Ministry Update – Term 1 Week 8

Jenni Vile on 28/03/2025

I have noticed recently that my son, who is nine, can find it difficult to ‘get over’ conflict with his sister. He holds onto feelings of frustration and anger, and although in time they often pass, it can take some gentle coaxing and conversation for him to reach this position. But that’s all ok – he is young, and he is learning.

Forgiving someone isn’t always easy – whether you’re 9 or 49, it can be a challenge. When someone hurts us, our first instincts are rarely to offer forgiveness. Instead, we might seek to retaliate or hold a grudge, or we might even hold on to the pain – replaying the moment in our minds, feeling the anger rise whenever we think about it. We might even believe that holding onto resentment gives us a sense of justice, as if our hurt proves that we were right. But the truth is, when we refuse to forgive, we’re the ones carrying the heaviest burden. This was the message shared with Year 8 students this week when we gathered as part of their Wellbeing program.

This week’s Gospel tells the story of the prodigal son – a young man who makes mistakes, squanders his father’s wealth, and then returns home with nothing. His father, rather than punishing him, welcomes him back with open arms, offering love and forgiveness. It’s a powerful lesson about the unconditional love and forgiveness offered to us by God. But there’s another character in the story who often gets overlooked – the older brother.

He’s the one who stayed. The one who followed the rules. Yet, when he sees his father celebrating his wayward brother’s return, he’s angry. He refuses to join the feast because he’s trapped in his own sense of injustice: Why should he be forgiven so easily? What about me?

Many of us can see ourselves in both sons in this story. Like the younger son, we’ve all made mistakes or acted in ways we regret. And like the older son, we’ve felt the sting of frustration or resentment toward others. But in clinging to his anger, the older brother shuts himself off from joy. He distances himself not only from his brother but also from his father too. This is what unforgiveness does to us – it builds walls. It keeps us stuck in the past when life is moving forward.

Letting go of resentment doesn’t mean pretending the hurt never happened. It doesn’t mean ignoring injustice, and it certainly doesn’t mean that what may have happened to us is ok. It means choosing to free ourselves from the weight of anger. It means making space for healing, for peace, and for the possibility of restored relationships.

Jesus calls us to love as He loves – not because it’s always easy, but because it’s what sets us free. In the story of the good Samaritan, Jesus calls us to love our neighbour – a group that he later goes on to explain includes our enemies just as much as it does our friends.

You might like to take some time over these next few weeks to think about where there is space in your life for forgiveness – either for yourself or for others. What hurt, anger, or pain might you be holding onto, that deep down, you know is weighing you down? And what small steps might you take to allow these feelings to pass? These are some of the same questions we reflected on this week with our Year 8’s. 

Keep in mind, forgiveness isn’t always instant, and it’s not always easy. In fact, it rarely is, especially for young people who are still learning to explore and understand their emotions. But when we choose to let go – even in small ways – we open ourselves to a sense of peace and contentment, and the chance to move forward without the weight of resentment holding us back.

As we continue through Lent, may we find the courage to forgive, the humility to seek forgiveness, and the wisdom to embrace the healing that comes with both.

Mr Stuart McClorey

DIRECTOR OF MISSION & CATHOLIC IDENTITY

From the Vice Principal – Term 1 Week 8

Jenni Vile on 28/03/2025

Marist Basketball Carnival

This morning, our Marist Basketball Teams departed for Marcellin College, Bulleen, Victoria, to compete in the Marist Basketball Carnival. Led by Ms Jade Nicotra and Mr Ben Goldie as well as coaches Nic Vlahov and Brendan Gaunson, our teams will take on fellow Marist schools from across the country in an exciting showcase of skill, teamwork, and sportsmanship.

We wish them safe travels and a fantastic experience competing alongside our Marist friends.

Walk For Water

On Tuesday 1 April, our Year 4 and Year 11 students will take part in the Walk for Water, a meaningful initiative that highlights the challenges many children around the world face in accessing clean drinking water.

