Secondary

Dear Families

Farewell, Year 12s!

Valete is the Latin term for ‘goodbye to a group of people’. We have farewelled our beloved Year 12 students over the past week with numerous Valete events to acknowledge their contribution and achievements to our College community. This significant milestone always brings mixed emotions: excitement and anticipation about the future, but also nostalgia and a tinge of sadness to be saying goodbye to the familiar environment that has been school for the past years. We congratulate the Graduating Class of 2024, and we wish them every success in their future endeavours as they heed the words of St Ignatius of Loyola to 'go, set the world on fire'. Thank you to Mr Andrew Osnain, Assistant Deputy Principal – Year 12, Homeroom Teachers and all other teachers who have been involved in this cohort’s journey through both Primary and Secondary school, providing exceptional care and support to guide their growth into the young adults whom we are so very proud of. 

Prayer for Year 12 Graduands

Bless these graduands, Lord, as they stand at the threshold of adulthood. Grant them wisdom to navigate the complexities of the world ahead, courage to embrace new beginnings, and unwavering faith to guide their paths.

For those venturing into further education, empower them with focus and a thirst for knowledge. May they seize the opportunities for growth and discovery that lie before them.

For those entering the workforce, equip them with the skills and dedication to excel. May they find meaningful work that allows them to utilise their talents and contribute meaningfully to society.

For all graduands, regardless of their chosen path, fill them with Your love and compassion. Grant them the strength to stand up for what is right, the courage to chase their dreams with unwavering determination, and the humility to learn and grow throughout their lives.

We also lift up their families and loved ones who have provided unwavering support throughout this journey. Thank You for their love, encouragement, and the sacrifices they made to see these graduands flourish.

May the lessons learned and the bonds formed during their high school years continue to inspire them. We pray that these graduands carry these cherished experiences with them, forever grateful for the foundation they have laid.

2025 Student Representative Council

Part of the Year 12 Day of Invitation proceedings is the handover of the Year 12 Student Representative Council. This year’s leadership process was rigorous and competitive, and all candidates are to be commended for their commitment and courage in nominating for a leadership position next year. Candidates enjoyed a celebratory lunch on Wednesday to acknowledge their nomination, and whilst not all were successful in being appointed to the 2025 Student Representative Council, we consider them to be leaders in their own right.  

Congratulations to the following students who have been appointed to represent the student body as the 2025 Student Representative Council. We are confident that they will do all they can to be a ‘person for others’ in leading their peers and in continuing the excellent work of this year’s Student Representative Council’s contribution to our College. 

House Captains

This week we celebrated the incredible talent of our students at the launch of the annual Visual Arts Exhibition and Media Night on Monday, and Tuesday’s Sports Awards Evening. Nurturing artistic and sporting talent takes sacrifice and dedication and we commend all students involved in the sporting and arts life of the College for their passion and commitment. Thank you to Ms Kiri Moore, Visual Arts Coordinator, Mr Rob Di Giallonardo and the Visual Arts team for a stunning curation of art and media works, also to Ms Jess Pilerra, Head of Sport, Mr Darren Kowal, Assistant Head of Sport and the Sports team for a fantastic Sports Award Evening.  

Warm regards

Shani Andrews

Vice Principal - Head of Secondary

Media Night

This year’s Media Night took place on Monday, directly after the Visual Arts Exhibition Opening. The audience was yet again enthralled by the quality, creativity, and imagination evident in each of the short films shown. Popcorn and frozen drinks were once again served—a perfect accompaniment for the silver screen!

The following awards were presented during the event – a huge congratulations to all for your efforts in producing these entertaining and thought-provoking films!

Rob Di Giallonardo

Media Teacher   

2024 Visual Arts Exhibition 

The Visual Arts Exhibition provides our students with the opportunity to showcase their artworks and be recognised for the time and effort they have dedicated to their art studies this year. Congratulations to our talented art students and wonderful Visual Arts staff for an outstanding exhibition. 

The 2024 Visual Arts Exhibition was officially opened on Monday by special guest artist and Alumni Daevid Anderson. In his opening address, Daevid spoke on three key points: art skills, inspiration, and careers. His encouraging words for our graduating students included inspiring words about keeping art as a part of your life, regardless of whether it is the professional path you choose to follow. We thank Daevid for opening this year’s exhibition.

The Exhibition is a special occasion for our Year 12 General and ATAR Visual Arts students. We congratulate our art students on their incredible work this year and feature their work as a centrepiece of the Exhibition. The Year 12s have been an extremely gracious, fun, and creative group, the Art Department is incredibly proud of the work they have produced, and the ideas communicated in their art making. We also thank our outgoing 2024 Visual Arts Captain, Bella Samson, for her wonderful speech on behalf of the Year 12 Art Students.

