Dear Parents/Carers

We enjoyed a fantastic day last Friday at the annual swimming carnival. The participation of students in serious swimming events, novelty pool events and other fun activities was a delight to witness. Encouraged by enthusiastic staff adorned in various costumes supporting their House, there was a great spirit to the day. The building of this House spirit and healthy competition is something that is wonderful about schools. I was really proud of the students, some of whom, despite perhaps not being elite swimmers, were prepared to get in and have a go, and earn points for their House.

As members of a faith community, we gathered on Tuesday to celebrate our Opening College Mass. At this celebration, our youngest members of the community were formally welcomed into their school. We also commissioned our Year 12 Leaders in the presence of their families. We gave thanks to God for our year ahead.

It is events like these – carnivals and eucharistic celebrations amongst many others – where we come together as a whole community for a specific purpose and as a form of learning that is different to regular classroom lessons. These are vital to our identity as a school, and are integral to the education we offer.

In 2024 there are approximately 178 school days (averaged over Years 7-12) that require student attendance. This is exclusive of school holidays, public holidays, moderation days, and staff development days. There are 366 days in this calendar year. So, our students are required to attend school for about half of the year.

For the past three years according to the My School website (myschool.edu.au), student attendance for all year levels at St John Paul II College, averages out at 86%. On our swimming carnival day, more than one-third of our College did not attend. My only response to this is one of disappointment: that our students did not feel that the day was important enough or necessary in which to be an active participant, and, that more than a few parents seemingly excused their child’s attendance for whatever reason. Granted, some students will have had genuine reasons such as illness, for not attending. This does not however account for the 344 students who absented themselves on this day. I remind parents that if your child was absent last Friday you are required to provide a reason for that absence. If you do not do so, then the absence will be recorded on school reports as unexplained. 

If we desire to be a vibrant, high-performing College, we must partner with one another and send strong messages to our children and adolescents that every school day, regardless of the activity, is a seriously worthwhile day to attend. The students who were absent last Friday missed an opportunity to further develop ties with their peers, to compete in a safe, friendly environment, to have fun with the whole community, and to develop a sense of House spirit and College pride. This too is learning and speaks to social, practical and life learning.

I implore parents not to succumb to their child’s excuses for not attending such days. I ask that you insist that your child’s attendance at school (for all events) is sacrosanct, and cannot be bargained. Most often, reasons like “it’s not important” or “no-one cares” are flimsy at best. We will never know what we might just miss out on if we do not turn up. Indeed, turning up is often the only important first step to take. The rest often sorts itself out without fuss or fanfare. I look forward to a much improved attendance at our Athletics carnival on Thursday 7 March.

We can be an awesome school. Of this I am firmly convinced. Lacklustre effort though speaks more to complacency and not aspiration. What I pray for your children is that they aspire to know more, be more, and be active participants in their College community, and thus, our world.

Dr Craig Wattam
Principal 

Meet the SOSE Faculty.

SOSE encompasses a wide variety of senior and junior school subjects including history, geography, economics, business studies and philosophy. All of these subjects work together to provide the student with a rich curriculum and a greater understanding of their place in the world. The SOSE faculty has many experienced teachers with a broad range of life experiences.

The Faculty teachers for 2024 are:

During Semester One Year 8 students study Medieval Europe with a focus on The Vikings. Year 9 students study The Making of the Modern World 1750-1918 with a focus on the settlement of Australia and events culminating in WW1. Year 10 students will study The Modern World, with a focus on the main events of WW2 from Australia’s perspective and the 1960’s Civil Rights and Freedoms Movements. During Semester 2 Year 10 students will study Geography.

Mr Gary Seckerson

Leader of Learning and Wellbeing, (SOSE)
Drexel House

On Thursday afternoon the St John Paul II College portfolio leaders joined other Year 12 leaders from Merici College, St Clare's, St Mary Mackillop, Daramalan College, Marist College and St Francis Xavier Colleges for a leadership gathering hosted by Marist College and facilitated by Burn Bright.

Our leaders spent the afternoon mixing with others and joining in discussions and challenges aimed at connecting the schools and leaders in a shared journey. The afternoon finished with a BBQ and more mingling and swapping fundraising ideas.

