Around The Primary

Dear Families

At today’s Assembly our Year 2 students delighted a huge audience with their informative and entertaining presentations about life cycles. They presented with great confidence and enthusiasm and every child certainly had the opportunity to shine on the stage.

Thank you to Miss Ricciardi, Miss Krikstolaitis, Mrs Haydon and Ms Exten for their vision and creativity to bring it all together so beautifully.

The Year 6 students had an amazing time exploring our National Capital last week. The Canberra Camp provided each student with the opportunity to step outside their comfort zones and to try new experiences with their peers. They supported each other very well, became closer as a cohort and certainly made memories that they will cherish forever.

Our students looked splendid in their Canberra jackets as they explored various venues around Canberra. Throughout the week, tour guides commented on the amazing political and historical knowledge that the students shared, as well as their magnificent manners. The crew and passengers on the plane journeys complimented the young travellers on their exemplary behaviour.

Our itinerary included visits to the New and Old Parliament Houses. It was a real sense of occasion when we stood and sat in the seats and rooms that have shaped our history. The students met Alumnus, Kate Chaney at Parliament House and had many interesting questions about our political system.

We went to the Australian War Memorial to visit the tomb of the unknown soldier and placed a poppy on the Wall of Remembrance. We explored the National Capital Exhibition, followed by a tour of Government House. The students felt very regal as they got to see the public reception rooms in this historic building. There are a few in the group who now fancy themselves in high office!

As we wanted to stretch our legs on a crisp afternoon, our entourage cycled around Lake Burley Griffin and then enjoyed a leisurely river cruise along with a disco for the more energetic! Questacon was another highlight, and everyone enjoyed the interactive, relevant, and fun experiences on offer. The program included a game of bowling and of laser tag – the students and staff fully engaged in the ultimate laser competition! 

Special thanks to Mr Edwards, Miss Driscoll, Ms Hooper, Ms O’Connor, Mrs Burke, Mrs King, Mrs Taylor and Ms Kidd who attended and helped to make this camp a remarkable success. They packed plenty of enthusiasm, energy, humour, wisdom, and care and sharing it so generously with the 64 students. They were long, busy days and there was never a minute to relax, however, our staff took it all in their stride. I would also like to thank Ms Allen (Assistant Principal) and all the staff at school as they picked up extra duties and responsibilities to keep everything running smoothly.

The Australian Government recognises the importance of all young Australians being able to visit the national capital as part of their Civics and Citizenship education.  To assist in meeting the cost of the excursion the Australian Government contributed $510 per student under the Parliament and Civics Education Rebate program towards costs. 

It was a fantastic five days in Canberra, and we thank the Year 6 families for their support and trust. All families should be immensely proud of their children for the efforts they made to engage in the various activities and the ways they challenged themselves, managed their emotions, expressed gratitude, displayed a growth mindset, and used cooperation and collaboration skills. Our Year 6 Canberra Camp was a great success and we all returned very aware of what a great opportunity we shared. 

On a final note, next Thursday 20 June, we are hosting the Year 6 IPSHA Primary Winter Carnival. Nine other schools will be coming to partake in netball, soccer, AFL, and hockey games on our beautiful grounds. Everyone is welcome to come along and cheer on our students.

Kind regards

Antoinette De Pinto

Head of Primary 

Super Stars

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

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 

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

Notification of Absences

We are pleased to introduce a new feature that allows you to notify the school of your child's absence directly through the SEQTA Engage App or SEQTA Engage Portal. This feature provides an additional, convenient method for submitting absence notifications.

Please refer to the attached PDF for further instructions.  This information can also be found on SEQTA Engage under the Primary General tab. 

College Staff Email Change

A reminder that the @cewa email domain is no longer active. 

All staff have designated email addresses with the email addresses generally following a pattern – the first name followed by the surname and then @johnxxiii.edu.au eg: firstname.surname@johnxxiii.edu.au  

Wildlife Adventure

There was great excitement in Pre-Primary on Wednesday when WestOz Wildlife came to visit. The students were able to have a close-up experience with some amazing Australian animals and learnt how important it is to protect and care for these animals in the environment. 

The students all had a turn of giving a koala, bobtail lizard and a tiny sugar glider a pat and even held a python! It was a very special and memorable incursion.

Hannah Kolbusz, Emma Distante and Chiara Bennett

Pre-Primary Teachers

Sports News

Excitement is building for the Year 6 Winter Carnival!  Our teams had their final training sessions this week and it was great to see their skills and teamwork coming together.  They will be put to the test next Thursday when the College will host 9 IPSHA schools and will see 54 teams competing in Netball, AFL, Soccer and Hockey.  It is always fantastic to see our ovals and courts full of sporting action.  

