Around The Primary

Dear Families 

Happy John XXIII Day!

Today, our whole school community came together to celebrate John XXIII Day, beginning with a beautiful Mass.

The celebrations continued with our much-anticipated mini-fete, superbly organised by our Years 5 and 6 students and their teachers. Students enjoyed spending time with friends and staff while taking part in the wide variety of games and activities on offer. It was wonderful to see so much enthusiasm, laughter and school spirit as students participated with great energy and embraced the joyful atmosphere of the day.

The proceeds raised from the stalls will support the important work of Mary Ward International and Jesuit Mission, helping to make a positive difference in the lives of others.

Congratulations to all our students for the outstanding way they participated throughout the day. Their positive attitude, respect and enthusiasm made the celebration special for everyone involved.

We now look forward to the weekend before returning refreshed for another busy and exciting week in the Primary school.

Kind regards,

Antoinette De Pinto

Head of Primary 

Dates to Remember

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. 

Keeping Safe

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. 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)

• Students continue to explore the concept of privacy, with an emphasis on public and private (e.g. locations and personal information) and safe and unsafe touching. Students use anatomical names for sexual/private body parts and understand that their whole body is private. They learn the meaning of consent, what it looks like, sounds like and strategies for giving and not giving consent.
• A range of developmentally appropriate situations are presented to students to help them identify physical, emotional, and sexual abuse and neglect, and what to do if they or someone they know is experiencing abuse. Students gain an understanding of domestic and family violence and explore strategies and support networks to keep themselves safe.
• Students learn strategies to remain safe in the digital and online world. They learn about media classifications of video media and computer games and explore the use of photographs and images.
• Students develop an understanding that while many secrets can be fun and exciting, some secrets are unsafe to keep. It is important for students to recognise unsafe secrets and tell a trusted adult about them.

Wasabi Kids

Students enjoyed an engaging incursion from Wasabi Kids this week.  Aikosan taught the students about J Pop culture, dance and current trends in Japan. Tarou, (the samurai puppet) was a highlight of the incursion.  We are so proud of our students for participating with great enthusiasm.

Rowson sensei

Library News

We will be celebrating Book Week this term 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

SSWA Soccer

On Wednesday our soccer teams had a fantastic day of extremely competitive soccer at the SSWA Northern Region Under 12 Soccer Championships.  Our players represented the College with pride and demonstrated great courage in the way they took on challenges throughout the day.  Incredible individual skill and outstanding teamwork was shown by both teams.  Well done!

Athletics Training – Years 3 to 6

Athletics training begins next week and provides a great opportunity to have some extra practice at the different track and field events in preparation for the Interhouse Athletics Carnival at the end of the term.  

Training takes place every Tuesday and Thursday from 3:30pm to 4:30pm, meeting outside the gym. Please bring a healthy snack.

Hockey Trials

All hockey players keen to take part in the SSWA Hockey Championships are invited to come along on Wednesday 12 August, 3:30pm to 4:30pm on the Secondary ovals. Team selections will be based upon individual skill, teamwork and knowledge of the game.   

Please meet outside the gym with a healthy snack and bring along your mouthguard, shin pads and hockey stick. 

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

Music Eisteddfod

We are looking forward to a wonderful weekend of music-making at the College! The annual Music Eisteddfod kicks off this Sunday 9 August at 9:00am, with a packed two days of student performances. Students are encouraged to wear their house shirt on Sunday, and we invite parents and friends to come and support performers. Families have received SEQTA communication and updates regarding the Eisteddfod and its schedule, which can also be found on the Music page of the Newsletter. 

All performers are asked to arrive at venues ten minutes before they are scheduled to start; please be mindful that performances may be ongoing. 

It promises to be another wonderful festival of music for our College students and families!

Catholic Performing Arts Festival 

Congratulations to the Chapel Choir on receiving a Certificate of Merit for their recent performance at the Festival.

Best wishes to all students representing the College at the festival next week.

Year 4 Musical – A Dog’s Tale

Students have been working hard in their final rehearsals.  Students will perform at the Dress Rehearsal on Friday 14 August, and an evening performance on Monday 17 August. Best wishes to all involved in their final preparations.

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

Catherine Haydon

Primary Music Teacher

2026 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 under the Primary General category.

WA Student Assistance Payment 

The WA Student Assistance Payment helps parents and carers with cost-of-living pressures associated with sending their children to school. 

All Western Australian school students with an active enrolment at a public school, non-government school or registered for home education are eligible for the WA Student Assistance Payment. 

You can claim $250 for each secondary student and $150 for students from Kindergarten to Year 6.

The fastest and most convenient way to claim is through the ServiceWA app. More information on how to claim through the ServiceWA app is available at WA.gov.au/WASAP2026 

All claims must be received by Friday, 25 September 2026. More information can be found at the WA Student Assistance Payment.  

Notification of Absences: Important Reminder

A reminder of the change in process for notification of absences. 

If your child is absent or has an appointment (one offs and recurring), it is essential that you notify the College using the SEQTA Engage App/Portal before 8:30am, giving the reason for the absence. 

Families are still required to sign their child on SEQTA Kiosk for late arrivals, early departures and appointments.

Please note the ‘primary absentees’ mailbox is no longer in use.

Additionally, for absences extending more than 2 days during term time, parents are also required to email Antoinette De Pinto, Head of Primary and Nancy Petsos, Administration Officer, Primary.

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.