IMPORTANT DATES:
| Mon 26 May | Year 11/12 Exams Commence (26 May – 3 June) |
| Tues 27 May | Primary Cross Country |
| Tues 3 June | Year 10 Exams Commence (3 June – 9 June)
Year 11/12 Exams Conclude |
| Wed 4 June | Year 7 Immunisations
Year 12 Retreat (4 June – 6 June) |
| Fri 6 June | Merit Assembly
Interschool Cross Country |
| Mon 9 June | Year 10 Exams Conclude |
| Wed 11 June | Day 1 Year 7 2026 Orientation
K-5 Sean Choolburra NAIDOC Incursion 9.40am |
Hello Kearnan College Community!
This week, we celebrated the feast day of McCormack House. St Irene McCormack was a Sister of St Joseph of the Sacred Heart and was the Principal of Kearnan College from 1981-1985. A couple of years after leaving Kearnan, she made her way to Peru where she worked as a missionary to serve the poor and provide education to children who could otherwise not access schooling. She was tragically murdered by a guerilla group in 1991. Sr Irene demonstrated honour and fortitude, which are the values McCormack House celebrates.
Thank you to Mr Tempra, McCormack House Co-ordinator, for organising a great day for staff and students. It was a very enjoyable whole-school event and it was great to see our students, young and old, mixing during lunch and the afternoon activities. Events like this help to create a cohesive PK-12 school community and help us commemorate some of the significant figures in our school’s history. Feast Days for our other Houses are coming up over the next few terms.
This year, we introduced our Positive Behaviour for Learning (PBL) program as a way to encourage good behavioural choices and to reward students for those choices through the use of a merit system and subsequent reward events. Part of our approach is to explicitly teach students a behaviour curriculum. This curriculum covers things like moving safely between classes, wearing the uniform correctly and the appropriate use of lockers. We actively seek to ensure our students understand the expectations we have of them and then encourage them to meet these standards. We have seen great success with our PBL approach. There is a lot to celebrate but also, like anything, there are areas for potential improvement, so we are currently seeking parent, student and staff feedback. I invite you to complete this brief form which asks you for your input about what you feel is working well for your child and whether you have any suggestions for improvements. We would greatly value your input and the data we collect will be collated with that from staff and students to improve our system. The survey will close on Friday May 30 at 4pm.
I would like to draw your attention to the Policies and Procedures page of our school website. This is where you will find information, guidelines and expectations related to various aspects of the College. Some of the documents you will find there are Uniform Expectations, Disputes and Complaints Resolution Procedures, internet and digital device use agreements and our Codes of Conduct. From time to time, additional documents will be added and these will be noted in the Chronicle so that you are aware of any updates. The website page also includes a link to CEWA Policies, for your reference.
Our Breakfast Club is going very well and we have an average of 15 students visiting the Home Economics room on Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings from 8.15am for some extra sustenance. Foodbank WA is providing us with Weet-Bix, tinned fruit and baked beans, but we would really appreciate donations of Milo and fresh fruit. If you are able to help us out, donations can be dropped into the school office anytime.
Do you know where our time capsule is? There is a plaque in the Middle School Block indicating that a time capsule was buried in 1991 to be opened in our centenary year (this year). We thought we knew where it was, but we had no luck finding it, despite Mr Bane spending several hours with a shovel! If you have any information that might help us locate it, please let the office know.
I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!
SECONDARY SCHOOL NEWS
With the end of Week Four completed we have just about reached the half way mark for this term. Where has the time gone?! Weeks Five, Six and Seven will see our senior students head into a busy time as they begin their exam block. Communication between parents and teachers is a vital part of your child’s learning journey. Parents are encouraged to reach out to their child’s teachers to check in on how they are progressing before reports are issued.
Welcome Back
A big welcome back to Mrs Tempra who has been on long service leave for the last four weeks. Mrs Tempra is excited to be back and ready to get into her role as Head of Secondary. We have missed you!
