Around The Primary

Dear Families

Harmony week is a time to celebrate and appreciate Australia’s diversity. The 2023 theme ‘Living in Harmony’ focuses on multiculturalism and the differences that make us all unique. It promotes respect, inclusivity, and a sense of belonging for everyone. On Tuesday we celebrated Harmony Day and the students discussed how communities are made up of many different people from a range of cultures and how we all can learn from each other and embrace the variety of foods, traditions, and celebrations. They talked about what ‘harmony’ means and how we can live in harmony. The students came up with some wonderful suggestions: 

• respecting one another
• treating others the way you want to be treated
• using kind and positive words 
• helping people in need
• learn about other cultures
• making everyone feel included.

With this in mind, we commenced today’s Assembly by singing the ‘Welcome Song’, which included sharing greetings using different languages, for example, ‘wanju’ the Noongar word for welcome.

The Primary Singers (Year 2-3 Choir) and the Wanju Voices (Year 4-6 Choir) kept the audience thoroughly entertained with their performances. These students commit to weekly rehearsals before school with Mrs Haydon (Choir Director) and Mr Johnston (Piano Accompanist). This term they have been working hard on choral techniques, singing in multiple parts and they always have a great time singing together and learning new pieces for us to enjoy. 

Our Parent/Teacher interviews begin next Monday 27 March (please wear your parent badge).  This is a wonderful opportunity for parents and their child's teacher to discuss children's strengths and areas that require some improvement. It's also a great chance for parents to support their child in setting goals for next term. The goals may not always be academic - they could be related to improving focus in class, being a good friend in the playground or becoming a more active participant in group work. 

The teachers may also refer to the Individual Education Plan (IEP) during these meetings.

IEPs are written to specifically support children who may need adjustments to the curriculum and classroom environment to progress and thrive at school.

We look forward to seeing many families at our Easter prayer reflections in the final week of term (details can be found below).

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 http://www.johnxxiii.edu.au/view/for-parents/calendars and subscribe to the Primary Calendar.

Super Stars

Well done to all the students who received a certificate at today’s Assembly.

Holy Week

In the last week of the term, all Primary students will be attending in Holy Week Liturgies. Year 5 students will share the Easter Story over two days.

Palm Sunday and Holy Thursday Liturgies. 

Wednesday 5 April, 11:15am Amphitheatre

All students to bring along a small palm branch/olive branch.

All students will be involved in the liturgies by singing, praying and gently waving palm branches as Jesus enters Jerusalem and to gently wave them as they sing ‘Sing It Hosanna’.

The Stations of the Cross Liturgy

Thursday 6 April, 9:00am, Chapel

We continue the Easter Story with the Good Friday Liturgy. 

We will reflect on Jesus’ journey to his crucifixion by following The Stations of the Cross. 

Families are welcome to join us as we lead into Easter and share the Easter Story.

Project Compassion

Our Water Wall display is looking fabulous! We are very grateful for the wonderful donations that are being made this year. 

There are two weeks left for students to collect coins add a water droplet to our Water Wall.  The final 2 weeks of the term are short weeks, so we request for coins to come in earlier in the week.  We will be tallying coin collections on the Thursday.

Monies donated will be counted over the holidays and at the start of next term we will share with the College community the total amount of our fundraising success. 

Thank you for your generosity supporting our fundraising initiative for Caritas.

Kylie Allen

Primary Assistant Principal

Eagles Make a Special Visit  

On Monday our Mary Ward Primary students were very lucky to have a visit from five incredible Eagles players - Luke Shuey, Tom Barrass, Jamie Cripps, Shannon Hurn and Elijah Hewett. The students enjoyed talking with the players and getting photos and autographs. The players then hosted a football clinic with some future Eagles stars spotted! The students absolutely loved the experience, with comments, such as, ‘This is the best day of my life!’ heard throughout the morning!

Karin Ilich and Caroline Cibesku

Mary Ward Primary Teachers

Specialist Spotlight

At John XXIII College the aim of Primary Art is for students to become increasingly confident in the practice of Visual Arts.  The students explore and communicate their ideas and understandings of the world around them through the development, creation and presentation of Visual Arts works.

Students begin their specialist Visual Art focus in Year 3 and have a 55-minute lesson a week.  The goal is to develop the students’ knowledge, understandings and skills through exploring materials, techniques and the conventions of Visual Arts, when making artworks.  Students will also develop art ideas and language through viewing, critiquing and responding to both their own and other artworks. 

Visual Arts strategic targets are based around sustainable, collaborative Art projects, with a focus on investigation, preparation and participation. In the Primary Visual Arts program, the emphasis is on process over product.

