E-News 28 February 2023

 

Welcome to Week 5

Community Mass

In the last edition of E-News, I wrote of our core focus this semester being building “community through belonging”. As a recently amalgamated K-12 College we are creating our story together, so it is important to provide an opportunity for us to connect and grow as one community.

We were thrilled therefore to be able to celebrate the beginning of the year with our first whole of community Mass on the College Oval during Week 3. As Av԰ Christi, the Body of Christ, gathering for Mass is the perfect way for us to celebrate our K-12 College. 

I am very grateful to everyone for their support of this special occasion. To have parents, caregivers, families and friends join staff and students for this significant Mass was a great celebration of our community. In this modern world where communication often happens in the virtual world, it was outstanding to see thousands of people present in the one location and connecting with one another in person in real time. I know that peoples’ lives are busy, so it meant a lot to us all that you prioritised being with us at Mass.

We speak a lot about Av԰ Christi being one body, one community, one school which is made up of many special individual parts. It was wonderful to see the physical reality of this image with us all gathering as one to celebrate Mass together. 

We thank the many parts that contributed to ensure the success of the evening. We acknowledge Fr Anthony who gave so generously in preparing for and celebrating the beautiful Mass. We are most grateful to his, and the St Thomas More Parish’s, ongoing support of the College.

We also thank our dedicated College staff who worked hard to ensure all was in readiness for the Mass. I am sure you will agree that their efforts helped ensure the success of the evening.

 Of course, we recognise our students for participating wholeheartedly in the Mass and also for assisting in the various ministries.

College Swimming Carnivals

Over the last fortnight, the College has run a series of Inter-house and Inter-faction swimming carnivals in the Jennifer Riley Aquatic Centre across the Junior and Senior schools. 

Carnivals of this type form a key part of our holistic approach to education where learning is promoted anywhere, anytime. We know that our students have various skills and so we are passionate about providing a multitude of different pathways to allow them to shine. 

Congratulations to the many students who achieved their personal best in events and to those students who broke College records. Well done on your efforts. Congratulations also to students who participated so strongly in the carnivals and for the terrific energy that they showed in representing their House and Faction. We applaud those students who cheered on their peers and who helped organise the event. We acknowledge the many students who stepped outside of their comfort zone to compete in carnival events – this resilience and growth mindset will stand them in very good stead for any future challenges and learning opportunities they might encounter. 

The carnivals were held in great spirit with students cheering strongly for their House or Faction. It was excellent to have so many parents and friends present at the different carnivals– we appreciate their terrific support as always. Events of this type add to a sense of connection and belonging for students and supports their emotional and social safety. It builds the confidence to step out of their comfort zone to explore new pathways and learnings. 

We acknowledge the enormous efforts of Head of Sport Mr James Howard, the HPE team, House Coordinators, Heads of Year, Mr Rob Debowski, and classroom teachers in ensuring the success of the carnivals and for providing this excellent growth opportunity for students.

Communication

In promoting a sense of belonging to the College, we have been working hard to provide clarity of communication to students, staff and parents across K-12. We thank our parents for their support as we continue to align our communications and encourage again all families to access the College App here.

This app provides a point of truth for families as it contains all key College events and activities. We are looking forward to releasing an updated version of the app in Semester 2 based on community feedback. Please provide your reflections and ideas to marketing@corpus.wa.edu.au

Friends of Av԰

Thank you to our Friends of Av԰ Executive team for meeting with College Executive members last week to shape up the agenda for this week’s meeting. All parents and caregivers are invited to attend the Friends of Av԰ meeting scheduled for Wednesday 1 March in the staffroom on the senior campus at 6.30pm. For more information and to register, click here.

In promoting “community through belonging” we look forward to continuing to create genuine engagement opportunities for parents and caregivers as the prime educators of their children.

Best wishes and every blessing.

Jeff Allen

Principal

 

It is essential for educators to know their students both academically and pastorally. Knowing students academically involves understanding their strengths, weaknesses, and learning styles, which can help teachers tailor their instruction to meet their individual needs. By knowing their academic strengths and weaknesses, teachers can create personalized learning plans and provide additional support when needed, which can lead to improved academic performance. 

On the other hand, knowing students pastorally involves understanding their social, emotional, and psychological well-being. Teachers can learn about their students' personal experiences, backgrounds, and interests, which can help build strong relationships with them. This can also help teachers identify and address any emotional or behavioural issues that may be impacting their academic performance.

When teachers know their students both academically and pastorally, they can create a safe and inclusive learning environment where students feel valued and supported. This can lead to higher levels of engagement and motivation, improved learning outcomes, and better overall student well-being. In conclusion, knowing students both academically and pastorally is critical for effective teaching and positive student outcomes.

