Secondary

Dear Families

Week 2 of Term 4 is a time of celebration. Monday night marked the opening of the Art Exhibition and College Media Night, giving the wider College community an opportunity to enjoy the outstanding art pieces and projects created by students from both Primary and Secondary. As you walked around the exhibition, the amazing talent of our arts students was on full display. Congratulations to all students with art and projects in the exhibitions, and to the wonderful art staff team for the guidance and support they provided.  

Tuesday night was the annual Sports Awards Night, where we recognised and celebrated students' and teams' sporting achievements. Alongside the individual and team sporting awards, Mr Tom Bottrell from the ACC attended to present four students with the highly prestigious ACC Letters awards. Mr Glenn Mitchell took the audience on a wonderful journey during his Q&A session with Fremantle Dockers AFLW coach Mrs Lisa Webb. Congratulations to the many students who received recognition and awards during the ceremony, and thank you to the hard-working physical education staff and coaches for supporting all our sporting programs throughout the year. 

On Thursday morning, our Year 12 students and their families gathered at the St Louis Sports Centre to celebrate a final Mass before joining the full Secondary school for the Day of Invitation Assembly. During this assembly, the Year 7 students form a guard of honour as our Year 12s enter for their final time as students.  Part of the Year 12 Day of Invitation proceedings is the handover of the Year 12 Student Representative Council. This year’s leadership process was rigorous and competitive, and all candidates are to be commended for their commitment and courage in nominating for a leadership position. Nominating students enjoyed a celebratory lunch on Wednesday to acknowledge their candidacy, and whilst not all were appointed to the 2027 Student Representative Council, we consider them leaders in their own right.   

Congratulations to the following students who have been appointed to represent the student body as the 2027 Student Representative Council. We are confident they will do all they can to be a ‘person for others’ by leading their peers and continuing the excellent work of this year’s Student Representative Council in supporting our College.  

Valete is the Latin term for ‘goodbye to a group of people’. Over the past week, we have farewelled our beloved Year 12 students with numerous events to acknowledge their contributions and achievements to our College community. This significant milestone always brings mixed emotions: excitement and anticipation for the future, but also nostalgia and a tinge of sadness at saying goodbye to the familiar environment that has been home for the past years. We congratulate the Graduating Class of 2026, and we wish them every success for their future endeavours as they heed the words of St Ignatius of Loyola, to 'go, set the world on fire'.  Thank you to Mr Luke Bostelman, Assistant Deputy Principal – Year 12, Homeroom Teachers, and all other teachers who have been involved in this cohort’s journey through both Primary and Secondary school, providing exceptional care and support to guide their growth into the young adults whom we are so very proud of. 

Middle Years Leadership- Peer Support Training  

As part of our commitment to expanding student leadership pathways, Year 9 students will participate in a two-day Peer Support Workshop on 29 to 30 October. This exciting new initiative strengthens leadership development opportunities at the College while fostering resilience, self-awareness, collaboration, and positive relationships among students. 

Throughout the workshop, students will engage in interactive activities, discussions, and team challenges that develop communication, teamwork, and mentoring skills. The experience will also introduce students to the role of Peer Support Leaders and the important contribution they can make to the wellbeing and success of younger students. 

Importantly, the workshop will serve as a gateway to leadership, providing students with the opportunity to apply to become Year 10 Peer Support Leaders in 2027. In this role, students will help support incoming Year 7 students as they transition into College life, building a stronger sense of connection and belonging across our community. 

This program reflects the College's ongoing investment in creating meaningful leadership opportunities for students and empowering them to make a positive impact on the lives of others. For further information about the program, please contact Kaitlyn Green, Assistant Deputy Principal - Year 9.

Policy Update – Student Use of ICT  

The College has recently updated its Student Use of ICT Policy to address the emerging use of wearable recording technologies. Parents and guardians are asked to familiarise themselves with the updated policy.

Term 4 Key Dates 

Calling all College volunteers! 

If you have volunteered at John XXIII College in any capacity this year, we would love you to join us for our Thank You Sundowner.

📅 Thursday 5 November

🕡 6:30pm – 8:30pm

📍 1st Floor, Main Administration

Come along for drinks and light refreshments as we celebrate and thank the many people who generously give their time to support our College community.

RSVP by Wednesday 28 October: Book here

Celebrating creativity at the 2026 Visual Arts Exhibition

Our students' creativity and talent took centre stage at the 2026 Visual Arts Exhibition, bringing together students, families, staff and special guests to celebrate Visual Arts at the College.

College alumnus Duncan Barnes, an accomplished photographer and educator, officially opened the exhibition. The evening also recognised our graduating Year 12 Visual Arts students, with Claire Sweet speaking on behalf of the graduating class. 

Congratulations to this year’s award recipients:

• Sister Theresa Elliott Encouragement Award: Mia Kwei, Year 8
• John XXIII College Staff Award: Monet Dillon, for You are Loved and Safe
• 2026 College Art Competition: Miriam Sekendy, Year 9
• Loreto Sisters Award: Joel North, Year 11
• Arlene Nedeljkovic Rising Star Award: Sophie Fitzgerald, Year 9
• Principal’s Award: Claire Sweet, Year 12 

Beyond the awards, the exhibition celebrated the breadth of creativity across our student community, with guests also invited to vote in the People’s Choice Award and enjoy the media viewing and screening. 

The exhibition was a wonderful reflection of the imagination, skill and dedication of our students, supported by the teachers and community members who encourage their creative development.

There's still time to check out the exhibition tomorrow between 11am and 2pm.