Well done to our portfolio Captains for representing our school with Justice, Pace and Courage.

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

Dear Parents, Carers and Students,

We would like to inform you of some upcoming changes in our canteen pricing. Due to the increasing costs of ingredients and operational expenses, we will be implementing a slight price increase on our menu items.

The new prices will take effect starting from Monday 11 March 2024. 

• Rolls and Wraps - $5.00
• All meals - $5.00

We understand that this change may inconvenience some of our customers, but please rest assured that we are committed to providing your child with quality food and excellent service.

We appreciate your understanding and continued support as we strive to maintain the standards of our canteen. If you have any questions or concerns regarding this price adjustment, please do not hesitate to reach out to us.

Thank you for your understanding. We look forward to serving your children at our canteen.

Kind regards

Leon Sanft
Business Manager

Mission and Ministry

The Catholic Mass (which includes the celebration of the Eucharist) allows each participant to deepen their faith through an intimate encounter with Jesus. Saint John Paul II once said “The Eucharist is the secret of my day. It gives strength and meaning to all my activities of service to the Church and to the whole world … Let Jesus present in the Blessed Sacrament speak to your hearts. It is he who is the true answer of life that you seek.”

We warmly welcome all members of our community: students, parents, friends and staff; to join with us in the celebration of Mass at the College each week on a Wednesday morning before school. It will be celebrated by Fr Troy Bobbin our parish priest here in Gungahlin between 8.20 am and 8.50 am in the College Chapel. Please join us to listen to the Gospel, reflect on God’s love for us and receive Jesus into our hearts.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/252572/15-quotes-from-st-john-paul-ii-on-his-love-for-the-eucharist 

Matt Bourke
LLWB Mission and Ministry

Year 10 students will be offered a presentation by the Periods, Pain Endometriosis Program (PPEP).

This is part of the wellbeing program at JPC and will be held on Wednesday 6 March during periods 5 and 6.

If parents have any questions or concerns, they can watch the link below or contact Mrs Chauntell McNamara.  

• Pre PPEP Talk® Video with your students, parents or teachers https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EF2K7luhGPk This optional, 13-minute video covers up-to-date information about periods and pelvic anatomy.

Mrs Chauntell McNamara
Leader of Learning and Wellbeing Van Thuan House

Moderation Day

Moderation Day is on 5March. Year 11 & 12 students will be expected at the College. More details for the day will be sent to families and students shortly.

ACS Profiles Online

Profiles online is where students in the ACT Senior Secondary System can access Unit Outlines, assessment, unit and course results, and assessment cover sheets.  Please ensure that your Year 11 son/daughter has created an account. Having access to this provides the important information that senior students need throughout their senior studies.

Attendance

Students are required to attend ALL classes and submit all tasks to meet the attendance requirements of the BSSS.

If your son/daughter is absent due to illness, documentation such as a note from the family for the first three days will be adequate. After three days, a medical/pharmacy certificate and parent explanation are required. This must be submitted to the front office within ONE week of the absence. Failure to do so may result in the absence not being explained.

Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions about Senior Studies at JPC.

Jessica Stokman

Leader of Learning and Wellbeing

Senior Studies - Maathai Houses 

Transport Canberra has advised the school that several students either do not have a TC/My Way student card or are not tapping on as they enter the bus.

If your child uses the Transport Canberra school bus service, they are still required to pay for their fare.

For information about students travelling on a school bus, visit the following link - https://www.transport.act.gov.au/travel-options/schools/student-myway-guide

Thank you for your cooperation.

The College Office

There has been a large number of students making contact with their parents and asking to be collected from school, as they are feeling sick.

The Parent/Student/Mentor Conference will be held face-to-face on Tuesday 27 February 2024 from 3.45 pm to 6.30 pm.

Interview bookings are now open in the Sentral Parent Portal and will close on Monday 26 February at noon.

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.

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

JPC would like to offer three unique opportunities for students to become involved in our community. Three teams are being created to support students in gaining skills and experience that can support them beyond school. Each of these teams offers a chance for membership (Year 9-12) or for leadership (Year 11 or 12). Both have an important role. The difference is that students who select the leadership role, will be involved in the planning and direction of the team.

See the link below for full details and an application form.

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

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 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

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.

Parish Newsletter

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