At Av԰, a key focus of how we work is in ‘knowing our students’. As parents, there may be times when you feel this is not the case, if this is happening please reach out to your respective Heads of Year or Head of Community (K-6) to discuss what is happening so that we can establish how best to correct this. 

Parents also play a vital role in supporting their children's education by providing guidance and encouragement. They are a child's first teachers and therefore should be actively involved in their child's schooling. Parental involvement can significantly impact a child's academic performance, behaviour, and overall well-being. In addition, parents can support the school community by adhering to the code of conduct. The code of conduct outlines the expectations and standards for behaviour and helps create a safe and positive learning environment for all students. By supporting the school's code of conduct, parents can demonstrate to their children the importance of how we work together in providing the best learning experience for them as they journey through Av԰. In conclusion, parental support and adherence to the school's code of conduct are crucial elements for the success of a child's education.

Patrick Woolley

Deputy Principal Community

 
 

Av԰ Connect App

We are proud to release the new Av԰ Connect app!
The development has been a joint project between the Friends of Av԰ and the College to provide a consolidated place for parents and guardians to access College services. This app is available for both IOS and Android operating systems and can be searched for using the terms: ‘Av԰ Connect’.
For more information about the app, visit:




School Fees – Reminder to Pay School Fees and Submit Payment Options Form for 2023

School fee accounts were emailed to families on 25 January 2023. The attachment to the email from collegeaccounts@corpus.wa.edu.au included a Payment Options Form which required attention and action. Thank you to all the families who have returned this to the College, it is much appreciated.

All new and existing families are asked to complete the Payment Options Form and return it to Administration at Junior or Senior school, or email to collegeaccounts@corpus.wa.edu.au by 17 February 2023. 

For families who did not complete a Payment Options Form, your account is due to be paid in full by 24 February 2023. If you have missed the Payment Options Form timeline, and still wish to be considered for a Payment Plan, please contact the College Accounts team on 08 6332 2516 or email collegeaccounts@corpus.wa.edu.au.

Thank you for your assistance.

Enrolments and Withdrawing Update

Kindergarten 2025 – Apply now

If you have a child born between 1 July 2020 – 30 June 2021, please apply now for 4 Year Old Kindergarten commencing in 2025. 

While we will not be interviewing for this cohort until a few years’ time, to avoid missing out on a place, applications are encouraged well in advance as places are limited. You can apply online, here:  

Year 7 2025 – Sibling Applications 

If your child is currently in Year 4 and is not already attending Av԰ Christi College- Junior School and you have not submitted an application, we encourage you to apply for Year 7 2025 as soon as possible. 

To be eligible for enrolment, all applicants must have submitted an application per child. If you are yet to do so, please apply online: 

Withdrawing from the College Information

A reminder to parents, if you are withdrawing your child from the College you are required to give a Term's notice in writing. Failure to give adequate notice will result in a Term's fees being charged as per the terms and conditions of enrolment. Please liaise with your childs Classroom Teacher or Head of Year prior to withdrawing.

To notify of your intent to withdraw, please submit the online form available here: www.corpus.wa.edu.au/withdraw

 

Traffic Warden Update

We received a message from the Children’s Crossings Unit of the WA Police Force, that unfortunately the traffic wardens are unavailable at the Children's crossing on Parry Avenue near Weir Place from Tuesday 21 February until 10 March 2023 and they are unable to find relief staff to cover the position. While replacements are being sought as soon as possible by the Crossings Unit, we urge parents/guardians to be extra careful in approaching the crossing on Parry Avenue, near Weir Place.

Av԰ Christi College - Private Bus Service

 Av԰ Christi College currently operate two private bus services (Fremantle Service and River Service) for our students. More information on these services can be found on our website. We are pleased to announce a new bus payment and monitoring system “TransportMe” with our transport partner, Buswest. The system is accessible through the TransportMe Passenger App from  or . 

The new system allows parents to:

  • Add funds to student SmartRider via Stripe (separate to the Flexischools account).

  • Enables the student SmartRider card to act like a digital wallet to pay for the private bus services which can be monitored via TransportMe.

  • Track the location of buses in real time and review check bus routes.

  • Receive notifications regarding delays and other issues.

For more detailed instructions on how to setup the app, Av԰ ICT Team will communicate directly with parents of students currently using the service. For families who are not currently using the service, but are interested, please contact Pat MacDonald (bus@corpus.wa.edu.au) to establish log in details to link to your child’s SmartRider.

