Hopefully, you were able to see our celebration of Father鈥檚 Day through last week鈥檚 social posts or through attending the Community Mass or Marian Liturgy. It was heartening to see so many fathers, grandfathers and father figures at these celebrations and the expression of gratitude shown by the students. I hope all fathers had a great day.听
Year 12 Game Changers Graduation and Marist Connect Night
We know the time for Year 12 farewell and graduation is close at hand when we are hosting the Year 12 Game Changers students, their parents and mentors at the Graduation Dinner. This group has journeyed together since Year 7, experiencing the Le Rosey, La Valla and Hermitage programs of Game Changers. As a part of Marist Youth Ministry, Game Changers explores core topics in the Catholic faith of Marist Charism. The students also express their ministry through service and connection to the community. It was a joyful family night where the students also presented their reflections on being a part of Game Changers.
The next evening saw our Year 11 Game Changers students meeting Bunbury Catholic College and St Joseph鈥檚 Northam in the Marist Connect program. Each Connect evening focuses on a topical theme and ends with a shared prayer and meal. Thank you to our Ministry Team for their work in these programs.听
Primary Athletics Carnival and ACC ISP Athletics Carnival
Today there was a real athletics theme at 秀秀直播.听 Our Primary Athletics Carnival went ahead with much fun and high spirits. It was great to see our students doing their best and participating in the many events on the track, in the field and in novelty events. At the same time, the Secondary Support students were having a brilliant time competing in the ACC ISP Athletics event at McGillivray Reserve, UWA Sports Park. The students shone in their participation and support of one another across so many events. Thank you to the parents and families who attended both carnivals in support and to all staff involved in making the day a memorable one for Primary and Education Support students.听
秀秀直播 Quiz Night
Over 200 people attended last Friday鈥檚 秀秀直播 Community Quiz Night. This was the third event under Parent Engagement this year, following the Summer Soire and Autumn Family Movie Night. These events were planned with the 秀秀直播 Parent Forum input and Friday鈥檚 quiz night was so well supported. The event raised a further $800 towards Marist Solidarity and the funds will benefit the work of our Marist groups in supporting education and opportunity in communities needing help. Thanks to all who attended and to our great staff who organised and ran the night.听听
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STEM, HaSS and Languages Weeks听
The past three weeks have seen the celebration of three learning areas. STEM Week was first and the staff and students explored interesting science activities with some fun – ice cream making, sherbet making, and rocket launching to name just a few. HaSS followed last week with Minecraft, Medieval combat displays and quizzes. This week was Languages鈥� turn and we have been treated to Japanese drumming, gelato, piano accordion and foreign language pop songs replacing the final bell. A great few weeks organised by our passionate and dedicated teachers, and the students have loved the variety.听听听
Year 7-9 High Achievers Assembly
The second of the Marcellin Campus High Achievers Assembly was celebrated this week. The parents of the academic high achievers joined us to recognise outstanding achievements from Semester 1. In the assembly, I outlined the importance of celebrating and nurturing academic excellence in the same way that we proudly support sporting success. Congratulations to our high achievers!听
Catholic Performing Arts Festival
The CPAF concluded with some wonderful performances and news. Last Thursday evening, the 秀秀直播 Dance Troupe performed brilliantly, and we were also informed of the individual success of Heloise Nathan who was awarded the Monsignor Michael Keating Award. Congratulations to these Arts students.听
Term Break
As we draw closer to the end of the term, which is on Friday, 20 September, I ask for families鈥� support in ensuring our students are present until the end of term. The College places the term, and mid-term breaks for families to plan holidays and time together. When holidays are taken in the final days of the school term days, there is a great disruption to learning and it projects an attitude that the last days of term are not important. Removing students early just creates pressure on classes and teachers by reducing the amount of time to learn and teach, and our students suffer by not being able to demonstrate their best or learn content sufficiently.
