As mentioned in the Vice Principal’s update, the recent removal of site sheds by our builder, Badge Constructions, indicates that the construction of our new PK – Year 2 facilities are nearly complete. Some aerial photos below show the ongoing development of the site. We are anticipating the handover of the facilities next month. The process of relocating from the Marian campus is underway, and we will provide further updates in due course.
Bus Survey
Thank you to those parents who expressed interest through our recent survey, with a view to evaluating the possibility of chartered bus services to and from the College. Unfortunately, the level of interest required to provide a sustainable service was not received. I have included a small table below showing the data from the survey. It was noted that the cost of the service was a likely reason for the less than expected response. Concerns were also raised about committing to the required number of weekly journeys.
Total responses received:
16
Glendalough Station
5
Karrinyup Bus Station
9
Other Areas
2
As you know, Transperth have declined our request for additional services to/from the areas mentioned. Families seeking increased bus services from Karrinyup & Stirling are suggested to continue to liaise with Transperth regarding possible increases to their services.
City of Stirling – Parking
We have received notification from the City of Stirling regarding parking infringements and the resulting impact on our neighbours, particularly around the areas of Tuscany Way, Mantua Crescent & Dolomite Court. Parking rangers have asked us to convey their requests for drivers to adhere to the signage and restrictions marked. In the event that breaches continue, they are likely to resort to issuing infringement notices without further warning.
Thank you for your understanding and respect for our neighbours.
On Friday of last week, Year 1 Blue entertained us with the assembly dedicated to their Mums, sharing the many reasons they love their Mums and acknowledging all the many balls that the Mums in our community juggle while always having the time to stop and have a cuddle. Thank you, 1 Blue, Miss Tess McKenna and Mrs Julie Romano for such a well-performed, heart-warming assembly.
Year 2 Green Assembly
This morning, 2 Green entertained and educated us with their love of Science, experiments and potions! They even performed experiments on stage! Massive thank you to 2 Green, Mrs Catherine Nicolaou, Mrs Trish Eindorf and Ms Aishlin Fritz, for highlighting not only is Chemistry fun and exciting, but it is also important in improving our world.
Year 3-6 Guild Cross Country
Last Friday, we celebrated our inaugural Year 3-6 Guild Cross Country, showcasing the incredible spirit and perseverance of our students. From the first stride to the final finish line, each participant demonstrated remarkable grit, determination, and sportsmanship. The energy was palpable as students cheered on their peers, embodying the true essence of our school community. A special thank you to Mrs Hannah Barnsley for all of her organisation and coordination of the event.
Congratulations to our medal winners:
Girls
Boys
Year 3
1st
Lucy Summerfield (Camara)
Harry Bluff (Chishom)
2nd
Finley Shephard (MacKillop)Â
Tom Atkinson (Thomas More)
3rd
Frankie Baily (Camara)Â
Noah Steens (Camara)
Year 4
1st
Zoe Harris (MacKillop)
Donovan Johnson (Catherine)
2nd
Indiana Dutton (Thomas More)
Austin Houlahan (Camara)
3rd
Sophie Magee (Camara)Â
Cristian Cameron (Brigid)
Year 5
1st
Sicily Moschopoulos (Romero)
Nikhil Nair (Brigid)
2nd
Lucy Cumberworth (Chisholm)
Izei Goldaracena Zubiri (Chisholm)
3rd
Clara Schlitter (Brigid)
Julian Posselt (Chisholm)
Year 6
1st
Isabelle Hobson (Romero)Â
Blake Martin (Catherine)
2nd
Samantha Glyde (Thomas More)
Rohan Shephard (MacKillop)
3rd
Maya Martin-Booth (Thomas More)
Samuel Baily (Camara)
Homework Club
A friendly reminder that Homework Club for Years 3–6 takes 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.
We appreciate your cooperation in maintaining a secure and supportive environment for our students.
Marian Photos
Just a friendly reminder that photos at the Marian campus will take place on 29 and 30 May. Uniform requirements for these two days are:
Week 4, and we are almost at the halfway point of Term 2, and our students have been so busy with their learning.