SPORT

Sport Awards Night

On Tuesday evening, we celebrated our Secondary students' sporting achievements at the annual Sports Awards Night. It was a wonderful opportunity to recognise the commitment, effort and success of students who represented the College throughout the year.

Thank you to our compere for the evening, Mr Glenn Mitchell, a former College parent, who once again brought his enthusiasm, knowledge, and passion for sport to the night.

We were also pleased to welcome guest speaker Lisa Webb, current AFLW Fremantle Dockers Senior Coach, former John XXIII College student and teacher at Newman College. In conversation with Glenn, Lisa shared her journey through sport and leadership, providing valuable insights into the experiences that have shaped her career.

A highlight of the evening was the presentation of ACC Letters, awarded to students who have achieved sustained excellence in ACC competition: 

• Grace Czajko – Swimming
• Ciana Rio Torto – Athletics
• Lyla Stewart – Cross-Country and Athletics
• Sasha Pallis – Swimming

Special congratulations to Sasha Pallis, who capped off an outstanding school sporting career by earning ACC Letters in Swimming, Athletics, and Cross-Country. Only one other student in the College's history has achieved this remarkable accomplishment.

Congratulations to all students recognised on the night, and to the many students who represented the College with pride throughout another successful year of sport.

Year 7 Summer NAS

We had a wonderful first week of training for Year 7 NAS. We now move into the final two training sessions in the lead-up to the carnival day. All students must be present for training if they have been selected into a team. Please note that there is no training for the Social Volleyball Carnival.

• Trainings - Weeks 3 and 4
  • Pay attention to all training dates and times, as th may not be the same each week
  • If you cannot make a training session, you must let your team teacher know
  • At the Week 4 training, there will be a sausage sizzle for all teams
• Carnival - Week 4, Thursday, 5 November, 7:45am-3:00pm

Staffing

Training Schedule

Year 8 Summer NAS

We had a wonderful first week of Year 8 NAS Trials. All students were well organised and gave their best efforts. Second trials will take place next week, see schedule below. All students must be involved on the day, you can nominate for NAS Teams to trial for, student helper or to play social Volleyball.

• Trials - Week  3
  • If you are unable to make a trial, please inform Ms Pillera or Mr Kowal
  • Teams will be posted at the end of Week 3 next term
• Trainings - Weeks 4 and 5
  • Pay attention to all training dates and times as it may not be the same each week
  • If you cannot make a training session, you must let your team teacher know
• Carnival - Week 6, Thursday 17 November, 7:45am-3:00pm

Staffing

Trial and Training Schedule

Years 9/10 Water Polo

Students who have registered their interest in representing John XXIII College in the upcoming SSWA Water Polo Tournament at HPC Indoor Dive Pool, please see the trials and training schedule as follows: 

Trials and training

• Trial 2: Wednesday, 28 October | 3:30–4:30pm (Claremont Pool)
• Training 1: Wednesday, 4 November | 3:30–4:30pm (Claremont Pool)

Years 9-10 Tournament Days

• Girls - Tuesday, 11 November (HPC)
• Boys - Wednesday, 12 November (HPC) 

Students will be transported to and from Claremont Pool and return at 4:45pm.

Year 7/8 SSWA Water Polo

Trials and Training

• Trial 1: Tuesday, 3 November | 3:30–4:30pm (Claremont Pool)
• Trial 2: Tuesday, 10 November | 3:30–4:30pm (Claremont Pool)
• Training 1: Tuesday, 17 November | 3:30–4:30pm (Claremont Pool)

Years 7-8 Tournament Days

• Girls - Thursday, 26  November (HPC)
• Boys - Friday, 27 November (HPC) 

Students will be transported to and from Claremont Pool and return at 4:45pm.

NAS Golf

Congratulations to the students listed below on being selected to represent the College as part of our NAS Golf Team for 2026. The NAS Golf Tournament will be played at Hammersley Golf Course next Monday, 26 October (Week 3).

The weather is looking favourable at the moment and hoping players are able to enjoy a dry event. We wish them all the very best for a positive experience.

NAS GOLF TEAM 2026:

Tournament Format

• Arrive 6:20am, Monday, 26 October 2 at Hammersley Golf Club:
• 7:00am – First Tee Time.
• Own set of clubs and trolley/buggy.
• John XXIII College Sport uniform – golf shoes/runners, tailored shorts/pants, Hat.
• Weather – sunscreen, waterproof jacket/pants, umbrella
• Four Ball, Better Ball Format. Awards:
  • Best Individual Gross Score.
  • Best Pair Score.
  • NAS Golf Tournament Champions - Two best pair scores from each school.

Year 12 Coaching Expression of Interest - 2027

Year 12 students interested in giving back to the wonderful world of sport at John XXIII College in 2026 are invited to complete this registration

2027 Expression of Interest - Sport Coaching – Fill out form

There are many opportunities to return to coach, umpire, and support sport. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask: jessica.pillera@johnxxiii.edu.au.

Jessica Pillera

Head of Sport

Congratulations

Mindscape Art Exhibition finalist

We are delighted to celebrate Evie, Year 12, who has been selected as a finalist in the 2026 Mindscape Art Exhibition for their creative Prismacolour pencil drawing.

Featuring 40 selected works from students across Western Australia, the exhibition celebrates surrealist and fantastical art. Evie’s work is also in the running for the Orwell’s Oracle Prize, with the winner to be announced this Sunday, 25 October.

The exhibition will be open at Allendale Square in the Perth CBD from Monday, 26 October to Friday, 13 November, weekdays from 9:00am to 5:00pm, with free entry.

Congratulations to Evie on this wonderful achievement!

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.