Secondary Campus Experience – Tuesday, 5 November
As part of our Year 7 2025 Transition Process, we invite our Year 6 students and their families to our Secondary Campus Experience on Tuesday, 5 November. The afternoon provides an opportunity for families to connect, share reflections from the recent Orientation Day, and further explore the Marcellin Campus.
Beginning at 3:30pm in Founders’ Court, families can enjoy refreshments before hearing a welcome from the College Principal. Students and parents will then have the chance to meet with Pastoral Care Group teachers, explore key areas of the campus, and engage with staff and student leaders who will play an integral role in their journey.
We look forward to welcoming you to ÐãÐãÖ±²¥ and supporting your family in preparing for a successful start to secondary school.
Remembrance Day Services
On Remembrance Day, the ÐãÐãÖ±²¥ community will come together at our respective campuses to honour those who have served in times of war and conflict. As students gather, we reflect not only on past sacrifices but also on the importance of peace in light of ongoing conflicts around the world. From the war in Ukraine to the hostilities in the Middle East, recent events remind us of the preciousness of peace and the profound impact of war on countless lives.
This Remembrance Day, we stand in solidarity with all affected by conflict, both past and present. As we observe moments of silence and reflection, we reaffirm our commitment to promoting compassion and understanding within our own community.
Road Safety Reminder
As we approach the end of the year, it is easy to let road safety awareness slip. We ask everyone in our school community to stay vigilant, especially during peak traffic times in the mornings and afternoons. Students are reminded to cross roads carefully and take care when getting in and out of cars.
To help keep our school zones safe, please remember:
Drive slowly: Stick to the 40km/h limit (10km/h in school grounds)
Stay alert: Watch for pedestrians, cyclists, and other drivers, and pay attention to crossings.
Avoid complex manoeuvres: U-turns, three-point turns, and similar actions disrupt traffic flow and can be dangerous.
Give way to pedestrians: Always give way to pedestrians, especially at driveways.
Follow crossing supervisors: Adhere to the guidance of crossing supervisors at all supervised crossings.
Let’s work together to keep all members of our community safe.
ÐãÐãÖ±²¥ Parents Forum – Monday 4 November 6pm
All ÐãÐãÖ±²¥ parents and guardians are invited to attend the ÐãÐãÖ±²¥ Parents Forum next Monday at 6pm in the John Henry ÐãÐãÖ±²¥ Learning Hub. This event provides an opportunity to hear important updates on a range of school-related topics and engage with the College community. The agenda is as follows:
Strategic Plan 2025/2027
Student Wellbeing and Formation: Equip, Guide, Thrive Secondary Program
Primary Build Update
Bus Services
Parent Engagement Events in 2025
2025 NPF Proposed Meeting Dates
We look forward to seeing you there! If you are unable to make it in person please join us online using the following link –
Uniform Update: Stock Arrivals, Discounts, and Plans for 2025
With the introduction of the new skirts for secondary and guilds for primary, there are a number of updates regarding uniform availability, pricing adjustments, and what you can expect in the coming months at the ÐãÐãÖ±²¥ Uniform Shop.
New Arrivals
We recently received a shipment of new skirts and skorts, and we are anticipating the arrival of girls’ trousers very soon. These are in the new grey colour.
The new skirts and skorts will be available for sale or order by the new Year 7 students at their upcoming orientation session, while Year 6 students from ÐãÐãÖ±²¥ can also shop from our discounted old skirt selection as they prepare for secondary school.
Discounted Pricing on Select Items
We are offering substantial discounts on select items:
Faction Polos are now available for $15
Old Colour Skirts, Skorts, and Trousers are now $45
These discounts apply to old stock items as we transition to the updated uniform. Please note that these discounted items can only be worn until the end of 2026.
Guild Shirt Update
Some of the smaller sizes in guild shirts are currently in high demand. Orders have been placed for these sizes, and we expect their arrival in late November.
2025 Uniform
Looking ahead to the 2025 school year, we are expecting to have stock of the bulk of uniform items in January, in time for Term 1. We look forward to welcoming you to the Uniform Shop soon and helping you with your uniform needs as we transition to the 2025 school year!
