In this newsletter:
- Principal’s message,
- Community spirit,
- A message from Mr Andrews,
- Parenting tip,
- Highlights from around the campus,
- Community notices,
- Dates for your diary,
Principal’s Message
It has been a busy and fulfilling term for us all at St Stephen’s School. After starting the term literally with a bang when we achieved our goal of attaining the world record for most confetti cannons launched simultaneously, our students have gone on to some excellent achievements in the Arts, interhouse and inter-school sports and we have supported our senior students through the first round of major exams of 2024.
We’re also releasing tickets for The Addams Family on Monday, so I encourage you to book your tickets quickly to avoid disappointment and come along to support our incredibly talented performers from both campuses. You will receive an email from me on Monday morning so keep an eye out for that.
Thank you to all our staff for their commitment to coaching, rehearsals, clubs, debating, extra academic support and running retreats and excursions which enrich the lives of our students and help to make our school community a vibrant one.
I trust that you all will enjoy a happy, safe and peaceful mid-year break. We look forward to welcoming you all back for Term 3.
Take care and God bless,
Donella Beare
Community spirit
One of our students, Darcy Metcalf, was involved in a life-changing car accident in 2023. He spent four months in Royal Perth Hospital and is currently undergoing intensive rehabilitation in Fiona Stanley Hospital. His recovery is slow but progressing. He’s reached a point where he’s nearly ready to be home with his family, and his medical team are working towards discharging him within the next eight weeks. Chailee Richards, a close family friend has set up a GoFundMe page to help raise money for renovations to the family home that will accommodate Darcy’s wheelchair and future independence. Please keep Darcy in your prayers, and visit his Go Fund Me page to contribute in any way you can. Thank you on behalf of Darcy, his family and his great support network.
Mr Andrews’ Almanac
The ‘K -12 Advantage’
When parents choose to enrol their primary-aged child in a K-12 school like St Stephen’s School, there is a corner of their minds that entertains a vision of the future. That vision is of their son or daughter as an almost fully formed adult, graduating from school as a successful Year 12 in control of their place in the world as it takes shape in front of them. In this message, I wanted to highlight the advantages available to students when they enter our primary school and one day graduate from our secondary school. Other students who join us at any point in the K-12 schooling journey will leverage these advantages as well, as they are inducted into a positive learning environment, they in turn make their own valuable contribution to it.
Knowing the whole child
Understanding their personal learning strengths and challenges allows educators to tailor their approach to meet individual needs effectively over the long term. This deep knowledge fosters an environment where students feel seen and understood, enhancing their motivation and engagement. Teachers can identify and nurture each child’s unique talents while providing targeted support to overcome difficulties. This personalised attention not only boosts academic performance but also builds confidence and resilience, laying a solid foundation for lifelong learning.
Leaping life’s hurdles
A supportive school environment is crucial in helping students navigate the hurdles they all encounter during childhood. Whether it’s addressing learning difficulties, family issues, or social struggles, school acts as a stable pillar in the student’s life. By fostering a safe and responsive environment, the school becomes an anchorage, ensuring students have the resources and guidance needed to weather storms, learn from errors, and emerge stronger and more resilient.
Consistent values and culture
Over the years, students internalise the school’s positive tone and standards, which guide their behaviour and decision-making. This continuity in values promotes a cohesive and supportive community where respect, integrity, and responsibility are paramount. As students progress through different stages of their education, the consistent culture reinforces positive behaviour and attitudes, ensuring that they not only excel academically but also develop into well-rounded individuals who contribute positively to society.
Whilst the ‘safe-harbour’ of a K-12 school does change shape around the child over time, the reassuring constants remain close at hand. Our secondary school is a distinctly different environment to primary school and yet there is a golden thread of continuity that ties the past version of the student to where they are today and to where they will be when they graduate.
Bennet Andrews, Head of Campus
Parenting tip
In this edition we thank Duncraig Dean of Carana, Stuart Gale, for sharing his insights and experiences relating to social media, technology and teens.
As we all know, technology plays a huge role in our lives and most of the time for the better. However, we do know that teenagers can struggle to regulate their own screen time and need assistance and guidance in managing their online interactions, and whether they know it or not (or even like it or not) they actually do need us to help keep them safe online.
As a parent of three teenagers myself, I am all too aware of the influence technology can have in our homes and on the lives of our kids. In my own home, we have had to address our use of mobile phones and computers and put strategies in place to help keep our kids safe online.
Social media
There are potential dangers online that many teenagers come across daily. Social media can be a huge part of a teenager’s daily life, and used well it can be beneficial, but there are many traps kids can fall into.
The impulse to obsessively check Snapchat and achieve ‘streaks’ can be a pressure for our kids, the constant ‘ping’ of notifications coming through at all times of the day or night can lead to anxiety and interrupt regular sleep patterns. Location and privacy can also be problematic if the settings aren’t managed carefully.
The internet
The internet can be all pervading in our homes if we let it and so it is helpful for us as parents to be aware of what our kids are watching and participating in.
Pornography is all too easy for our kids to access. In a recent Australian study of 15–29-year-olds, 100% of boys and young men and 82% of girls and young women reported ever viewing pornography. The median age for first exposure was 13 years for boys and 16 for girls. Clearly, the young people in our care are certainly in that ‘at risk’ phase so we must be vigilant.
