When I was a child, many years ago, our school year was divided into 3 school terms with only two sets of fortnightly holiday breaks per year. It’s hard to imagine now that school terms of 14 weeks were the norm, given the way this 11-week term has seemed to stretch on. It seems an age ago now that we celebrated Edmund Rice Day in bright sunshine in early May, but the good works have continued and we end the term having spent the final weeks collecting toiletries for the College’s St Vincent de Paul winter appeal.
It’s not hard to whip up enthusiasm for supporting the homeless at this time of year. Just imagining what it must be like to sleep rough on Perth streets when the temperature hovers around zero, is enough to engender sympathy from the boys. The collection of toiletries might seem unusual, given that warm clothing, blankets, sleeping bags etc might seem more appropriate. The collection of toiletries helps to support homeless shelters, refuges and other NGO’s which provide temporary shelter to those in need. Thank you, as always for your generous support of this worthy cause.
Year 7 Edmund West had a special visitor a few weeks ago. Little Teddy (Theodore) Bowyer popped in to visit the students his dad, Lachlan, looks after each day in Tutor Group. The photo snapped is a gem and shows the warm, relaxed pastoral atmosphere Mr Bowyer has created. Don’t for a minute believe that Middle School boys are too old to be enchanted by a baby – they’re not. There was no shortage of volunteers to nurse Teddy, who proved very compliant and patient throughout. You can’t fake those smiles.
The 9 Edmund West boys have been fortunate to have been cared for by two excellent Tutor teachers this year, and are currently under the care of Mr Chris Laurino who loves being part of the super-competitive footy tipping competition. Mrs Cathy North stepped into the breach in Term 1 and the students were very grateful for the kindness, enthusiasm and genuine care she showed them:
"Mrs North was a wonderful tutor and an amazing person. She was always so kind and generous with her actions and words, I liked the Mario carting and she even remembered people’s birthday. I really did enjoy having Mrs North as a tutor.
Oliver Lim
"Mrs North was a great tutor teacher because she did everything she could to make tutor fun. For example, if we read well on the first three days of tutor then on Thursday we would do something fun like a Kahoot. She even made tutor more enjoyable for those who don't like reading by bringing in comic books for us to read."
William Bolton
Maree Brennan, Head of Edmund House
Bryan
As Term 2 draws to an end, I reflect on all the wonderful contributions of fine young men in Bryan House.
Our CATS and exams were upon us in Weeks 8 and 9. Students now had a chance to show what they had learnt during remote learning and when they had returned to the classroom. Study notes were done well and most students put in a terrific effort.
It is very important that we reflect on our performance for each subject and answer some key questions.
How do I feel?
What did I do well?
What do I need to improve upon?
What resources did I utilise to assist me with this assessment?
What is my goal for the next assessment?
Whilst academics are extremely important, it is necessary for us to remember that an Aquinian and member of Bryan House should participate in all of the College aspects.
Year 8 had a very busy Week 10. On Thursday they were involved in the Leadership Induction with Mr Weston and on Friday the 25th of June they had the Year 8 Social with Iona. For the leadership, students will need to submit an Application Form and do their Community Service Hours.
Hopefully, we will see plenty of Bryan Middle School Leaders in Term 1 of 2021. The Social was a spectacular evening, held in the Sports Hall, with our fine young men showing some wonderful dance moves. The decorations were beautiful and the Iona Prefects demonstrated they were very capable DJs.
Thank you for a great term and have a safe and get some rest over the break. See you in Term 3.
Fiona McAlister, Head of Bryan House
Bryan House has been busy all term doing numerous activities around the school. The Bryan house Masses and Chapel have had great attendance with many bright students offering up their time to assist during them. Many different readers and altar servers sending emails and stopping by the office to get in first for house Mass and Chapel.
Edmund Rice day was clearly the fan favourite for all boys and Bryan house put in their part to achieve that. Many stations and stalls were run throughout the day, with most of the boys being at their designated station on time. The Cross Country is clearly not many of the boy’s favourite events in the year, but Bryan house pulled through and gave it their all.
Recently, the Year 8 boys embarked on their leadership workshop. It was clear that many of the boys from Bryan were eager to give the leadership program a try. Lastly, during the Year 8 social, the Bryan house group were very confident through their approach to the Iona girls. Overall, Bryan House has been busy as ever this term with events and it was made clear through these events, that Bryan House is full of good students.
Harry Newman, Yr 8
Glowwrey
Below are some reflections from Glowrey House members and provide an insight into the range of activities they have been involved in during Semester 1.
