Secondary Update Term 4 Week 6
Year 10 River Cruise: A Night to Remember
On Tuesday, 12 November, our Year 10 students enjoyed an unforgettable river cruise departing from Perth’s Barrack Street. The boat set off along the beautiful Swan River, basking under the last layers of sunlight, creating the perfect backdrop for an evening filled with fun, friendship, and celebration.
Students arrived in creative costumes that added to the night’s lively atmosphere. Among the crowd we saw Ninja Turtles, pirates, superheroes, basketball players, and even the iconic Mean Girls. Not to be outdone, our teachers embraced the fun and dressed in classic Harry Potter-themed attire, blending in with the festive spirit.
With music filling the air and laughter all around, students danced the night away, creating memories they will carry long after this school year. Special thanks go to our Pastoral Care Group teachers for their support, making the night both safe and enjoyable, and to all staff who attended. We would like to take this opportunity to thank Mrs Lara Ognenis, Leader of Wellbeing Year 10, for her organisation of the evening and for her efforts in making this event such a success for all who attended.
Years 7-11 Annual Awards Assembly – Friday 22 November
Newman College’s Annual Awards Assembly will be held in the Auditorium and College Gymnasium on Friday 22 November commencing at approximately 8.50am. Our final assembly on Marcellin Campus allows us to acknowledge the academic and sporting achievements this year, recognise our Gamechangers participants and introduce our 2025 Guild Representatives to the College Community. We are in the process of finalising our award winners. Students and families will be notified on Monday 18 November if they are receiving an award. We ask families to RSVP to the event indicating their attendance at this event. Please note that whilst a live feed will allow us to engage in and watch the event from either venue, our Year 10 and Year 11s will be presented with their awards in the Auditorium and our Year 7s, 8s and 9s will be presented with their awards in the Gym. Following the event, light refreshments will be served in the Auditorium Foyer and parents/guardians and award winners are invited to join us.
Year 8 Parent Information Evening – Tuesday 26 November
On Tuesday 26 November, we will be sharing information about the implementation of the Rite Journey program with our Year 9 2025 students. All Year 8 families are asked to attend. Please click here to review communication that was sent out recently for more details.
Student Diaries 2025
In 2025, the College will only be providing our new Year 7 students with a Student College Diary. The use of diaries will be compulsory for all Year 7 students.
For all Years 8 – 12, there is an option to purchase a 2025 Student College Diary through the book list. Based on student feedback and observation, we are aware that students are opting for electronic means to keep themselves organised. We will be working with your child in early 2025 as to how to use these electronic means to keep them organised such as: widgets, OneNote, Outlook etc. Please be aware that the College will have spare diaries should your child in Years 8-12 wish to purchase one of the College-specific diaries.
Summer STEM Program at ECU
Edith Cowan University are running a Summer of STEM program at their Joondalup Campus from 22-24 January 2025. This three-day program provides students who have an interest in STEM with an opportunity to engage in a variety of science and math activities. The program is for students 14 years and older. For more information or to book click here.
Recognition of State Representation
Congratulations to Bastian Domínguez (Year 9) who has been selected again to represent WA at the Australian Futsal Nationals 2025 which will be played in January in Melbourne.
State Representation is an honour and an important stepping stone in an athlete’s journey. We commend Bastian for his dedication and commitment to his sport.
Pathways and Careers Information: Year 10
Subject Selection for Year 11, 2025
Thank you to all families who participated in the subject selection process for Year 11, 2025. The College is currently finalising missing selections and constructing the timetable for 2025.
In the near future, Year 10 students (and families) will be advised of their allocated subjects for 2025. This will allow sufficient time for purchase of the relevant books and class materials.
VET Certificates (TAFE Courses) and Work Experience for 2025
Applications for VET Certificates for 2025 have now closed. Students will be notified of the outcome of their application in the coming weeks.
Applications for Work Experience for 2025 are now open, and information regarding this has been sent to students.
Pathways and Careers Information: Year 11
WACE (Secondary Graduation) Requirements
In Year 11 and 12, students are progressing towards their Western Australian Certificate of Education (WACE), otherwise known as their secondary graduation.
In order to achieve their WACE, students need to meet certain academic targets across Year 11 and 12. These are:
- Demonstrate the minimum standard of literacy and numeracy (either in Year 9 NAPLAN or in Year 10-12 OLNA).
- Be enrolled in English / Literature in Year 11 and 12.
- Be enrolled in at least 1 ‘List B’ (Maths / Science / Sport / Technology) subject.
- Achieve at least 14 C grades, with at least 6 C grades in Year 12 subjects.
Enrolling in Notre Dame UniPath for 2025
The Notre Dame UniPath program is now open for applications for 2025. Please see below a summary of the UniPath and UniReady Programs:
| UniReady | UniPath | |
| Outcome | 70 ATAR | 70 ATAR |
| Valid for | All WA Universities (but to enter UWA you need 65% in UniReady) | Curtin, ECU, Murdoch, Notre Dame. |
| Structure | One of your 6 school subjects in Year 12. Taught here at Newman, by a teacher, in a classroom each day. | Attend Notre Dame Fremantle campus one day per week, for 12 weeks. |
| How to apply | Select UniReady as one of your Year 12 subjects next year. (Or tell me if you’d like to enter) | See below. |
If you would like to enrol in UniPath for next year, you can now apply for entry to this program.
