This week's Gospel from Luke 5:1-11 called for the first disciples of Jesus to leave everything and follow him. It required those early disciples to not be afraid and trust Jesus. The Gospel story calls for Peter, a fisherman, to take a risk by going to the deep fishing waters far from the shore. This was not a short journey or process, it required Peter and his fellow fisherman to invest considerable time and effort in this, something that was not normal at this time. It required these fishers to be not afraid, have courage and follow him. Our motto at JPC inspires our community to do the same, Then come, follow me.

At the start of the school year it is easy to proverbially stay close to shore. However, with a new year comes new opportunities, perhaps to find new friendships, develop new study and revision habits, look out for someone in one of your classes or our school community that may be vulnerable, or even just find ways to nurture your own mental health. Like Peter going to deeper waters, we achieve these things by investing our time and trust. I congratulate all students who returned to school last week and hope they are able to find the courage to live out our College motto this year.

Welcome to new families

Last week we welcomed many new families from Years 7 though to 12 into our school. While new starts can be daunting, it was reassuring to hear from many families that their start had been a positive one. This Tuesday we have our information evening for all Year 7 and new families starting at 5.00pm in the College Hall. There is no set timeline transitioning a student into a new school year however I encourage any family, new or returning to contact their child’s Pastoral Care Teacher or House Coordinator. 

Year 11/12 BSSS Information Evening

On Tuesday night there will be information evenings for both Year 11 and Year 12 starting at 5.00pm. Information regarding each of these presentations has been sent to families. Any questions about these should be directed to Ms Jenna Martin Senior Studies Coordinator.

Parent Teacher Conference (Pastoral)

Bookings for our Pastoral Care Teacher family interviews are now open. The evening aims to connect families with their child’s Pastoral Care Teacher and should be made so that their child is in attendance. This meeting will give families an opportunity to finalise student goals and go over assessment calendars. For Year 12 families, ATAR estimates will be available for families to discuss with their PC teacher. If you are unable to make this day you are encouraged to make an alternate arrangement with your child’s PC teacher.

Year 11 Conference

Our senior students spent the opening week enjoying ‘A taste of Leadership’ program facilitated by Optimum Experiences. Over the three days students reflected on personal challenges, vision, team cohesion, and group support. Students were provided with ample opportunities to demonstrate their ability to lead, support other leaders, work as a team, and build strong relationships within their team. The challenges they were presented with pushed them out of their comfort zone which taught them how to deal with change while becoming more productive and creative. Each challenge finished with group debriefs allowing students to reflect on how they approached the challenge, time to reflect on both individual and collective responsibility and initiative, and how this impacted their team effectiveness and efficiency. 

The final part of the conference gave students an opportunity to reflect on their personal strengths and values and how these shape their lives within our Catholic context. There was also time in the evenings to relax and connect with their peers and JPC staff. Students are to be commended for their maturity and willingness to engage in a very busy and challenging program.  Thanks must go to those staff who came to add their expertise, Mr Dom Charter, Mr Andrew Rose, Mr Mac Mackenzie, Mr Michael Hanna, Ms Bree Foley, Ms Kirstie Gibson and Mrs Maria Tolfree. We also thank Dr Wattam for spending a day with the group and agreeing to be flung off the giant swing. In the famous words of Ted Lasso Year 11 – Be Curious… not judgemental.