On Wednesday 23 October, our secondary students gathered for our final Celebration Assembly for the term. We had an opportunity to acknowledge and celebrate the achievements in the following areas:
Catholic Performing Arts Festival: Certificates for Outstanding Performances, Excellence and Merit.
Law Society Mock Trial Competition Participation
Ministry Involvement:
St Vincent de Paul Sleepout,
Year 11 Children, Family and Community Class, and
Mullewa attendees.
Our 2025 College Captains, Amelia Ng and Liam Stannard, officially addressed the Year 7-11 students for the first time. Amelia and Liam encouraged our Marcellin students to step outside their comfort zone and embrace every opportunity on offer at the College. They also acknowledged the importance of checking on friends, offering help and celebrating others’ success.
Year 11 Students – Exam Period
Our Year 11 students have their final day of classes on Friday 1 November with our Year 11 ATAR students returning to complete their ATAR examinations over the next two weeks. Students are reminded that they are to wear formal summer uniform to their examinations, and the usual uniform and personal presentation guidelines apply, along with the College’s Mobile Phone Policy.
Our Year 11s are reminded that the Annual Awards Assembly takes place on Friday 22 November, and is a compulsory event that all Year 11 students are expected to attend. We wish our Year 11 students well with their examinations over the next two weeks, as well as their TAFE and workplace commitments.
Recognition of State Representation
Congratulations to Madison Penberthy, Year 10, who was selected for the Touch Football WA State representative team, U16’s, competing at Coffs Harbour, in September 2024. The team had an excellent competition, making the quarter finals.
State Representation is an honour and an important stepping stone in an athlete’s journey. We commend Madison for her dedication and commitment to her sport.
Pathways and Careers Information: Year 10
Subject selection for Year 11, 2025
Thank you to all families who participated in the subject selection process for Year 11, 2025. The College is currently finalising missing selections and constructing the timetable for 2025.
In the near future, Year 10 students (and families) will be advised of their allocated subjects for 2025. This will allow sufficient time for purchase of the relevant books and class materials.
VET Certificates (TAFE courses) and Work Experience for 2025
Applications for VET Certificates for 2025 have now closed. Students will be notified of the outcome of their application in the coming weeks.
The College will open applications for 2025 Work Experience later in Term 4 of 2024.
Pathways and Careers Information: Year 11
WACE (secondary graduation) requirements
In Year 11 and 12, students are progressing towards their Western Australian Certificate of Education (WACE), otherwise known as their secondary graduation.
In order to achieve their WACE, students need to meet certain academic targets across Year 11 and 12. These are:
Demonstrate the minimum standard of literacy and numeracy (either in Year 9 NAPLAN or in Year 10-12 OLNA).
Be enrolled in English / Literature in Year 11 and 12.
Be enrolled in at least 1 ‘List B’ (Maths / Science / Sport / Technology) subject.
Achieve at least 14 C grades, with at least 6 C grades in Year 12 subjects.
Enrolling in Notre Dame UniPath for 2025
The Notre Dame UniPath program is now open for applications for 2025. Please see below a summary of the UniPath and UniReady Programs:
 &²Ô²ú²õ±è;
UniReady
UniPath
Outcome
70 ATAR
70 ATAR
Valid for
All WA Universities (but to enter UWA you need 65% in UniReady)
Curtin, ECU, Murdoch, Notre Dame.
Structure
One of your 6 school subjects in Year 12. Taught here at ÐãÐãÖ±²¥, by a teacher, in a classroom each day.
Attend Notre Dame Fremantle campus one day per week, for 12 weeks.
How to apply
Select UniReady as one of your Year 12 subjects next year. (Or tell me if you’d like to enter)
See below.
If you would like to enrol in UniPath for next year, you can now apply for entry to this program.
Read the information here:
If it looks right for you, see the “How To Apply” section for the process.
If you are already enrolled in UniReady but decide to switch to UniPath, please let me know.
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:
Are you thinking of attending a University Open Day? Dates are below. This blog might help you:
VET Certificates (TAFE courses) and Work Experience for 2025
Applications for VET Certificates for 2025 have now closed. Students will be notified of the outcome of their application in the coming weeks.
