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.
As we begin the new school term, I’d like to remind students and families of the importance of adhering to the College’s Uniform and Personal Presentation Standards. Unfortunately, there was a noticeable decline in standards as we approached the end of Term 2, and it is my hope that we can work together to improve. Setting and expecting consistent and high standards of uniform and grooming creates a sense of belonging and minimises distractions, which allows students and staff to focus on teaching and learning.
This term, uniform standards will continue to be monitored, and Leaders of Wellbeing will reinforce expectations and issue consequences for students who consistently do not adhere to the College’s Uniform and Personal Presentation standards. There will be particular attention to students wearing their blazer to and from school (and to PCG, Period 1 and Period 2), skirt length, tucked in shirts and personal presentation such as make-up, jewellery and hair.
We appreciate your continued support in upholding these expectations.
Year 10 Camp Parent Information Session:
The Year 10 Adventure Camp takes place in Term 4 and is a compulsory event for all students. The camp is run in conjunction with Adventure Works and will see our Year 10 students enter an unfamiliar and somewhat remote environment. The camp will give students the opportunity to challenge themselves to develop leadership and self-management skills, resilience, and personal independence. There will be a parents and guardians information session on Monday 4 August from 6pm to 7:30pm in the Marist Auditorium. We look forward to seeing you there. Further information can be found .
On Friday night, June 27, the Year 11 students gathered at the beautiful Wembley Golf Course to celebrate a memorable evening of fun, friendship, and reflection at their annual Dinner Dance. This highly anticipated event came on the heels of a two-day leadership retreat, where students explored personal growth, built team connections, and developed essential leadership skills for their upcoming final year of high school.
The Dinner Dance provided the perfect opportunity for students to unwind, celebrate their achievements, and strengthen the bonds formed during the retreat. Dressed in elegant evening wear, students arrived at the venue with excitement and energy. The atmosphere was vibrant, with music and laughter.
Throughout the evening, students enjoyed a delicious meal and shared moments that will last a lifetime.
Special thanks must go to the staff who organised both the retreat and the Dinner Dance. The evening was a true highlight of the school calendar, and one that students will remember fondly as they continue their journey into Year 12 and beyond.
Poppy Vogl – Year 11 Brigid
ÐãÐãÖ±²¥ Year 11 Dance 2025ÐãÐãÖ±²¥ Year 11 Dance 2025ÐãÐãÖ±²¥ Year 11 Dance 2025ÐãÐãÖ±²¥ Year 11 Dance 2025ÐãÐãÖ±²¥ Year 11 Dance 2025ÐãÐãÖ±²¥ Year 11 Dance 2025ÐãÐãÖ±²¥ Year 11 Dance 2025ÐãÐãÖ±²¥ Year 11 Dance 2025ÐãÐãÖ±²¥ Year 11 Dance 2025ÐãÐãÖ±²¥ Year 11 Dance 2025ÐãÐãÖ±²¥ Year 11 Dance 2025
Year 11 Leadership Retreat:
At the end of Term 2 Year 11s had the opportunity to engage with student leaders, members of the Executive, and teachers to reflect on and learn about leadership in different contexts.
These two days reminded students that all students have the capacity to within the College community, particularly as we move into Year 12. Becoming leaders within our school means being responsible, accountable, and full of creative ideas that benefit everyone. On the first day, the current year 11s chose what leadership activities they wanted to participate in for the day. Activities included public speaking, leadership in sport, leadership in the army, creativity and collaboration, leadership styles, and many other fantastic activities. On the second day the Year 11s participated in team building in guilds, legacy and leadership, an introduction to the student leadership process, and a panel discussion with the current year 12 leaders. Thank you to Mrs Ognenis, Mr van der Heever and Mr McClorey for their support and organisation of the Year 11 Leadership Retreat, the College Executive team, and our teacher volunteers for their engaging and interesting workshops. Year 11 students are now beginning the process of applying for Year 12 leadership positions.
Alana Lenzo – Year 11 Catherine
Guild Athletics Carnival:
The Guild Athletics Carnival is being held on Thursday 7 August, Term 3, Week 3. This is a compulsory event for all students in Years 7 – 12 (excluding those Year 11-12 students who are required at TAFE for these days).
Students are expected to make their own way to and from the WA State Athletics Stadium. Students are asked to arrive by 8:25am and be collected at 3pm. There will be buses to and from the College for any students that are not able to make their way to and from the venue. If your child requires a spot on the hired buses, complete the following form:
Students must wear their Guild Uniform, not PE shirts, with correct PE footwear. PE jackets may be worn, and non-College jumpers will not be permissible. It is also highly recommended that students bring a hat and sunscreen and wet weather gear if rain is expected. Students must bring their own lunch and water, as no food will be available for purchase at the Stadium.
Parent spectators are welcome and seating for parents is available at the northern end of the main grandstand. Parking for parent spectators is available at the southern end of the stadium. Parent spectators and helpers are asked to sign in at the northern end of the main grandstand and collect a College visitor badge. To ensure a respectful and comfortable environment for all our students and families, we kindly ask that parents and guests be mindful if taking photographs at the Guild Athletics Carnival. Please avoid taking close-up photos or videos of children other than your own, and refrain from sharing group photos on social media. We appreciate your cooperation in helping us create a safe and inclusive atmosphere for all.
