Midterm 3 Newsletter 2026
Welcome to our Midterm Newsletter for Term 3. Please click on the links below to read more.
- St Philip Feast Day
- Servite Day
- Student Internet Awareness Presentations
- Interpriory Athletics Carnival
- Student Presentation Standards
- Student Device Use at Servite College
- Building Progress Update
- Reporting student absences via SEQTA Engage App
Message from the Principal
St Philip Benizi Feast Day
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Sunday 23 August marked the Feast of Saint Philip Benizi, one of the great figures in the history of the Servite Order and one of the patron saints of Servite College.
Born in Florence in 1233, Philip was highly educated, studying medicine and philosophy before being drawn to a life of service with the Servants of Mary. He entered the Servite Order as a young man and, despite his humility and reluctance to seek positions of authority, was eventually elected Prior General of the Order in 1267. At a critical time in the Servites’ early history, Philip helped strengthen and expand the Order and became particularly renowned as a preacher, peacemaker and reconciler. His humility was such that, when his name was reportedly proposed as a possible candidate for the papacy, he withdrew rather than pursue the position. Throughout his life, his devotion to Mary, care for the poor and commitment to bringing peace between people reflected the Servite call to service.
Saint Philip holds a particularly important place in our own College story. When our school opened in 1958, it was named St Philip’s Regional School for Boys in his honour, before becoming Servite College in 1968. He remains one of the patron saints of our College and an important example of what it means to live the Servite charism.
We marked this special occasion as a College community with a whole-school Mass on Wednesday 19 August. During his homily, Father Albert challenged each of us to follow Saint Philip’s example by having the courage and strength to forgive those with whom we may have experienced difficulty or hurt.
It is relatively easy to show respect, kindness and love towards those who offer the same to us. The greater challenge is to offer these things to those who, for whatever reason, may not. Father Albert reminded us of the extraordinary power of responding with love rather than resentment, and of the transformative effect that forgiveness and reconciliation can have in the lives of others and in our own lives.
His challenge to us was a very practical one: to think of someone with whom we may need to reconcile and to have the courage to take the first step; to extend the olive branch, to forgive, and to respond with love.
It is a challenge that speaks strongly to our Servite values of Courage, Compassion, Respect, Hospitality, Justice and Mercy. Saint Philip’s life reminds us that these values matter most not when they are easy to live, but when they ask something of us.
As we celebrated his feast day, may each of us have the courage to follow his example, seeking peace, offering forgiveness and allowing love to be the force that transforms our relationships and our community.
Servite Day
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Last Thursday 20 August, we celebrated Servite Day, a wonderful occasion that brought our College community together in a spirit of celebration, remembrance and community.
The day commenced with a Homeroom Challenge centered on sustainability, encouraging students to work collaboratively while reflecting on our shared responsibility for caring for our environment. Sustainability remained an important theme throughout the day, including the way students and staff managed waste and recycling following the lunchtime festivities.
Following the morning activities, the College made its way to Grenville Reserve for our traditional Memorial AFL Match. This important Servite Day tradition provides an opportunity to remember and honour past students and staff members of our community who are no longer with us. The game itself was closely contested and played in a wonderful spirit, with students and staff gathered around the ground to support the players and enjoy the occasion together.
From Grenville, we returned to the College for one of the most anticipated parts of the day, the student-organised stalls and lunchtime festivities. Across the campus, students enjoyed a wide range of activities, games and food stalls, creating a vibrant atmosphere and providing another opportunity for our students to contribute actively to the life of the College.
The celebrations concluded in the Gymnasium with our Servite’s Got Talent extravaganza. It was a fantastic way to finish the day, showcasing the creativity, confidence and talents of our students in front of the whole College community.
Servite Day is always a special occasion in our College calendar, providing an opportunity to celebrate who we are as a community while strengthening the relationships and sense of belonging that sit at the heart of Servite.
A sincere thank you to all of our students and staff who contributed to the organisation and running of the day. The success of an event of this scale relies on the generosity and commitment of many people, and we are very grateful to everyone who helped make Servite Day 2026 such a wonderful success.
Student Internet Awareness Presentations
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Last week we were pleased to welcome Paul Litherland to the College for an important series of presentations on online safety. A former WA Police officer and one of Australia’s leading cybersafety speakers, Paul drew on his extensive experience with WA Police Technology Crime Services to give our students practical insights into navigating the digital world safely and responsibly.
Across presentations tailored to each year group, Paul explored topics including our digital footprint, online gaming, social media, websites, online behaviour and personal safety. We hope our students left with a greater awareness of the risks and responsibilities that come with being online.
A big thank you to Paul for sharing his knowledge and helping empower our students to make safer, smarter choices online. For further advice and information on eSafety, visit https://www.esafety.gov.au/parents
Interpriory Athletics Carnival
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The Interpriory Athletics Carnival was a fantastic day of competition, participation and Priory spirit at the WA Athletics Stadium. Our students embraced the opportunity to represent their Priories, giving their best across both track and field events, with the overall competition remaining closely contested throughout the day.
