Secondary

Dear Families 

Encouraging student voice empowers students to take an active role in their school community, resulting in improved engagement and a sense of belonging. Throughout the year, there has been consultation with a broad range of students to seek their input and perspective regarding a variety of issues that directly impact them. A few examples of student agency include: 

• Increased student membership of the Uniform Committee has been increased and a student working group established to provide feedback as part of a review of the Secondary uniform. One such recommendation is the exploration of an alternative girls’ sport short for improved fit and comfort, and a small group of students are trialing a different design this term. 
   
• Consultation with students regarding existing wellbeing initiatives and exploration of future opportunities as part of the development of a Wellbeing Framework. Last term, student leaders engaged in a Global Café workshop to explore wellbeing issues such as peer relationships, addressing litter around the campus and raising awareness about mental health. On Wednesday, 60 students from across Years 5 to 11 engaged in another workshop to identify strengths of existing wellbeing initiatives and identify ways in which the College could enhance current offerings, and it was fantastic to see the passion and engagement of students as they brainstormed ideas together. 
   
• Year 12 lunches with Mr Mahon, where conversations took place regarding a whole range of issues. Some changes arising from these meetings have been a review of the assessment schedules and an exploration of building greater flexibility into the timetable in support of senior students’ workloads.  

Student voice enrichens our decision-making processes. As a strategic objective, and we will continue to create further opportunities to seek student input and enhance student engagement in College life. 

Our Magis Tournament of Champions teams commence their competition today at Yale University and we wish them every success. Well done to all performers for the Year 10 Recital Night, and to our interstate Volleyball teams for a competitive match against Greenwood High School on Wednesday. All the best to Year 11 students who commence examinations on Monday, as well as performers rehearsing for the Year 9 Drama Night next Thursday. 

Student Achievements

Congratulations to Xavier Emery, Year 7 St Louis, for the remarkable achievement of being shortlisted in the 2023 Poem Forest competition! Poem Forest invites students to use their words to make positive climate action, and for every nature poem received a tree is planted to help heal habitats.

So that we can shine the light on student achievements, please share the good news by emailing me at Shani.Andrews@cewa.edu.au.

Shani Andrews

Vice Principal - Head of Secondary

Roncalli Service

On Thursday, six of our Year 9 leaders went to Montgomery House Aged Care to pilot a program for Roncalli Service in 2024. Our students participated in some intergenerational activities that were organised by the Lifestyle Therapist at Montgomery House. The afternoon was spent playing volleyball and chatting with some of the residents. We look forward to developing this relationship next year.

Janeen Murphy

Deputy Principal of Faith and Mission

Year 11 ATAR Geography Gallery Walk and Morning Tea 

On Friday 27 October 2023, Year 11 Geography ATAR students came together to celebrate the end of their final summative assessment task prior to their Semester Two Examination.

Over the past six weeks, students have been engaging in a research task based around ‘elements of culture’, with the students being able to choose the type of cultural element they would like to study. Topics included haute couture, jazz, volleyball and The British Invasion of music, to name a few! Part of the task prompted students to create a poster reflecting their findings, before they sat an in-class validation on their chosen topic. 

Students had the chance to view the cohorts amazing posters during a ‘Gallery Walk and Morning Tea’, where many conversations were had about the unique perspectives provided by many in both Geography classes. Thank you to Mrs Kalo Bell for her help and support throughout this activity.  

Chris Morris

Head of Learning Area – Humanities and Social Sciences

Shopfront Christmas Appeal

Please donate generously to the John XXIII College Christmas appeal.

Please bring in money or items from the list below to support the Shopfront Christmas Appeal. Items need to be brought to Homeroom by Wednesday, 22 November. Any cash donations will support the Shopfront Christmas Lunch.

The following items are needed for Gift Bags (please note, smaller sizes are most useful):

SPORTS

Australian Volleyball Schools Cup

This week, we hosted three volleyball games against Greenwood Secondary College to help prepare our teams for the Australian Volleyball Schools Cup.

The games were a huge success and provided all players with an invaluable experience to not only prepare but also network with other students travelling to the Gold Coast in December this year.

Congratulations

Congratulations to Orlando Ligovich, Year 7, who has recently returned from a stellar performance at the Optimist Sailing competition in Pattaya, Thailand, where he represented the Australian Optimist Development Squad. Orlando's exceptional skills and determination saw him secure the prestigious title of the top-ranked Australian participant, achieving an impressive 25th place out of 151 competitors. This noteworthy achievement also marked a significant milestone, as for the first time in several years, all four Australian sailors in the squad successfully secured a coveted spot in the gold fleet during the finals. Orlando's ability to navigate the challenging sailing conditions and contend with substantial tides is truly commendable.

Sara Kononen

Head of Sport