Secondary

Dear Families

As Term 1 draws to a close, I feel a deep sense of gratitude for the experiences that this term has provided. I hope that as we all head into the Easter and holiday break, families take this opportunity to pause and reflect on the highlights, challenges and learnings of the past term. Our world often feels frenetic with the ‘busyness’ of daily life, which is exactly why we need to intentionally take time to be still. St Ignatius of Loyola, in establishing the practice of the Examen to find presence in the moment, reflect on what has been and build connection with God, provides us with a highly relevant and useful practice to help us find peace and mindfulness over the coming break.

This afternoon we welcomed our Year 12 students back from Manresa, a significant spiritual milestone of their Secondary journey. We hope that the contemplation and connection experienced over the past few days have nourished and renewed them for the remainder of their final year. Thank you to Mrs Janeen Murphy, Deputy Principal - Faith & Mission, Mr Liam Smith, Assistant Deputy Principal - Year 12 and all the staff attending Manresa for their care and support of students throughout the experience. 

Term 2 will see a few staffing changes. Ms Morgan Ball (Assistant Deputy Principal – Year 8) and Mr Joshua Bowen (Health and Physical Education Teacher) will be on leave for the remainder of the year. Much-loved staff members, they will be missed, but we wish them every happiness as they enjoy their time away from the College, and we look forward to their return next year. In their absence, we congratulate Mr Jack Butterworth, who has been appointed Assistant Deputy Principal – Year 8, and we welcome Ms Lisa Gattuso, who will take over Mr Bowen’s Homeroom and classes for the remainder of the year. Ms Irene Rogers will join Year 8 Loreto as Homeroom Teacher and will also take over Ms Ball’s and some of Mr Butterworth’s classes.

Wishing the cast and crew of this year’s College Musical High School Musical all the very best as they finalise their preparation over the holidays for opening night on Tuesday, 29 April. Staff and students have been rehearsing throughout the term for what is sure to be a dazzling showcase of our Performing Arts program.

Winter Uniform

With the commencement of Term 2, students will be required to transition to the winter uniform. As the weather can still be warm at the beginning of the term, students will have the option of wearing the correct summer or winter uniform until Monday, 19 May. The exception is Tuesday, 13 May, when students will be required to wear full winter uniform for Secondary Photo Day.

Whilst most students wear the uniform with pride and to the high standards expected of them, short skirt lengths are becoming problematic. The skirt is designed to sit on the hips with the hem touching the top of the knee. An increasing number of students are wearing their skirts too short, often because they are rolled at the waist or because the skirt is not the correct fit. Students will be given until the beginning of Term 2 to rectify this through the purchase of a new skirt if required.

The Uniform Code can be found here. Staff are guided by the Positive Behaviour Framework to address instances when students do not wear the uniform correctly.

Term 2 Key Dates

Wishing families a very happy Easter and a restful, enjoyable holiday break. We look forward to welcoming students back for Term 2 on Tuesday, 28 April.

Shani Andrews

Vice Principal - Head of Secondary

Important Notice: Gas Pipeline Maintenance at the College

This weekend, the College will be conducting essential maintenance works on our gas pipeline. The works are scheduled to begin on Saturday, 12 April, at 8:00 AM, and may extend into early next week.

To ensure safety, we kindly ask everyone to avoid attending the campus during this period. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation as we carry out this necessary maintenance.

2025 National Constitutional Convention

I was extremely privileged to be selected to represent both our College and Western Australia at the 2025 National Schools Constitutional Convention (NSCC). 119 students from across Australia, and 15 delegates from WA, were chosen by the National Curriculum Services to partake in a four-day trip to Canberra, where we discussed the topic: Revisiting Sections 51(ii) and 90 to Reimagine Australia’s Fiscal Federalism; Does the Constitution allow us to maintain national priorities while embracing new regional economic possibilities? Over the Convention, we looked at the issues of both vertical fiscal imbalances (the imbalance in the Commonwealth’s funding vs state governments’ funding) and horizontal fiscal imbalances (the imbalances between the funding allocated to each of the states and parts of states). We also looked at possible reforms to alleviate these issues, and were ultimately posed two referendum questions, where we voted on whether Constitutional change was the best method of reducing these issues.