Last week鈥檚 Father鈥檚 Day events were a wonderful celebration of the father and father figures in our community. Lavalla鈥檚 Thursday Mass and Friday鈥檚 Marian Liturgy were both wonderful ways to honour the fathers in our community. A huge thank you to the Year 2 classes for running the Liturgy at Marian Campus, and to Mrs Jane Short for her coordination and planning of these events. I hope all fathers had a wonderful weekend.
Athletics Carnival
Today鈥檚 Athletics Carnival was a sensational day of athleticism and sportsmanship. All of our Pre-Primary-Year 6 students tried their hardest and it was a joy to see so many of them do their best, reach personal bests and break records! All students are to be congratulated on they way they gave their all during the day. Big thanks to all of the primary staff who made the day a huge success, with particular thanks to Tash Richards and Lara Vlahov for their outstanding preparation, organisation, and running of the day.
Languages Week Activities
Over the past 2 weeks the Primary have celebrated Languages Week with a range of wonderful activities, including immersive hands-on experiences, drumming incursions and gelato vans. A huge thanks to Sensei O鈥橩eefe and Signora Lynch for their organisation of these meaningful experiences for our Primary students.
秀秀直播 Norms / Medals of Marcellin
Our new 秀秀直播 Norms are now on our website and I encourage you to have a look at these expectations for our Primary students 鈥� 秀秀直播 Norms 鈥� 秀秀直播. Each week our staff and students will focus on 1 Norm, to discuss and unpack what that norm means for our students in their day-to-day school life.
Recently Cailin & Fox (Marian) and Miles & Bradley (Lavalla) were drawn out of the raffle for demonstrating our 秀秀直播 Norms. Congratulations to all students who received a raffle ticket in the past fortnight. We are over halfway through our term and the competition between factions is very close!
URSTRONG 鈥� Lesson 8 Upcoming
Lesson 8 (our final lesson) will be rolled out across the Primary next week. The areas of focus for this upcoming lesson are:
Pk-2: The final session ties it all together, reviewing the key concepts, and students share their culminating project, 鈥淧ut Yourself in a Friend鈥檚 Shoes,鈥� designed to strengthen empathy.
Yr 3 & 4: The final session ties it all together, reviewing the key concepts, and students share their culminating project, 鈥淟ooking into Your Sole,鈥� designed to strengthen empathy.
Yr 5 & 6: The final session ties it all together, reviewing the key concepts, and students share their culminating project, 鈥淲alk a Mile in My Shoes,鈥� designed to strengthen empathy.
A reminder parents have access to a . We hope that as a URSTRONG Family, you will reinforce the important messages of empowerment, self-compassion, & kindness at home.
Promoting Safe and Responsible Online Behaviour
As we continue to navigate the digital age, it’s more important than ever to ensure our children are using technology in a safe and responsible manner. Recently, we have become aware of instances where some students have been using social media and group messaging inappropriately. This is a concern for us all, as it can have lasting impacts on both their wellbeing and their interactions with others.
We understand that managing your child’s online activity can be challenging, but it is essential to monitor their use of electronic devices. Children often lack the maturity to fully understand the consequences of their actions online, making parental guidance crucial.
To support you in this role, we strongly encourage you to visit the eSafety Commissioner鈥檚 website at This site offers a wealth of resources designed to help parents foster healthy online habits in their children. You鈥檒l find practical advice on setting up parental controls, managing screen time, and understanding the risks associated with social media use.
Here are a few tips to help you support your child鈥檚 online safety:
Regularly Discuss Online Behaviour: Have open conversations with your child about their online interactions and the importance of kindness and respect in digital communication.
Set Boundaries: Establish clear rules around screen time and the types of content your child can access. The eSafety website offers guidelines on how to set these boundaries effectively.
Supervise and Monitor: Be aware of the apps and websites your child is using. Monitoring their activity can help you identify any potential issues early on.
Educate About Privacy: Teach your child about the importance of keeping personal information private and the dangers of sharing too much online.
We are committed to working together to ensure our students are safe and responsible online. If you have any concerns or need further assistance, please don鈥檛 hesitate to reach out to us or explore the resources provided by the eSafety Commissioner.
