Around The Primary

Dear Families

This morning our Year 6 students hosted our final assembly for the term.  As they have been studying Business and Economics, they presented an entertaining play based on entrepreneurship.  We are very proud of their efforts.  Special thanks to Ms Jacqui O’Connor and Mr Morgan Klug for all their wonderful work with the Year 6 students.  

Our staff always go above and beyond to create a nurturing and inspiring learning environment for the students.  I particularly wish to extend our grateful thanks to our dedicated staff who remained at school late last Friday evening to ensure everything ran so smoothly at the Primary Disco. 

Each new school year brings the excitement and change of classes, teachers and classmates. It is normal for children to have some apprehension about this.  It is also inevitable that changes to friendship groups occur as children move through the grades.  Meeting new and different people is a part of life and it is our role as parents and educators to support children through change rather than protect them from it. 

Teachers are currently working on the class lists for 2026 and take into account various factors, including gender balance, social and emotional needs, special requirements, academic levels and friendships. 

I ask all families to trust that the class your child is going into next year is one in which they will thrive. It is important to note that parental requests can only be met in exceptional circumstances and emails requesting a particular teacher or placement with a best friend does not constitute an exceptional circumstance. Early notification of class lists will not be provided. Parents can feel confident that their children will always be in good hands and receive an excellent education at John XXIII College.

The school holidays provide the opportunity to relax, recharge and spend some quality family time together.  I wish all families a great break and look forward to your return on Tuesday, 14 October.

Happy holidays everyone!

Kind regards,

Antoinette De Pinto

Head of Primary 

Staff News

Mrs Cayley King (Kindy Teacher) and Mrs Bernadette Holmes (Education Assistant) will be on long service leave next term.  We look forward to welcoming them back to school at the start of the new school year. 

We farewell Ms Fiona Murray (Year 5 teacher) as she commences Parental Leave. We welcome Miss Rikki Allen, who will be teaching Year 5 Gold next term. 

Dates to Remember

All grandparents or significant others are warmly invited to visit the College to spend some special time with their grandchildren.  Bring along a picnic lunch to share with your grandchildren and a picnic chair if you can. Tea and coffee will be available.  The Wanju Voices, Primary Singers and Instrumentalists will be providing some lovely open-air entertainment. RSVP by Tuesday, 14 October to www.trybooking.com/1457379 

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.  By subscribing to the College calendar, you are automatically alerted when details of an existing event are changed. 

Superstars 

Well done to all the students who received a certificate at today’s Assembly:

Great Minds

Last Friday, our Year 6 Gifted and Talented students showcased their Great Minds Project, bringing to life some of history's remarkable figures.  

Parents and grandparents enjoyed a conversation between Leonardo Da Vinci, Marie Curie, Coco Chanel, Pele, Isaac Newton, Gandhi, Amelia Earhart, Helen Keller, David Attenborough and J.R.R. Tolkien, sharing their discoveries with each other.

Our visitors then explored interactive displays where puzzles, QR codes and more conversations revealed further insights into each Great Mind. The morning celebrated not only research and knowledge but creativity, critical thinking and confidence in public speaking. 

Tara Purcell

Primary GATE Teacher

Our Day at the Zoo

As part of our Science learning this term, the Year 3 students have been exploring living and non-living things in the environment and learning how they can be grouped based on their observable features. To extend their knowledge, we visited the Perth Zoo to participate in the Wild Features session.

This hands-on session allowed students to apply their classroom learning in an engaging outdoor setting. They investigated and classified animals by looking closely at their features, with a focus on vertebrates and birds. Students were fascinated to see how animals from around the world share similarities, while also having unique adaptations that help them survive in their environments.

In addition to the workshop, students enjoyed a self-guided tour of the zoo. With the support of our wonderful parent volunteers, they had the chance to observe some of the most interesting and exciting animals up close.

The excursion was a valuable opportunity for students to deepen their scientific understanding while also developing curiosity and respect for wildlife. We are grateful to the Perth Zoo educators and our parent volunteers for helping make this such a memorable experience.

Stephanie Micale and Sonia Thomas

Year 3 Teachers

Sports Update

IPSHA Records

Hot off the press, a special congratulations to the following students who achieved new IPSHA records at the IPSHA Athletics Carnival held at All Saints College last week:

Year 3 Girls 60m Hurdles - Primrose Creagh 11.21s

Year 4 Boys 60m Hurdles - Luke Fleay 9.98s

Year 5 Boys 60m Hurdles - Miles Finucane 10.47s

Years 3 and 4 Interhouse Soccer Tournament

Our Years 3 and 4 students participated in the Interhouse Soccer Tournament (which was postponed from JTC Day earlier in the term).  It was a fun afternoon of games, and it was impressive to see such a high level of skills and teamwork on display.  

Winning Houses:

Year 3 - Koolyangarra | Year 4 - St Louis, Koolyangarra and Loyola

We hope you enjoy the highlights from our recent Years 3-6 Interhouse Athletics Carnival!

Term 4 Extra Curricular Sports 

UWAHC Junior Summer Hockey 

• 7-a-side (Minimum of 3 Females per team): NO ALL BOYS TEAMS FROM J5/6 & UP
• Games are (two 20-minute halves)
• All teams must be mixed
• This is a social competition, and all levels of skill and experience are welcome
• Modified rules apply
• Wednesday nights on the turf
• ENTRY DEADLINE is Sunday, 12 October
• Secure your team by clicking ‘Register’. You will need to provide a team name, age group, contact person and pay the team fee.
• For any queries or requests, please contact David Albrecht at gm@uwahockey.org.au

Location - UWA Turfs 1 and 2

Dates - Wednesday 15 October to Wednesday 3 December 2025

Individual Registration - Don’t have enough people for a team? That’s ok! You can register as an individual, and we’ll do our best to find you a team.

If you have any queries about anything sport-related, please don’t hesitate to contact me via email: steve.williams@johnxxiii.edu.au  

Steve Williams

Primary Sport Coordinator 

Music 

Rehearsal Times

Please see below for rehearsal times for Week 1 of Term 4:

Grandparents Day Performances 

The first performance next term for Primary ensembles is on Thursday, 16 October at the Grandparents’ Picnic. 

Catholic Performing Arts Festival 

Congratulations to the Year 4 students for receiving an ‘Award of Excellence’ from the Performing Arts Committee for their performance in the Festival.

Congratulations

Well done to Theodore Oo in Year 4 Blue for his excellent result in his recent Preliminary Piano Exam.

Pre-Primary Music

The Pre-Primary students have been studying high and low sounds, in particular, noting that size is related to pitch. The students matched Goldilocks and the Three Bears puppets with instruments from the string family (violin, viola, cello and double bass) according to size/pitch. The students were amazed at the size of the double bass and enjoyed comparing their heights with those of the instruments. 

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

Catherine Haydon

Primary Music Teacher

Sacramental Certificates

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

Thinking ahead to 2026?

As we begin planning for the year ahead, we understand that family circumstances can change, and sometimes this means a move to a new school.

If you believe your child may not be returning to John XXIII College in 2026, we would appreciate hearing from you as early as possible. This helps us to ensure a smooth transition for your family and allows us to offer places to other students on our waiting list.

In line with our College’s Withdrawal Policy, we kindly ask for written notice to the College Registrar at least one term (ten school weeks) before the anticipated departure date.

Where notice is not received, the policy provides for one term’s fees in lieu of notice.

If you are unsure about your plans or have any questions, our Enrolments team is here to talk things through and support you. You can contact our enrolments team via email or call 9383 0449.