Around The Primary

Dear Families

As we are approaching the middle of the term, I'd like to take a moment to focus on an important aspect of our children's development: resilience. In today's rapidly changing world, the ability to adapt, recover, and thrive despite challenges is more important than ever.

Parenting expert Maggie Dent emphasises the value of building emotional resilience in children. She states, "Resilience is not just about 'bouncing back' from adversity, but also 'bouncing forward' - growing stronger and wiser from the challenges faced." This is an important reminder that every challenge presents an opportunity for development and learning.

At John XXIII we create a nurturing environment where every child feels supported and valued. Through our programs and daily interactions, we encourage students to face challenges with courage and confidence. Nevertheless, the role of parents and caregivers is crucial to foster and develop resilience in children. Your encouragement and understanding are key to helping your children build the resilience they need to succeed.

Let's continue to work together in fostering a community that empowers our children to face challenges and grow stronger. 

All Saints' Day

Our Year 4 students and teachers, Miss Eisenmann, Miss Smith and Ms Lumley prepared a special celebration of the Eucharist in honour of All Saints. During the Mass we thanked to God for all the saints, and were reminded how God’s love works through them. Some saints have been officially recognised by the Church, including our College founders –Pope John XXIII and Ignatius of Loyola.

Tomorrow is All Souls' Day – a day to set aside some time to remember and pray for all those who have died. 

Kind regards

Antoinette De Pinto

Head of Primary

We hope you enjoy this highlights clip from the Junior Athletics Primary Carnival held last Thursday. 

Vinnies Christmas Appeal  

Every year the Society of St Vincent de Paul organises hampers for families in need of assistance.

Families are invited to select from the following list and bring items to school by Friday 29 November.  There will be collection baskets in all the classrooms. 

Suggestions for donation items:

Thank you for your support. 

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

By subscribing to the College calendar, you are automatically alerted when details of an existing event are changed. 

2025 Term Dates

The term dates for 2025 have now been published on the College Website and can be accessed using this link Parent Information | Term Dates | John XXIII College

Inspire Workshop

The Parents' Association is committed to providing valuable educational experiences through our 'INSPIRE' program, which focuses on parent education through presentations, forums, and interactive sessions. Our program funds a range of speakers and educators who address health and wellbeing issues affecting young people and their families. In this interactive workshop, we invite parents and guardians to come together and brainstorm potential topics for our 'INSPIRE' events in 2025 and beyond. Your input will be important in helping us identify the most relevant subjects that will benefit our community. By attending this workshop, you will be part of a proactive community that is dedicated to the educational and emotional wellbeing of our children. Together, we can create a robust and relevant program for 'INSPIRE' into the future. 

We look forward to your participation and contributions.

• Date: Tuesday 12 November 2024 
• Time: 6:00pm - 7:00pm
• Location: Thomas More Exhibition Centre

Parking reminder

Recently, there has been an increase in cars parked along Grainger Drive, adjacent to the Grainger Reserve, during school pickup times. This area is not school property and poses safety risks, especially with large vehicles blocking the road on both sides.

To prevent potential accidents, particularly involving small children, it is crucial that we park safely and respectfully.

Please adhere to the following guidelines:

• Park in designated areas: Use the College’s designated parking areas.
• Avoid parking on verges: Refrain from parking on the verges along Grainger Drive.
• Be mindful of road safety: Ensure you are not blocking pedestrian paths or other vehicles.

Your cooperation is greatly appreciated. Together, we can maintain a safe and respectful environment for our children and community.

Game Changers Awards

On Monday, our Years 4-6 GATE students showcased their innovation and problem-solving skills at the Game Changers Awards held at Edith Cowan University in Joondalup. This annual STEM competition, attended by over 100 teams, brought together young minds from across the state to tackle real-world challenges.

Eight of our teams participated, each following the Design Process to identify a problem, complete research, design a solution, create a prototype, and present their final ideas to a panel of judges. The concepts they brought to life were truly inspiring. Highlights included:

• A creative animal underpass: to help wildlife safely crossroads after bushfires.
• Developed a system to protect cows from predators using drone surveillance.
• Rural Road Monitors: Drones equipped with cameras to alert councils and monitor potholes on rural roads.
• A lightweight, portable bag/safe for people experiencing homelessness to securely store essential documents and valuables.
• Reading Kits for libraries and schools, promoting literacy by making reading resources available to everyone.
• A robotic pH soil tester aimed at rehabilitating jarrah forests impacted by bauxite mining.
• An organic pesticide derived from marigolds that repels pests but attracts essential pollinators like honeybees.
• An e-scooter safety enhancement, using sensors to detect helmet usage; the scooter will not operate if a helmet is not worn.

‘The Radical Riders’ team consisting of Elizabeth Cawley, Rosie Davini and Farrah Finn took home the award for Best Entry Overall in the Years 5/6 category with their innovative e-scooter helmet sensor design. This achievement speaks volumes about the hard work and creativity of all our students, from ideation through to the final presentation.

Congratulations to each team for their outstanding ideas and dedication.

Tara Purcell

GATE and DT Teacher

SchoolTV

In support of our strategic approach to Cura Personalis: care for the whole person, we are pleased to announce the launch of a parent wellbeing resource, SchoolTV. Designed to support parents, caregivers and educators, SchoolTV delivers credible and current information from wellbeing experts via the College’s website. Browse through the resource library and find practical strategies on a variety of topics to help navigate the challenges of modern-day parenting. Each topic is accompanied by factsheets, podcasts, books, articles, apps and videos. This award-winning resource helps families build relationships, foster connections, enable understanding and break down barriers towards better mental health and wellbeing for young people. 

