‘Your Move’: Promoting Active Travel at ÐãÐãÖ±²¥
We are excited to re-engage with the ‘Your Move’ program to encourage active and sustainable travel for our PK-12 community. This award-winning initiative supports students and families in healthy activity, including walking, wheeling, and riding to school, while helping to reduce traffic congestion and promote sustainability.
Through student-led activities, travel surveys, and curriculum-aligned lessons, we will track progress and celebrate achievements. Stay tuned for opportunities to get involved and help make active travel a part of everyday school life! More information on the initiative can be found at .
Traffic Warden Absence & Road Safety Reminder
We have been advised that our Traffic Warden, who supervises the pedestrian crossing on Tuscany Way, will be absent from Tuesday 4 March to Friday 11 April 2025 (inclusive). 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. While our duty teachers will be present to support students, they are not authorised to perform the role of a Traffic Warden.
Traffic Safety Concern
Additionally, we have been informed that some motorists are stopping on the pedestrian crossing instead of at the designated stop line, particularly during peak drop-off and pick-up times. This congestion is making it difficult for the Traffic Warden to assist students safely.
To help resolve this issue, the Children’s Crossing Unit has asked ÐãÐãÖ±²¥ to remind families to:
Be mindful of the crossing location and ensure vehicles do not obstruct it.
Stop only at the designated stop line to allow safe passage for pedestrians.
Always follow the Traffic Warden’s instructions.
We appreciate your support in ensuring the safety of all students and families in our community.
The Season of Lent
Next week we celebrate Shrove Tuesday; a day for us to pause, and consider how we are living our lives as we prepare for the season of Lent. Traditionally, people would eat pancakes on this day as a way of using up their rich ingredients prior to Lent. Our students will certainly have the opportunity to do the same, with pancakes on sale in Marcellin for $2, and also in the primary school for a gold coin donation,Ìýwith all proceeds going to Caritas.
The following day, Ash Wednesday, will see liturgies taking place across the College for all of our students. Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent, a season of repentance and renewal, where the ashes remind us of our need to turn back to God and live as Jesus taught. It is certainly a special and significant time in our College calendar, and I encourage all students, over the course of next week, to consider the small but meaningful changes they can make in their own lives to make Jesus known and loved in our community.Ìý
Community Mass
Join us every Thursday at 8.00am in the Champagnat Chapel for our Community Mass. Open to all members of our community, this student-led celebration is a wonderful opportunity to gather in faith, with a different Guild hosting each week. It is also a great chance to connect with others as we strengthen family spirit. We look forward to seeing you there!
Communicable Disease Policy and Procedures
Parents/guardians are required to inform the College of any communicable illness or disease that their child is diagnosed with and not allow them to attend school while infectious. Further information can be found in the
Our Targeted OLNA Support Workshops, offered at ÐãÐãÖ±²¥’s Homework Club, provide students with the focused preparation they need to succeed in OLNA. These workshops, offered in the lead up to the assessment, are specifically designed to expose students to a variety of practice questions across reading, writing, and numeracy, allowing them to familiarise themselves with the types of challenges they will face during the actual assessments.
In addition to practicing questions, students will also learn effective test strategies and time management skills crucial for performing well under exam conditions. The workshops offer a supportive environment where students can build confidence, refine their skills, and receive guidance from experienced teachers who understand the demands of OLNA. Whether students need to strengthen their understanding of specific concepts or develop strategies to maximise their performance, these workshops provide the tools and support necessary to help every student achieve their best possible outcome.
These workshops will have a focus on Year 11 and 12s who will be sitting OLNA in May. Further OLNA workshops will be offered later in the year in preparation for the September testing period including Year 10.
OLNA.com.au
In addition to OLNA Support Workshops, the College has purchased OLNA.com.au subscriptions for all students requiring to sit their OLNA assessment in 2025.
Login: Student ÐãÐãÖ±²¥ email
Password: Student first name, eg Sarah
If you encounter any issues accessing your olna.com.au account, please contact Mrs Nicky Winterbourn, Leader of Learning Support (Acting), on nicola.winterbourn@newman.wa.edu.au.
Marcellin Homework Club
Just a friendly reminder to parents collecting their child from the Marcellin Homework Club to please check in with a staff member at the library desk and they will advise your child of your arrival. Please refrain from accessing the JHN Learning Hub as this can pose a duty of care issue for our students.
NAPLAN
NAPLAN will be held for Years 3, 5, 7, and 9 from 12 –24 March. Further information will be shared to families in the coming days.
