Around The Primary

Dear Families

We certainly have experienced a wonderful but wet and cold start to winter this week. Thank you to staff, students, and families for taking extra care outside the classroom, in the playground and in the carpark. 

It is with great anticipation and excitement that we await the return of our Year 6 students and staff who have been away touring our National Capital this week. The students have been learning about our Nation’s history, culture, heritage, and democracy. They have been to many interesting places including the Australian War Memorial, Parliament House, Museum of Australian Democracy, Electoral Education Centre, National Capital Exhibition and Government House. The camp has also been full of fun and fitness experiences, including a bike ride around Lake Burley Griffin, a night at Questacon and a sports experience at the Australian Institute of Sport. 

While initially some butterflies may have been felt by students when saying goodbye to their parents at the airport, from all accounts, any nerves students may have had were quickly replaced by feelings of excitement and joy. Staff have been very proud of all students for the efforts they have made to engage in activities which have provided the opportunities to take calculated risks, build cooperation and collaboration skills, learn about, and challenge themselves, manage emotions, express gratitude, and develop a growth mindset.

While it has been wonderful for their families to view snippets of their experiences via Seesaw, we are looking forward to seeing everyone back at school next week and listening to stories about their extraordinary time away. 

A special thank you to our amazing staff who have spent the week away from their own families to provide this fabulous experience for our Year 6 students. Thank you, Mrs Standing, Ms O’Connor, Miss George, Mrs Rowson, Mrs Taylor, Miss Driscoll, Mrs Reading and Miss De Pinto.  We are very grateful for your commitment to both the students and College. We trust all campers will enjoy a lovely restful weekend with their families.

On Wednesday Jacob Chan and Harry Heath joined other students from Catholic schools around Perth at the Archbishop’s Official Launch of LifeLink Day held at Newman College. Both Jacob and Harry proudly represented John XXIII College while carefully listening to Archbishop Timothy Costello. 

Next Friday 16 June we are looking forward to coming together in Roncalli Hall for the Primary Assembly hosted by Pre-Primary. All families are welcome to join us for the first assembly this term. 

Kind regards

Kylie Allen

Assistant Principal, Primary

Kindy 2025 Interviews

Kindy interviews for 2025 are underway and these will continue through to Term 3.  Emails will be sent to families by Lizz Schollum, Enrolments Manager in due course.

Dates to Remember

Please check the College Website to note all the important Primary school events for your family calendar http://www.johnxxiii.edu.au/view/for-parents/calendars and subscribe to the Primary Calendar.

Gardening Club

On Thursday, the Mary Ward Primary gardening club participated in an exciting tour of Perth City Farm which is an urban permaculture farm located in the heart of East Perth. The children explored the way the farm grows food sustainably. They loved visiting the chickens, looking at the worms and seeing a bee hotel for the first time.

Karin Ilich and Caroline Cibesku

Mary Ward Teachers 

Sacramental Certificates 

Parents are requested to email a copy of their child’s Sacramental Certificate (Reconciliation, Eucharist or Confirmation) to Mrs Petsos in Main Administration nancy.petsos@cewa.edu.au for our College records.

Congratulations to the Year 6 students who received the Sacrament of Confirmation at St Joseph’s Church in Subiaco last weekend.

Primary Sport

It has been another great week of cross-country training, the conditions have been very cold and windy, but it is great to see so many students and parents starting their day with a run. 

Our Year 1 students will be taking part in 'Gym Warriors' over the next two weeks.  This is a new program run by Gymnastics WA focusing on fundamental movement skills, strength and coordination.  It will be great to see our students in action!

Steve Williams

Primary Sport Coordinator

Music Update

Australian Combined Schools Music Festival

The Australian Combined Schools Music Festival (ACSMF) brings together the finest student musicians from around Australia to perform together under the guidance of outstanding national and international conductors. ACSMF is a consortium of schools with highly developed music programs that have created an opportunity for music students to perform repertoire at the highest possible level. 

For the first time in its 50-year history, the ACSMF will be hosted in Western Australia. The three-day festival will culminate in a gala concert with performances featuring a combined Concert Band, Orchestra and Choir comprising of students from all over the country. 

The concert will also feature an Australian premiere of a commissioned work composed for a combined Primary Choir. Students from Years 5 and 6 will be representing the College, along with primary students from Methodist Ladies College, Christ Church Grammar School and Scotch College. This week, the students attended their first rehearsal at MLC with Perry Joyce,  the composer of the commissioned work. The students were excellent representatives for the College and will continue to have weekly rehearsals after school until the concert at 6:30pm on Saturday 1 July at Winthrop Hall. Tickets for this concert can be purchased via this link.

Australian Combined Schools Music Festival – Billeting

We are seeking further expressions of interest for families to host interstate students as part of the Australian Combined Schools Music Festival. Billeting involves hosting an upper school student/s for four nights at the end of Term 2, with some transport to and from Methodist Ladies College on Stirling Highway.

A complete schedule of festival events, transport and accommodation details for billet families is available from the Music department. Please contact Georgia Bouhlas, Music Secretary on 9383 0440 or email 8550svc_music@cewa.edu.au for further details.

Australian Girls Choir

The Australian Girls Choir will be holding an open day on Saturday the 17 June. This is a great opportunity for girls from Pre-Primary to Year 5 to experience a choir outside of school. For more information, please visit their website https://ausgirlschoir.com.au/joinagc/ 

Music Eisteddfod

Applications to perform in the upcoming Music Eisteddfod are now open! This year’s Music Eisteddfod will be held on Sunday 30 and Monday 31 July, with categories including: 

• Voice
• Piano
• Strings
• Winds and Brass
• Guitar
• Percussion
• Small Ensembles
• Original Composition

Students who partake in Music lessons through the College will have their applications to perform managed by their tutor.  Students engaged in weekly lessons on an instrument or in voice outside the College can perform.  Applications can be made through the Music department by email 8550svc_music@cewa.edu.au with the student's name, year, instrument and copy of piano accompaniment if required.

All applications to perform in the Music Eisteddfod are due by Friday 30 June. Please contact the Music Office with any queries.

Primary Choir Rehearsals

Choir rehearsals for Week 8 are as follows:

Please note that attendance at all rehearsals is compulsory as the students are preparing for various performances.

Chapel Choir

Chapel Choir is open to all Years 2 to 12 students who love singing, with a focus on liturgical music. Rehearsals commence at 7:30am in the Chapel with Mrs Haydon and Mr Johnston. Chapel Choir then sings at Community Mass at 8:00am. The next Community Mass is Friday 16 June. Please contact Mrs Haydon for more information.  

If you have any queries regarding Primary Music, please contact me via email: catherine.haydon@cewa.edu.au

Catherine Haydon

Primary Music Teacher

Cash for Containers Collection

As part of our sustainability and fundraising initiatives this Term, we are asking families to bring their ‘Cash for Containers’ to school during Week 9 this term - 19 June to 23 June. 

Collection bins will be placed in the car park off Heritage Lane and the car park near the Exhibition Centre to place containers in.  All money raised from the collection will be donated to LifeLink. 

Containers that may be recycled include:

• Cans
• Water bottles
• Choc milk cartons
• Juice boxes
• Iced tea bottles

Thank you for your support of this initiative.

Adrian Sims

Sustainability Coordinator