The College intends on doing a review of our existing private bus services, the stops/route and future routes in Term 2 of 2023. More information will be provided in due course.

 

Pancake Tuesday 

The morning was a great success.  Thank you to everyone from Junior and Senior school that turned out to purchase a serving of pancakes, we sold out!  All money raised will go towards Project Compassion. 

 

Caritas Project Compassion Launch

Last Tuesday the twelve Ministry student leaders from Senior and Middle school and four of the Year 6 student leaders attended the online launch of Project Compassion.  The students heard from Caritas leaders, had discussions with students from other schools in break-out forums and developed their promotional strategy for Project Compassion at the College.  Keep an eye on notices and news articles for more information.  This year have an online donation page for the College for those that never have cash on them and want to help the cause:

Faith In Action Opportunities for Senior School

  • There are now several weekly Faith In Action opportunities for students in Middle and Senior school to be involved in.  These include:

    • Cooking for St Patricks Community Centre.  Every Thursday after school students can get a group of four friends together and come to the Food Tech rooms and cook a meal to be served at St. Patricks Community Centre.  Students will be given a recipe and ingredients, then as a team of four bring in the ingredients to Cook.  This is a great opportunity for Senior school students to complete their Core Service Hours as well.

    • Containers for change.  Students can assist before school on Friday bagging up cans and bottles collected from College events.  Money raised from them will go towards Project Compassion.

  • Starting Next Term or later this term:

    • Young Vinnies

    • The Greening Project

Canned Food Drive

We want to extend a big thank you to our Year 7 students, Quest and Cadre leaders, and the entire College community for your hard work in supporting our recent food drive. Together, we filled an entire Foodbank truck with food donations! Your contributions will make a huge difference in feeding those in need within our community. Thank you again for your generosity and dedication.

 
 

Events 

The latest events can also be found by visiting: www.corpus.wa.edu.au/events

 

Salvado Day

On Wednesday 1 March our Senior Students will be celebrating Salvado Patron Day.

All students are encouraged to wear their House shirt on this day.

All proceeds from the sales will be going to the Salvado House charity – Catholic Mission.

To learn more about Salvado House visit: 

Friends of Av԰

All parents and caregivers are invited to attend our next Friends of Av԰ meeting on Wednesday 1 March at 6.30pm in the Secondary School Staff Room.

Please RSVP your attendance via:






Junior School Assembly

This year the Junior School will host their assemblies in the Theatre, these will take place on a Friday at 9.00am.

Each class will get an opportunity to showcase the learning taking place in their room, followed by merit awards.

We have the following class assemblies schedule this term:

  • 24 March 2023 - Year 6B

  • 31 March 2023 - Year 6G

Merit Award winners will be notified via SEQTA on the Wednesday prior to the assembly.

 

What a great start to the year our Junior School has had!

As we quickly approach the middle of Term 1, it’s a joy to walk around campus and see our students so actively engaged in work and play, now well settled into their new routines. 

Year 4 to 6 Swimming Carnival

On Friday, we had our years 4 to 6 swimming carnival which was hosted in the Jennifer Reilly Aquatic Centre. It was a successful event, where I was truly proud of the sportsmanship the students showcased by cheering on others and offering words of encouragement to their friends regardless of what faction they were in. Friday was a genuine display of how we can be outstanding for others.

Events like these can’t be a success without the dedication and teamwork of staff. I would like to extend a big thank you to Mr Rob Debowski and Mr James Howard for creating and running the event. I would also like to thank all the Junior and Senior teaching staff who helped on the day as well as our senior students who volunteered their time.

Faction Shirt Friday

As part of a college-wide initiative, the Junior campus will be introducing the tradition that students wear their coloured faction shirts with their sports uniform on a Friday. This will commence in Week 5, on Friday 3 March for students in Pre-Primary to Year 6. The Av԰ teal sport shirt is to be worn on days when students have a designated Physical Education lesson.

Junior Assembly

One of the beautiful advantages of being K to 12 is our access to a range of resources. This year the Junior School will host their assemblies in the Theatre, these will take place on a Friday at 9.00am.

Each class will get an opportunity to showcase the learning taking place in their classroom, followed by the acknowledgment of merit awards.

We have the following class assemblies scheduled this term:

  • 24 March 2023 - Year 6B

  • 31 March 2023 - Year 6G

Merit Award winners will be notified via SEQTA on Wednesday prior to the assembly.

Katya Anderson

Head of Junior school

Junior School Swimming Carnival

On Friday 24 February, Av԰ Christi College held its inaugural Swimming Carnival for Years 4-6 students at the Jennifer Reilly Aquatic Centre on campus. The event was a resounding success, with students showcasing their swimming skills, sportsmanship, and commitment to their factions.

