Secondary

Dear Families

Our Year 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. To help them navigate this period with confidence and achieve their best results, the following tips provide a guide on how to approach the exams with a clear mind, keep stress in check and optimise performance.

It is important to remember that exams are just one measure of students’ academic progress, and their wellbeing is of utmost importance. To support Year 11 and 12 students as they approach their exams, the College has developed a series of online videos to step them through mindfulness practices, including the Examen, to help them maintain perspective, focus and physical activity. Thank you to staff member and wellbeing consultant, Guillaume Hauer, for developing these fantastic resources.

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

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

Our 2025 Student Representative Council (SRC) has made impressive progress to their leadership and representation of students, as they work towards their vision to foster an inclusive community where diversity is celebrated, and each person is treated with respect to feel a sense of belonging. Wellbeing Captains, Cameron and Janelle have continued the Let’s Gather initiative during Wednesday lunches, providing the opportunity for students and staff to partake in activities to promote inclusivity and connection with each other. In addition to Let’s Gather, the SRC has once again this year committed to The Push Up Challenge to raise awareness for mental health. Throughout June, students will be encouraged to complete 3,214 push-ups, squats, lunges or other exercises, with the target number varying each day to represent a different mental health statistic. The Push Up Challenge will allow students to spark conversations surrounding mental health with peers, parents and teachers. Yesterday, the SRC conducted a cupcake sale to raise awareness for Earth Day and on Monday, Year 12 students will participate in the Greatest Shave in support of the Leukaemia Foundation and its work with research, care and support for those battling cancer.

All the best to our performers at this evening’s Autumn Soiree. Always a highlight of the Music Program, we look forward to a suite of fabulous performances to showcase the talent and passion of our musicians. 

A reminder to families that as of Monday, students will be required to wear the correct winter uniform each day, including their blazers, to school (until recess each day) and when leaving campus.

Term 2 Key Dates

Shani Andrews

Vice Principal - Head of Secondary

Upcoming Drama performances

Get ready for an exciting month of theatre at Roncalli Hall and our Gonzaga Barry Lecture Theatre! Our talented drama students are set to take the stage with a series of entertaining and thought-provoking performances, and we warmly invite the whole community to come along and support their creativity. Whether you’re in the mood for laughter, quick-witted competition, or a slice of life from across the years, there’s something for everyone to enjoy. Mark your calendars and join us for these memorable nights of live theatre!

• Year 9 Drama Night – The Bee’s Knees – Thursday 5 June, 7pm, Roncalli Hall
• House Theatre Sports Tuesday 10 June, 7pm, GBLT
• Year 8 Drama Performance – The British are Coming – Monday 23 and Tuesday 24 June, 4:30pm, Roncalli Hall
• Year 10 Drama Night – Slice of Life – Tuesday 1 July, 7pm, Roncalli Hall

George Tsakisiris

Head of Learning Area - Drama

REMINDER: Dig in for a greener tomorrow: Join our community planting and weeding day!

A friendly reminder that our Community Planting and Weeding Day is happening this weekend! We’re looking forward to seeing as many parents, students, and alumni from the John XXIII community as possible join us on Saturday 17 May from 8:00am to 9:30am at the tennis courts on the northern side of E-Block.

This hands-on morning is a fantastic way to give back to our environment. Together, we’ll plant new greenery, weed around our existing plantings, and help maintain the beautiful spaces we’ve already created. No experience is necessary- all tools will be provided. Just bring your enthusiasm, wear comfortable clothing and closed shoes, and don’t forget your hat and sunscreen.

Students can also count their participation towards their Christian service learning hours (Roncalli Service).

We can’t wait to see you there and appreciate your support in making our community spaces even better!

Adrian Sims

Sustainability Coordinator

Year 11 Politics and Law Excursion

Last week, the Year 11 Politics and Law ATAR class attended Government House, the Magistrates, District and Supreme Courts as well as Parliament House. The excursion provided students with an insight into the operation of our legal and political systems as well as an effective way of reinforcing and introducing some of the theoretical knowledge covered this year.

