Secondary
Dear Families
Remembrance Day
On Monday, students from Years 3 to 10 and staff participated in a poignant service to commemorate Remembrance Day. In honouring those who have paid the ultimate price in the defence of their country, Mr Xavier Mitchell, a Mathematics Teacher and a serving member of the Army Reserve, shared a powerful reflection on the imperative for peace, not the pursuit of conflict. Making this relevant for us all in our daily lives, Mr Mitchell reminded us that while we may not be able to control the handling of international conflicts, we can control how we handle conflict in our own lives. He said:
When wronged, have the grace of Jesus to forgive, breaking the cycle of resentment and hostility. Jesus taught us to ‘love your enemy’, reminding us that the scorned only continue to fight, but the forgiven may find the strength to lay down their arms. This, in essence, is the true spirit of an armistice: creating a moment of peace that allows conflict to end and reconciliation to begin.
Thank you to Mrs Mary-Anne Lumley, Mr Mitchell, and the staff and students involved in the service.
Camps and Tours 2025 to 2029
Camps and tours offer students invaluable opportunities to enrich their learning beyond the classroom experience. As part of our commitment to providing students with a breadth of meaningful educational experiences, we have completed a review of existing and proposed additional camps and tours available for students to participate in. To assist parents with their planning and decision-making, the overview below provides a summary of the optional camps and tours that will be offered to students from 2025 to 2029.
These optional offerings will be in addition to the compulsory camps that form an important part of our learning programs (e.g. Year 7 St Omer Experience, Year 9PLUS, Years 9 and 10 Outdoor Education camps and Year 12 Manresa).
Competition-based interstate and international tours (e.g. World Scholars, Tournament of Champions, First Lego League) are also not included but will be offered to students depending on their progress through each competition.
More information on each camp or tour will be provided to students and parents by the coordinating staff member as they commence their planning and promotion of the tour.
2025 Homeroom Leaders
Elections for 2025 Homeroom Leaders took place last week. Congratulations to the following students; we look forward to working with them as they represent their peers throughout next year:
| Year 7 | Abbie Condon and Angus Perera |
| Year 8 | Amy Griffin and James Sommerfield |
| Year 9 | Valentina Cabrera Carcuro and Amber Vujcich |
| Year 10 | Kayden Prosper and Felicia Zhao |
| Year 7 | Natasha Escaff Esper and Connor Siegert |
| Year 8 | Zoe Hipolito and Joshua Kong |
| Year 9 | Ollie Dailly and Xy Parker |
| Year 10 | Nicholas Hie and Charlie Pronk |
| Year 7 | Harriet Scanlan and William Syminton |
| Year 8 | Banjo Hartfield and Zachary Sartorello |
| Year 9 | Grace Macdougall and Nezzie Thompson |
| Year 10 | Noah Boruff and Lucy Skead |
| Year 7 | Niamh Jennings and Brayden Saunt |
| Year 8 | Mia Conway and Alby Haines |
| Year 9 | Christopher Cooney and Erin Moore |
| Year 10 | Luca Lee Luen Len and Mia Singleton |
| Year 7 | Harry Heath and Henry Larkin |
| Year 8 | Olive Keane and Mia Pruiti |
| Year 9 | Arabella Buzzard and Alyssa Mignacca |
| Year 10 | Annie Annan and Joseph Nankivell |
| Year 7 | Miguel de Freitas Rocha and Sofia Manson-Araujo |
| Year 8 | Hugh Morphett and Alessio Torre |
| Year 9 | Maia Kim and Eliza Owen |
| Year 10 | Dom Jeffery and Isabela Mansom-Araujo |
Inclusive Communities
On Wednesday, our 2025 student leaders and current Year 7 leaders attended an inclusive communities workshop. An initiative devised by Mary Ward Secondary Ambassador, Luc Paparde, the afternoon included a presentation from Ben Popham, OAM, who shared his lived experience of disability and his journey to success in swimming at the Tokyo Paralympics. Ben worked through the importance of social inclusion for people with a disability, as well as breaking down stereotypes about what having a disability means, using his inspirational story as an example. Luc provided an insightful and moving introduction to the afternoon, which can be accessed via the link below.
