Secondary

Dear Families

Loyola House Day

This week saw the celebration of Loyola House Day, an occasion to mark the significance of one of our College Founders, St Ignatius of Loyola. St. Ignatius of Loyola, born in 1491 in Spain, was originally a soldier who experienced a profound spiritual conversion after being injured in battle. During his recovery, he read religious texts that inspired him to dedicate his life to God. Ignatius founded the Society of Jesus, also known as the Jesuits, in 1540, with a mission to educate and evangelise. His 'Spiritual Exercises,' a set of meditations, prayers, and contemplative practices, became a cornerstone of Jesuit training and Catholic spirituality. He died in 1556, leaving a legacy of spiritual renewal and educational reform that continues to impact the world today. In our contemporary context, we continue St Ignatius’ legacy as we seek to ‘find God in all things’ and be ‘people for others’. Thank you to Catherine Roberts, Loyola House Coordinator and Homeroom Teachers for leading students in a range of activities in celebration of the day.

Loyola House Prayer

Lord,

Teach me to be generous 

Teach me to serve you as you deserve 

To give and not to count the cost 

To fight and not to heed the wounds 

To toil and not to seek for rest 

To labor and not to ask for reward 

Except that of knowing that I am doing your will.

Interhouse Athletics Carnival: Fr Kevin King Cup

Congratulations to Campion House for winning the Fr Kevin King Cup at today’s Interhouse Athletics Carnival. The positive energy and high level of student participation today are a testament to the strength of our House system at the College, and it was wonderful to see our Year 12 students lead and encourage the younger students in generating fantastic House spirit. The Spirit Award, recognising House spirit, was awarded to St Louis House. Congratulations, also, to students who achieved a personal best in their events. We look forward to recognising these students at assembly next week. Thank you to Jessica Pillera, Darren Kowal and Dalnette Kuyler for their coordination of the carnival, and to all staff and parent helpers for their assistance to ensure that the day ran smoothly for all.

Pilgrimage 2025

At the end of Term 2, a group of Year 11 students embarked on a Pilgrimage to Far North Queensland with Luke Bostelman, Erin Basile, Jessica Pillera and Xavier Mitchell, where they were immersed in Indigenous culture and connection to Country.

Group One: Lucy Armstrong

Our journey began in Cairns, where we had the unforgettable opportunity to snorkel at the Great Barrier Reef, guided by marine biologists and cultural knowledge holders. From there, we separated into two groups. Our group travelled to the Kalkajaka homelands, where we were warmly welcomed by Aboriginal Elder Ian.

 

Over the following days, we spent time on Country, listening to Dreamtime stories connected to Black Mountain, exploring nearby natural sites, and deepening our appreciation for the land and its cultural and historical significance. We were fortunate to meet Esme, who taught the girls traditional weaving techniques, while Ian shared with the boys how to carve and throw spears.

 

With the Walker sisters, we learned about the growing impact of climate change, particularly on sacred sites that hold deep meaning for their community. These experiences also invited us to reflect on our own lives, how we live, what we value, and how we might return with a renewed sense of spirituality and purpose.

 

We are incredibly grateful for the opportunity to take part in such a special and transformative experience. We would wholeheartedly encourage future students to take part in this pilgrimage.

Group 2: Isadora Thompson

On our first morning we spent time snorkelling on the Great Barrier Reef. Although the weather wasn’t great, we still got to experience the radiance of the reef and the marine life it homes.

 

Pilgrimage immersed our group in the Indigenous culture, especially at the beautiful homeland we were very lucky to stay for three nights, called Melsonby. We learnt firsthand from the Traditional Owners about their culture and views.

 

Our days at Melsonby were full of activities such as bushwalks, visiting rock arts, painting, swimming in the creek and weaving. Cool nights were warmed by the campfire and filled with having a yarn under the stars with Uncle Bulla and Malisha. They told us stories of the spirits in their lands.

 

The remainder of our trip involved exploring the botanical gardens in Cairns and going on a ferry to visit Green Island.

 

Spending over a week with the same group allowed strong connections to form between peers.

 

It was truly an incredible and unique experience that we would recommend to younger years, when they are met with the opportunity.

John XXIII Day: Friday 8 August

One of the most significant days of the College calendar, John XXIII Day is a community day where students celebrate our founders and heritage, and fundraise to support our College partners, Jesuit Mission Australia and Mary Ward International. This is a compulsory school day and students are to wear their sports uniform with their House shirt. Students will enjoy the following program throughout the day:

Time Activity

8:35am Homeroom

9:00am Mass

10:10am Secondary Athletics Assembly

10:35am Running of Colonnades

10:50am Fete and Food Stalls

12:15pm Alumni Netball and alternative activities

12:30pm Alumni Football and alternative activities

12:45pm SRC and Staff Ice Plunge

1:30pm Variety Concert

3:10pm Dismissal

Purchases from the food and fete stalls will be in cash, and students are encouraged to bring coins or notes of $2 and $5 denominations. The Canteen will not be open on the day for students to purchase recess or lunch.