Students in Year 4 and Year 11 are encouraged to wear their Guild Uniform for the day. As an added incentive, the Guild that raises the most funds will earn the opportunity to wear their Guild Uniform on an additional chosen day.

All funds raised will be donated to Caritas Australia, supporting their vital work in providing water taps near homes and schools. This initiative helps reduce the burden on children who would otherwise walk over 6km daily to access clean water.

College Production Bugsy Malone

Excitement is building as we approach next Thursday’s opening night of our College Production, Bugsy Malone! This production has given students with a passion for the Arts a chance to ‘let their light shine’, showcasing their dedication and hard work in what promises to be a spectacular performance.

A huge thank you to Kathy La Brooy and the many staff members whose generosity of time, enthusiasm, and commitment have made this possible. Their dedication ensures that students have opportunities to grow, perform, and shine on stage.

With all four shows completely sold out, those lucky enough to have secured tickets are in for a fantastic night of entertainment. We can’t wait to share the magic of Bugsy Malone with you!

Your Move Update

On Thursday, 20 March, students from Pre-Kindy to Year 12 took part in our inaugural “Hands Up” survey, an initiative of the Your Move program. This survey helps the College understand how students travel to school, providing valuable data to guide future initiatives.

With over 1,500 students participating, the results will serve as a baseline to measure the impact of programs aimed at promoting active travel, reducing traffic congestion, and supporting sustainability. We look forward to conducting the survey again at the end of the year to track our progress.

Year 2 Blue were excited to compare their results to the secondary school, to see if and how movement changes through schooling.

Carpark Flow Improvement at Lavalla Carpark

We are pleased to see a noticeable improvement in the afternoon traffic flow in and out of the Lavalla car park over the past few weeks. This has been made possible through the cooperation and patience of our parents, and we sincerely thank you for your efforts.

Some of the key behaviours contributing to this positive change include:

• Arriving 5–10 minutes after the final bell so students are ready for collection
• Following the no standing or parking rule in the left ‘Kiss N Drive’ lane
• Moving forward promptly in the ‘Kiss N Drive’ lane as spaces become available
• Clearly displaying family names on dashboards for quick identification
• Encouraging children to enter the car independently (where appropriate) without parents needing to exit their vehicle
• Practising courteous and safe driving at all times

Your continued support in following these guidelines helps ensure a safer and more efficient pick-up experience for everyone. Thank you!

Mr Michael Chiera

VICE PRINCIPAL

Primary Update – Term 1 Week 8

Jenni Vile on 28/03/2025

Here we are at the end of Week 8 and with only 2 weeks to go of Term 1! Our Term so far has been a wonderful celebration of learning across so many domains.

Update to Front Office Procedures – Affecting All Parents

The Primary Leadership Team and Primary Administration have recently been reviewing our procedures within the front office, considering feedback from our teachers and students.

Currently, there are a large number of PA System announcements in our classrooms for reasons such as early collections and to pass on messages to students. These interruptions are having an unfavourable impact on our teaching and learning programs. As such, the following changes will now take place as of Monday 31 March.

  • If parents need to collect their child before the 3.00pm school bell, parents will need to sign themselves in at the front office, wear the print-out visitor sticker, and follow the below:
    • At Marian Campus: sign your child out as normal and be given a Signed Out card from Mrs Wiedermann/Mrs Scott and then head to the relevant classroom to collect your child and hand over the Signed Out card to the classroom teacher.At Lavalla Campus: sign your child out using the SEQTA Kiosk iPad, take the automatic printed Sign Out Sticker and head to the relevant classroom to collect their child and hand over the Sign Out Sticker to the classroom teacher.
    • After you have collected your child, return to the front office to sign yourself out.
  • Please note: Parents presenting to classrooms without the Signed Out Slip will be re-directed to the front office before taking their child home.
  • If dropping something urgent to your child (i.e. lunch/forgotten uniform), front office staff will ask parents to take the item to the child’s classroom – please note you must go through the front office and sign in before going to the classroom, then return to the office to sign out once complete.
  • Marian Campus only: When students are dropped off at school late, parents will need to sign themselves in first and wear the print-out visitor sticker. Please then sign your child in as normal and collect a Signed In slip from Mrs Wiedermann/Mrs Scott, and then take your child to their classroom yourself, handing over the Signed In slip to the classroom teacher. Parents will then need to exit through the front office and sign themselves out.