Our Year 1 Red class were the first to share their learning with us in 2025, presenting their class assembly this morning. 1 Red started their assembly with a beautiful song, reminding us all to ‘let our light shine’. The focus of the assembly was on highlighting how we are all special in our own individual ways. Year 1 Red students shared the different ways they are ‘clever’ and let their light shine each and every day. To finish the assembly, the class shared a wonderful song about being special. Thank you 1 Red!
Primary Swimming Carnival (Y3-6)
Our Years 3-6 Swimming Carnival was a huge success today! We were blessed with beautiful weather for what was a sensational day of sportsmanship, athleticism and joy! A huge congratulations to all of our students for trying their best in their races and events! Our Guild shirts looked brilliant throughout the day at our first-ever Primary ‘Guild Carnival’ and a huge congratulations to Thomas More for winning the Swimming Championship Shield, and Brigid for winning the Spirit Shield. Thank you to all Primary staff involved in the day, with special mention to Mrs Tash Richards for her planning, coordination and running of this huge event!
Year 6 Camp
Our Year 6’s spent a wonderful three days at Forrest Edge Campsite in Waroona. Over the three days they participated in activities such as flying fox, pamper pole, kayaking, rafting, crate climbing, screen printing and so much more! It was so wonderful to see our students engaged with the activities and pushing themselves to try new things and forge new relationships with their peers. A huge thanks to our Year 6 teachers for their work in preparing the camp, and our supporting staff who also attended. The camp ran smoothly thanks to the collective efforts of our staff and a heartfelt thanks for the time they gave up away from their own families to be able to provide our Year 6 students with a camp they will always remember.
Community Mass
It has been wonderful to see so many Lavalla students at our first two Community Masses in 2025. Catherine Guild had a wonderful turn out at our first Community Mass, with Brigid Guild having smaller numbers yesterday. 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 in their calendars:
Week 5: Thursday 6 March – Thomas More
Week 6: Thursday 13 March – Chisolm
Week 7: Thursday 20 March – Marcellin
Week 8: Thursday 27 March – MacKillop
Week 9: Thursday 3 April – Romero
Week 10: Thursday 10 April – Camara
Primary Extension Opportunities
We wanted to share with our families an explanation of the approach to extension within the primary school. We use a three-tiered system, similar to our support structures (outlined in the previous newsletter). At ÐãÐãÖ±²¥, we believe in nurturing the unique gifts of each child and providing experiences that encourage growth, curiosity, and critical thinking across all learning areas. The diagrams below outline the key components of each tier of extension and the criteria used for withdrawn small group activities. We hope this gives you a clearer understanding of what extension looks like on a day-to-day basis.
Catherine Young
Leader of Learning Primary
URSTRONG
A reminder that parents continue to have access to a . We hope that as a URSTRONG Family, you will reinforce the important messages of empowerment, self-compassion, and kindness at home.
ÐãÐãÖ±²¥ Norms / Medals of Marcellin
Our Medals of Marcellin are back in 2025! Each fortnight at each Primary campus, one person will be drawn out of the raffle and receive a small prize for living out our ÐãÐãÖ±²¥ Norms. Congratulations to Niall, Ivy and Leo (Lavalla Campus) who were the winners in Week 2, and Charlotte (Marian Campus) who was the Week 3 winner of our raffle! 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!
Lavalla Homework Club
A reminder that children attending Homework Club must be collected by a parent/guardian from the bottom floor of the 3-6 Building at the end of Homework Club. If your child will be getting home another way (i.e. walking) then it is essential you email our Library Teacher (Sam Wynne) so we have this on record – samantha.wynne@newman.wa.edu.au
If you completed the form in the previous Newsletter, you are confirmed for Homework Club for the remainder of the year. If you did not complete the form but would like your child to join anytime from now until the remainder of the term, please email samantha.wynne@newman.wa.edu.au
Primary Library News
Congratulations to every single student who is participating in our Library competitions. Miss Hall, Mrs Bailey and Mrs Wynne are very proud of you all. Wait until Mrs Le Dan hears our news too!!!
Our Marian Campus Winners for the “Library Bear Needs A Name” competition were: Lachlan, 1R and Kiana, PPG. Lavalla winners were Emily, 4G and Lucius, 6G.
