E-News 17 August 2021
Outstanding Students
Last week, Av Christi College hosted Catholic Performing events each night in the Theatre. On Friday night, a member of the audience had a medical emergency. Please find below feedback from her family about our Year 12 students Keely Williams and Megan Schutte.
Good afternoon,
… I am writing as I felt the need to inform your administration of the outstanding behaviour of your students (apologies I do not know their names!) on the night of the performing arts concert on Friday night at your amazing theatre.
My mother in law fell quite ill due to her diabetes whilst at the performance and it was rather stressful as we had all not been in a situation like that with her before, she had taken the wrong insulin and as the paramedics informed us it could have been quite fatal if she was at home asleep, thank goodness for your school being around the corner from Fiona Stanley Hospital!
As I mentioned it was very stressful for all of us, her family that was there, your students- in particular the female drama captain (Keely Williams) that’s was helping on the night was so caring and helpful, especially to my 10year old daughter who was very upset by seeing her grandma in that state- she hugged her, assured her, got her tissues and water and comforted her as I was occupied with my mother in law- so caring, she is such a credit to your school and her parents, a good ambassador for what it is to be a student at a Catholic school! Also Another student (Megan Schutte) rushed upstairs to get her mum who was a doctor, but the paramedics had arrived when she came down, but still so helpful.
These students should be applauded, our family were so impressed by the maturity and care shown by these students, when they could have left, they stayed until she left and was ok- on an already late school night! We appreciate the follow up phone call from your school as well, thanks for all your help on the night, she has recovered well, God bless you all.
Languages Week
The Year 9 French and Italian students have recently had incursions for Languages Week. Thank you to Mrs Linda MacDonald and her Team for making this such a special time with the many Homeroom activities and events across the College.
Languages Week Incursion
Athletics Carnival
Thank you to Mr James Howard for the overall coordination of the College Athletics Carnival last Friday.
It was outstanding to see the day work so well, following on from weeks of pre-carnival events. Students were given the opportunity to showcase their talents in honour of their themselves, their families and their College House.
The spirit of cooperation, made possible by the framework provided by the Health and Physical Education Learning Area staff, led by Mr James Howard and Ms Naomi Larsen and House Coordinators, support staff and student leaders is highly commendable. I congratulate everyone for their efforts on this special day. The selected students will now continue to train and prepare for the ACC Athletics carnival for later in the Term.
Public Speaking Evening
Last Wednesday it was an honour to be in the audience for the Public Speaking Evening. This opportunity for our students genuinely caters for individual difference and provides a show case and launching platform for our students to shine.
Congratulations to Mrs Mel Bird in her first year as the overall coordinator of the Public Speaking program at Av. Here is an excerpt of her speech on the night which clearly informs us of the unquestionable benefit of the program and the students and staff involved in ensuring its continued success:
I would like to acknowledge and thank the following students for their efforts in assisting with coaching the Year 7 students: Year 12 students Chelsea Fuderer, Olivia Dellaca and Leah Nigli. These students have been involved in Public Speaking since Year 7 and have now passed the baton to emerging public speaking leaders. They gave generously of their time and expertise, which enabled so many students to be involved in this extracurricular activity. Thank you for being an excellent example of servant leadership in your final year at the College.
I am also very grateful to English teachers Mrs Jo-Anne Palmer, Mr Raymond Andrew and Mrs Leonie Southwell for their support and assistance in coaching students this year. The positive outcome of the time and energy they devoted to this after school activity cannot be underestimated.
The success of the 2021 Public Speaking Program is a direct result of Mrs Noreen Stevenson’s mentorship and dedication to her craft for fifteen years. Since her retirement, Noreen has continued to be a steward for Public Speaking here at the College and I am indebted to her legacy.
Without the help of these wonderful people, the opportunity for so many students to be involved in Public Speaking would not have been possible.
Finally, I wish to thank the students. Your commitment to the program is a reflection of your dedication to learning and self-improvement and I am grateful to all of you for giving Public Speaking a place in your journey at Av Christi College. I look forward to continuing this journey with you all in 2022.