House Events
Year 8 Iona Social
On the Friday of week 10, the Year 8 cohort visited Iona Presentation College for a social full of fun and dancing. I personally enjoyed the hour and a half meet and greet with the girls. I learnt many things from this experience like dancing and the confidence to talk to and meet girls. A big thanks to Iona for hosting and all the teachers and Iona students that helped with this event.
Brooklyn Brady, Yr 8
Edmund Rice Day
Edmund Rice day was a cracker of an experience with lots of fun and joy involved. We were given 30-minute shifts which were spread out among all of Glowrey-West. I really enjoyed the day because of its variety of different options to participate in, from food to throwing water balloons at teachers. Overall, this day was a good time with mates and a heap of fun.
Luke McCoy, Yr 9
Sport
7A Soccer
During the winter sports period, I have been playing in the 7As Soccer team along with some other Year 7 Glowrey boys. We were able to try something different this term and play against CBC on our bye round. It was a really fun and challenging game and helped us become better players. I really enjoyed trying something new and I hope we can do it again some time.
Samuel Pensabene, Yr 7
1st Cross-Country
This year, after running in the Year 7 House Cross-Country, I was invited to run in the Aquinas 1st Cross-Country team. All of the older boys were very nice and comforting to me and congratulated me on my runs. On my first run, we had one of the hardest runs of the season as we had to run two 3km stretches at South Perth against all schools. Overall, my experience has been very welcoming and fun in joining the Aquinas 1st Cross Country team.
Max Johnson, Yr 7
Reds Volleyball
Reds started Week 2 Term 2 and ends late Term 3. The experience has been really good playing with friends and versing other teams like Rossmoyne. I personally have improved doing the Reds and I think it goes the same with all my friends. I have had 2 coaches and I have been grateful to them because one is a Year 12 student juggling our team as well as studying for exams and stuff, and the other was just a good coach. I have had lots of fun and can’t wait for the upcoming training and games.
Blake Bayliss, Yr 7
Academics/Classroom
Study-Skills
The Study-Skills program is a 4-week course guided by Mr Dempsey. It teaches selected boys simple tips and techniques that may help with receiving better results during the CAT weeks. I have received significantly better results while using the tips Mr Dempsey gave the students. It is very influential, and I believe it is a very successful program.
Ryan Doyle, Yr 8
Classroom
I have learnt a lot from Brother Robert in the first two terms that I have been at Aquinas, such as the need to respect all my friends as much as you possibly can. He tells us the reasoning behind everything we do and that’s why Brother is the best teacher in the school, I think.
Jacob Barnett, Yr 7
This term at Aquinas College, Religious Education was possibly one of my most favourite subjects because of the teachers telling us about how great and amazing this world was and still is to this day.
Cruz Jones, Yr 7
Dance Spectacular
The Dance Spectacular definitely is not the most looked forward to event by Year 9 but I am happy to say it was nowhere near as bad as I thought. The Dance Spectacular aims to encourage us to step outside the man-box and no longer follow the harmful stereotypes of what it means to be a man. Dancing is traditionally not a ‘manly’ characteristic and we were forced to step outside of our comfort zone and perform in front of a crowd of over 200 people. For some, stepping out on stage and performing is really difficult and the Dance trains us for when we are put in these situations. I was not looking forward to the dance at all, but I ended up really enjoying the experience.
David Stopforth, Yr 9
Co-Curricular
River Gym
The gym has a great potential to improve different parts of my body and gave me a great insight into how muscles work. The great thing is you just have to ask for a program and the coordinator will write you up one so you can improve such as in areas like if you want a great physique or if you want to be a fast runner the gym can make your dreams come true.
Tyler Harris, Yr 9
Schola Choir
In the Aquinas College Schola Choir, we do a variety of things. We sing for a total of 11 hours a week with 5 rehearsals, 4 chapel services and 1 Church service at Saint Patrick's Basilica in Fremantle. We sing in 12 different languages including Latin, Italian, French and Swahili. Overall, the Aquinas College Schola Choir has given me many opportunities.