This year, we are excited to announce that over 20 staff and Year 12 Student Representative Councillors are prepared the take the plunge into an ice bath to raise money for Jesuit Mission Australia. Jesuit Mission works in more than 10 countries across Asia and Africa to uphold the innate dignity of people living with the effects of poverty, especially the most marginalised and vulnerable. Their current focus is to raise awareness and desperately needed funds to support people in Myanmar. Since the military coup and devastating 7.7 magnitude earthquake, Myanmar has become a disaster zone. While our students walk safely throughout our campus, children in Myanmar are walking to escape air bombings and hiding in mountains and forests without food or water. Over 22 million people, many of them children, desperately need emergency assistance.

Every $200 raised will see a staff member and Year 12 SRC take the plunge. As an additional challenge to promote much-needed funds for Jesuit Mission’s work, I will take the plunge if $5,000 is donated, and Mr Mahon will do so for $10,000. We are currently getting close to $3,000 donated – it’s not too late to make a tax-deductible donation directly to Jesuit Mission Australia. Every donation gets us closer to our target!

Term 3 Key Dates

Shani Andrews

Vice Principal - Head of Secondary

Homework Club update for Years 7 to 12

• When: Every Monday to Thursday
• Where: Ignatius Centre Library
• Time: The library will close at 6pm but the students may leave at any time beforehand. Years 7 to 10 students who remain past 5pm will need to be collected by a parent/guardian from the library. 
• Signing in and out: Students are required to sign in and out using the kiosk. Students will need a phone or laptop to scan the QR code. 

Homework Club Focus

SPORT

Athletics Training 

Athletics training will continue to run right the way through until our ACC A-Division Carnival in September. If you would like the chance to be a part of the epic ACC team or come down to just learn something new, we would love to see you every Tuesday and Thursday, all are welcome. 

Time: 7:00am -8:00am, meeting in the Pavilion. 

Events and Coaches: 

• All events will run on both Tuesday and Thursday
• Sprints - Miss Pillera
• Distance - Mr Tirant 
• High Jump - Zahra Amos
• Long Jump - JTC PE Staff
• Hurdles - Lyn Foreman- Tuesday/Leila Barker-Thursday (Class 2023)
• Javelin - Jamie Floyd (Class 2022) /Leila Barker 
• Shot and Discus - Tim Lyons 

Training Schedule 

Spikes hire

Students interested in renting spikes from the College for the remainder of the school Athletics season are to head to the PE Office before school and at recess to see Miss Kuyler (HPE Assistant).  

We require a $50 deposit to hire the spikes; this needs to be dropped off at Student Services before heading down to the PE office. 

• Money must be in a sealed envelope with your name and homeroom written on the front. 
• Once the spikes are returned, this deposit is returned to you. 
• It is a first in best dressed on sizes available.

Years 9/10 Winter NAS

Our Senior Years 9 and 10 NAS Trials will take place in week 3 for the students for their upcoming Winter NAS Carnival taking place in Week 7, on 3 September. 

Please see the dates and times below for each sport, and please lock them into your diaries. If you are unable to make the trial, please contact Miss Pillera or Mr Kowal. All students must complete the following form before trials commence. 

Nomination Form

College Sporting Photos

John XXIII College Sports photos will take place on Monday, 11 August, and Tuesday, 12 August, in the Thomas More Exhibition Centre. 

• All students are to arrive five minutes before their scheduled photo. 
• Students must be in full College Sports Uniform with white socks (tracksuit pants and shorts required).
• Students have permission to be in their sport uniform for the day
• Students not in correct uniform will not be allowed to feature in the photo
• All teams thus far can be found in the schedule attached. 

ACC Netball 

On Wednesday, our Years 11 and 12 Netball team made the long drive to Peter Moyes Anglican College to play in the ACC Champions League Round 16. The girls represented the College very well, giving their all and showing great teamwork and sportsmanship. Unfortunately, a slow start in the first quarter proved too much to overcome, even with the team winning the remaining three quarters of the game. The girls are to be congratulated on a fine effort in qualifying for the Champions League, through their performance in the NAS Carnival, and their fighting spirit to compete hard until the end of the match. A big thank you to Miss Jodi Power for coaching the girls through. We look forward to next year!

Congratulations

Congratulations to Charlie Clarke (Class 2023) on being selected for the Australian Team at the World U/20 Lacrosse Championships! Charlie will be representing Australia on the international stage in Jeju Island, Korea, from 15 to 24 August. What an incredible achievement and honour!

Jessica Pillera

Head of Sport