The trip began when I met the 15 WA delegates from different schools and cities across the state, and we quickly became friends. Our flight landed in Canberra late on Monday afternoon, and our first night was an amazing opportunity to really appreciate our diversity, and understand all the differing viewpoints from those of different political views, races, backgrounds, genders, and spiritualities, despite all being Year 12 Politics and Law students.

The next day, the program began with a trip to the National Archives, where we observed a number of formal documents - most notably the original Australian Constitution! From there we travelled to Parliament House and received a tour. We were very privileged to then be able to sit within the House of Representatives chamber to watch Question Time and were even acknowledged by the Speaker of the House! We were then welcomed by The Honourable Dr Andrew Leigh MP and got the most incredible opportunity to meet our MPs! This meant that I got the chance to speak to Kate Chaney and many other politicians - Penny Wong and Fatima Payman were crowd favourites! We then had the most incredible opportunity to watch the Budget Speech, which concluded our first full day in Canberra.

The following day, we travelled to the Museum of Australian Democracy, also known as Old Parliament House, where the convention was held. We were welcomed into the old House of Representatives, and received a touching Welcome to Country, followed by a welcome and introduction to the topic from our facilitators - Emeritus Professor Clement MacIntyre and Professor Alan Fenna. Over the day, we then heard from three engaging keynote speakers, who taught us about the federal constitutional system, the changing meaning of excise and its impact on the states, and the role of the Australian Grants Commission. These keynotes helped to enlighten us on our topic of fiscal federalism, and we then used these keynotes as inspiration for our working groups, where we fully engaged in discussion surrounding issue and were able to hear many different people’s perspectives on the referendum questions. We were also able to take part in a soapbox session, where people could go up to the microphone and share their views on the topic.

We then moved to the official part of the day, where we were first welcomed to an official reception at Government House, and were able to meet Her Excellency Sam Mostyn, the Governor-General of Australia. She spoke to us about her role within Australia’s democracy, and she was such an inspiring figure, especially to many of the females as she is the second female Governor-General of Australia. We were then treated to a three-course meal at the National Press Club, where we heard from past NSCC alumni and political activist Caitlin Figueiredo.

On the final day, Professor Alan Fenna delivered an enthralling speech about the reforms that have already been put in place to reduce these fiscal imbalances, and the possible ways we could solve them in the future. We then had the opportunity to participate in a mock referendum conducted by the Australian Electoral Commission on whether sections 51(ii) and 90 of the Constitution should be changed. However, both were unsuccessful, demonstrating the difficulty of achieving the requirement of a double majority for a referendum to pass. We then took a tour of the Museum of Australian Democracy and drafted up a communique of both our vote and our discussions on the topic. This communique was then presented to the President of the Senate, Sue Lines, who received the communique and tabled it in the Senate. As the Convention officially drew to a close, we said some sad farewells to our friends from other states. We then took a bus tour of the embassies and the High Court, before driving to the airport and catching our flight back to Perth.

The National Schools Constitutional Convention was such an incredible opportunity, and I feel extremely privileged to have been able to connect with other Year 12 students who are passionate about Politics and Law, and discuss some of the issues that shape our nation. The trip definitely ignited a passion within me, and it was so incredible to be able to hear from so many politicians and experts in the field. I’m so grateful to the school for supporting me throughout the process, especially to Ms Daisy Farley, who helped coordinate the whole process.

Jennifer Ong

Year 12 Magis Captain

French Film Festival

On 4 April, a group of Years 11 and 12 French ATAR students accompanied Madame Griffin-Appadoo to see the swashbuckling historical action film, The Count of Monte Cristo, as part of the Alliance Francaise French Film Festival. 

Pierre Niney leads a stellar cast in Matthieu Delaporte and Alexandre de La Patellière’s thrilling version of Alexandre Dumas’ epic adventure. 

This classic French novel gets a bit of a makeover in this wonderful adaptation of the book. The scenery and soundtrack are sublime. The film moves from bright lush exterior visuals to dark brooding interiors as we are entertained watching a tale of love and vengeance. In France, this film had 10 million or so cinema goers eager to see the production that cost a sensational 43 million Euros.

It is essentially a film of love and revenge with lots of action and drama, and the final scenes with a dramatic sword fight are highly memorable and unpredictable. Yes, the ending might not have been quite the one we hoped for at the start, but it is satisfying nonetheless.  The actors do a remarkable job of playing their roles from young and fresh to old and world weary in a believable fashion.

