Secondary

Dear Families  

The Ignatius Centre Library provides a welcoming environment for students to gather, learn and play before, during and after school each day. To celebrate Book Week, the Library has had a few minor refurbishments to bring Hogwarts to the College. In addition to organised activities to promote Book Week and the love of reading, students and families can discover new worlds and magical adventures with our carefully curated selection of books for Secondary students in our digital book fair. Students will receive an exclusive discount on all purchases. Visit the QBD Education website to explore and order.  

To support Year 12 students as they head into their final weeks of preparation for Semester 2 and ATAR examinations, we have extended the Ignatius Centre hours until 6pm, Monday to Thursday. Year 12 students are welcome to stay until 6pm to meet and study independently or with peers, with access to tutoring support from alumni mentors commencing in the next couple of weeks. The Library will also be open during the second week of the Term 3 holidays for students to access in their first week of examinations. Thank you to Mr Bill Quartermaine, Director of Innovation and Ms Jean Redfern, Library and Learning Services Educator, for their efforts in coordinating this new initiative.  

A reminder that next Wednesday is the Years 9 and 10 NAS Winter Carnival. This is a compulsory school day and we wish all students a successful day of sport and comradery as they represent the College against other NAS schools. Those not competing on the day will engage in a day of physical and wellbeing activities. More information is provided in the Sports notices below.  

2025 Student Diaries 

Whilst the student diary is a valuable tool to support students’ organisation and time management with their learning program, a recent review indicates that a portion of students are not using their diary as they have alternative means of organisation. In keeping with our commitment to sustainability, we will continue to provide diaries to Years 7 and 8 students to support the development of important organisational skills in these years, and offer diaries to students in Years 9 to 12 who wish to continue using the student diary next year. Please complete the link below to order a College-provided diary for your child who will be in Years 9 to 12 in 2025.  

Helping others in our Community: Roncalli Care 

The Roncalli Roster is a College community-operated pastoral care program that facilitates the delivery of home-cooked meals to members of the College community experiencing hardship and loss. The primary purpose of the roster is to provide meals while maintaining the privacy and anonymity of the recipients and volunteers alike in a timely and consistent manner. If you or someone you know could benefit from the service provided by the Roncalli Roster, please get in contact by emailing Roncalli@johnxxiii.edu.au. Please note that consent is required from the meal recipient before the roster can begin. 

PALS Term 3 Parent Events  

Thanks to all PALS for organising an array of social events for parents to connect with each other. Please find below this term’s calendar of events.  

Warm regards

Shani Andrews

Vice Principal - Head of Secondary

Year 11 ATAR Geography Fieldwork

On Tuesday, 13 August Year 11 ATAR Geography students embarked on a field trip to the Swan Valley as part of their Unit 2 studies. This fieldwork is an important aspect of the ATAR curriculum, serving as a practical tool for consolidating syllabus content and observing real-world examples. The purpose of the excursion was to complement students’ understanding of the production and consumption of an Australian good (wine). During the day, students participated in a guided educational tour of Upper Reach Winery and engaged in various exercises to develop their mapping skills, including landscape sketching and analysing land use changes over time. A special thank you to Mrs Mavromatis and Ms Comerford for accompanying the class. The excursion not only enriched the students' geographical knowledge but also offered the delightful bonus of chocolate and coffee tastings from the Margaret River Chocolate Company and Yahava KoffeeWorks!

Kalo Bell 

Geography Teacher

Hachimaki with Year 7 Japanese

Both Year 7 Japanese classes enthusiastically designed and created their own 'hachimaki'. Hachimaki is a traditional headband of important cultural significance.

Many samurai (Japanese warriors) historically wore a hachimaki in the hope that it would guide and provide them with courage. Today, this practice continues by many hard workers, sports competitors, and students as it helps them focus and persevere. Hachimaki are seen at many Japanese festivals and special events.