Aidan Griffiths, Yr 7
This year has been action-packed and exciting for the Schola Choir, and as a Year 8 Glowrey House member, I have thoroughly enjoyed taking part in these events. A grand concert on the 3rd of June excited the choristers, giving them something to look forward to as they were able to collaborate with some of the best in the business, the Australian Baroque. These brilliant musicians accompanied us and ensured that we could rely on them to help us through the night. Another highlight of the year so far was the A Choral Spectacular with Michelle Leonard OAM, where the Schola Choir joined with choirs from Aquinas College, Wesley College and Penrhos College to work with her and put on a concert on the 17th of June. Michelle Leonard, who received an Order of Australian Medal in 2017, helped to make this night fantastic through a series of workshops and rehearsals, and that night stays fresh in the mind of choristers who excitedly sang in St Patrick’s Basilica. Throughout this year, the Schola Choir has taken part in some exciting and grand events, and we hope to continue these events later this year and into the future.
Dylan Atkins-Warlters, Yr 8
Affirmations
Congratulations to the boys below on their recent Affirmations:
Shivan Barzanji - 7 Glowrey West -98% in recent Italian Test.
Archie Wedge - 8 Glowrey West - 80% in the Term 2 Mathematics CAT
Luka Patak – 7 Glowrey East - producing a wonderful English CAT poetry presentation
Aston Know – 7 Glowrey East - producing a wonderful English CAT poetry presentation
William Fievez – 7 Glowrey West - producing a wonderful English CAT poetry presentation
Dillon Harris – 7 Glowrey West – assisting with IT in class and acting with character
Luka Nocciolino - demonstrating exceptional care and support for a student who was in distress during Friday afternoon Sport.
Blake Gardner – 9 Glowrey East - diligence and effort in English Exam preparation.
Treacy
Edmund Rice Day highlighted for many staff the number of good students we have who switch into ‘service mode’ and dig in to get the necessary jobs done on the big occasions. The challenge remains to identify and foster this attribute on a smaller scale, especially when the quality young men who perform these acts of kindness are directing their efforts toward other people, don’t look for and definitely don’t receive reward or recognition.
We have many students among our Treacy Tutor Groups who have done extraordinary things to include, support and advocate for others. Without the need to draw attention to specific situations. I would like to affirm the following young men for their outstanding character in doing the important ‘quiet’ things that make life a lot brighter for others in our College community. The following students have been identified by their peers as ‘someone who looks out for and regularly helps others without really being noticed for doing so’;
In Year 9 - Kai Gale, Rainer Lin, Atticus Cooper, Jayden Prasetio, Matthew Chang, Joseph Anderson-Mackay, Ned O’Connor, Dominic Osman and Austin Hamilton.
In Year 8 - Flinn Tyrell, Nash Barnett, Michael Scott, Christian Bradshaw, Harrison Heal, Christian Pecotic, Oliver Perkis, Xavier Bianchini, Joshua Golding and Harrison Ganza
In Year 7 – Aaron James, Wesley Turnseck-James, Blake Topham, Milan Damjanovich, Tom Parker, Liam Waldock, William Hatton and Tyler Burych.
Of course, these are now the ‘discovered gems’ and we trust there are many more quality ‘jewels’ in the midst doing great work behind the scenes. Hopefully, we can uncover them and provide the opportunity for others to be aware of their ‘hidden facets’.
New recruit joins the Treacy ranks
One significant punctuation in the second half of the term was the arrival of our newest Treacy House member, Ethan Prasetio, who has been welcomed into the Year 7 Treacy East Group. Upon asking him what has stood out about Aquinas since his arrival, he quickly commented about how supported and included he has felt by the boys in his Tutor Group. When pressed, Ethan was reluctant to identify specific students, commenting that, ‘everyone in the group has made me feel welcome’; a nice affirmation for the boys and the social dynamic created within the group by Tutor, Mr Aaron Powell.
Quiet Achiever
It may come as a surprise to many students in Year 9 to hear that they have been sharing classrooms, hallways and conversations with a newly crowned National Champion in martial arts! The humble personality of Conan Thiedeman belies his undoubted talents in Judo, an activity containing all fitness components and, in particular, balance, agility, speed, strength, and power, rather than the striking actions associated with other forms of martial arts. Having achieved second place last year in the British Championships for the U/14 category, he dominated the U/15, under 60kg division at the Australian National titles held at the Gold Coast on the 12th of June, winning each of his bouts by a maximum margin over each of his opponents. He is pictured here after receiving his Gold Medal with his younger brother Rourke.
Middle School Leadership
In the same week that the Year 8 students have completed their Middle School Leadership Launch, four more of our Year 9 boys have completed all components of their program and will be presented at the next Middle School Assembly. The latest students achieving leadership status are; Jaques Syed, Cooper Hopkins, Lachlan Parisotto and Harrison Reynolds. We wish them every success in working with their respective Councils next term.