Student Sporting News
Congratulations to Lilah, who won the CBC Green Busselton Junior Tennis Tournament for singles and doubles in the girls division over the Australia Day weekend. Over the summer holidays she also came second in the Applecross Head Junior Open and the City of Joondalup and XCeed Sorrento Open, and also came first in the doubles in the WA Junior Open! What a sensational achievement Lilah!
If your child has achieved state or national recognition in their sport or extra-curricular activity, please email us at communications@newman.wa.edu.au, so we can celebrate their success.
ÐãÐãÖ±²¥ App
It would be beneficial if parents could ensure they have the ÐãÐãÖ±²¥ App, as this will be utilised more in 2025 as one of the main modes of communication. To download the app in the (Apple Devices) or (Android Devices), simply type in ÐãÐãÖ±²¥.
3D Printer
In the bottom floor of our Years 3-6 building we have received a generous donation of a 3D Printer from the Zafiropoulos family. This will be utilised throughout the year by some classes as part of their Digital Technologies programs. A big thank you to the Zafiropoulos family for their time and donation of the printer.
On Thursday 20 February our secondary students gathered at Perth HPC for the Year 7 – 12 Guild Swimming Carnival. The day was filled with excitement and guild spirit led by our Guild Coordinators and Year 12 Guild Captains. The novelty events offered a lighter side of competition and were a lot of fun.
There were some fantastic individual achievements, and we look forward to celebrating these students in the coming week. Congratulations to Chisholm Guild who were awarded the Guild Spirit Award and to Marcellin Guild for taking out first place in a very close race!
Online Safety – How Parents can support their children in the digital world
In today’s digital age, the internet is an integral part of daily life for children. From school assignments to socialising with friends, online platforms have become essential tools for learning and entertainment. However, with the countless opportunities the internet provides, there are also risks that parents must be aware of and address. As guardians of their children’s wellbeing, it’s crucial for parents to play an active role in ensuring their children stay safe online and knowing what the legal consequences are, should a young person under the age of 18 be found to break the law. Further information for parents can be found .
It is also a timely reminder that the will take effect by December 2025 and will introduce a mandatory minimum age of 16 for certain social media platforms. The change aims to strengthen existing measures for protecting young users, especially where there are particular risks associated with accessing potentially harmful social media content and features, such as persistent notifications and alerts that have been found to have a negative impact on sleep, stress levels and attention. Further information of the
Transperth
The College is aware that there are some Transperth morning bus services that are arriving late. The College is liaising with Transperth regarding this and hope to reach a solution as soon as possible. Students arriving late to school due to these bus services will not be penalised.
Replacement Smart Riders
Replacement Smart Riders can be ordered from Student Reception at a cost of $5.00, which will need to be paid when ordering. This can be paid by EFTPOS at student reception or by parents paying by card over the phone. Please note that we will no longer be accepting cash payments.
FlexiSchools Ordering
The College Canteen operates through the ordering platform FlexiSchools. Students can link their FlexiSchools account to their SmartRider (Student ID), to preorder or pay for food in the Canteen. Please find below the FlexiSchools flyer and instructions on how to set up cashless payments through your child’s SmartRider.
Parents are reminded that students are not permitted to pay with their phones, and are therefore encouraged to utilise this payment function provided through Flexischools. Ìý
Year 10 Immunisations
Earlier this week families were sent an email regarding the Year 10 Immunisations, taking place on Wednesday 12 and Thursday 13 March. The School-Based Immunisation team will be visiting ÐãÐãÖ±²¥ to administer the Meningococcal ACWY Vaccination (1 dose of menACWY vaccine) to all Year 10 students. For this to occur, parental consent needs to be given by no later than Wednesday 5 March.Ìý All vaccines provided will be recorded in the Australian Immunisation Register (AIR). If you have not yet completed a consent form, please complete the digital form (preferred) which can be accessed Alternatively, you can download the and return it to the College.
Pathways and Careers Information: Year 11
WACE (secondary graduation) requirements
In Year 11 and 12, students are progressing towards their Western Australian Certificate of Education (WACE), otherwise known as their secondary graduation.
In order to achieve their WACE, students need to meet certain academic targets across Year 11 and 12. These are:
Demonstrate the minimum standard of literacy and numeracy (either in Year 9 NAPLAN or in Year 10-12 OLNA).
Be enrolled in English / Literature in Year 11 and 12.
Be enrolled in at least 1 ‘List B’ (Maths / Science / Sport / Technology) subject.
Achieve at least 14 C grades, with at least 6 C grades in Year 12 subjects.