It is essential that parents go through the front office and sign in/out as part of our Child Safeguarding procedures, as well as ensuring we know who is on-campus at all times, which is particularly important during emergencies. Please ensure you wear your visitor sticker so staff can easily identify that you have signed in. We will trial this updated process for the coming weeks. Your support in reducing the interruptions to our teaching and learning programs is greatly appreciated.

Neurodiversity & Harmony Week 2025

Neurodiversity and Harmony Week was a huge success at Newman College last week. Throughout the week, students learnt all about neurodiversity and harmony, and participated in a wide range of activities to understand each of these concepts at a deeper level. I hope your children came home talking about all the things they learnt last week.

Neurodiversity is a relatively new term that many parents would not have been exposed to in their own schooling. It is so fantastic that this generation of children are growing up learning about neurodiversity and celebrating the neurodiversity that exists amongst our community.

Hugh van Cuylenburg (founder of The Resilience Project) has recently shared a very thought-provoking reflection on what it is like to be the parent of a neurodiverse child. I encourage all parents to watch this short video, to understand more about neurodiversity, what neurodiverse students experience and what it feels like as a parent. I would say this is essential viewing for all in our community.

4B and 2B Assembly

In the last fortnight, we have had 2 fantastic assemblies, where 4 Blue and 2 Blue shared their learning with us. Last week, 4 Blue shared a beautiful assembly all about celebrating our diversity as a multicultural Australian community. 4 Blue shared information about each of their cultural backgrounds and then presented a fun dance to the song ‘Absolutely Everybody’ – highlighting the importance of coming together as one community in a kind and respectful way.

This morning, 2 Blue started their assembly by sharing their beautiful singing voices with us, singing the beautiful hymn Way Maker. They then shared with us their recent Literacy learnings about parts of speech. Our 2 Blue students used the book If You Were an Adjective as a base for their assembly, adapting the text and creating their own fantastic work and sharing many brilliant adjectives with us, helping us to learn all about these important parts of speech!

College Swimming Boardshorts

Please be advised that alongside the College Jammers, College boardshorts will soon be available for purchase by Primary families from the Uniform Shop for use during swimming at school.

KISS N DRIVE – Marian Family Name Tags

As we continue preparations for the move of Marian Campus to the Main Primary Campus in the coming months, we look to prepare for the new cars that will utilise the Lavalla Kiss N Drive once our Marian families move across. To prepare ahead of time, if you will utilise (or think you might) the Lavalla Kiss N Drive option once Marian families move across, please complete this form so that we can prepare a family name tag for you which you can place on your dashboard to assist us with smooth and efficient collection procedures once the move is complete. We are hoping to do this now, ahead of time, so all families are ready when the move occurs. Thanks to those families who have already completed this. Your family name tags will be sent home with one of your children in the coming weeks.

All Lavalla families should now have their family name tags if ordered. If Lavalla families still require one, please email Amanda.johnson@newman.wa.edu.au

The name tag system saves considerable time when collecting students so your support and use of these name tags is greatly appreciated.

Marian Playground After School

A reminder that we ask parents to move off-site quickly after school with their children. Children are not permitted to play in the playgrounds before or after school when there is no teacher supervision. OSHClub utilise the outdoor play spaces after school and cannot go outside whilst there are parents on-site. As such, we ask for your support and cooperation in moving off-site quickly (and when asked by staff) and keeping your children off the equipment. We encourage parents to visit a local park to socialise and allow children to play together.

