E-News 8 August 2023

 

Welcome to Term 3

Welcome to Week 4

Living our Values

This semester we have been focusing on living out our values in real and tangible ways across the K-12 College. Our values guide our decision making and promote an inclusive, just and dynamic culture which ignites a spirit of learning.

Year 6 Confirmation Workshops

A number of key events and activities held at the College over recent weeks have demonstrated our values of Commitment, Courage and Compassion in action. In reflecting back to the Year 6 Confirmation workshops and accompanying weekend Masses, we saw our students making a genuine commitment toward their faith.

The St Thomas More Parish led workshops, facilitated by Mrs Mildred Rego from the Catechist Service Team at the Catholic Education Office, provided a wonderful opportunity for students to deepen their understanding around the Sacrament of Confirmation. They were invited to share their gifts with their parents and to reflect upon their commitment to the Baptismal promises.

The workshops and the Commitment Masses were very joyful and inclusive celebrations with students, supported by their families, stepping forward to deepen their connection to the Church and their faith. We look forward to students receiving the Sacrament of Confirmation in September.

Thank you to Fr Phong and Mrs Judy Machado, Parish Sacramental/RE Coordinator, for their excellent support of our students in preparing for their Confirmation. Thank you to our parents who engaged so strongly in the process in support of their children.

Year 11 Retreat

Our Year 11 students, meanwhile, stepped outside of their comfort zones recently to courageously connect with themselves, others, nature and God on their recent Retreat held across a number of different sites.

In personalising this spiritual experience for students, the College organised a range of different Retreat options, with students selecting their preferred choice. From walking the Camino to Fairbridge Pinjarra, from Serpentine Av԰ing Centre to Kerem Adventure Av԰ and Majedal Activity Centre, students paused their busy school schedules to retreat away and build connections with one another, the world around them and with God.

We understand the importance of belonging and connecting with one another through quality relationships – it is a core element of our Vision for Community at Av԰. In learning about others, we develop a sense of compassion for them and their story. We are present for them and see the challenges they may be facing. We journey with them and are unwavering in our service and offers of support.

Growing a compassionate culture builds inclusivity and joyful acceptance of others. This is the type of environment we promote across our College and one harnessed by our Year 11 students who rose to the challenge of reaching outward to others. They are to be acknowledged for the positive way that they involved themselves fully in the Retreat. The students built important and rich connections that will support their growth into a very special cohort who will lead the College in 2024.

We of course acknowledge Retreat Coordinator Mr Damian Chandler for his enormous efforts in organising the Retreats. He was very ably supported by our incredibly dedicated staff who generously gave of their time to ensure the success of the retreat. We thank them for their commitment.

Catholic Arts Festival

Av԰ Christi College is again very strongly represented in the Catholic Arts Festival this year with students showing great courage and commitment to present their artistic works on stage and at exhibition.

Presenting their work in this way allows students to attract genuine feedback from an authentic audience which can often be a daunting experience. It also provides a rich learning opportunity for students as they continue to grow and develop their skills. We acknowledge the terrific efforts of our dedicated students and wish them well for this year’s Festival.

More information on Catholic Arts is available at https://www.spiritofthearts.com.au/

Languages Week

Last week we took time to celebrate the importance of languages across the K-12 College. Students made the commitment to learn about other cultures through fully investing in the activities on offer.

Learning another language fosters a respect and understanding of other cultures. It also supports improved literacy, memory retention and brain function. Problem solving and critical thinking skills are also enhanced through learning another language. It is terrific to therefore see so many students involved in the languages across the school and it was wonderful to see their enthusiastic involvement in the events last week.

Friends of Av԰

The College was pleased to recently welcome parents to our Friends of Av԰ Masterplan session run by Munns Sly Moore Architects. Held on a cold and blustery evening, parents showed great commitment to give of their time to contribute to the Master Plan process. They were able to provide quality and firsthand feedback to the architects and ask questions about the development of the plan.

We have sought a wide variety of feedback from key stakeholders across our community which will now be reviewed as the plan continues to take shape.

Living our Values Every Day

As you can see there are significant examples of how our values are alive and well across our K-12 College community. Equally, however, it is in the everyday where we also want our values to shine – in the day-to-day interactions with one another and in the way that we connect and contribute to the Av԰ culture. Each day we grow individually but we also develop together in community when we show the courage to grow, lead and serve; the commitment to self, others and the College; and compassion through care, respect and kindness.

Best wishes and every blessing.

Jeff Allen

Principal

 
 
 
 
 
 

Week 4 Update

Dear Parents and Guardians

As we embark on the fourth week of the term, we want to reflect on the wonderful journey we have already begun this term. The enthusiasm and energy of our junior school students continue to inspire us each day.

 The past three weeks have been filled with a plethora of activities that have ignited the imagination of our juniors. Last week we celebrated Languages with a range of fantastic activities organised by Mrs O’Loughlin to further engage students in the Indonesian culture.  We have also witnessed the formation of new friendships, the nurturing of team spirit, and the joy of learning together as a community.

 As we look ahead to the upcoming weeks, where we have several events happening across the school.  

Science Week : 14 - 18 August

The theme for this year is ‘Innovation – Powering Future Industries’. As part of the 4-day celebrations, a few activities have been planned during the student's science lessons by Mrs Elangovan. There will also be STEM challenge that students from years 3 to 6 can register for.  Come and check out our science week display in the library.