Thank you for your ongoing support and cooperation.
Justin Kirry
Leader of Wellbeing 3-6
Dogs on School Grounds
A reminder that due to allergies and some anxieties, dogs are not permitted on school grounds. Thank you for your cooperation and understanding to ensure the safety of all members of our school community.
On Wednesday, 4 September, we will gather for our Year 7-9 Celebration Assembly to recognise and honour the outstanding academic achievements of our Year 7-9 students from Semester One. This occasion is an opportunity for our community to come together and celebrate the hard work, dedication, and successes of our young learners.
At 秀秀直播, we believe that putting students at the centre of their goal-setting journey empowers them to strive for and reach their full potential, both academically and personally. Celebration is a powerful motivator, encouraging all students to continue pursuing personal excellence.
We look forward to celebrating the achievements of our Year 7-9 High Achievers next week.
PP-Y6 Athletics Carnival
On Friday 6 September, the combined Marian and Lavalla Athletics Carnival will take place at the Marcellin Campus Oval. This year鈥檚 event will follow a roving carnival format, which is designed to enhance student engagement and participation. The event program and map are attached below. Please note that event timings are approximate, so we recommend allowing extra time if you plan to attend specific activities.
Parents and spectators are welcome to attend and are asked to sit in the designated area on the western side of the Marcellin Oval. Specific facilities, including restrooms, are assigned for your use – please avoid using other College facilities. This is also an alcohol-free event.
We look forward to a successful day of competition and camaraderie. Thank you for your continued support of our staff and students, and special thanks to Ms Vlahov and Ms Richards for organising this event for our PP-6 students.
Student Absences During Term Time (Reminder)
At 秀秀直播, we understand that there are times when you may need to make decisions about your child鈥檚 attendance due to important family events or other personal reasons. As a College, we are guided by the Department of Education regulations, which require us to categorise absences as either 鈥淎pproved鈥� or 鈥淯napproved.鈥� Approved absences include circumstances such as illness, bereavement, or participation in College-endorsed events, while unapproved absences generally refer to holidays or family gatherings during term time.
We recognise that every family鈥檚 situation is unique, and there may be unavoidable circumstances that require your child to be absent from school. However, we kindly ask you to consider the potential impact that missing school can have on your child鈥檚 learning and academic progress. Unapproved absences may lead to your child missing out on important assessments or classroom activities, which could affect their overall academic performance, in line with our College Assessment Policies.
To support your child鈥檚 continued growth and learning, we strongly encourage planning family leave during the designated school holidays whenever possible. By doing so, you help ensure that your child remains engaged with their studies and can benefit from the full range of educational experiences we offer.
This week, the Pre-Primary Blue class shared with us a wonderful Assembly, focusing on the 鈥楳agic of Reading鈥� which tied so beautifully into our Book Week celebrations this week! Pre-Primary Blue started their assembly with a beautiful prayer song, reminding all of us to 鈥楲et our Light Shine鈥�. The class then reminded the Marian Campus of the importance, magic and wonder that books bring to our lives! Thank you Pre-Primary Blue for reminding us just how amazing books can be!
Book Week
This week was filled with the celebration of all things to do with reading! We had a range of activities happening across the primary campuses, including author visits and competitions, and culminating in the sensational book week dress up parades! It was so wonderful to see all of our students (and parents) and teachers put in so much effort, dressing up as a wide range of book characters to tie in with this year鈥檚 theme 鈥楻eading Is Magic鈥�. A huge thank you to our Library staff; Mrs Le Dan, Mrs Bailey and Miss Hall for their coordination and organisation of our Book Week celebrations!
秀秀直播 Norms / Medals of Marcellin
Our new 秀秀直播 Norms are now on our website and I encourage you to have a look at these expectations for our Primary students 鈥� 秀秀直播 Norms 鈥� 秀秀直播. Each week our staff and students will focus on 1 Norm, to discuss and unpack what that norm means for our students in their day-to-day school life.
