Primary Update – Term 3 Week 5

Jenni Vile on 22/05/2026

It has been another busy and rewarding period in our school, with students engaging in a wide range of academic, sporting and creative pursuits. It is wonderful to see our students’ embracing opportunities, striving for excellence and representing our school community with pride.

We are pleased to share several recent highlights that reflect the talent, dedication and enthusiasm of our students.

Da Vinci Decathlon

A number of our Year 5 and Year 6 students recently participated in the Da Vinci Decathlon, an academic competition inspired by the multidisciplinary work of Leonardo da Vinci. This challenging event encourages both creativity and critical thinking across a variety of disciplines. We are delighted to announce that our Year 6 team achieved First Place in the Creative Producers category, an outstanding accomplishment that showcases their collaboration and innovation.

School Sports WA Cross Country

This week, a number of our Year 3 to Year 6 students competed in the School Sport WA Cross Country Competition. Our runners performed exceptionally well, and it was clear that their training through Run Club has had a positive impact. A special congratulations to Archer Johnson (Year 3), who won the Year 3 race at an impressive pace. We are incredibly proud of all students who participated, particularly for the determination and sportsmanship they demonstrated throughout the event.

Looking ahead, we are excited for next week’s Primary Musical performances. A significant amount of time, effort and enthusiasm has gone into this production from both staff and students, and we are very much looking forward to celebrating their hard work with our community.

Over the past two weeks, we have also enjoyed two engaging and lively assemblies. Year 2 Red entertained us with a vibrant performance of George’s Marvellous Medicine, while Year 1 Green delighted the audience by showcasing their learning through The Gruffalo. These presentations highlight the confidence and creativity of our students and are always a valued part of our school program.

Thank you for your continued support as we celebrate these achievements together.

Mrs Laura Christopher

HEAD OF PRIMARY

From the Principal – Term 2 Week 5

Jenni Vile on 22/05/2026

The Power of Break: It Leads to Connection, Appreciation and Reset

The mid-term break, which includes WA Day, is fast approaching and, as families, I am sure we are looking forward to time together and precious moments. That weekend, we have the Lavalla Wizard of Oz Production, which will be such a treat to watch, but I am sure many of you are planning an outing, a weekend away or a catch-up. I wonder how many of us are intentionally setting aside quiet and unstructured times to just be present, breathe and experience true downtime without an agenda to ‘do’?

Accompanying the Year 10 group to camp just over a week ago got me thinking more about the importance of stillness, quiet time and presence in the moment. The camp is designed for our students to experience ‘Becoming Adult’, and it follows on from The Rite Journey program undertaken in Year 9. There were challenging moments, expectations with responsibility for tasks, teamwork, problem solving and discomfort. There was also significant time for silence, stillness and presence to oneself and one another. Staring into the fires each camp area set nightly was not simply providing a function to keep the group warm before heading to bed. Gathered at the fire, like so many cultures across time and place, the fire invited the warmth of community, reflection, contemplation and the invitation to listen properly to others around us and to nature.

It is crucially important for our young people and our own wellbeing to experience quiet and presence in the moment. It just does not happen enough or for long enough in everyday life. A phone out to scroll or even in proximity, a journey in the car where all but the driver quickly put earbuds in and watch reels, movies or listen to music. All are distractions and foils to true stillness. They seem to be connections but are actually things that draw us from connection.

Recently, the College Executive and I had the great joy of interviewing families and Year 4 students for positions to join Newman College in Year 7, 2029. It is so heartening to meet wonderful families and joyful children who tell the story of their own learning and pursuits out of school. What I am also acutely listening for is the family time, the protection of the simplicity of sitting together to share a meal at night, to have board games and conversations. Happily, I am hearing more and more parents reducing the number of activities and programs that fill up a young person’s afternoon, early evening and weekend and their intentional efforts in the family to model and provide breaks that foster connection, appreciation and reset. What great examples of the Marist characteristics of Presence and Simplicity. I think you are doing it better than I did as a father of my children at this age.

Please read on through the Newsletter to the key sections of the publication. The Vice Principal’s piece will be covering more of the wonderful achievements and engagements of the past fortnight.

Within the next few weeks, may there be moments of stillness, quiet and old-fashioned connection in the life of your family that bring you great joy.

