With the mid-term break fast approaching, I am sure that our students are looking for a well-earned rest. The Middle School has been extremely busy with students taking every opportunity to involve themselves in the vast opportunities that are offered here at the College. An example of this is the recent Year 7 HASS and Science incursion, where students were involved in a highly practical (outside of the classroom) WA water history, sustainability, security, and water testing, plus an engaging zoo visit to help their understanding of biological classification currently covered in science. Our staff members weren’t sure which was more enjoyable, watching the monkey’s excitement of a larger than normal crowd or the excitement of our boys watching the monkeys!

Our Year 9 Ethics Olympiad competitors recently competed in the Ethics Olympiad in the Senior School division which included schools from Hong Kong and Singapore. They finished a credible 6th place out of 16 finalists. Students were challenged to apply ethical theories to a variety of situations and had to think on their feet answering questions from opposition schools and judges. Sounds easy until you have to do it. While they finished well above their age group it was their commitment and the maturity of their approach that made me sit back in awe. All students involved are our academic highfliers. However, watching the group support each other’s strengths and challenge their peers’ areas of weakness in a considered and caring way was a teacher’s dream. If this is our future generation, we are certainly in good hands.

The Aquinas learning culture

Part of my role as Head of Middle School is to regularly move through classes to ensure that the classroom environment is conducive to optimal learning. In Middle School, there is a clear structure that allows boys to develop a routine and experience consistency in each classroom. Students line up and enter quietly, a classroom prayer is offered followed by xlearning intentions and success criteria. iPads are not utilised until permission is given and students are then engaged in classwork.

Where a Junior School student learns to develop a relationship with a single teacher for the majority of their classes, Middle School students have to build relationships with many teachers – all with their own idiosyncrasies – as well as navigate a variety of classrooms. While this helps replicate life after school, it can also prove difficult for some students. There will always be certain teachers who are stricter than others, those that are relational and others who get straight down to business - we all remember that favourite teacher with whom we could relate well. Once our students cross the classroom threshold, they are expected to focus their energy on learning. The Middle School has mixed levels classes, and this can be difficult for some boys whose DNA isn’t designed for learning inside four walls.

However, discipline, commitment to purpose, respect for others, and consistent effort are important character virtues that are essential for any future post-school environment, and these non-cognitive behaviours must be developed early. Boys can, at this stage of their development, also be very tactile and often invade the personal space of others. Often simple silly behaviours can develop into something more serious when one of the students involved becomes aggrieved. The simple solution is for everyone to keep their hands to themselves, always. I seek the support of you, our parents, in ensuring that your son understands that they have a responsibility to build a positive and respectful learning culture for all students at Aquinas.

The Home Study routine is similar to the universal classroom structure, with a purposeful and transparent program of work to be completed. The Year 8 example from the Middle School planner, is a simple Home Study Routine that students should be following each weeknight. Our boarding students follow something very similar every Sunday through to Thursday night. It is this routine that helps develop good study habits that will be invaluable throughout their secondary schooling. If this doesn’t look familiar to what your son is doing, please have a conversation with him around this. Veritas classes cover effective study routines in Year 7/8 so your son is well versed in understanding this type of structure. You can also find this information on page 126/127 of the MS planner.

Building character through authentic experiences

Aquinas worked closely with the Jubilee Centre for Character and Virtues (University of Birmingham) when developing our Veritas program. One of the key components outlined in the delivery of a character education program is the theory that character must be caught, taught and sought. Essentially this means that a good program must include role-modelling of good character, provide a culture where students buy into the values promoted, teach knowledge about what good character is and provide authentic opportunities for students to develop their character. There simply isn’t a “one-way fits all” approach to effectively teach character that produces long-lasting effects on students’ moral development.

The Year 9 Veritas program is a flagship program. It covers many areas, including character, leadership, respectful relationships, critical thinking, study skills and mental health to name a few. In the past term, we have specifically looked at “Man Box” behaviours, breaking down traditional stereotypes of what a man is supposed to be. “Man Box” behaviours include the following stereotypical traits expected of men:

• dominance
• strength
• independence
• reluctance to show weakness or share feelings
• being the family breadwinner
• and presenting an identity that is highly sexualised.

The program is unique in that it combines the following learning moments:

• Yearlong focus where students are “handed” over to a Veritas mentor (teacher of the course and role model) to guide them through the program. A rite of passage experience is the culmination of the yearlong journey.
• Specific lessons on masculinity and respectful relationships are completed by students. These include authentic discussions and practical activities around the moral and social implications of current societal expectations of masculinity.
• To provide an opportunity to deconstruct hegemonic masculinity, every Year 9 student participates in a live dance performance in front of the wider school community. Imagine a boys’ school with 100% of a cohort involved in a domain (dance) that is traditionally seen as “unmanly”. While there has been a great deal of press in recent months in and around the Australian political scene, this Veritas topic is very timely. More importantly, it has been part of our curriculum for the past four years.