Finally, I was privileged to introduce the Excellence in Public Speaking Award for 2021, this year newly named as the Noreen Stevenson Excellence in Public Speaking Award. The new trophy went to this year’s well-deserved winner, Chelsea Fuderer in Year 12.
Xavier House wins the 2021 Inter-house Athletics Carnival
Student Success – The Arts
Av students continue their involvement in the Catholic Performing Arts Festival. We received acknowledgement and congratulations from the Performing Arts Festival Committee to the students listed below on achieving the following Award(s). Other students continue to be involved.
MERIT - Av Christi Guitar Ensemble
YEAR 10 VOCAL SOLO – MERIT - Ella Daniel
YEAR 11 VOCAL SOLO – EXCELLENCE - Elke Ruane
VOCAL DUET – OUTSTANDING - Kade De Luca & Gisella Colletti
VOCAL SOLO – EXCELLENCE - Gisella Colletti
VOCAL SOLO – EXCELLENCE - Kade De Luca
CHRISTIAN DANCE (SECONDARY) – OUTSTANDING - Dance Collage
CONTEMPORARY BAND (PRIMARY & SECONDARY) – OUTSTANDING - Two Faced
Outstanding Award recipients may be recommended by the Adjudicator to be considered for possible inclusion at the concluding Festival Concert.
The ACC Championship Netball Grand Final
Congratulations and best wishes to the girls reaching the Grand final: Ursula Frayne College v Av Christi College later today (Tuesday 17 August)
This is a significant achievement considering the size of ACC and participation rates in netball across the State.
Congratulations to coaches Ms Tessa Johnson, Ms Naomi Larsen, Mrs Deb Santaromita and all the students involved.
The Parents and Friends Levy Spending in 2021
We would like to provide an update to the community regarding the funds collected from the Parents and Friends Levy to the end of 2021.
The contribution made by the Levy is allocated across all aspects of College life, both in the classroom and outside for the benefit of all our students and the community.
Our focus this year is to prioritise funds to the educational and/or pastoral benefit of the students at the College.
It is my pleasure to provide details of how the funds shall be distributed:
Community Events 2021:
Community Mass
Mother’s Day Breakfast
Father’s Day Breakfast
Year 12 Graduation Morning Tea
Capital Spending:
Seating for our Caroline Payne Theatre Foyer
Additional water coolers with bottle refill stations
New Treadmill for the College Fitness Room
Installation of Automatic doors - Student Services
Lego for the Library
Continuation of LED lighting in Mayne Block and Tony Curtis Centre
Protective cover for the College Grand Piano that was provided by P&F funding in 2020
Church on the Way – The Pope Video 8 – August 2021
View video
Let us Pray
PRAYER FOR EVANGELISATION
Father in heaven and Lord of all,
Draw young men and women into a relationship with your Son, Jesus,
and direct their ways by the power of your Holy Spirit.
Call them to a deeper service and love of your holy Catholic Church.
Guide and protect the ways of your labourers in the harvest on all in education.
May these witnesses continue to reach out and transform
—by your power—the lives of our students.
We ask this in your holy Name.
Amen
Policy Update
You may have noticed a change to our website with our policy page (/policies) now referring to Catholic Education Western Australia Ltd (CEWA) Policies. The embedded CEWA policy hub is a comprehensive ‘one stop shop’ for all community members regardless of which Catholic school(s) they are affiliated with – ensuring clear, consistent messaging on one platform.
The policy page will continue to contain the most up-to-date CEWA policies and executive directives for your easy reference. Should you need to refer to Av Christi College procedures which will no longer be referred to as Polices (including Uniform & Grooming, Attendance, and Codes of Conduct), you’ll now find them on the newly created procedures page: /procedures
Thank you
Frank Italiano
Principal
News
In case you missed it...
Keep up to date with news as it happens by following our social media accounts and by checking out our latest posts, blogs and podcasts below:
Amalgamation Update
Please find available the latest update from Jeff Allen via the Amalgamation Updates website:
We encourage participation in the community consultation opportunities (online and in-person) which you can find here:
Expression of Interest for In-Person Discovery Sessions close on 23 August 2021 at 8.00am.
The Online Survey closes on Tuesday 24 August 2021 at 8.00am.
