It’s our favourite time of year again at St Catherine’s College and we’re so lucky to be able to welcome our new residents to our community. As always, the first week at College has been jam packed with events and activities to help everyone get settled into their new home.
Learning Something New
Every year our new residents participate in workshops that can provide helpful skills for living away from home, establishing a strong, safe community and becoming more culturally aware. Our new residents also had an introduction to the world of entrepreneurship with Bloom, and the exciting opportunities ahead of them this year.
Our new arrivals also perfected their Fresher Dance Routine and performed it on Friday to a crowd of supporters as well as all the other Colleges. Check out the video here ( don’t have your volume up too high, our supporters cheer loudly)!
Making New Friends
College can be daunting at first, but with so many friendly faces around, our Freshers settled in quickly. The start of the week involved a welcome lunch and a chance to bond with other residents in your wing. Throughout the week there were plenty of chances to meet everyone, with lawn games at Matilda Bay, coffee crawls, and heaps more.
Having a Blast
O’Week wouldn’t be O’Week without some celebrations! Our new residents put on their finest attire for a Cocktail Garden party on Monday, and got their Glow on for the Back to College Party on Friday.
For Wednesday night shenanigans, gone are the days of Captain Stirling. Our new residents got the chance to meet friends from all along College Row at the new Hampden Hotel.
We have had such an amazing week with all our new residents and we’re so glad to see so many returners back for another great year. While last year had its ups and downs, 2021 is off to a fantastic start.
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St Cat’s Brings Home More Trophies!
One of the highlights of our week at St Catherine’s is when we get to cheer on our teams at Inter-college sport. Our college is known for being serious competitors across the board, and this year was no exception.
In accordance with COVID-19 guidelines we did not hold any intercollege sport competitions in Semester One this year. However, we were back and ready to dominate the competition this semester, with teams taking part in dodgeball, swimming, netball, soccer and more!
The amazing athletes at St Catherine’s consistently brought their A-Game, and we even brought home the women’s cup this year!
A special shout out goes to our Sports RAs, team captains and sports representatives for all the hard work they put in behind the scenes to make these games happen. From trials and training to cheering everyone on from the sidelines, we are lucky to have such dedicated residents on our team.
So while we wait for next year and even more exciting sport, check out some of highlights from our semester of sport!
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Journey to St Cat’s: From Boarding School to College
Congratulations to the graduating classes of 2020! You’ve made it through a pretty intense year, and soon you’ll be able to reap the rewards of all your hard work.
Graduating can be bittersweet, and it can be difficult to know that your friends may be moving in different directions to study, work or travel. Particularly if you’ve been boarding with all your friends, it can be hard to imagine life without them.
At St Catherine’s College, we have many residents that boarded at high schools in here in Perth before moving here for university. Here’s what they have to say on their journey’s from boarding to living at a residential college.
Bonnie is a second year St Catherine’s resident, but before this she was a boarder at MLC.
“It was very easy to settle into College because I was used to settling in to the boarding house at the start of every year. The RAs (Residential Advisors) made it even easier, because they were super helpful and friendly and were open to any questions that we might have.”
“I was really nervous about whether or not I would find friends at College, but there were so many events and opportunities that allowed me to make friends quite quickly. I even met my best friends at formal hall!”
“Uni was a bit of a different story. {…} It is kind of difficult to make friends at university but it is so easy to make friends at College. College is also the best place to start learning how to be independent but at the same time being surrounded by other young individuals and fun events to keep you entertained.
One of our first year residents George was a boarder at Hale last year before moving to St Catherine’s.
“Since I’ve been in a boarding house for the last five years, I found it easy to settle into College and uni life. I’d been told by a lot of people how good it was, so I didn’t have anything to be nervous about. My advice is to go to College! You’ll build awesome friend groups and there is always something going on to entertain you.”
So if you’re thinking about coming to a College next year, why not book a tour of St Catherine’s and see our facilities for yourself. Chances are that you might see some familiar faces around, and you’ll be able to see that while we still have the strong community feel of a boarding house, St Catherine’s is a great place to become more independent.
