From the Principal
Monday marked 106 years since WWI ended with the signing of the Armistice at 11am on 11 November. During our commemorative ceremony, our thoughts turned to the significance of Remembrance Day, a day of reflection and gratitude when our College community joins together to honour those who have sacrificed so much for peace and freedom.
During our Remembrance Day Assembly, students and staff were encouraged to reflect on the sacrifices made by countless individuals during times of conflict, as well as the importance of our ongoing commitment to peace and justice.
This year our guest speaker was Private Xavier Mitchell, who has been with the 2nd Division of the Australian Army since 2022 and is a current serving member of the 16th Battalion, Royal Western Australia Regiment. Private Mitchell is also known to our community as Mr Mitchell, given he balances part-time infantry soldiering with his full-time civilian work, teaching Mathematics at the College.
I am also pleased to report that preparations are well advanced for our new 2025 academic year. Part of the shift in focus towards 2025 centres on the welcoming of new students and parents into our College. This week we welcomed our new Year 7 parents after hosting our new Year 7 students for an Orientation Day last week. In the Primary School we also hosted Kindy and Pre-Primary parents this week, after running a series of Orientation Days for our new Year 5 students.
During the Year 7 Parent Information Evening this week, I reiterated the same message shared with the new students during their Orientation Day. That is, the importance of courage and being open to new friendships and the opportunities these new relationships might bring. It takes courage to be open to new possibilities and can be particularly pertinent to adolescents, given the natural default to lean heavily into what is known and comfortable. The fear of standing out can be real.
We of course want our students to flourish and so encourage them to be courageous in all they do, be it socially, in their studies or in their sport, drama or music. After all, it is all learning. I strongly encourage our students to look for the struggle in their learning and embrace it. It is only out of the struggle of learning, with appropriate supports of course, that real depth of understanding eventuates. In fact, it is my view that if our students are not feeling the struggle in their learning, perhaps they are not investing enough of themselves in it. Perhaps they are playing it too safe. Our students have so much to offer and anything less is a lost opportunity.
Daniel Mahon
Principal
John XXIII College Council: Property and Planning Committee
The College Council is establishing a pool of qualified and interested College parents from which to seek members for the Property and Planning Committee as positions become available. A skill set and experience in town planning and environmental planning would be highly regarded.
The Committee's responsibilities include ensuring that the physical condition of the College is kept in good repair, with provision for ongoing maintenance and planning for future needs, developments and acquisitions. Meetings are held bi-monthly, generally early on a Thursday morning. This is a great opportunity to get involved in the governance of the College.
Initial inquiries and expressions of interest to join the pool of candidates should be directed to the College Director of Finance and Corporate Services, Mr John Cumming, by Friday, 29 November 2024. For further information please email john.cumming@johnxxiii.edu.au or phone (08) 9383 0402.