Upcoming College Closure
Please note the upcoming College closure dates. We remind our community that student free days can be found on the College calendar: or via the Term Dates page on our website:
Group Photo Days
Group Photo Days are on Thursday 26 August (Groups over 50) and Friday 27 August (Groups under 50).
All students are to wear their FULL winter uniform on Thursday and Friday. Students will only be photographed if they are wearing their FULL winter uniform.
All students are also required to bring their SmartRider for easy and quick identification. Students need be in the gymnasium at least 10 minutes before the scheduled photo time.
Students will be sent the finalised schedule this week. This will also be in the Daily Notices.
Sibling/Family Photo Collection
For any families that ordered sibling/family photos, these are to be collected from the College Reception, between the hours of 8.00am-4.00pm.
🎤 Public Speaking Night 🎤
As one of the most popular extra-curricular activities at the College, Public Speaking is proof that the students of Av Christi are eager to lift their voices and be heard.
On the evening of Wednesday 11 August, 44 speakers across all year levels gathered in Sadler Centre to address their families, friends and the College community with prepared speeches on a range of fascinating topics. These students spent Semester One developing the skills and qualities which allow them to captivate an audience. This event was their opportunity to celebrate their success in an atmosphere of friendly competition.
We congratulate all of our participants and thank those involved for making the night a success.
For the full event summary, results and photos please click the below button:
Languages Week
Kaya! Selamat Pagi! Bonjour! Buongiorno!
During Languages Week in Week 4 we celebrated the culture and languages learnt here at Av Christi College as well as the many cultures and languages that are part of our community. For the Year 7 students the annual “Tri-Language Soccer Tournament” was held with Team Indonesia being the victors this year. The Year 8s designed tea towels with Indonesian, French and Italian designs and quotes. Year 9 French and Italian students participated in a piano accordion performance and learnt the traditional Italian Tarantella dance whilst the Indonesian students enjoyed Kue sweet cakes and created Batik design on fabric.
A highlight for Year 10 Indonesian students was participating in a virtual student exchange with students from an orphanage in Nusa Tenggara Timur and Sumba islands. Our students enjoyed speaking in Indonesian and getting to know their virtual exchange students, gaining insight about life in Eastern Indonesia where wild animals such as horses and buffalo run free. Francesca Gabby, teacher of year 10 Indonesian is cooperating with Negeri Anak Indonesia, a non-profit organisation initiated by Indonesian health professionals to help underprivileged children in Eastern Indonesia. The goal is to create opportunities for the next generation through works of education, research and service and Av Christi College is honoured to be part of this program.
The many other activities and events took place around the college included a roaming international music performance at lunchtime, international foods served at the cafeteria and videos and quizzes during Homeroom.
Challenge: learn a new word from another language listen to some music, watch a film or eat some food from another culture today! We may not be able to travel to another country right now so why not bring some language and culture to you?
Linda MacDonald
Head of Languages
Athletics Carnival Results
We would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge the outstanding individual performances from the College’s Inter-House Athletics Carnival held last Friday.
Thank you to the staff and students for their efforts on the day which made the carnival such a great success.
We extend our congratulations to Xavier house on an outstanding team performance that resulted in them taking the overall champions trophy.
To access photos from the day please
Student Success
We love celebrating student success, so if you have a story to share please send details to:
Chisholm Day
This Wednesday we will be celebrating Chisholm House Day.
Chisholm students are encouraged to wear their House shirt on this day in honour of their House Patron, Caroline Chisholm.
During recess and lunch there will be food stalls and activities outside the Cafeteria, with all proceeds going to the Chisholm House charity Communicare.
To learn more about Chisholm House visit:
Inter-house Play Competition: This Wednesday!
Av Christi College is delighted to announce the performance of the Inter-House Play Competition.
Students across all year levels work together within their house teams to compete for house points by preparing their own interpretation of their selected scenes from Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
The students have been working very hard on this performance and are excited to show you their work!
Time/date
Wednesday 18 August, 6.30-9.00 pm
Venue
Caroline Payne Theatre
Tickets
$5pp from
Book Week Dress Up Day
We invite all students and staff to dress as your favourite book character for a gold coin donation on Tuesday 24 August!