Year 11 and 12 Exams
From Monday May 26, Week Five, through to Tuesday June 3, Week Six, Year 11 and 12 students will be completing their examinations. During the examination time it is important for students to remember to balance study and with time away from “the books”. Parents, please support your children in ensuring healthy study habits for exam preparation. This article in REACHOUT presents FIVE useful ideas and strategies:
McCormack Day
Wednesday May 21 we celebrated McCormack Day with a liturgy remembering Sr Irene McCormack, her life and legacy. Lunchtime saw both primary and secondary students enjoy a shared lunch followed by a range of activities that promoted Sr Irene McCormack’s values of Fortitude and Honour. A very big thank you to Mr Tempra, the McCormack House Coordinator for organising such an inspiring, memorable and fun-filled day!
Outdoor Education Camp
Year 9 Outdoor Education elective students were eagerly packed up and ready to set out on their expedition to Denmark for the annual Outdoor Education camp. Mr Smith, Miss Webb and Mr Pedlar and 18 of our Year 9 students set off after lunch on Wednesday for an amazing experience – we hope they managed to stay warm and dry!
Southwest Athletics Carnival – Events Progress
On Wednesday May 14, 47 students set off on a chilly morning to Bunbury to compete in the annual Southwest Athletics Carnival. Lead by Mr Pedlar and supporting staff, students competed and achieved some fantastic results.
Year 7 Retreat – Student Reflection
On Thursday May 15, Year 7 students gathered with staff lead by Miss Chilvers to “down tools” and step into the retreat space for a day of reflection and building relationships.
Some student reflection on the day:
The retreat was about learning the Fruits of the Holy Spirit and the Gifts of the Holy Spirit and what they meant. I enjoyed doing the activities and brain breaks especially the lolly wrapper chain. A new experience that I had was knowing more about the gifts and fruits.
Matilda MuirÂ
Retreat was about getting to know more people in your year group and to build different friends! The thing that I enjoyed the most was playing the activities with new friends. The experience that I had was great. Everything that we did was fun and creative.
April Della-Pona
Retreat was about getting to know each other and making new friendships with people you didn’t really expect you would get along with. The thing I enjoyed the most was getting complimented by others and drawing our fruit trees that resembled me!
Hera Ranger
The day was about building stronger connections and getting to know peers from other classes while having a fun time and learning about the gifts and fruits of the Holy Spirit. I enjoyed having a joyful and fun time with my peers and matching the description of the gift to the correct name of the Holy Spirit. I enjoyed having a new perspective of people and their different personalities and traits. This day was very enjoyable and can’t wait for other get-togethers!
Hannah Thomas
Year 7 & 8 Artist Workshop
On Friday May 16, selected Year 7 and 8 students had the opportunity to develop their acrylic painting skills with a free workshop provided by the Manjimup Shire at the Manjimup Art Gallery with Miss Piper and supporting staff.
Some students’ reflections on their experience of the day:
Fun, exciting, new
Spending time with people from other classes
Being with my friends and having fun
It was cool meeting such a good artist and getting to keep the paintbrushes
I liked his paintings
It was a really good experience
It was awesome
I enjoyed it because it was fun to learn new art techniques
It was fun having free range
Year 12 Retreat
Following on from their two-week block of exams, on Wednesday June 4, Week Six, the Year 12 students will head off on the annual retreat to be held in Busselton. Held over three days and two nights and will be led by Miss Chilvers and supported by Mrs Sheridan, Mrs Tempra and Mr Mason. Dr Gallin will also be spending a day with them. This retreat provides the Year 12 students with one of the few chances left to gather as a cohort to enjoy their time together in their final year.
Public Holiday
A reminder that Monday June 2 is a public holiday. A wonderful opportunity to take a rest from what has been a busy term so far and to prepare for the final five weeks until the end of term 2!
Year 7 Immunisations
These will be held on Wednesday June 4.
