Secondary

Dear Families

Our Years 11 and 12 students embark on a big couple of weeks with exams and work placements commencing next week. Being the culmination of the semester’s coursework, exams can be a challenging time for students and their families who support them, but it is important to remember that exams are just one measure of students’ academic progress, and achieving one’s best shouldn’t be to the detriment of one’s wellbeing. To help students navigate this period with confidence and achieve their best results, the following tips provide a guide to approaching exams with a clear mind, managing stress, and optimising performance. 

A reminder that Homework Club continues this term, and it has been great to see Years 11 and 12 students taking advantage of teacher and alumni tutoring opportunities. This will continue through the examination period for ongoing support. 

For students embarking on work placements, this can be a time of excitement to be out in the workforce, but also overwhelming in a new environment among adults. We wish them a successful placement and hope they enjoy the experience and learn new skills to assist them on their Year 11 and Year 12 journey. 

House sport is alive and well! Each Wellbeing Wednesday this term, the Houses have pitted themselves against each other in a Year 12 soccer tournament and Years 7 to 11 netball. Coordinated by House Coordinators and House Captains, and supported by student umpires, each competition has generated friendly rivalry between teams and teamwork across year groups. 

Congratulations to our SSWA Cross-Country Team, who competed strongly at yesterday’s interschool carnival, and all the best to our ACC Cross-Country Team for next week’s Years 7 to 12 interschool carnival. They have been training hard in the lead up to the event with the objective of retaining last year’s title. 

Inspire presents Justin Coulson – Tuesday, 9 June 

The Inspire Parent Education Committee invites you to a special evening with one of Australia's most respected parenting experts. 

Parental Guidance – Dr Justin Coulson - Positive solutions for every family 

• Tuesday, 9 June 2026 
• 6:30pm – 8:00pm, followed by refreshments 
• John XXIII College, 25 John XXIII Avenue, Mount Claremont 
• Bookings are essential. 

Parenting today looks very different from a generation ago. We've moved beyond the era of strict, authoritarian approaches, but many parents are left wondering: how do we raise children who are independent, resilient, and emotionally healthy, while still providing the guidance they need? That's exactly what Dr Justin Coulson will explore in this engaging, evidence-based presentation. A father of six, author of nine books on parenting and family life, and co-host of Channel 9's Parental Guidance, Dr Coulson brings warmth, humour, and genuine insight to the topics that matter most to families today. 

On the night, you can expect to explore: 

• How to better understand your child's emotional needs at every age and stage 
• Practical, science-backed strategies to strengthen your relationship with your child 

• How to create a home environment where children genuinely thrive 

   

This is a wonderful opportunity for our parent community to come together, be inspired, and connect with other families over refreshments afterwards. 

Term 2 Key Dates

Shani Andrews

Vice Principal - Head of Secondary

LifeLink Day: A Call to Service

LifeLink Day continues to play an important role in Catholic schools across the Archdiocese of Perth, encouraging students to deepen their understanding of the Church’s response to those in need and to live out their faith through acts of service and compassion. Established in 1999, the initiative supports agencies that provide care, dignity and hope to vulnerable individuals and families throughout Western Australia.

This year, students from John XXIII College participated in the Archbishop’s 2026 Forum for Secondary School students, held at Aranmore Catholic College on yesterday. The forum provided students with a valuable opportunity to reflect on the importance of outreach and service within the Catholic community. Students also had the privilege of meeting the newly appointed Bishop Nelson Po and listening to the Archbishop’s message, which emphasised that supporting LifeLink is a meaningful response to Jesus' call to care for others.

In 2026, particular attention is being given to the Jubilee of Saint Francis of Assisi, whose life continues to inspire Christians around the world. St Francis devoted himself to serving the poor, preaching the Gospel and living with humility and compassion. His example reminds us that faith is not simply something we believe, but something we actively live through service, justice and care for others.

As a College community, we are reminded that service is at the heart of Catholic life. Through participation in LifeLink Day initiatives, students are encouraged to stand in solidarity with those most in need and to continue building a community shaped by compassion, generosity and hope.

