From the Principal – Term 4 Week 2
Welcome back to Term 4! The first two weeks of the new term have seen all classes settle back into the good routine of learning and teaching. It has been so energising visiting classes across Marian, Lavalla and Marcellin campuses, and watching our students dive deeply into their learning. We welcome new families to our community who have begun their Newman College journey in Term 4.
Year 12 Graduation Mass & Awards Ceremony
This significant rite of passage was held on October 16 at Optus Stadium. Fr Garner celebrated Mass and families, staff and the Class of 2024 then moved into a formal dinner and presentations. Each student was presented to the community, acknowledging their place as graduating students from Newman College. Subject and College awards were also featured alongside the 2024 College Captains’ Address. The Class of 2024 was acknowledged for their legacy to our community and sharing the night with families was so special for our staff. Our prayers are with the Graduates as they prepare for WACE examinations or move into traineeships, apprenticeships, TAFE or work.
Feast Celebrations
The Feast Day of our College Patron, St John Henry Newman, happened on 9 October. We came together as a College community the following day to celebrate St John Henry Newman with Mass and the Primary Buddy Day. For those unaware, St John Henry Newman was a 19th century significant leader of the Church. Having spent the first half of his life in the Anglican tradition and ordained, Newman became a Catholic on 9 October 1845 after a significant time of discernment, eventually becoming a Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church. In the decision pre-dating the beginning of Newman College, Churchlands in 1977, the orders of the Marist Brother and Dominican and Brigidine sisters settled on the name of the new College as Newman. It first began as the Newman system before evolving into our school today. In St John Henry Newman, the community of the time saw the wonderful example of a person with great spiritual depth and a relational base to faith. St John Henry Newman wrote of a faith where ‘heart speaks to heart’ and this meets the Spirituality of the Heart that is our Marist way- Strong Mind, Gentle Heart.
This fortnight we have also remembered St Mary MacKillop whose canonisation anniversary falls on October 16. St Mary of the Cross. In Australian education and Christian faith, St Mary stands as a giant who, through the work of her Sisters of St Joseph, brought Catholic education to much of Australia’s rural and regional areas in the late 19th and through the 20th centuries. Our Mackillop Guild is named in honour of Mary MacKillop.
As you would know when attending our parent nights and major celebrations we pray to St Mary of the Cross and St John Henry Newman, alongside Mary our Good Mother and St Marcellin Champagnat in our Litany of Prayer.
Celebrating Alumni- Rhodes Scholar
You may have noticed our recent social media posts celebrating Alumna. Eden Rigo (Class of 2015) who was recently announced as the recipient of the Rhodes Scholarship 2025. She will begin her studies at Oxford University in 2025.
Eden has excelled in sports, drama and academia, and is driven to create equitable, sustainable communities in her work. We have been researching into our 113 year history as a school entity to determine whether Eden is our first Rhodes Scholarship recipient. Eden is in fact our second Rhodes Scholar, the first being Bronte Adams in 1986.
Our College community is so proud of Eden and we look forward to the wonderful impact she will continue to make through her studies and commitment.
To live is to change, and to be perfect is to have changed often.
St John Henry Newman
MR ANDREW WATSON
PRINCIPAL