Issue 10 - 2026

To mark the occasion, we once again came together as one community for a Whole School buddy activity. Secondary students spent time with their Primary School buddies, sharing conversations, building connections and participating in our annual R U OK? Lapathon.

The event reflected our commitment to fostering a culture of care, kindness and belonging. It was wonderful to see students of all ages encouraging one another, strengthening friendships and demonstrating that every member of our community has an important role to play in supporting the wellbeing of others.

Through initiatives such as these, we continue to reinforce the message that meaningful connections matter and that checking in with each other is something we can do every day.

Our Senior teams enjoyed a remarkable season, with all four teams progressing to their respective grand finals. The Year 9/10 A Team and Year 9/10 B Team delivered outstanding performances throughout the competition, both securing premierships after impressive grand final victories. Demonstrating excellent teamwork, skill and composure under pressure, both teams finished their campaigns as deserving champions.

The Year 11/12 A Team and Year 11/12 B Team also enjoyed highly successful seasons, earning places in their grand finals after strong performances throughout the carnival. Both teams competed fiercely in closely contested matches and finished as runners-up, narrowly missing championship honours.

The success continued with our Junior teams, who followed the lead of their Senior counterparts by qualifying for both Year 7/8 grand finals. In two thrilling matches, both teams emerged victorious by the narrowest of margins. The Year 7/8 Girls A Team won their grand final on a sudden-death point in the deciding third set, while the Year 7/8 Boys A Team claimed their championship with a dramatic 15-13 victory in the final set.

Across the School, the results were exceptional:

• Year 7/8 Girls Volleyball A – 1st Place
• Year 7/8 Boys Volleyball A – 1st Place
• Year 9/10 Mixed Volleyball A – 1st Place
• Year 9/10 Mixed Volleyball B – 1st Place
• Year 11/12 Mixed Volleyball A – 2nd Place
• Year 11/12 Mixed Volleyball B – 2nd Place

Having all six SVACS volleyball teams qualify for grand finals, and four teams crowned champions, is a remarkable accomplishment and a testament to the dedication of our players, coaches and mentors. These results highlight the outstanding volleyball culture that has been developed across the School and the commitment of students to representing SVACS with pride, determination and sportsmanship.

Congratulations to all players on an exceptional season, and thank you to the many staff and mentors whose guidance, encouragement and support helped make this success possible. What a fantastic year for volleyball at SVACS!

Our students competed with enthusiasm, resilience and outstanding sportsmanship throughout the day, supporting one another and proudly representing our School.

Several students achieved Division 1 victories in their events:

• U/13 Division 1 Winners: George Limerick (High Jump), Diyara Abeysekara (Long Jump) and Jeremiah Baulka (400m)
• U/14 Division 1 Winners: Morgan Taiapa (Shot Put) and Cooper Chilman (Javelin)
• U/15 Division 1 Winners: Zayne Bayiwa (100m, 400m and Long Jump) and the Boys 4x100m Relay Team comprising Zayne Bayiwa, Isaac Lee, Nishad Raskar and Oliver Burrows
• U/16 Division 1 Winners: Felix Aungier (Shot Put and Discus) and Taj Kaur (100m and Long Jump)
• U/19 Division 1 Winner: Samuel Ball (Javelin)

A number of school records were also broken during the carnival. Felix Aungier established a new Under 16 Shot Put record with a throw of 12.27m, while Oscar Evans set a new Under 19 1500m record with a time of 4:45.80. Samuel Ball continued his outstanding form in the javelin, extending his own school record to 45.56m.

The standout performance of the day came from Zayne Bayiwa, who broke four school records in the Under 15 age group. Zayne set new benchmarks in the 100m (11.46 seconds), 200m (24.02 seconds), 400m (55.02 seconds) and Long Jump (6.79m). His Long Jump performance was particularly remarkable, finishing just one centimetre shy of the ACC record.

