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From the Vice Principal – Term 3 Week 2

Jenni Vile on 01/08/2025

Catholic Performing Arts Festival

Last Thursday, I had the pleasure of joining Ms La Brooy, Leader of Learning – The Arts, and a group of students at the Opening Mass for the 2025 Performing Arts Festival, held at St Mary’s Cathedral. This Mass marks the beginning of a vibrant celebration of the arts within Catholic education.

Now in its 36th year, the Performing Arts Festival brings together more than 20,000 students from 162 Catholic schools across Western Australia. The Festival runs from 25 July to 5 September, with a wide variety of live and recorded performances taking place across multiple venues. We are excited to be hosting the Final Concert on Tuesday 16 September in our Marist Auditorium.

The Performing Arts Festival is a significant event in our College calendar, showcasing the creativity, talent and dedication of our students and staff. We look forward to seeing many of our students participate again this year.

Assumption Day Mass and Fete

Friday 15 August marks the Feast Day of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. This is also the patronal feast of the Institute of the Marist Brothers. 

Our College community will celebrate Assumption Day with Mass, followed by Fete Day activities. Attendance on this day is compulsory for all students.  

The Assumption Day Fete will raise funds for Australian Marist Solidarity (AMS). AMS is the international agency for aid and development work of the Marist Province of Australia throughout Asia and the Pacific Islands. All funds raised go towards supporting the projects of AMS, including the organisations our Year 11 Philippines Immersion students will visit later this year. Families can learn more about the work of Australian Marist Solidarity online:

Further information regarding the day will be provided to families in due course.

We look forward to our students joining with the Marist Brothers Community and Marists in celebration this special Feast Day.

Lavalla Carpark

As many of you know, we have been working to ensure a safe, smooth and efficient drop-off and pick-up experience for families. Thank you for your ongoing feedback and patience as we continue to refine this process.

We are still assessing whether the current left-turn only exit from the Lavalla carpark is effectively improving traffic flow, especially in the afternoons. To assist with this, we will trial allowing right turns from the carpark next week. During this period, we will closely monitor the impact on both safety and traffic movement.

Based on our observations, we will make a more permanent decision about exit directions by the end of the week.

Child Safeguarding

All children and young people who come to ÐãÐãÖ±²¥ have the right to feel and be safe. We are committed to providing a child-safe and child-friendly environment, one where they are protected, feel secure, and are empowered to actively participate in decisions that affect their lives.

The College places the highest importance on its child safeguarding responsibilities and is committed to providing the resources needed to uphold a child-safe culture and comply with all relevant child protection laws and regulations.

We have recently displayed posters in both the Marcellin and Primary reception areas to reaffirm our commitment to Child Safeguarding. These posters also include links to the College’s Child Safeguarding resources. All our information and policies concerning Child Safeguarding can be found here.

Mr Michael Chiera

VICE PRINCIPAL

Primary Update – Term 3 Week2

Jenni Vile on 01/08/2025

We’ve had a fantastic start to our first two weeks as a united Pre-Kindy to Year 6 Primary Campus. I would like to extend my sincere thanks to all staff for their tireless efforts over the school holidays in preparing the classrooms to warmly welcome our youngest students.

It has been a joy to see students proudly showing their parents around their new learning spaces. The excitement and energy across the campus have been palpable, with students thoroughly enjoying their new classrooms and playgrounds.

4 Green Assembly

Today, 4 Green took us on a Star Wars inspired journey through the galaxy, reminding us of the power of choosing the path of good and showing how setbacks can strengthen us and sometimes turn out even better than we imagined.

A big thank you to the students and teachers of 4 Green for their creativity, energy, and meaningful message.

6 Green Assembly

Last week, 6 Green led our first assembly of the term with the theme centred on recognising the unique gifts and talents that God has given each of us. They reminded us that God calls us to use these gifts in positive ways to support and uplift others, helping us grow as good Christians and good citizens. Well done to 6 Green for starting the term with such a thoughtful and inspiring message.