Congratulations to Senario, who were crowned winners of the Overall Shield, and to Our Lady of Sorrows, recipients of the Grenville Spirit Award.
What impressed me most throughout the day was the wonderful spirit in which the competition took place. Students competed with determination and enthusiasm, while also encouraging and supporting one another throughout the day.
Our Year 12 students particularly embraced their final Interpriory Athletics Carnival. From the energy of their Priory chants at the beginning of the day, through to their traditional dress-up and the gathering of the cohort to sing the Servite Song at the conclusion of the Carnival, they provided wonderful leadership and contributed greatly to the atmosphere of the occasion.
Days such as these are an important part of College life. While competition is certainly celebrated, they are also about participation, belonging and strengthening the relationships that make our Servite community so special.
Thank you to all of the staff and students whose preparation, organisation and enthusiasm contributed to another memorable Interpriory Athletics Carnival.
Student Presentation Standards
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Last week, our staff met to discuss the importance of consistently upholding the standards and expectations we set for our students. As part of this discussion, we reviewed the Servite College Student Uniform Policy and reflected on the important role that consistency plays in establishing a strong foundation for positive behaviour across the College.
For the remainder of the year, there will be a particular emphasis on the consistent application of our Student Uniform Policy. Our aim is to ensure that expectations are clear and that students experience a fair and consistent approach from all staff.
We greatly appreciate the continued support of parents and caregivers in this area. This may include having conversations with your child about our expectations and reviewing the Student Uniform Policy so that, in partnership, we have a shared understanding of the standards we are seeking to uphold.
Ultimately, this is about more than uniform. It is about helping our young people understand the importance of meeting agreed expectations, taking pride in their presentation and contributing positively to the standards of our College community.
Student Device Use at Servite College
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In our last newsletter, I introduced changes to the way students are permitted to use their devices during the school day. I spoke about the importance of creating opportunities for our students to spend time away from screens. During break times, we want our students talking with one another, being active, participating in the activities available around the College and enjoying the benefits of face-to-face social interaction.
I have been particularly pleased with the way our students have responded to these new expectations. In conversations I have had with many students, they have been extremely supportive of the changes and can already see the benefits of spending less recreational time on their devices during the school day.
To ensure that our approach is clear and consistent across the College, students have now been introduced to our Student Device Use Procedure. Some important points for parents and caregivers to be aware of are:
- Devices may be used during lessons when directed or permitted by a teacher for learning purposes.
- Before school, after school, and during recess and lunch, devices may only be used in ARC 1 and ARC 2, and only for learning-related activities.
- Gaming, entertainment, social media, streaming and other non-learning uses are not permitted unless specifically authorised by a staff member for an educational purpose.
- When inappropriate device use occurs, staff will address the behaviour and record the incident so that we can respond consistently across different classes and areas of the College.
- Where inappropriate device use is repeated, the College will respond through a graduated and consistent process. This may include opportunities for reflection, appropriate consequences and, where concerns persist, involvement of parents or caregivers and additional support or intervention.
Importantly, the purpose of this procedure is not simply to introduce consequences. It is to establish a shared and consistent expectation, while helping students take responsibility for their choices and develop healthier habits around technology use. The reflection component of the process is deliberately focused on helping students consider what responsible device use looks like.
Technology remains an important part of contemporary learning at Servite College, and we want our students to be confident and capable users of it. At the same time, we believe it is increasingly important to help young people understand that there is a time and place for technology and to experience the value of disconnecting from their screens and connecting with the people around them.
We appreciate the continued support of our parents and caregivers in reinforcing these expectations at home and in partnership with the College.
Building Progress Update
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Work on our current building program continues to progress very well, with the recent favourable weather allowing the project team to make strong progress across the site.
There has been significant visible development across both the Montorsoli and Gymnasium projects. The rammed earth works are now well advanced, with major sections of the Gymnasium walls completed and the Montorsoli building continuing to take shape.
Overall, progress has been very positive, and there is growing excitement across the College as the scale and character of these new facilities becomes increasingly visible. We look forward to continuing to share updates with our community as the project progresses.
Reporting student absences via the SEQTA Engage App
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Did you know the SEQTA Engage App is now the preferred method for parents and caregivers to notify the College if a student is going to be absent, arriving late or leaving early?
In time, the other methods of reporting (email, SMS, leaving a voicemail) will be phased out, but for now all methods are still available.
Reporting through SEQTA Engage is quick and easy, and ensures the details are accurate and received in a timely manner.
For more information and instructions, please visit Absentees · Servite College
Term 3 News & Events
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As always, we invite you to stay up to date with the latest news and events throughout the term. Some key highlights from the beginning of Term 3 include:
To read more about the latest happenings around the College, please visit our College News here.
We look forward to the last five weeks of Term 3, which will be the final weeks of classroom lessons for our Year 12 student’s secondary schooling, before their farewell on the last day of Term!
God Bless,
Michael Chiera
Principal
