Tag: Secondary

Dear Newman College Families,

Well, we have reached the end of the term and the conclusion of the academic year! We celebrated and gave thanks for 2025 in the final weeks with many memorable events and programs across the College. Lavalla Carols and K-5 Awards Night, final Community Mass, Year 6 Graduation Mass and Awards Night, Lavalla Pool Parties, Advent Liturgy, Music Rocks Concert for Education Support and the Year 7-9 Ministry and Discovery festivals. In each celebration, we focused on the joy of the year, our expression of Marist characteristics and the various contributions of our wonderful students to the life of the College. As I write this piece for the Newsletter, we have 15 Year 11 students and three staff in the Philippines, and our Marist Cricket team are competing at the Marist Cricket Carnival in Brisbane.  The term’s end reflects the nature of our whole year program – wonderful opportunities for our students to ‘Shine Through Discovery’. 

Awards Ceremonies

On Wednesday 26 November, we celebrated the Year 7-11 Awards Ceremony in the Gymnasium and students who have excelled in academic, service, leadership, the arts and sport were recognised. It was wonderful to host so many families who attended the function.

The Kindergarten to Year 5 Awards and Primary Carols Evening was a wonderful family evening on Friday, 28 November. Again, it was so pleasing to acknowledge student achievement and be led in the singing of carols by each year group. The Year 6 Student Leadership group for 2026 was also announced.

Outgoing Vice Principal – Mr Michael Chiera

On behalf of the College community, I extend my congratulations to Mr Michael Chiera on his appointment as Principal of Servite College beginning in 2026. Michael has been a calm and considerate leader in the complex role of Vice Principal and is ready to lead his own community. We thank Michael for his tremendous service to the Newman College community and wish him every success.

New Vice Principal Announcement

Today, Dr Frank Malloy, National Director of Marist Schools Australia, announced to the Newman College community MSA’s appointment of our new Vice Principal.

Congratulations to Mrs Beth Murphy, who has been appointed to the position of Vice Principal from the beginning of 2026. Read Marist Schools Australia Announcement letter here, which has also been emailed to all families this morning. Mrs Sarah Pagett will take on the role of Acting Deputy Principal, Teaching and Learning PK-12 that Beth vacates.

Staff Farewells

In every school, as we reach the end of the academic year, there is staff movement, especially in a school our size with over 250 staff. Staff move for promotional positions, new experiences, the opportunity to secure an ongoing contract due to parental leave cover and retirements from the profession. This year we farewell 4 staff who are moving into retirement. Mr Sean Henderson is the shortest serving staff member but has a long history with Newman College through his family. Sean has had a long and distinguished career as a senior leader in Catholic and independent schools. As he reached the time to retire, it was his wish to end his career at Newman College and we were very grateful to have Sean teach upper school Economics and mentor younger staff. Our thanks and best wishes to Sean!

Mr Bern Willett

Mr Bern Willett retires from teaching at the end of 2025. Bern has taught at Newman College for 43 years. His family has had an unbroken association with the College since the late 1960s. Bern has held positions of middle and senior leadership over the 43 years in our community. His passion for teaching mathematics, his commitment to coaching football and cricket and being extensively involved in College life is known by generations of Newman College people. As a mark of respect and gratitude, the students formed a guard of honour at our final assembly to farewell Mr Bern Willett. Thank you, Bern! We wish you all the best in the next stage of the journey. 

Mrs Nadia Napoli

Mrs Nadia Napoli has been a staff member at Newman College for 20 years and 2026 sees Nadia enter retirement. She has taught across primary and secondary during this time, demonstrating a skill to deliver quality learning and pastoral care to all students at all ages. Thank you, Nadia! Our thanks and best wishes to you!

Mr John Spriggins

Mr Spriggins has taught at Newman College for 18 years and now moves to opportunities beyond teaching. A passionate and engaging educator, John has always brough excitement, enthusiasm and the ability to connect students with great learning opportunities in Physics and Science. We wish you all the best, John. Enjoy the years ahead!

Mrs Rosa Testa

Rosa has served the College for 15 years as an Education Assistant in Primary. Each class and each student has had the most excellent care when Rosa has been assisting the learning and pastoral care in the classroom. A dedicated and passionate career for which we are very grateful, Rosa!

Moving to other schools

• Emily Mincherton – Teacher, Secondary
• Paige Adams – Teacher, Secondary
• Scott Smith – Teacher, Secondary
• Veronica Wahba – Teacher, Secondary
• Isabella Anastacio – Teacher, Secondary
• Pamera Tee – Teacher, Secondary
• Nicolletta De Gennaro – Teacher, Secondary
• Jennifer Go – Teacher, Secondary

Non-Teaching Staff

• Kate Thayer – HPE Administrator
• Meegan Seaborn – Education Assistant, Primary

2026 Information

The College will send out a Welcome Pack and pertinent information relating to the 2026 school year prior to the commencement of students.  One event to flag with you is the annual Family Mass which will be celebrated on Tuesday 17 February at 5:30pm on the Br Terrence Orrell Oval (Marcellin Campus). This Mass sets the scene for the year and expresses our Marist characteristic of Family Spirit and is compulsory for all students to attend.

