News

Where has this term gone? The weather has been grey and cold for most of Term Three, however it was great to finally see the sun shining and the temperature in the low to mid-twenties for the last couple of weeks (though we did have a couple of really cold days!). The previous weeks have seen the young ladies at St Brigid’s working hard to consolidate all they have learned in Term Three, through tests, experiments, and assessments. Many of our Year Twelve students are getting ready to sit their final exams for the College before they sit their ATAR exams. Below are some handy hints from SchoolTV to assist your daughter through her exams. This information is not just for the Year Twelve students, but all students sitting exams in Term Four. SchoolTv for Exam Jitters https://sbcl.wa.schooltv.me/newsletter/exam-jitters Setting a schedule is vitally important. Students need to schedule everything from sleeping and eating, to studying and exercising. It is one of the best ways to manage inevitable exam stress. Students need to look after themselves when they have big demands in their life. When it comes to productive study, sometimes less is often more. It is recommended that students hit the books in 50-minute stints, broken up by 15-minute breaks, giving the brain and body a rest. Adolescents will often underestimate the amount of sleep they need, and getting enough sleep is key to successful study practices. Research shows that physical activity also has a very positive impact on mental well being. Eating well is another crucial factor in maintaining concentration and staying focussed on the task ahead. Students today have very busy schedules all year round, but especially during exam time. School is very different today for the current generation. The digital revolution has changed the way kids learn and study with information available at their fingertips 24 hours a day. It is important for parents to understand this and support their children to help reduce stress levels. Following our Mercy Day Mass, we announced the 2022 Leaders and celebrated the end of Term Three with Mercy Day events. The House Coordinators and their helpers set up stores to raise money for Mercy Works. Their peers then entertained the students at the cultural festival which provides an opportunity for students to perform in front of the whole College. A friendly reminder that the young ladies will come to school wearing their summer uniforms in Term Four. This means that they need to wear their boater to and from school and at recess and lunchtimes. We ask that you check the length of your daughter’s dress as I know some girls have grown taller during Term Two and Three. I wish all of our families a restful and safe break. Hopefully, the young ladies will assist around the house and cook you a meal so you can have a well-deserved break as a parent. I want to take this time to wish the class of 2021 all the best in whatever pathway they may take. Fiona Hepi Head of Secondary

We had a busy but fulfilling past few weeks. Firstly, the Year 6’s had a wonderful time at their camp. The three days allowed them to work collaboratively and cooperatively with one another. The camp is an eye-opener for many, and it allows further realisation we come from different cultures and beliefs. During team activities, some students were taken aback because they were not with their usual circle of friends. However, this setting gave them life skills to enter the adult world, where we must accommodate and work with different personalities. The camp reinforced the Mercy Values of “Hospitality” and “Compassion” where we welcome everyone into our hearts. This scenario brought us back to the Parable of the Good Samaritan that Mrs Cox shared in the beginning of the year. During the three days of excitement and activities, there was exhaustion and weariness, but there was also love and joy of being in each other’s company, building strong friendships and bonding. The primary school was privileged to have two young, vibrant student-teachers from the University of Notre Dame, Josh Antulov and Claire James join us this term. As much as they were here to learn from us, we were delighted to learn from these budding teachers too. It was lovely to see Ms James conducting Prayers in the morning, allowing the young cherubs to offer their petitions and thanksgiving. Mr Antulov gave a face lift to the displays boards in the Year 2 area, with clear learning intentions and success criteria next to the students’ work, allowing parents entering the classroom to see exactly what their children were learning. It was an exhibition that displayed the students’ learning journey. One of the highlights for the term was the Year 1 Gold’s assembly. They talked about the value of respect. These students voiced the importance of being respectful, showing consideration for others and caring for public property. The Year 4’s celebrated their Sacrament of the Eucharist. We congratulated them as they received the Body and Blood of Christ. Together, we can certainly achieve great heights. This term, we celebrated several achievements, from improved NAPLAN results to strong recognition at the Catholic School Performing Arts Festival, including receiving the overall shields for Choral Speaking and Sacred Chorale. On the last day of the term, we celebrated Mercy Day. It was a joyous occasion with the entire school singing “Welcome to God’s House”. We also had our beautiful primary and senior choir singing the hymns. With such blessings, we are thankful to be in a school that allows students to blossom and express their talents in many ways and grow spirituality. “Be joyful always, to pray at all times, to be thankful in all circumstances.” Thessalonians 5:16-18 Have a safe holiday and may Jesus Shine on you Always. God Bless Anne Tan Head of Primary