- Read the information here: https://www.notredame.edu.au/study/applications-and-admissions/pathways/unipath
- If it looks right for you, see the “How To Apply” section for the process.
- If you are already enrolled in UniReady but decide to switch to UniPath, please let me know.
For Students Thinking of Attending University
- TISC has a series of videos explaining things like ATAR calculation, prerequisite subjects, scaling, and preferences. You can find them here: https://www.tisc.edu.au/static/guide/video.tisc
- Are you thinking of attending a University Open Day? Dates are below. This blog might help you: https://infocus-careers.com.au/2024/02/20/year-11-how-to-approach-university-open-days/
VET Certificates (TAFE Courses) and Work Experience for 2025
Applications for VET Certificates for 2025 have now closed. Students will be notified of the outcome of their application in the coming weeks.
The College will open applications for 2025 Work Experience in Term 4 of 2024.
Pathways and Careers Information: Year 12
Parent and Family Resources
Each year, the Australian Government publishes a resource for parents / guardians to assist in career conversations. The 2024 version can be found here: https://www.yourcareer.gov.au/school-leavers-support/parents-and-guardians-guide
WACE (Secondary Graduation) Requirements
In Year 11 and 12, students are progressing towards their Western Australian Certificate of Education (WACE), otherwise known as their secondary graduation.
In order to achieve their WACE, students need to meet certain academic targets across Year 11 and 12. These are:
- Demonstrate the minimum standard of literacy and numeracy (either in Year 9 NAPLAN or in Year 10-12 OLNA).
- Be enrolled in English / Literature in Year 11 and 12.
- Be enrolled in at least 1 ‘List B’ (Maths / Science / Sport / Technology) subject.
- Achieve at least 14 C grades, with at least 6 C grades in Year 12 subjects.
Gap Year Information
Students interested in taking a gap year in 2025 might find the following interesting:
- Defence Force Gap Year: https://www.adfcareers.gov.au/careers/gap-year?page=2&perPage=21&query=
- Other gap year ideas: https://infocus-careers.com.au/2024/04/02/leaving-year-12-try-these-gap-year-ideas/
- And: https://infocus-careers.com.au/2022/07/13/leaving-year-12-these-gap-year-ideas-may-interest-you/
Apprenticeship and Trades Information
The 2024 edition of the Apprentice Intake Guide has now been published. This guide is a large listing of many different apprenticeship opportunities available.
Students and families can access the Guide here: https://asa.cciwa.com/mp-files/intake-guide.pdf/
University and TAFE Dates
University Deadlines and Information
| Date | Information |
| 29 November | Last date to upload any known medical/family evidence (via the TISC website) that might affect your ATAR. |
| 2 December | Final round of early offers sent to students. |
| 15 December | ATAR results available on the TISC website. |
| 17 December | Closing date for applications / changes of preferences on the TISC website. |
| 21 December | Offers sent to students. |
| 15 January | Last date to apply for second-round offers. |
| 21 January | Second-round offers sent to students. |
For instructions on how to apply using TISC (including for UniReady / UniPath students), please refer to this document.
For guidance on how the offer process works / how to accept / what to do if you don’t get an offer / deferring – please see here: https://www.tisc.edu.au/static/guide/admission-offers.tisc
TAFE Deadlines and Information
| Date | Information |
| 6 September | Applications open for Semester 1, 2025. |
| 1 November | Last date to apply for Semester 1, 2025. |
| 4 December onwards | Offers will be made after this date. |
Students and families can find a list of all TAFE courses at this link: https://www.fulltimecourses.tafe.wa.edu.au/
Information About University Entry
- TISC has a series of videos explaining things like ATAR calculation, prerequisite subjects, scaling, and preferences. You can find them here: https://www.tisc.edu.au/static/guide/video.tisc
- Are you thinking of attending a University Open Day? Dates are below. This blog might help you: https://infocus-careers.com.au/2024/02/01/year-12-how-to-approach-university-open-days-in-2022/
- Are you the first person in your family to attend University? This might assist: http://www.firstinfamily.com.au/
- Here are some useful tools to prepare students for the transition to University: https://unireadytoolkit.com.au/
- Students and families may also find these resources from Curtin University helpful: https://www.curtin.edu.au/study/undergraduate/high-school-resources/
University Scholarships
| Curtin University | Search scholarships | Curtin University, Perth, Australia |
| Edith Cowan University (ECU) | ECU | Overview : Scholarships |
| Murdoch University | Scholarship finder (murdoch.edu.au) |
| Notre Dame University | Find a Scholarship | Notre Dame |
| University of Western Australia (UWA) | The University of Western Australia : Scholarships (uwa.edu.au) |
| Christian Leaders Scholarship | https://ichthys.org.au/christian-leaders-scholarship/ |
Upcoming Events
| EVENT | DATE | LINK |
| Future Students Information Evening (ECU) | 20 November | https://www.trybooking.com/COKYN |
| Curtin University Pathway support sessions | 13 November | https://www.curtin.edu.au/events/curtin-pathway-support-days-2024/ |
| Curtin University Pathway support sessions | 20 November | https://www.curtin.edu.au/events/curtin-pathway-support-days-2024/ |
| Curtin University Pathway support sessions | 27 November | https://www.curtin.edu.au/events/curtin-pathway-support-days-2024/ |
| Notre Dame Information Day | 16 December | https://events.nd.edu.au/info-day-fremantle |