Secondary
Dear Families
Year 9 students this week embarked on their annual camp, this year to Wellington Dam in Collie. As part of their 9PLUS life skills and wellbeing program, students spent two nights away from home camping in groups and engaging in nature-based activities. Experiences such as this offer benefits that contribute significantly to the personal growth of young people. They provide an opportunity for them to step outside their comfort zone, fostering independence and self-reliance. Away from the familiar environment of home and school, students learn to navigate challenges, develop problem-solving skills and build resilience. The camp promotes teamwork and social interaction, allowing students to bond with peers in a setting that encourages collaboration and communication. The outdoor activities also help to cultivate a sense of environmental awareness and appreciation. In alignment with our Wellbeing Framework, the camp delivered an invaluable experience beyond the classroom and 9PLUS curriculum to develop positive peer relations and self-leadership. Thank you to Mr Tim Chaney, Assistant Deputy Principal – Year 9 for his organisation and leadership and staff who attended the camp, for supporting students and encouraging them throughout the experience: Mr Darren Kowal, Ms Erin Basile, Ms Ella Brindley, Ms Anna Davila, Ms Anita Langton, Ms Elise Svanberg,Mr Xavier Mitchell, Mr Simon Carrello, Mr Jeremy Hill and Mr Ciaran Gallagher.
Last Friday’s Music Soiree was an engaging and impressive showcase of musical talent of students across the Secondary school. The evening marked our Year 12 students last performance together, and at the end of the program, Head of Music, Mr James Kros gave them with a heartfelt acknowledgement of their contribution to the program over their years at the College:
To our Year 12 Musicians, we thank you for your service and contributions to Music at our school, and for the joy you have brought our community through your instruments and voices. Our wish for you all is to have a life full of love for music in its many forms, and that you follow your passions, wherever they lead you.
The broader Secondary community has also benefited from these students’ talented performances and is grateful to them for sharing their gifts.
Grounded in our Ignatian spirituality of ‘finding God in all things’, Reflection Days provide students with time and space away from the normal College program to engage in prayer, learning and reflection to help develop a stronger sense of their own beliefs and values. They encourage students to engage in their faith journey by taking time to reflect on the theme of the day, their relationship with God and others, and their own personal experiences through a spiritual lens. Reflection Days also serve as opportunities for students to come together as a community, sharing their reflections and insights to develop empathy, connection, tolerance and a broader understanding of each other. In support of the Ignatian principle of Cura Personalis – caring for the whole child, the Reflection Day experience complements the wellbeing program for each year group through the following themes:
- Year 7: Community in Christ
- Year 8: Respectful Relationships
- Year 9: Self Image
- Year 10: Act Justly, Love Mercy, Walk Humbly with God
- Year 11: How people may search for meaning and purpose through religion
Students in Years 7 to 10 in their reflection days this year have benefited from rich discussion and reflection of themselves and others, and Year 11 students will deepen their understanding of other faiths on their Reflection Day on Tuesday 8 October.
Congratulations to our Year 11 and 12 Drama students for the fantastic and engaging performances at last night's Drama Night. Thank you to Mr James McLaughlin, Assistant Deputy Principal - Year 8, Homeroom Teachers and SRC helpers for hosting a fun and energetic Bush Dance on Tuesday night. All the best to our athletes who will be representing the College at next week's ACC A Division Athletics Carnival.
2025 Student Diaries
Whilst the student diary is a valuable tool to support students’ organisation and time management with their learning program, a recent review indicates that a portion of students are not using their diary as they have alternative means of organisation. In keeping with our commitment to sustainability, we will continue to provide diaries to Years 7 and 8 students to support the development of important organisational skills and offer diaries to students in Years 9 to 12 who wish to continue using the student diary next year. Please complete the link below to order a College provided diary for your student who will be in Years 9 to 12 in 2025.
Warm regards
Shani Andrews
Vice Principal - Head of Secondary
Technologies Week
This week we celebrated the amazing work of the staff and students in the Technologies Department. Projects in woodwork, engineering, digital technologies, foods, and textiles were showcased at the expo at the Ignatius Centre. The Year 12 Hospitality students made sweet treats for the staff to welcome them to the showcase and provided nachos for lunch in the staffroom. During lunchtimes, the foods teachers made bubble tea, and the wood technologies teachers ran a short course on making acrylic keychains. In digital technologies, the students participated in a Minecraft activity. The textiles teachers hosted a student charity project for Capes for Kids, and the week concluded with the CO2 car finals to showcase engineering project.
As the term is quickly coming to an end, we look forward to introducing some new projects for next year and seeing many more amazing student designs as the department continues to grow.
Anna Davila
Head of Learning Area - Technologies
Year 8 Bush Dance Social
Tuesday evening we had over 150 Year 8 students don their flannel shirts, jeans and boots to boot scoot to the lively sounds of the Mucky Duck Bush Band. Although the students took a little while to warm up it wasn’t long before the gents from Mucky Duck were guiding them through many dances and steps. Thank you to Jack Purkiss, Audio Visual Technician, and the Year 12 SRC students who made the evening a lot of fun. And of course, our Homeroom teachers Brianna Gray, Sarah Larsen, Conor O’Hara, Brett Roberts and Sean Oorloff for kindly volunteering to support the students and show the students how to do some of the steps.
