Month: August 2024

Term 3 off to a cracking start!

marie.hoy / / 2024

In this newsletter:

  • Principal’s message,
  • A message from Mr Andrews,
  • Upcoming events with Mrs Stockton-Rice,
  • Parenting tip from Mr Gilchrist,
  • Highlights from around the campus,
  • Community notices,
  • Dates for your diary,

Principal’s Message

Term 3 has definitely begun on a very high note with the season of The Addams Family well underway as I write. I am so very proud of our community coming together and drawing on each other’s skills, experience and talents to produce such an excellent show! If you haven’t bought tickets yet, I sincerely encourage you to make some time to come along with the family. It’s funny, visually stunning and both the dramatic and musical performances are of an incredibly high standard.   

Thank you to all our staff who have gone above and beyond to support our student actors and musicians to shine in what I am sure will be a memory of a lifetime.  

It’s a bittersweet time of year for everyone at secondary level. We’re proud to see how far our Year 12s have come and can sense their readiness to take the next step into the world and yet it’s only a few short weeks before we will say our formal goodbyes at our graduation events. I trust that everyone will enjoy this time together. 

Finally, good luck to all students who are taking part in the Athletics Carnivals next week! 

Take care and God bless,
Donella Beare

Mr Andrews’ Almanac

I want to bring your attention to some specific areas of online behaviour that demand our vigilance. Whilst these matters may reside in the domain of parents of high school students, parents of younger children will also benefit from paying attention. 

In our rapidly evolving digital age, it is crucial that we stay aware of our children’s online activities. We must recognise that we are not immune to the various trends and challenges others face. Educating ourselves about the challenges facing parents and schools across the nation is one protective measure we can be proactive about.  

Two significant concerns featured in recent news reports is the potential for our children to fall victim to sexual extortion by third parties or become involved in the creation and dissemination of deepfake content.  

  • Sexual extortion, or sextortion, is coercion where someone is forced into sexual acts or providing explicit material under the threat of exposure of private information or images. A perpetrator may contact a child online, build a relationship to gain their trust, and persuade them to share private photos. They then threaten to share these photos unless the child meets their demands, continuing to intimidate and manipulate the child. 
  • Deepfakes are artificially generated videos or images created using advanced technology to make them appear incredibly realistic. These can be used to spread misinformation, bully, or manipulate individuals. These images are becoming increasingly easy to generate. 

To safeguard our children, here are three parental tips: 

  1. Talk about online dangers: Explain to your, (age appropriate), child that deepfakes and online tricks can be misleading. Teach them to check if online content is real and to think carefully about what they see online. 
  1. Keep an eye on their online activity: Know the platforms your child uses. Use parental controls to limit access to harmful content and make sure they only talk to people they know. If they make a mistake online, talk about it openly. 
  1. Promote good online behaviour: Stress the importance of being kind and responsible online. Help them see how their actions can affect others and the possible consequences of sharing harmful content. 

For additional resources, I encourage you to visit the website of the eSafety Commissioner: www.esafety.gov.au. This is a valuable resource for parents who are teaching their children to ‘swim between the flags’ in online environments. 

Bennet Andrews, Head of Campus

What’s coming up at Carramar

with Mrs Sarah Stockton-Rice, Deputy Head of Secondary

“IT’S IN THE BAG” campaign
For the sixth year in a row, we will be running our “It’s in the Bag” campaign”! This initiative aims to support women and girls in need by collecting essential items such as toiletries, hygiene products, and small personal care items. Students are encouraged to bring used handbags, backpacks, and donations, which will be packed into bags and delivered to a drop-off point in late November. This is a great opportunity to live our school motto of ‘Serve God, Serve One Another’ and make a positive impact in the lives of women and girls in need. Donations can be brought to my office in the Administration building or to any of the Deans offices. More information about the It’s in the bag campaign.

Science Week Showcase
Science Week is just around the corner, and our Science staff have an exciting lineup of events planned for their Science Showcase! Highlights will include a keynote address by WAs Chief Scientist, Professor Peter Klinken on Wednesday 14 August at 6.45pm as well as a number of hands-on activities for students in Years 6-12. Science Week is a fantastic opportunity to ignite your curiosity and discover the wonders of science. Tickets for the Science Showcase are open to students from Years 6 – 12 and their parents. Places are free but booking is essential. Book online here.

Athletics Carnival
Get ready to show your school spirit at our annual Athletics Carnival! This year’s event promises to be bigger and better than ever, with a variety of track and field events for all students to participate in. Whether you’re a sprinter or enjoy field events, there’s a place for you everyone. The carnival will take place on campus, Wednesday 7 August and all parents are welcome.  