Congratulations to all students who competed. Their commitment, perseverance and willingness to strive for personal excellence reflect the culture of our School and highlight the bright future of athletics at SVACS.

The Fuse Cup is one of Australia’s leading school Esports competitions, bringing together students from across the country to compete in a range of strategic and team-based games. Qualification for the national finals is a significant achievement and reflects the growing strength of our Esports program.

The following students have earned the opportunity to compete at the National Championships:

Rocket League

• Rylan Cowie (Year 6)
• Gabriel van Krieken (Year 6)

Mario Kart

• Fionn Mistry (Year 6)
• Noah Brown (Year 12)

Just Dance

• Sanika Bramhadev (Year 7)
• Samitha Bhat (Year 8)
• Kirandeep Kaler (Year 8)
• Rubi Nipps (Year 7)

This achievement highlights the broad range of talents within our School community, with students from both Primary and Secondary years excelling in a rapidly evolving competitive arena. Success in Esports requires strategic thinking, communication, collaboration, resilience and sportsmanship, all of which have been demonstrated by our students throughout the competition.

We congratulate these students on their remarkable achievement and wish them every success as they prepare to compete against the best school teams from across Australia. We look forward to following their journey and cheering them on as they proudly represent SVACS and Western Australia at the national level.

The competition encourages students to explore mathematical concepts through problem-solving, statistical analysis, modelling, research and real-world applications. Participants have the opportunity to investigate a topic of personal interest while developing their creativity, critical thinking and analytical skills.

We are delighted to congratulate two SVACS teams whose projects were awarded Distinction Certificates, recognising the high quality of their investigations and presentations.

Year 9 – Out of the Blue

• Adrian D'Souza, Immanuel Musumba, Akshay Athreya, Princepreet Dandiwal

Year 8 – What if ODM Gear Were the Main Mode of Transport?

• Prinkal Sandhu, Sethmi Perera, Sarah Johnson

These outstanding results reflect the curiosity, dedication and mathematical thinking demonstrated by our students throughout the competition process. Their ability to apply mathematical concepts to complex and engaging real-world questions is a credit to their hard work and perseverance.

As a result of their success, both teams have been invited to attend a presentation ceremony in October to celebrate their achievements.

Congratulations to all students involved in this year's Maths Talent Quest, and especially to our Distinction recipients. We look forward to seeing where their mathematical curiosity takes them next.

The week commenced with SVACS Got Talent, where students took to the stage to share their unique talents and entertain their peers. The performances reflected the confidence, creativity and enthusiasm that are hallmarks of our student community.

Details: Friday 30 October, 11:45am to 1:20pm

Cost: Free

Please RSVP to Merri.Corr@svacs.wa.edu.au or contact our Registrar, Merri Corr, on 9297 9506.

We look forward to welcoming you back for this special occasion!

This will involve abseiling 130m down Central Park Tower in the Perth CBD, while raising funds and awareness for Anglicare WA. This thrilling abseil will showcase possibly the best view in Perth (from the 33rd floor of Central Park Tower) and is officially Australia’s tallest charity abseil. You can read more about the Plunge and donate to our Swan Valley Team via the link below.

 The Plunge Artists are: Christian Devellerez (English), Louis Hourston (Music), Lara Sawyer (Visual Art) and Victoria Swift (Music).

Please donate here: https://anglicare-wa.grassrootz.com/central-park-plunge-2026-anglicare-wa/the-plunge-artists

Enrolment interviews for 2027 are now well underway. Please note that interviews typically occur approximately 18 months prior to the year of entry, and a number of year groups are already full or close to capacity. Families who have not yet submitted an application for a future student are encouraged to contact our Registrar, Mrs Merri Corr, on 9297 9506 or via email at enrolments@svacs.wa.edu.au

We understand that family circumstances can change, whether due to relocation, new opportunities or other personal reasons. If your child will be leaving SVACS, we would be grateful if you could notify us as early as possible. Timely communication helps us plan effectively, including offering positions to families on our waitlist.

