Week 6 has been a busy week with many initiatives and events occurring. Book Week for 2023 has been a huge success capped off with numerous staff and students wearing their book week costumes today. All funds raised for the events during the week were put towards the Indigenous Literacy Foundation. On Wednesday we had the staff vs Year 12 student basketball game which came right down to the wire with the students winning! We also had our whole school assembly on Tuesday which involved a talk from Mr Peter Hade from Catholic Mission. Catholic Mission acts as the Pope’s mission organisation in Australia and are responsible for providing support to church-run initiatives in Australia but also 160 countries worldwide. In 2023 the focus is on supporting East Timor in regards to medical treatments, education and health. To support Catholic Mission JPC will be hosting a Big BBQ Cookout and also running Socktober. We encourage as many students as possible to be involved in supporting Catholic Mission.

Another important part of the assembly was the discussion about device and phone use during school hours and the expectations for students. As outlined in our communication to all students and families, as a College we want to ensure that students are using their technology for educational purposes only, exercising good judgement when it comes to the content they are accessing and engaging in programs and conversations we hold with students around phone use and cyber safety. As taken from the Technology Framework, students' phones should be in their lockers and can only be checked during break time. This is to ensure that students are entering classes without the temptation to use their phones or with the distraction of having it with them. Students are also not to use their devices to film/photograph/record other students or staff at school. Engaging in these behaviours will be treated as a serious incident and will result in interventions as per the SWPB framework. The following link St John Paul II College Technology Framework outlines the framework and we encourage all students to peruse this document in full. We want to encourage the positive use of technology and ensure that JPC students are using their devices and phones responsibly.

With Spring just around the corner, we hope that everyone has a great weekend and look forward to next week!

Mr Nic Whatman
Assistant Principal – Wellbeing and Community
Maathai and Van Thuan Houses

Hugo S (Yr7) was invited by the Veterans Support Centre to play The Last Post last Friday 18 August 2023 at the Vietnam Veterans event.

2023 marks the 50th anniversary of the end of Australia's involvement in the Vietnam War.

Well Done Hugo and thank you for representing St John Paul II College with pride.

After qualifying for the ACT Secondary Championships, the JPC chess team travelled to Canberra Grammar School to test their mettle against schools across the territory. The Swiss System tournament had two teams working to accumulate points. Club leaders Naren and Tyler alternated between playing and analysing their teammates' play to offer pointers and tactics between rounds. Our MVP of the day was Elemeniko, winning 5 ½ games out of 7 (one loss, one draw, 5 wins). All our JPC players kept high spirits and a humble attitude toward their opponents. Overall it was an exciting, exhausting, and rewarding tournament.

Congratulations!

ASC Soccer

Last week, a very talented group of young ladies came together to compete in the 9/10 North Soccer Gala Day.

Their first game was against Belconnen High School. Our wonderful goalkeeper, Lacey P-J (Yr 8), put herself on the line to ensure the opposition could not score. JPC came out with a 2-0 win, with goals being scored by Georgia R (Yr 10) and Alina R (Yr 10).

The next game against Campbell High School was a nail-biter. The score remained locked at 0-0 with Lavinia V (Yr 10), Addy H (Yr 10), and Sianna P-J (Yr 10) proving to be a solid defence team. Unfortunately, Campbell was able to score a goal in the final minutes, just snatching the win away from us.

This loss lit a fire as they took on Harrison School. Our midfield was strong with Riley K (Yr 8), Juliet B (Yr 8), Emily G (Yr 10), Martina (Yr 10), and Emily M (Yr 8) constantly running the ball. A goal from Georgia R and 4 from Alina R, secured a 5-0 win.

The final pool game was against Kingsford Smith School. Teagan N (Yr 9) and Alek A (Yr 9) displayed a solid performance on the wings, with multiple goal assists. With Alina R scoring 3 goals and Georgia R scoring 6, Kingsford Smith School went down 9-0.

This got the team through to the semi-finals, and we were up against Daramalan. This was a well-matched game and our toughest yet for the day. Natalia G R (Yr 10) (showed amazing endurance throughout the game, and it was close. The team went down 1-0, but they need to be commended for walking off the field with a smile and their heads held high.

I want to congratulate the team and thank them for a wonderful day out. They made me proud to say I come from JPC, as they displayed Peace, Courage, and Justice. Well done ladies

Ms Natasha Felix
A/g Leader of Wellbeing Maathai
Health and Physical Education | Outdoor Education

ASC Netball

The Year 7/8 Team arrived bright and early and were very eager to play. They soon came up against some tough opposition, fighting hard for their first five games before coming up away with wins against Canberra Grammar and Burgmann in Games 6 and 7. The girls displayed grit, motivation, and a positive attitude throughout the day and were commended by multiple officials for their sportsmanship and willingness to ensure everyone got game time. They were excellent representatives of JPC!

The mixed team were also enthusiastic throughout the day, making it through to the semi-finals and only losing by 4 points

Kirstie Gibson
Leader of Learning and Wellbeing
English Faculty and Drexel House

ACT Swimming

Congratulations to Bella R (Yr 10), Kayla B (Yr 9), Anzac L (Yr 8), and Dylan B (Yr 7), who represented the ACT in the Swimming Championships in Sydney this week.

ACT Basketball

Congratulations to Olivia B (Yr 10) who is currently in Perth for the U16's School Sports Basketball Championships.

We wish Olivia and her team all the best and we look forward to hearing all your news.

ACT Cross Country

Daniel R (Yr 9) is representing School Sport ACT at the National Cross Country Championships held in Canberra this weekend (Friday 25th -Monday 28th August).

All the best to Daniel and the ACT Team.

If you wish to watch the Championships at Stromlo Forest Park, click here for the schedule.

Well done to all the JPC students!

Parish Newsletter

For the latest news Click here or you can view it on the Parish App or visit the website below.

Welcome to ACU Canberra Open Day 2023 - Saturday 2 September 12-3pm

Deciding what to study is a pretty momentous decision. That’s why we run Open Day – it’s everything you need, in one place, to help make your choice.

Join us on campus to explore and find out more about our courses.

On the day you can:  

• chat with current students and staff
• learn more about our courses
• discuss your study options with experts
• go on a tour and watch demonstrations
• join Q&As and discussions with alumni and current students
• discover how ACU can help you achieve your goals.

Register for Open Day