Donations will be collected during homeroom.
Music Night - Tickets on Sale
Join us for an evening of music to exhibit the talents of some of our fantastic College ensembles.
Time/date
Wednesday 1 September, 6.30pm
Venue
Caroline Payne Theatre
Tickets
$5pp from
Father’s Day Breakfast
The College invites students and their Fathers, Grandfathers or Father-figures to a Father's Day Breakfast on Friday 3 September 2021.
Bookings are essential for all guests, including students, to ensure that you are catered for.
We look forward to seeing you there!
Time/Date
Friday 3 September 2021, 7.15am - 8.30am
Venue
Mater Christi Centre
Tickets
$5pp, via
RSVP
Monday 30 August 2021
Faith in Action Update
Senior School Students – Finalise details
For our Year 11 students, the formal portion of their program is coming to end, meaning their Hours and Reflections are due. Please hand in all GREEN booklets and any FIA sheets to the Upper Room Dropbox by this Thursday 19th August Week 5. In addition to your total of 25 hours (Year 10 and 11), you need to complete two reflection questions from page 5 of the Booklet. Please find the link below to complete reflection questions, this will also be in Seqta Notices:
Middle School – Selfless September
This September there will be a focus for our Middle School students called “Selfless September” focussing on the following quote: “Wherever there is a human being, there is an opportunity for kindness” Seneca (Roman Philosopher).
This quote reminds us that we are all in this together, and over the past year or two anything can happen in life, so let us help those in our community by showing a little bit of kindness to someone. So, we are challenging students to put others needs before their own, by completing one simple task per day for the whole month of September. Students will be given out a sheet with a grid with tasks to complete (see below) and some reflection on the back at the end of August. Students will be given to Monday 6th of November to complete the grid and the reflection questions. Please hand to your Homeroom Teacher on the Monday. In doing so, you are committing to the Vision for Learning of the College.
Middle School – Year 9 only
A new opportunity for our Year 9 students to take part in, is the Av Good Night In. This will be happening at the beginning of Term 4, so please keep an eye out in the next e-News and Seqta Notices for more details. The opportunity will give you an idea of what the Vinnies Sleep Out will be like next year when you start your FIA Senior School Program.
CORE Hours Opportunity – NATSICC Palliative Care Program
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples (ATSI) suffer from the worst health outcomes of any group in Australia. Hospital visits are more frequent and life expectancy is much lower than the Australian average. Many Aboriginal people travel from country regions to access health care services that are provided in Perth.
In many cases, simply staying warm in a location that is very different from their community can be achieved through the provision of a warm blanket. That blanket could also provide emotional comfort through the incorporation of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islands colours.
NATSICC has developed the Palliative Care Packages to ensure comfort, both physically and spiritually.
How can I help?
We need knitted squares (must be 20cm x 20cm), MUST be 8 ply acrylic wool. These then need to be made into blankets (must be 125cm x 112cm).
This is what you will need:
Size 4mm needles
8 ply acrylic yarn
Instructions on how to knit the squares:
Cast on 42 stitches
Knit plain stitch until your square measures 20cm x 20cm
Use earthy or Red, Black and yellow coloured wool
When completed please bring to the Upper Room and see Ms Thomas or Mrs Taylor.
Click to enlarge
Year 12 Student Presentation
It was a pleasure to welcome back 2020 Graduate Ava Dadmehr to the College recently. Ava spoke to Year 12 students about how they can effectively navigate their way through the challenging last few months of Year 12.
Ava discussed a range of ways students can maximise their chances of success. She emphasised the importance of consistent routines, study timetables, quality sleep, exercise and study techniques. Ava also shared what it is like to be a University student. We are extremely grateful for Ava’s willingness to give back to the Av Community.
Year 11 and 12 Examinations
Year 11 and 12 Examinations are fast approaching. Here is a blog explaining how students can prepare effectively for their exams - Top tips for exam revision.
Homework Club
Just a reminder that Homework club is on each Tuesday and Thursday afternoon in the library from 3.30pm-5pm.