SchoolTV can be accessed via the newsletter each week and the College website School TV | John XXIII College

https://www.johnxxiii.edu.au/view/for-families/school-tv

2025 Booklists

Booklist orders for Pre-Primary to Year 4 will continue to follow the ‘bulk order’ system in 2025. This ordering system enables students to have everything they need for the first day of school and ensures all students have the same equipment as their classmates.

Our booklist provider is Campion Education.

How does the bulk order system work for Pre-Primary to Year 4?

Teachers complete a bulk order list for their year level that will provide all the equipment each student will need for the year.  For instance, if a student fills an exercise book then a new book will be provided. Families will not need to purchase any extra stationery.  The only time families will be required to buy supplies will be if their child intentionally damages any equipment or regularly misplaces supplies. 

How does this help students and teachers?

Firstly, every student will have exactly the same materials.  Students will not feel left out if they do not have the correct materials or the latest trendy pencil case etc.  Teachers are guaranteed that every book and stationery item is correct and it will be available in class for the first day of school. 

This bulk order option will also be a more cost-effective option for families, as well as, offering an easier method for teachers to organise resources ahead of time.

It is important to note that this bulk order cost will be added to the 2025 School Fees.

Booklists in Years 5 and 6

Our Year 5 and 6 students will require booklist orders to be completed with the payment being made directly to Campion Education.

The Year 5 and 6 Booklist Requirements for 2025 form will be sent home with students this week.  The College Website has also been updated and an electronic version of the forms is available using the following linkParent Information | Booklists 2025 | John XXIII College 

All orders must be completed online at www.campion.com.au by Sunday 29 December 2024. 

If you have any queries, please contact Nancy Petsos nancy.petsos@johnxxiii.edu.au in Primary Reception.

Book Return Adventure!

It's time for a little book rescue mission! Our beloved stories have been off on their adventures throughout the year, and soon we will need your help to bring them back home to our library shelves.

Mark Your Calendars: Students will be able to continue borrowing until 15 November. Please return all library books the following week - 18 to 22 November.

Until then, happy reading!

Jean Redfern 

Library and Learning Services Educator

Counsellor’s Corner

This term’s article ‘Hope Builders’ from Happy Families expert Justin Coulson is an inspiring reading as we approach the middle of Term 4.  He talks about hope as a key to decreasing children’s anxieties and offers some practical strategies to try. This is a good time of the year to reflect on what has been achieved this year, and in the spirit of what Justin Coulson says in this article, to consider unmet aspirations as good goals for next year. 

If you have any concerns about your child, please don’t hesitate to contact me at school Monday to Thursday or anytime by email anne.murphy@johnxxiii.edu.au

Anne Murphy

Primary Counsellor

Sports News       

Last Friday our top runners in Years 3 to 6 competed in the SSWA Cross Country Carnival. The conditions were challenging with high temperatures and strong winds and with approximately 250 runners in each race the competition was incredibly hard.  Our runners did exceptionally well and should be extremely proud of their efforts.  Special mention to Zach Sibenaler (11th place), Manuela Braga (8th place) and Charlie Creagh (5th place) for their respective year groups.  All the results can be found at Cross Country – SSWA

Year 6 - Swimming Club 

Year 6 students are inviting to join Secondary students for a swim club training on Wednesday mornings from 7:00am to 8:00am in the College Pool starting from Wednesday 6 November until the remainder of the term.  

This is a great opportunity to get training in early in time for next year’s Interhouse Carnival.  All abilities and experience levels welcome there will be something for everyone and is a  great way to start the day especially with the weather warming up!  For any queries about the Swimming Club, please contact Jessica Pillera, Secondary Head of Sport via email: jessica.pillera@johnxxiii.edu.au

If you have any queries about anything sport-related, please don’t hesitate to contact me via email: steve.williams@johnxxiii.edu.au

Steve Williams

Primary Sport Coordinator

Music News

Primary Choir and Instrumental Ensemble Rehearsals

A friendly reminder that attendance at ensemble rehearsals are compulsory as students are preparing for upcoming performances. Please email the ensemble’s director if your child is sick and unable to attend. Appointments should, where possible, be scheduled for times that do not coincide with rehearsals.

Save The Date

Please note the following music performance dates for this term:

Primary Instrumental Recitals

The Primary Instrumental Recitals held on Monday, 25 November, are an exciting opportunity for students to show off their hard work from throughout the year. 

This performance opportunity is open to students who learn an instrument at school or privately. Students are invited to play one piece in the appropriate recital category (either a solo or group piece). Students may perform in multiple categories (for example, piano and strings) if they learn more than one instrument. These recitals will be divided into groups based on student year groups and the number of entries with family members invited to watch the performances. Timetables will be emailed in the week commencing 18 November.   

Students who learn an instrument at school do not need to complete an entry form as they will be entered by their tutor. Students who wish to perform but have external lessons are required to use this link:   Primary Recital Entry Form. Entries are due by Wednesday 13 November. 

2025 Music Lesson Enrolments

Enrolments for music lessons in 2025 are now open, please see below for options available to students. Enrolment forms are available online Music Lesson Enrolment Form 

*Students in Years Two and Four will receive a separate communication and enrolment information regarding the Strings and Band programs later this term.

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

Catherine Haydon

Primary Music Teacher

Metro pipe renewals close to John XXIII College

Water Corporation has planned water pipe replacement work in Pine Tree Lane, close to John XXII College, scheduled to commence mid-November 2024 and be completed by mid-December. The work will improve the reliability of the local water supply and prevent future leaks and breaks.

The exact location of the work is in the map below. Work will take place from 7am to 5pm, Monday to Friday and some Saturdays when required.

You may notice the impact of the work largely through extra traffic management in the area; however, given the work will be within verges, no roads are expected to be closed. Water Corporation do expect some potential traffic delays within the area for parents; however, again, this is expected to be minimal.

For more information, please visit their website.