On Wednesday we came together to mark the start of the Catholic Church’s season of Lent. The onset of Lent marks a significant period of reflection and spiritual renewal within the Church and our school community. As we embark on this solemn journey, the importance of Lent resonates deeply, offering us a time of reflection, repentance, and growth.

Lent, traditionally observed by Christians worldwide, spans forty days leading up to Easter Sunday. It symbolizes the forty days Jesus spent fasting in the wilderness, grappling with temptation and preparing for his ministry. For us, it presents an opportunity to pause, reevaluate our priorities, and realign our hearts with values of compassion, humility, and service.

In addition, Lent prompts us to confront the challenges and injustices present in our world. We also marked this on Wednesday with the start of our Caritas Appeal. The College aims to raise $5000 to go to support those in need. Lent, however, is about more than just collecting money. This season calls us to action, inspiring initiatives that promote justice, equality, and compassion both within our school walls and beyond. As we contemplate the sacrifices made during Lent, we are reminded of the sacrifices required to create a more just and compassionate society. 

Alongside our observance of Lent this week, our community has gathered for both our Senior Information Evening and our College Swimming Carnival. We extend our gratitude to all the parents, staff, and students who have participated or contributed to the success of these events. Thank you for your involvement and support.

Mrs Kathleen Garvie
Assistant Principal -Learning
Kennedy and Ferré Houses

Meet the Maths Faculty

It is with great pride and a sense of excitement for the year ahead that I introduce to you the 2024 Mathematics Faculty:

We are fortunate to have an entire team of teachers continuing with us from last year, who therefore bring to their teaching a deep awareness of our students at a class and individual level. Their expertise and knowledge of our school’s Mathematics courses (updated this year from the new Australian Curriculum 9.0 Mathematics) supports their desire to grow each student’s confidence and understanding of Mathematics.

Enrichment Opportunities in Mathematics at JPC

We have some VERY exciting enrichment opportunities and support for your learning in the pipeline this year:

• Come along to AFTER SCHOOL MATHS TUTORING, coordinated by Mr Gupta, with a team of dedicated maths teachers who give up their time with a group of senior high-level Maths students who volunteer at the Tutoring Hub on Mondays and Wednesdays (3:45 PM – 4:40 PM) – it’s free!

• Join the JPC MatheMAGICIANS!

Our inaugural 2024 Maths Club - the MatheMAGICIANS - is run weekly by Dr Afghan and her team and provides a chance for everybody (not just the highest or lowest attainers) to have fun with maths in an entirely non-judgmental and fun way, to encourage:

• development of students’ knowledge and understanding of math  
• trying new things
• strengthening of the cross-curricular links between maths and other areas
• mathematical creativity, reasoning, and problem-solving skills
• collaborative learning across year levels – make a new friend!
• boosting self-confidence and maths resilience, and a can-do approach
• elevation of our standards through deeper learning
• parental engagement with your child’s maths
• celebrations of students’ achievements in Maths

(PHEW – all this AND Maths as well?!?!?)

• COMPETITIONS: Take part in any or all of the national Maths competitions throughout the year - Australian Maths Trust, Olympiads, Computer Algorithmic Thinking - to name a few….

 Support with Maths at home – How can I help?

The most frequently asked question from parents to me as a maths teacher would have to be “How can I help my child with their maths”?

Here are some ideas to try:

• Develop an authentic, close working relationship with your child’s teacher – show you value what their teacher has to say, attend parent teacher interviews, make contact with their teacher via email, and communicate any issues
• Show interest in their work and be aware of upcoming due dates – the fridge door is great place for an assessment calendar;
• Ensure you child has all the required equipment
• Create routines and provide opportunities to complete homework – enough quiet time and space
• Your attitude to maths is contagious! Try to be positive and share a ‘can do’ approach; have some fun with maths at home; try the APSMO Problem of the Week! together as a family
• Share with your child the maths you do at home – the family budget, home loan, investments, medicine doses, plans for renovations or landscaping
• Allow your child to make mistakes – (you might be disappointed with the grade YOU get in their assignment if you haven’t attended all their lessons…), encourage them to seek assistance and learn from their mistakes.

For more ideas, try this great resource for families: 7 tips for parents to help their kids with Maths.PDF

We look forward to working closely with you to ensure your child’s success in maths in 2024! 

Mrs Jennifer Tually
Leader of Learning and Wellbeing – Mathematic Faculty and Ferré House
(On behalf of the Maths Team)

Dear Parents and Carers,

I am writing to you regarding the Parent/Student/Mentor Conferences that will be held face to face here at the College in Week 5, Tuesday 27 February 2024 from 3.45 pm - 6:30 pm.

