returning to school in Term 3 must make sure that:

• hairstyles must be clean, neat and tidy
• hair should not be long enough that the fringe falls over the eyebrows
• hair should be of a consistent length all over (eg no undercuts, no long sweeps) 
• hair must be of blade length number 3 or longer
• extreme hair styles and extreme changes of hair colour are unacceptable.

We really appreciate the support of students and families in helping to create a consistent, smart, and professional look for our school community.

UWA Research Project

The University of Western Australia (UWA) has an exciting opportunity for Newman College to participate in research.

The overall aim of the research project is to examine first impressions towards children with and without autism to better understand the social experiences of children and help understand the stigma towards children on the autism spectrum. Experiencing social rejection at an early age can be very difficult for children, and research suggests that one factor that may impact children’s social lives are first impressions.

First impressions can influence how we respond to unfamiliar people, and so understanding the factors that impact how first impressions are formed can be very valuable information in developing programs that foster social inclusivity. This study also investigates how adults form impressions of children because adults who work with children, such as parents and teachers, can have great influence on children’s social decisions.

The project encourages children to learn about first impressions with the message of inclusivity and acceptance of other children’s differences.

At this stage, they are inviting parents and their children aged 6-11 years to participate in this study and would appreciate any help from Newman College families on this project. The results of this current study will be used to inform the design of a later study involving children who are on the autism spectrum.

If you and your child are interested in participating, please follow this link to provide your consent and answer some questions regarding your child’s development: http://uwa.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_eJ83cMkCNuTJBZA

The link will also provide you with further information and guidance on how you and your child may participate in this exciting project.

Vision for Mission: to form “Good Christians and Good Citizens”. 

This term we have launched our Vision for Mission, in line with our Vision for Learning and Strategic Directions. These documents underpin the way our school seeks “to make Jesus Christ known and loved” in our community. All of us have a role to play in bringing College’s vision to fruition, staff, students and families. As we are about to enter the school holiday period, quite possibly with a lockdown, I encourage all families to consider our Marist characteristics of ‘Family Spirit’ & ‘Presence’. This means to take time to reflect on the things in our lives that are most important, our relationships with God, ourselves, creation and one another. It is a good reminder to consider those who are vulnerable and less fortunate that us, to evaluate how we can continue to put others before ourselves.

With everything we have achieved this term, through our fundraising and advocacy, I would like to say thank you to our staff, students and families for their generosity and compassion. We look forward to continuing our support for our different agencies in Semester Two.

Thursday morning Community Mass 

Our Thursday morning community Mass is the perfect way to begin your Thursday. 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. We return to Thursday morning Mass in Week 1 of Term 3.

St Vincent de Paul Winter Sleepout & Blanket Appeal 2021 

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 Friday 6 August students in Year 7 – 12 are invited to participate in the St Vincent de Paul Winter Sleepout. A parent information letter and expression of interest form will be sent out at the beginning of Term 3. Please return the expression of interest form if your child would like to participate to Hannah Parker, Leader of Youth Ministry and Advocacy, by Friday the 30th of July. 

St Vincent de Paul stores in Western Australia are facing a shortage of winter clothing for the neediest in our community. In support of Vinnies, we remind families that any warm clothing they have can be donated to their local Winnies store.

Gamechangers 

The Gamechangers meeting time for students in Year 7 and 8 will change to Tuesday from 3.30pm – 4.30pm every fortnight. This allows our Gamechangers groups from Year 7 – 12 to come together for their meetings and foster a sense of ‘Family Spirit’, peer mentoring and leadership. If you have any concerns please contact Hannah Parker, Leader of Youth Ministry and Advocacy, at Hannah.parker@newman.wa.edu.au.