Year 10 Exams
These will commence from Tuesday June 3 and run through until June 9. There will be only two Learning Areas that will be conducting Semester One exams, Maths and Science. Other classes to run as normal and a timetable for these two exams will be released to students and parents soon.
Thank You
A very big thank you to staff, students and parents for supporting me in my role as Acting Head of Secondary over the last four weeks.
“Grit is passion and perseverance for very long-term goals. Grit is having stamina. Grit is sticking with your future…Grit is living life like it’s a marathon, not a sprint”
Angela Lee Duckworth – American psychologist, writer & academic
JUNIOR SCHOOL NEWS
Uniforms
As the weather slowly changes, students are encouraged to layer their uniforms with the College’s wool or cotton jumpers, school vests or black jackets. Please note that the tracksuit jacket cannot be substituted for the College jacket. The school uniform shop is currently selling scarves at a discount price of $10. Names should be on every item of clothing in case it ends up in lost property, we can easily return it to the owner.
Book Fair
Thank you to all the families who supported our Scholastic Book Fair this year. We were able to add many excellent new books to our library as a result of your purchases. Mrs Schutz manages this event with ease, and we are grateful for her resolve to ensure our students have quality stories to enjoy.
Mother’s Day
We had some wonderful celebrations for our Mums this year. Our Kindy and Pre-Primary mums and grandmothers were treated to a picnic and afternoon tea. The mothers’ smiles were a sign of the wonderful time they enjoyed with their very special little people.
This year our P&F, led by Jess Durbin, ran a very successful Mother’s Day Pop Up Stall, which sold a range of lovely gifts for our mothers. It was a complete success with very little left at the end of the three hours of sales. We hope all our Kearnan mothers were thoroughly spoilt and enjoyed their special day!
Cross Country
Our Physical Education teachers have been familiarising our students with the cross-country track in preparation for House Cross Country on Tuesday 27th May. The Years 1-6 events will be held on and around Imperials Oval after lunch. All students need to wear their sports uniform with their House shirts on this day. A note has been sent home regarding the timing of each event. This race is a qualifying event for the Interschool Cross Country which is on June 6. June.
Wheels for Wellbeing
We were blessed with spectacular weather for our week of riding and walking to raise awareness for mental health and raise funds for the Blackwood Youth Action. Excluding our K-2 students, who certainly clocked up the kilometres going around the Rotary track on Ipsen Street, we rode 436km, which is an outstanding effort. It is equivalent to over three Blackwood Tour rides, or a trip from Manjimup to Perth and then back to Australind. Thanks to everyone who participated and to our parents who organised bike drop-offs and pick-ups. Special thanks to the Year 10 students who, under Mrs Burvill’s guidance, assisted around the tracks throughout the week, ensuring everyone stayed safe. Thanks also to our staff who joined in on the days by either riding or walking. Together we raised $174.10 for Blackwood Youth Action.
Year 6 Assembly
This week our Year 6 students showcased all their learning from their week away in Perth on camp. They entertained us with skits about the many locations they explored. Elizabeth Bear was presented during the assembly, and we look forward to sharing this information in the next Chronicle.
Pre-Kindy
Our youngest Kearnan kids have settled in beautifully and are happy to leave their parents for the day to play with their new friends. Last week our Pre-Kindy children enjoyed a Teddy-Bear’s Picnic in the sunshine.
Commitment Mass – June 8
All students who will be receiving a Sacrament this year (Reconciliation, Eucharist or Confirmation) are asked to attend a Commitment Mass on Sunday 8th June at 8.30am in St Joseph’s Church, Manjimup. At this mass, students and their parents make their commitment to preparing for the Sacraments during 2025.
First Holy Communion – June 22
On June 22, some of our Year 4 students will receive the Sacrament of Eucharist for the first time. We keep in our prayers Brynnlee Drake, Imogen Nock, Shaye Reeve and Cleo De Campo as they prepare for this special time. Mrs Harris will send home information regarding parent and student workshops, which will be completed prior to the sacramental mass.