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 News

Rehearsals

Choir and instrumental ensemble rehearsals for next week are as follows:

Primary Strings Mini Recital

String Orchestra and Mini Minors will be presenting their first morning concert for the year on Tuesday 18 June in the Osborne Room. This short performance will showcase the amazing progress our beginner Year 3 students have made in a semester (from picking up the instrument for the first time to playing full pieces as an orchestra), and the fantastic work of our String Orchestra in mastering some demanding repertoire. The concert will start at 8:00am, with an expected finish time of 8:20am. All are welcome to attend!

Music Eisteddfod – External Tutors

All John XXIII students are invited to perform in the Music Eisteddfod, the College’s annual House Music competition on Sunday 4 and Monday 5 August. 

While students learning through College tutors will have their applications lodged automatically, students learning through external tutors will need to complete an entry form, available online through SEQTA Documents or by completing the link below:

Entries close on Wednesday 24 July at 3:00pm. Please contact the Music Department with any queries via email music@johnxxiii.edu.au 

Instrumental Lessons – Withdrawals and Enrolments (Semester 2)

Withdrawal from instrumental lessons for Semester 2 have now closed. 

For families wishing to enrol students in lessons for Semester 2, please complete the following online enrolment form Instrumental Lesson Enrolment Form. 

Australian Guild of Music and Speech (AGMS) Virtual Festival

Students who undertake instrumental lessons are invited to enter the AGMS Virtual Festival.   

To participate, students are required to upload a video of their performance to the appropriate category. All participants receive feedback on their entry and awarded bronze, silver, gold, or platinum level for their performance. Entries close on 25 June. 

Please use the link below for more information or to place an entry. 

Enter the 2024 Virtual Festival | AGMS

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

Catherine Haydon

Primary Music Teacher

Heritage Lane Car Park

Families are reminded to be courteous and considerate of our neighbours and student safety when driving and parking at the College. We have numerous car parks across the campus designated to ensure the safety of the community and help with traffic flow.

The recent installation of a boom gate at the Heritage Lane car park ensures that this parking area is available for staff use only and mitigates some of the previous safety concerns that have been raised. Please do not use this area as a drop-off zone or park in front of the boom gate, as this obstructs staff access to the car park, potentially creating more safety concerns. We appreciate your efforts in adhering to the guidelines, which can be found on the School Traffic Management and Parking Guidelines page of the newsletter.

Sacramental Certificates

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

A Synodal Church: Responding to the Signs of the Times

An evening with Fr Frank Brennan SJ

John XXIII College is delighted to invite you to an insightful community event.

In an engaging evening, Fr Frank Brennan SJ will explore the concept of a synodal church: a church that listens, dialogues, and journeys together.

• Date: Tuesday 16 July 2024
• Time: 6:00pm to 7:30pm
• Location: Thomas More Exhibition Centre, John XXIII College, John XXIII Avenue, Mount Claremont
• This a free event but registration is essential at: www.trybooking.com/1229490 

Key discussion points will include:

Responding to modern challenges: How the principles of synodality can help the church navigate and respond to current social, cultural, and political issues.

Inclusivity and participation: The importance of involving all members of the church, including those who are often marginalised, in decision-making processes.

About Fr Frank Brennan SJ

Fr Frank Brennan SJ is a Jesuit priest renowned for his work in human rights and social justice.

He chaired the National Human Rights Consultation and served on the Religious Freedom Review panel.

He has been appointed to a number of government advisory groups, including the Voice Co-Design Senior Advisory Group for Indigenous representation.

Fr Brennan’s accolades include the Order of Australia (AO) for his services to Aboriginal Australians. He has also authored several influential books on law, social justice, and religious freedom.

Containers for Change 

Thank you to all the families that have been donating their recyclable containers to the College fund. The member ID number has changed recently for the College to C11452850.

If you are donating your 10c Containers under the College account, you will have to start using this number. 

All of the money raised from your donations goes to Caritas or Lifelink.

Upcoming Inspire Event

Building Courage and Resilience in Children and Adolescents

Join Karen Young, founder of 'Hey Sigmund' and author of best-selling books, for an informative session on helping children build courage and resilience. Learn practical tools and strategies to support your children in overcoming adversity and fostering a brave mindset.

Monday, 22 July 2024

6:00pm - 7:30pm

Gonzaga Barry Lecture Theatre

RSVP and details: https://www.trybooking.com/1225467

Hosted by INSPIRE Parent Association.