Secondary Update – Term 1 Week 3
Uniform and Personal Presentation
I would like to thank parents and guardians for their continued support of the Colleges Uniform and Personal Presentation Policy.
During uniform checks this week, we identified a number of students who were not meeting the College’s expectations. The uniform guidelines that were most commonly not being met were:
Shoes
- Black business style school shoes (not boot-style, sports, skate, suede, platform soles or non-black stitching).
If a student has a medical condition that prevents them from wearing the correct footwear, a letter from a medical specialist must be provided. Please be aware that the Ascent Footwear range—available at many retailers that sell school shoes—offers options suitable for students who require additional support or who need to fit orthotics in their shoes. Ascent shoes look like traditional school shoes but have the built‑in innovation and support found in a sneaker.
Shorts
- A reminder that College shorts must be the correct size for the student — oversized shorts are not permitted. Shorts are to be worn at the waist and not below. Students who are not wearing the correct sized shorts will be asked to have these altered to fit correctly.
Grooming
- Makeup is not permitted.
- Students must be clean‑shaven.
Jewellery
- Earrings: one pair of plain studs (max 5mm) or sleepers (max 12mm) in the lower lobe only – “Plain” = silver or gold; clear diamantes or small white pearls accepted if within size limits. No retainers, clears or spacers are allowed.
College staff have been instructed to send notifications home when students are in breach of these expectations, and your support in consistently reinforcing them is greatly appreciated.
Social Media Age Restrictions — Supporting Our Students
Late last year, the Australian Government introduced new rules restricting social media use for anyone under the age of 16, aiming to reduce online risks and give young people more time to develop safe digital habits.
The response has been mixed — some families feel relieved, while others remain uncertain. We also recognise that for some students, these restrictions have not been straightforward or effective, and we understand this presents its own challenges for families.
At Newman College, we will continue to support all students through our Equip, Guide and Thrive program, which provides education around social media use, online safety, and digital wellbeing.
For further guidance, we recommend this practical resource from the Black Dog Institute: Social media age restrictions: What families need to know
Upcoming Events
Year 9: The Rite Journey — Calling Ceremony
We are excited to share that The Rite Journey, our Year 9 program supporting students through the transition into young adulthood, is now underway!
One of the most important events of the program is the Calling Ceremony — a compulsory milestone that marks the beginning of this journey. All students must attend with a parent or caregiver.
Ceremonies will be held at City Beach Oval (map available here), with parking available between the oval and City Beach. Each ceremony runs from 5:00pm – 5:45pm. Please attend on the date that corresponds with your child’s class:
- Monday 23 February – Mrs Beth Murphy, Mrs Sharee Hart, Mrs Courtney Clark, Mr Ned Shannon, Mr Scott McCallum, Mr Michael Van Der Heever
- Tuesday 24 February – Miss Jorja Clark, Miss Jade Nicotra, Mrs Anna Owen, Mr Stuart McClorey, Mr Ben Goldie
We look forward to seeing you there for this special evening.
Year 12: Ball
The Year 12 Ball is one of the most cherished events for our Year 12’s at Newman College, and we are thrilled to celebrate this special milestone with our Class of 2026.
The Ball will be held on Wednesday, 25 February 2026 at the stunning Fraser’s Restaurant, Kings Park, from 6:30pm to 10:30pm.
Attendance at school on the day of the Ball is compulsory until EGT, where students will be briefed on the Code of Conduct expected for the evening. Tickets will be distributed at 12:30pm during EGT. Students who are not at school on the day will not receive their ticket and will be unable to attend. To minimise disruption to learning, students will be permitted to wear false or coloured nails on this day. We ask that any beauty appointments are arranged around these requirements, and we appreciate your support in making this a special evening with minimal impact on school time.
To support students following the Ball, a late start has been arranged. Students are not required to arrive at school until 10:30am. We kindly ask both students and parents/caregivers to adhere to this arrangement.
This is a wonderful occasion for our Year 12 students to come together and celebrate the year ahead in style. We look forward to seeing them dressed beautifully for what is sure to be a magical and memorable evening.
