Newman News Term 3 Week 10: From the Principal
Final Assembly Year 12 Students
On Thursday we recognised and celebrated the commitment, hard work, diligence and effort of our Year 12 students over their time at Newman College. Our Sports Centre was alive with students from Years 5-12 celebrating the leadership of our College and the ceremonial handing over from the Class of 2019 to the Class of 2020. Our Graduation Assembly is a symbol of hope for our College community: of what is doable, what is achievable, what is possible. It was a festive occasion underpinned by speeches and a collage of photos that reflected the wonderful contribution Year 12 students have made to the life of our College.
Our Guest Speaker, Ms Celia Hammond MP, Federal Member for Curtin, spoke of the mark our students can make in the world. She encouraged the 2019 graduate class to take the opportunities that they will be afforded in the years ahead…. and “to let their gifts and talents shine.” Ms Hammond also reminded the students that their exams are still ahead; to continue to work hard and ‘give it your best shot’.
It has been a great year for our leaving class. I would like to acknowledge and thank Mrs Rebecca Bramanto Leader of Wellbeing Year 12 for her own leadership. Her commitment to this cohort has been unconditional. The care, hope and support she has offered them has been commendable. Thank you to PCG teachers and all teachers of Year 12 students.
For Year 12 and all our Marist community, the heart of who we and what we represent is in how we are present to each other in the relationships that we form, we cultivate, and we celebrate. Being present to each other in service and in love engenders the family spirit that underpins the culture of this school. Over the next four weeks Year 12 will complete their mock exams and will have their Graduation from the College in Week 2 of Term 4.
We pray for them in this time and wish them every success for their last exam period and the completion of their courses.
2020 Leadership
We also celebrated the right of passage of the leadership of our College to Year 11 students as they take the Leadership baton forward. I would like to thank and acknowledge all our Year 11 students who participated in our Leadership Formation Program for 2020. Leadership is about honesty, integrity, confidence, inspiration, delegation, decision making, commitment, accountability, creativity and empathy. Congratulations to Anastasia Berti and Mitchell Harris who have been appointed as College Captains for 2020 and all those students who have been selected for leadership. I know that you will let your light shine! (The full list of student leaders for 2020 can be found in another part of this newsletter).
Catholic Performing Arts Closing Concert
Vice Principal, Lisa Fogliani, and I attended the Closing Concert on Monday 16 September. We were delighted to see some of our Newman students perform, in particular the Newman College Massed Choir & Madjitil Moorna Singers perform their outstanding rendition of the Acknowledgement to Country, Koort Doodjarak Yewool (A Heart Song), accompanied by piano, guitar and didgeridoo. My sincere thanks to the many staff who prepared our students for their performances and to families who ensured students attended the numerous rehearsals and events during the course of the Festival. Click here to watch the performance.
Marian Campus Athletics
The Marian Campus Athletics Carnival was held on Thursday and we were most fortunate to have been blessed with magnificent weather. All enjoyed a wonderful community event, with lots of participation and talent on display. I thank the families who attended and supported this very enjoyable day. Click here to access further information and photos from the day.
Lavalla Grandparents Day
It was lovely to see so many grandparents attend our Lavalla Grandparents Day on Wednesday. Our students thoroughly enjoyed taking their family members through their classroom and viewing their work. Thank you to all those families who supported this very important event. Further information and photos are available in the Primary School part of this newsletter.
Marist Brothers Community Churchlands
During the last part of this Term, two Marist Brothers who have been closely associated with the Newman College community have passed away, Br Nello Facci and Br Bill Dillon.
• This week, Br Nello Facci, 67 years a Marist Brother, was laid to rest from our Champagnat Chapel. In his Eulogy, Br Peter Carroll, Australian Provincial Leader of the Marist Brothers spoke of his life, that he gave unstintingly and generously to the service of God and to God’s people, especially the young. Br Nello Facci was a member of the Marist Brothers Churchlands Community and had moved more recently to Mercycare for specialised care. Br Nello served in a number of communities across Australia, including Subiaco and Newman College. The Requiem Mass was a truly fitting celebration and I thank our students for their prayerful and respectful presence and the College Choir whose performance was magnificent.
• Br Bill Dillon was a dedicated supporter and worker within the Education Support Centre at Newman College up until 2004. He was also an active member of the Vinnies. Br Bill passed away peacefully soon after celebrating his 90th birthday in Melbourne.
Our thoughts and prayers are with the Marist Brothers Communities, both locally in Churchlands and across Australia.
Deputy Principal Mission and Catholic Identity
As previously advised to all families, Mr Daniel Lynch, Deputy Principal Mission and Catholic Identity has been appointed to the position of Director of the Office of the Archbishop, commencing 28 October 2019. He will conclude his tenure in this community at the end of this Term.
Daniel has been a valued member of our College and has made a remarkable contribution to the growth of our faith community. He has reframed Catholic Identity PK-12 and has been instrumental in the development and implementation of our Marist Ministry Plan. The calibre of his work has been widely recognised within the life of the Catholic Church here in the Archdiocese of Perth which has ultimately led to this remarkable opportunity.
We wish Daniel every blessing and success as he embarks on this next stage of his career.
Proposed International Marist Education Network
Globally, the Marist family is exploring the concept of an International Marist Schools Network. Echoing calls from the last Marist General Chapter held in Colombia in 2017 and the Marist International Mission Assembly held in Kenya in 2014, a group has been convened of Marists in leadership positions from different regions throughout the world to lead a process of consultation and discernment.
On the Feast of the Assumption 2019, people working in and associated with Marist schools in 80 countries across the globe are invited to respond to a short survey which has been translated into the four major language groups used by Marists: English, Spanish, French, and Portuguese. Marist educators throughout the world are being invited to:
- Imagine the reality of an international network of Marist schools as a global family with an evangelizing action rooted in the world of school and education;
- Explore together the benefits this could bring to the children and young people whom Marists serve, as well as to their families.
Parents and Guardians are being invited to complete a short online survey. The survey has ambitious participation targets, which underscore the critical importance of every Marist educator’s voice – 100% of Marist Principals, 100% of Marist teachers and staff, 15% of students, 5-10% of parents, and an open invitation to all Marist Brothers and those Marist lay teachers who have moved to new employment or have retired. Similar to our own Australian Plenary Council consultation, the data gathered will be processed through computerised qualitative research tools, in this case undertaken by the internationally renowned Creativity Laboratory at the Marist University in Porto Alegre, Brazil.
I therefore invite parents and guardians to participate in the survey (please click here), which will be open until 15 October 2019.
Thank you
Thank you to all staff, students and their families for a wonderful Term. We are indeed blessed with the opportunities afforded to us in this community. I am so pleased at the way our students embrace their learning and the relationships that they have formed with each other. I pray that we take the time to enjoy the break and come back refreshed in Term 4.