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Mental Health Awareness at St Catherine’s
This week is Mental Health Awareness week, and Last month on Thursday, 10 September, Australia had its annual R U Ok? Day. It’s a day to remind Australians that starting a conversation about mental health is really as simple as just asking a 3-word question: Are you okay?
But the conversation shouldn’t stop there. This year the theme of R U OK? Day was all about what to say after taking the first step and starting the conversation.
We may not all be experts on mental health, but we are a community that cares about the wellbeing of our friends and neighbours. To celebrate R U Ok? Day, a group of residents got together for an informal chat over cups of tea, and wrote down some positive messages about mental health. The messages were later used as decorations for a formal hall themed around mental health.
Talking about mental health can be difficult and awkward, but our residents looked to the prompts from R U OK? Day to direct the conversation. R U OK? Day offers a great 4 step plan you can follow when asking someone about their mental health, any day of the year.
1. Ask the question “Are you okay?”
2. Listen to the response
3. Encourage Action
4. Check in
St Catherine’s College understands the importance of mental health for our residents. Our program of activities and events is designed to assist our residents to lead an active lifestyle and reap all the benefits of being a part of our college community. We also have a team of Residential Advisors trained in Mental Health First Aid that you can chat to, and wonderful staff that can help you access resources when you need them.
We also have a number of residents that are actively involved with various organisations tackling mental health, such as Black Dog Institute, Zero2Hero, The Blue Tree Project, ManUp and many more. Mental health is clearly an important to issue to young people, and it is fantastic to see so many of our residents taking action.
This mental health awareness week, take time to check in with those around you and remember to seek out help if you are struggling. Building communities that are supportive and accepting of mental health conversations is important, and St Catherine’s will continue to do their part in de-stigmatising this issue with the help of our amazing young people.
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Battle of the Bands 2020: A Night to Remember
Every year all the Colleges along College Row take part in an epic Battle of the Bands competition, putting forward their most talented musicians to compete but most importantly, put on a great show at the UWA Tavern for everyone to enjoy.
Every college performed exceptionally, keeping us grooving all night long. However, there is nothing quite like cheering on your own college as they belt out absolute bangers, from Queen to Tame Impala, with a bit of Ricky Martin sprinkled in, our St Catherine’s Band knocked our socks off.
Our talented band members worked so hard in rehearsals for weeks in the lead up to the competition. When the time came for their set, the audience was flooded with blue St Cat’s polos (a few of which were taken off in the heat of the moment) and everyone sang their heart out!
Congratulations to our band members for putting on such a great show, and we’re very grateful to the Residential Students Department at UWA for putting on yet another amazing event.
We are already looking forward to next years competition!
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Boardroom Lunch: Consulting
Our boardroom lunches continue to be a popular event for our residents looking to network with industry professionals and potential future employers. Most recently, we held a boardroom lunch catering to students interested in learning more about consulting, an exciting career path that can lead to many different opportunities.
Twelve of our residents joined Phil Burton, Strategy Consultant and Business Coach at Mining Plus and Jordan Lockhart, St Cat’s Alumnus and Consultant at BCG for this casual networking event.
Luke Hanner, a first year resident at the College, came into the Boardroom Lunch with a rough idea about what consulting was, and left with some valuable information about the industry.
“The insights from Jordan and Phil definitely clarified what management consulting was like in a current professional setting. There were ample opportunities for people to ask questions, and everyone did.”
“I gained quite a bit of career advice, especially with regards to studies. I got contact details for both Jordie and Phil and so I definitely feel like I made some good connections from it.”
This semester we have also held lunches for students studying architecture, medicine and teaching. We also have plenty more Boardroom Lunches coming soon, for students interested in law, social work and more. Residents can get in touch with Ashleigh Benadretti, our Deputy Head of College to learn more about networking events, professional mentoring and request a Boardroom Lunch for an area they are interested in pursuing.
“Overall, I think the staff did a great job organising the event, the guests were awesome and I really appreciated it.”