For students considering UniReady / UniPath in Year 12
A reminder to students on the General Pathway who are considering UniReady / UniPath in Year 12 next year. It is expected that students from the General Pathway would have participated in extra-curricular activities such as work experience, VET Certificates, Leadership, Service, and/or College sport. General Pathway students who have not participated in any of these extra-curricular activities may not be eligible for UniReady / UniPath.
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:
Are you thinking of attending a University Open Day? Dates are below. This blog might help you:
Bricklaying free course
The Bricklaying Job Ready Program is a FREE 4-week course designed for students eager to begin their journey in bricklaying. It offers the students a white card and experience in the bricklaying industry.
Course Dates: 1st Semester 2025:
Start date 10 March – South Metropolitan TAFE Rockingham
Start date 17 March – North Metropolitan TAFE Balga
Start date 5 May – North Metro TAFE Clarkson
Start date 2 June – South Metropolitan TAFE Thornlie
Apply NOW:
Defence Force Work Experience Opportunities
Army
A Day in the Life of a Soldier – Irwin Barracks – 22 May 2025
Applications close: 06 April 2025
Apply here:
A Day in the Life of a Soldier – Irwin Barracks – 19 June 2025
Applications close: 04 May 2025
Apply here:
Navy
Navy Careers Experience – HMAS Stirling – 30 June – 02 July 2025
Applications close: 18 May 2025
Apply here:
Air Force
Air Force Careers Day – RAAF Base Pearce – 24 June 2025
Applications close 11 May 2025
Apply here:
Pathways and Careers Information: Year 12
WACE (secondary graduation) requirements
In Year 11 and 12, students are progressing towards their Western Australian Certificate of Education (WACE), otherwise known as their secondary graduation.
In order to achieve their WACE, students need to meet certain academic targets across Year 11 and 12. These are:
Demonstrate the minimum standard of literacy and numeracy (either in Year 9 NAPLAN or in Year 10-12 OLNA).
Be enrolled in English / Literature in Year 11 and 12.
Be enrolled in at least 1 ‘List B’ (Maths / Science / Sport / Technology) subject.
Achieve at least 14 C grades, with at least 6 C grades in Year 12 subjects.
University Early Offer information
Please see below for the latest available Early Offer information.
Curtin University
No details as yet.
Edith Cowan University
Full information and list of eligible courses at: Open to ATAR, Certificate IV, and UniReady students. Submit your Early Offer application by placing an eligible ECU course as your first TISC preference. First offers released to students on 2 September 2025.
Murdoch University
No details as yet.
Notre Dame University
Full information and list of eligible courses at: Opens 1 May 2025. First offers released to students on 1 September 2025. Apply via the Notre Dame online portal or via TISC. Open to ATAR Pathway students only. All offers are conditional offers.
University of WA
No details as yet.
University Information
TISC has a series of videos explaining things like ATAR calculation, prerequisite subjects, scaling, and preferences. You can find them here:
Are you the first person in your family to attend University? This might assist:
Here are some useful tools to prepare students for the transition to University:
And here is a Parents’ Guide for University students:
Thinking of studying Medicine or Dentistry in 2026?
All students who wish to enrol in Medicine or Dentistry in 2025 (including Assured Pathway at UWA) will need to sit the University Clinical Aptitude Test (UCAT) this year.
Please see below for some important dates:
4 March 2025: UCAT bookings open
16 May 2025: Deadline to book your UCAT for 2024
11 June 2025: Deadline if you need to cancel your UCAT booking
1 July 2025: UCAT testing begins
5 August 2025: Last test date
September 2025: Results available
You can check for more information, tips and practice tests.
Also, students applying for Medicine at Curtin University are required to sit the CASPER Test. CASPER scores are valid only for the next available admissions year, so applicants should only complete the test in the year immediately preceding their planned year of admission.
The CASPER Test is held nationally and is sat online from home. Applicants are responsible for making their own arrangements to register for the CASPER Test.
You can find more information about this, and book your test, here:
UWA Medical entry handbook here (for Assured Pathway):
Curtin Medical entry handbook here:
Notre Dame Medicine program information is here:
University scholarships
Curtin University
Edith Cowan University (ECU)
Murdoch University
Notre Dame University
University of Western Australia (UWA)
Christian Leaders Scholarship
Gap year information
Students interested in taking a gap year in 2026 might find the following interesting:
Defence Force Gap Year:
Other gap year ideas:
And:
Also this Marist volunteering opportunity:
Bricklaying free course
The Bricklaying Job Ready Program is a FREE 4-week course designed for students eager to begin their journey in bricklaying. It offers the students a white card and experience in the bricklaying industry.