Primary
Primary assemblies have been great features of the past weeks, where Year 6 Red informed us of the wonders of parts of the world, Year 1 Blue led us in the celebration of Mothers and Year 2 Green explored the fascinating world of science. Assemblies are such great opportunities for our students to experience performance and work together, even if it means working outside their comfort zone. We had another first for the Guild system in Primary with the Lavalla Guild Cross Country Carnival last week under blue skies and run with great Guild spirit. Congratulations to all the students for running.
Simultaneous Reading
Yesterday, our Marian students joined with children across the Country for National Simultaneous Storytime, sharing in the joy of reading The Truck Cat.
Secondary Sport
The past fortnight has seen our Year 7 students competing in the Winter NAS Carnival, netballers participating in the SSWA Netball Carnival, the First XVIII and Year 8/9 Eagles Cup teams playing SEDA College and John Forrest Senior High School, respectively. We also had the presentation of uniforms for the Marist Netball Team, who will play in the Marist Netball Carnival next week in Adelaide. Winter provides so many options for our students to pursue sporting interests and great competitions.
Genesis Dance Troupe for Marian and Year 7-9 Production
Our youngest students have taken to the Genesis Dance Troupe program with great enthusiasm and participation. Aimed at Year 1 and Year 2 students, Genesis then provides a pathway into the Lavalla Dance program and beyond. What a great opportunity and joyful program it is!
Following closely after the Bugsy Malone Musical, the students of the Arts have been rehearsing for their performance of Emil and the Detectives, which will be performed in July. The Arts is such a wonderful area for our students to discover, imagine, create, and many of the Visual Arts pieces are starting to take shape in classroom Art across the College.
Mock Trials and Science and Engineering Challenge
We have a great tradition in the Mock Trials competition, which takes place at this time every year. Students in our Politics and Law course extend their learning to real-life experience in the Law Courts, through this senior secondary experience. So far this year, the team has competed against Mandurah Catholic College and Servite College and won both rounds. The round of law trials will end in July, followed by three rounds of finals.
The Science and Engineering Challenge at Murdoch University saw our student groups take part in hands-on STEM challenge activities. Along with the competition, our students gained great insights into engineering by working alongside industry professionals, and the team placed first overall in the challenge. Great work!
Marcellin Campus – Celebration Assembly
Our Vision for Learning captures Challenge, Collaborate, Create and Celebrate, and the Celebration Assemblies each term showcase the excellence in the educational and co-curricular pursuits of our students. This week we held the first of the assemblies for the term, and we were treated to some performances from our music students, updates to the Guild Champagnat Shield progress scores and reports from the Ministry, Academic, Wellbeing, Sport and Arts Captains.
Marian Lecture
A highlight in a Marist community is the annual Marian Lecture, which takes place in May, the month of Mary. Last week, we hosted a group of 30 people who are a part of the Marist Association, as we all listened to the live streamed lecture from Professor Stan Grant, the guest speaker. Prof. Grant captured the magic and mystery we all experience in our encounter with Jesus and through the example of Mary. Prof. Grant shared his insights on the connection between First Nations spirituality and the Christian faith. We all left with much to unpack and consider for our next gathering of the Marist Association.
Senior Examinations
In the coming weeks, our Year 12, 11 and 10 students will undertake their Semester One examinations. The introduction of the Equip Guide Thrive program (EGT) this year has sharpened the focus on preparation for study and personal success in learning. We wish our senior students the very best for this set of assessments. Â
Welcome back to Term Two. The primary school community has welcomed me in my new role as Head of Primary in Ryan von Bergheim’s absence. My background is in both primary and secondary teaching, spending much of my career specialising in Diversity and Learning Support, which has given me a big-picture view of the learning journey our students go through, from those first days in Pre-Kindy all the way through to the later years of school and beyond. I’m particularly passionate about helping students prepare for the many transitions they’ll experience, making sure they feel ready—not just for the next year, but for life beyond school. I also care deeply about diversity, especially neurodiversity, and the different ways children experience and interact with the world around them.
I am excited to get to know all the students quickly and thank everyone for their kind words over the past two weeks.
