Secondary

Dear Families 

The House system is an integral part of our College community, providing students with an understanding of our founders, an opportunity to develop relationships with students other than their year group and the development of House spirit and pride. Yesterday we celebrated Campion House Day. Named after the English Martyr and Saint, Edmund Campion (1540 – 1581), Campion’s House motto is 'Faith and Courage'. Born in London to Catholic parents who later became Protestant, Edmund Campion converted to Catholicism and became a Jesuit priest in 1573. Soon after his ordination in Prague, Campion was assigned to his homeland of England in support of a newly founded Jesuit mission. This was a dangerous time for Catholics in England who were persecuted for their faith. In his mission, Campion would stay at a Catholic house for one or two nights or visit households where Catholics were employed. His pattern was to arrive during the day, preach and hear confessions during the evening, and then celebrate Mass in the morning before moving on to the next location. In July 1581, Campion’s freedom to minister to Catholics ended when he was arrested, imprisoned and tortured before being found guilty at trial for high treason and condemned to be hanged, drawn and quartered.

From our Year 12 students on what it means to be in Campion House …

Evie: 

To be passionate, kind, courageous and willing to participate in everything. To fight to our wins, fulfill traditions and ensure our image as a well spirited and multi-talented house.

Holly: 

Campion House is about spirit, supporting all and having compassion and kindness.

Led by House Coordinator, Mr Tom Hooker, yesterday Campion students and staff came together to celebrate as a House. The assembly period involved a liturgy where students expressed gratitude towards their wonderful Homeroom teachers and participated in some games and activities. An important part of the day was the sharing of lunch together to strengthen bonds between Homerooms. The day finished on a high with Campion students coming together to cook meals for Shopfront. This was an opportunity for them to think about those who are less fortunate, helping to reinforce that Campion students are ‘people for others’. A huge thank you to all Campion student leaders and staff, as well as support staff for their help on the day.

Campion House Prayer

God of all people,

Throughout the ages you inspire heroic individuals like Edmund Campion.

You called him to use his education and his influence to speak out boldly.

We pray that his example inspires us to listen to our conscience, stand up for what is right, and have courage to speak the truth.

We make this prayer through Christ our Lord, and with the intercession of our founders:

Pope John XXIII Pray for us

Ignatius of Loyola Pray for us

Mary Ward Pray for us

NAPLAN

NAPLAN commenced this week and students in Years 7 and 9 are to be commended for their calm and positive approach to their various assessment sessions. A reminder that NAPLAN needn’t be a source of anxiety for students and families; some strategies to help reduce the ‘NAPLAN nerves’ include:

• Ensure that students get a good night’s sleep and have a wholesome breakfast so that they have the energy to perform at their best.
• Eliminate external stressors on the day so that students can focus on feeling organised, calm and ready. Avoid rushing in the morning, help them get to school on time and remain calm and centred yourself to minimise any nervous energy they might pick up on.
• Encourage them to read the question carefully to avoid silly or rushed errors.
• Focus on the important things: students’ long-term learning is more important overall than any isolated test, NAPLAN or otherwise. Remind them that whatever the outcome, their personal best and continuous improvement over time is the most important thing.

Please continue to encourage your child to be organised for NAPLAN by bringing their charged device, headphones and pencil to each assessment.

Parent Teacher Student Interviews: Monday, 18 March

We look forward to welcoming parents online and in person on Monday for our first round of Parent Teacher Student Interviews. These interviews are an important event that can assist you and your child to speak with their teachers about their academic progress and work habits. To facilitate meaningful feedback and discussion with teachers, the following suggestions may be useful:

• Read the Interim Report before you attend. Interim Reports will be available today at 3:30pm via SEQTA. 
• Identify and discuss areas of strength and opportunities for improvement for each subject.
• Seek clarity regarding one strategy suggested by the teacher your child could practice to improve their learning. This should provide helpful information to implement a plan that, over time, results in learning growth.

Interviews will be conducted online via Teams in the morning and face-to-face in the St Louis Sports Centre in the afternoon.

• 8:30am – 1pm: all interviews will be online. Parents will receive an invitation to a Microsoft Teams meeting and can access the meeting by clicking on the meeting link. 
• 2pm – 6pm: all interviews will be in the St Louis Sports Centre.

Uniform Shop

To coincide with Monday's Parent Teacher Student interview meetings, the Uniform Shop will be open from 8am to 6pm. With Term 2 approaching and the need for blazers as part of the winter uniform, this will be an opportunity for parents to visit the Uniform Shop for fittings and purchases. Appointments are not necessary.

A Block Car Park

A reminder that the A Block car park off Mooro Drive is available for staff and Primary parent parking only. Secondary parents are required to drop and pick up from the Secondary car park off John XXIII Avenue. Your cooperation is appreciated.

Horizons West Bus Charter Service – reminder for students to pay for each ride

We have received reports that not all students are paying for their fare when travelling on the Horizons West charter buses to and from school. Students must swipe their card and pay their fare when embarking for each ride. Students found not to be paying their fare may not be permitted to board the bus.

Autumn hazards on campus

As we embrace the beauty of the autumn season, we would like to remind everyone to exercise caution while navigating our campus grounds. With the changing foliage comes fallen tree nuts, leaves, and twigs, which can pose a trip hazard. Our dedicated Grounds team works diligently to clear these areas as often as possible. However, due to the constant falling of leaves and debris during this season, we kindly ask for your cooperation in staying vigilant and taking extra care.