In the morning, students visited Government House, where they learned about its historical significance and were lucky enough to meet with His Excellency the Honourable Christopher John Dawson AC APM. He talked about the Governor’s role in the executive branch of government and representing the state’s interests when meeting international dignitaries. Students also learned about his role in hosting investiture ceremonies and being a patron to many community organisations. 

Students spent the following few hours visiting the Supreme, District and Magistrates Courts of Western Australia. Firstly, a member of the Law Society explained the function of the Supreme Court with the students playing the role of key personnel before moving on to the Magistrates Court to observe a variety of cases. These included a pre-trial hearing for drug offences and a sentencing hearing for a defendant who pleaded guilty to destruction of property offences.

At the District Court, students observed another sentencing hearing in relation to an armed robbery conviction. This allowed students to compare the operation of the District and Magistrates Courts and observe the defence barrister’s attempt to reduce the sentence by presenting a range of mitigating factors to the judge. 

After lunch, students visited Parliament House. They learned about the history of Western Australia’s Parliament and were given a tour of both chambers, the Legislative Council and the Legislative Assembly. Before leaving, students also had the privilege to meet with Sandra Brewer, Liberal member for Cottesloe, and a John XXIII College parent. 

It was a valuable experience for all. Many thanks to Mrs Kylie Mavromatis and Ms Ilya Aghdasi Yekta for accompanying the class and to Tom Ellis for assisting with this article.

Stephen Harris

Humanities and Social Sciences Teacher

Year 11 and 12 ATAR Visual Arts Excursion

As part of the ATAR Visual Arts course, Year 11 and 12 ATAR Students visited the Art Gallery of WA to view the Gallery’s current exhibitions, including The West Australian Pulse. The selected works in Pulse provide a window into a range of young artists' personal, social, and artistic concerns. The gallery excursion was an inspiring, rewarding, and insightful look at the world through the minds of a variety of incredible artists.

Students also took part in a visual analysis workshop, which helped them develop their visual vocabulary further. The Gallery’s workshops provide students with opportunities to develop critical thinking, visual literacies and personal perspectives with the understanding that creativity is a vital capacity across fields. Viewing and engaging in critical discussion of a broad range of artworks encouraged students to develop emotional agility, embodied sensitivity and critical thinking in both making and responding to works of art.

Kiri Moore

Visual Arts Teacher

Japanese Cultural Exchange – Host Family Opportunity

Following a successful exchange program last year, in August, we will once again welcome Years 10 to 12 Japanese students from Osaka, Japan, for a six-night cultural exchange, and families are invited to host a student as a member of their family for the short stay. The program does not require families to plan special activities or outings, as these will be catered for as part of the cultural exchange experience with the College. All families are welcome to participate, regardless of their child's year level, and host families will receive $330 per student to help cover expenses for their hospitality.

Our trusted partner, Gold Educational Tours, coordinates all aspects of the visit and provides 24/7 support throughout the experience, ensuring a smooth and rewarding exchange for everyone involved.

Ready to connect your child to Japan? Register at: https://schoolcommunity.goldeducationaltours.com.au 

Understand how movement affects social skills

Former student, Matthew McQueen (Class 2015), is inviting families to participate in his PhD research, conducted in collaboration with The Kids Research Institute Australia and The University of Western Australia. This project explores how children’s social skills are influenced by their ability to move their body. Families who participate will receive a brief developmental report providing valuable insights into their child’s motor control, social skills, and intellectual capacity. 

Children aged between 7 and 16 years are eligible to participate. The study is open to both typically developing children and those with a diagnosis of autism, dyspraxia, or developmental coordination disorder.

Participation involves a fun, two-hour session where children will engage in movement-based games and complete some simple assessments of their social skills and thinking abilities. Sessions are held at The University of Western Australia and can be scheduled at a time that best suits your family, including weekdays and weekends.

For more information or to register your interest, please contact Matthew directly at matthew.mcqueen@research.uwa.edu.au.

