Around The Primary

Dear Families

Music and drama hold an important place in our College’s life. Our tradition of musical productions is a unique opportunity for all Year 4 students to participate in a positive theatrical experience.  Students develop skills in dance, singing, acting, performance, theatre etiquette, co-operation, teamwork and an understanding how different aspects of music and drama come together for a quality performance. 

This week the Primary community has been in high excitement as the final touches to the musical were completed. The students and staff had the opportunity to come together for the matinee and families and special guests experienced the joy and energy of the evening performance. Ms Cattapan and Mrs Haydon ensure that every Year 4 student is involved in the musical. The young students captivated the audiences with their brilliant and hilarious performances in "Feathers Fly: Birds the Musical".  This original school production was written by Ms Cattapan (Primary Performing Arts Teacher) and the musical arrangements were coordinated by Mrs Haydon (Primary Music Teacher).

Many people have helped to make the musical a great success and we thank everyone for their collective efforts.  A special thank you to Ms Cattapan and Mrs Haydon for overseeing every aspect of the musical.  My thanks is extended to all the volunteers and staff for organising the amazing costumes, vibrant face paint, creative sets and props and wonderful sound effects and lighting.

Finally, congratulations to all the Year 4 students for bringing the story to life with great skill and enthusiasm.

Feedback received about the musical speaks for itself:

‘The energy and enthusiasm on stage were infectious, and it was clear that so much hard work and effort had gone into bringing this production to life. It was truly a joy to watch, and I was left feeling so impressed and inspired by everyone involved. A huge congratulations to all for such a fantastic performance!’

 

‘I was grinning ear to ear and was full of pride after the performance. Thank you to all of the amazing staff for giving our kids this opportunity - I had very excited children talking about the show and the performance all night and the following day’.

 

‘What an outstanding performance from the Year 4's last night!  Well done to Ms Catt and Mrs Haydon for coordinating and directing such a superb musical, and for helping each and every one of the Year 4 students to shine on the stage!  My son loved being a part of the Year 4 musical, and my family and I absolutely loved watching it. Thank you for giving all the Year 4's such a wonderful opportunity.

We will be celebrating Book Week next week with lots of fun and creative activities. The theme for Book Week 2024 is ‘Reading is Magic’. 

On Tuesday 20 August, students who would like to be part of the Book Week Parade may come dressed for the day in a costume inspired by a character from a book. Families are welcome to come along to the parade in Roncalli Hall at 9:00am.  Students also have the option of wearing their sports uniform on this day. 

Enjoy the long weekend!

Kind regards

Antoinette De Pinto

Head of Primary

Thank you

$2,683.70 was raised from JTC Day Primary Stalls run by our Years 5 and 6 students.  Thank you to all families for your support. All monies will be donated to Jesuit Mission and Mary Ward International. 

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.  

Olympic Assembly 

Our Year 6 students have been fascinated by the Olympics in Paris.

At today’s Assembly, they shared many interested facts about the Olympics in entertaining and creative ways.  Special thanks to Mrs Haydon, Ms O’Connor, Miss Driscoll and Miss Hooper for coordinating this Assembly and to Mr Stuart Reside, JTC dad and Olympic Bronze Medalist for being our guest speaker. 

Super Stars

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

Countdown at Cathedral

On the Feast of St Mary of the Cross, Thursday 8 August, Juliet Kong (Year 6) and Alex Kong (Year 4) attended an evening Liturgical service at St Mary’s Cathedral. 

The students were very excited to meet the very Rev Fr Sean Fernandez, Dean at St Mary’s Cathedral.

As we gathered outside and participated in a countdown, a visual spectacle came to life on the exterior of the Cathedral. The large colourful images highlighted the work of LifeLink caring agencies and contained messages of hope for those in need in the community. 

It was wonderful to be part of this special event to celebrate the 25th Anniversary celebrations of LifeLink Day.

Food Truck Expo

This term, Year 5 GATE students embarked on an exciting journey into the world of entrepreneurship with the Food Truck Project! The project combined creativity, business skills, and a love for food, providing students with the opportunity to develop their own food truck businesses from the ground up.

Students began this project by brainstorming unique food infusions that would set their food truck apart from others.  They moved on to creating detailed business plans including market research, budgeting, and equipment needs. But the creativity didn’t stop there, students also designed vibrant logos and catchy slogans to represent their brands.

To bring their ideas to life, the students crafted 3D models of their food trucks, showcasing their designs in a fun and tangible way. The enthusiasm was contagious as they shared their concepts with peers and staff, demonstrating their innovative and problem-solving skills.

This project was a fantastic opportunity for Year 5 GATE students to apply their learning in a real-world context, all while having fun and discovering the joy of bringing an idea to life. They should be proud of their hard work and creativity!

Tara Purcell

Primary Digital Technologies and GATE Teacher

Book Week

Guest Speakers 

Award winning author of the ‘Lintang Series’, Tamara Moss will be visiting our Library on Wednesday, 21 August to speak to our Years 4 to 6 students, and illustrator and visual storyteller Aska, will be visiting on Thursday, 22 August to work with our junior students.

Sasha Cattapan

Primary Library Teacher

Inspire Event

We are pleased to invite you to a special follow-up event organised by our Parents' Association Inspire group, building on the success of the recent talk by Karen Young. This session, titled ‘Lessons Learned from Karen Young’s Presentation,’ will provide further insights into the strategies discussed during her presentation on Building Courage and Resilience in Children and Adolescents.

