Around The Primary

Dear Parents

This week I am delighted to highlight some special events around the Primary. 

Today the Years 3-6 students participated in our Interhouse Cross Country Carnival. Despite the weather, the students participated wholeheartedly and with immense enthusiasm. It was impressive to see the way in which they encouraged and cheered each other on to complete the course. Congratulations to all our competitors, it was fantastic to see all the great running. Special thanks to Mr Williams who coordinated the Carnival and all staff and parents who assisted. 

At the Assembly this morning, the Pre-Primary students shined on the stage in Roncalli Hall. They sang beautifully and spoke with a high degree of confidence. Thanks to the parents and grandparents who were able to attend and support them. Congratulations to Mrs Peirce, Miss Kolbusz, Mrs Brodie, Ms Horgan and Mrs Williams and all the children from Pre-Primary. Of great note today was also the large number of students who received a certificate. It was wonderful to acknowledge them for their efforts and successes at the start of this new term.

The students and staff are now looking forward to our celebrations for John XXlll Day next Friday. It is one of the special occasions during the year when the entire student body are involved in community celebrations. Let’s pray for fine weather and that a magnificent celebratory spirit will be present on the day.

Kind regards

Antoinette De Pinto

Head of Primary 

Super Stars

Well done to all the students who received a certificate for their wonderful achievements.

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

Bishops' Religious Literacy Assessment

This term our Year 3 and Year 5 students will be participating in the Bishops’ Religious Literacy Assessment (BRLA). This assessment will occur on the following days:

The BRLA measures students’ knowledge and understanding of the content in the Religious Education Curriculum. It provides a ‘point in time’ snapshot of student performance.  As with all assessments, we encourage students to approach the online assessment with a calm and positive mindset. 

Book Donation Drive

The Rotary Club of Dalkeith are collecting books for Papua New Guinea but their project has now expanded to include many Indigenous Communities in WA.  It would be wonderful if our school community could gather books suitable for primary readers including picture books and early readers. 

Please drop off pre-loved books to Nancy Petsos at Primary Administration building.   Your generosity would be most appreciated. 

Anna Gingell

Alumni Development

Say Yes to Respectful Relationships

Congratulations to Jacey Li (5B) on her selection as a finalist in Interrelate's ‘Say Yes to Respectful Relationships’ poster competition for Australian primary students. 

About Interrelate 

Interrelate is a not-for-profit organisation that empowers people to thrive in their relationships. We have the acknowledgement of government, education and health authorities to provide relationship education in schools and have been teaching sexuality and relationship education to young people and their carers for over 90 years. 

For more information, visit  www.interrelate.org.au 

Primary Music

Choir Rehearsals

A reminder that choir rehearsal times for Week 3 are as follows:

• Wanju Voices - 7:30am Monday (Osborne Room)
• Primary Singers - 8am Thursday (Osborne Room)

With upcoming performances, it is essential that students are punctual and attend all rehearsals.

Catholic Performing Arts Festival

Congratulations to the students who represented John XXIII College in the Catholic Performing Arts Festival this week. The students have been fantastic representatives for the College and have received excellent feedback from the adjudicators. 

Music Eisteddfod

Entries for the annual Music Eisteddfod have now closed. Please see the Music page of the Newsletter for further details regarding session dates and times. 

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

Mrs Catherine Haydon

Primary Music Teacher

Sports Update

Gaelic Football

At the end of Term 2, our Year 5 and 6 students had great fun learning and playing Gaelic Football with the assistance of Mr Gallagher (Loreto House Coordinator) and coaches from the Gaelic Games Junior Academy.  

Gaelic Games Junior Academy are offering ‘Come and Try Days’ – please refer to flyer for registration details:

Interhouse Cross Country Carnival 

It was perfect cross-country conditions with wind and rain, along with the addition of ‘the mound’ and ‘the yellow brick road’ the runners were thoroughly challenged.  

The determination on display was excellent and the spirit and sportsmanship shown by all was outstanding.  Well done to all the runners for their efforts on the day and all the hard work that went into training leading up to the Carnival. 

The overall standings:

If you have any queries about anything sport related, please contact me via email steve.williams@cewa.edu.au 

Mr Steve Williams

Primary Sport Coordinator

Counsellor’s Corner

Keeping Safe: Child Protection Curriculum

It is a requirement under The Registration Standards for Non-Government Schools that all students receive a protective behaviours education. At John XXIII College our staff are trained and deliver the Keeping Safe: Child Protection Curriculum (KS:CPC) across all year groups. Keeping Safe is an evidence-based child safety curriculum that teaches children to recognise abuse, understand appropriate and inappropriate touching, the anatomical correct names for body parts and ways of keeping themselves safe. 

This term across the Primary School we are exploring the third Focus Area of the Keeping Safe Program:

RECOGNISING AND REPORTING ABUSE

Topics: Privacy and the body; Recognising abuse; Secrets; Cyber Safety (older years) 

• Body awareness, personal space and safe and unsafe touching in relationships are all introduced. Children learn anatomical names for parts of the body, including sexual body parts, and understand that their whole body is private.
• Children need to understand that they have rights regarding their bodies and that they need to respect the rights of other children not to be touched. They need to be able to recognise the difference between appropriate and inappropriate touching, as well as the concept of necessary but uncomfortable touch like having immunisation. Communication strategies to tell someone ‘no’ or ‘stop’ if they feel unsafe are also explored.
• A range of developmentally appropriate situations are presented to children to help them identify forms of abuse, including, if age appropriate, domestic violence and the difference between accidental and deliberate injury. Children explore a range of people who can help them if they need it.
• Children develop an understanding that while many secrets can be fun and exciting, some secrets are unsafe to keep. It is important for children to recognise unsafe secrets and tell a trusted adult about them.

If you have any concerns, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.  I am available at school Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursday mornings.  My direct number is 9383 0469 and I can be contacted anytime by email:  anne.murphy@cewa.edu.au 

Mrs Anne Murphy

Primary Counsellor

Sacramental Certificates

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

Updating Medical and Contact information

Medical Information 

Please inform the College Nurse if there are any changes to your child’s medical information via email: jenny.hill@cewa.edu.au 

Contact Information

Please inform Primary Administration if there are any changes to your contact/emergency information via email: nancy.petsos@cewa.edu.au 

COVID Reporting

It is important that the College continues to be notified of student positive COVID cases.  Please inform us via this LINK. The information will go directly to the College. If there are any queries related to this process, please email compliance@johnxxiii.edu.au

Extend Newsletter

To view the Term 3 Extend Newsletter, please click on the PDF below.