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Events and Programs to Support Mental Health
By Sian O’Sullivan
Mental Health is a priority at St Catherine’s College. All of our RAs are trained in Mental Health First Aid, and our staff are always around to chat and provide support. Every event or activity that has been run during isolation has been put together with mental health in mind, so let’s take a look at just some of the opportunities we’ve offered to support our residents during this unprecedented time.
Moonlight Meditations
Meditation has been proven to have so many benefits to mental health, and we have been so lucky to be able to have guided meditations accompanied by the therapeutic sounds of the didgeridoo played by our residents Amos and Angus.
Resilience and Anxiety Workshops
In stressful, we could all use some tips on how to deal with anxiety and develop resilience. Our residents were able to access workshops run by professionals that provided practical advice and strategies to help our residents adjust to unusual circumstances.
Art Classes
Getting creative is an excellent way to relieve stress, feel productive and practice mindfulness. Many art classes were run remotely, so residents could join in from wherever they were to learn a new artistic skill or just have fun.
Sport Classes
Keeping physically active is a massive part of staying mentally healthy, so our residents have been able to participate in sports classes or activities run twice a day. Ranging from live-streamed yoga class to hard-core fitness challenges, our residents can take a break from study and enjoy the endorphins that exercise brings.
Time to Unwind
As study has gone online, it can be easy to get caught up in deadlines and revision and forget to have fun! Sometimes a simple activity like board games, Backyard Science nights, going for a hike, cycling to the beach or a movie night works wonders to relieve stress and help you feel connected.
Academic Support
Our full tutorial programme online and was supplemented by a range of events and support to ensure our residents navigated their new learning landscape as productively as possible and with minimal stress.
Volunteering
Helping others is often the best way of feeling more positive and our wonderful residents gave back wherever possible. They offered to assist neighbours who were self-isolating with chores, volunteered online and gathered donations for disadvantaged youth in Mirabooka.
Weekly Firepits
Our residents can come and share their fears and concerns, and have any questions addressed by the Head of College.
If you’d like to read more about mental health support at St Catherine’s, check out this article about our collaboration with the Blue Tree Project.
As the College is classified as a place of home, our common areas have remained open and we are fortunate to still be able to run activities. At all times we ensured that our events and activities followed the most current rules and regulations put in place by the WA Government.
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#TBT O-Week Wrap Up
In February, O-Week (orientation week), was a chance to meet new friends, learn new skills and get settled into life at college. Our new residents, or Freshers, had a full week of activities organised by our staff and team of Residential Advisors (RA’s).
Move-In Day
Sunday was Move-In Day for our new residents! We welcomed our new residents and their families with a tasty lunch in the sunshine. After giving their parents one last hug goodbye, our Fresher’s had some time to unpack before an evening of meeting new friends, and fun games on the lawn.
Monday
To kick start the week, new residents had the opportunity to get some tips on life after high school and the transition to university from the Red Frogs and our RA team. In the evening it was time to get all dressed up for an ‘Alice in Wonderland’ themed Secret Garden Party, complete with giant cards, themed deserts and live music.
Tuesday
Bloom, a youth-centered entrepreneurship hub located within the College, opened its doors for our new residents on Tuesday. In the afternoon, we cooled off with a swim at Cottesloe beach.
Wednesday
Wednesday was packed full of activities! Our residents received Step Up Bystander training, completed a scavenger hunt around college, participated in Wing Combat and did some micro-volunteering for a range of causes. Later in the evening, we got to chill out with the Red Frogs over a warm cup of chai.
Thursday
To finish off our series of talks, SHQ came in to speak to us about respectful relationships. We had a super fun games afternoon with Mario kart, dodge-ball and giant Jenga. We also had a chance to perfect our Fresher Dance routine to perform on Friday and a had the opportunity to attend the cultural immersion evening, whereby Dandjoo Darbalung facilitates the sharing of Indigenous culture with non-Indigenous residents to elevate, celebrate and educate Indigenous culture on a wider and inclusive scale.