The focus of these meetings is to continue to develop a positive relationship between home and College as we support the holistic development of your child.

You will need to be registered on the Sentral parent portal to access and book your interviews. If you are new to the school this year, you received your registration details in January.

We always advise that your son or daughter is part of the discussion with teachers and they are expected to attend with you on the night.

Interview bookings open on Monday 19 February 2024 and close on Monday 26 February at 12.00 pm and are 15 minutes in duration. An email will be sent out to families on Monday notifying you when the portal opens for bookings.

If you are unable to secure a booking with your child’s mentor teacher, please contact them via email to arrange another time to have a discussion.

Should you experience difficulties with Sentral please do not hesitate to contact IT Support for assistance, email JPCPortal@cg.catholic.edu.au.

Kind Regards

Tom van de Waterbeemd
Assistant Principal – Wellbeing & Community
Maathai and Van Thuan Houses

Unit outlines

Unit outlines for students in Year & 12 are now available on their ACS profile and on their Moodle page. Please take the time to sit with your child to look at assessment tasks and the due dates. Hint: use a study planner sets them up for success.

An example can be found here.

Leave process for students in Year 11 & 12

Applications for approved leave must be made in writing using the JPC Application for Leave (2-10 Days) Senior Students to the Principal prior to the leave being taken. This must be completed when a student is taking more than two days of leave.

Forms can be located on the JPC website: https://www.jpc.act.edu.au/senior-policies-forms

Have questions about Senior Studies? Please don’t hesitate to contact Jessica Stokman

Special Provisions applications for Year 12 Tertiary students are due 26 March.

Please contact Ms Stokman if you have questions/queries or if you would like a form to apply.

Provisions that are made for students with a disability or special need are underpinned by the Disability Discrimination ACT (1992) and the Disability Standards for Education (2005).

Thank you

The Australian Maths Trust is thrilled to announce that they are the official provider of the Bebras Challenge in Australia for 2024.

Meet Bebras

The Bebras Challenge is an international computational thinking challenge involving over 2.9 million students from 60 countries.

The Bebras name comes from the Lithuanian word for beaver – the hard-working social animal, and the Challenge mascot. The name was chosen by the founder of the challenge, Professor Valentina Dagiene from the University of Vilnius, in honour of the animal’s collaborative nature and strong work ethic. 

About the Challenge

Bebras is a fun and engaging computational thinking challenge for students in Years 3 to 12. It is an international challenge that involves over 2.9 million students from 60 countries. Like our Computational and Algorithmic Thinking competition, coding skills are NOT required.

The challenge is open twice a year for three weeks and each round has different questions. Students can participate individually or in teams of up to four. 

The Challenge is coordinated by the International Bebras Committee which meets annually to assess potential questions and share resources. Bebras Australia began in 2014 and was delivered by CSIRO until 2023. From 2024, the AMT is delivering the Bebras Challenge in Australia. 

The AMT plans to grow and develop Bebras as a key foundational algorithmics challenge for young people from Years 3 to 12. We see Bebras as an important opportunity for younger students to engage early in fun and interactive activities that nurture and develop their interest in further developing their computational problem-solving skills. 

ELIGIBILITY/AGE GROUPS:

• Junior – Australian Years 7 and 8
• Intermediate – Australian Years 9 and 10
• Senior – Australian Years 11 and 12

COST: Free 

KEY DATES:

• Round 1: Tuesday 23 April - Thursday 9 May 2024 - 60 minutes
• Round 2: Tuesday 8 October - Thursday 24 October 2024 – 60 minutes

Students may participate on any day during the challenge period and must complete the challenge within the allotted time. The Challenge is open twice a year for 3 weeks and each round has different questions. Students can participate individually or in teams of up to four.   

TOPICS: Vary each year

DELIVERY: Online

QUESTION AND ANSWER FORMAT: 15 questions – a combination of multiple choice, integer, and interactive responses.

Discover more information about Bebras here

Mrs Jennifer Tually
LLWB Mathematics Faculty and Ferré House

Questacon is seeking nominations for the 2024 Student Training Program for Year 11 and 12 students. 

Questacon Student Training Program 2024 

Questacon - The National Science and Technology Centre will offer students valuable experience in: 

• Science communication
• Making public presentations
• Developing science activities
• Working in teams and customer service
• Vocational - Job seeker skills
• WHS & Emergency Procedures Training
• Child Safety Training

The program is delivered by Questacon staff and volunteers and includes: 

• Exploration, discovery, and delivery of a variety of science experiments and demonstrations.
• Guest presenters are drawn from across Questacon and associates from across the Canberra Science Community.
• Students will apply their newly developed skills in our galleries and selected programs through 30-40 hours each of volunteering during the July 2024 school holidays.

