Around The Primary

Dear Families 

As we come to the end of Term 3, I would like to reflect on what has been a wonderful ten weeks of learning and growth.

Throughout the term, our students have embraced challenges, celebrated successes, strengthened friendships and continued to grow in competence, conscience and compassion. Whether in the classroom, on the sporting field, on the stage or through service to others, they have represented our school with pride.

As a Catholic community, we give thanks for the many ways God's presence is reflected in our school through prayer, kindness, generosity and care for one another. These experiences help create a community where every child is known, valued and encouraged to flourish.

Thank you to our staff for their dedication and to our families for your ongoing support and partnership. Together, we provide a nurturing environment in which our children can learn, grow and thrive.

I wish all families a safe, restful and happy holiday break and look forward to welcoming everyone back for Term 4.

Kind regards,

Antoinette De Pinto

Head of Primary 

Grandparents' Picnic

Save the date – Thursday 15 October

Please RSVP using this link - https://www.trybooking.com/au/event/1648587 

Pre-Primary Assembly 

Our Pre-Primary students delighted the audience at today’s Assembly, proudly sharing their learning about writing sentences, teen numbers, and the seven continents. They also reminded us that making mistakes helps us learn, grow, and become brave learners.

A special thank you to Miss Ricciardi, Miss Kolbusz, and our wonderful Education Assistants for their dedication in preparing the students for this special presentation.

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

Dates to Remember

Check the College Website to note all the important Primary school events for your family calendar. https://www.johnxxiii.edu.au/view/for-families/calendars By subscribing to the College calendar you are automatically alerted when details of an existing event are changed. 

Kaarakin Black Cockatoo

On Tuesday, the Year 3 students welcomed Sam from Kaarakin and Princess Rex, a Baudin’s Black Cockatoo to the College. The students learnt about the unique features of black cockatoos, including the differences between males and females, their impressive lifespan, and how their strong beaks are specially adapted for cracking gum nuts and other native foods. Princess Rex certainly captured everyone’s attention as she happily enjoyed gum nuts and even apples!

Students learned some of the challenges that black cockatoos face in the wild, including habitat loss and predators such as ravens. The incursion highlighted the importance of sustainability and protecting biodiversity in our local environment, exploring how planting native species, such as banksias, can create important feeding and resting places for black cockatoos as they travel across our city. It was a fascinating experience that inspired the students to think about how we can all help protect Western Australia’s unique wildlife.

Stephanie Micale and Suzie Thomas

Year 3 Teachers

Grand Designs

The Year 2 students have been busy putting their creativity and design skills to the test! They were set the challenge to create a musical instrument that makes a sound, using their plans to guide them through the design process. 

The students have had lots of fun experimenting with different materials, shapes and ways to make their instruments work. It has been wonderful to see their creativity, problem-solving and excitement as they brought their ideas to life!

Lauren Pillera and Sian Cruse

Year 2 Teachers

Scratch!

This term, our Year 6 students have been busy designing and creating their own digital games using Scratch. Today, they proudly shared their completed games with the Year 3 students, who became our official game testers! Year 3 students played the games and provided valuable feedback to help our designers reflect on their creations.

Emily Ferrier

Primary Digital Technologies Teacher

2027 Class Placements 

Each new school year brings the excitement and change of classes, teachers and classmates. It is normal for children to have some apprehension about this.  It is also inevitable that changes to friendship groups occur as children move through the grades.  Meeting new and different people is a part of life and it is our role as parents and educators to support children through change rather than protect them from it. 

I ask all families to trust that the class your child is going into next year is one in which they will thrive. It is important to note that parental requests can only be met in exceptional circumstances and emails requesting a particular teacher or placement with a best friend does not constitute an exceptional circumstance. Early notification of class lists will not be provided. Parents can feel confident that their children will always be in good hands and receive an excellent education at John XXIII College.

If there is an exceptional circumstance that the College needs to be aware of, this needs to be sent directly to antoinette.depinto@johnxxiii.edu.au by 5:00pm today, Friday 25 September.  No late requests will be considered.

Primary Sport

Term 4 Extra-curricular opportunities

Tennis 

Nick Kirkbride from Coastal Tennis begins again.  Mondays from 7:45am to 8:30am on the secondary tennis courts, commencing in Week 2.  Sign up at Schools | Coastal Tennis | Western Australia

Fun Fitness Foundations

Dave from FFF returns with his fun and engaging program to keep students moving.  Wednesdays from 3:15pm to 4:15pm, commencing in Week 2.  Sign up details to come.

Soccer

Tuesday soccer with J and J is back in Term 4 from Week 2. Sessions will be held on Tuesdays from 3:30pm to 4:20pm on the Junior Primary oval. Please see the attached flyer for further details.  

Basketball

Redhage Basketball is back on Thursdays, commencing in Week 2 from 3:30pm to 4:20pm in the school gym. Registrations can be made via Redhage Basketball - Shawn Redhage Perth Wildcats NBL.  

If you have any queries regarding Primary Sport, please contact me via email: steve.williams@johnxxiii.edu.au 

Steve Williams 

Primary Sport Coordinator 

Primary Music 

Ensemble Rehearsals 

Year 1 Mini-Music Performances

Our Year One students proudly presented their mini musical ‘Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?’ to their families this week.

These performances gave each student the opportunity to sing, speak, act and dance, as well as demonstrate the music skills they have been learning.  Special thanks to Miss Rowbottom and Mrs Peirce for their support and to Mrs Seaborn for creating beautiful headbands for the students to wear.

Save the Date

Please note the following performance dates for next term: 

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

Catherine Haydon

Primary Music Teacher

Thinking ahead to 2027?

As we begin planning for the year ahead, we understand that family circumstances can change, and sometimes this means a move to a new school.

If you believe your child may not be returning to John XXIII College in 2027, we would appreciate hearing from you as early as possible. This helps us to ensure a smooth transition for your family and allows us to offer places to other students on our waiting list.

In line with our College’s Withdrawal Policy, we kindly ask for written notice to the College Registrar at least one term (ten school weeks) before the anticipated departure date.

Where notice is not received, the policy provides for one term’s fees in lieu of notice.

If you are unsure about your plans or have any questions, our Enrolments team is here to talk things through and support you. You can contact our enrolments team via email or call 9383 0449.

Extend After School Care 

Please click on the following link to find out about After School Care offered by Extend, including hours of operation, fees and how to book - John XXIII College - Extend

The team at Extend can be contacted via email: support@extend.com.au or call 1300 366 437.