The College will open applications for 2025 Work Experience in Term 4 of 2024.
Pathways and Careers Information: Year 12
Parent and family resources
Each year, the Australian Government publishes a resource for parents / guardians to assist in career conversations. The 2024 version can be found here:
WACE (secondary graduation) requirements
In Year 11 and 12, students are progressing towards their Western Australian Certificate of Education (WACE), otherwise known as their secondary graduation.
In order to achieve their WACE, students need to meet certain academic targets across Year 11 and 12. These are:
Demonstrate the minimum standard of literacy and numeracy (either in Year 9 NAPLAN or in Year 10-12 OLNA).
Be enrolled in English / Literature in Year 11 and 12.
Be enrolled in at least 1 ‘List B’ (Maths / Science / Sport / Technology) subject.
Achieve at least 14 C grades, with at least 6 C grades in Year 12 subjects.
Gap year information
Students interested in taking a gap year in 2025 might find the following interesting:
Defence Force Gap Year:
Other gap year ideas:
And:
Apprenticeship and Trades information
The 2024 edition of the Apprentice Intake Guide has now been published. This guide is a large listing of many different apprenticeship opportunities available.
Students and families can access the Guide here:
ATAR Examinations Timetable 2024
The 2024 ATAR examinations timetable can be found at the links below:
University and TAFE dates
University deadlines and information
Date
Information
31 August
Last date to enter Veterinary Science as a preference on TISC. You can’t apply for Vet after this date.
30 September
Last date to enter a preference on TISC for Medicine (Curtin, UWA, Notre Dame).
29 November
Last date to upload any known medical/family evidence (via the TISC website) that might affect your ATAR.
2 December
Final round of early offers sent to students.
15 December
ATAR results available on the TISC website.
17 December
Closing date for applications / changes of preferences on the TISC website.
21 December
Offers sent to students.
15 January
Last date to apply for second-round offers.
21 January
Second-round offers sent to students.
For instructions on how to apply using TISC (including for UniReady / UniPath students), please refer to .
For guidance on how the offer process works / how to accept / what to do if you don’t get an offer / deferring – please see here:  &²Ô²ú²õ±è;
TAFE deadlines and information  
Date
Information
6 September
Applications open for Semester 1, 2025.
1 November
Last date to apply for Semester 1, 2025.
4 December onwards
Offers will be made after this date.
Students and families can find a list of all TAFE courses at this link: 
Information about University entry
TISC has a series of videos explaining things like ATAR calculation, prerequisite subjects, scaling, and preferences. You can find them here:
Are you thinking of attending a University Open Day? Dates are below. This blog might help you:
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:
Students and families may also find these resources from Curtin University helpful:
University scholarships
Curtin University
Edith Cowan University (ECU)
Murdoch University
Notre Dame University
University of Western Australia (UWA)
Christian Leaders Scholarship
UPCOMING CAREERS EVENTS
EVENT
DATE
LINK
Curtin University Pathway support sessions
6 November
North Metro TAFE: Animation and Special Effects Open Evening
This morning Pre-Primary Green shared their learning in their assembly at Marian campus. The focus of their assembly was centred around the story of The Gingerbread Man. Pre-Primary Green started with a beautiful Acknowledgement of Country and sung the song ‘My Lighthouse’ for their prayer. They then shared with us a retelling and acting out of the story of the Gingerbread Man, which they have been learning about as part of the Talk 4 Writing Program, which is embedded throughout the Primary. To finish off, they performed a wonderful song and dance! Thank you to Pre-Primary Green for sharing their wonderful learning with us!
Grandparents Day
On Thursday of last week, we held our Grandparents Day. It was a wonderful celebration of our loving grandparents. It was lovely to see Lavalla grandparents attending Community Mass and sharing light refreshments together afterwards. Grandparents at Marian enjoyed spending the morning visiting classrooms, as well as relaxing over a tea/coffee and cupcake. It was a beautiful day celebrating these very special people in our lives.
Swimming Lessons
As the weather starts to heat up, swimming lessons are fast approaching. Please see the attached letter which details lessons times for each class, as well as important additional information.
.