Lavalla Carpark

We have been working hard to ensure the smooth flow of traffic at school pick up. I wish to thank you all for embracing our Marist characteristics, allowing everyone to exit the carpark in a timely manner. To support this, I request:

  • PK and Kindy parents promptly collect their child at 2.45pm and vacate the carpark promptly prior to the rush.
  • Year 3-6 families arrive at Kiss n Ride at 3.10pm, allowing our junior primary students to pick up first. I understand that this is not always possible if you have children across different year groups.
  • You ensure your surname is easily visible on your dashboard or car visor, allowing duty staff to prepare your child for pick up.

As per my correspondence last week, we will be trialling right hand turns onto Empire Ave from week 3. I will update you on how this goes. Thank you again for your patience and cooperation over the past two weeks.

Child Safety

We have had some instances of older siblings dropping off Pre-Primary students to class. A friendly reminder to please ensure that an adult drops off Pre-Primary students. We have also had some instances of students waiting in the auditorium for sport practice after school for up to 90 minutes without any supervision. We are blessed at ÐãÐãÖ±²¥ to have OSH Club before and after school, fees may be eligible for government rebates .

Homework Club

Homework Club for years 3-6 is up and running for Term Two, taking place every Tuesday from 3:00 pm to 4:30 pm in the 3–6 Building (Ground Floor).

To ensure the safety and accountability of all students:

  • Teachers will sign in students upon their arrival.
  • Parents or guardians are required to present themselves to sign their child out at the conclusion of the session.
  • If you wish for your child to be dismissed without parent collection, please inform us by emailing primary.admin@newman.wa.edu.au no later than the Friday prior to the Homework Club session.
  • We kindly ask that all students are collected promptly at 4:30 pm to ensure staff can conclude the session on time.
  • Primary students are NOT permitted to attend secondary Homework Club in the JHN Learning Hub.

We appreciate your cooperation in maintaining a secure and supportive environment for our students.

PP to Year 6 Disco- Save the Date

 Get your dancing shoes ready! Our School Disco will be held on Friday 19th September.

  • Pre-Primary to Year 2: 4:00pm – 5:00pm
  • Year 3 to Year 6: 5:15pm – 6:30pm

Stay tuned for more details and the booking link coming soon!

Book Week Parade

Our book week dress up and parade will be held on Tuesday 19th August in the undercover basketball courts.

  • 8:50am: PP, Y2, Y4, Y6.
  • 9:50am: Kindy, Y1, Y3, Y5.

I can’t wait to see all of the fantastic costumes

Mrs Sarah Pagett

ACTING HEAD OF PRIMARY

Mission Update – Term 3 Week 2

Jenni Vile on 01/08/2025

I was very fortunate last night to attend the Middle School production of Emil & The Detectives. I really enjoy these shows, and it is so heartwarming to see how well the students come together to produce something so amazing. One of the things I really enjoyed in the lead up to the show was reading the short biographies of all the students taking part. In their reflections on the show, many students spoke to the strong sense of belonging and connection opportunities like this bring. This is something that is so important to recognise.

For many students involved in the arts, shows like Emil & the Detectives are more than just giving a performance, they are moments to share their gifts, form strong friendships, and express themselves. Shows like this also help students build confidence and allow them to feel seen and valued for who they are, as well as the talents they bring to our community. Just as heartening for me, however, is the sight of so many students in the audience supporting and cheering on their peers. Their presence to each other reminds me of our great Marist sense of family spirit. In relating to each other in the same way as we would a loving family, it is a good reminder that we all have a part to play in building an inclusive, encouraging environment, where the value and worth of students can be uplifted as we share in each other’s successes and efforts.

As we come to the end of these first weeks of Term 3, I find myself in a space of deep gratitude for those staff, students, and families who support these endeavours. The P.E. staff preparing for a busy Athletics Carnival, our Game Changers mentors preparing for retreats, and of course our Arts team, who are constantly seeking new opportunities to build that sense of presence, family spirit, and love of work across our community. These are just some of the groups hard at work in our College, helping to shape our ‘Marist heart’. These experiences remind us of the importance of a holistic education that is not just about learning outcomes, but also about forming young people who are confident, connected, and compassionate. My sincere thanks to everyone who continues to bring this spirit to life in so many meaningful ways.