Students will have the opportunity to showcase their artwork at the annual College Art Exhibition. Some students will also have their artwork exhibited in the Angelico Art Exhibition and entered in other Art shows, like the Sean Tan Art awards.

Fiona Blaauw

Primary Art Specialist 

Kindy 2025 Interviews

Kindy 2025 Interviews are commencing in Term 2.  If you have not submitted an Application Enrolment Form, please do so by the end of Term 1.  For your convenience, please use this link:  New Submission (johnxxiii.edu.au)

Sports Update

6G Bike Incursion

Students in Year 6G put their biking skills to the test this week in their bike education session. It has been great to see students advancing their biking skills and building confidence in preparation for the Canberra Camp in Term 2. 

IPSHA Basketball Competition

We had a fantastic day of basketball at the Willetton Basketball Association. Despite the hot and humid conditions, students played with a high standard of play and did exceptionally well, representing the College with pride.

Term 2 Sport

Cross Country 

Training begins in Week 6 of Term 2 every Tuesday and Thursday mornings at 7:30am.  If it is too wet to run, training will take place in the gym.  Students in Year 2 and below must be accompanied by an adult throughout the session. 

Extra-curricular opportunities

Tuesdays - J&J soccer sessions 

• Years 1 to 6 – begins Week 2, Tuesday 2 May in the Junior Primary Oval (3:30pm to 4:30pm).  Booking and payment required.  To enrol email juricadi@hotmail.com

Thursdays - Redhage Basketball 

• Years 2 to 6 – begins Week 2, Thursday 4 May in the St Louis Sports Centre (3:20pm to  4:20pm).  Bookings and payments required.  Registrations open Sunday 26 March, please enrol at www.redhagebasketball.com

If you have any queries about anything sport related, please contact me via email steve.williams@cewa.edu.au. 

Steve Williams

Primary Sport Coordinator

Music Update

Harmony Week Song

In Music this week, students learnt a welcome song using greetings in different languages and were eager to share some of the different languages they speak at home. You might want to ask your child to sing ‘Hello My Friends’ for you and see how many different languages you can include!

Loreto Grand Piano 

Loreto Primary School in Nedlands have generously donated this beautiful Mornington and Weston baby grand piano to the College. This piano belonged to Gertrude Flynn (nee Wood), Dux of Loreto in 1939. The Flynn Family bequeathed the piano to the Mother John Music Studio at Loreto in 2011. This piano is currently located in the Osborne Room. We look forward to hearing the students perform on this wonderful instrument.

Primary Singers and Wanju Voices

Congratulations to the students in Primary Singers and Wanju Voices for their fantastic performances this morning at Assembly. For some students, this was their first time performing in a choir. We are very proud of you all.

Due to the Palm Sunday Liturgy on Thursday 30 March at 7:30am, there is no Primary Singers rehearsal next week.  Families are welcome to join the Chapel Choir and College community in the library courtyard for this special Liturgy. Please note that a parent/guardian must be present with any lower primary students that wish to attend. 

Wanju Voices have their normal rehearsal on Monday (27 March) at 7:30am in the Osborne Room.

Primary Music Calendar

Sunday 2 April – Palm Sunday Mass at St Joseph’s Church, Subiaco

Primary choristers have been invited to represent the College to sing at the 9am Palm Sunday Mass at St Joseph’s Church in Subiaco. All are welcome to attend this special Mass.

Catholic Performing Arts Festival

Entries for the Catholic Performing Arts Festival are now open. With over 20 000 students involved from 163 Catholic schools across Western Australia, this festival is a wonderful opportunity for students to gain performance experience and feedback from professional adjudicators, as well as viewing performances by students from other schools. This festival takes place in Term Three. Primary students from Years 4-6 may wish to enter a solo performance item. Please contact your child’s instrumental tutor for more information. Students who learn an instrument outside of school may contact Mrs Georgia Bouhlas at the Music Office for more information via email music.secretary@johnxxiii.edu.au  

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

Mrs Catherine Haydon

Primary Music Teacher

Special Mention 

We are very proud of Axl and his efforts to raise money for seriously ill children to live their dreams via the Make-A-Wish charity. 

Axl’s commitment pledge was to ride 50kms on his bike within the month of February and raise as many as donations as possible via sponsorship of this ride.

His initial target was $1000, by the end he raised just under $5451! He completed his last 4 kms on 28 February and capped it off with a well-earned dinner of fish n chips!

Congratulations Axl!

Bricks 4 Kidz

Bricks 4 Kidz will be running After School Classes in Term 2 and bookings are now open on TryBooking.

Please refer to attachment for further information.