James Ramsey
Deputy Principal Senior School
Work Experience
As part of their Career Development all Year 11 General or General combined pathway or non-ATAR pathway students are strongly encouraged to do work experience (WE) for the two weeks in week 7 and 8 in term 4 (22nd November – 3rd December 2021 inclusive). These dates have been widely advertised in the College calendar and on the College Portal.
During this experience, students will be required to complete a work logbook. If your child meets all work experience requirements, which includes returning this work journal to me, a Work Experience Certificate will be issued on their return to the College in 2022. This may then be used as evidence should your child wish to gain extra application points with TAFE applications or use it to gain part-time work.
Students are expected to find their own work placements. It is suggested that students select a workplace that best reflects a future career aspiration. However, under no circumstances will students be permitted to work directly with parents on the same site however students can work in their parent’s workplace if they are supervised by another employee. Students are NOT TO RECEIVE any payment for their work experience as it renders the school insurance null and void, and immediately makes the student the employer’s workers compensation responsibility. The college provides all the necessary insurance for work experience.
Work experience provides an opportunity for a student to demonstrate and develop the core skills for work. It helps develop confidence, can be used to assist with entry to TAFE and may lead to future employment. Students interested in taking up this opportunity should come and get an application form from me in the careers department in the Mayne block or email me on leana.martin@cewa.edu.au to make a time to meet. I am happy to provide guidance with finding a suitable work place. Thank you for your support with the invaluable program of Work Experience.
Leana Martin
Workplace Learning Coordinator
Year 10 Girls AFL Carnival
On Wednesday 4 August an enthusiastic bunch of Av Year 10 girls travelled across to All Saints College for the ACC Year 10 Girls Freo Dockers Cup Carnival. The girls took on Kennedy Baptist College, Guilford Grammar, John XXIII College and All Saints College on a beautiful sunny day in perfect conditions. The footy was of a high standard and the Av girls, although not having a lot of experience, were super competitive and demonstrated terrific attack on the ball and relentless tackling pressure.
The girls enjoyed strong wins against JTC and Guildford Grammar along with close losses to All Saints College and Kennedy Baptist who ran out winners for the day.
Congratulations to all the girls on their positive attitude and tenacity in the contest.
Thank you to Ms Kara Turley who prepared and coached the girls along with assistants Madi Gibbs and Jaren Carr.
James Howard
Head of Sport
Stewardship Extended Lunch - Promotional Opportunity for Businesses
We would like to extend a warm invitation to our inaugural Stewardship event! The Stewardship committee is running a Stewardship (Sustainability and wellbeing) themed extended lunch on Tuesday the 21st September. This will be an exciting event for students, lasting one hour in length, during which students will visit stalls, participate in activities, learn more about our environment, and look after their wellbeing.
We are searching for businesses who might be interested to come in and run a stall, or give a presentation on the day to promote the work you do.
For the most part, the arrangements are flexible for what you would like to present, however, if you decide to accept the offer, it will need to fit into the one hour time frame and be targeted at high school students from Years 7-12.
We would be thrilled for you to accept this offer, and become a part of this fantastic event - helping to raise awareness, promote sustainable practices, and encourage behavioural change.
If you would like any more information, and want to get involved, please don’t hesitate to contact our Stewardship prefects Ella Waddy at ewaddy@student.cewa.edu.au or Chris Cakir at ccakir@student.cewa.edu.au.
Career Planning & Transition for Young People on the Autism Spectrum Webinar
Thursday 2nd September 2021
In this 60 minute live and interactive webinar, our presenters, Associate Professor Marina Ciccarelli, Cheryl Mangan, and Brendan James will provide information for parents about:
The Better Outcomes and Successful Transitions for Autism (BOOST-A) research;
The role of parents and supporters in youth focused, strengths-based career planning; and
How myWAY Employability career planner can support young people on the autism spectrum to build a customised profile and goals to plan for future career pathways.
Based on six years of research, myWAY Employability is a smart web platform that helps autistic individuals plan and prepare for working life.
Autistic individuals co-produced content, design, and usability of the website. myWAY Employability matches an individual’s interests and strengths to relevant careers and pathways. It encourages users to create big dreams, and smaller goals and tasks to track progress.