Month: May 2022

I recently had the opportunity to run a polling booth for the recent Federal election. It was an intense day and at times stressful, but I must admit that being part of the whole democratic process was meaningful. Whilst there were and always will be those who choose not to engage and who don’t want to vote, I witnessed many people in the lead up to the this election who were passionate and who could articulate clear reasons for their choices.

As a HASS teacher, I have had the privilege to teach civics and citizenship and something that makes me feel positive about our future, is that today’s students strike me as more informed, aware and worldly than any generation before them. Their access to information is better now than it has ever been before.

Today’s students are navigating a world that is arguably more volatile than at any point since the end of the second world war. They are enduring a pandemic, worsening effects of climate change and a potential war between the world’s two largest nuclear powers. So, it’s no wonder they’re eager to have more of a say in how these crises and the future of their world is managed.

Our job as teachers, parents, and the wider community, is to continue to foster such engagement; to encourage them to actively participate in decision making processes where possible, to question the status quo when required and to know that they can change the world in positive ways.

All changes begin when an individual or a group believe in their own agency. Let us do what we can to develop that.

Mark Batten (Dean of Makaria)

LESS WASTE, FEED MORE

St Stephen’s School food cart collects surplus food from retailers at Lakeside Shopping Centre at the end of the trading day to provide to those in our community that are suffering from financial hardship. We are seeking volunteers in our community to join our team and give a couple of hours weekly, fortnightly, or whatever suits your availability. Email donna.lund@ststephens.wa.edu.au  for further details.

NETBALL NEWS

Congratulations to the Carramar Year 7-10 girls who recently competed in the High School Netball Competition at the Perth Netball Association Centre. All five teams were extremely successful on the day, with two teams qualifying for the championship round. Great job girls!

MAKURU MUSIC SHOWCASE

SPOTLIGHT ON READING

Dr Judith Seaboyer, a Senior Lecturer in Literary Studies at the University of Queensland was surprised that even with people living such busy lives, Australians read regularly and a lot of people read as many as 10 books in a year.

From ‘Adults Engaging in Reading for Pleasure’ Teacher Magazine (03.07.2022)

THAT WINNING FEELING

Well done to both our Senior and Junior AFL teams both having wins in their recent games. The Seniors had a convincing 50 point win over Greenwood SHS and the Juniors had a 10 point win over Wanneroo SHS

Adam Dwyer

AUSTRALIAN GIRLS CHOIR

Look no further than the Australian Girls Choir (AGC) because we encourage, challenge and inspire girls as they learn to sing, dance and perform. School aged girls are invited to come along to our Open Day on Saturday June 18 to try our fun and inclusive classes and learn more about being part of the AGC! Please visit our website to register to attend our free Open Day: https://ausgirlschoir.com.au/joinagc

St Stephen’s School has no affiliation with this company and the post is simply an ad for their services if required.

JULY SCHOOL HOLIDAY ATHLETICS CLINIC

School Holiday Athletics Clinic for boys and girls aged 8 to 16 years. Tues 5th & Wed 6^th July 2022 . WA Athletics Stadium. 9am-3pm. $95 per day. Or $170 for both days. Includes a T-Shirt or Shoe Bag or Cap and also a certificate. CHOOSE ANY 4 EVENTS PER DAY! More Info: http://sprintingfast.com/

St Stephen’s School has no affiliation with this company and the post is simply an ad for their services if required.

Music

Music has always been a huge part of my life. As a child of the 70’s and 80’s, family road trips were defined by music; first ABBA, then Madness, then Duran Duran. However as I’ve grown older, my taste in music has changed. Today my playlist consists mainly of rock music (who doesn’t enjoy the Foo Fighters) with a smattering of Bieber (don’t judge!)

A love of music is something my husband and I have passed on to our children. Both play instruments and this year, our son graduated from WAAPA with a degree in Contemporary Music. Music is always played in our house and the volume is always loud. Our children are grown adults and their musical taste reflects who they are as individuals but our influence as parents can definitely be recognised.

Music brings back so many memories. The first few notes of a song or an awesome guitar riff can instantly take me back in time and generates very powerful memories and emotions. This past weekend we were painting our kitchen and as always, the music was loud. Our son came in and commented, “this is the soundtrack of my childhood”.