Community Mass

When your child’s Guild is invited to Community Mass on Thursday mornings at 8:00am, it would be wonderful if they could be there to support. To build Guild spirit, students that attend the Mass are able to wear their Guild sports top for the entire day. The remainder of the Guild Masses for Term 1 are listed below for Lavalla parents to mark on their calendars:

Week 9: Thursday 3 April – Romero

Week 10: Thursday 10 April – Camara

Easter Raffle

Our annual Easter Raffle will be held on Friday, 11 April. Thank you to all families who have generously donated Easter eggs and have returned their tickets and money. Please send all Easter egg donations to the administration by Monday 7 April.

If any parents are able to assist with the wrapping at Marian, we will be gathering in the hall immediately after the assembly on Friday, 4 April, to wrap the prizes.

Thank you for your kindness and generosity.  

Newman Norms / Medals of Marcellin

Each fortnight at each Primary campus, one person will be drawn out of the raffle and receive a small prize for living out our Newman Norms. Congratulations to Taylor, Eva and Katelyn (Week 6 Lavalla) and James (Week 7 Marian), who were our recent winners! Each raffle ticket received is swapped for a token, and the Guild with the highest number of tokens at the end of the term wins a prize for the whole Guild!

URSTRONG

A reminder that parents continue to have access to a FREE URSTRONG parent membership. We hope that as a URSTRONG Family, you will reinforce the important messages of empowerment, self-compassion, & kindness at home.

Homework Club – Lavalla

A reminder that Week 9 (Tuesday 1 April) is the final Homework Club for Term 1. Homework Club resumes in Term 2, in Week 2 on Tuesday 6 May.

Smartphones

Recently, one of our Primary parents drew my attention to an initiative called Wait Mate.

Wait Mate is a not-for-profit Australian movement empowering parents to hit pause on smartphones until at least high school. The website connects parents with like-minded families in your child’s school and year level and encourages you to take the pledge to ‘sign the pledge’. The aim of the initiative is to ‘create a world where kids can be kids for longer’.

Why wait? Smartphones:

  • are addictive,
  • are changing childhood,
  • increase the risk of anxiety and depression,
  • put your child at risk of cyber bullying,
  • may expose children to inappropriate content,
  • interfere with relationships, and
  • can impair sleep.

I strongly encourage all parents to at least visit Wait Mate to explore how it works. It sounds like a brilliant movement to support our children.

Primary Staffing

We have had some recent staffing changes, which we can now share with our community.

Miss Arden Lavelle (Lavalla Education Assistant) has resigned to pursue her studies in Secondary English teaching. Miss Lavelle developed a wonderful connection with our Years 3-6 students and was a valuable member of the support team.

Mrs Kellie Thwaites will be heading off on Maternity Leave at the start of Term 2. Kellie has transformed the Primary Performing Arts Program over the past 2 years and her contributions are truly appreciated. We wish Kellie and her husband well for the upcoming birth of their first child.

Mrs Tasha Richards has been successful in gaining a position at Prendiville Catholic College as a Secondary Physical Education teacher. Mrs Richards has been a brilliant Primary Sport teacher throughout her time at Newman, implementing a number of initiatives and bringing such passion and commitment to her role in promoting physical education to our Years 3-6 students.

Mrs Alison Le Dan, who is currently on Long Service Leave for Term 1, will be concluding her time at Newman College after her Long Service Leave comes to an end. Mrs Le Dan has been an outstanding Teacher-Librarian, sharing her absolute passion and love of books and literature, and her gentle nature, with our Pre-Kindy to Year 6 students over the past 11 years, leaving a lasting imprint of the importance of literature on so many of our students.

