A major assignment for Year 8 Veritas is the Advocacy Presentation.

This involves every Year 8 student working in a group of 3 to collaborate and create a ‘Justice and Advocacy Presentation’ to be presented in front of family and friends.

This project is a strong contributor to the growth journey of a boy at Aquinas College because:

• it allows boys to learn about Justice Issues in the world,
• boys learn about and experience ‘advocacy’,
• students get to demonstrate learning in front of peers & family,
• public speaking and presentation skills are developed in students,
• it builds an even more informed and compassionate Aquinas College community.

The myFUTURE Program offers a unique opportunity for Senior students to assist in programs like those at Special Needs schools, which can only be available during school hours. To that end, we have had an amazing group of students who did more than their minimum requirement for Castlereagh, some having participated for all three terms.

For our final session this term, we brought some morning tea for all the incredible staff. It was also their Costume Day. The myFUTURE and holiday program for Castlereagh will continue until the end of Term 4 and all throughout the following year, including EXEAT Fridays, for others who are interested.

It is a wonderful partnership with an amazing school.

When I heard about the winter sleep-out, I had wanted to learn about and experience it. I know I'm lucky to be born in a family which owns a house, parents who have stable jobs, comparing to the homeless' experience. While I am lucky that I will have a safe, protected environment to sleep in, compared to the horrible nights people who are homeless have to deal with.

When I started to fundraise, my family and I made a little pamphlet to put in our neighbour's letterboxes, explaining what the Winter Sleepout is. I included the letter we received from the school and the itinerary for the night. I also included an introduction of myself and let them know when I would be walking around knocking on doors for donations if they were interested.

Most of the people on the street that I talked to were interested in how my schooling was, what my school was about or to tell me that one of their family members had attended Aquinas. It made me feel really proud to be an Aquinian. There were a fair amount of positive comments made about what we were doing and about how the school encourages the boys to do volunteer work and to give back to the community.

I was looking forward to the experience, even though I knew it will be cold and I wouldn't have eaten since lunchtime, and had done sport earlier.

We did it because it helped us have a better understanding of what it's like for homeless people and what they have to go through at night. Dealing with hunger, weather, other people who may make them feel like they are frightened and alone.

It was fun and interesting as I got to be with friends in a new experience at school but not at the usual times. I enjoyed having people from the Salvation Army come in and have a talk with us, learning about the situations homeless people have to deal with or things they are living without. The Salvation Army had us do a few activities which expanded our overall knowledge.

For me, it meant learning a new perspective or feelings, so whenever I now see someone who is homeless, I empathise with them better.

Curtin Primary School has been a big part of our after-school Mentor Program for over ten years. In Semester One, senior students from Aquinas assisted with homework help, games and projects. We also mixed up the program with a gradual introduction to Sportsfun. Because some children cannot access local clubs or physical activities after school, Sportsfun offers a non-competitive and enjoyable program for about 13 children every Wednesday afternoon for six weeks. Sports included badminton, basketball, soccer, footy and volleyball. For the shy to the outgoing child, there was always something for the kids to do. Our leaders were fantastic and it’s always interesting to see the profound difference from when they first met to how their interact after a few weeks. This program would not be possible without the passionate support of Chaplain, Mrs Roxanne Morine.

The impact of ‘older brothers’ at Curtin Primary has led to service options for Year 11.5 students to be teacher assistants during the myFuture Program on Friday mornings. This will start in Week Three in Term Four and there will be an opportunity for four students to commit to a five-week program. It will be offered again in 2022. We look forward to continuing our partnership in years to come.

Kickstart has been a great success this term with students gaining introductions to bricklaying, tiling, wall and ceiling, plumbing, painting, plastering and stonemasonry.

In bricklaying, students learned the basic skills of mixing cement, safe handling, trowel, laying bricks and the 3-4-5 rule to measure off house plans and layout a work area. The professionalism of our students allowed them to go one step further and they were given a task to build a mini house from plans. They have to measure out, level and build to specifications, including adding windows and a door. A fantastic experience and, my advice, don't underestimate the skills of bricklaying, it has a lot of practical math applications!

Stonemasonry is a niche profession and was brought back into popular demand by engineered stone and kitchen benchtops. Stonemasonry is unique and precise and requires excellent hand skills. Students used basic hand tools to carve out their names on marble. Students gained an understanding of the different types of stone, precious rocks from Western Australia and where this profession is in popular demand.

Students tested their skills with tiling, completing the famous rocket ship task. They did exceptionally well, with many completing the task and adding their own finishing touches. The following week students were given a very challenging measuring task where they had to cut tiles to a map of Australia. A task that is used in the Australian World Skills competitions. The tiling experience taught students to measure and cut tile, apply grout/cement to the tiles, levelling and how to correctly lay to job specifications.

Boys were treated to one of our best try-a-trade experiences to date at the Master Plumbers Association in Jandakot. Students completed a range of welding tasks and joined copper using a range of various pipe fittings. Students completed the famous cricket-wicket task and were treated to a drainage activity for the ages. Levelling, trenching, digging and connecting various pipes to job specifications within a given timeframe gave the boys a real day in the life experience, showing how important communication skills are to completing jobs and meeting deadlines.

For wall and ceiling, students learned how to bevel gyprock and create bulkheads. A bulkhead is a typical addition in bedrooms, laundries and custom applications to lift the interior of a house. Unfortunately, COVID -19 locked us down for the final project this term - to sheet gyprock to walls and ceiling on a timber frame.

Kickstart provides a fantastic opportunity for Year 10 students to participate in a practical hands-on program weekly. A creative outlet for students looking at vocational pathways, and apprenticeships provides an opportunity for students to excel and develop work-ready skills far beyond the classroom.

For further information please contact Peter.Gellin@aquinas.wa.edu.au

On Friday the 18th of June, Aquinas hosted the Year 11 Social. This highly anticipated event is one that did not disappoint. The boys embraced the opportunity to dress up in their suits, as well as invite a guest to a social for the first time.

As we walked into the hall on a red carpet, it became evident very quickly that it was going to be an enjoyable night, with happy faces all around and an excited crowd dancing to the music. The evening provided a great balance between showing off your moves on the dance floor, having conversations with mates, and taking great photos in the photo booth with all the different props. It was great to see various Tutor Groups taking photos together to remember the night. Personally, my favourite part of the night was dancing with my mates and our dates to some of our favourite songs. (Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! By ABBA is one that really got the crowd excited.) The catered food on the evening was suited perfectly for the occasion and the slushie machine was a great addition as it provided a much-needed contrast from the heat and sweat that was brewing on the dance floor.

The social definitely met my high expectations and has set the bar high for the Year 12 Ball next year. It received great feedback from many of the boys in the cohort, saying that it was one of the best socials that they have attended this year. With every great event, there are always people behind the scenes who put in the extra effort to make sure that the night is enjoyed by all. A big thank you to all who were involved in the organisation of the event, in particular, Mrs Woodhouse who was the backbone of the evening; it would have been nowhere near as good without her. The Year 11 Social was a highlight on the school calendar and is certainly a night that I will remember in the years to come.