Kindy Learning
This week our Kindy friends have been learning about the seasons. They enjoyed a lovely walk around the school grounds identifying evergreen and deciduous trees.
McCormack House Day
We thoroughly enjoyed celebrating McCormack House Day this week, beginning with a Liturgy and finishing the day with a large range of fun activities. Our special McCormack students particularly enjoyed their chips and gravy lunch, which was a big hit and eagerly devoured. Special thanks to Mr Tempra for all his hard work and organisation.
“On Wednesday it was McCormack House day where we celebrated Sister Irene McCormack. The day started with an inspiring liturgy where we reflected on Sister Irene McCormack’s life and influence. At lunchtime, all McCormack students got hot chips and gravy and a red frog.Â
The whole school joined for a shared lunch in Wanju. For the end of the day, the whole school participated in different activities including: Lego, building, Just Dance, volleyball, basketball and many more.Â
The day was exciting and enjoyable and we cant wait for next year’s McCormack Day.”
– Written by Milla Fitzgerald and Grace Matenaar, McCormack House Captains (Primary).
Thought of the Week
“Outdoor play is among the greatest gifts we can give our children, and healthy, adventurous and curious children are among the greatest gifts we can give our community,” ~Gary Erikson & Kit Crawford
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Have a lovely weekend,
ATHLETICS CARNIVAL
On Wednesday May 14, 47 secondary students travelled to Bunbury to compete in the School Sport WA South West Athletics Carnival. 16 Schools with 800 students competed across two divisions.
Pushed for time, the carnival had to cancel the final relay events and roll presentations which will now be delivered virtually. Currently Kearnan is in 3rd place and we await the final results later this week.
All students should be commended for their conduct and school spirit displayed throughout the day. Kearnan is proud to be represented so well!
Big thank you to Miss Webb who tirelessly ran the discus station all day and Mrs Burvill who ran the bay to ensure all students were marshalled to their events.
Full details in the next chronicle!
Mr. Aaron Pedlar
Head of Physical Education
aaron.pedlar@cewa.edu.au
PARISH NEWS
| DATE | St Joseph’s Manjimup | Sacred Heart Pemberton | |
| Time | Type | Time | |
| 24.05.25 | 6:00pm | Saturday Vigil | |
| 25.05.25 | 8:30am | Mass | 10:30am |
| 31.05.25 | 6:00pm | Saturday Vigil | |
| 01.06.25 | 10:30am | Mass | 8:30am |
| 07.06.25 | 6:00pm | Saturday Vigil | |
| 08.06.25 | 8:30am | Mass | 10:30am |
WE ARE HIRING
St Joseph’s Parish is looking for a cleaner for our Parish Centre.
The position is paid and only for 2 hours a week.
Times and day are negotiable. Immediate start if possible.
Anyone interested or if you would like more information, please contact the Parish Office!
PH: 9771 2873 EMAIL:Â stjosephsparishmanjimup@gmail.com
COMMUNITY NEWS
In the Garden
The recent gorgeous sunny autumn days in the past couple of weeks have provided the ideal conditions for getting out in the garden, and some of our Junior School students have taken the opportunity to do some planting. The Year 3 class and the Kindy and Pre Primary students planted everlastings. It will be lovely for the students to care for these and to watch them grow over the coming weeks and they should provide us with lots of colour in early springtime. The Year 1 class planted cauliflowers, broccoli, cabbage, spinach and lettuce this week, and the Kindy class also had fun planting some broad beans.  Â
As part of their Christian Service Learning, the Year 10’s have recently built 2 fridge worm farms to accommodate our expanding worm population. The students worked in teams setting up drainage, lining the fridges with geofabric, adding in coir and manure, recycled cardboard for dividers and then added the worms.
Mrs Tracey Wren
Gardener
Host a Japanese Exchange Student