Craig Herbert, Head of Treacy House
Senior School
Prendiville
Cullity
Chaney
Prendiville
On Thursday of Week 8, the Prendiville Council organised a House Day to bring the House together and raise money for Zonta House Women’s Refuge in Fremantle.
At Mass that Thursday morning, without any prior notice, Nolan Robinson, Matteo Conte and Kurtis Tanna stepped up to do the readings in front of the House. Again, we thank William Spence for the fantastic job he has done within the council regarding our Masses over the past year and a half.
Milhan Ramji and Year 11 council member, Freddie Hayes, had organised Vertical House Dodgeball during Tutor time, which meant it was the East Tutor Groups from 10 - 12 against the West Tutor Groups. Organising vertical competitions each term was one of the Prendiville council initiatives for this year. The hope being that students would mingle and bond within each year group. Mr Justin Morisey, who has taken our 10 Prendiville West Tutor Group, for the time being, did a brilliant job of officiating the ever-tricky dodgeball rules and introducing a half-court basketball shot option that would solidify a win for whichever team managed to sink one first (while in the firing line of dodgeballs). Jack Eastaugh was the only student to achieve this.
Directly following dodgeball, Charlie Stewart had led a team of students to prepare glazed doughnuts from the boarding house kitchen for our boys to buy as a donation to our charity cause. With the help of Mr Bradley Nicholls, Cooper Wiebrecht, Samuel Wilhelm, Cooper Tinsley, Milhan and Charlie managed to collect $303 for Zonta House (half of which was a profit). This meant that approximately 80 boys from the House remembered to bring their donations. This was a sound effort, though it would be great to see the other 60 or so boys care or remember to bring their donations next time. This week’s Winter Appeal is a great opportunity to again give to the wider community.
Yoga and Brother Cleary’s chapel meditation for Men’s Health Week
Led by Daniel Sader and Ms Ashayla Ramsay, the Well-Being council organised a great week of awareness and activities involving mental health for the Senior School boys participate in last week.
Though it took a few minutes for the boys to fully involve themselves in a dual House yoga session, it was quite something to see 300 boys all stretching along, then lying down silently at the end of the practice.
On Wednesday, Brother Cleary ran a brilliant meditation in the chapel. He focused on clearing the mind of unnecessary clutter and meditating on St. Paul’s definition of the “fruit of the spirit…love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness and faithfulness” (Galatians 5:22). Brother Cleary shared the insight that the word ‘happiness’ isn’t listed here. He suggested that happiness is a culmination of practising the above values. The boys treated the meditation with great respect.
Prendiville Pomegranate
This week’s Prendiville Pomegranate for achievement outside school goes to Harrison Grattidge.
Not only was Harrison spotted on television, furiously supporting the Essendon Bombers during the Dreamtime clash at Optus Stadium, last term he was selected to perform in a national competition with the Men’s Fremantle Mariners water polo team. Many players in these nationals are semi-professional, so this was a big opportunity for Harrison.
Unfortunately, due to COVID-19, the tournament was canceled at the last minute. Still, Harrison should be applauded for making the squad, and we must thank him, along with Blake Davies and Christian Hanrahan, for providing the House with some laughs as we replayed the footage of them celebrating at the footy during our House Assembly last week.
Mr Alex Hayman, Head of Prendiville House
Cullity
House Recap:
The business end of Term 2 has proven to be a challenging and action-packed time for all Cullity students. This was due to the bonanza of House events and programs going on. However, we were all given a number of opportunities throughout this period to regather by meeting as a whole house. We were fortunate to have a house mass and several chapel services during Tutor. We were also fortunate to have a House assembly where Cullity students were awarded for their efforts with certificates of affirmation. Congratulations to all Cullity students who received an award.
Year 11 Retreat
Mid-way through the term, the Year 11 Cullity students had the privilege of embarking on their encounter retreat. The encounter retreat is a three-day retreat which focuses on aiding the student's transition from boyhood into manhood. Sheavin Sonnadara reflected on his time at the retreat:
“Going into this retreat, I thought it would be boring and a waste of time but like they say, 'the more you give the more you get back in return.' This phrase is so true. I put a lot of effort into this retreat and got a lot back. This retreat changes you and helps you transition into manhood. This Year 11 retreat showed me who I really am and who others are as well. One part of the retreat (which I cannot reveal) made every bloke cry, I did not see one dry eye. This changed my aspect of so many people and brought me back down to earth. My highlight of the retreat was not just the good food but getting to remember who I truly am as son, friend, brother and cousin.”