Course Dates: 1st Semester 2025:
Start date 10 March – South Metropolitan TAFE Rockingham
Start date 17 March – North Metropolitan TAFE Balga
Start date 5 May – North Metro TAFE Clarkson
Start date 2 June – South Metropolitan TAFE Thornlie
Apply NOW:
Defence Force Work Experience Opportunities
Army
A Day in the Life of a Soldier – Irwin Barracks – 22 May 2025
Applications close: 06 April 2025
Apply here:
A Day in the Life of a Soldier – Irwin Barracks – 19 June 2025
Applications close: 04 May 2025
Apply here:
Navy
Navy Careers Experience – HMAS Stirling – 30 June – 02 July 2025
Applications close: 18 May 2025
Apply here:
Air Force
Air Force Careers Day – RAAF Base Pearce – 24 June 2025
Applications close 11 May 2025
Apply here:
UPCOMING CAREERS EVENTS
EVENT
DATE
LINK
Murdoch University Careers Fair
19 March
Engineering Institute of Technology: Careers in Engineering webinar
19 March
ECU Open Day (Joondalup)
23 March
UWA Open Day
30 March
Murdoch University Open Day
5 April
Curtin University Open Day
6 April
Sound and Engineering College Information Night
16 April
Engineering Open Evening (ECU Joondalup)
1 May
ECU Open Day (Mt Lawley)
4 May
Perth Careers Expo
15-18 May
Notre Dame Open Day
24 May
Year 9 and 10 Parent Information Evening (Murdoch University)
4 June
Year 11 and 12 Parent Information Evening (Murdoch University)
4 June
If you are thinking of attending a University Open Day, this blog might help you get the most out of it:
This week has seen the first Primary assembly for the year and it was a delight to present merit certificates to our Marian students and watch Year 1 Red perform about their way of ‘Shining’ and the many ways we are smart. Primary continued their big week with the successful running of the Year 6 Camp at Waroona and the Lavalla Swimming Carnival. The week’s events saw our students shining through class work, adventure and teamwork, and sporting endeavour. Tonight, we celebrate the Primary Family Picnic at Lavalla and the response from families has been great, even with a long-weekend backing onto the event. Thank you for your strong support of Family Spirit.ÌýÌý
Primary Build
The Primary build continues to go well and we will ensure we provide the community with good notice as to when, in Term 2, the move from Marian to Lavalla Campus will occur.ÌýÌý
Student Voice and Agency – Your children leading the wayÌý
There’s so much importance in nurturing the voice and involvement of students in their own education and formation. In our new Strategic School Improvement Plan 2025-2027, initiatives of student-adult partnership feature heavily.
Student voice and agency happens in the classroom through empowering young people to give feedback to teachers, feedback to others and feedback about their own learning. Their agency is promoted in providing the opportunity to be responsible and own what is happening in their lives. It is the nurture of partnership and was described within the Australian government-endorsed Through Growth to Achievement: Report of the Review to Achieve Educational Excellence in Australian Schools 2018. Projects underway in 2025 across the whole College that nurture voice and agency include:
The building of Guild spirit and identity;
Involvement in planning transition programs to secondary school, feeding back the successes and challenges of the program, and
Co-designing a student recognition system (colours and honours in Christian Service Learning, Academic, Cultural and Sport participation).
In Term 2, we will highlight ‘My Learning,’ which is our approach to further voice and agency in each student’s learning journey. One project just about to finish began with the Year 6 group from 2024 who planned and presented to the school a ‘friendship bench’. This will shortly be installed on theÌý Lavalla Campus. We are blessed with caring, considerate and community concerned children and it is heartening to see the work they are leading at ÐãÐãÖ±²¥.ÌýÌý
Active Transport – My Way
Another exciting initiative we will be developing in the next few months, that has the leadership of students and involvement of parents, is our plan to encourage walking and riding to school. In today’s edition, Mr Michael Chiera, Vice Principal, writes about our plan in partnership with the City of Stirling to encourage alternative ways of coming to school. This always needs to be considered in context of the individual’s age and journey from home to school and back, but it is important in so many ways to encourage active transport.ÌýÌý
I wish all ÐãÐãÖ±²¥ families a wonderful long weekend. It is hard to believe that we are at a mid-way point of Term 1.
