Secondary
Year 8 Guest Speaker – Amy Coombe
Amy Coombe was welcomed to the College on R U OK Day to present to the Year 8 cohort on the topic of mental health issues in adolescents. In 2013 Amy was nominated for the Australian Education and Leaderships ‘Most Positive Role Model of the Year’ award and in 2014 she was the official Ambassador for Mental Health Week in Western Australia. Her personal journey involves battling an eating disorder, depression and the onset of suicidal experiences during her teenage years where she managed to hide her illness and suffer in silence. Having overcome this, Amy is extremely passionate about using her experience to change the lives of others.
Some Year 8 students shared their thoughts after her presentation:
- “Amy Coombe taught us about mental health, and how to stay positive and mentally healthy. She also told us how and when to get help, and used her own experience to help us understand that mental health issues are real and can’t be hidden, and not to be embarrassed about them.”
- “I enjoyed the part when she showed us all the things people our age go through because it was good to see that many other people go through it as well.”
- “She explained that everything we may be feeling is normal and how we can get through it.”
- “The interaction part was the best with the yellow and black sheets….I liked how she used the sheets to explain the different types of days / feelings. And it spread awareness about these issues that people don’t understand.”
- “I enjoyed that she made her talk interactive and fun.”
Mrs Kalo Bell
Assistant Deputy Principal – Year 8
World Cup Bubble Soccer
All the Year 8 students of Italian, French and Japanese put their language and kicking skills into action at the World Cup Bubble Soccer Tournament held on Tuesday 17 September to celebrate Languages Week. The students had an awesome time rolling around the soccer fields in big bubbles with more bumping and laughing than actual contact with soccer balls. Great fun was had by all!
It was a very tightly contested tournament with Japan winning Round One and France winning Round Two after a penalty shootout.
Big thanks to Prof Smokrovic and Mme Charly for helping to coordinate and support this event.
Shane Glass
Head of Learning Area (Languages)
Year 11 Biology Guest Speaker
On Tuesday 10 September, the Year 11 ATAR Biology went to the Star Swamp to investigate sampling the native Australian bush with Dr Crane from the Dept. of Parks and Wildlife. Dr Crane was very knowledgeable with respect to this environment and the students thoroughly enjoyed learning how to take quadrats and transects. Later in the day the students had the pleasure of listening to Yvonne from the Raptor Rescue Centre and were able to hold a number of these birds of prey.
Damien Connellan
Teacher
Tournament of the Minds (STEM) State Final
Last weekend Campbell Riley, Josh Leong, Jack Brett, Tiffany Cesare, Gabriel Kaye, Cohen Rafiq & Akash Parekh represented John XXIII College in the Tournament of the Minds WA State Final held at ECU Joondalup. The team excelled in both the 'Spontaneous' and the '3-hour Lock In' challenges. The team experienced tough competition from both Sacred Heart College and Esperance SHS, however our exceptional science and mathematics knowledge, combined with satirical wit, gave us the edge needed. To our surprise, Alumni, Professor Arshad Omari, Vice Chancellor ECU (Class 1983) was part of the official party, to witness our success. Now the team is off to Hobart in late October to represent the State of WA in the International Final.
Damien Connellan
Teacher
Media Night
Our Media Night will showcase the many talents of our students, with a variety of genres and styles of films on show; from short films in the style of both art cinema and persuasive documentary, to action film trailers and music videos.
Come along for an entertaining and enjoyable evening on Thursday 17 October 2019 at 6:30pm
Light refreshments will be served at intermission.
This is also a valuable opportunity for upcoming media students to gain insight into Media as a course.
Some films are rated M - parental guidance advised for younger viewers.
RSVP: https://www.trybooking.com/556206
Robert Di Giallonardo
Teacher, Media
Grazie Mille for our International Exchange from Vasto, Italy
Last week we bid farewell to our Exchange students from Vasto Italy.
Their final week saw them making boomerangs, learning about Australian history, cooking, leaning some Japanese, spending time with our Years 11 and 12 students of Italian and an excursion to Caversham Wildlife Park with the Year 10s. This was one of their highlights as they got up close to some of Australia’s natural wildlife before heading off to try their hand at mini-golf. There was also an evening dinner at the Vasto Club, excursion to Council House and tour of the City of Perth.
A huge heartfelt appreciation to our wonderful host families whose generosity and hospitality made our Vasto exchange students’ stay here in Australia an unforgettable experience that they will always treasure. The strong friendships were made evident at Friday’s departure as there were many teary goodbyes.
Our appreciation also to staff who gave extra special lessons for our visiting students and to staff from Administration, Grounds and Maintenance for all your extra work they you so obligingly did for us.
Grazie mille from all involved in the Vasto Exchange for warmly welcoming and including the group at John XXIII College.
The success of this exchange is due to the excellent planning, hard work and commitment of Prof Melissa Polizzi, Prof Olivia Green and Prof Monica Smokrovic.
Ms Shane Glass
Head of Learning Area (Languages)
Winter Community Sport Congratulations
As the winter sport season comes to a conclusion, many students have enjoyed the valuable life lessons that the spirit of competitive sport brings in the wider community.
Congratulations to all students who participated in Community Sport once again this season and in particularly some Years 8 and 9 students who experienced Australian Rules Football Premierships for their age Division.
Claremont Tigers Years 9-11 female won the northern conference Maroon division.
Emily Elkington (9 Loreto)
Claremont Tigers Year 8 Male – Premiers
Austin van der Struyf ( Best on Ground - 8 St Louis)
Marshall Lalor (8 St Louis)
Sam Owen (8 Ward)
Cooper Lorenz (8 Ward)
Claremont Tigers Year 9 Male – A Division Premiers
Bailey van der Struyf (( Best on Ground - 9 St Louis),
Patrick Hurley ( 9 Loreto)
Cooper Samson – unfortunately injured week before but still part of playing group ( 9 Loreto)
I’d like to extend my well wishes to all students participating in finals this week, particularly the three Year 9 Netball teams competing in the A, B and C Division Netball finals this weekend for the John XXIII College Netball Club. Go JTC!
Cameron Haines
Assistant Deputy Principal Year 9