Around The Primary

Dear Families 

We are now moving into the second week of Lent, and we continue to focus on growing our relationship with God through acts of repentance, prayer and almsgiving. It is wonderful to see our ‘wishing well’ in the chapel filling up with coins as students collect donations for Project Compassion. Thank you for your continued support as we journey together through Lent as a faith community.

At today’s assembly we commissioned our Year 6 leaders for 2026 and presented them with their Leaders' badges. Every Year 6 student is recognised as a leader, and their new badge symbolises this shared responsibility.

The Year 6 students have explored what leadership means and identified ways they can develop their skills as leaders. They have also worked on the Student Code of Conduct and will visit each class next week to share this with the younger students. The aim of this is for all students to have a common understanding of our school guidelines to make sure our school is a safe and happy place for all who work and learn here.

Congratulations to our Year 6 leaders! We are confident that they will lead with energy and enthusiasm and display their leadership skills in everyday actions such as helping others, setting a positive example, showing kindness, displaying initiative, offering encouragement, assisting to make a situation better. and doing what’s right even when no one is watching.

Our much‑anticipated Interhouse Swimming Carnival was held on Thursday and provided the opportunity to bring together our Years 4–6 students to showcase their swimming skills and celebrate their House spirit.

The pool was filled with energy as students took to the water with excitement and determination. They cheered each other on, celebrated personal achievements and stepped outside their comfort zones. We thank Mr Williams, our dedicated staff and all the volunteers for their efforts in ensuring the success of this carnival.

At Kindy this week each child was given an olive tree sapling. We look forward to seeing the children (and their olive trees) grow and flourish throughout their Primary years. It would be wonderful to receive some photos of the trees planted this year (and in previous years) in their home gardens. Please email the photos to nancy.petsos@johnxxiii.edu.au  

The first few weeks of school and have been very busy and we would like to extend our thanks to all families who have:

• ensured children are in the correct uniform – they look very smart!
• visited the office to 'sign-out' their child/ren for appointments
• informed us of their child's absence from school using the Parent SEQTA Engage App
• enrolled their Years 3, 4 and 6 children in Sacramental programs at home Parishes

John XXIII is a great community, and it is hoped all families will support upcoming events, including the Parents' Association Meeting (Tuesday 3 March), Music Assembly (Friday 20 March) and our Community Mass, held each Friday at 8:00am in the College Chapel.

Enjoy the long weekend!

Kind regards

Antoinette De Pinto

Head of Primary

School Photo Reminder

3P Photography will be taking individual and class photos on Tuesday and Wednesday next week in the Thomas More Exhibition Centre.

Students must wear their school uniform on their allocated photo day.  If your child has Sport on this day, they can pack their sneakers to school for this lesson.

Please refer to the timetable below:

2026 Term Dates

The 2026 Term Dates have now been published and are available to view on the College Website - Parent Information | Term Dates | John XXIII College 

Dates to Remember

Please check the College Website to note all the important Primary school events for your family calendar.  By subscribing to the College calendar, you are automatically alerted when details of an existing event are changed. 

NAPLAN 

Preparations have begun for the National Assessment Program in Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN), taking place in Weeks 6 and 7 this term. Students in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 will be assessed in the areas of Writing, Reading, Conventions of Language and Numeracy. 

We endeavour to make the assessment experience one that simply becomes part of the students’ day at school.  We will encourage the students to approach the assessments with a positive mindset and to try their best.

Primary Sport

Swimming

What a fantastic day we had at our Interhouse Swimming Carnival! Despite the hot conditions, our students showed incredible determination, and the races were as exciting as ever. The energy around the pool was electric, with students cheering passionately and displaying outstanding sportsmanship and spirit throughout the day.

A heartfelt thank you to all the parents who came along to support our swimmers and to those who generously assisted with timing - your involvement helps make days like this such a success.

Congratulations to Loreto for winning the House Spirit Award, and to Campion for taking out the title of overall champions!

SSWA Tennis Academy Plate Tournaments

The College will be taking part in the Academy Plate Tennis Tournaments on Thursday and Friday next week. Please see below attachment for team lists.

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 

Primary Music 

Ensemble Rehearsals

Rehearsal times are provided below for next week – 

*Please note the changed days for Wanju Voices and Primary Singers.

Important Term 1 Dates

Please note the following music performance dates for this term:

Chapel Choir

Chapel Choir is open to all Years 1 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 (commencing at 8:00am). All are welcome to join the school community for Community Mass. 

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

Catherine Haydon

Primary Music Teacher

Inspire Parent Education | The Fathering Project Breakfast

Join us on Tuesday 24 March for The Fathering Project Breakfast, part of our Inspire Parent Education series. Guest speaker Ashlee Harrison, founder of WA charity zero2hero, will share powerful insights into connection, resilience and the wellbeing of young people — including what kids wish their parents knew.

The morning kicks off at 6:45am with casual networking over bacon-and-egg rolls and barista coffee, followed by a 45-minute presentation. It's a great opportunity to connect with other families in our community while gaining practical tools to better support your child.

Tuesday 24 March 

6:45am – 8:45am

Neil Donaldson Pavilion, 10 McGillivray Road, Mount Claremont

$39 per person

Bookings are essential — secure your spot

2026 Student residential address and other information collection

Under the Australian Education Regulations 2023, John XXIII College is required to provide the Australian Government Department of Education with information about each student at the school. For more information, see the PDF below.

Extend After School Care 

Please click on the following link to find out about After School Care offered by Extend, including hours of operation, fees and how to book - John XXIII College - Extend

The team at Extend can be contacted via email: support@extend.com.au or call 1300 366 437.

The Term 1 Extend Newsletter is provided below.