Anamaria Vartolomei, the Romanian-born, César-winning actress, is a standout talent who plays Danté’s slave; she is enchanting and captivating in every scene.  It is entirely credible that she holds a mirror up to Danté’s increasing hardness as he seeks revenge, and in this way she saves him from himself. 

This film is set to be one of the most watched French films of all time.  The John XIII students thoroughly enjoyed it.

Thank you to Madame Griffin-Appadoo for accompanying the students. 

Buon Viaggio 

On Wednesday, twelve Years 10 and 11 Italian students, accompanied by Prof Polizzi, Prof Cinini and Ms Davila, commenced the Italian Study Tour. Over the next 16 days, the group will visit some historical cities, beginning with Vasto, where they will attend school and participate in cultural activities with Italian students. They will visit Pompeii, Napoli, Rome, Florence, Pisa, Milan and finally Venice. The group will immerse themselves in the language, religion, culture, art, history and food of Italy. We wish the group well.

Melissa Polizzi

Head of Learning Area - Languages

Year 12 Design and Technology 

Year 12 Design and Technology students have completed their technical orthographic drawings using Autodesk Fusion. Now it’s time to move these into full-scale drawings to evaluate the scale and proportion and clarify the intersection of joints. 

In addition, Year 12 Design and Technology students have also started to engage with an exploratory technique. This can range from engrain lamination, operating a lathe, complex laser cut designs, bent plywood or two-part silicone molds. The wolf in the photo will be cast as part of a two-part mold that will replicate the wolf using an epoxy resin. 

 Jeremy Hill

Technologies Technician

Media Lab renovation

The time has come for our Media Lab (CP3) to undergo some major renovations and modernisation. What has traditionally been a computer lab with tiered flooring and rows of workstations will now be transformed into a more flexible, multi-purpose teaching and learning space with some dedicated film studio enhancements. Some of the upgrades we are receiving include:

• Curved ‘infinity wall’ wrapping around the rear of the room, with one half painted chroma-green and one half painted white; curtain rails with black drapes the whole way around, with additional rail down the middle to split the space into two when needed
• Suspended lighting grid complete with permanent studio lighting fixtures, adjustable and programmable via separate control panel
• Computer hub with 4x high-powered Apple Mac Studio workstations paired with 4K monitors
• Large collaborative tables, accommodating 4 students each with in-built device charging capability via in-ground power. Foldable and on wheels for easy stowing when in need of studio space; new chairs are also on wheels and stackable
• Blackout blinds to windows, for studio work when optimal lighting conditions are needed
• New concrete floor and carpet lining – to eliminate flexing and creaking during film shoots
• New 4K Ultra HD Blu-Ray player and Dolby Atmos wireless surround speaker system, to accompany the existing 75” 4K interactive classroom display – for optimal viewing when studying films during class

Our maintenance team and building contractors have been working hard since commencing last Friday to deliver the project in early Term 2 when the room is re-opened and ready for action!

Rob Di Giallonardo

Media Teacher

Men of John XXIII Event

Parents often have a lot of fears when it comes to the transition into teenagerhood. Adolescence is a time of major changes, new risks, and increasing independence. But even before they get to high school, your child has often been exposed to anxiety, peer pressure, bullying, friendship fires, technology addiction, social media, lack of motivation and difficulty communicating their needs, to name just a few. As parents, we are sometimes not fully equipped to deal with these situations powerfully. The upcoming MOJTC breakfast is intended to provide valuable insights that will enable parents to be better equipped with the demands of growing primary-age kids as well as the transition to teenagerhood. Tickets are limited, so book your tickets today as we do expect this event to be in high demand. 

Date: Wednesday, 7 May 2025

Time: 6:45am for a 7:15am start

Location: The University Club of Western Australia, 1 Hackett Drive, Crawley

Cost: Includes plated breakfast PLUS a complimentary Men of John XXIII cap!

$65 per person | $500 Table of 8

Registration: www.trybooking.com/1364764 

College Musical 2025 - High School Musical

Get ready for a spectacular performance as John XXIII College proudly presents High School Musical at Roncalli Hall!

