Last year, the school farewelled Mrs Bernadette Lhota and Mrs Susan Carrick. Pictured here is Dr Liz Criddle welcoming our two new Heads of Learning Area: Mr Howie Jakeway (HOLA of English and Languages), Mr Matt Lovell (Acting HOLA of Humanities, incorporating Humanities and Social Sciences, and Biblical Studies).
St Stephens School had the pleasure of SGT Damian Woods, who has served in the Australian Regular Army for 15 years and works at 16 RWAR in Karrakatta, to present the Australian Defence Force Long Tan Leadership and Teamwork Award to Aaron Skinner from Year 12 and Aidan McAuley from Year 10 on the 6th of December, 2016.
St Stephens School was one of the 2200 Australian schools that have agreed to participate in these awards which will be presented to some 3600 students across the continent.
The Australian Defence Force Long Tan Youth Leadership and Teamwork Awards recognises and celebrates qualities such as leadership, teamwork, reliability, mateship, integrity, fidelity to name but a few. Each service that makes up the Australian Defence Force (Navy, Army and Air Force) places great importance on these qualities. The Australian Defence Force provides the Long Tan Awards so that young people can appreciate the wider role that the Australian Defence Force plays and the importance they attach to the culture of service and duty.
The Australian Defence Force wishes to recognise and reward students who contribute to their fellow students and the broader community by displaying the qualities of leadership, teamwork, reliability, integrity as well as a willingness to serve within both their own schools and the broader local community.
Well done Aaron Skinner and Aidan McAuley.
As the first term of a new academic year draws to a close, I would like to thank our staff and families for their contribution to the life and spirit of our community. It is your involvement in the school that gives St Stephen’s its liveliness.
This term our students received their Interim Academic reports and their Homeroom Personal Review report. These provide the opportunity for reflection, review and goal setting for the remainder of the academic year. I hope that our students would be able to see the importance of considering not just their academic goals, but also personal goals in areas such as social, emotional, physical and spiritual wellbeing. Please use the ongoing feedback that you receive from teachers through SEQTA and in classes to plan the year ahead.
The upcoming break will give you chance to draw together as a family and to spend time with each other. I hope that all families in our community will have at least a small window of time and space to rest and rejuvenate.
Best wishes for a happy and holy Christmas.
Dr Liz Criddle
Deputy Head of Secondary.
We are on the final stretch of what has been, for many us, a very hard term. I have been extremely heartened over the last month to see the school community come together as it has done at a very trying time. I would like to thank every student, every parent and every member of staff for their care and support of one another through the past 3 weeks. The practical help, kind words and prayers have not gone unnoticed and have touched everyone in the community.
As we head towards the holidays we look forward to a number of Christmas events. Awards night on Tuesday is always a hugely enjoyable celebration of everything that our students have achieved over the preceding 12 months and a chance to officially farewell our class of 2016. Likewise, I always enjoy the House Christmas assemblies. In the hurley burley of modern family life during Christmas, they always present a chance to sit back and reflect on why we celebrate Christmas in the first place and the fortunate position we find ourselves in, given all we are privileged to have and enjoy here in Perth.
Thursday also sees the reemergence after a couple of decades of the staff v students hockey match. This will be at the HBF arena at 4pm on Thursday 1st December and all spectators are welcome. The student team will see some fine talent pitting their wits against staff, some of whom may be a little rusty and are currently dusting off their equipment….
I would like to take this opportunity to wish you all a restful break and I hope you are able to enjoy some time with your families and loved ones during the Christmas season. I also hope that you will have time to reflect on the last twelve months and an opportunity to plan for whatever the new year brings.
Lastly, I would like to finish by urging you to reflect most importantly on why we celebrate Christmas and God’s gift to us during the holiday season.
God bless and have a peaceful, restful and hugely enjoyable holiday.
Richard Davies
In early 2017, our students head off on the Cambodia Service Learning Tour. The Duncraig students raised a fantastic total of funds to donate, all because they were so well supported at school and believed they could.
Thank you to our school community for buying chocolates, sausage sizzles, attending quiz afternoons, randomly giving students donations and all the wonderful things that you have done to support these students on their life-changing adventure.
‘Getting to Know You Day’ for our Year 7 students was held at the Duncraig campus on 11 November, 2016. Students enjoyed time together playing games and getting to know each other in their new Homerooms with their Homeroom teachers. Lots of fun was had by all.
‘Griffins’ Homeroom students in Acomp collected a hamper of food within 1 week for the Christmas appeal. Hampers will be collected by Uniting Care West on the last day of school at the Alethea Christmas assembly. These will be distributed to needy families in our community.
Mr Titlestad holding a kangaroo paw grown by one of our Year 12 students who has just graduated. The plants were given to the Class of 2016 when they started the “Rite Journey” in Year 9, 4 years ago. While this is probably the one surviving kangaroo paw from 4 years ago – it is also the most spectacular. I am delighted that this program which has gone from strength to strength continues under the leadership of Mr Dale Kelly and Mr Matt Lovell.
Amy’s artwork ‘Girl in a Manhole’ has been selected for the annual Year 12 Perspectives exhibition of the best artwork in the state.
This work shows the irony of a girl in a manhole, it’s a self-portrait depicting Amy instead of the real Romanian orphan. From 1967 to 1990 Romania experienced a spike in abandoned children, leaving orphanages overflowing and conditions becoming horrendous. Older children ran away to live in the sewers due to the underground heating, without the which they’d freeze to death on the streets. Teachers Miss Palmer, Mr Elsing and Art Technician Mrs Davenhall are very proud of Amy’s efforts. Congratulations from all at St. Stephen’s School.
In the last academic year, 16 students from Yr 7 and 8 were selected to participate in the Australasian Problem Solving Mathematics Olympiad. These students completed five challenges in five months, and spent time with Mathematics teachers practicing their problem solving skills in the buildup to each challenge. These students, pictured above, recently received their certificates. Alice Ward was awarded the trophy for the highest score in the SSS team as well as the Special Achievement award for the greatest improvement. Alice Ward, Connor Mann and Callum Stephens were also awarded patches as their scores were in the top 25% of all participants in Division S. 
In Photo: Alice Ward, Connor Mann, Callum Stephens, Benjamin Ryan, Annalise Tushingham, Carson Wolff, Caitlin Bailey, Noah Gribble, Eloise Parsons, Cooper Gates, Kyna Schrick, Nicholas Holmes
Absent: Thomas Chamoun, Benjamin Kerspien, Isaiah Zimmermann, Dominic McAuley