Event Details:

Date: Wednesday, 28 August 2024

Time: 8:45am - 10:00am

Location: Thomas More Exhibition Centre. John XXIII College, John XXIII Avenue, Mount Claremont 

RSVP: essential: https://www.trybooking.com/1271777 

Join our Primary College Counsellor, Anne Murphy, along with our Secondary Psychologists, Eva-Maria Catina and Martin Emery, as they delve deeper into the lessons from Karen’s presentation. This session will explore what strategies have been effective, what challenges have arisen, and why certain approaches have worked while others have not.

This is a valuable opportunity to continue the conversation on how we can help our children develop the courage and resilience needed to face life’s challenges with strength and confidence. Your participation will not only benefit your own family but will also contribute to our collective efforts in supporting the wellbeing of all our students.

We look forward to seeing you there.

Music Eisteddfod 

Congratulations to all award recipients on your performances in the John XXIII College Music Eisteddfod.

Sports News

Years 3-6 Hurdles Time Trials 

After being rained out earlier in the term we have booked Timing Solutions to return on Thursday 22 August so the trials can be completed.  All students in Years 3 to 6 are to wear their PE uniform for the day.

SSWA Cross-Country Carnival               

Great news! SSWA have confirmed that the Primary Cross-Country Carnival has been rescheduled to Friday 25 October.  All details remain the same and families involved will be contacted closer to the date.

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

Primary Choir and Instrumental Ensemble Rehearsals

*Please note the changed day and venue for Wanju Voices rehearsal. Students in Year 5/6 Band should attend Wanju Voices’ rehearsal instead of band (this has been approved by Band Director).

**Please note the changed venue for Primary Singers’ rehearsal.

Year 4 Musical

Many people have helped to make the Year 4 Musical, ‘Feathers Fly’ a great success and we thank all of you for your hard work and support. 

Our musical arrangement and piano accompanist, Mrs Catherine Haydon.  Our musicians, Mr Nick Pitt on cello and bass guitar and Ms Giane Hladin on percussion. Miss Zoe Brown, who choreographed the dance routines.

Our audio visual manager, Mr Jeff Jansen. Mr Declan Fyneman who designed the lighting, Mr Jack Purkiss who worked with the audiovisual team and sound effects and editing technician, Mr William Denton. 

Mr Sam Tout, for filming and editing the Musical and Mr Brad Serls, our stage photographer.

Our Head of Primary, Miss Antoinette De Pinto, and Assistant Principals, Ms Kylie Allen and Mr Andrew Edwards for their continued support.  Miss Emma Eisenmann, Miss Grace Smith and Ms Clare McKeague for all their work.   The Primary staff who helped with supervision. Mrs Jo Bradshaw, Mrs Julie Joyce and Mrs Mandy-Ann Lane for their efforts. Mrs Nancy Petsos for her work with the booklet, invitations, tickets and poster.

Our set designers, Mr Chris Reimer and Mr Ken Sclater. The Maintenance Team for their ongoing assistance. 

All the parent volunteers, for designing and making the costumes.  Special thanks to Mrs Kristy-Lee Kong and Mrs Sally Walter for taking on the role of costume coordinators.  All the those who helped with make-up, face-painting and hair, especially Mrs Cassandra Wright, make-up coordinator. 

Special thanks to all the Year 4 families for your wonderful support.

Finally, congratulations and thank you to Ms Cattapan and all the Year 4 children for bringing the story alive with great skill and enthusiasm.

Catholic Performing Arts Festival 

Wanju Voices and Primary Singers will be representing the College that Catholic Performing Arts Festival on Friday, 23 August. (Further information will be emailed to families of the students involved). The session commences at 11:00am at the Vasto Club in Balcatta. 

For families wishing to purchase tickets to attend this exciting event, please use this link: Primary Choral Singing - D1 - D3 - 2024 | TryBooking Australia. Best wishes to all performers!

Spring Soiree

Wanju Voices and Chapel Choir have been invited to perform in the Spring Soiree, which is the biggest Secondary ensembles concert of the year! This concert takes place on Friday, 30 August. 

Information regarding rehearsals and the event will be emailed to families of the students involved. Tickets for the Spring Soiree are free and available via TryBooking, and we ask families to book online to ensure adequate seating is available.

Music Reports

We were made aware that there was an issue with Instrumental reports not appearing on the Semester One reports on SEQTA Engage.  This issue has now been resolved, thank you for your understanding. 

Save the Dates

Please save the following dates for choral performances this term. Further information regarding performances will be emailed directly to families.

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

Catherine Haydon

Primary Music Teacher

Helping others in our Community: Roncalli Care

The Roncalli Roster is a College community operated pastoral care program that facilitates the delivery of home cooked meals to members of the College community experiencing hardship and loss. The primary purpose of the roster is to provide meals while maintaining the privacy and anonymity of the recipients and volunteers alike, in a timely and consistent manner. If you or someone you know could benefit from the service provided by the Roncalli Roster, please get in contact through emailing Roncalli@johnxxiii.edu.au. Please note, consent is required from the meal recipient before the roster can begin.

2024 Census Collection Notice

Every August, the Australian Government conducts the Non-Government School Census data collection. The information provided by schools during the Census is collected by the Department of Education to:  

• ensure the provision of Australian Government funding to schools is properly calculated and appropriately managed.  
• conduct research, statistical analysis and develop school education policy for the Australian Government.  
• meet national and international reporting obligations on school students in Australia.  
• publish and provide information about schools to the public.  

Further information regarding the Census can be accessed below and via SEQTA Documents.