Assumption Day/Fete Day:
Assumption Day will be celebrated on August 15 with a College mass followed by our annual Fete Day. To assist with planning for the day, students have been asked to complete an online form to place a food order via their Year Group Team. Please encourage your child to complete the form this weekend if they haven’t already. Further information regarding our Assumption Day/Fete Day celebrations, including the link for purchasing lunches and tokens, will be communicated shortly.
Recognition of State Representation:
Congratulations to Year 10 student Benji and Year 11 student Ruby, who represented Western Australia at the Australian Gymnastics Championships on the Gold Coast in July.
Benji competed in the Level 9 Men’s division, earning his place among the nation’s best with a consistent performance that saw him finish strong in a highly competitive field.
Ruby had an outstanding meet, qualifying for the finals in all three of her aerobic routines. She placed 7th in the Individual event, 5th in the Pair, and capped off the competition with a Bronze medal in the Group routine.
State Representation is an honour and an important stepping stone in an athlete’s journey. We commend these students for their dedication and commitment to their sport.
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 .
Mre Carla Pastorelli
DEPUTY PRINCIPAL SECONDARY
Pathways and Careers Information: Year 10
Subject selection for Year 11, 2026
Thank you to all the students and families who have now completed their subject requests for Year 11, 2026. The College is now in the process of constructing the timetable for next year, and after this process students and families will be advised of their allocated subjects for Year 11.
Apprenticeship Opportunities 2025
The March 2025 edition of the Apprenticeship Intake Guide has been published recently. This has details of dozens of apprenticeship opportunities with many major employers. You can access it here:
Pathways and Careers Information: Year 11
Re-selecting subjects for Year 12, 2026
Thank you to all the students and families who have now completed their subject requests for Year 12, 2026. The College is now in the process of constructing the timetable for next year, and after this process students and families will be advised of their allocated subjects for Year 12.
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:
Here is a parents guide to University:
And here is the “First in Family†resource, for students who might be the first in their family to attend University:
Are you thinking of attending a University Open Day? Dates are below. This blog might help you:
Apprenticeship Opportunities 2025
The March 2025 edition of the Apprenticeship Intake Guide has been published recently. This has details of dozens of apprenticeship opportunities with many major employers. You can access it here:
Pathways and Careers Information: Year 12
University Early Offer information
Please see below for the latest available Early Offer information.
Early Offers are now open, and all Year 12 students have been provided with information about how to access the TISC system and enter preferences.
Students and families can find this information here:
Curtin University
Early Offers are available for ATAR and non-ATAR students. Must achieve WACE and meet any prerequisites. Submit your application via TISC, putting your Curtin Early Offer course as your first preference. Full information and list of eligible courses at:
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
Must achieve WACE and meet any prerequisites. Early Offers for Certificate IV and UniReady/UniPath students will be conditional on passing. Submit your application via TISC, putting your desired Murdoch Early Offer course as your first preference.
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
Submit your application via TISC, putting your desired UWA Early Offer course as your first preference. Open to ATAR Pathway students only. Students can apply for an Early Offer for all degrees excluding Assured Pathways to Medicine, Dental Medicine, Podiatric Medicine or the Bachelor of Biomedicine (specialised). Students must satisfy UWA’s English requirements and any subject prerequisite requirements. Further information at:
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:
Here is a parents guide to University:
This resource is a place where you can ask current University students questions about their University courses:
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:
Apprenticeship Opportunities 2025
The March 2025 edition of the Apprenticeship Intake Guide has been published recently. This has details of dozens of apprenticeship opportunities with many major employers. You can access it here:
UPCOMING CAREERS EVENTS
EVENT
DATE
LINK
Open Day (Sound and Engineering College)
16 August
Nursing Information Evening (Murdoch)
27 August
Health and Education Information Evening (Murdoch)
2 September
Science, IT, Engineering Information Evening (Murdoch)
3 September
Business and Law Information Evening (Murdoch)
4 September
Engineering Information Evening (ECU)
5 September
Entry pathways to Medicine (Notre Dame)
30 September
If you are thinking of attending a University Open Day, this blog might help you get the most out of it:
The City of Stirling have advised the College that they now have vehicle licence recognition technology in use. The use of this technology enables the rangers to drive by public parking areas and automatically register and issue fines to any illegally parked vehicles, removing the need for paper infringements.
Previously, the City rangers have spoken with any individuals, where possible, to provide verbal warnings or education around parking parameters. With this updated technology, infringements will now be issued without any warning from the commencement of Term 3.
To avoid any infringements, please ensure that you are complying with all signposted directions in relation to parking. Some areas of note include:
No stopping or parking in the bus lane
No stopping or parking in ACROD bays without a displayed permit
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.
@stephenheathphotography
@stephenheathphotography
@stephenheathphotography
@stephenheathphotography
@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, Visionand 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!
default
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.
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