Dates and times:

Tuesday 29 April, 7pm

Wednesday 30 April, 7pm

Thursday 1 May, 7pm

Friday 2 May, 7pm

Saturday 3 May, 2pm and 7pm

Location: Roncalli Hall

SPORT

Senior NAS

Our Senior NAS teams participated in their Summer Carnival and Wellbeing Day on Monday, April 7. As always, our students represented the College with pride. Well done to our Years 11/12 Boys who took home the flag for Ultimate Frisbee. Our Years 11/12 Boys have progressed through to the round of 16 bracket and will take on Our Lady of Mercy. We are currently sitting a close third on the tally of placings after our Years 9/10 and Years 11/12 carnivals. 

Students back at school participated in a fun-filled Wellbeing Day and participated in various activities, yoga, Soccer, volleyball, basketball, zumba, mindfulness bracelet making, to name a few. Thank you to Mr Liam Smith, who facilitated the day back at school.

Year 7 Winter NAS

All Year 7 NAS teams and Lightning Carnival teams have now been posted in the College notices. Well done to all the students who have trialed and brought great enthusiasm to Year 7 NAS. The training schedule is attached below. All students in a NAS Team must attend both training sessions in the lead up to the carnival on Monday 12 May. If students are unable to attend, they must email their team teacher. Students who are listed in the Lightning Carnival teams can train if they wish to on the listed training afternoons. 

Any questions, please just ask me or Mr Kowal. 

Interhouse Cross-Country 

We are getting ready and excited for the second major House carnival of the year, and it will be here before we know it. The Fr Gaetan Pereira Interhouse Cross-Country Carnival is on Friday, 9 May, and many students have already been training really hard in the lead-up. 

All students will attend Homeroom, Periods 1 and 2 as normal. Students have permission to wear their House shirts for the day and will be required to wear hats. 

Years 7 and 8 students will run 3km and Years 9 to 12 students will run 4km. 

The canteen will be available at recess for students to purchase food. There will be no canteen at lunchtime as lunch breaks will vary for each year group.  A coffee van will be onsite for staff and Year 12 students to purchase hot drinks. Please note, no food will be available at the van. 

All students are encouraged to pack plenty of food and fluids for the day. Students will have time to collect their lunch and snacks at their rest station after their race. Students will also participate in House novelty events, with results contributing to the overall Fr Gaetan Pereira Shield. There will be St John First Aid set up at the finish line on the day, however, it is imperative that students who require asthma puffers, EpiPens or other medication are required to have this with them at all times throughout the day. 

Students will compete for their Houses on the day and for a chance to make the School Sport WA Cross-Country team (Years 7 to 10 on Thursday, 29 May) and the prestigious ACC Cross-Country team carnival on Thursday, 5 June. 

Cross-Country Training

Fantastic work to all students who have attended Cross-Country Training this term. The energy is awesome, and we hope to see even more students out in full swing next term. The training schedule for next term can be seen below. 

A reminder to keep up the running in the holidays to keep that fitness going strong into next term. 

 Years 8/9 Boys Eagles Cup Football 

The first training/trial session for the Years 8/9 Eagles Cup will be Wednesday, 30 April from 3:30pm to 4:30pm. Looking ahead for those who are selected, the games for JTC will be as follows. 

First XVIII Football

Fixtures have been released for the Years 11/12 Schoolboys AFL - Glendinning E Pool Fixture (below). Training sessions will be held Wednesday mornings between 7am and 8am (warm-up from 6:45am).

Round Robin Matches:

Finals Format:

Finals will include the Years 11/12 pool winners, the ACC winner, and the 4 best runners-up (based on percentage).

11 June - Elimination Finals (EF1-EF8)

TBC based on pool results

18 June - Quarter Finals

QF1 - EF1 v EF2

QF2 - EF3 v EF4

QF3 - EF5 v EF6

QF4 - EF7 v EF8

25 June - Semi Finals

SF1 - QF1 winner v QF2 winner

SF2 - QF3 winner v QF4 winner

2 July - Grand Final (Venue TBC)

Congratulations 

Congratulations to Sam Stephenson, who competed in the Junior State Swim Championships this weekend. 

• Gold - 50m & 100m Freestyle 
• Bronze - 50m Breaststroke

Junior Athletics Championships 

We had a number of students competing for the state at the most recent Junior Athletics National Championships held in Perth. Well done to Sade Hewes (Bronze - 4x200m, Silver - 4x100m) Sasha Pallis, Verity Pekin, Ethan Soh and Kaden Prosper. 

Jessica Pillera

Head of Sport