Elena Cinini 

Teacher

Year 10 Italian Language Forum

On Wednesday, the Year 10 Italian classes, accompanied by their teachers, Prof Polizzi and Prof Cinini, were invited to attend a special event hosted by Prof Harvey at St Mary’s College, where they joined other Year 10 Italian students from across Western Australia. 

The purpose of this event was to participate in an engaging and informative morning featuring a series of distinguished guest speakers. The event was organised by the Western Australian Association of Teachers of Italian, whose mission is to promote both Italian language and culture among students and educators in the state.

The guest speakers, the Italian Vice-Consulate; Dr Emilio Sessa, Dean of Language Studies at the University of Western Australia; Dr Josh Brown, Italian Government Lecturer; Dr Maria Rosaria Francomacaro, Head of the Dante Alighieri School; Dr Alessando Vero and International Relationships Manager of South Asia, Dr Eros Scagnetti presented on the day. 

During the session, students gained valuable insight into the benefits of studying Italian at the University of Western Australia (UWA) and within the broader community. Presentations highlighted how Italian studies can enhance future academic pathways, career aspirations, scholarship opportunities, and travel experiences. Former students also shared their personal experiences, explaining how their knowledge of Italian has contributed to their professional and personal lives.

The Year 10 Italian students actively participated in a question-and-answer forum, which provided them with the opportunity to engage directly with the speakers. This was followed by a musical performance from the talented Fraser De Moucey, who performed songs in both English and Italian, further enriching the cultural experience of the event.

The morning concluded with a morning tea, during which students enjoyed a selection of traditional Italian refreshments, including pizzette, arancini, biscotti, and an assortment of cold meats and cheeses.

Melissa Polizzi

Head of Learning Area - Languages 

Can you be oarsome and bake for JTC Rowing?

We are calling for donations of cakes, biscuits, slices, muffins and preserves to support the cake stall at the upcoming JTC-hosted IGSSA Rowing Regatta on 6 June 2026. In previous years, simple flavours sold the best (including lemon, banana, carrot and ginger). Gluten-free options are also very popular. Please note that no items can contain nuts.

If you can contribute, please confirm your donated item/s via the QR code on the flier attached or via the link below.

https://bit.ly/4fxfdpC 

Cake boxes (including an information note and cake box labels) will be available for collection from the PE Office and Secondary Student Services from Wednesday, 27 May. We will also be handing out cake boxes at the secondary loop on Tuesday, 2 June (8am to 9am). Donated items can be returned to the College on Thursday, 4 and Friday, 5 June.

This is the Club's BIGGEST fundraiser for the year, so we appreciate your support!

Thank you in advance from the Rowing Committee.

Enrich family life by hosting a student from Japan

John XXIII College families have a strong tradition of facilitating connections with students internationally. 

From 2 to 9 August, students from Osaka Kasugaoka High School, Japan, will be attending John XXIII College as day students for a cultural exchange. If families are interested in hosting a student please contact Gold Educational Tours who oversee the host family arrangements, providing 24/7 support and a $550.00 contribution per student. 

Find out more: https://schoolcommunity.goldeducationaltours.com.au 

Melissa Polizzi

Head of Learning Area - Languages

SPORT

School Sport WA Cross-Country 

We had a fantastic day at the School Sport WA Cross-Country Carnival. Congratulations to all students who represented John XXIII College. A team of Years 7 to 10 Students attended the day at Yokine Regional Open Space. We had fantastic individual efforts by all team members as they worked to secure their spot in the ACC team competing next Thursday.  

Congratulations to the following students who finished in the top 25 for their races:

ACC Cross-Country 

Carnival Date: Thursday, 28 May 

Race Day

• Thursday, 28 May - Alderbury Reserve, Perry Lakes
• We will all meet in the St Louis Sports Centre at 7:30am SHARP
• Must have yellow interschool singlet for racing - no sport t-shirts are allowed
  • We have very limited spares so all athletes are encouraged to purchase their own singlet
• Must wear JTC College Shorts (no black shorts of any kind allowed)
  • Girls have the option to wear the performance shorts
• Cannot run with headphones or phones - this can result in disqualification.
• If you have any queries, concerns or injuries please contact us ASAP!!!