It has been a busy week for our girls with many attending end of season presentations for hockey and netball. Congratulations to Kiera Watts on her runner up Fairest and Best hockey award. Last Sunday, our Year 12 boarders were farewelled at high tea and later in the evening at a fabulous Skit Night which was organised by our Year 11’s. Monday evening’s Mercy Dinner was a wonderful event attended by our Sisters of Mercy who always love catching up with the boarders and hearing their stories. We also announced our 2022 boarding leaders and I congratulate the girls below on being elected to the Boarding Council. Head Boarders – Bridie D’alton and Selena Thompson Boarding Councillors – Madison Hall, Angelica D’Anna and Kyra Clayton Congratulations also to the following boarders who were successful in gaining school based leadership positions; College Ministry Leader – Taylah Knight McAuley House Leader – Bernadette Gregory O’Connor House Leader – Kyra Clayton I thank you as always for your continued support of our boarding community and wish you and your daughters a safe and restful break . Annamaria Cream Head of Boarding

1st Holy Communion Congratulations to our Year 4 students who participated in the celebration of their first Holy Communion this term at Our Lady of Lourdes Parish. Year 7 Mass Our Year 7 cohort celebrated Mass together with Father Michael McMahon this term. Year 10 Retreat Our Year 10 cohort participated in a Retreat Day directed by Youth Mission Team Australia. The students focussed on ‘Social Justice’ as part of the formation program for their MIA MAD. Mercy Day Mass On Thursday, 23 September we gathered as a College to celebrate Mercy Day Mass. We offered thanks to the Venerable Catherine McAuley and the Sisters of Mercy for their generosity and courage and remembered and celebrated the women who have followed them and all women and men who today continue the mission of Mercy. We also celebrate 3 major milestones: 1. 200 years of Catholic Education in Australia 2. 175 years since Ursula Frayne began Mercy Education in Perth 3. 50 years since the formation of Catholic Education WA We thank Fr Bill Ousley for saying Mass for us and Sister Joan Buckham RSM who provided a lovely reflection on the readings of the day. Adrian Martino Head of Faith and Mission

What an exciting few weeks we have just had. Our students have been busy participating in various Performing Arts activities, we held our marvellous Arts Showcase, and last week we celebrated Book Week and our Year 11 Father and Daughter Dinner. Of course, this all happened in-between the many other events occurring at our College. Thank you to the many students and to our staff who always ensure that we provide these opportunities for our students. The rest of the term promises to be just as busy as students prepare for their First Holy Communion, Year 6 Camp, ACC Athletics Carnival and Mercy Week, to name a few! I know that many plans are underway in celebration of the culmination of Mercy Week. Fundraising for Mercy Works has been the focus for our students this Term, and we are pleased and excited that all proceeds from our Parent Forum Quiz Night will be donated to this charity. Normally I would be encouraging you to purchase a table for the Quiz Night, but it has sold out so that is not possible! However, this is a great indication that our ‘friend building’ focus by the Parent Forum has been well received. Thank you to the Parent Forum for organising this event. Next week we farewell Mr Stephen Vivier from our ICT HelpDesk team. We wish him all the best in his new career and thank him for the help he has provided us over the years! I am pleased to announce that for 2022, Mrs Judith Cumpsty will take on the role of Acting Head of Boarding. Mrs Cumpsty is looking forward to working more closely with our Boarding students. As foreshadowed in my email sent to you on the 31st August, Catholic Education Western Australia has recently launched the 2021 QCE (Quality Catholic Education) Awards. The Awards recognise programs and initiatives in Catholic schools across Western Australia that support our vision for providing Christ-centred, student-focused, engaged learning environments. They also celebrate the remarkable efforts and dedication of Catholic school communities, staff and students across our state. This year, schools can nominate across the four categories that are informed by the four Pillars of Strategic Directions and Quality Catholic Education – Catholic Identity, Education, Community and Stewardship, and a new heritage category, Faith in the Future. St Brigid’s College has lodged a nomination in the area of Catholic Identity and we encourage you to cast your vote for our submission by following the link: https://awards.cewa.edu.au/vote/ Voting for the People’s Choice Award will close on Sunday, 12th September, so please get your vote in, and that of any family members, and show your support for the College. As I write to you, we are preparing for our Dad’s Big Breakfast at which we will have 400 hungry people to feed! We are thrilled that this year we can hold the breakfast as we have done in previous years. We have our army of volunteers ready, and I am sure it will be a full house. We pray that God will bless all fathers and guide them to be good role models. We honour the fathers in our community and pray that God’s blessings are with you, not only on Father’s Day, but always. God bless, Carmen Cox Principal