Recently Lucas (Marian) and Billie (Lavalla) were drawn out of the raffle for demonstrating our 秀秀直播 Norms. Congratulations to all students who received a raffle ticket in the past fortnight. We are over halfway through our term and the competition between factions is very close!
URSTRONG 鈥� Lesson 7 Upcoming
Lesson 7 will be rolled out across the Primary next week. The areas of focus for this upcoming lesson are:
Pk-2: This session highlights hot topics for this age group including: playdates & birthday parties, how to say 鈥楴o!鈥� in a kind way, and how to respond to feeling bossed around.
Yr 3 & 4: This session highlights hot topics for this age group including: birthday parties, how to kindly decline, feeling caught in the middle, following & copying, and 鈥榮tealing鈥� friends.
Yr 5 & 6: This session focuses on the powerful influence of friends and the importance of strong boundaries. Students reflect on the difference between fitting-in vs belonging and quality vs quantity.
A reminder parents have access to a . We hope that as a URSTRONG Family, you will reinforce the important messages of empowerment, self-compassion, & kindness at home.
Father鈥檚 Day
I look forward to celebrating Father鈥檚 Day on Thursday 29 August for Lavalla (Mass), and Friday 30 August for Marian (Liturgy). Please refer to SeeSaw for details which were posted end of last week.
Primary Disco
Save the date 鈥� the Primary Disco will be held on Friday 18 October (Term 4, Week 2). More details will be provided to families in the coming weeks.
In a time of rapid technological change, 秀秀直播 is proud to be the first school in Western Australia to offer an AI course approved by the School Curriculum and Standards Authority (SCSA) as a School-Developed Endorsed course. This course not only prepares students for life after school but also contributes credits towards their Western Australian Certificate of Education.
Our course, AI Empowerment: Equipping Students for an Intelligent Future, is designed to meet the needs of students in Western Australia today. To thrive in modern society, every person needs to be 鈥榙igitally literate鈥欌�攎eaning they should have the basic digital skills to succeed in the workplace (Bawden, 2008). By 2030, there will be a demand for 161,000 specialist AI workers in Australia (CSIRO, 2019), which makes it crucial that we equip our students with the skills and knowledge they will need in an AI-driven world.
Students graduating in 2030, like those currently in Year 6, will face this new reality, yet many of them, and those in later years, currently have limited understanding of AI. Our course aims to fill this gap, focusing on empowering students, particularly those in Years 10-12, as they prepare for life after school. Whilst mapping our digital technology electives in the middle secondary school to begin empowerment even earlier.
It is vital that schools, from primary through to secondary, teach AI concepts so that future generations can become informed citizens who understand the technologies they use every day. Students need to develop AI literacy to live, learn, and work in the digital world (Steinbauer et al., 2021). By giving secondary students, the chance to learn about the basics of AI鈥攊ts science, possibilities, limits, and social and economic impacts鈥攚e prepare them for further AI studies or careers (Heintz, 2021). Introducing AI concepts early in their education sets a strong foundation for their future, fostering curiosity and innovation in young minds and setting them up for lifelong learning and exploration.
Our course emphasises real-world learning experiences. Through hands-on activities, students see how AI can automate and enhance tasks (Ali et al., 2022). The course also nurtures creativity鈥攁 uniquely human trait that is less likely to be automated. Encouraging creativity helps students use AI to generate new ideas and innovative solutions, making them more employable in the future. As AI becomes part of many industries, understanding AI concepts, applications, and ethics will become even more valuable. This course prepares students for success, whether they choose AI-related careers or become developers of AI technologies. It also helps develop a generation of AI-literate professionals who can navigate and contribute to our rapidly changing technological world and understand their ethical responsibilities when using AI.
By introducing AI concepts before students reach tertiary education or the workforce, and by focusing on critical thinking, ethics, practical skills, and future readiness, this course helps schools equip students with the skills and knowledge they need to thrive in the 21st century as traditional academic learning alone no longer meets the demands of the modern world (World Economic Forum, 2016).