SPORT

Interhouse Cross-Country 

Once again, huge congratulations to all the students who took part in the wonderful day last Friday. Well done to all our finishers and in particular to our Champions and Runner Up Champions. 

School Sport WA Cross-Country 

Congratulations to all students selected to represent John XXIII College at the 2025 School Sport WA Cross-Country Carnival on Thursday 29 May. This competition is open to all government and non-government school students. 

The day provides a platform for selection into the SSWA Interstate Cross-Country team, where students selected will compete in the School Sport Australia Cross-Country Championships later this year. It also provides another opportunity to post times in the lead-up to the big ACC Cross-Country Carnival. A full team list can be found in the SEQTA notices. 

Information for the day:

• Where: Please meet in the St Louis Sport Centre 
• Carnival location: Yokine Regional Open Space
• When: 7:45am SHARP for name check and briefing.
• Transport: A bus will depart the College at 8:15am to UWA Sports Park - McGilvray
• Dress: Please wear the College Sports uniform and yellow athletics singlet (this is available for purchase at the College Uniform Shop)
  • Girls : There is now an optional JTC performance shorts (bike shorts) that can be worn with the singlet 
• What to bring: Food and drink for the day, sunscreen and a hat.
• All students are required to stay for the duration of the day to support team JTC. 

Year 7 NAS Winter NAS

What a carnival for our Year 7s first NAS day experience! The energy was great in the morning pre-departure, and all the students were ready to take on the other NAS Schools and Lightning Carnival Schools. Well done to all the students for their enormous efforts in training in the lead up to the carnival. The strong team spirit was evident on the day. We had some fantastic results for the day: 

Premiers 

• Boys Volleyball 
• Boys Football 

2nd place

• Girls Volleyball 
• Boys Soccer 

3rd place

• Boys Badminton
• Netball – A

4th place

• Netball – B
• Girls Soccer 

5th place

• Girls Badminton

Year 8 Winter NAS

Year 8 NAS Trials will commence next week. All students are encouraged to try out for a spot on a team for the Carnival taking place on Wednesday 18 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 4 and 5, and selected teams will be posted after the second trial. 
• Students may wish to trial for two sports in Week 4 and then decide to focus on one sport in their second trial in Week 5. 
• 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) and Soccer (Boys).
• Training schedules are being posted in the College notices and have been sent out to all students.
• Students unable to make all training days must communicate their absence to the team coach.
• All students are to meet in the Pavilion in their PE uniform before their trial.

All Year 8 students are required to complete the nomination form for the teams they wish to trial for. 

 Trial Schedule 

 Trial 2 and Training Schedule 

Below is the NAS Trial Schedule and the NAS Training Schedule, which will commence after the trials.

ACC Swimming All Stars 

At the completion of the ACC Carnivals, from A-Division down to J-Division, all the data is put together to create an All-Star team. To be selected in this team, you must be in the top two times for an individual event and top four times for a relay.

Congratulations to the following students who have been named in the 2025 ACC All Star team. 

• Christian Johnstone
• Elle McGuren 
• Grace Czajko 
• Angelina Smythe 
• Sasha Pallis
• Kayla Browne 
• Poppy Finucane 
• Taj Dorrington

ACC Hockey

Thank you to all the students who attended the first trial on Wednesday morning. The second trial will be next Wednesday morning 21 May from 7:00am to 8.00am on the College ovals. Please contact Mr Tremayne or Miss Power if you have any queries. 

Interhouse Surfing 

Interhouse surfing will be held later this term on Thursday 3 July. For those interested in representing their House on this day please complete the form to register for your event.

Register here.

Interested students are also to attend an information meeting on Tuesday 20 May at lunchtime in the GBLT starting at 1pm sharp. Please attend on time.

Congratulations 

We are thrilled to announce that Conor Bradley (Year 11) has been selected for the 16 and Under Boys Basketball team at the School Sport Australia Games in the City of Moreton Bay this July.

Congratulations to Conor on this fantastic achievement- we are incredibly proud of you and wish you the very best for the tournament!

See the full team announcement here.

Jessica Pillera

Head of Sport