To the community of St John Paul II College,

Today the church celebrates the feast day of St Leo the Great - a prominent Pope of the Catholic Church, serving from 440 AD to 461 AD. St Leo is widely recognized for his theological writings, particularly his role in defining the nature of Christ as both fully human and fully divine, a concept central to Christian doctrine. St. Leo was also a compassionate leader, known for his efforts to help the needy and promote social justice. His life and teachings inspire us to emulate his virtues of faith, compassion, and leadership.

On his Feast Day, Christians honour St. Leo's contributions to the Church and his steadfast defence of the faith. Many Catholic communities observe this day with special prayers, liturgies, and reflections on his teachings acknowledging that his legacy continues to inspire believers around the world. As we observe this Feast Day, we reflect on his legacy and strive to live our lives with similar dedication to faith and service to others.

A prayer to St Leo the Great:

Saint Leo the Great, you exercised your papal ministry with humility and strength, wisdom and pastoral diplomacy, guiding the Church through a difficult period.
Please pray for me, that I will learn from your example and always remain firm in my faith, doing all I can to lead others to God.
Saint Leo the Great, pray for me.
Amen

Congratulations to our Senior Students

This week has seen the conclusion of the Semester Two Exams for our senior students. We congratulate all students but in particular our Year 12’s who have now completed their final assessment tasks as students of JPC. We acknowledge the effort that students have put in to preparing themselves for these and also thank staff who are now extremely busy marking and finalising reporting data working to short deadlines.

2023 JPC Band Extravaganza

On Tuesday 21 November (Week 7), the College will host its annual Band Extravaganza on the Terrace at JPC. We would love to see as many JPC families & friends come along and celebrate together as we head towards the end of another school year. There will be over 100 students performing on the night and families are encouraged to bring a picnic and enjoy listening to our wonderfully talented musicians. 

The evening will also be another opportunity for the school community to farewell Mrs Rey and acknowledge her contribution to the school.

Included in this newsletter is a flyer that contains all of the details for this community event.

2023 Enrichment Program

On Wednesday 22 November (Week 7) we commence our annual Enrichment Program for Students in Years 7-10. The program is not only an opportunity for students to be engaged in meaningful activities but also to enable them to experience curriculum areas in a much broader context. Staff at JPC have spent considerable time planning fun, team-based activities that are designed to encourage creative and critical thinking and to engage students in their learning. The program will again include a full day devoted to each subject area as well as dedicated Wellbeing Day(s) for each year level. 

More information will be shared with students over the coming days including any special requirements for particular activity days.

Of course there have been many other wonderful things that have occurred at JPC over the last couple of weeks. We thank all of those involved in these activities and for the collective effort to make them a success.

Jacob Knowles
Assistant Principal – Development
Drexel and Mathieu House

The select students of Year 10 from JPC experienced a truly fabulous day on 12^th October during the Maths Day at Burgmann Anglican School. The air buzzed with intellectual excitement as students engaged in a wide range of challenging mathematical activities and competitions.

The atmosphere was filled with teamwork, determination, and a genuine love for the subject. As the day progressed, our one of the talented team, led by their exceptional problem-solving skills and unshakable enthusiasm, managed to secure coveted second position in Hypatia category of the competition among more than 10 schools of Canberra who participated on the day. Their remarkable performance was a testament to their dedication and the unwavering support of their peers, making the Maths Day a memorable and inspiring event for all.

Following students participated in the Maths Day:

Ajay Gupta
Teacher-Mathematics
Ferré House

This week was the last week of After School Tutoring on Mondays and Wednesdays at JPC. Thank you to all the students who attended with the intent to improve their learning, the senior students who came along and tutored, and the teachers who offered their time and expertise after school.

Merry Christmas, and see you in 2024!

The JPC Tutoring Team

Please contact JPC.Finance@cg.catholic.edu.au if you have any questions regarding your fees.

Finance Office

National Youth Weightlifting Competition

Tiago H, Yr 11 recently competed at the National Youth Weightlifting competition and won!

Tiago is now the National Youth (U18) Weightlifting Champion in the 81kg category.

He was also awarded Best Male Lifter at the competition.

He won lifting 102kg in the snatch and 132kg in the clean and jerk.

Huge Congratulations Tiago!

The 2024 School Calendar is now available on our website - https://www.jpc.act.edu.au/ under "News & Events"

The Calendar is updated regularly, so make sure you check for any updates or changes throughout the year.

Did you know we have a secondhand uniform store?

The second-hand store is available during school hours. All items in the store have been donated by families and there is a variety of school uniform items including school bags. Please contact the College office to enquire or visit the office.

We also have a second-hand uniform Facebook page called JPCII - Unfform & Tech to You. This is a private group for JPC families (past, present & incoming). Families are required to request access and enter their student names for approval to be granted.

Items sold on the FB page are between the buyer and purchaser only.

For all enquiries, please contact the College office.

Are you Leaving JPC at the end of 2023?

Parish Newsletter

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

LOOKING FOR SOMETHING TO DO?

WHY NOT TRY LAWN BOWLS?

Let’s face it, not all children enjoy participating in body contact sports eg football, netball and the like.

Lawn Bowls provides an alternative pastime for children to exercise their minds and bodies, at the same time relieving the social pressures of modern technology!

We are looking for young people in your life aged 8- 18 years old who would like to give lawn bowls a go.

Lawn Bowls presents an opportunity to participate in a healthy, outdoors activity that will last a lifetime. On the way, long lasting friendships, lifestyle and bowls skills will flourish. Junior bowlers starting now are the champions of the future.

Yowani Junior Bowls Academy, located at 544 Northbourne Ave, Lyneham ACT (opposite Tram Stop/lights at Swinden St), is pleased to invite boys and girls to an introductory Junior Bowls Camp on Monday 11 December 2023, 4.30pm – 6.30pm.

A follow- up Camp is scheduled for Tuesday – Wednesday, 16 – 17 January 2024 9.30am – 12,00pm.

Bowls Australia Accredited Coach and bowls supplied, flat soled shoes preferable (runners) and hat/cap. No payment required.

Please contact Phillip Beggs 0409 392 758 or email pbeggs@tpg.com,au for details.