While there are still more important lessons to cover in this area, our Year 9s are getting ready for the ultimate deconstruction of “Man Box” behaviours with the Year 9 Dance Spectacular. The energy has been amazing, and it is incredible to see how something that didn’t look so great a week ago is starting to become a polished performance – well kind of! I am sure that all boys will build confidence through their performances and in their approach to respectful relationships with women.

- Mike Dempsey, Head of Middle School

200 Years of Catholic Education

I was fortunate to attend St Mary’s Cathedral on Monday with Naveen Nimalan, College Captain, and Isaac Klomp, College Vice-Captain, to celebrate Mass with The Most Reverend Timothy Costelloe SDB, Archbishop of Perth, and many other priests, including Fr Rodriguez. The Mass was attended by staff and student leaders from many other Catholic schools across the state to celebrate the bicentenary of the solemnity of Our Lady Help of Christians. Archbishop Costello reflected on the importance of the family, schools and the Church in the holistic development of young people, reflecting on Matthew’s Gospel, “let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these,” acknowledging our role in evangelisation in Catholic Education. However, another reflection was that we must be ‘good schools first’ and the importance of a school’s role in the community to provide a moral and ethical framework for future generations. The Mass closed with the song “Faith in the Future” written by Fr Rob Galea and Luke Batterby and performed as a compilation, similar to the Qantas ad 'Call Australia Home'. The Aquinas College Junior School choir was part of this project and feature in it.

Faith in the Future – Celebrating 200 years of Catholic Education

Academic Opportunities Exploding!

The start of Term 2 was a very different one, with two-thirds of our students off campus every Friday! This presents many opportunities and challenges to our Year 11 and 12 students.

Our General/Industry & Enterprise students have the chance to get into work placements to complement their weekly TAFE or INSTEP learning, and often have to juggle this with studying for a few examinations as well. The ATAR students in both year groups had the unenvious challenge of finding personal motivation and exercising self-discipline throughout a holiday period which led straight into examinations. As discovered by many students, this was extremely challenging, yet lessons learnt will allow them to adjust their study programs to assist with future preparations for higher weighted WACE examinations - which have a long lead-in away from the classroom.

The Aquinas myFuture program is continuing to grow and develop as we develop further partnerships such as;

• University of Western Australia early offers, ATAR bonus and advanced standing and University of Notre Dame Australia for LOGOS and preparation courses for uniPATH.
• Professional employers through Old Aquinians and parents for student internships.
• South Metro TAFE for taster courses during the transition from Year 11 to 11.5, and during Term 4 for our 10.5s.

Enclosed in this edition are some articles from Mr Chapman, Head of Academics, and a number of students, as well as the article I wrote for Business News regarding the opportunities provided through Aquinas myFuture.

In Pasi Sahlberg’s article “Will the pandemic change schools?” he states “there is only a little chance school education will change without bold and brave shifts in mindset in how that change happens. This includes, for example, a shift from one-size-for-all prescriptions for teaching and learning to flexible, diverse and self-directed ideas to diverse communities and a collective move from educating toward fixed, predictable outcomes to new, surprising ideas as a result of creative and divergent learning.” This encapsulates the shift at Aquinas College over the past year and I would like to thank Mr Chapman, Mr Gellin Director of VET, Mr Powell Director of Aquinas myFuture and Mr McFadden for their support and innovation in creating a very unique 21st-century student-centred opportunity for our Senior Schol students, as well as our students and parents to be brave enough to enter unchartered waters with us!

Senior School Leadership – Moving from Strength to Strength!

Our Senior School Councils have come out flying with a flurry of projects and events to increase student engagement, belonging and wellbeing in the College. Returning from examinations the Service & Justice, Peace & Advocacy Councils took on a great deal of the heavy lifting to run a very exciting Edmund Rice Day - raising over $10,000 for charitable organisations, whilst raising awareness amongst students of the wider Edmund Rice Network through guest speakers such as Br Ollie’s Wheelchairs for Kids, Caritas and Edmund Rice Camps to name a few. The day was developed to build community, student leadership and faith. Our House Captains helped work with their Tutor Groups to ensure they took ownership of their stall or activity and also revved up the troops for a House Cross-Country event with Chaney House finishing the victors. Thankfully, boys held the many kilograms of fairy floss, jam doughnuts and the like inside as they took on the challenge of the epic ‘spew hill’ on the peninsula!