James McLaughlin
Assistant Deputy Principal - Year 8
Félicitations! Congratulations!
Congratulations to Hannah Johnson (Year 12) and Isabelle Greenwood Haynes (Year 10), French Second Language ATAR students who have been selected to proceed to the oral component of the Alliance Française examination. They will sit the oral examination on the 14 September with two external examiners. Congratulations, and best of luck to both students.
Melissa Polizzi
Head of Learning Area - Languages
John XXIII College Sustainability Award - Year 12
Applications for the John XXIII College Sustainability Award are open to Year 12 students who intend to pursue an aspect of environmental or sustainability studies at tertiary level and who are committed to improving the world in which we live. Examples of courses include: Environmental Science, Environmental Engineering, Environmental Law, Architecture, Town Planning, Public Health & Urban Design etc.
This award was initiated by Dr Margaret Yoon in 2012 and is further supported by the John XXIII College Foundation as a way of inspiring and supporting students, as well as to act as an incentive for them to pursue tertiary studies in the areas of sustainability.
Submissions will close Friday 20 September at 3:30pm.
People's Choice Awards
The 2024 Quality Catholic Education (QCE) Awards recognise programs and initiatives in Catholic schools across WA that support the vision of providing Christ-centred, student-focused engaged learning environments.
The Awards celebrate the remarkable efforts and dedication of Catholic school communities, staff and students across our state, identifying, commending and showcasing the very best of Catholic education in Western Australia.
John XXIII College has an entry under the Stewardship category for The Carnaby's Black Cockatoo Conservation Project, initiated by our Sustainability Coordinator, Mr Adrian Sims.
The People’s Choice Award is now open for voting and gives CEWA school communities the opportunity to have their say in the awards.
Read more about our entry and cast your vote here:
Voting for the People’s Choice award will close on Sunday, 29 September.
SPORT
ACC Athletics
Next Wednesday our athletics team will compete in the 2024 ACC A-Division Athletics Carnival. Our team has the extraordinary task of taking on the rest of the A-Division schools for the fifth consecutive year. This is a fantastic achievement in itself with Divisional Carnivals all the way down to J Division. On paper, we believe our team has what it takes to ensure a real battle for the champion school.
Our team had a full squad training session this afternoon at the beautiful College ovals. The team will come together for a meal tonight in the Thomas More Exhibition Centre to celebrate the session and get excited for the final task!
The ACC A-Division Athletics Carnival is set to be an exciting day with so many students bringing their A-game. The spirit amongst all members is incredibly strong, and we know we will give our absolute best and can’t wait to see what the team can achieve on the big day.
Please refer to the parent letter for all information regarding the day. A reminder that ALL students competing in track and field, MUST be in the gold College athletics singlet. This can be purchased from the Uniform Shop. All team members have permission to be in sports uniform for the week and are encouraged to wear their interschool jumper if they have one.
A program is attached along with the link to ACC Athletics Live Stream. Please tune in and support our team: Live Stream: ACCWA Event - ACC A Div Athletics Carnival 2024 (streamer.com.au)
Let’s go JTC!!!
Relay Training Monday 9 September Periods 5 and 6
All students below are required to attend a compulsory relay training session during periods 5 and 6 on Monday, 9 September. Students have permission to be in sports uniforms for the day. Students are to arrive promptly at the College ovals after lunch.
Senior Touch Football – School Sport WA
Last Friday, the College had four teams representing the College at the School Sport WA Touch Football Tournament. All teams had great wins on the day and should be very proud of their efforts! Our Boys A team has progressed to the State Final, which will be held before the end of term. A big thank you to all staff involved in the preparation of the students: Mr Toby Lewis, Miss Jodi Power and Mr Xavier Mitchell.
NAS Golf
We had a great start to our NAS Golf season, with a big turnout at our first hitting session on the beautiful College ovals. Moving forward, NAS Golf will run every Thursday morning from 7:00am to 8:00am, meeting at the north west corner of the ovals. Students are welcome to bring their own clubs (7 Iron, Wedge and Fairway wood). There will be College clubs for those who don’t have their own. We are looking forward to seeing you all there.
Year 12 Towel Nominations
If you feel you are eligible for a specific towel or number of towels, please complete the form below by next Monday 9 September. It is your responsibility to complete the form. These towels will be presented at the Day of Invitation Assembly. Towel Eligibility:
- Represented John XXIII College either NAS or an ACC Swimming, Cross Country and/or Athletics Team for your 6 years at the College (Year 7-12)
- Competed/attended every interschool carnival nomination, reserves included!!!
- If for some reason you had a legitimate reason for not being able to make the team (eg. injury, transferred to JTC from another school), please include this clearly in your nomination
Jessica Pillera
Head of Sport