Expressions of Interest – Parent Representatives
In 2024, we were required to move to only having 1 Parent Representative for each year level due to a lack of parent volunteers for these roles. I would like to take the time to thank these parents for their efforts this year, it is greatly appreciated. In 2025, we are wanting to move back to having 1 parent rep for each class across the school. Of course, this relies on having enough parent volunteers.
The Parent Representative role is purely a pastoral and social role for members of the class. The focus is purely and primarily a social, community-building role, which may involve liaising with the class teacher with regards to any support required. In 2025 we continue to ask parent reps to refrain from providing their parent groups with reminders or information about classroom/school events, dates, etc. In 2025, it is essential that parents refer to official College communication (SeeSaw, email, Newsletters) as their main source of information as all details are provided through these channels, and not rely on parent reps for this information.
If you are interested in becoming a parent rep in 2025, I ask you to please fill in by Friday 8 November.
Staffing
As we prepare for 2025 staffing, it is timely to share some staffing news with the community.
The following staff members will be moving on from ÐãÐãÖ±²¥ to pursue the next exciting chapters of their careers: Charlotte McLean, Annette Doe, Kate O’Keefe, Tamara Bastow, Lauren O’Brien.
We also have some staff taking a year’s leave in 2025 and wish them all the best: Marnie Fitzpatrick and Nicola Cresp.
We will farewell these wonderful staff members and celebrate their contributions to our community at the end of the term.
Christmas Carols & Primary Awards Night
ÐãÐãÖ±²¥ Norms / Medals of Marcellin
Our new ÐãÐãÖ±²¥ Norms are now on our website and I encourage you to have a look at these expectations for our Primary students – ÐãÐãÖ±²¥ Norms – ÐãÐãÖ±²¥. Each week our staff and students will focus on one Norm, to discuss and unpack what that norm means for our students in their day-to-day school life.
Recently Rosellyn, Sophie and Tommy (Lavalla) and Elijah and Stirling (Marian) were drawn out of the raffle for demonstrating our ÐãÐãÖ±²¥ Norms. Congratulations to all students who received a raffle ticket in the past fortnight.
URSTRONG
A reminder parents continue to have access to a . We hope that as a URSTRONG Family, you will reinforce the important messages of empowerment, self-compassion, & kindness at home.
Fathering Project
The next Fathering Project Event will be held on Friday 8 November from 4:30-6:00pm at Marian Campus. This event is for children and dads of students at Marian Campus. The event will be Paper Planes and Pizza. Please see flyer below.
To book tickets please click on this link –
Marian Morning Supervision
A reminder that supervision of students commences at Marian Campus when the gates are unlocked by the duty teacher – at 8:20am. Please ensure you do not drop your children off before this time as there is no supervision and this is a safety concern. Thank you for your support in ensuring the safety of our students.
As we reach the halfway mark of Term 4, it’s time to take a breath and just marvel at the achievements and involvements of our students and staff at this busy but rewarding time of the year. Here are just a few of the wonderful involvements of the past fortnight:
Pre-Primary Green Assembly
There’s nothing better than a ‘classic’ tale to tell, and our PPG students brought great joy to this week’s Marian Assembly with the story of the Gingerbread Man. Besides the great entertainment on show, Mr von Bergheim recognised the class for their use of Talk for Writing in their performance.
Primary Disco
The return of the Primary Disco was certainly well received by our students and they enjoyed the excitement of discoing in the big arena of the Marist Auditorium. The Year 12, 2025 student leaders joined them and, along with the staff, created a special event.
Arts Week – Kaleidoscope
Creativity takes courage, and students expressing themselves in the Arts do more than just tend to their own growth and stretch their boundaries. ÐãÐãÖ±²¥ life isn’t complete or well-rounded without a thriving Arts scene. Borrowing from Pablo Picasso’s quote ‘The purpose of art(s) is washing the dust of daily life off our souls.’ The Arts bring out the best in us.
