St Stephen's School, Perth
| St Stephen's School | |
|---|---|
 | |
| , | |
| Information | |
| Type | Independent, co-educational, day school |
| Motto | "Serve God, Serve One Another." |
| Denomination | Uniting Church in Australia |
| Patron saint(s) | Saint Stephen |
| Established | 1983 |
| Campuses | Duncraig (3-12), Carramar (K-12) & Hepburn Heights (K-2) |
| Colour(s) | Red, white & blue |
| Website | ststephens.wa.edu.au |
St Stephen's School is a K-12, co-educational independent, day school of the Uniting Church located on two campuses – one in Duncraig and the other in Carramar, two suburbs of Perth, Western Australia. The school is one of Western Australia's largest independent schools. The Duncraig campus opened in 1983 for Year 3 to Year 12 and the Carramar campus in Tapping opened in 2001 for Kindergarten to Year 12. In 2011 the school opened the new Early Learning Centre (ELC) in Hepburn Heights (across the road from the Duncraig campus) for Kindergarten to Year 2, introducing a Pre-Kindergarten, that takes place on Wednesdays, in the mid 2010s.
The school also owns a 115-acre property, the Nanga Outdoor Education Facility (referred to by the school as the "The Kaadadjan Centre) consisting of bushland, field, forest and 800 metres of Murray River frontage. The property is used for school camps and retreats, leadership development and team building activities.
In December 2023, the school's principal, Donella Beare, announced that the school would be making an attempt for the Guinness World Record for "Most confetti cannons set off simultaneously"[1] in the 2024 school year, to celebrate the school's 40th Anniversary. The attempt was scheduled for early February, but due to a heatwave which was sweeping Western Australia at the time, the conditions were deemed unfavourable for students and faculty to be put through. The attempt was postponed briefly, but after being rescheduled, eventually went ahead & on April 19, 2024, St. Stephen's School succeeded in their attempt, officially becoming the record holders for "most people launching confetti cannons simultaneously", setting the record at 2,014. The attempt included students and faculty of the school. Students from the Carramar campus were transported to the Duncraig campus to be able to participate in the event, which received media coverage from the likes of Network 10, Channel 7, ABC Radio Perth & Mix 94.5 Perth, with ABC Radio Perth and Mix 94.5 broadcasting live from the school's Duncraig campus on the day of the attempt.
History
- 1983 – Foundation of the Duncraig campus
- 1993 – Opening of the primary school at Duncraig
- 2000 – Completion of the Performing Arts Centre and new administration complex
- 2001 – The school opened a second campus in Carramar.
- 2007 – Construction begins on new technology and enterprise building at Duncraig
- 2008 – Opening of new Carramar gym, named the Sports & Learning Centre
- 2009 – Opening of new technology and enterprise building at Duncraig, named the Lorraine Paul Centre and the renaming of the Design and Technology building to the Glenda Parkin Learning Centre.
- 2011 – Opening of Early Learning Centre in Hepburn Heights
- 2012 – Construction begins on extensive renovations and extensions of the Collinson Library at Duncraig
- 2013 – Re-opening of the renovated Collinson Library at Duncraig
- 2016 – Renovation of Duncraig Primary library
- 2018 – Renovation of houses at Duncraig campus
- 2021 – New educational suites unveiled, Duncraig Primary[2]
- 2021 – Announcement of Duncraig Secondary science suite renovation
- 2023 - Renovation of houses at Carramar campus
- 2024 - School hit 40th anniversary; completion of Duncraig Secondary science suite renovation; became the Guinness World Record holders for "Most confetti cannons set off simultaneously", setting the record at 2,014 cannons set off by the school's students and faculty.[1]
Houses (Factions)
St Stephen's School's "House" structure is used to decide student homerooms, sporting events, or other similar matters. Houses are randomly assigned to students upon arrival at the school, however students with parents, or other immediate family members who attend(ed) the school will be assigned to the same house as their family members.
Duncraig Houses
- Alethea – Colour: Red – Meaning: Truth – Mascot: Phoenix
- Carana – Colour: Yellow – Meaning: Joy – Mascot: Tiger
- Timae – Colour: Blue – Meaning: Honour – Mascot: Octopus
Carramar Houses
- Charis – Colour: Maroon – Meaning: Grace – Mascot: Kangaroo
- Makaria – Colour: Green – Meaning: Happiness – Mascot: Dragon
- Parresia – Colour: Blue – Meaning: Boldness – Mascot: Polar Bear
Staff History
Principal
- 1983–1988: John Allen Williams
- 1989–2003: Gavin Collinson
- 2003–2007: Glenda Parkin
- 2007–2008: Desmond Mitchell
- 2009–2010: Caryl Roberts
- 2011–2016: Tony George
- 2017–present: Donella Beare
Notable alumni
- Alex Loughton – Basketball Player
- Daniel Parker – AFL Player
- Shane Parker – AFL Player
- Alex Williams – Actor[3]
- Daniel Stynes – Footballer
- Ben Popham - Paralympic Swimmer
References
- ^ a b "Australian school celebrates anniversary by launching thousands of confetti cannons". Guinness World Records. Archived from the original on 13 March 2025. Retrieved 29 July 2025.
- ^ "Untitled". St Stephen's School Social Pages. Archived from the original on 25 December 2021. Retrieved 6 May 2021.
- ^ "Wicked role for Assange actor". Community Newspaper Group. 16 October 2012.