Around The Primary

Dear Families 

This morning the Years 3- 12 students gathered for our Anzac Day ceremony. It was a respectful and meaningful service as we took the time to pause, reflect and participate in the ANZAC traditions. We prayed for peace and all who have been impacted by war. Their courage and service will always be remembered with deep gratitude.

Our Year 5 students are back safe and sound after having a fantastic experience at the Swan Valley Adventure Camp.  School camps are an important part of a child’s overall education, providing opportunities that simply cannot be replicated in the classroom. In a safe environment, children develop independence, resilience and confidence as they step outside their usual routines. Through shared outdoor challenges and new experiences, they strengthen social skills, practise teamwork and build deeper friendships. Time away from home also encourages responsibility and personal growth and importantly leaves them with some great memories.

The students were very well behaved and actively participated and supported one another during activities and challenges. Their behaviour and enthusiasm made the experience enjoyable for everyone. 

Thank you to families for your trust and partnership in allowing your child to take part in this experience. Your encouragement and confidence help your child approach camp with a positive mindset and an openness to growth.

Camps require significant planning and preparation. Special thanks to Mrs Purcell, Camp Coordinator for organising such a successful experience.  I acknowledge the wonderful efforts of Mrs Purcell,  Ms Allen, Miss Allen, Ms Chapman, Mrs Fontaine, Mrs Alach, Miss Cruse, Mrs Gilmour, Miss Krikstolaitis, Mr Williams, Ms Brown and Mrs Joyce.  Their commitment to ensuring every child felt safe and supported is what makes these experiences so successful and meaningful for all involved.

We are delighted to host a Mass and morning tea dedicated to Mothers and mother figures next Friday, 8 May at 7:45am. We look forward to seeing many families at this special celebration.

Kind regards

Antoinette De Pinto

Head of Primary 

Dates to Remember

Mothers' Day

We are delighted to host a Mass and morning tea dedicated to Mothers and mother figures on Friday, 8 May at 7:45am.

As part of this celebration, we will have a photo display and slideshow.  Families are kindly requested to email one photo of mothers with their children (or a family photo) to nancy.petsos@johnxxiii.edu.au 

It is important to email the photos in JPEG format.  All photos need to be received this weekend, Sunday 3 May.  Please note, photos received after this date will not be able to be included on the display or slideshow. 

Submitting a photo is entirely optional — families who do not wish to participate are not required to do so.

Please note that by choosing to submit a photo, you are providing explicit consent for that photo to be displayed during our Mass celebration and shared in the College newsletter, regardless of the publishing permissions you have recorded in Consent2Go. This consent applies to this specific occasion only and does not alter your existing Consent2Go preferences in any way.

If you have any questions about your publishing permissions or wish to update your preferences in Consent2Go, please do not hesitate to contact the College office.

Please also remember to RSVP for adults attending (not students) to the Mothers’ Day Mass by Wednesday, 6 May via trybooking link  2026 Mothers' Day Celebration Tickets, John XXIII College, Mount Claremont | TryBooking Australia

Sacrament Certificates

Parents are requested to email a copy of their child’s Sacramental Certificate (Reconciliation, Eucharist or Confirmation) to the College Enrolment team – enrolments@johnxxiii.edu.au for our College records.

Sport

Excitement is building for the upcoming Interhouse Cross-Country next Thursday 7 May.  Numbers at our training sessions have been exceptional and the effort students have been putting in has been incredible to see.  There is a long and a short option for each race and students will be walking and familiarising themselves with the course in Sport and PE lessons before the carnival.  We encourage all students to challenge themselves and do their very best and earn points for their Houses.   

We have a busy interschool program this year with 3 Interschool competitions in Weeks 5 (SSWA), 6 (JACC) and 7 (IPSHA).  The Interschool team will be selected from the Interhouse Carnival with the top 8 runners from each race qualifying for the IPSHA Carnival and the top 6 runners qualifying for the SSWA and JACC Carnivals.  

Cross-Country training will continue through to Thursday 28 May and is open to all.  Please note, students in Years 2 and below must be accompanied by an adult.  

We look forward to seeing lots of parents and grandparents there to cheer on our runners and celebrate their efforts.  Please see race times below.  

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 

Primary Music 

Ensemble Rehearsals

Rehearsal times are provided below for next week - 

Catholic Performing Arts Festival 

Entries are now open for the Catholic Performing Arts Festival! Students learning through the College can enter via their tutors.  Students learning from external tutors can lodge their entries through the Music Office. (Please note that scans/copies of sheet music are also required). Entries into the Catholic Performing Arts Festival close on Thursday, 7 May.

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

Catherine Haydon

Primary Music Teacher

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.