Online gaming
Gaming can also be of concern for some of our kids. Games are becoming more violent and more realistic in their violence, and sexual references and nudity regularly appear in video games that our children can access. Exposure to racist, misogynistic, and extreme perspectives are concerning, especially when teenagers don’t yet have the tools to analyse these ideas.
What can we do?
In the context of these issues, an important first question is whether we are comfortable with devices being in our kids’ bedrooms outside of our direct supervision. I encourage you to think carefully about this one, and to make the call and remove them if you are concerned. Your kids may not like this to begin with, but it will help them, and the whole household, in the long run.
Fortunately, there is a lot of help and advice available to parents. Of course, we must work with our kids to educate them and keep them safe at the same time.
There are also safeguards we, as parents can apply to our kids’ computers and phones to restrict certain content, turn off the device at night, and restrict what is watched or downloaded.
Below are some links to guide you through the process of setting up safeguards on your child’s device whether they have an Apple or Android device.
If you have an iPhone or Apple computer, you can use Apple screen time:
https://support.apple.com/en-gb/guide/iphone/iphb0c7313c9/ios
https://support.apple.com/en-au/108806
Family sharing lets you set up permissions for your child’s Apple device from your own device:
https://support.apple.com/en-au/108380
Microsoft family safety for Microsoft devices:
https://www.microsoft.com/en-au/microsoft-365/family-safety
For Android mobile devices:
https://families.google/familylink/
Parental control apps
There are also many apps that parents can download onto our own phones to set up safeguards on a teen’s device.
https://www.techradar.com/best/best-parental-control-app-of-year
https://au.pcmag.com/parental-control-monitoring/44998/the-best-parental-control-software
https://www.safewise.com/au/best-parental-control-apps-software/
https://www.esafety.gov.au/parents/issues-and-advice/parental-controls
We urge you to seriously consider applying these, regardless of how well it appears your teen is using technology. I use these with my own kids not because I don’t trust them, but because I know the world they live in can be extremely difficult to navigate. There are temptations and pressures in their world that we just didn’t have when we were kids and it’s our responsibility to help them work through these pressures as best they can. It’s not about trust, it’s about guarding their minds and their hearts.
If you have any questions or would like some further guidance in any of these matters please don’t hesitate to be in contact with your teen’s Dean of House or Campus leadership team. As the saying goes, ‘we’re all in this together’ so if we can work in partnership our children can only be better off.
Stuart Gale – Dean of Carana, Duncraig campus
(on behalf of the Deans at Carramar and Duncraig)
Campus highlights
ACC Cross-country
Our Carramar and Duncraig students made us all proud at the recent ACC Cross-country competition! A huge congratulations to Dean Skroza who took out the U14 gold and Aaron Cockburn, who ranked in the top ten for his age group. We’ve also just heard that Aaron has been named as part of the “train-on” team in the School Sport WA Cross-country team which means he will benefit from all the training and coaching of the state team and may have the opportunity to compete in Melbourne! Congratulations, Aaron! Well done all and thank you to our staff for their coaching and ongoing support of our teams to help them perform at their best!
Carramar talent on show!
Our recent Makuru Showcase was a fitting celebration of music at our Carramar campus. The crowd were treated to a broad range of musical styles from a moving version of ‘How Great is our God’ by the Senior Choir to some funky pieces by our Jazz Band and the Year 10 Rock Band! Congratulations to all our students, and thank you to Year 8 student, Fletcher Woodfield for his sound and lighting support for the show. Thanks to our amazing staff, especially Michelle Williams and Sarah Blanchard, for nurturing our talented musos!
Year 10 Subject Selection Week
In Week 8, Year 10 students sat their Semester 1 exams and took part in a week of Subject Selection preparation. They went through a series of elective subject rotations, undertook an Introduction to Leadership, participated in a panel discussion with alumni and practised for the Term 4 Spring Soiree. 
Upcoming Thrift Ball
The Captains have been busy making their final preparations for tonight’s Thrift Ball. Our Year 11 and 12 students have been invited to find their best thrifted outfits dating all the way back to the year 2000. Some staff have been able to reach into the back of their closets for the Y2K outfit while students have had great fun looking for clothes from the ‘olden days’. We know they will have a fantastic evening and the weeks of planning will be worthwhile!
COMMUNITY NOTICES
Train with AFL pros
Calling all footy players aged 14-17! Join the Athletic Institute to train like the pros with football skills from AFL player Elijah Hewett, mindset training by premiership player Mark Hutchings and fitness testing benchmarked to AFL standards and more! Don’t miss this chance to elevate your game, book now at https://athleticinstitute.com.au/
Do you have any old glasses sitting around at home? 
As part of our Service Learning tour to Vietnam in January 2025, one of the organisations we are partnering with, Hearts for Hue, have informed us that they would sincerely appreciate any donations of old reading glasses. We have placed a collection box in Secondary Student Services at Duncraig, and Student Services at Carramar for you to drop in any old, unwanted glasses. Thank you for your support!
Dates for your diary
Remember you can always visit the St Stephen’s School calendar for key dates
- Friday 28 June – last day of Term 2
- Monday 22 July – first day of Term 3 – winter uniform