The school community congratulates all students who participated in the carnival for their exceptional efforts and outstanding sportsmanship. Each student embodied the school's core value of 'outstanding for others' by supporting and encouraging their peers throughout the day. Students demonstrated great courage by participating in the event, and their dedication to their factions was apparent in their enthusiastic cheers and camaraderie.

We congratulate students who won their races on the day and who are now holders of new Jennifer Reilly Centre Short Course Records.

The school community extends its gratitude to all students, teachers, and parents who contributed to the success of the event. We look forward to many more events in the future and congratulate all our students for their outstanding performance at the Swimming Carnival!

Faction Results

BLUE - 2258

GOLD - 1951

RED - 1834

GREEN - 1384

For individual champions and photos of the event, visit our Blog.

Junior School Library Update

What a great start to the year in the Junior Library! It is lovely to see students’ every morning eager to exchange their books. We also welcome our Kindy parents who are enjoying reading with their children before school starts. A reminder that Scholastic Book News Issue 2 will be available this week. Orders benefit our Library and we encourage parents to use Loop online to order books. Spare copies are available in the junior reception.

You can set up a LOOP account via the following link:

Add your child’s name, find Av԰ Christi College K-12 Primary Av԰us Postcode is 6150. Search for Year/Class and the teacher’s name (Pre Kindy please choose Kindy).

Mrs Catherine Munro
Library Technician - Junior School

Head of Junior School - Ms Katya Anderson

 

Clean Up Australia Day

On March 2 our year 5 and 6 students will be involved in cleaning our Junior School Grounds to coincide with Clean Up Australia Day, celebrated on Sunday March 5. 

Our students will be equipped with disposable and garden gloves to handle rubbish and bags have been provided to place any paper, plastic and food waste found. 

What a wonderful opportunity for our students to exemplify care and maintenance of our beautiful school grounds by serving the community in this selfless manner. Our students truly are Outstanding for Others!

Danielle Damjanovic

Head of Community K-6

Av԰ Christi College is a community which proudly celebrates reading: our libraries are stocked with diverse texts and life-long tools – such as critical literacy – are embedded in our K-12 programs. It is undeniable that one of the strongest determiners of student engagement begins with the reading culture created at home. Reading picture books to our newborns and toddlers is often a much-loved part of the routines we create in the early years, but this habit often diminishes as children gain independent skills of decoding and comprehension. Fortunately, there are a range of strategies that can be reinforced at home to ensure all children grow in confidence and reading stamina while developing a genuine love for this critical pastime. Each of the strategies outlined below can be adapted to suit the learning age and stage of your children.

Making time to read for enjoyment (at all ages) matters:

Encouraging (and expecting) reading at home is critically important along with ensuring there is access to a diverse range of texts. Reading can sometimes be associated with punishment which can also diminish the experience for both child and parent. If children see their parents reading, they are more likely to recognise its importance and are more driven to spend time reading for enjoyment themselves.

Reading out loud (and being read to) should not be underestimated:

Children of all ages instinctively connect with the comforting process of reading together. This is an evidence-based way to increase vocabulary and sharpen skills of analysis. Reading out loud also captures nuances in tone and delivery which adds to the imaginative spirit of listening and engaging. Don’t be afraid to pause, ask questions or analyse the visual features in a text to further extend your child’s skills as you read together.

Not all texts offer the same benefit:

In our digital age, it has become common to accept that having children “read anything” is beneficial. Recent international studies have shown the benefits of reading novels far outweigh reading other materials such as blogs, comics or newspaper articles. This is not to say that texts such as these do not serve a critical purpose in familiarisng students with the conventions of different genres and text types, but novels provide a unique type of imaginative acceleration, not to mention the modelling of punctuation, narrative voices and sentence structures.  

Reading is a superpower:

Students who are habitual readers and experience the joy of reading at home often excel in comprehension, fluency and expression across all subject areas, not just in English. In other words: reading is our secret weapon in thriving across all facets of learning. Visiting libraries and bookshops, talking about books at home, providing time for the family to read and celebrating these practices can all go a long way in establishing a life-long love of reading. The libraries at Av԰ Christi College are stocked with a range of diverse texts and we will gladly take requests and make recommendations. Reading because it is a joyful, mind-exercising and enriching practice is the key.

 
 

Senior School Interhouse Swimming Carnival

We want to congratulate everyone who participated and supported our Secondary interhouse swimming carnivals last week. It was amazing to see our school community come together to showcase individual excellence and House pride.

