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From the Principal – Term 2 Week 5

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 ÐãÐãÖ±²¥ 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

From the Vice Principal – Term 2 Week 3

Secondary Colours and Honours Update

Next week, students will receive a co-curricular report for their time at the College until the end of 2025. This will include a list of recorded co-curricular activities and an accumulated total for each pillar.

Students will be provided with a form to complete if they feel there are records missing from their report. We ask that students and families are patient as these forms are processed; Year 11 and 12 forms will be reviewed first as a priority. We are looking forward to acknowledging our next group of Colours and Honours recipients at the Celebration Assembly on Tuesday 30 June.

An overview of the College Co-Curricular is available .

Mrs Beth Murphy

VICE PRINCIPAL

Mission Update – Term 2 Week 3

This weekend, we celebrate all the wonderful mothers and grandmothers in our community. At this morning’s Mother’s Day Liturgy at Lavalla, we reflected on a simple but powerful moment from the Gospel. As Jesus was going through one of the most difficult moments of his life, Mary stayed beside him at the foot of the cross. She could not take away his pain, but her loving presence remained with him. During our reflection, I shared a conversation I had with one of our Year 2 students before the liturgy. I asked her how she felt about doing a reading in front of everyone. She smiled nervously and said, “I’m scared… but it will be okay because my mum is here.â€

Those simple words captured something beautiful about our Mums. Often, mothers do not need to say or do anything extraordinary – their presence alone brings comfort, courage, reassurance, and love. I know it is certainly enough for my own two children. As a Marist community, we also look to Mary, our Good Mother, as an example of gentle strength, compassion, courage, and faithfulness. Mary teaches us how to live lives filled with love and care for others. God also teaches us ways we can be good and loving…with one of those ways being to honour our parents, especially on special days like Mother’s Day. My hope is that all of the children in our community can find a special way to give thanks to the mothers, grandmothers, carers, and mother figures who support and guide us today. While this weekend is a special opportunity to show our appreciation, perhaps it is also a reminder to show that gratitude more often – through our words, our actions, and the way we care for those who care for us so deeply.

Mr Stuart McClorey

DIRECTOR OF MISSION & CATHOLIC IDENTITY

Primary Update – Term 2 Week 3

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. 

Mrs Laura Christopher

HEAD OF PRIMARY

From the Principal – Term 2 Week 3

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 ÐãÐãÖ±²¥ 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