Around The Primary
John XXIII College
Dear Families
It has been a wonderful celebration of music and drama across the Primary School in recent weeks.
Our Music Eisteddfod provided a fantastic opportunity for students from a range of year levels to showcase their talents. It was pleasing to see so many young musicians confidently performing before an audience, enjoying the performances of their peers, and benefiting from valuable feedback provided by the adjudicator. Events such as these help build confidence, resilience and a love of music. Thank you to everyone involved, particularly Mrs Haydon and our dedicated music tutors, for their support and encouragement of our students.
Meanwhile, our Year 4 students have been busy preparing for their much-anticipated musical, A Dog’s Tale! After weeks of rehearsals, the students delighted a hall full of very proud grandparents at today’s dress rehearsal. They are now looking forward to sharing their talents with the wider school community at Monday’s matinee performance for Primary students and the evening performance for families.
Under the expert direction of Ms Cattapan, A Dog’s Tale has grown into much more than a school production. It has become a true community event, bringing together students, staff and families in a shared celebration of creativity and teamwork. Parents have been busy creating costumes and assisting with makeup, while many staff have been working hard behind the scenes to prepare for the musical. At home, families have no doubt become very familiar with the songs and dance routines as students enthusiastically practised for their performances.
We wish every success to all those involved, especially the Year 4 students as they prepare to take to the big stage in what promises to be a wonderful and entertaining musical performance.
Kind regards,
Antoinette De Pinto
Head of Primary
Dates to Remember
| Monday 17 August | 11.00am Year 4 Musical Matinee, Roncalli Hall |
| 7.00pm Year 4 Musical Evening Performance, Roncalli Hall | |
| Thursday 20 August | 3:30pm Music Eisteddfod Primary Winners’ Concert, GBLT |
Friday 21 August
| 8:00am Community Mass, Chapel |
| 9:00am Year 2 Liturgy, Chapel | |
| 12:00pm-1:30pm Year 5 Japanese Excursion, Tsunami Restaurant | |
| Author Visit, Library |
Please check the College Website to note all the important Primary school events for your family calendar. https://www.johnxxiii.edu.au/view/for-families/calendars. By subscribing to the College calendar you are automatically alerted when details of an existing event are changed.
Taiko On
On John XXIII Day, Years 5 and 6 students were treated with an impressive performance by Perth based taiko group, ‘Taiko On’. Taiko is played at festivals and is a big part of the Japanese culture. We were fortunate to be able to enjoy such a dynamic performance.
Rowson sensei
African Drumming
Students have been learning about and developing their understanding of earth and the globe by exploring the different continents and discussing how people, places and cultures around the world can be different and unique.
During our John XXIII Day celebrations, students enjoyed a special African drumming incursion and were introduced to African music, rhythms and traditions. The students had a fantastic time learning new songs, joining in with the drumming and experiencing a different culture through music and movement.
Lucy Ricciardi and Hannah Kolbusz
Pre-Primary Teachers
Library News
We will soon be celebrating Book Week and we are so excited for all the fun events planned! The theme for Book Week 2026 is ‘Symphony of Stories’.
Below are a few of the exciting events scheduled:
- Book Week Poster Competition - Students may enter a poster based on the theme of ‘Symphony of Stories’. Please put your name and class on the back and hand it in at the library front desk by Tuesday 25 August. The poster must be drawn or painted by the student.
Award winning author Sean E Avery will be visiting our library and presenting to students.
- The ‘Book Week Parade’ will be held on Friday 28 August. Students 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 which will be held in Roncalli Hall at 9:00am.
Sasha Cattapan
Primary Library Teacher
Primary Sport
Interhouse Soccer
On John XXIII Day our Years 3 and 4 students participated in an interhouse soccer competition. This was an inclusive competition that provided opportunities to not only display soccer skills but also build and demonstrate their teamwork and sportsmanship. It was an exciting competition and it was fantastic to see all students engaging and doing their very best.
Year 3 | Year 4 | ||
| Winners | St Louis | Winners | Campion |
| Runners up | Koolyangarra | Runners up | Ward |
Athletics Training
Athletics training got off to a great start this week. We were lucky to have Coach Deano from Beasts Athlete Institute taking our students through some sprint training. He will be back on Tuesday 1 September and Tuesday 8 September. Training is open to all students from Years 3 to 6 every Tuesday and Thursday from 3:30pm to 4:30pm. There’s no need to book, just bring a healthy snack and a positive attitude!
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
| Wanju Voices | Monday, 17 August | 7:30am-8:30am, MacKillop Room |
| String Orchestra | Tuesday 18 August | 7:15am-8:00am, Osborne Room |
| Mini Minors | 8:00am-8:30am, Osborne Room | |
| Year 6 Band | Wednesday 19 August | 7:30am-8:00am, Performing Arts Centre |
| Year 5 Band | 8:00am-8:30am, Performing Arts Centre | |
| Primary Singers | Thursday 20 August | 8:00am-8:40am, MacKillop Room |
| Chapel Choir | Friday 21 August | 7:30am-8:40am, Chapel |
Music Eisteddfod
Congratulations to all our talented performers! Over two days, many students proudly represented their House and shared their musical gifts.
Individual recipients of Outstanding Performer and House Spirit Awards will receive their trophies and medals at the Winners’ Concerts on Thursday, 20 August at the following times in the Gonzaga Barry Lecture Theatre:
- Primary Winners’ Concert – 3:30pm
- Secondary Winners’ Concert – 6:30pm
Award winners will be notified via SEQTA, with details of the concerts to follow.
Performing Arts Festival Awards
Congratulations to the following students who received special awards from the Performing Arts Committee for their recent performances in the Festival.
| Students | Year | Instrument | Award |
| Clare Chia, Donato Grose, Joshua Haydon | 5 | Piano Solo | Outstanding |
| Giorgio Sommacal, Theodore Oo | 5 | Piano Solo | Excellence |
| Harrison Meyerkort, Elle Markov | 5 | Piano Solo | Merit |
| Niko Cha, Jack Lekawski | 6 | Piano Solo | Excellence |
| Joshua Haydon & James Haydon | 5 and 9 | Vocal Duet | Excellence |
Save the Date
Please note the following performance dates for instrumental ensembles and choirs.
| Performance | Date and Venue | Ensemble/s |
| Catholic Performing Arts Festival - Primary Choral | Wednesday 26 August 10:00am Vasto Club, Balcatta | Primary Singers and Wanju Voices |
| Fathers’ Day Mass | Friday 4 September 7:45am St Louis Sports Centre | Primary Singers, Wanju Voices and Chapel Choir |
| City of Nedlands Citizenship Ceremony | Thursday 17 September 5:30pm, John Leckie Pavilion, College Park | Wanju Voices |
| Primary Choir Assembly | Friday 18 September 9:00am Roncalli Hall | Primary Singers and Wanju Voices |
If you have any queries regarding Primary Music, please contact me via email: catherine.haydon@johnxxiii.edu.au
Catherine Haydon
Primary Music Teacher
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.