Around The Primary

Dear Families 

Welcome back!

I hope the holidays were filled with rest, family time, and plenty of enjoyment of the beautiful weather. It’s always great to see our staff and students return refreshed, re-energised, and ready for a new term of teaching and learning.

ANZAC Day will be commemorated next Friday. This day holds deep significance as we remember and honour the courage, sacrifice, and spirit of the men and women who have served our country and to those who continue to do so. As a school community, we will take time to reflect, helping our students understand the values of service, resilience, and gratitude.

Looking ahead, Term 2 promises to be a rich and rewarding time. There is much to look forward to, both inside and outside the classroom, as we continue to support each child’s academic, social, and emotional development.

As parents and caregivers, your example matters deeply. When children see us striving to grow, showing resilience, and approaching life with positivity, they learn to do the same.

Our Year 5 students are very excited about taking part in an Adventure Camp in Swan Valley next week. I’m sure they will enjoy the fun and challenging team-building activities.

Enjoy the long weekend!

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 by Friday 1 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

Project Compassion

Thank you for participating in this year’s Caritas fundraising initiative for Project Compassion. We are very proud to announce that this year we have raised $2164.25.  We feel blessed to be part of such a caring and supportive school community. Thank you for your generosity. 

Migrant Jubilee Cross

This morning our College was privileged to welcome the Migrant Jubilee Cross as part of its national pilgrimage across Australia. This Cross is a powerful symbol of the faith, resilience and contributions that migrants bring to the Church and to Australian society. Crafted from Australian timber and mounted on a boat-shaped base, the Cross evokes the migrant journey by land and sea and the Church’s vocation to be a place of refuge and welcome for all people. As the Cross continues its journey, may we continue to be grateful for the rich diversity of our community and the enduring call of the Gospel.

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

Cross Country

It has been great to see lots of runners at cross-country training this week.  From next week we will start practicing the course and race pace in preparation for the Years 3 to 6 Interhouse Cross-Country Carnival taking place on Thursday, 7 May.  All runners from Year 2 and below are still welcome to come along and join in.  

Cross-Country will not be cancelled due to weather.  If it is too wet, the session will take place in the gymnasium, but we will endeavour to get out and run on the ovals.  It is recommended to bring sports/formal uniform to change into after training.  

Years 5 and 6 Winter Sport

Our Years 5 and 6 winter sports began this week.  All students have been placed in their chosen sport and will take part in that sport each Thursday this term.  There are sport specific requirements for the different sports that students are expected to bring each Thursday, please see below:

Extra-Curricular Sport

After-school sports begin next week, and there are still spots available.  Please check the details and booking information below. 

Cross Country

Cross Country training continues each Tuesday and Thursday from 7:30am to 8:00am on the Secondary ovals. All students are welcome to attend; however, students in Years 2 and below must be accompanied by an adult.  

Fun Fitness Foundations

We have a new and exciting sporting opportunity on Wednesday afternoons for Years 1 to 4 students.  Dave from Fun Fitness Foundations will be developing skills, confidence and resilience in his fun and active sessions!  See the flyer attached for details and booking information. 

Soccer 

Tuesday soccer with J and J returns in Term 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 from 3:30pm to 4:20pm in the school gym from Thursday, 30 April. Registrations can be made via Redhage Basketball - Shawn Redhage Perth Wildcats NBL

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 - 

*Please note the change of day for Week 2

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

Join the 2026 Premier's Reading Challenge 

The Premier’s Reading Challenge encourages students to discover the joy of reading, improve their literacy skills and enjoy amazing stories. The challenge runs for 12 weeks from 23 March to 12 June 2026. To complete the challenge, Kindergarten to Year 6 students are required to read 12 or more books, either independently or with a parent/guardian.

• How to register your child 
• Visit the website Premier's Reading Challenge - Premier's Reading Challenge and create a parent account. You can then add your child/children to your profile. 

Remember to log your child's weekly reading to go into the running to win a prize. 

Happy reading!

LEGO & DUPLO Donations Wanted

Our Library is seeking donations of LEGO and DUPLO bricks for use in a range of student activities. These resources will support:

• Primary and Secondary Library activities
• Secondary Wellbeing activities

• Creative play and hands‑on learning projects

   

If you have any spare LEGO or DUPLO at home that is no longer being used, we would be very grateful to give it a new life at school.

Donations can be dropped off at the Library at any time.

Thank you for supporting our students’ creativity and wellbeing.

Jean Redfern

Library and Learning Services Educator

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.