The Year 11 students will complete the rest of their student lead projects this term to complete their journey to Prefecture, some of whom may choose to nominate themselves to take on the extra responsibilities as a Councillor College Captain for 2022. Some of the many projects these students are leading with their captains are;

• Student lead pathway and course counselling session in Durack House, where Year 10s can speak to Year 11 & 12 students about their experiences before selecting courses for Year 11.
• safeTALK, an initiative in partnership with Zero2Hero to prepare students and staff to become suicide-alert helpers in the hope this will assist in the prevention of self-harm and suicides.
• Tuatha Shield events – Debating and Chess.
• Arts Council – Culture Week – Battle of the Bands, Design and Art competitions.
• Men’s Health Week – Yoga, Meditation, ManUp guest speakers and more!

Finally, the Captains have decided to organise a Trivia and Games night with Perth College for Year 10 students as a way to give back to their Senior School peers. This event is 100% student organised and run with all profits going to the Class of 2021 Bursary gift, to allow a young man who wouldn’t otherwise have the opportunity to enjoy an Aquinas College education.

A reminder that we now have fourteen Councils in the Senior School with a co-leadership model running between a Captain and staff member. I’d like to thank again these staff and student leaders who have significantly lifted the bar for younger students in terms of student voice and initiatives in the College. Whether it is big Tuatha Shield events or being thoughtful enough to invite Junior School leaders to sit in on Council meetings, they have demonstrated great initiative since Term 4 last year. Also, a huge thank you to Mr Mark Weston for showing great innovation and leadership in his new role as Director of Character and Leadership, I am very much looking forward to watching this area blossom further in the coming years.

Year 10 and 11 students are most welcome to join the Councils to help them meet their goals for 2020.

Student Health a Top Priority - Vaping

As has been reported in the media recently, the use of vapes is becoming a significant worry for bothparents and educators. During assembly, I shared the following facts from Drug and Alcohol Research and Training Australia (SDERA), which is run by Paul Dillon who spoke to the students earlier in the year;

• Whilst e-cigarettes contain chemicals that may be acceptable for use in foods and cosmetics, there is uncertainty about whether the vapours inhaled into the lungs are safe. Although e-cigarettes are relatively new to the market, early research by Cancer Council Australia seems to suggest that long-term inhalation of these chemicals directly into the lungs is likely to cause health harms (Cancer Council, 2017).
• WHO has warned that any level of exposure to particles found in e-cigarettes by the user or bystander (passive smoker) may be harmful and should be minimised, especially for those with existing chronic disease. Exposure to heavy metals such as nickel and silver may even be greater than in conventional cigarettes.
• There is very little available research that indicates if e-cigarettes can help people quit smoking. Some users may use both cigarettes and e-cigarettes which may increase their chance of harm.
• A number of cases have been reported in the US and UK of e-cigarettes overheating, catching fire or exploding. This can cause serious and in some cases life-threatening injury, disability and disfigurement.

If you haven’t already done so, I would strongly encourage you to have a conversation with your son about vaping, drugs and alcohol. Parents I have spoken to regarding a suspension have all been taken by surprise by their son’s involvement. Sadly, I believe vaping is much more prevalent than any of us would like to believe. For more information please see the following;

• SDERA e-Cigarette Information Video
• SDERA Fact Sheet

Tuatha Shield Update

I would like to congratulate all students who took the opportunity to run the House Cross-Country on Edmund Rice Day and those about to engage with the Chess and Debating competitions over the coming weeks. The current Tuatha Shield standings are now as follows, with Prendiville and Durack leading the charge with both houses chasing their first-ever Tuatha Shield!

Farewell Mr Gault!

I would just like to acknowledge the tireless efforts and commitment to Aquinas College by Mr David Gault over the last 16 years. As I shared with the boys at our Winter Sports Assembly, I recall Mr Gault starting here, just 6 months after myself, as the current captain of South Fremantle Bulldogs, who could definitely show the signs of a tough weekend game on Monday. Regardless of the role I have held, what has always impressed me most was that David always put the holistic development of students ahead of sporting success, despite his impressive record as Head of Sport. Although always willing to share his passion for supporting the boys in their sporting endeavours, he would not let these aspirations get in the way of their academic or spiritual development. I am very thankful for David’s support of our students and his efforts to maintaining a high participation rate balanced with many shields and cups at the first-team level. As Mr Warlters, Deputy Principal shared with the boys at the same assembly, it is a very courageous move to take on a new challenge at Scotch College, given his passion and history at Aquinas, wishing him all the best on behalf of the whole Senior School.

Wishing all Senior School students and families a restful EXEAT weekend, a great opportunity to reflect on academic, co-curricular and social-emotional goals for the last four weeks of the term, stay warm, stay safe!

- John Van Dyk, Head of Senior School