The third term has been an extra busy one (when is there a quiet term though?), and we would not like to have it any other way. We continue to be very grateful for the opportunities and lifestyle we are enjoying in Western Australia, whilst keeping friends and family in the Eastern States in our thoughts and prayers. Subject selection has been completed for our students entering their senior years of schooling; complete with individual selection interviews for each of our Year 10 students. The interviewers have all commented on the maturity of students in discussions held. Our Year 11’s have reviewed their progress and pathways, we are looking forward to see their continued growth over the next term. I would also like to congratulate the 14 Year 11’s who have successfully applied for Flexitrack High through Murdoch University, exiting times are ahead for these students. Our Year 12 students are moving towards their final assessment period, prior to their Trial WACE Examinations or the submission of final units of competencies. There are also many students who have received offers from universities for placements in 2022 based on their Year 11 results, congratulations! As mentioned in a recent letter to our students from SCSA, these offers do provide security moving into the final weeks but we strongly urge students to remain committed to achieving their personal best. In the coming weeks we will commence selections for our Years 7 – 10, 2022 students. Book Week was held in our Library and what a celebration of literature it has been, as students and staff of all ages explored the theme ‘new worlds, old worlds and other worlds’. The week commenced with visits from two prominent authors Julia Lawrinson and Briony Stewart. Julia Lawrinson, shared her writing journey and incredible positive energy with our secondary students. Julia shared stories of growing up in Kelmscott, treasuring classics such as Helen Keller and Little House on the Prairie and her inspiration for her soon to be released book, Swedish super band ABBA (she must have known Mrs Cox is a huge fan)! Coupled with her bubbly sense of humour, our girls were encouraged to live, laugh and importantly write. It was inspiring to hear how our life experiences shape a person. Writer and illustrator Briony Stewart joined our Primary students and they were thoroughly entertained as Briony wove stories, her creative journey and incredible artistic talents together. Briony was able to show the students how to keep their imagination alive, through simple strategies such as turning seemingly simple shapes drawn by friends into mini-masterpieces. We were most impressed by the thought provoking questions asked by all students throughout each session. The final activity which the children were involved in was a step by step process of creating ‘Lenny’ from her latest collaboration in ‘Bedtime Stories’. Wow, we have so much talent in our primary school. Staff nestled down in our Alice in Wonderland themed reading corner for their annual 6 hour read-a-thon. Students explored the ‘magical wardrobe’ straight from Narnia to rescue old books and to give them a new home. Scavenger hunts were enjoyed across the week in our primary classes and all students competed for a book voucher in our daily book quiz (Year 8 – 9 Watson won twice in the week!). Lunch time saw primary and secondary students engage in cubby building to create their ‘other worlds’ and clever shadow puppet making! Book Week finished with an absolute bang as old, new and other worlds collided. The morning began with the outstanding Year 2 Assembly; where the children took us on a journey from the ‘olden days’ listening to stories via the radio to our golden favourites through to movies which all originated in books. Of course the week would not be complete without our parade; how awesome our are staff and students! Well done to our Secondary students who also joined in the celebrations. Thank you for celebrating a love of books with us. I would like to congratulate our Arts Team and our incredible students who have been very busy participating in the Arts Showcase and the Catholic Schools Performing Arts Festival. Whilst the results have been absolutely outstanding, our students must be congratulated on the manner in which they have represented not only the College but themselves. I was privileged to attend performances by our Primary Choirs and Primary and Secondary Dance Troupes; we have so much talent at our College! Wow! Thank you for sharing this with us. God bless Janine Walsh