Around The Primary

Dear Families

There's something magical that happens each year when our Year 4 students take to the stage for their annual musical. This year's production, Hippity Hop written by Mrs Catherine Haydon, Primary Music Specialist has been no exception, filled with drama, music, and dance.

As we take our final bow on another successful Year 4 musical, we want to extend our heartfelt thanks to Mrs Haydon and Ms Cattapan for their dedication and creativity. To our Year 4 teachers, Miss Emma Eisenmann and Miss Emily Krikstolaitis, all the parent volunteers, staff members, and family supporters who helped bring Hippity Hop to life, you have all been wonderful.

Most of all, congratulations to our amazing Year 4 students who reminded us all when you give children a chance to shine, they absolutely will. Hippity Hop has been a celebration of talent, friendship, and the pure joy that comes from sharing your gifts with others.

We appreciate all the thank you emails and messages of congratulations that we have received.

My son was lucky to have his grandparents and great grandmother come watch the year 4 musical. And wow what a show it was! They were all in awe of what the year 4’s had created and were very proud. A huge round of applause for Catherine and Sasha and all those involved!

 

The Year 4 production was full of a whole lot of energy and creativity. It’s very clear that an enormous amount of time and effort went into it. Well done to you all! The kids were clearly having a fabulous time, and I have no doubt it will create lasting memories for them.

 

It was wonderful to see the talents of all students on stage; they looked like they had a hippity-hoppity good time! Congratulations to all staff involved!

 

I wanted to pass on my congratulations, admiration and thanks to all the staff and year 4 students for such a fabulous musical. The show was wonderful, and it was so great to see all the kids participating. I know there is a huge amount of effort behind the scenes to bring it all together and I wanted to pass on my thanks to all involved. I know that my son had so much fun being in the cast - he is sad it is all over! 

 

Well done to all involved on such an amazing production! Our kids are so lucky to have such passionate teachers providing these opportunities for them at such a young age and to have the experiences and learnings both on and off the stage from beginning to end. Thank you to all the staff who put in many hours to bring it to life.

 

My cup was overflowing when leaving the Year 4 Musical to see such joy on all the Year 4 faces as well as all their family and friends watching!

As we come to the end of the week celebrating Music and Drama in the Primary, a huge round of applause to all the students that performed in the John XXIII College Music Eisteddfod.  Congratulations to all award recipients on your performances. 

Enjoy the long weekend!

Kind regards,

Antoinette De Pinto

Head of Primary 

John XXIII Day Fundraising

Our Years 5 and 6 stalls on John XXIII Day were very successful.  The students raised $3,039.95 which will be donated to Mary Ward International and Jesuit Mission.  Thank you for your support. 

Fathers' Day Celebration 

We are looking forward to coming together to celebrate Mass dedicated to Fathers on Friday 5 September at 7:30am in the St Louis Sports Centre. All Dads and father figures are welcome to attend with their children.   Mass will be followed by a light morning tea. 

To confirm your attendance at the Mass and for catering purposes please RSVP via  www.trybooking.com/1422395 (students are not required to RSVP).

As part of this celebration, we would like to incorporate a photo display.  Families are kindly requested to email one photo of Dads with their children (or a family photo) to nancy.petsos@johnxxiii.edu.au. All photos need to be received by 12:00pm on Thursday 28 August.

Dates to Remember

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

Term 3 Parent Events

Thank you to our Parent Association Liaison parents for organising another term of parent social events to strengthen connections between parents in each year group. Please find below an overview of this term's events. This is also available via SEQTA. 

Angelico Exhibition

Well done to the following Primary students on having their artwork selected for the Spirit of the Arts, Angelico Art Exhibition – 

Zach Grainger, Year 6 

Rachel Bradock, Year 6

Zara Morrone, Year 4

Harvey Knox Year 3

Congratulations to Zach Grainger, on receiving the Catholic Earthcare Australia Award with his Bilby artwork, drawn with chalk pastels. 