In preparation for the Giro d'Italia next week our students in Team Japan used kanji (calligraphy) words such as 'success' or 'courage' along with their favourite anime character to guide them to victory. 

Mina san ganbatte! (Good luck everyone).

Thank you to Glass Sensei to providing a culturally appropriate and creatively enriching tasks to the Year 7 Japanese students

Obento Making with Year 9 Japanese Students

On Wednesday, the Year 9 Japanese students cooked a traditional Japanese obento, or lunch box. Their obento included beautifully decorated ‘onigiri’ (rice balls) with teriyaki chicken and a fresh salad. The main characteristics of Japanese lunch boxes are that they are not only tasty but also healthy and eye-catching. The Year 9s rose to the occasion and produced wonderful, colourful, and tasty lunches. Oishii!

Well done, Aghdasi Sensei and all the Year 9 students of Japanese.

Melissa Polizzi

Head of Learning Area - Languages

Spellbound by Stories: Dive into the Magic of Reading! 

19 to 25 August

Get ready to be enchanted by our Digital Book Fair during Book Week! Discover new worlds and magical adventures with our carefully curated selection of books from QBD Innaloo.

How to Order:

1. Visit our digital book fair website
2. Browse the collection: Explore a wide range of books appropriate for secondary students.
3. Place your order: Simply select your books and check out online.
4. Enjoy your order: Orders will be delivered to you at school within a few weeks.

School Discount: Students will receive an exclusive discount on all purchases!

Don’t miss out on this spellbinding opportunity to enhance your reading collection. Dive into the magic today and make your Book Week unforgettable.

For more details, contact Jean Redfern, jean.redfern@johnxxiii.edu.au.

Jean Redfern

Library and Learning Services Educator

Year 7 Social - Roller skating

• Date: Monday 9 September 2024, 2:30pm to 6:00pm
• Transport: Students will be bused to and from the venue, arriving back at the College at 6:00pm
• Cost: $25 includes roller-skate hire, afternoon tea and drink, prizes and transport
• Where: Rollerzone Malaga, 299 Victoria Road, Malaga
• RSVP here by Monday 2 September 9:00am

Year 8 Social - Bush dance

Grab your boots, it's time for the Year 8 Bush Dance social.

• Date: Tuesday 3 September, 6:00pm to 8:00pm
• Cost: $15 per person includes band, pizza and a drink
• Where: Roncalli Hall, John XXIII College, John XXIII Avenue, Mount Claremont
• Dress: Jeans and checked shirt or neat casual
• RSVP here by no later than 9am, Monday 2 September

Inspire Parent event

We are pleased to invite you to a special follow-up event organised by our Parents' Association Inspire group, building on the success of the recent talk by Karen Young. This session, titled ‘Lessons Learned from Karen Young’s Presentation,’ will provide further insights into the strategies discussed during her presentation on Building Courage and Resilience in Children and Adolescents.

Event Details:

• Date: Wednesday 28 August 2024
• Time: 8:45am - 10:00am
• Location: Thomas More Exhibition Centre. John XXIII College, John XXIII Avenue, Mount Claremont 
• RSVP: essential: https://www.trybooking.com/1271777 

Join our College Primary Counsellor, Anne Murphy, along with our Secondary Psychologists, Eva-Maria Catina and Martin Emery, as they delve deeper into the lessons from Karen’s presentation. This session will explore what strategies have been effective, what challenges have arisen, and why certain approaches have worked while others have not.

This is a valuable opportunity to continue the conversation on how we can help our children develop the courage and resilience needed to face life’s challenges with strength and confidence. Your participation will not only benefit your own family but will also contribute to our collective efforts in supporting the wellbeing of all our students.

John XXIII College Sustainability Award - Year 12

Applications for the John XXIII College Sustainability Award are open to Year 12 students who intend to pursue an aspect of environmental or sustainability studies at tertiary level and who are committed to improving the world in which we live. Examples of courses include: Environmental Science, Environmental Engineering, Environmental Law, Architecture, Town Planning, Public Health & Urban Design etc. 