A week of celebrating and showcasing the Arts saw our students and Art team host the Art and Technologies Exhibition, Music Collective Concert and the Dance Showcase to round out the week. In between, there were smaller events to celebrate. Congratulations to all students involved and to our Arts, Technologies and Auditorium teams. What was truly inspiring during Kaleidoscope was the sense of Family Spirit on display in the artists, creators, musicians, dancers and designers. Â
@stephenheathphotography
@stephenheathphotography
@stephenheathphotography
@stephenheathphotography
Year 5 Leadership Retreat& State Schools WA Cross Country
In preparation for becoming the leaders of Primary in 2025, Year 5s spent the day understanding leadership and how they could contribute to a better community next year.
In the SSWA Cross Country event, the determination and talent of our Year 4-6 runners shone through with great personal and team efforts.
Primary Grandparents Day
Grandparents are the great gift in families, and we were delighted to host so many proud grandparents at this annual event. Beginning with Mass, our cherished visitors then spent time in classrooms and enjoying morning tea. Our Primary children were so excited and eager to bring their grandparents into games and activities in the classrooms. I am sure there were a few stiff joints the day after as grandparents got right into activities on the floor and small chairs.
Maggie Dent- From the Sandpit to Adulthood
We were pleased to again host Maggie Dent at the College as she spoke to a full Marist Auditorium crowd about navigating parenthood and childhood development. Maggie’s presentations and writings are always so accessible and supportive of parents’ work in raising young people.
All Saints Day
This edition of the newsletter ends with the celebration of All Saints Day. We are all aware of the growth in the celebration of Halloween in Australia. It certainly is an opportunity to bring joy to children and foster a sense of community as our youngest ones explore their neighbourhoods under the watchful eyes of family. Our Christian tradition runs deep in this celebration too. All Hallows Day, or All Saints Day is a holy or hallowed day in recognition of the saints. The eve before was the preparation for Hallows Day, hence Halloween.
Year 5 Green shared their learning with us this morning in their assembly at Lavalla campus. The focus of their assembly was centred around their ‘Top 5 Tips to staying safe online’. Year 5 Green acted out some situations and shared with the Lavalla community strategies and ways that we can stay safe in the online environment, which is so important in today’s world. The class finished with a fantastic dance to the song ‘Safe and Sound’. Thank you to 5 Green for their wonderful assembly, reminding us of the importance of staying safe online and giving us some great strategies to help us do so!
Grandparents’ Day
We look forward to welcoming all grandparents to our Grandparents’ Day celebrations next week on Thursday 24 October. Please refer to the previous Newsletter for further information. Maps will be provided on the day to assist you in finding classrooms around the Marian Campus. The RSVP has now closed for this event.
PK-12 Faction/Guild Alignment
As you will have read in the Newsletter at the end of last term, as part of the process of moving onto one campus and aligning our PK-12 College, in 2025 we will be refining our faction system in primary to provide consistency for families across our PK-12 community.
As part of this, the current Primary four faction system is evolving into an 8 Guild system. This will mean factions are consistent across the entire College and will be better for our families in the long term. From the start of 2025, students will be placed into one of our 8 College Guilds.
The process we used for allocating Guilds to all Primary students is outlined below in sequence:
Primary students with siblings already in the secondary school have been placed into the same guild as their sibling(s).
Year 6 students have already been placed into a Guild for Year 7, 2025 and this will not change. As a result, primary students with siblings currently in Year 6 have also been aligned to this Guild.
After categorising those with siblings in secondary or Year 6, we have aligned the students’ current primary faction colour to the base colour of the new allocated guild shirt:
Primary Marcellin faction (blue) to Camara or Mackillop Guilds (base colour blue).
Primary Delany faction (red) to Marcellin and Catherine Guilds (base colour red).
Primary Knox faction (green) to Romero or Brigid Guilds (base colour green).
Primary Brigid faction (yellow) to Chisolm or Thomas More Guilds (base colour purple).
All parents in Kindy – Year 5 will receive an email in the coming week which will advise of the 2025 Guild for their family.
Students will be able to start wearing the Guild sports shirts (pictured below) at the start of the 2025 school year. The uniform shop is currently working to stock these new, smaller-sized guild shirts and more information will follow regarding when these shirts can be ordered. Please be advised that it is not compulsory to have the new Guild top at the start of next year. As with any uniform change, there will be a phase-in period, which in this case will be 2 years. Throughout this 2-year period, students can continue to wear their existing coloured faction top.