Important Information

• All team members must attend the compulsory final team training Monday, 25 May - 3:30pm to 4:30pm on the College ovals, followed by the team dinner in TMEC 5:00pm to 6:00pm - RSVP here Dinner/Training RSVP
• All members have permission to now purchase an interschool team jumper from the uniform shop.
• All team members have permission to wear their interschool jumper for the week of the carnival Monday, 25 May to Friday, 29 May.
• ALL runners/reserves MUST attend the day to ensure eligibility for their interschool team jumper embroidery.

Event Schedule can be found here:

Event List

Year 8 NAS Trials 

The first week of Year 8 trials have been completed and were a big success. Looking forward to week two of trials next week. Please look at the schedule below for any changes to the schedule.  All students are encouraged to trial for a spot on a team for the Carnival taking place on Wednesday, 17 June. Students who don’t make a NAS team will have the option to attend the day as a helper or participate in the Lightning Carnival. We would love to see everyone involved. 

Please see below for important information: 

• This is a compulsory school day for students. 
  • Trials will take place during Weeks 5 and 6, and selected teams will be posted after the second trial. 
  • All students will be involved in the day as either a team member, a student helper for a team or participating in the Lightning Carnival Netball (Girls), Soccer (Boys).
  • Training schedules are posted in the College notices and have been sent out to all students.
  • Students who are unable to attend all training days must notify the team coach of their absence.
  • All students are to meet in the Pavilion in their PE uniform before their trial.

Below is the NAS Trial Schedule and the NAS Training Schedule.

Years 8/9 Boys Eagles Cup 

The Years 8/9 Eagles Cup team were defeated by Mount Lawley Senior High School by 22 points. A slow start allowed Mt Lawley to capitalise with early goals, but JTC produced a much stronger second half, dominating field position. Unfortunately, they were unable to convert opportunities on the scoreboard.

Jack Hodge, Dash Thomson, Louis Kane and Archie Edwards competed strongly throughout the match.

Final Score: Mount Lawley 5.2 (32) defeated JTC 1.4 (10)

Years 7 to 9 SSWA Touch Football

If you are interested in trialing for the combined Years 7 to 9 Touch Football Team, please attend the second trial: 

There will be a boys' team and a girls' team. 

• Tuesday 26 May 3:30pm to 4:30pm

• CARNIVAL DATE: Friday, 5 June 

   

If there is a reason you cannot make the trial please email Mr Kowal. Spots are limited so it is important that you do your best to make the trial. 

SSWA Ross Meadows Hockey Shield team 

Years 7 to 9 students keen to trial for the SSWA Ross Meadows Hockey Shield team please register your interest. 

Year 7 to 9 Ross Meadows Shield  (Copy) – Fill out form

Trial Dates (all sessions 7:00am to 8:00am)

• Tuesday 26 May - Trial
• Tuesday 2 June - Trial 
• Tuesday 9 June - Training 

Carnival Day: Tuesday, 16 June at UWA Hockey Turf 

If you’re interested in representing the College, please make sure you attend all the two trial sessions, as team selection will be based on these.This is a fantastic opportunity to compete against other schools, develop your skills, and be part of a competitive and supportive team environment.

If you have any questions or you are unable to make a trial session, please see or email Miss Marquardt. rebecca.marquardt@johnxxiii.edu.au

Jessica Pillera

Head of Sport

Share your child’s achievements

We love celebrating the wonderful achievements of our students in this section of the newsletter. If your child has recently represented at a regional, state, or national level, or been part of a team that has achieved a significant result (such as a premiership or championship), we would love to hear about it!

Families are invited to share details and a photo by emailing newsletter@johnxxiii.edu.au. Please include your child’s name, year group, event or activity, and a brief description of the achievement.

To ensure fairness and consistency, we can only feature information received directly from families that meets the above criteria. If no image or details are provided, we may not be able to include your child’s achievement in the newsletter.