Assumption Day

On Friday 15 August, we will come together to celebrate Assumption Day, a significant day in the life of the Church, and especially for us as a Marist school. The Feast of the Assumption is also the Feast Day of the Marist Brothers, and it holds deep meaning for those of us seeking to walk in the footsteps of Marcellin Champagnat.

We will celebrate with mass across our primary and secondary campuses, before celebrating the afternoon with our annual fete day. Students will be able to pre-order their lunch for the fete this year and have the chance to buy tickets in $5, $10 and $20 denominations so they can take part in the fete activities. Links for preordering lunches and purchasing tickets will be provided closer to the date. Importantly, all funds raised on the day will be going toward Australian Marist Solidarity, an organisation that supports vulnerable communities across Asia and the Pacific through education. This includes some of the organisations we visit as part of our Philippines Immersion, which will occur in late November again this year.

We look forward to welcoming students to what should be a beautiful day.

From the Principal – Term 2 Week 10

Jenni Vile on 04/07/2025

Delighting in The Arts

The Arts, as they constantly do, brought great joy to the College this week. On Monday evening, the Winter Music Night was held in the Marist Auditorium. A total of 160 students performed to a packed auditorium throughout the night, showcasing their Semester One work. The evening featured nine scholarship performers, as well as five Lavalla and 10 Marcellin ensembles—including vocal, orchestral, and instrumental groups—that delighted the audience with their talent and dedication. Students from Year 3 to Year 12 showed such dedication, talent and passion in the pieces presented. Our Arts Captain, Ella Nguyen was well supported by Katja Ekkert, who stepped in for Arts Captain, Campbell Smith, who was unwell, in hosting the evening, and they both did a wonderful job. The Music program continues to grow across the College through the work of our Music Co-ordinator Ms Selena Barnett, Lavalla Music Specialist, Ms Laura van Rijn, the Music tutors and the support of Mrs Kathy Laa Brooy, Leader of the Learning Arts and Mrs Aleisha Dows, Arts Administrator. Later in Term 3, we will welcome the musicians from Sacred Heart College, a Marist School in Adelaide to our Marist performance week at the College.

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  • @stephenheathphotography

Marist Mural

Mrs Emily Rose, Secondary Art Teacher, combined the idea of a visiting Artist in Residence with a project that would help enhance our Marist identity. Emily created a wonderful brief that brought the symbolism of the Marist violets into a Western Australian context of flora and fauna. The idea of the violets comes from St Marcellin himself. They represent the three basic spiritual attitudes of ‘humility’, simplicity’ and ‘modesty’. In our Marist mural, the violets chosen are native to Western Australia (Pigea Calycina). To finish the image, Western Australian blue-banded bees (Amegilla Chlorocyanea) represent not just the important Marist colour blue, but that sense of community. Painted by local artist, Brenton See, the project has drawn great interest from the Art students and anyone passing by as Brenton undertook his work. The mural is painted on the blank wall of the stairs leading to the John Henry ÐãÐãÖ±²¥ Hub.

Secondary Celebration Assembly

The final day of term saw us host the Celebration Assembly. Our Student Leaders gave reports and updates on their work in Academics, Mission, Sports, The Arts and Languages. We also acknowledged  National NAIDOC week with the theme, The Next Generation: Strength, Vision and Legacy, marking 50 years of honouring and elevating Indigenous voices, culture, and resilience.  As NAIDOC week falls in the school holidays, we will further recognise NAIDOC week in the first week of Term 3 with various activities across the College.