When we moved to Perth 11 years ago with two teenagers in tow, we knew that the teenage years in a new country would bring some challenges. What we didn’t foresee was the number of concerts we would have the opportunity to go to with our children. We have been fortunate enough to go as a family to see so many favourite artists, creating memories that will last a lifetime. Whatever else was going on in our lives would be put on hold for a few hours, bringing an escape we were all grateful for. We have a ‘concert selfie collage’ on our kitchen wall. I see these pictures every day and I am grateful for the time we spent together, sharing our love of music.

I encourage you to put on some of your favourite music. Where does it take you?

Sarah Stockton-Rice ( Dean of Charis)

YEAR 10 HUMAN MOVEMENT

The Year 10 Human Movement class have begun their golf lessons under the tutelage of club professional Jim Danas at Sun City Golf Club. The students are progressing along nicely on the driving range with a round of golf to happen in a couple of weeks. This gives the students a great chance to take some of the concepts from Exercise Physiology, Functional Anatomy and Biomechanics that are learnt in the classroom and put them into a practical setting.

Adadm Dwyer (Sports Coordinator)

YEAR 8 HOME ECONOMICS

It’s back to Kindy for our Year 8 Home Economics Students.

The Secondary students are observing what a four year old can learn through play. Their next task will be to make an ‘I Spy Bag’ then take their product back to Kindy and test the effectiveness of their toy.

Our Kindy students loved having the ‘big kids’ play with them, whilst the Secondary students certainly enjoyed interacting with the littlies.

Kerry Cross (Home Economics)

SCHOOL BASED IMMUNISATION PROGRAM

The School Based Immunisation Program (SBIP) will be offering the COVID-19 vaccine from Monday, 23 May 2022. This will be for school years 7 to 12.

Dates for this offer have yet to be confirmed but in anticipation, the SBIP team have requested you register your child or dependent on VaccinateWA. Information regarding how to register is below

Registering for a child or dependant on VaccinateWA

How do I register my dependant for the School Based Immunisation Program?

1. Log in to your VaccinateWA (external site) account. If you do not have an account, you will need to create one first. From your landing page, click on the ‘Manage dependants’ button.
2. Click ‘Register Dependant’ to create a new account for your dependant.
3. The ‘Personal information’ screen will be displayed, and you will be required to answer questions regarding personal demographic details of the dependant.
4. You will then be taken to your dependant’s VaccinateWA landing page, where all the vaccination programs the dependant is eligible for will be displayed, which may include School Based Immunisation Programs.
5. You will be able to click the “Apply now” link against the vaccination program you wish to apply for. Upon clicking this, your dependant’s dashboard for that vaccination program will be displayed, outlining the 3 steps that need to be completed.
6. Complete Step 1: ‘About me’, which requires you to enter the school name and year group. Start typing in the name of your dependant’s school and select it from a drop-down list. Select ‘Save and continue’ once details have been completed. Note: If your dependant is home schooled they will not be eligible for the School Based Immunisation Program.
7. Complete Step 2: ‘Health Questionnaire’. Once complete, click ‘Save and continue’.
8. Complete Step 3: ‘Consent’. This step will ask you to select a Vaccination Plan, outlining the details of the vaccines you consent to your dependant receiving. Once you have selected a plan, please click ‘Submit’ which concludes the registration process.

Katie Farmer (School Nurse)

FUNDRAISING WITH ENTERTAINMENT

‍Support our fundraising and enjoy 100s of everyday savings!

ST STEPHEN’S SCHOOL WINTER BALL

We are excited to officially launch the St Stephen’s School Winter  Ball for 2022!

Time: 7:00pm to 12:00am

Book now: https://loom.ly/h1x9WB8

ARTS ASSEMBLY MAKURU

SPOTLIGHT ON READING

According to research Dr Judith Seaboyer advises that what deep reading does for us is it helps to keep those neural pathways working well and it helps us to keep learning more about the world. It keeps us open-minded, it makes us hospitable to other ideas and so on

From ‘Adults Engaging in reading for Pleasure’ Teacher Magazine  (03.07.2022)

Amanda Roberts

St Stephen’s School has no affiliation with this company and the post is simply an ad for their services if required.

St Stephen’s School has no affiliation with this company and the post is simply an ad for their services if required.