Mr Andrew Watson

PRINCIPAL

Primary Update – Term 2 Week 3

Jenni Vile on 08/05/2026

As Mother’s Day approaches this weekend, we pause to acknowledge and celebrate the many mothers, grandmothers and significant mother figures within our school community. Your care, generosity and unwavering commitment enrich the lives of our children in countless ways. We extend our sincere appreciation for all that you do and wish you a very happy Mother’s Day.

ANZAC Day

We extend our sincere thanks to our students and to Mrs Terry for leading our ANZAC Day service. Our choir contributed beautifully to this solemn occasion. The service provided an opportunity to honour the courage and sacrifice of those who served at Gallipoli on 25 April 1915, and to reflect on the broader impact of war, conflict and peacekeeping in Australia’s history. As a community, we also took time to pray for those involved in wars, their families, and for peace throughout the world.

Guild Cross Country

It was wonderful to witness the strong sense of participation and sportsmanship displayed at last week’s Cross Country Carnival. Students approached the event with enthusiasm, determination and a commitment to giving their best. We were particularly pleased to introduce a Mini Cross Country for our Pre-Primary to Year 2 students. This initiative encouraged perseverance, with students striving to complete as many laps as possible while developing confidence and resilience in a supportive environment. We also saw outstanding talent among some of our runners, with those who had trained in the lead-up to the event achieving impressive personal bests.

As we approach the end of Week 3, many students have already begun working towards the goals established during the recent parent-teacher interviews. This provides valuable opportunities for both students and families to celebrate progress while continuing to strive towards new goals.  By working in partnership, we can ensure our children are supported to flourish as compassionate, responsible and faith-filled individuals. We thank you for your ongoing support and commitment to the mission of our school.

Recognition of Outstanding Achievement

We congratulate several students on their recent achievements.

  • Cruz Priolo was outstanding in finishing first in the Esperance WA State Series Kart Championship.
  • Indi Priolo achieved remarkable success at the Fierce Talent Competition, placing first in her singing solo and receiving the highest overall score across all genres.
  • Harry Bluff has been selected for the Perth Glory Youth Academy, a wonderful acknowledgement of his talent and dedication.

If your child has achieved state or national recognition in their sport or extra-curricular activity, we would love to hear about it so we can celebrate their success.  Please let us know the details by filling out this form. https://forms.office.com/r/qaCxCYLNX6

Mrs Laura Christopher

HEAD OF PRIMARY

From the Principal – Term 2 Week 3

Jenni Vile on 08/05/2026

As this is our first Newsletter for Term 2, I am sending a warm welcome back to the winter term. Our students continue to show great commitment and a focus on personal best through the many events and learning opportunities they have been involved in for these three weeks. Here is just a snapshot of our students’ great work and our flourishing Newman College community:

Student Learning Conversations

Congratulations to our secondary students for the way in which they led the Student Learning Conversations (Parent-Teacher interviews). A firm part of successful learning is being able to understand where you are at, how you know this, and where you can be with strategies that you can employ for learning gains. The Student Learning Conversation is a part of the developing MyLearning approach that is coming into our pedagogy in the College. Lavalla Learning Conversations were another valuable time to share the progress of our primary students with families.

Guild Cross Country Carnivals

Both Lavalla and Marcellin campuses had beautiful weather for their cross country events. The commitment to Guild participation and the passion to achieve personal and Guild ‘bests’ has just grown so much over this year. Congratulations to Marcellin Guild for their win in Secondary. Romero Guild gave Marcellin a huge shake with their efforts to win the title from them. At Lavalla, it was Thomas More who took out the honours.

Mock Trials

For a number of years, our Senior Mock Trial teams have been a force to be reckoned with in the Mock Trial competition. This week, the 2026 team had great success against Penhros College.

Mother’s Day Celebrations and the Month of May

A Mass and a Liturgy dedicated to Mothers and mother figures, morning teas, games, photo booths and portrait painting were just some of the activities on campus late this week to celebrate Mother’s Day. May is also the Month of Mary and, in our Marist tradition, we know the important place Mary has in our Marian spirituality. Early next week, students will run the Crowning of Mary ceremony and produce a video that honours Mary our Mother. 