We thank all of these Primary staff members for their time, dedication and commitment to Newman College. Whilst they will certainly be missed, we wish them well for the exciting new chapters in front of each of them.

As we say farewell to these members of staff, we look to the future and welcome some new members of staff.

Miss Holly Drinkwater (a fairly recent Newman College graduate) has been appointed and has commenced in her role as Years 3-6 Education Assistant.

Mrs Samantha Wynne, who has a wide and varied background in the Performing Arts, has been appointed to teach Performing Arts when Kellie Thwaites starts Maternity Leave. Mrs Wynne has been our Library Teacher throughout term 1, so she already knows our students very well.

The process to appoint new Physical Education and Library Teachers is underway and will be shared in the final Newsletter of the term.

Wishing you a wonderful weekend.

Mr Ryan von Bergheim

HEAD OF PRIMARY

From the Principal – Term 1 Week 8

Jenni Vile on 26/03/2025

All things that are caught, rather than taught in good schools. 

Most of all, perhaps, they help to create that indefinable atmosphere associated with all those things which are caught, rather than taught in good schools. 

This was a quote from a member of a religious teaching order, documenting their efforts as they laboured to establish a new Catholic school in the 1960s. They referred to the elements that are not necessarily taught but are reinforced in the environment and the culture of the school. Some have referred to this as the hidden curriculum and associated it with the culture of the community in which young people learn and grow. Reggio Emilia also refers to the environment as a significant teacher and influencer on learning and formation.  

We draw on an amazing store of the story that is ‘caught’ in our Newman College community, both in the Marist tradition and the development of Newman College. Strong Minds and Gentle Hearts, a very Marist phrase, is caught as much as it is taught. In our programs for supporting the development of young people in a faith community through Marist tradition, through wellbeing initiatives and our agile learning – the framework, knowledge and skills for young people’s toolboxes are taught, and this is fantastic. Complementary to this are the actions, words and involvement our children see in adults and their fellow students. Good standards for behaviour, for care, for respect and high expectations for involvement all play their part, alongside the valuable in-class learning that we strive to bring to the formation of our students. A measure for our current strategic directions should be observing what is caught by our children as much as what is taught.   

Great Moments in a Day 

During Tuesday afternoon this week, I had the most pleasant moment to break the hours in front of a screen and regular operational work in my role. Two of our Year 8 girls were eager to stop by my office and share with me the excitement of their group of three girls taking out the interschool competition for the Solar Car Challenge. They now move on to the finals at Murdoch University, which is sensational! More exciting was their absolute joy to share with me what had happened. Again, perhaps this is a ‘caught’ and not ‘taught’ moment where sharing learning and achievement comes naturally and without affect.  

Year 12 Careers Breakfast 

Last week, we hosted the annual Year 12 Careers Breakfast. Our Class of 2025 were tasked with being at school earlier than normal, and there they were, ready to soak up all the advice from the 25 Newman College Alumni who gave of their time to discuss their professions and career journeys. The buzz around the room was fantastic and the event demonstrated our Family Spirit. So many generous and passionate past-students, from most recent, to 10 years, 20 and 30 years graduated, through to an alumnus from the 1960’s. These past students dropped everything to be back at their school and to guide and mentor the next generation of Newman College graduates. What a blessing to have such invested and caring alumni – thank you!  

What I learn as a Principal 

Another fortnight has gone by, and great opportunities have come my way to walk alongside our students. I had the chance to read Alpacas with Maracas with two classes of Pre-Primary. Moving along the dial, I had some great times with Year 5 and Year 6 as we unpacked the Newman Norms and, in the last week, I have started my annual morning teas with Year 12 students. What did I learn? Our Pre-Primary students love engaging with reading and relating stories to their own life. Year 5 and 6 students could have written the Newman Norms themselves, such is their level of empathy and care. Year 12 students are our wider community leaders of the future, so they are perceptive in their feedback about the Newman College journey and ever-ready to make things better for those to come.  

