From the Principal
Ms Sharon Rainford
Welcome to Term 3!
The term began with Parent-Student-Teacher Interviews which enabled valuable feedback and goal setting for students to improve before the end of the year. Subject Selection for next year was dependent on Semester 1 results, especially for our Year 10 students who met with their staff mentors last Monday. I thank the teachers for the work in advising students using the abundance of data we have available. We strive to give our students the best opportunities for post school success.
NAIDOC Week usually falls in the Term 2 school holidays, so the College commemorated the event with an Assembly on Monday 28 August. The 2025 theme ‘The Next Generation: Strength, Vision & Legacy’ focuses on the achievements of the past as well as the hopes for the future. There was clear evidence of the future leadership prospects from the confidence of our students- MC Caylee Fitzgerald (12), Isabella Neville (7), Laila Parker (7), Maya Parker (7), Romario Pitt (8) who read so beautifully at the assembly. I wish to thank Miss Zampino with the assistance of Mr Mancini, for organising Koolangkas Kreate to open the assembly with a smoking ceremony, an acknowledgement of country and a cultural dance.
The group even managed to persuade the staff to perform a dance! The assembly concluded with a moving rendition of ‘We Are Australian’ from our College Chorale. We shared a delicious morning tea with our First Nations students and their families. Thank you to Ms Lena Mayhew for making us damper. The week concluded with our Year 7 students learning Noongar from Tamara Tucker, a Yamatji Noongar lady and Brenton Tucker a Wongatha man.
The Inter-House Athletics was held, possibly for the last time at the Ern Clarke Centre in glorious weather. Congratulations to Xanten House on winning for the first time since 1993! Thank you to Mr Mancini for his organisation of the day and the Physical Education teachers for supporting him. Further results will be provided later in the newsletter and presentations made at the College Assembly on Wednesday 20 August.
Welcome to our new staff who commenced this term:
Miss Jelena Manuel-HASS & English
Mrs Jiju Anjali – Education Assistant
Wonder what the staff do on Pupil Free Days like the 7 August? This year, as part of Pope Francis’ Jubilee Year theme - Pilgrims of Hope, we followed the footsteps of Ursula Frayne whose mission was to bring Catholic Education to Western Australia. We began in Bathers Beach, Fremantle where Ursula arrived with a small group of Sisters of Mercy in January 1846 after a 113-day voyage from Ireland. Our staff visited three of the five Archdiocesan pilgrimage sites: St Patrick’s Basilica, Fremantle, Carmelite Monastery, Dalkeith and St Mary’s Cathedral, Perth. Staff went on a tour of the Cathedral and we ended our pilgrimage in the Chapel of the Immaculate Conception in Mercedes College, the first school established by the Mercy Sisters. During the day, we also reflected on our Norbertine Founding Fathers-Fr Peter O’Reilly, Fr John Reynolds and Fr Stephen Cooney, who were our Pilgrims of Hope when they established St Norbert College in 1965. We carried a bottle with soil from their farm, Kerry Downs, York with us, as a reminder of their journey which began in 1959.
A Community Day is planned for Saturday 20 September to celebrate our 60th anniversary of the foundation of our College. The day is an opportunity for everyone, past and present staff and students, to return to the College to embark on tours, displays, reunions, entertainment and a special presentation to reminisce over the six decades.
Spread the word! Please open the Invitation for this event and register your attendance by 13 September. CLICK HERE
Br Patrick Doolan Medal
Each year at Presentation Night, outstanding service to the College by a staff member, teaching or non-teaching, or a member of the Norbertine community is awarded the Br Patrick Doolan Medal.
Staff, students and parents are invited to lodge nominations in writing by completing the attached nomination form. Nominations are due at the end of Week 1 of Term 4- Friday 17 October 2025. A selection panel will process the nominations and select the awardee.
Selection Guidelines
Awardee is on staff for some or all of current calendar year;
Exemplary service performing their normal range of duties;
Contribution to the extended College and Norbertine Community;
Innovation(s) to College e.g. introduction of new policy/idea/project etc
Extracurricular involvement;
Examples of service /ministry to the Mission / Norbertine ethos;
Consideration of candidate’s service is not restricted to the current year.
A reminder that Presentation Night will be held at the College on Wednesday 29 October at 7:00pm. It is a compulsory event for all students and at least one parent. Please mark the date in your calendar.
Please pray for our Year 11 students who are currently preparing for selection into leadership positions for 2026.
Thank you and God bless.
Ms S Rainford
(Principal)
Siblings Enrolment
Families who currently have a child/sibling in Year 4 are encouraged to ensure they have submitted a separate enrolment application form for the Year 7, 2028 intake. Students do not have automatic enrolment at the College, even though they may attend a Catholic Primary School or have siblings attending St Norbert College. Enrolment Interviews for Year 7 entry are completed in Term 2 when the student is in Year 5.