A Reflection on Mothers

The gaze of the Mother, and the gaze of every mother. A world that looks to the future without a mother’s gaze is shortsighted. It may well increase its profits, but it will no longer see others as children. It will make money, but not for everyone. We will all dwell in the same house, but not as brothers and sisters. The human family is built upon mothers. A world in which maternal tenderness is dismissed as mere sentiment may be rich materially, but poor where the future is concerned. 
Pope Francis 2019

We wish all mothers, grandmothers and mother figures a wonderful celebration on Sunday.

Mr Andrew Watson

PRINCIPAL

From the Principal – Term 1 Week 9

Jenni Vile on 02/04/2026

Secondary Celebration Assembly- Colours and Honours 

On the Marcellin Campus, we came together for the final Celebration Assembly of the term on Holy Thursday. The Assembly was a capture of the wonderful work and achievements of our students across the pillars of Learning, Mission, Sport and The Arts. Within this celebration, we were delighted to award our first round of Colours and Honours to senior students. A Colour and an Honour is a recognition of excellence in one of the pillars. Excellence is not an end in itself, nor is it reserved for only a few. The excellence shown by these students is the persistence to strive for a personal best and to have the most positive effect on those around you. I also spoke to the students about reflecting on the term through the lens of personal growth in learning. At Newman College, we want to help our students move from where they are to where they can be. This applies to all students across the whole College – growth is the key. 

ACC Swimming and IPSHA Swimming Carnivals 

Our Swimming teams represented the College with outstanding commitment and spirit in the secondary ACC A Division Carnival and the primary IPSHA Carnival recently. Congratulations to the ACC team for lifting the College into the top three schools. The focus and commitment of the students, coaches and staff have really paid off in the pool. Likewise, the IPSHA team competed with a determination to secure the highest position in every single race, coming second overall. The culture of Swimming continues to grow at Newman College! 

Marist Schools Basketball Carnival 

We were proud to be the hosts of this year’s national carnival. 19 schools  (27 teams) travelled to Newman College and Perth for 5 days of basketball competition and the strengthening of the Marist Family Spirit. The students and staff in the carnival were outstanding ambassadors for our community. Former Wildcats Basketballer, Greg Hire, was the guest speaker at the carnival dinner on Wednesday evening.  

Holy Week 

Our final week of term coincides with Holy Week. Holy Week is the most important week in the Church and it is ushered in by Palm Sunday last weekend. In effect, Holy Week traces the final week in Christ’s life leading to his resurrection on Easter Sunday. The Easter Triduum is the final lead of three days to Easter Sunday, beginning with Holy Thursday – the time of the Last Supper, Good Friday – the trial and crucifixion of Jesus and Holy Saturday – that time of reflection and pensive waiting the disciples of Jesus undertook before his resurrection. Easter signifies the victory of good over evil, eternal life over death. Easter Sunday is about hope, renewal and God’s love. Families celebrate Easter in many ways. For some it is the thrill of an Easter hunt, for others it is the sharing of hot cross buns, or a meal together. Family spirit is central to all the traditions of Easter, and over the Easter break I encourage all in our community to: 

  • Make time for family, enjoy activities together and show each other how much they are appreciated; 
  • Re-connect with God’s creation by being a part of our natural environment, stop and appreciate the beauty if you are travelling as we live in such a privileged place and; 
  • Being a part of services in yours or another parish. 

This is the final Newsletter for the term and what a full program we have enjoyed since the year begun! So much has been achieved by our students and staff. The welcoming of our new students in all year groups across the College in January. The beautiful celebration of the Family Mass as a full community in February; the ‘Celebration’ assemblies in Lavalla showcasing the work and talents of our primary classes, the recognition of International Women’s Day and Harmony Week. The Year 12 Ball, Lavalla and Marcellin Guild Swimming Carnivals, the IPSHA Year 6 Basketball Carnival, and this week’s Easter Liturgies. What strikes me about these events and the learning program in the classrooms is the level of engagement and effort students are putting in to work to their personal best.  There has been great work and initiative shown by students and our staff have been so supportive in bringing this full program to life during the term, and, as families, I extend my thanks to you all for your great support in Term 1.  

I wish all of you a Happy Easter and a Holy Easter. 

Mr Andrew Watson

PRINCIPAL