Friday
Friday morning, we donned our St Cat’s colours and marched down to Matilda Bay for the Inter-College Fresher Festival, where we competed in a dance competition against all the other colleges. Our Fresher’s worked so hard to learn the routine throughout the week and it looked amazing! That evening it was time for more dancing as we headed to our boot-scooting Back to College Party. With a DJ blasting country tunes, a bucking bull and some amazing costumes, there was no better way to celebrate an amazing O-Week.
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International Nurses Day at St Catherine’s College
For the last few months, health care workers have been at the forefront of a global pandemic, unlike anything most people alive today have ever experienced. As we have stayed glued to the news awaiting updates and hoping for ease in restrictions, nurses have been working tirelessly to provide care and comfort to people in what can sometimes be the most frightening moment of their lives. The contribution nurses make to our community cannot be understated.
International Nurses Day is observed every year on May 12, the birthday of Florence Nightingale. To celebrate, we’re featuring two of our residents, Lara Scurria and Shauna Aitken, who are studying nursing.
Shauna is from Perth and is in her first year of studying nursing at the University of Notre Dame in Fremantle.
“I have always been interested in the Health Science sector, and nursing seemed like the perfect fit for me. The hands-on aspect appeals to me, and I am interested in working in intensive care and emergency units.
I think nurses have been pivotal in this ongoing crisis. A nurse’s role during these times spans further than just treatment, with education being critical for our public health.
Hand hygiene is the first thing you learn in the course and has become a more common practice for the general population. The safety of the patient and the surrounding community lies in the nurse’s hands. So the spread of disease in a hospital setting at least is reliant on the nurses’ hygiene routine.”
Lara is also in her first year of studying nursing at Notre Dame, and she is currently working as an assistant in nursing at an aged care facility.
“My mum and grandma are nurses so they would always tell me stories from the hospitals and it intrigued me from a young age. Then I did work experience in year 10 in the maternity and paediatric wards at Bunbury Hospital and loved it, which confirmed that nursing is what I wanted to do. I plan on doing a post-grad in midwifery, as my end goal is to become a midwife.”
Another of our residents Harry Bawa is also currently working as an assistant in nursing. We sat down with him for a video interview, which you can check out here.
We’d also like to give a shout-out to Mikaylah Pigram and all our other residents studying nursing!
St Catherine’s College would like to thank all the nurses that have been working so hard to keep us safe and healthy. We are very fortunate to have many wonderful residents and alumni that aspire to help others and serve their communities in a role as crucial as nursing.
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#ThankATeacherDay!
As the world celebrates #ThankATeacherDay, St Catherine’s would like to put a spotlight on our residents who are studying to become teachers.
We spoke with one of RAs, Tilly Johnston about what made her pursue teaching, as well as her amazing work with Teach Learn Grow.
“I’ve always known that I want to work with young people particularly after being a mentor for a long time. I want to inspire children to find the things that light them up and to pursue them with passion. Learning should be a fun, explorative and relevant experience and I hope I can give children the opportunity to explore this.”
“Teaching has a lot of work behind the scenes, planning and marking can be very exhausting and keep you up to all hours. It is also a constant learning process of what works and what doesn’t, this is always changing depending on the students.”
“Seeing the children, I’ve taught/mentored to achieve amazing things, is the most rewarding thing. It just gives you this rush and fills you with so much pride. It’s indescribable how rewarding it can be. Some of my most special memories are when a child/teenager/adult comes up to you years after you taught or mentored them to say thank you.”
“For a long time, I’ve wanted to work rural or remote, I’m in love with the bush but mostly the people and kids in these communities. I want to provide meaningful and relevant education and inspire them to believe in achieving the impossible. I’m currently Education Manager with the non-for-profit organisation Teach Learn Grow which sends out tutors and mentors to remote communities, it’s an amazing program that aims to engage and inspire children in schools.”
Our College community would also like to give a special shout out to some of our other residents studying teaching, like Albert Dean, Emily Simpson and more.
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