JULY SCHOOL HOLIDAY ATHLETICS CLINIC

School Holiday Athletics Clinic for boys and girls aged 8 to 16 years. Tues 5th & Wed 6^th July 2022 . WA Athletics Stadium. 9am-3pm. $95 per day. Or $170 for both days. Includes a T-Shirt or Shoe Bag or Cap and also a certificate. CHOOSE ANY 4 EVENTS PER DAY! More Info: http://sprintingfast.com/

St Stephen’s School has no affiliation with this company and the post is simply an ad for their services if required.

Last week I had the privilege of being involved in the ANZAC service in the Perth CBD. This day is one that brings so much pride to so many, a day where we reflect on those who gave the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom. It is a day where we acknowledge the fallen and remember how blessed we are to live in a country like Australia. A country where we appreciate the freedoms and privilege of a democratic country. The freedom to vote for our country’s leaders, the privilege of living in a place where medical care is accessible to all and the security of living in safe environment. Our country is far from perfect, but we are indeed very blessed to live in Australia and of course one of our greatest privileges, is the access to excellent education for our children.

So, Term 2 is well and truly here, and with a new term comes new opportunities to reset and reflect on how the academic year is progressing. For many, Term 2 is both a busy and significant time of the year. For our senior students in Year 11 & 12, Term 2 is a time of examinations. Our Year 7 & 9 students begin NAPLAN testing, whilst the Year 8s & 10s must continue to work at their very best, as they plan for appropriate subject choices in 2023! Amongst all this and many, many more academic activities, with COVID restrictions easing, camps, service-learning activities, sporting competitions and many other activities are returning to our normal school routine! Yes Term 2 promises to be a busy term – they all are – but I want to encourage all our students and the St Stephen’s community at large, to embrace the busyness as an opportunity. The ANZAC spirit of mateship, of giving of your best for others, is a great example for us each and a reminder that we should make the most of every opportunity that comes our way.

I for one am very thankful for every freedom that has been forwarded to me by those who sacrificed their own lives so that we could live and thrive in our country today. I pray that we each make the most of the opportunities provided for us by those who fought for our freedom.

Russell Gilchrist (Dean of Parresia)

STEM DESIGN CHALLENGE – YEAR 7 SCIENCE

In the final week of Term 1, Year 7 students tackled a design challenge in Science. Working in pairs, students were given 10 marshmallows and 40 sticks of spaghetti, and, using only these materials, they had to build the tallest tower they could in 20 minutes. The tallest tower was built by Noah Hancock and Eishan Patel. Well done, boys.

Elizabeth Kirby

SPOTLIGHT ON READING

Researcher, Dr Judith Seaboyer says that unless the cognitive skills required for deep reading are developed and nurtured, new generations of readers may not learn to venture beyond the shallows of the reading experience.

Seaboyer adds that adult readers can be easily distracted by the availability of digital information, consuming media in short grabs as they click from page to page. Deep reading, in contrast, is a learned skill that requires the development of particular neural networks.

From ‘Adults Engaging in reading for Pleasure’ Teacher Magazine  (03.07.2022)

Amanda Roberts

ANZAC DAY 2022

Silence rang through the grounds of the Carramar campus during the ANZAC Day commemorative service held on Friday of last week.

Lest we forget.

 

MOVING ON

Alumnus and Carramar Music Tutor Gina Craven (Gina Bella on stage, class of 2014) released an EP last weekend called ‘Moving On’ (found on all music platforms). It’s an engaging mix of genres which highlights Gina’s multi-faceted skill, and she has written, recorded and mixed it all herself! Congratulations Gina!

More info is on her Facebook or Instagram under Gina Bella Music.

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/2Sfu6BuOkCuFxuBpbY6Im2…

Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/au/album/moving-on-ep/1616915809

Bandcamp:  https://ginabella.bandcamp.com/album/moving-on-ep

YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/playlist…

ST STEPHEN’S SCHOOL WINTER BALL

We are excited to officially launch the St Stephen’s School Winter  Ball for 2022!

Time: 7:00pm to 12:00am

Book now: https://loom.ly/h1x9WB8

MOTHER’S DAY

To all our St Stephens mother’s we wish you a special Mother’s Day