Some Newman College Moments 

Congratulations to the ACC Swimming Team for their hard-fought 4th place in the 10-team A Division competition this week. A highlight within the team’s performance was the first place for our Junior boys. On the same day, our First XI Cricket defeated Kent Street H.S. in the Graeme Wood Shield. They move to the Grand Final next Thursday to be played at the WACA ground against Mazenod College. All the best! Finally, we are all very excited for the opening show of the Newman College Production- Bugsy Malone. The first show is this Thursday evening. What a wonderful cast, crew and staff to bring to this production. Break a leg! 

As we move through Lent to Easter, there are so many important learning days still to come in the term. Please make sure our students are in class right through to the end of term. 

Wishing you a great fortnight ahead until the next newsletter.  

Mr Andrew Watson

PRINCIPAL

From the Vice Principal – Term 1 Week 6

Jenni Vile on 14/03/2025

Neurodiversity and Harmony Week

As a Marist school, we are guided by the core value of Family Spirit – a commitment to welcoming, supporting, and respecting one another. Neurodiversity and Harmony Week is an opportunity to live out this characteristic, celebrating the diversity that makes up our school community and nurturing an environment where everyone feels valued and included. Just as a family embraces its members with love and understanding, we embrace the diverse backgrounds, traditions, experiences, and ways of thinking, including neurodiversity, that enrich our school.

Over the course of the week, students from PK to 12 will partake in a range of activities focusing on shifting perceptions, challenging stereotypes, and fostering inclusive environments where difference is celebrated, and individuals are valued for their unique perspectives and contributions. Further details on these activities can be found in the Primary and Secondary school updates of this newsletter.

Newman Parents Forum

The Newman Parent Forum is an opportunity for parents to connect with College leadership and contribute to the life of the school. Held once per term, the Newman Parent Forum is led by the Principal and Vice Principal in collaboration with the Newman Parent K-12 Executive Committee.

The Newman Parent Forum works in partnership with the College Executive to support key events, advance the Strategic Plan, and advocate for both the College and its families within the school and wider community.

We encourage all parents to take part in these forums to stay informed and engaged in the ongoing growth of Newman College.

The next Newman Parents Forum is taking place this Monday 17 March at 6pm in the JHN Learning Hub or you can join online on Teams, just click here. We hope to see you there!

Student Planned Absence during Term Time

At Newman College, we value the role of family time and shared experiences, but we also emphasise the importance of regular school attendance to ensure the best educational outcomes for our students. As part of our commitment to academic integrity and fairness, the College has a strict Assessment Policy regarding absences for holidays during term time, which may result in students being penalised on assessments if the absence is not approved.

Under the Education Act 1999 (WA), parents have a legal responsibility to ensure their child attends school unless there is a valid reason, such as illness or exceptional circumstances. Extended absences for holidays disrupt learning and place students at a disadvantage, especially when assessments and coursework cannot be replicated outside the classroom without compromising the assessment validity.

Classroom assessments are carefully designed to measure a student’s understanding and progress within the curriculum. When students miss these key learning opportunities, it becomes challenging to ensure they meet academic expectations. Additionally, teachers are unable to provide alternative assessments or replicate the in-class experience, reinforcing the importance of attendance.

We strongly encourage families to plan holidays during designated school breaks to support their child’s academic success. If extenuating circumstances arise, parents must seek approval from the College in advance.

Please refer to the Assessment Guidelines and Procedures for further information:
Years 7-9 Assessment Guideline and Procedures
Years 10-12 Assessment Guideline and Procedures

Traffic Warden Absence

We have been advised that the Traffic Warden, who supervises the pedestrian crossing on Hale Road, near Lombardy Street, will be absent on Wednesday 19 March 2025. The Children’s Crossing Unit (WA Police) has confirmed that a replacement will not be available during this time.

We kindly ask all families to exercise extra caution when using the crossing during this period.