Withdrawal Policy Reminder

• One full term’s notice in writing is required for all student withdrawals.
• This equates to at least 10 school weeks’ notice (school weeks refer to term time only, not holidays).
• Withdrawal notices should be addressed to the Principal, Ms Melissa Powell, and emailed to enrolments@svacs.wa.edu.au .

Thank you for your support and cooperation.

Carpe diem! Seize the day!

Melissa Powell

Principal

Jesus taught that we should focus on ways to build up and strengthen our souls, rather than on gaining things of material or worldly value; we can lose the truth of ourselves: our integrity, if we pursue only worldly goods. I was amazed to see that this precise Bible passage was set to be read the following Sunday. The falling-apart trainers helped me to reflect with Secondary students in Chapel on what is of true and lasting value, and this in turn relates to our school motto, Walk in the Truth.

Mercy not Sacrifice

The Athletics Carnival had to be postponed owing to rain. There was some discussion about my capacity, as a person of prayer, to control the weather. We can all pray, and I am confident that God hears the prayers of all.

Ancient religions understood God or gods to be influenced by sacrifice and rituals, and they may have sacrificed to a weather god in order to bring rain for crops or stop rain to prevent flooding. Some religions make sacrifices today. The prophets told the Jews that God wants mercy, not sacrifice, and that the latter without the former was unacceptable. Jesus later reinforced this, and we heard St Paul’s letter to the Roman Christians (who were surrounded by the Roman pagan sacrificial system) which encourages us to give ourselves as ‘living sacrifices.’

For us this might mean giving up our own ego or will, our time, resources, money, skills, comfort or convenience, to serve others. Jesus taught that God wants our hearts to be merciful, and that means to forgive others and extend patience and inclusion. Being merciful is a living sacrifice. Traditional sacrifices might be focused on what we feel we owe God, but living sacrifices mean an inner cost to ourselves for the benefit of others. Rather than gain the whole world by pleasing the gods, we seek to save our souls.

As Year 12s prepare for their Valedictory, this is a reminder of the call in our school hymn: When our time to depart is upon us, we will leave with a firm path to walk: seeking always to serve another, just as we’ve been taught.

Blessings and peace to all.

Father Toby
School Chaplain

 

Prayer

Loving God, you taught us to value our souls above the things of this world.
Lead us in your Truth to offer ourselves as living sacrifices,
giving loving service to your people,
following the example of Jesus Christ our Lord,
whose one perfect sacrifice made our peace with you,
and who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit:
God, for ever and ever. Amen

Amazing talent was recently showcased at SVACS Got Talent, and Year 1 and Year 2 students performed their concerts, showcasing their very best singing, dancing and acting. It was a wonderful treat to see the curriculum learned in Music, Dance and Drama lessons come to life on the stage. Congratulations to all Year 1 and 2 students and staff!

Each year, selected Anglischool students from all over Australia travel to Samoa where they experience the life and culture of this wonderful developing country and immerse themselves in the daily routine of the school. They are directly involved in the children’s learning and culture participating in a range of community-based projects and activities. Funds raised go towards purchasing valuable resources to support teachers in delivering programs for their students.

Unlike a traditional debate, a Philosothon encourages students to participate in a Community of Inquiry, where they listen to different perspectives, question assumptions and develop their ideas collaboratively. Our students explored challenging philosophical questions, including whether the votes of younger people should count more than those of older people, and whether living an authentic life and pursuing your own goals is as worthwhile as working for the benefit of others.

The event provided a valuable opportunity for students to extend their philosophical thinking, develop their critical reasoning and communication skills, and engage respectfully with other young thinkers from across Australasia.

Year 10 Textiles

Students in the Year 10 Textiles class attended the annual Craft Alive Expo at Claremont Showgrounds. The students thoroughly enjoyed the event, exploring a range of new fabrics, tools, techniques and technologies. They demonstrated great enthusiasm and engagement throughout the day and were a credit to our school.