Presentation Evening: Thursday 28 November
Our College Presentation Evening will be held in the St Louis Sports Centre on Thursday 28 November beginning at 7pm. As this is an important community event for our College, all students in Years 6 to 11 are expected to attend. Year 12 students are required only if they are involved in the evening as a presenter, performer or major award recipient.
Parking will be available on the College playing fields with entry from John XXIII Avenue. Entry to the St Louis Sports Centre will be through the doors adjacent to the playing fields.
Guests are to be seated by 6:45pm for a 7pm start.
Students who are attending as members of the audience are to wear their summer uniform, whilst all award winners are required to wear the formal winter uniform, including blazer, shirt, tie and tights for girls. Other College requirements regarding grooming are to be adhered to.
Students receiving an award will be notified during the week of the evening and will participate in rehearsals during the day on Thursday 28 November.
Shani Andrews
Vice Principal - Head of Secondary
Splashing Success at the First Lego League Competition!
On Friday, 8 November, our JTC Robotics teams—The Tech Turtles and The Crabby Coders—dove into the action at the First Lego League Woodvale Secondary Regional Competition! Both teams built robots to tackle a series of water-themed puzzles, navigating a tricky challenge course with precision and creativity. They didn’t stop there! Our students also explored the world of marine careers and brainstormed solutions to real-life ocean issues.
The Tech Turtles made a big splash by winning the Innovation Award for their amazing creation: a drone powered by AI to pick up plastic waste in our oceans! They developed this forward-thinking idea with the help of Ellen Wallbank, a marine biologist from Sea World, and Mr. Damian Connellan, a drone expert and biology teacher from John XXIII College. Now, The Tech Turtles are gearing up for the next big wave—competing in the FLL National Competition at Curtin University on December 7. We can’t wait to cheer them on!
Anna Davila
Head of Learning Area - Technologies
Design Technologies
Year 9
Year 9 students have been busy researching, developing and designing an Eco Lamp. The process of constructing the lamp uses a variety of different techniques ranging from staining and laminating, cutting, sanding, gluing, soldering and screwing. All students have applied consistent effort to create unique and original work.
Year 10
Students in Year 10 have been applying the final touches to their medical cabinets. The medical cabinets all have unique internal components to suit a variety of different storage problems ranging from wallet, watch and keys to toothbrushes and first aid. Attention to detail and consistent effort have produced some outstanding work.
Jeremy Hill
Technologies Technician
John XXIII College Shopfront Christmas Appeal 2024
Please give generously to the John XXIII College Christmas Appeal.
Please donate money or items from the list below to support the Shopfront Christmas Appeal. Students should bring their donations to Homeroom by Wednesday 20 November. Any cash donations will support the Shopfront Christmas Lunch.
The following items are needed for gift bags:
| General items | Food items |
|---|---|
Men’s caps Men’s thongs Razors Shaving cream Soap Body wash Shampoo Toothpaste Toothbrush Hand cream Make-up Make-up bag Cleansing wipes Moisturiser Sunscreen Body lotion Comb Brush Tissues Nail polish | Biscuits Christmas lollies Christmas chocolates Shortbread Mini fruit cake Mini Christmas pudding Nuts Dried Fruit Pretzels Toffees |
Janeen Murphy
Deputy Principal - Faith and Mission
Second-Hand Book Sale at Chisholm Pavilion
Date: Saturday, 30 November
Time: 7:30am to 11am
Location: Chisholm Pavilion
Join us for a second-hand book sale at the Chisholm Pavilion, where you can buy, sell, or exchange books. Here are the key details:
- No set prices: Prices are typically agreed upon by the buyer and seller, often at about half of the new replacement price, depending on the condition of the book.
- Bring your book list: Ensure you have your copy of the relevant book list to facilitate smooth transactions.
- No commission: The College does not set prices or charge any commission on sales, making it a straightforward and cost-effective way to acquire or dispose of books.
SPORT
Volleyball Club
All students interested in playing Volleyball are invited to attend volleyball sessions on Monday mornings at 7:00am to 8:00am. 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.
Swimming Club
Come and join Swim Club every Wednesday, 7:00am to 8:00am for the remainder of the term.
All abilities and experience levels are welcome as there will be something for everyone, a great way to start the day especially as it is warming up!! We would also like to invite current College Year 6 students to the training, a great chance for them to get a taste of high school swimming.
Jessica Pillera
Head of Sport