Currently, each of the four factions has two Year 6 sport leaders. Moving into next year with our 8-Guild system, each guild will have one Year 6 sport captain. This will retain a total of 8 sport captains.
Whilst this is a change for our community, it is an important step and a very exciting time. Your support in ensuring the alignment of our PK-12 College is greatly appreciated.
Parent Representatives
In 2024, we were required to move to only having one Parent Representative for each year level due to a lack of parent volunteers for these roles. I would like to take the time to thank these parents for their efforts this year. It is greatly appreciated.
In 2025, we are wanting to move back to having 1 parent rep for each class across the school. Of course, this relies on having enough parent volunteers.
Before the end of this term, information will be sent out to Primary parents asking for expressions of interest for the Parent Representative roles in 2025. In the meantime, I encourage parents to consider putting their hand up for this class role in 2025 to ensure we have enough people to cover all classes.
I have included below a short explanation of what the Class Parent Representative role involves:
The Parent Representative role is purely a pastoral and social role for members of the class. The focus is purely and primarily a social, community-building role, which may involve liaising with the class teacher with regard to any support required. In 2025 we continue to ask parent reps to refrain from providing their parent groups with reminders or information about classroom/school events, dates, etc. In 2025, it is essential that parents refer to official College communication (SeeSaw, email, Newsletters) as their main source of information as all details are provided through these channels, and not rely on parent reps for this information. &²Ô²ú²õ±è;
ÐãÐãÖ±²¥ Norms / Medals of Marcellin
Our new ÐãÐãÖ±²¥ Norms are now on our website and I encourage you to have a look at these expectations for our Primary students – ÐãÐãÖ±²¥ Norms – ÐãÐãÖ±²¥. 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 Maddie (Lavalla) was drawn out of the raffle for demonstrating our ÐãÐãÖ±²¥ Norms. Congratulations to all students who received a raffle ticket in the past fortnight.
Our token jars have been emptied and we have started the competition for our Term 4 winning faction!
Hats
With the warmer and sunnier weather back, it is timely to provide a reminder that all primary students are required to wear a hat during recess and lunch times, as well as during sports lessons. If your child does not have a hat, please ensure they are provided with one as soon as possible. Please also check the lost property on both primary campuses if you are missing one.
2024 Swimming Lessons (Years 1-6)
An email was sent to families of students in Years 1-6 earlier this week regarding upcoming 2024 Swimming Lessons. It is essential that all Year 1-6 parents complete the registration (via the link in the email) by Monday 21 October.
URSTRONG
A reminder that parents will continue to have access to a . We hope that as a URSTRONG Family, you will reinforce the important messages of empowerment, self-compassion, & kindness at home.
2025 Class Allocations
Shortly, teachers will commence working on class groupings for the 2025 school year. Many factors are considered when selecting student class placements, including gender, pastoral needs, social and emotional needs, academic needs, special learning needs, and relationships. Every effort is made to give children the best opportunity to succeed. All ÐãÐãÖ±²¥ teachers are outstanding professionals in their field, and students will receive a high-quality education no matter which class they are placed in.
Early in Term 4, students will be asked by their Classroom Teacher to nominate five friends, of which at least one will be placed in their 2025 class.
If you believe your child has special pastoral needs that may need consideration, you are asked to contact your child’s classroom teacher or contact me via email at ryan.vonbergheim@newman.wa.edu.au early in Term 4.
Any requests must be provided to the class teacher or myself by 3:00pm Tuesday, 22 October (next week).Requests made after this date cannot be considered.
Parents should understand that requests cannot be guaranteed as staff must consider a wide range of factors when creating class groupings within a triple-stream school. Parents should be aware that requesting a specific teacher is not a consideration in the class allocation process.
Once class lists have been finalised, they cannot be changed. Class lists will be published to families at the conclusion of our Move-up Day, details of which will be communicated next term.
Fathering Project
The next Fathering Project Event will be held on Friday 8 November from 4:30-6:00pm at Marian Campus. This event is for children and dads of students at Marian Campus. The event will be Paper Planes and Pizza. Please see the flyer below.