Students who successfully complete the program can count it as an 'R' unit for their Year 12 certificate.

They will also graduate as a qualified Questacon Volunteer Explainer and are ideally positioned to apply for employment at Questacon post school graduation.

This program looks really great to potential universities! 

If you're interested, please see or email Mrs Calley (Katherine.calley@cg.catholic.edu.au) in the Kennedy staff room :)

Mrs Kate Calley
Leader of Learning and Wellbeing – Science
Kennedy House

Welcome to JPC Sport.

St John Paul II College (JPC) sport focuses on providing opportunities for students to engage in various sports within the school community. While the specific sports offered may vary depending on the resources, interests, and goals, JPC typically emphasises inclusivity, skill development, teamwork, and sportsmanship.

JPC will actively participate in a variety of gala days run within school time. These days are generally run by the Associated Southern Colleges Association (ASC) or ACT School Sports. Noting that JPC’s main participation is within the ASC zone, as it is a pathway into ACT school sports.

Here are the sports in which the JPC typically participates:

ASC Zone

1. The big 3 Carnival – Swimming, Athletic and XCountry
2. ASC Touch
3. ASC Basketball
4. ASC Netball

 ACT School North Zone Gala days:

1. Soccer
2. Volleyball
3. Rugby League and Rugby
4. Oztag
5. AFL
6. Futsal

How to sign up for school sports

School Sports will be advertised on the following platforms:

• Moodle – JPC Sport 2024
• Sentral
• Instagram - JPC.Sport.act

Please encourage your child if they are interested in trialling for any of the teams to keep an eye out each week and check on the above sports. There will be a sign up form for them to complete online to register for each sporting event.

Successful Selection of Teams:

Students will be notified via email and on the sports Moodle page about their selection. Parents will receive a message via the compass portal with regard to the information about the day. Permission must be granted by the due date for your child to attend – NO LATE PERMISSIONS WILL BE GRANTED.

At JPC, we celebrate the achievements and successes of our students in all aspects of their lives, including sports and athletics. We understand the dedication, hard work, and passion that go into pursuing excellence on the field, court, track, or pool. As such, we would like to extend an invitation to all parents to share their child's sporting achievements with us by sending us an email to let us know about your child's sporting accomplishments.

• Child’s name
• Sport
• Specific achievement and a brief description of your child's journey and dedication to their sport.
• any relevant photos

 Remember to stay updated on all things JPC sports by following our social media pages, Key Messages and checking the school Sentral page for announcements.

Kym Darmody
LLWB – PDHPE/Sport & Wellbeing
Maathai House

Over the years, we have had many generous businesses and organisations become involved in the future pathways of our JPC students. Given the growth of the school, we would like to establish a formal JPC careers community.

The aim of this community is to have a bank of knowledge that our careers team can rely on, we are looking for people and organisations who might be willing to share their knowledge on the type of industry or work they are in, provide work experience or even future job opportunities for our JPC students.

If you are interested in being a part of this community, please complete the Google form below.

We would love to hear from you!

https://forms.gle/wVAHEYq4cfj8ofkC6

Ms Teena Zorzi
Leader of Learning and Wellbeing
Careers and Pathways | Drexel House

The Catholic tradition of not eating meat on Fridays is because Jesus sacrificed his flesh for us on Good Friday.

As a Catholic school, we will not be serving meat in our Canteen in Jesus' honour every Friday during Lent. We abstain from eating meat on Fridays as part of our Lenten observance.

The canteen menu is available each week on the website.

For any enquiries, contact - Sharon Robinson or Aron Lyon

For Term 1, JPC is offering a variety of clubs or groups for students to take part in.

Some clubs have started, however, most are starting in week 4. Speak to the Teacher in charge for further information.

Parish Newsletter

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

2024 RYPEN CHALLENGE

For Year 9 & 10 students

Borambola Sport & Recreation Centre, via Wagga Wagga

15-17 MARCH 2024

Cost $475 per student

APPLICATIONS NOW OPEN

APPLICATION DEADLINE: 23 February

The ROTARY YOUTH PROGRAM OF ENRICHMENT (RYPEN) is a challenging weekend for students who show a positive and caring attitude in everyday life.
RYPEN is not a leadership camp; the program is aimed at students with good potential who could benefit from a boost in their self-esteem and confidence.
The principal aim is to communicate a series of ideas, discuss social issues, and run a series of challenging team-building activities that will assist the participants in developing communication and life skills.

All forms and information are in the DOWNLOADS section (https://rotary9705.org.au/page/rypen)

Parents must ALSO complete the Department Sport & Recreation form online.