Advent and Christmas

We are in the season of Advent and we have begun this beautiful liturgical celebration which draws us towards Christmas. The notion of ‘waiting’ figures strongly in Advent; we await the birth of the Saviour. What an interesting message of patience and focus this presents for us against a backdrop of the more commercial tone of rush and a countdown of shopping days left until Christmas. May the Advent season sustain us in our waiting and give us courage in our living.

I take this opportunity to thank all students, staff and Newman College families for the blessing that has been 2025. A wonderful year full of historic moments alongside the small joys where we have seen our young people shine in their own special way. 

From all at Newman College, having the opportunity to support, guide and celebrate your child’s journey is the greatest privilege any educator and mentor can possibly have. I wish every student, staff, parent, guardian and family of our community a joyous and blessed Christmas. I know many parents will have only a small window of opportunity over the break for rest and time with their families, but I hope it is precious time. See you all for the new academic year in 2026!

Mr Andrew Watson

PRINCIPAL

Lavalla Opening and Blessing 

As we close Week 4 of this final term, I reflect on the joyous event celebrated last Tuesday, the Blessing and Official Opening of Lavalla – our completely new PK-6 learning community. What an amazing journey it has been from the first visionary moment to the celebration of welcoming our Marian students to join Lavalla at the beginning of Term 3. We carry so much gratitude to so many for their contribution to realising the dream of our whole community united on one campus site. This historic occasion made me reflect on an extract I received recently entitled Builders of a New Hermitage – Message from the XXIII General Chapter of the Marist Brothers:  

Two hundred years ago, Marcellin Champagnat and the first Brother raised stone upon stone in the valley of the Gier to build the Hermitage.  They worked with bare hands, great courage, and unwavering faith, but always with deep trust that the work was God’s. As the psalmist reminds us and as Marcellin always said “If the Lord does not build the house, in vain do the builders labour” (Psalm 127:1). 

The Hermitage was never only a building. It was a home of fraternity, a school of the Gospel, and a springboard for mission.  The river Gier that flowed beside it carried timber, refreshed the Brother, and symbolised the Spirit’s constant presence. 

The vision of building a new Hermitage sits well with our celebration of the opening of the completed Lavalla build. There has literally been the building with bare hands, the courage to stay the course and trust that our new creation moves us to build further a communion, a community that brings hope and opportunity to our young people. It is not the extensive and innovative primary resource that we only celebrate and cherish, it is what we do as a community within the facility that matters. As a College, we are grateful to the following leaders, supporters and significant contributors to the project: 

• Dr Frank Malloy, National Director MSA 

• Br Peter Carroll, Provincial of Star of the Sea Province and the Marist Brothers 

• Mr Darren McGregor, Regional Director MSA 

• Mr John Finneran, immediate past Principal Newman College 

• The College Advisory Council 

• The College Finance Committee 

• Newman College Executive 

• Ms Lisa Mc Clue, past Head of Primary 

• Mr Ryan von Bergheim, past Head of Primary 

• Mr Thomas Wagner, past Director of Engagement and Operations 

• Mr Steve Halley Wright, past Director Finance and Administration 

• Munns Sly Moore Architects 

• Badge Construction 

• Borrell Rafferty Surveying 

• Pritchard Francis Light 

Year 11 Finish 

Today, our Year 11 students finished formal classes and then on to two weeks of examinations. As the WACE examinations close for Year 12s shortly, we also wish our Year 11 students all the best in the coming weeks. 

Grandparents Day Liturgy, Class Visits and Morning Tea 

What a way to end the week! We welcomed over 400 grandparents to our first combined PK-6 Grandparents Morning at Lavalla. Grandparents are the great treasure of families and the pride they had in their grandchildren at today’s visit warmed everyone’s hearts. In chatting with our guests at morning tea, it was so uplifting to hear that many have been past students of our school. Thank you to our team for their work in bringing about a great morning and every blessing to our wonderful grandparents at Newman College.  

Recently, I informed the community of the news that Mr Michael Chiera, Vice Principal, had been appointed to the position of Principal Servite College from 2026. This is a great achievement for Michael and we recognise his great contribution to Newman College over the past two years. The opportunity to lead and serve your own community is a special gift and responsibility for a senior leader. Marist Schools Australia has begun the process of appointing the next Vice Principal to Newman College and we will keep you up to date with this news.  

Wishing all our students and families a wonderful weekend.

Mr Andrew Watson

PRINCIPAL