The Exhibition held at the Forrest Centre (221 St Georges Terrace, Perth) is open to the public until 29 August from 9:00am to 5:00pm. Additionally there is a family viewing session, tomorrow Saturday, 23 August from 1:30pm to 3:00pm. 

Fiona Blaauw

Visual Arts Teacher

Sports Update

Athletics training

Athletics training continues on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 3:30pm to 4:30pm on the Secondary ovals.  It is open for all students in Years 3 to 6 students and offers a good opportunity to practise the different track and field events in preparation for the Interhouse Athletics Carnival on Friday 12 September.

Australian National Ice Hockey Championships 

In July, Reggie Bowers (Year 6) proudly represented Western Australia at the U13 Australian National Ice Hockey Championships held here in Perth. Competing against the best young players from across the country, Reggie and his teammates demonstrated exceptional skill, teamwork, and determination throughout the tournament. WA advanced to the gold medal game, where they delivered a thrilling performance but narrowly missed out on the top spot, earning a well-deserved silver medal behind Victoria. We are incredibly proud of his achievement - Congratulations Reggie!

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 

Counsellor’s Corner

Parenting is a journey filled with challenges, questions, and growth—and you don’t have to navigate it alone.

SEEN: The Film offers a powerful opportunity for parents to reflect, connect, and feel supported. Through moving interviews and heartfelt storytelling, the film explores how our own life experiences shape the way we raise and relate to our children. It’s a reminder of the deep importance of connection, vulnerability, and truly being seen.

We warmly invite you to join Inspire for a special screening of this internationally acclaimed documentary, which has touched audiences across Australia, New Zealand, the UK, and the USA—where it was awarded Best Director at the Illuminate Film Festival.

This meaningful evening will include:

• A screening of SEEN: The Film on Wednesday 10 September 6:30pm to 8:30pm in the GBLT
• A panel discussion with the College’s wellbeing team

• Light refreshments and the chance to connect with other parents in a relaxed setting

   

Whether you're seeking insight, encouragement, or simply a night of thoughtful conversation, this event is for you. It’s a valuable experience for anyone invested in the wellbeing of young people—parents, educators, and community members alike.

We’d love to see you there.

Watch the trailer and book your spot here: https://www.trybooking.com/1446143

If you have any queries, please contact me via email: natalie.alach@johnxiii.edu.au 

Natalie Alach

Primary Counsellor 

Music 

Rehearsal Times

Please see below for rehearsal times for ensembles next week:

*Please note the changes for Choir Rehearsals

Catholic Performing Arts Festival 

Congratulations to the following Primary students who received special awards from the Performing Arts Committee for their recent performances in the Festival - 

OUTSTANDING

Cecilia Natale, Year 4 - Primary Strings Solo

EXCELLENCE

Althea Middleton, Year 5 - Primary Strings Solo

Best wishes to all students representing the College at the Festival next week. This includes Wanju Voices and Primary Singers who will be performing in the 11:20am session at the Vasto Club on Friday 29 August. Tickets for this performance can be purchased online via this link: Choral Singing - Primary | 2025 | TryBooking Australia

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

Catherine Haydon

Primary Music Teacher

Medical Centre – Student Medications 

A reminder to all families regarding medication for students – 

• Prescribed medication must be taken to the Medical Centre (not Class Teachers)
• Over-the-counter medications (including paracetamol and ibuprofen) do not need to be provided as the Medical Centre have a supply on hand.

Please contact the College Nurses via email – medical.centre@johnxxiii.edu.au with any queries. 

Sacramental Certificates

Parents are requested to email a copy of their child’s Sacramental Certificate (Reconciliation, Eucharist or Confirmation) to Mrs Petsos in Primary Administration nancy.petsos@johnxxiii.edu.au for our College records.

Thinking ahead to 2026?

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 2026, 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.