Term 1 Key Dates 

Shani Andrews

Vice Principal - Head of Secondary

Live Simply Day

570 Secondary students participated in our annual Live Simply Day to raise funds for Caritas Australia’s Lenten fundraising campaign, Project Compassion. Live Simply Day encourages us to live sustainably and be in solidarity with the world’s poorest. Many of our students chose to fast for the day, enjoyed a simple lunch of plain bread, reduced their electronic consumption, or even walked to school. Live Simply Day reinforced the three pillars of Lent: prayer, fasting and almsgiving.

Janeen Murphy

Deputy Principal Faith and Mission

Year 9 Food Technology

In Year 9 Food Technology, our students have been delving into the topic of food equity and sustainability. Through thought-provoking discussions and engaging activities, they've been uncovering the various factors that influence our food system and how we can make a positive impact.

One key aspect we've been examining is the accessibility of resources, particularly the profound effect of access to water on food production and distribution. Understanding these dynamics helps students grasp the broader issues surrounding food equity and prompts them to think critically about solutions.

Our exploration has extended to the pressing issue of food waste. By dissecting the root causes and consequences of food waste, students are gaining insight into the importance of minimising wastage and maximising the utility of resources.

To put theory into practice, students embarked on an exciting challenge utilising ‘odd bunch’ food items to make delicious muffins. This activity not only encourages creativity in the kitchen but also fosters an appreciation for unconventional ingredients and promotes sustainable consumption practices.

Mindy Toleman

Technologies Teacher   

Maths week

This week, the College celebrated Mathematics Week. The timing of this week is chosen as ‘Pi Day’, falls during this week on 14 March. The Mathematics Department ran several exciting challenges for students who got to come together to celebrate their passion and love for the subject.

During Homeroom, students had daily Mathematical puzzles and challenges to solve. Well done to Year 8 St Louis and Year 9 Loreto, who came out as the top Homerooms in these challenges. 

On Tuesday, students took part in the Towers of Hanoi Challenge where Neva Barker in Year 11, came out on top with an impressive performance.

The exciting ‘Break the Lock Challenge’ was won by Year 7 Campion.

On Thursday we had the Pi Day Challenge, with a large number of students participating. Well done to Sasha Pallis, Year 10 Campion, for being the clear winner with 169 digits of Pi memorised!

I would like to thank all the students who participated so enthusiastically and the wonderful Math teachers who ran the activities throughout the week. 

Chess Club

Last week, the College Chess Club kicked off its Round-Robin tournament, which features games held every week. Fourteen students are competing for the title of Chess Champion. 

Any students who are interested in learning Chess or joining the Club are very welcome to come along each Wednesday at lunchtime in the library or email joanne.friel@johnxxiii.edu.au for more information. 

Jo Friel

Head of Learning Area - Mathematics

SPORT

ACC Swimming 

On Wednesday, 20 March, our Swimming Team will compete in the 2024 ACC A-Division Swimming Carnival. Our team have a huge day ahead of them, taking on the rest of the A-Division schools. Building on our past successes with top two finishes our team will showcase their talents and make the College proud no matter what the outcome! Our team had a squad session at HBF stadium this week, which was a huge success and provided an invaluable experience for all members. This session also provided an opportunity for our relay teams to practice their race order and strategies.

We can’t wait for the first of the big three ACC Carnivals next week, we are anticipating a highly competitive event. The team's spirit is soaring, and we're fully prepared to give it our all. With such determination and camaraderie, we're excited to see what heights we can reach together on the day of the competition. 

The full program of events is attached and for all the action on the day, please tune into the Livestream.

Important Information

• On Tuesday, 19 March there will be a compulsory team Sundowner at the College from 3:30pm-4:45pm. Please register using this link.
• Team members are encouraged and eligible to purchase an Interschool Jumper which may only be worn on the week of the carnival. 
• Team members are welcome to purchase our new race bathers from the Uniform Shop. 
• Team members MUST have a white John XXIII swimming cap to compete in.

NORTHERN ASSOCIATED SCHOOLS (NAS)

Senior NAS One-Day Carnival

Congratulations to all Years 11/12 students who have made a Senior NAS Team this term. All teams have started training once a week in the lead-up to the big day on Friday, 22 March. Thank you to all the staff and coaches for their work!

Years 9/10 NAS One-Day Carnival 

Congratulations to all the students who trialed for a team. All team lists have been posted in the College SEQTA notices. Students have now had two training sessions, and it has been wonderful to see teams come together and develop cohesion before the day! 

All students have been accounted for, so please look closely for what you will be taking part in on the day. If a student's name is coloured red at the bottom of a team list, this means they have been selected as helpers for that team. This will involve assistance with scoring, equipment, and support on the day. 

• One Day Carnival Date: Wednesday, 27 March.
• All students will be involved in the day as either a team member, a student helper for a team or participating in the social grasscourt Volleyball Tournament on campus.
• Training afternoons will continue next week and Week 9: Wednesday, 20 and Monday, 25 March from 3:30pm-4:30pm. Students unable to make all training days must communicate with the team coach.
• Students are to meet in the Pavilion in their PE uniform before their training.

Cross-Country training

Cross-country training sessions are underway every Tuesday and Thursday from 7am to 8am. The course run-through has been changed. It will now occur at the Thursday morning session next week and then on Tuesday, 26 March in the final week of term. The course map can be found in the College notices. All students are welcome to join our morning training sessions.

Jessica Pillera

Head of Sport