This award was initiated by Dr Margaret Yoon in 2012 and is further supported by the John XXIII College Foundation as a way of inspiring and supporting students, as well as to act as an incentive for them to pursue tertiary studies in the areas of sustainability.   

Submissions will close Friday 20 September at 3:30pm. 

SPORT

ACC Athletics 

Well done to all students who braved the cold early mornings this week to attend our final challenge sessions. The 2024 ACC A-Division Athletics team has been announced, and all students and families have been emailed. A copy of the full team can be found in the College notices. All team members are now eligible to purchase an Interschool Jumper from the College uniform shop. 

What next for the ACC team: 

• Attend training in the lead up to the carnival (remaining schedule attached)
• Compulsory team training sessions attendance will be taken, please email if there is a valid reason students cannot attend. 
  • Friday 30 August HBF Athletics Stadium 6:30am - 7:45am
  • Friday 6 September at John XXIII Ovals 3:30pm - 4:45pm 
  • Friday 6 September  ACC Team Dinner 5:00pm - 6:15pm
    Please complete RSVP via the link by Friday 30  ACC Team Dinner 

Northern Associated Schools (NAS) Athletics 

Congratulations to all Years 7 to 10 students who had the opportunity to compete in our NAS Athletics meet on Tuesday. The day allowed students to post results and help secure their position in our 2024 ACC A-Division Athletics Team. Take a look at some of the great action shots captured by AV Team member Jack Purkiss. 

Years 9/10 NAS Carnival 

Our final NAS Carnival is next Wednesday, 28 August. All students not participating on a NAS team will be taking part in a Wellbeing day facilitated by Mr Bostelman and Mr Chaney. Please see information attached in the parent letter. It is looking like a mild day with a very small chance of rain. Please ensure sunscreen and correct clothing is packed. 

SunSmart Schools Surfing/Bodyboarding 

Congratulations to all our surfers and bodyboarders who competed for John XXIII College in the SunSmart Surfing School Titles. The students braved some swirly weather across both days. We had fantastic representation across all categories with some wonderful results.  

All results and photos will be posted next week together with results of the Girls carnival being held today.  

Volleyball Schools Cup 

Congratulations to all Years 11/12 and 9/10 Volleyball teams who competed in the WA Schools Cup Volleyball Cup on Friday, 16 August and Wednesday,  21 August. All teams played extremely well throughout the day and strengthened after every game.

Thank you to our coaches below for all their time and efforts at our early morning training sessions to prepare all teams.

Congratulations 

Over the last week Vivienne Barley (Year 7) and Claudia Gnech (Year 9), represented WA in Victoria at the Australian All Schools Cross-Country. Both girls qualified in WA at the All Schools Cross Country event and have been training with the squad in the lead-up to the event. It was a challenging course at Yarra Glen Racecourse with wet and muddy conditions. 

Vivienne competed in the 12 Years Girls event, a 3km course completing in a time of 12.01 placing eighth and was the first athlete from WA to cross the line. 

Claudia competed in the 14-15 Years Girls event, a 4.8km course completing in a time of 18.49 placing twenty-second and was the fourth athlete from WA to cross the line.

Both girls also competed in the cross-country relays for their age groups and came away with Bronze medals! A fantastic effort from both of the girls and we are so proud of them for representing WA and John XXIII College on a National stage. 

Rowing Presentation Dinner

• Date: Saturday 7 September 2024
• Time: 6:30pm – 9:30pm
• Venue: Thomas More Exhibition Centre
• Cost: $47 per person
• BYO: All drinks, including alcohol (soft drinks provided to rowers)
• Dress Code: 
  • Students – Full College Winter Uniform (no PE uniforms)
  • Adults – Smart casual

RSVP here no later than 5pm, Thursday 29 August

Jessica Pillera

Head of Sport