Around The Primary

Dear Parents,

It was wonderful to see so many parents at today's assembly. We were all thoroughly entertained by the Year 1 students and they were an absolute delight to see on the big stage.  Thank you to Mrs Haydon, Mrs Thomas, Miss Pillera and Ms McKeague for preparing the young students so well to present this entertaining and informative assembly item.  Well done to all the students that received a certificate for their amazing achievements and efforts.

Congratulations to all our Year 3- 6 students who participated in today’s Interhouse Cross Country Carnival. They competed with great sportsmanship, comradery and had loads of fun. We are so proud of the students for striving to achieve their personal best and challenging themselves outside their comfort zones.  Our Year 6 Sports Leaders are to be commended for the fantastic way in which they encouraged the younger students too. Thank you to Mr Williams for coordinating this Carnival along with the support of staff and many parent volunteers. The IPSHA Cross Country Carnival is scheduled for Thursday 12 August at Bunbury Cathedral Grammar School. I’m sure our Interschool Cross-Country Team will represent John XXIII College with great pride. 

It is always wonderful to receive positive feedback from the school community.  Thank you to those parents who have chatted with me recently or sent an affirmative email – the staff and I really appreciate your encouraging messages and words of thanks! 

The celebration of John XXIII Day is scheduled for next Friday 6 August. It is one of the special occasions during the year when the entire student body are involved in community celebrations.  We begin with a College Mass at 9am in the St Louis Sports Centre. The day will then continue with a ‘mini-fete’ organised by our Year 5 and 6 students. This mini fete will consist of various games and food novelties. On this special occasion our normal nutrition guidelines are relaxed but parents may like to provide guidelines for their children.   All students are required to wear their sports uniform and House shirt for the day. No canteen orders will be available. 

Let’s pray for fine weather on the day and that a magnificent celebratory spirit will be present on John XXIII Day. 

Kind regards,

Antoinette De Pinto

Head of Primary 

All About St Ignatius 

St Ignatius Loyola started off as a page, before reaching his goal of becoming a soldier. During this time, he developed a taste for the material world. However, all this changed when he was in the war, and his leg was struck by a cannonball. Fittingly enough, this was his ‘cannonball moment’. Ignatius was bedridden in a family palace, which, unfortunately, had none of his usual books of chivalry. Therefore, he was forced to read the Book of Saints. Surprisingly, he was engaged by these writings and, when his period of bed rest was finally over, gave up his sword and materialistic things, choosing to live a life of poverty. During this time, he wrote spiritual handbook reflections, but he knew that his calling was to be a priest. In order to achieve this, he went back to school, then he formed the society of Jesus, or the Jesuits. This was a group of men who took an oath of poverty, obedience to the Pope, chastity and obedience. They opened chapels and schools and, after his death, St Ignatius Loyola was canonised. He is one of the three founders of John XXIII College.

Sophie Litic (6B)

My cannonball moment was …

when I moved to and from Kalgoorlie, as the journey and starting anew twice, has taught me to make friendships and learn about new places around me. 

Hannah Engelbrecht (6B)

My cannonball moment was …

strengthening my relationship with my Dad. He encourages me to go to church every Sunday so I can reinforce my relationship with God. This has definitely helped to me have a strong relationship with God and to want to be like him more.  My dad also inspires me to try my hardest in everything I do which has helped to achieve goals that I never imagined I could have. 

Anashe Marerwa (6G)

Dates to Remember

Please check the College Website to note all the important Primary school events for your family calendar. http://www.johnxxiii.edu.au/view/for-parents/calendars

Super Stars

Well done to all the students who received a certificate for their fantastic achievements.

Bishops' Religious Literacy Assessment

In Week 3, our Year 3 and Year 5 students will participate in the Bishops’ Religious Literacy Assessment (BRLA):

The BRLA measures students’ knowledge and understanding of the content in the Religious Education Curriculum. It provides a ‘point in time’ snapshot of student performance. As with all assessments we encourage students to approach the online assessment with a calm and positive mindset. 

Counsellor's Corner

Keeping Safe: Child Protection Curriculum

It is a requirement under The Registration Standards for Non-Government Schools that all students receive a protective behaviours education. At John XXIII College our staff are trained and deliver the Keeping Safe: Child Protection Curriculum (KS:CPC) across all year groups. Keeping Safe is an evidence-based child safety curriculum that teaches children to recognise abuse, understand appropriate and inappropriate touching, the anatomical correct names for body parts and ways of keeping themselves safe. 

This term across the Primary School we are exploring the third Focus Area of the Keeping Safe Program: 

Recognising and Reporting Abuse

Topics: Privacy and the body; Recognising abuse; Secrets; Cyber Safety (older years)

• Body awareness, personal space and safe and unsafe touching in relationships are all introduced. Children learn anatomical names for parts of the body, including sexual body parts, and understand that their whole body is private.
• Children need to understand that they have rights regarding their bodies and that they need to respect the rights of other children not to be touched. They need to be able to recognise the difference between appropriate and inappropriate touching, as well as the concept of necessary but uncomfortable touch like having immunisation. Communication strategies to tell someone ‘no’ or ‘stop’ if they feel unsafe are also explored.
• A range of developmentally appropriate situations are presented to children to help them identify forms of abuse, including, if age appropriate, domestic violence and the difference between accidental and deliberate injury. Children explore a range of people who can help them if they need it.
• Children develop an understanding that while many secrets can be fun and exciting, some secrets are unsafe to keep. It is important for children to recognise unsafe secrets and tell a trusted adult about them.

If you would more information or have any concerns, please speak with your child/ren’s teacher or contact me. I am at the College from Monday to Wednesday and Thursday morning or I can be contacted by phone on 9383 0469 or via email anne.murphy@cewa.edu.au  

Mrs Anne Murphy

Primary Counsellor 

Primary Sport

Well done to our Year 3 to 6 students for taking part and ‘having a go’ in the Interhouse Cross Country Carnival.  The conditions were very challenging and it was wonderful to see everyone trying their very best and scoring points for their House. 

Athletics training begins on Tuesday 3 August and will take place every Tuesday and Thursday from 3:30pm to 4:30pm on the Secondary oval for all Year 3 to 6 students.  It is a great opportunity to practice all the events in preparation for the Interhouse Athletics Carnival which takes place on Friday 10 September.

Mr Steve Williams

Primary Sports Coodinator 

Music

Primary Choirs:

A reminder that rehearsals are at normal times in the Osborne Room in Week 3:

Wanju Voices - Monday 7:30am 

Primary Singers – Thursday 8am  

Attendance at rehearsals is compulsory as we prepare for the Catholic Performing Arts Festival on Friday 27 August.

Strings from Around the World:

The Year 2 and Year 6 students attended a Music incursion on Tuesday presented by violinist and engineer, Christina Rogerson. The students were given the opportunity to see and hear the guzheng and erhu from China, the nyckelharpa from Sweden, the kora from Senegal and the saung harp from Myanmar.  Students investigated the components of string instruments, sound production, and the similarities and differences between these instruments and others. The students were amazed to see Ms Rogerson’s ‘wall of instruments’ collected or commissioned from her travels around the world and discussed the importance of preserving instruments from different cultures and time periods. Ms Rogerson commented on the engagement of the students and was delighted with the excellent questions posed during these sessions. 

If you have any queries regarding Primary music, please contact me via email catherine.haydon@cewa.edu.au

Mrs Catherine Haydon

Primary Music Teacher