Mrs Anna Scanlan
DEPUTY PRINCIPAL SECONDARY
Pathways and Careers Information: Year 11
For students thinking of attending University
- TISC has a series of videos explaining things like ATAR calculation, prerequisite subjects, scaling, and preferences. You can find them here: https://www.tisc.edu.au/static/guide/video.tisc
- Here is a parents guide to University: https://www.ecu.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0006/1099446/ECU-Parents-Guide.pdf
- And here is the “First in Family” resource, for students who might be the first in their family to attend University: http://firstinfamily.com.au/
- Are you thinking of attending a University Open Day? Dates are below. This blog might help you: https://infocus-careers.com.au/2024/02/20/year-11-how-to-approach-university-open-days/
Pathways and Careers Information: Year 12
Alternatives to University
Did you know that University is not the only place you can obtain a degree? There are several alternatives here in Perth:
- SAE: Offers degrees in things like Animation, Audio, Game Development, Creative Industries. https://sae.edu.au/
- ACAP: Offers degrees in things like Psychology, Criminology, Social Work. https://www.acap.edu.au/
- EIT: Offers degrees in Engineering, IT, and Renewable Energy. https://www.eit.edu.au/
Applying for Medicine or Dentistry for 2027
All students who wish to enrol in Medicine or Dentistry in 2027 (including Assured Pathway at UWA and Notre Dame) will need to sit the University Clinical Aptitude Test (UCAT) this year.
Please see below for some important dates:
- 3 March 2026: UCAT bookings open
- 15 May 2026: Deadline to book your UCAT for 2026
- 12 June 2026: Deadline if you need to cancel your UCAT booking
- 1 July 2026: UCAT testing begins
- 5 August 2026: Last test date
- September 2026: Results available
You can check https://www.ucat.edu.au/ for further information, practice tests, and tips to succeed. It is recommended to book a UCAT as early as possible as demand for testing places is high.
UWA
The official handbook for entry to Medicine at UWA can be found at this link and Dentistry at this link. Please note that Medicine and Dentistry at UWA are postgraduate courses and require completion of a relevant Bachelor degree prior to entry.
Curtin
Curtin University offers the only direct entry medical program in Western Australia. In 2025, the cutoff ATAR for this course was 93.
In addition to the UCAT, students considering applying for Medicine at Curtin University are also required to sit the CASPER Test. Further information about CASPER can be found here: https://acuityinsights.app/ and here: https://www.nie.edu.au/products-listing/category/56-casper-test-preparation
The official handbook for entry to Medicine at Curtin can be found at this link.
University of Notre Dame
The University of Notre Dame offers a small number of places in postgraduate Medicine via an assured pathway for school leavers. Information about this option can be found here:
https://www.notredame.edu.au/programs/school-of-medicine/postgraduate/doctor-of-medicine-wa
University information
- TISC has a series of videos explaining things like ATAR calculation, prerequisite subjects, scaling, and preferences. You can find them here: https://www.tisc.edu.au/static/guide/video.tisc
- Are you the first person in your family to attend University? This might assist: http://www.firstinfamily.com.au/
- Here are some useful tools to prepare students for the transition to University: https://unireadytoolkit.com.au/
- Here is a parents guide to University: https://www.ecu.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0006/1099446/ECU-Parents-Guide.pdf
- This resource is a place where you can ask current University students questions about their University courses:
https://course-consultants.com/
University scholarships
Here is new scholarship at UWA:
- Engineering Excellence Scholarship.
- Must have an ATAR of 90+ and accepted an offer into Engineering at UWA.
- This scholarship is worth $10,000 and will be automatically awarded if you fit the above criteria.
| Curtin University | Search scholarships | Curtin University, Perth, Australia |
| Edith Cowan University (ECU) | ECU | Overview : Scholarships |
| Murdoch University | Scholarship finder (murdoch.edu.au) |
| Notre Dame University | Find a Scholarship | Notre Dame |
| University of Western Australia (UWA) | The University of Western Australia : Scholarships (uwa.edu.au) |
| Christian Leaders Scholarship | https://ichthys.org.au/christian-leaders-scholarship/ |
Gap year information
Students interested in taking a gap year in 2026 might find the following interesting:
- Defence Force Gap Year: https://www.adfcareers.gov.au/careers/gap-year?page=2&perPage=21&query=
- Other gap year ideas: https://infocus-careers.com.au/2024/04/02/leaving-year-12-try-these-gap-year-ideas/
- And: https://infocus-careers.com.au/2022/07/13/leaving-year-12-these-gap-year-ideas-may-interest-you/
- Also this Marist volunteering opportunity: https://maristyouthministry.com/bridge-builders
UPCOMING CAREERS EVENTS
If you are thinking of attending a University Open Day, this link might help you get the most out of it: https://myfuture.edu.au/assist-others/open-days