We'd like to thank all the House Coordinators, PE staff, College teachers, grounds and administration staff, and families who helped make this event a success. But most importantly, thank you to all the students for your hard work and support of your fellow competitors.

This morning we acknowledged our Year level champions and record-breakers in a live-streamed assembly.

To view the champions and record-breakers details, visit:

UWA Partnership

Av԰ Christi College is delighted to announce that we are partnering with The University of Western Australia for the pilot of UWA Starter.

The UWA Starter program will provide a unique opportunity for senior students to start their university experience early by completing micro-credentials through UWA while still at school. The courses on offer are diverse and challenging and would appeal to students considering further studies in law, human rights, science or medicine. The successful completion of three micro-credentials also equates to advanced standing for one unit in certain undergraduate courses at UWA.

What are the benefits?

  • Access university-level study in unique courses and specialities.

  • Opportunities to learn from UWA academics, who are experts in their fields.

  • The chance to try different course areas to help you decide what you want to study at uni.

  • The opportunity to gain credit towards selected UWA bachelor’s degrees by completing three micro-credentials.

  • The possibility of contributing to your tertiary studies while in high school by using completed micro-credentials as part of an Experience-based entry pathway to UWA.

Information on the program, including the available micro-credentials for 2023 can be found on the and select students in Year Ten are currently being encouraged to apply. However, there is an opportunity for all students across Years 10, 11 and 12 with a genuine passion in a particular subject to enrol.

We are excited to work with UWA on this innovative new program and look forward to its commencement in April 2023.  

If you would like further information about this exciting opportunity, please contact Deputy Principal – Teaching and Learning – Jenny Miraudo.

Jenny Miraudo

Deputy Principal - Teaching and Learning

 

Senior School Careers News

Interested in exploring your options, check out the March Careers News here.

 
 

Outstanding Students

Alex Hayes - Year 11

We are incredibly proud of our student Alex Hayes for his outstanding achievements in cricket. Alex began playing cricket at an Autism in Cricket Come Try Session four seasons ago and has since been playing for Bateman Junior Cricket Club. Now 16 years old, Alex has recently started training for the WA ICL A Grade for North Perth and hopes to be selected to play on the team next season. Alex's determination and passion for the sport are truly inspiring, and we look forward to seeing him play for Australia one day. Congratulations, Alex!

⭐ Share Your Story ⭐

We love celebrating student success, so if you have a story to share please send details and a photo to: marketing@corpus.wa.edu.au


 

St Thomas More Bateman Parish Sacrament Dates 2023

Sacramental classes for St Thomas More Parish, Av԰ Christi College and other surrounding schools will commence on Wednesday the 8 of February.  These classes are conducted every week on a Wednesday from 4.00-5.00 pm in Terms 1-3, not including school holidays.

Enrolments for sacramental classes are available online and close on 26 April 2023 with high school classes commencing on the 26 April 2023. To register visit:

First Holy Communion - enrolments close for this class on 24 March 2023.

  • Saturday 17June 2023, 3.00pm

  • Sunday 18 June 2023, 11.30am  

Confirmation - enrolments close for this class on 20 July 2023.

  • Saturday 9 September 2023, 3.00pm

  • Sunday 10 September2023, 11.30am

Reconciliation - enrolments close for this class on 20 June 2023.

  • Saturday 28 October 2023, 10.00am                                                                      

High School Class - enrolments close for this class on 6 April

  • 26 April 2023

Bateman Parish also runs a special Sacramental Program for high school students from families within our Parish boundaries who may not have completed all of their Sacraments.

For all enquiries please telephone Judy Machado, Religious Education Coordinator, St Thomas More Parish Bateman on (08) 9310 1747 or email her on catechist.bateman@perthcatholic.org.au

 

Learn to Swim at Av԰

Av԰ Christi College offers a Learn to Swim Program onsite at the Jennifer Reilly Aquatic Centre. The aquatic centre features a covered and heated 25 metre, eight-lane indoor lap and water polo pool, a separate 12 metre learn-to-swim pool and terrace seating for 180 people.

Our Learn to Swim Program is facilitated by Speed With Style, a company who provide a unique approach to swim teaching called Individualised Custom Teaching, which was developed by Dr Nigel Williams in collaboration with head coach and Speed with Style Founder - John Williams.

The Learn to Swim program is available to both Av԰ Christi College students and those external to the College.

You can register and find more information about Speed with Style on the
College website: www.corpus.wa.edu.au/speed-with-style


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 updates below:

 

The next edition of the Av԰ Christi College e-News will be released on 14 March.

 
Av԰ Communications