The Day Arrives

On Thursday, the Marian campus closed its doors for the final time. Over the past months, we have spent time honouring the role of the Peebles Road site in the ÐãÐãÖ±²¥ story. All Marian staff and students gathered for a final photo on the oval and the group image took the shape of the letter M. The Year 2 students led us in one final assembly in the Marian Hall and, fittingly, the theme was friendship. In the history and story of this learning setting, Marian has been a place of great friendship making and welcome. On the first day of Term 3, all Early Learning students and staff will be on the Churchlands campus in our fantastic new Marian learning setting.

Farewell Peebles Road and thank you!

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Holiday Break

I wish all families a restful break with their children. It is time for our students and staff to rest and recharge for the second semester. Academic Reports are now available on SEQTA and the opportunity to meet teachers for the Learning Conversations (Parent-Student-Teacher interviews) will take place on Tuesday 22 July.

Congratulations to all ÐãÐãÖ±²¥ students for their great commitment to Shine through Discovery in Semester One. Thank you to the staff for their work and to our parents for their support.

Mr Andrew Watson

PRINCIPAL

From the Vice Principal – Term 2 Week 10

Jenni Vile on 04/07/2025

Upcoming Changes to Social Media Access for Under 16s

As part of new legislation under the Online Safety Act 2021, age-restricted social media platforms will be legally required to prevent children under 16 from holding accounts by December 2025. This national move aims to create safer digital spaces and protect young people from online harms such as cyberbullying, inappropriate content and social pressure. Further information can be found at .

This legislation acknowledges the growing body of research linking early social media use with impacts on sleep, mental health, focus and self-esteem. It is not about taking something away – it is about giving young people space to grow up without unnecessary digital pressure.

We encourage parents to start open conversations with their children now. Some steps to consider:

  • Review the apps your child uses and their age restrictions
  • Gradually reduce use of age-inappropriate platforms
  • Explore safe, age-appropriate alternatives
  • Model balanced digital habits at home

Primary Carpark Etiquette

Next term, we are excited to welcome our Pre-Kindy to Year 2 students to the Churchlands campus. Our staff have been working hard to ensure a smooth and positive transition for all families.

A key part of our preparation has been reviewing traffic and carpark procedures to ensure the safety and efficiency of drop-off and pick-up times. We kindly ask for your support by following the guidelines below:

General Expectations

  • Please follow the directions of staff on duty.
  • Be patient and courteous at all times and follow all carpark signage.

Pre-Kindy and Kindy Pick-Up

If you are collecting children in Pre-Kindy or Kindy only, please:

  • Be parked by 2.45pm
  • Collect your child directly from the classroom
  • Exit the carpark by 3pm, if possible, to make space for other families

Kiss N Ride Procedures

  • Please ensure your family name is clearly displayed on your dashboard.
  • Kiss N Ride will open at 3pm, after the dismissal bell.
  • Families collecting children from Pre-Primary to Year 6 via Kiss N Ride should not enter the carpark before 3pm.

Important Reminders

  • There is strictly no parking in the left-hand Kiss N Ride lane.
  • Once this lane is full, remain in the right lane and either:
    • Drive ahead and park, or
    • Loop around and re-enter the Kiss N Ride queue once space becomes available.

Thank you for your cooperation and ongoing support as we work together to ensure a safe and welcoming environment for all students and families.

Pupil Free Days and Student Learning Conversations (Parent-Teacher Interviews)

A reminder to our families that Monday 21 July is a pupil-free day for all PK to Year 12 students. On Tuesday 22 July, there will be no classes to enable our Student Learning Conversations to take place.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for a fantastic term and wish you all a safe and restful holiday break with family and friends.

Uniform Shop – School Holiday Trading Hours

The College Uniform shop will be open on the following days prior to the commencement of Term 3:

  • Tuesday 15 July – 9:00am to 12.00pm and 1.00pm to 3.00pm
  • Wednesday 16 July – 9:00am to 12.00pm and 1.00pm to 3.00pm
  • Tuesday 22 July – 8.30am to 4.30pm

As usual orders can also be placed online for collection. The link to the online store is

Mr Michael Chiera

VICE PRINCIPAL