Bake Sale
We are excited to announce a school-wide bake sale taking place on Thursday 22 August! Both primary and secondary House Captains will be selling delicious bakes at recess, with a variety of homemade treats available for purchase. All proceeds will go towards the Melanoma Institute of Australia. Don’t miss out on this chance to indulge in some tasty treats while supporting this important cause! 

Parenting tip

Thanks to Mr Russell Gilchrist, Deputy Head of Secondary – Care (Duncraig) for this piece.

“Citius, Altius, Fortius” – Swifter, Higher, Stronger

With the arrival of the 2024 Paris Olympics, I have found myself spellbound by the performances of these elite athletes. Their individual brilliance and successes have been captivating. However, amongst appreciation of these performances, I have been reflecting on the question, what characteristics do each and every one of these athletes, have in common and what lessons can we learn from their greatness. 

 For me, there are four clear themes that allow for their success. 

  1.  Defining a vision and set SMART goals – Each athlete knows what they want to achieve and set Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-Bound goals. The vision is to be the best athlete they can possibly be, to be an Olympian and possibly a gold medallist. 
  2.  Embracing failure or setbacks as a stepping stone – Each athlete at Paris has experienced disappointment through combinations of injury or poor form, bad luck or technical glitches. Working through these setbacks has built resilience and determination to do better and to overcome. 
  3. A growth mindset – The Olympic athlete is never satisfied that they have performed the perfect race. With the achievement of a personal best comes the new goals: faster times, lifting heavier weights, finding a new more challenging limit. The athlete attitude that he or she can always improve and should never be satisfied. 
  4. Determination to do their best – Each athlete has given hour after hour of their very best in both in training and in competition prior to the Olympics. Doing your best on all occasions, regardless of the situation, prepares the athlete for excellence. Hard work is required whether performing in front of the 100,000 spectators or alone in the backyard or the family home.

At St Stephen’s School, we know that God wants us to give of our best for the sake of others. So let’s apply these lessons to our everyday living being the best person you can possibly be, determined to do better and to overcome when challenges arise, understanding that we each can always improve and by simply doing your best on all occasions, you can make a difference. 

Campus highlights

Some highlights of The Addams Family in rehearsal!
We look forward to sharing photos from the live show in our full school newsletter in Week 6. In the meantime, these are a few fun pics of our cast and crew in rehearsal. Thanks to alumnus, Callum Smith, from CSmith Photography for capturing these moments for us! A few tickets may still be on sale by the time you read this. Bookings can be made online here.


HASS ON TOUR!
During July, 48 Year 9 students and six staff from the Carramar and Duncraig campuses participated in a 10-day educational tour to Melbourne, Sydney and Canberra. This extensive cross-campus HASS Tour was an incredibly busy one, and everyone enjoyed the new experiences and friendships that were made.  

While the Tour was bookended by visits to the MCG and Sydney Opera House, in Canberra the group attended the old Parliament and current Parliament Houses, Questacon, the National Museum, the Australian Mint, the National War Memorial and the Australian Institute of Sport. There was even time at the Thredbo ski-fields, where the students very much enjoyed the snow. They absorbed a considerable amount of Australia’s history, culture and democracy, with education and fun going hand in hand as it should.  

The Australian Government recognises the importance of all young Australians being able to visit the national capital as part of their Civics and Citizenship education. To assist families in meeting the cost of the excursion the Australian Government contributes funding of $510 per student under the Parliament and Civics Education Rebate (PACER) program towards those costs. The rebate is paid directly to the school upon completion of the excursion. 

Special thanks to our Tour Coordinator, Mrs Taylor as well as Mr Barnes, Ms Erasmus, Mr Osborne, Ms Koutsoukos, and Ms Glacken for working with the awesome students who participated in this very successful tour. 

COMMUNITY NOTICES

A leadership opportunity for your kids!
Host a visiting Japanese student in August for a short 13-night stay and give your child the opportunity to connect with a new culture and enrich their worldview. The program is available across both Duncraig and Carramar school campuses from 23 August – 5 September.

 ✔️ Create Friendships: Welcoming a student sparks real friendships and cultural connections that last a lifetime.
✔️ Cultural Enrichment: Share your daily life and learn about Japanese customs and traditions firsthand.
✔️ 24/7 Bilingual Support: Receive 24/7 bilingual support and a $650 payment to help cover costs.
Apply via this link 👉 https://www.goldil.com.au/st-stephens-aug 

 

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.
Please click on the images below to book for each event (aside from the prayer group for which no booking is required).