If you haven’t had the chance to view the exhibition it will be open this Saturday from 11am until 2pm, where you can vote for your favourite Secondary artwork for the People’s Choice Award.

Award Winners 2024

Congratulations to this year’s recipient of the Sister Theresa Elliott Encouragement Award, Miriam Sekendy, Year 7

Congratulations to the recipient of the John XXIII College Staff Award, Bianca Petsos, Year 11, for her artwork 9  578545 200531

Congratulations to the winner of the 2024 College Art Competition, Elizabeth Levey, Year 10

Congratulations to this year’s recipient of the Loreto Sisters Award, Isabelle Counsel, Year 11

Congratulations to this year’s recipient of the Arlene Nedeljkovic Rising Star Award, Vivien Barrett-Lennard, Year 9

Congratulations to the recipient of this year’s Principal’s Award, Chloe Stokes, Year 12

Kiri Moore

Visual Arts Coordinator   

Australian History Competition

Earlier in the year, our Year 8 students participated in the Australian History Competition. This is a national academic competition that focuses on testing interpretation and analysis rather than prior knowledge. We are delighted to announce that 11 students received awards of Distinction or High Distinction, with Nicolas Orugun, achieving the top score amongst the cohort. We congratulate our high-achieving students:

Daisy Farley

Head of Learning Areas – HASS & Magis

Community Planting and Weeding Day - Join Us!

When: Saturday 2 November 

Time: 8:00am to 9:30am

Meeting Point: Back of B8 (western side of the College)

We invite all interested parents, students, and alumni from the John XXIII community to join us for our Community Planting and Weeding Day. This event is a great opportunity to give back to our environment through a mixture of planting, weeding, and maintaining our previous plantings.

All necessary tools will be available, so just bring yourself.Wear comfortable clothing, suitable closed footwear, and don’t forget your hat and sunscreen.

Participating students can use this time towards their Christian service learning hours (Roncalli Service).

Please register here.

Adrian Sims

Sustainability Coordinator

SPORT

Sport Awards Night 

On Tuesday, we celebrated the sporting achievements of our Secondary students. It was an outstanding night, and all students involved are to be commended for their exceptional representation of sport.

Thank you to our compere for the evening, Mr John Townsend (Class 1978), for enhancing the wonderful night. We were delighted to have Zoe Arancini, Australian Water polo player and Olympic Silver Medallist from the Paris games, who provided some inspirational messages to our students. The lasting message to the students – ‘Your sport is what you do, it is not your complete identity, be present in the moments and give your best and control what you can control’. Footage of Zoe’s speech will be available in next week’s newsletter. Another highlight of the evening was our Alumni panel. A big thank you to Grace Johnston (Class 2022), Sian Munks (Class 2017), Michael Reynolds (Class 2021) and Tom Rear (Class 2021) for sharing with us the importance of sport to them and the impact it has had on their lives both at school and in their life after school.

Congratulations to all the students on their fabulous achievements and sporting participation throughout an amazing year of sport. A very special congratulations to Sasha Pallis who was awarded ACC Letters for Cross-Country, a fantastic achievement!

Volleyball Club 

All students interested in playing Volleyball are invited to attend volleyball sessions on Monday mornings at 7:00am to 8:00am starting in Week 3, Monday 21 October. This is open to all students, and no experience is needed. Students will have the opportunity to learn the basics and more in a fun and relaxed environment. Please complete the form attached if you are interested.  

Register for Volleyball Club

Congratulations

Congratulations to Elena (Year 9) and Finn (Year 7) on their outstanding performances at the 2024 Youth Kite World Championships in Tarifa, Spain! 

🏅 Elena: 3rd place, U16 Girls Kiteboarding Freestyle 

🏅 Finn: 3rd place, U14 Kitesurf Strapless Freestyle

These talented young athletes not only brought home medals but also gained valuable experience competing internationally. What an incredible opportunity to meet fellow kiteboarders from around the world!

Jessica Pillera

Head of Sport

Metro pipe renewals close to John XXIII College

Water Corporation has planned water pipe replacement work in Pine Tree Lane, close to John XXII College, scheduled to commence mid-November 2024 and be completed by mid-December. The work will improve the reliability of the local water supply and prevent future leaks and breaks.

The exact location of the work is in the map below. Work will take place from 7am to 5pm, Monday to Friday and some Saturdays when required.

You may notice the impact of the work largely through extra traffic management in the area; however, given the work will be within verges, no roads are expected to be closed. Water Corporation do expect some potential traffic delays within the area for parents; however, again, this is expected to be minimal.

For more information, please visit their website.