Year 6 Red Assembly
Last Friday, Year 6 Red performed a magnificent assembly, using their imagination to fly us via ÐãÐãÖ±²¥ Airlines to China, New Zealand, the United States of America, Italy, and North Korea. We learnt some funny and quirky facts about each of these countries. Thanks to Year 6 Red and Ms Lara Gray for their outstanding performance.
Fathering Project
The Fathering Project recognises that fathers and father figures play a vital role in the lives of children. The evidence demonstrating fathers’ potential to positively influence their children’s health and mental health, social success and academic achievements is robust and compelling.
Delivering engaging prevention and intervention programs and research-based resources will equip fathers with the skills to be the best father they can be and improve the lives of fathers, children, and families for generations to come.
Our next event, ‘Bangers and Bingo,’ is being held on 23 May at the Marian Hall and is open to all primary families. Tickets are currently available A special thank you to ÐãÐãÖ±²¥ Dad, Matt Hamilton, for organising this important event.
Teaching Mathematics Across the Primary School
Over the last two years, we been reviewing and updating Mathematics teaching across the primary years. Our focus has been on upskilling staff on High Impact Teaching practices and aligning the Mathematics curriculum across the year levels. Â
High Impact Teaching practices are strategies that research shows have the greatest impact in improving academic outcomes and deeper learning. Some strategies you may hear about in include:
Daily Reviews – these are quick hits of previous learning that help to transfer learning to long term memory.  
Clear and explicit learning intentions and success criteria – the teacher explains exactly what the main focus of the lesson is and what is expected of the students by the end of the lesson. This helps students stay focused on the learning and recognise the steps needed to experience success in their learning.
Structured lessons (I do, We do, You do) – this structure is consistent across each year level so students become familiar with expectations and can expand their thinking on the Maths learning, not what comes next in the lesson.  Â
We use a range of ORIGO Mathematics resources that follow a spiral curriculum, allowing students to develop mastery of skills and understandings over time. Students engage in a range of experiences that move from concrete, hands on learning, to abstract and symbolic representations of mathematical concepts. This approach allows students to gain deep understanding of concepts and skills and experience success in their learning. Learning is organised into modules and there are check ups of student learning for each module followed by quarterly tests each term. This tracking helps to provide timely feedback to students that corrects misconceptions and guides relevant planning for future lessons. This is also useful information that helps demonstrate student learning progress with parents. Â
We are excited about the growth we’re seeing and remain committed to providing all students with a strong foundation in Mathematics that supports confidence, curiosity, and long-term success.
School Photos
School photos will be held at the following dates, with Envelopes being sent home today.
23 May – Lavalla Campus, Y3-Y6
29 and 30 May – Marian Campus, PK-2 May
Uniform requirements for these days include:
Y1-Y3: Winter Uniform with jumper
Y4-Y6: Winter Uniform including blazer and Tie (boys). No jumper is required.
Pre-Primary: Sport Uniform (no guild shirt)
Kindy: No uniform (kindy top an option)
Pre Kindy: No uniform
Year 3-6 Guild Cross Country Carnival
Further to correspondence from Mrs Barnsley, the Year 3-6 Guild Cross Country Carnival will take place next Thursday 16 May. Students must wear their sports uniform with their faction shirt and bring a drink bottle and a hat.
The approximate timeline for the day is as follows:
9.10am Year 3 race (1.5km)
9.30am Year 4 race (1.5km)
Presentations for Year 3 and 4 students will take place at the conclusion of the Year 4 race. Â
11.10am – RECESS
11.40am Year 5 race (2.5km)
12.00pm Year 6 race (2.5km)
Presentations for Year 5 and 6 students will take place at the conclusion of the Year 6 race. Â
If you are attending as a spectator, please ensure you remain in the designated spectator area, spectator on the oval along Dolomite Ct. Visitors must sign in on the day via the QR code in the spectator area.
Mother’s Day
It was so wonderful to see so many mothers and significant female figures attend today’s Mother’s Day breakfast and Liturgy at Marian. Thank you to Year 1 for your terrific reading, singing, and liturgical dancing. We wish all mothers and significant female figures in our community a very happy Mother’s Day.