Book Week : 22-25 August

Book week celebrations have begun this week, with the students from K to 6 engaging in a virtual visit from author Gabriel Evans.

We will be hosting our K to 6  book week parade on Wednesday, 23 August. The parade will take place in the Gymnasium at 9 am.  All families are welcome to join and participate in the celebration.

More information to follow this week on the following major events happening this term:

·      Junior Athletics Carnival

·      Make a Move Concert

I would like to thank families for their continued support and care in following the procedures for before and after school pick-up. These procedures are to ensure that the safety of our students is maintained during these peak times.

Before School

Students are welcome to be dropped to school each morning at 8.15 am, where they are supervised in the undercover area by a member of staff. Families are reminded that Av԰ Australia offers care prior to this time each morning and is conveniently located on our junior campus.

After School

Parents/guardians are asked to collect their students from 3.00 pm at the conclusion of school hours. Your alternatives for pickup include the following:

·      Collection directly from your child(ren)’s classroom.

·      Collection from Administration Block – Family surnames A-L.

·      Collection from the Canteen Block – Family surnames M-Z.

·      Av԰ Australia – individual arrangements.

·      Students are asked not to wait by the playground areas for parents due to no supervision being offered at these points.

Please be reminded that the Administration and Canteen pick-up points are kiss-and-drop zones.

Parked cars in these areas compromise the traffic flow. Respectful, courteous behaviour during these times further ensures the well-being of all community members remains.

Children who are not collected by a parent/guardian by 3.20 pm will be escorted to the

Administration block. Collection by 3.30 pm is appreciated.

We encourage you to stay connected with us through our school's communication channels, including our website, app and social media platforms. These resources will keep you updated on important announcements, upcoming events, and snapshots of our student's accomplishments.

Once again, thank you for your continued positive partnership with the education and growth of your child.

 Katya Anderson

Head of Junior School

 

Junior Library News

Lee Beazley from the City of Melville Library Services visited our Library on Wednesday 2 August 2023 to discuss Better Beginnings to our Kindergarten parents, a Western Australia family literacy program that connects families with books through free reading packs.

Lee also visited the Kindergarten students in their classrooms and gave out free reading packs

Mrs Catherine Munro

Library Technician

 

2023 Athletics Carnival

The Senior School Interhouse Athletics will be held on 11 August.

Join us on the Senior School Oval as our students cheer their Houses on and aspire to set new personal best and maybe set records! To view this years program, visit the link here.

 

Aleah Lowth (Year 6)

Aleah has been working on this Caritas project for 6 weeks with her sisters assisting, she is raising awareness for the droughts in Zimbabwe and raising funds to help support drought resistant crops. She wrote a letter to Coles Kardinya for water (donation) and has been selling them for a gold coin donation, every Sunday at St Thomas Moore and also participated in St Thomas Moore Day speaking to the congregation. Aleah has turned $50 in to $322!

Congratulations, Aleah. We are honored to have you as a shining example of our values!

 

Grace Nichols (Year 7)

We are proudly cheering on Grace, the Captain of the School Sports WA, U12 Girls AFL team. They are currently competing the Championships at Lavington NSW, 5- 11 August 2023.

Congratulations and Good Luck to Grace and her Team!

 

Isla Emmerson (Year 9)

Congratulations to Isla on her selection to represent Western Australia U15 Girls ‘Stars’ team at the National Lacrosse Championships in Ballarat Victoria from 27th September to the 3rd of October.

Isla is a true superstar and this is her second time as State Representative. Well done, Isla!

 

⭐ 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

Enrolments for sacramental classes are available online. To register visit:

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

  • Saturday 9 September 2023, 3.00pm

  • Sunday 10 September 2023, 11.30am                                                    

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

Spectrum Space Music Video Project

Spectrum Space is a bold, innovative community organisation tearing down social barriers for autistic people. has secured Lotterywest funding to offer the opportunity to collaborate with a creative team to create 3 music videos, along with a documentary style video to show the impact of the project.

This project will provide emerging autistic musicians/videographers/artists/performers with the opportunity to practice and showcase their collective creative talent.

Workshop activities will take place in Fremantle & Roleystone from Sept 2023 and will include:

  • Singing / Music composition / Song writing / Instrument performance

  • Film making (camera work, lighting, crew)

  • Music studio recording

  • Choreography

  • Post-production

    and more

If you are interested, please fill out the Expression of Interest form .

 
 

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:

Reporting of Absentees

If your child is absent from school there are a variety of which parents can inform the College, more information is located here. Absentees can be reported through a variety of means, including the online form, SMS or email absentee@corpus.wa.edu.au. The least preferred method is via call due to the translation of the voice message being unclear at times, please reserve calling for emergencies only. It is very important that you provide your child’s full name, their classroom/homeroom, and the reason for their absence. Please ensure any emails are sent to Absentee@corpus.wa.edu.au and not individual staff email accounts within Student Services. The College will shortly be undertaking a review of the variety of methods used to report absences and is looking to streamline the number of methods this can be done.

Enrolments Update

Sibling Applications

We encourage applications well in advance of the entry year and encourage families to keep up to date with the Enrolment timelines as advertised on our website.

Currently Accepting

  • 2026 cohort applications for Pre-Kindergarten, Kindergarten and Year 7.

  • 2027 cohort and beyond.

To be eligible for enrolment, all applicants must have submitted an application per child.

If you are yet to do so, please apply online: 

The next edition of the Av԰ Christi College
e-News will be released on 22 August 2023.

Av԰ Communications