The She's Someone campaign is run by the Justice, Peace and Advocacy council to specifically target the disrespect towards women carelessly shown by too many young men – this can be shown through words, actions and thoughts. This campaign is about being clear on the ideal world in which we want to live and also about pointing out the types of behaviours we want to stamp out as a college. We aim to build up literacy surrounding the issue and empowering us, as young men, to be the ones to stand up when we see it happen at school, and in the community. The campaign is all about a conversation from young men to young men – about things that we can change.

Members of our Council have decided they will no longer be silent around such nonsense and they will invite their peers to speak out also. This is intended to be young men having what can be a tough or awkward conversation with other young men. Known as our “She's Someone” campaign, it looks at shifting the mindset of young men from accepting casual disrespect and objectification to being deliberately respectful and inclusive. The title “She's Someone” takes inspiration from the idea that you shouldn’t respect a woman just because “she is someone's daughter” or that “she is someone's mum”, but rather because she is her own person entitled to and worthy of respect in her own right.

Working together with all the Senior School Tutors, we offered all Senior Students the chance to participate in this campaign if they wish. They had a chance to take a stand, make a public commitment against disrespectful thoughts, comments and jokes about women. Or put more positively – they can stand up for a world where there is healthy respect and support between young men and women. Any young man that has participated, was permitted to swap their school tie for an alternative tie for the day on Wed 18^th August. The young men were encouraged to wear their different ties with a mixture of pride and resolve. Pride that they are part of the campaign and willing to be part of a better future. Resolve, because for some it will not be easy to achieve and they will need to work at it.

This is just one of the things happening at Aquinas College to create a regular dialogue about things that matter. We are all striving to create a culture of regular, open and honest discourse about the attitudes and actions between people – especially between young men and young women. In this instance, we are speaking directly to the young men because it is young men that have the capacity to make the changes we are seeking – for the benefit of all.

Our Year 12 boys are living up to the Aquinas tradition of giving back to the community. As part of their fundraising efforts for the Class of 2021 Peer Scholarship Gift, the Year 12 Leadership Team jointly hosted a trivia night ‘social’ in June with the girls from Perth College for the benefit of our Year 10 boys, raising $1500 for their leaving gift to the College, while providing their younger peers with a positive social experience.

My name is Jesse Motlop, and I’m a proud Larrakia man from the Darwin region in the Northern Territory.

Joining me is fellow Year 12 Student and 1st XVIII Footballer, Xavier Bradshaw-Pini.

Over the past 18 months, we have been sketching out a number of ideas. We have drafted many different jumper designs, using different colours, symbols, and styles. It wasn’t until late last term that we settled on a design that we were happy with, and we’re excited to present it.

On the front of the jumper, we see four white shields, these same shields can be seen as you enter the college at the roundabout. They each have a touchstone to represent the Edmund Rice Education Australia symbols but have been converted into Indigenous designs. The touchstones stand for:

• Liberating Education
• Gospel Spirituality
• Inclusive Community
• Justice and Solidarity

Across the front of the jumper and wrapped around the sides we see the Waugal, otherwise known as the snake. It was the Waugal that made the Noongar people custodians of the land so as a way to pay respect to the Wadjuk Noongar tribe, we have used the Waugal as a way to represent the group on this jumper, as this is their country that we play our sport on.

Some of you may have heard of a man by the name of Yagan, he was a Noongar leader and resistance fighter in the early 1800s and was feared by Europeans as a patriot fighting for his land. It is said that Yagan used to protect the point of Aquinas way before the College’s time, so to represent him we have included the four Red-Tailed Black-Cockatoo feathers on the jumper, the feathers of which Yagan use to wear on the top of his bandanna.

On the back of the jumper, you will see a river, this represents the Djarlgarra, also known as the Canning River. In the middle you will see a symbol to represent a meeting place, that is Aquinas College.

Designing the jumper has been an exciting project. Xav and I have put a lot of effort and time into this, and to be able to see the end product turn out this good is very rewarding.

Lastly, thank you to Aquinas for allowing Xav and I to embrace Aboriginal culture and history into the College’s 1st XVIII Footy jumpers. It's an awesome idea and a great way to celebrate NAICOC week.

The jumpers will be made available to purchase in the uniform shop in the upcoming weeks.

While young men and boys can and do excel in many types of educational institutions, schools for boys focus with intention on learning that addresses not only how to excel in academics but also how to grow into a young man of integrity and empathy.

In engaging and supportive single-sex environments, students explore their values and establish a foundation for making responsible decisions; they explore their own definitions of self, who they are and who they want to become; they learn to forge healthy relationships; they step out of their comfort zone to explore their full potential.

They are preparing for their roles in a globally connected world.

Here’s how that happens.

Thank you to the following Old Aquinians who have chosen to sponsor subject prizes for students who have demonstrated academic excellence in Year 12 in the Class of 2021.

Quentin Lau (Class of 1992)

Quentin attended Aquinas College from 1985 to 1992. In 1997, he graduated with a degree in architecture and returned to Hong Kong to commence his career. He now specialises in and provides consultancy advice on residential property development at the Summit Homes Group. Quentin is known to be one of the most experienced development architects within Perth. Married with children, Quentin's eldest daughter attends Santa Maria College while his son attends Aquinas College. Quentin has kindly sponsored a monetary prize for the Year 12 Subject Dux for Economics ATAR as well as Human Biology ATAR.

Hilary Lau (Class of 1993)

Hilary studied at Aquinas from Year 5 until his graduation in Year 12. He went on to study for a double degree in Law and Commerce at the University of Western Australia. Currently, Hilary is a partner at leading international law firm Herbert Smith Freehills. Hilary’s practice is focused on the energy and resource sector and he has earned the position of Head of the Energy Practice, Asia within his firm. Ranked as one of the best energy lawyers in Asia, Hilary is married with a son. Hilary has kindly sponsored a monetary prize for the Year 12 Subject Dux for Politics & Law ATAR as well as Marine & Maritime Science General.

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.

The Yr 11 Encounter Retreat provided a great experience to try new things and have a break from day-to-day classroom learning. It also provided an opportunity to bond with other boys in your House, who maybe you haven’t gotten to know.

The retreat went for three days, where we spent time listening to many talks providing personal insight from other students and teachers who have had varied life experiences, and they shared them with us no matter how tough it may have been to relive that experience. It also provided for many life lessons and got us to question our own morals and beliefs. After listening to each speech, we had a very deep conversation in smaller groups, allowing us to open up and share within a safe environment with absolutely no judgment and kept in the confidence of those in our group.

This helped me to relate to others, learn from others, and to be there for my peers, showing my support. Over the three days, we were provided with numerous opportunities to grow spiritually and understand “What it means to be a man.” After being pushed outside of our comfort zones, fed heaps of food, and called to learn what kind of men we want to be, we finished the retreat with lots to think about and to take away to use in our everyday life.

Like many things, you only got out of it how much you put. I feel that putting a lot into this experience provided for a really enjoyable and teachable retreat, filled with lots of peaceful meditation and reflection. This retreat was like no other. It came with many surprises, and I believe it is one of the best experiences I have ever had and will be something I will remember for the rest of my life. The retreat refreshed and revitalised us, ready to finish off the rest of the term. It is a great experience not just for us Year 11 boys but also for the Year 12s who came back to share it with us again as mentors, and the many teachers involved. A massive thank you to Dr Kania, Mr Mavros, Mrs Woodhouse, Br Clery, Mr Grantis, Mr Osborn, Mr Copley, Mr Rich, the guest speakers, and all the Cullity boys. You all provided such a fantastic experience.