Road Safety Slogan Competition
Dogs on Campus
A reminder that for the comfort and safety of all primary students, dogs are not allowed on either Primary Campus. We have students who are allergic to animals, as well as those who are frightened of dogs. If bringing your dog with you to collect your child, we ask that the dog remain on a leash outside of the campus. Your support is greatly appreciated.
Here we are at the end of Term 1! What a fantastic term it has been, full of exciting learning opportunities across the Primary! Our students (and staff) have worked extremely hard this term and everyone is ready for a well-deserved holiday break to rest and recuperate!
Easter Liturgies
This morning, we held Easter Liturgies at both Primary campuses. Both of these were joyful and reverent occasions, reminding us as a ÐãÐãÖ±²¥ community of the true meaning of Easter. Special thanks to our Year 2 students and teachers for organising the Marian Liturgy, which saw all of our Marian students participating.
Easter Raffles
A huge thanks to all families who purchased tickets and also donated eggs for our Primary Easter Raffle. We have raised a great deal of money for Caritas Project Compassion – a truly worthy cause. Your donations will make a huge difference in the live of many people in need around the world. Many students will be coming home today as winners of the raffle – enjoy all of that chocolate! You can find out more about Project Compassion by visiting .
Assembly
Last Friday 2 Red shared their wonderful Term 1 learning with us. 2 Red started their assembly by signing the beautiful song My Lighthouse reminding us that Jesus is always there for us, ready to listen to us and help guide us in the right direction. 2 Red then took us on a journey around the world – teaching us all about the Continents, sharing wonderful facts, jokes and songs along the way! Thank you 2 Red for helping us to learn about our amazing world and inspiring us to travel!
ÐãÐãÖ±²¥ Norms / Medals of Marcellin
Each fortnight at each Primary campus, one person will be drawn out of the raffle and receive a small prize for living out our ÐãÐãÖ±²¥ Norms. Congratulations to Mateo, Shubh and Noah (Week 8 Lavalla) and Heath (Week 9 Marian) who were our recent winners! Each raffle ticket received is swapped for a token and the Guild with the highest number of tokens at the end of the term wins a prize for the whole Guild!
As advised earlier this week – the winning guilds for Term 1 2025 were as below:
The tokens now reset, with a fresh start for Term 2 Medals of Marcellin!
Mother’s Day
We invite all Mothers and Mother figures to join us for our upcoming Mother’s Day celebrations. Please see the flyer below for more information about these events, which are occurring early next term. RSVP form can be found
The Fathering Project
In exciting news, the College is looking to expand the Fathering Project into the Lavalla and Marcellin Campuses this year! Over the past couple of years the Fathering Project has run events with Marian fathers and children, which have been hugely successful.
Matt Hamilton, who is a Year 3 and Pre-Primary parent, has coordinated these events with a small group of dad helpers over the past couple of years and we are now looking to expand this group as we open this up to all of the Primary dads.
As such, we are looking for dads who are willing to get involved in helping to organise and run future events, particularly dads of students in Years 4, 5 & 6 (but also welcome dads of any year levels).
Nikki Cresp (currently on leave this term) will step into our Primary Library teacher role in Terms 2-4 this year. Having worked across both Primary campuses, Nikki knows the students and will be a wonderful addition to the Library team.
Hannah Barnsley joins us as our Sport Teacher, taking over from Mrs Richards for this year. Hannah is an experienced teacher who has taught across PK-12 in Physical Education, Special Education and Learning Support in her career.
URSTRONG
A reminder that 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.
Long Service Leave
As you will be aware from Andrew Watson’s email to parents earlier this term, I will be taking Long Service Leave across Terms 2 and 3 to travel around the world. The plans for the coming together of the Primary Campuses are well and truly in-hand and I am excited for my return to one Primary Campus at the start of Term 4.
During my leave, please contact Mrs Sarah Pagett (Acting Head of Primary Terms 2-3) or continue to contact the front office at either Campus who will direct your queries to the appropriate member of the Primary Leadership Team.
I wish all Primary families a restful and happy Easter with your families and a fruitful Terms 2 and 3.