Chess Competition:
The Chess competition took place during Week 7 of this Term. I was super confident heading into the tournament as Cullity has a very strong army of chess players in its arsenal. With players such as Jared Healy, Brock Vojkovic, Nicholas Greenland, Harry Grazia and Henry Meiklekohn, I knew this would be a good opportunity to gain decent House points. Through the efforts of the boys, Cullity secured second place on the ladder and booked us a spot in the grand finale against Prendiville.
House Debating:
The House debating competition also took place this term. I had high hopes going into this event as well, given the success of Cullity’s debating team over its short history. Unfortunately, Cullity couldn’t secure a win, but the boys did come out of it with newly founded relationships as they were teamed up with boys in different year groups. Special mention to Hayden Mendoza and Ged Street who led the Cullity debating team and mentored those who were new to debating, especially the Year 10 students.
Cameron Goeree, Cullity Captain
Chaney
Captain’s Comments
Over the course of Term 2, Chaney House has successfully undertaken and striven for excellence in all aspects of House life. We have had major success through sport, claiming the cross-country at the beginning of term. The buy-in and participation was awe-inspiring. Furthermore, with some great runners putting in more than could be asked to help Chaney do well in the race for the Tuatha shield. With other house events, we have seen excellence and integrity, exemplified through Chaney currently in the grand final for debating after great debates, showing depth and input, which is very encouraging to see, especially from the Year 10 Students.
This term has also featured the initiation of the Chaney Mentor Program, aimed at developing a stronger culture inside the House with older students working alongside younger students by sharing advice on how to be successful throughout their time in the Senior School. The House Council members showing great discipline and resilience, being able to finally create a landmark program that will be our legacy for years to come.
We move now towards being both fully focussed on striving to win the Tuatha Shield, asking the boys to give it everything, especially in significant events such as athletics and focusing on culture, in which we hope to instil participation as a key-value within the House. It’s been great to get to know more of the new students within the house and an honour to see the potential displayed, no doubt we can bring home the silverware this year.
Matthew Cain, Chaney Captain
Chaney House Day
As we were honoured to run Chaney day, a very important time of the term for all the Chaney boys to get together and have fun. This rare time with all the Chaney members in one area, doing something we enjoy. The day is simple, with the boys coming to school in their Chaney shirts, the boys get to enjoy being in sports uniform for the whole day as we all had to leave it behind back in Middle School. Chaney peers in all three different year groups come together at tutor period to commence the mentorship programme and, during recess, we have house activities - these being basketball and dodge ball. These activities combined are aimed to build house and inter-year group culture.
Lachlan Panton, Year 11
Senior School Chess
The chess competition was an enjoyable experience for me. Although it was evident that my chess abilities weren’t the best, being able to be a part of the chess culture for a short time was a nice way to spend my breaks. Unfortunately, Chaney came last in the inter-house competition, but it was great to see a great turnout and to see the Chaney boys coming together to support their peers. The chess competition sparked friendly rivalries between experienced and inexperienced players, fighting for bragging rights and the satisfaction that came with the victory. I particularly enjoyed playing against some of my close friends, although I had to deal with their gloating for a couple of weeks. It’s amazing to see how a single game of chess almost had people at each other’s throats, if not in the chess room, then even in the following classroom (at least in my experience). Being able to see the Aquinas boys rallying over an intense game of chess was awesome and I hope to see it again soon. The infamous chess tournament ended up being pretty thrilling after all.
Truman Han, Year 11
Senior School Debating
When you think of a fast-paced and exciting house competition, you probably don’t think of House Debating. However, the Senior School Debating competition has been thrilling to watch and participate in. The last-minute preparation, the short amount of time to speak (compared to interschool debates), the crowd of people crammed into the Heritage Room from a variety of year groups, and the rivalry between the houses made the competition very exciting to participate in. Standing up in front of the crowd to give an impromptu speech (as the third speaker) was a bit nerve-racking, but overall was a great experience. However, I think it was even more fun watching other teams participate, as they attacked the opposition’s arguments (and each other). What was really great about the debating competition in Chaney was that the Chaney boys stepped up when they were needed and came along to the debates to support each other. Chaney has done very well so far, winning two out of three debates in the Round Robin, putting us in a position to compete against Prendiville in the finals in Week 11. Hopefully, Chaney can win the final and gain some more points for the Tuatha Cup. Good luck team!
Matthew Vinci, Year 10
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