Secondary Update – Term 1 Week 1

Jenni Vile on 06/02/2026

Uniform and Personal Presentation

I鈥檇 like to thank parents and guardians for their continued support of the

During uniform checks this week, we identified a number of students who were not meeting the College鈥檚 expectations. The uniform guidelines that were most commonly not being met were:

Hair

  • Must be clean, neat, and tidy.
  • Kept off the face; fringes no longer than eyebrow length.
  • Hair longer than the bottom of the collar must be tied back.
  • No extreme contrasts or styles (e.g., mullets, extreme fades, undercuts, mohawks).
  • Minimum blade length: #3.

Grooming

  • Makeup is not permitted.
  • Students must be clean鈥憇haven.
  • False eyelashes are not permitted.

Jewellery

  • Only a discreet cross or religious medal on a fine chain is allowed.
  • Earrings: one pair of plain studs (max 5mm) or sleepers (max 12mm) in the lower lobe only – 鈥淧lain鈥� = silver or gold; clear diamantes or small white pearls accepted if within size limits. No retainers or spacers are allowed.

College staff have been instructed to send notifications home when students are in breach of these expectations, and your support in consistently reinforcing them is greatly appreciated.

Punctuality

A reminder to students that they should be on campus no later than 8.30am. Students who are late to school for appointments must be signed in by a parent or guardian, or have their parent notify the Student Reception (secondary.admin@newman.wa.edu), ahead of the appointment.

Students are given time between periods to ensure they have adequate time to make it to their next class. Students should not be arriving late to class or visiting their lockers between periods.         

Instilling punctuality in our young people reinforces the sense of responsibility and commitment that will be integral to their success in life.

Locks

A reminder that all students are required to purchase a coded lock for their child鈥檚 locker. These are available at the College Uniform shop. Padlocks and other variations are not permitted.

Leaders of Wellbeing will be doing an audit on Wednesday of Week 2 and will be in contact with parents if their child does not yet have a lock.

Year 7 Transition Week

Today marks the end of the Year 7 transition program, and the students have had a fantastic start. The transition program focused on equipping students with the practical knowledge and tools needed for secondary schooling, and students had the opportunity to form social connections through their team building day.

A big thank you to Mrs Lara Vlahov, the Year 7 Team, Guild Coordinators, and all Year 7 teaching staff for your work this week. It’s been a calm and smooth beginning.

As students move to their full timetable next week, we encourage you to reach out to your child’s PCG teacher if you have any queries or concerns.

State Sporting Representation

Congratulations to the following students for selection in the Western Australian teams in their respective sports:

  • Stella Ferguson, Year 11, represented Western Australia at the Women’s Second XI Series in Perth in November, Under 19 Female National Cricket Championships in Newcastle in December, and Under 16 Female National Cricket Championships in Launceston in January. What a busy summer!

State and National Representation is an honour and an important stepping stone in an athlete鈥檚 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 this form. 

Mrs Anna Scanlan

DEPUTY PRINCIPAL SECONDARY

Pathways and Careers Information 

Contact details: 

Justin Farley 

Leader of Pathways and Partnerships 

justin.farley@newman.wa.edu.au 

Tel. 9204 9457 

Pathways and Careers Information: Year 11 

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 鈥淔irst in Family鈥� 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:   

Pathways and Careers Information: Year 12 

Alternatives to University 

Did you know that University is not the only place you can obtain a degree? There are several alternatives here in Perth: 

  • SAE: Offers degrees in things like Animation, Audio, Game Development, Creative Industries.  
  • ACAP: Offers degrees in things like Psychology, Criminology, Social Work.  
  • EIT: Offers degrees in Engineering, IT, and Renewable Energy.   

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 

Here is a new scholarship at UWA: 

  • Engineering Excellence Scholarship. 
  • Must have an ATAR of 90+ and accepted an offer into Engineering at UWA. 
  • This scholarship is worth $10,000 and will be automatically awarded if you fit the above criteria. 
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:  

UPCOMING CAREERS EVENTS 

EVENT HOSTED BY DATE LINK 
School Leavers, Parents and Teachers Information Session Defence Force 12 February  
Gap Year Information Session Defence Force 17 February  
Officers & Management Information Session Defence Force 19 February  
Open Day ECU Joondalup 15 March  
Open Day Murdoch University 28 March  
Open Day Curtin University 29 March  
Open Day ECU City Campus 9 August  
    

If you are thinking of attending a University Open Day, this link might help you get the most out of it: