Last week our Religious Education staff took 50 students to the ‘Shine’ Youth Ministry conference at Merici College. This is a wonderful opportunity for students to meet other Christian Leaders and to grow in knowledge and understanding of Youth Ministry skills. Events like these are important in allowing our students a voice in the Church, which is particularly relevant as we head towards an Archdiocesan Assembly in October.

Looking ahead to next year, we are excited to continue embedding our Catalyst high-impact teaching practices, particularly around the Catholic Education goal, that everyone is a competent reader. To support this goal, one of the most anticipated developments will be the opening of our new library in 2025.

We are grateful to everyone who has generously donated books to support this initiative. The library is set to become a vibrant hub for learning and engagement, with several programs already in the planning stages.

These include:

• A Whole School Reading Program: Integrated into English classes, this program aims to foster a love of reading across all year levels.
• Study Skills Workshops: Tailored to equip students with effective research and writing techniques.
• A Supervised Senior Study Space: Providing a focused and supportive environment for senior students to work on their research and writing projects.
• Parent Book Club and Borrowing: Offering opportunities for parents to engage with our literary resources and participate in community discussions.

In addition, for 2025 we look forward to launching our new Learning Management System (LMS), Canvas. The current plan is that parents will have their own login and be able to access the LMS either through Compass or an app on their smartphone. Every parent will have access to student assessment results as well as class and homework. This will be launched in January.

We are excited about the possibilities the new library and LMS will bring to strengthen the link between home and school and look forward to sharing more details as these plans unfold. Thank you once again to our community for the ongoing support and involvement.

Mrs Kathleen Garvie
Assistant Principal -Learning
Kennedy and Ferré Houses

Using the Catalyst teaching techniques in the classroom can feel, for students, very similar to how a class may have run in the past. Built into these techniques are checks for understanding. This is where teachers take the pulse of what is happening in the class and decide to move on with teaching or to reteach. To do this our teachers may use white boards, think-pair-share or hand gestures to measure understanding. This may look as follows:

Source: https://teacherhead.com/2021/10/17/check-for-understanding-why-it-matters-and-how-to-do-it-redsurrey21/

If you think of flying a plane, the pilot takes off and continually checks the radars and other information to ensure the plane is flying in the right direction. Checks for understanding serve the same purpose, they help ensure students’ knowledge is growing in the correct direction.

For more information on Catalyst and the research bank behind this, please see the Archdiocese or Canberra and Goulburn Catalyst Website:  https://catalyst.cg.catholic.edu.au

Mrs Kathleen Garvie
Assistant Principal -Learning
Kennedy and Ferré Houses

Dear Parents and Carers,

Semester Two interviews will be held online via Microsoft Teams from 4:00 pm to 7:00 pm on Tuesday 23 September 2024.

Bookings are made through your Sentral Parent Portal.

Interview bookings close Monday 22 September at 12:00 pm

To access your interview schedule, MS Teams links and remain updated on last-minute teacher availability or changes, please refer to your Sentral Parent Portal.

Thank you

On Monday, 9 September Year 10 Mathieu student Kayla B attended the Olympic Change Makers Forum 2024: Inspiring Change and Celebrating Leadership.

The Forum brought together an impressive lineup of Australia’s future sports leaders and inspiring Olympians. 

This year’s event included a number of Olympians such as boxer Harry Garside, rugby sevens star Chloe Dalton, swimming sensation Lani Pallister and water polo champion Keesja Gofers. These athletes shared their personal journeys, offering invaluable insights on leadership and perseverance.

As a swimmer (and netballer) Kayla was very keen and excited to spend time with Lani and ask her some questions.

The forum offered Kayla and other participants from across the country the chance to connect with some of the best in sport, engaging in meaningful conversations about leadership, resilience, and the impact sport can have on creating change.

Kayla said “This event is a good reminder that sport is not just about competition but about fostering leadership and making a difference in the world.

“Sport is a powerful tool to create change. Whether that be supporting a teammate, mentoring younger athletes, using your sport to raise funds for worthy causes, or simply boosting mental health and physical fitness. 

“It was wonderful to be in a room with such inspiring athletes within my peer level and at the high-performance level.”

Kayla is a former JPC Netball Mel Dunbar award recipient and was the 2023 JPC Swimming Athlete of the Year. Kayla was also the 2023 Canberra Netball Association President’s Award recipient for her contribution to the netball community both on and off the court.

Well done, Kayla! We are excited to see where your future sporting achievements will lead you.

Throughout the year our senior students have been engaging in vocational studies to boost either their university applications and resumes,  or develop their personal interest skills. Students who complete a Certificate II in Active Volunteering, must not only complete and demonstrate a theoretical knowledge of the processes involved with volunteering, but also need to complete a log book that demonstrates a minimum of 20 hours of volunteer work within the broader community.

Students who obtain their Statement of Attainment in Hospitality, focus on the skills required to make and serve coffee to industry standards. These students not only completed theoretical assessments regarding health, hygiene and working safely but also came to school on numerous occasions in the morning to complete practical sessions. We are pleased to announce that three students have completed their elected courses resulting in a nationally recognised certificate.

• Leanne S, Year 12 DR: Certificate II in Active Volunteering
• Summer F, Year 11 DR: Statement of Attainment in Hospitality
• Maddison L, Year 11 KE: Statement of Attainment in Hospitality

We congratulate these students on their achievement.

Mr Dominic Charter
Leader of Learning – VET
Van Thuan House

Mathematics is a subject that challenges the mind and opens the door to endless possibilities. At the assembly, we celebrated the hard work, dedication, and accomplishments of our students who have excelled in this important field.

We were proud to present certificates from three different mathematics competitions, recognising the outstanding achievements of our JPC students across these events.

Congratulations to all of our students for their remarkable achievements in mathematics. Your hard work, persistence, and dedication have truly paid off. We are incredibly proud of you. We look forward to the continued success of JPC students in the future!

Mrs Li and Dr Afghan

We are excited to unwrap the mystery of next year’s musical production Charlie and the Chocolate Factory!

Following the outstanding success of the four almost sold out shows of High School Musical, we are ready to sink our teeth into the next adventure. Last year, we were nominated for FIVE Canberra Area Theatre Awards and we are looking for a cast and crew ready to meet that delicious standard.

Auditions will be held in Term 3, Weeks 15 – 16 with packs available from Mrs Smith. Sign-up sheets are located in the Drama room and will be available until the end of Week 1, Term 4. To be part of our backstage crew, information will be distributed in 2025. Likewise, if you wish to assist with the creation of our set and props.

The countdown begins as we step into a world of pure imagination. So, join us for the most magical and chocolate-filled adventure!

Mrs Sarah Smith
Leader of Learning and Wellbeing – The Arts
Van Thuan House

Parish Newsletter

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

OCTOBER PROGRAM:  2-day workshop: Thursday 10th + Friday 11th October @ Building 7, University of Canberra, Faculty of Arts and Design, Bruce. 9.30 am - 4pm (both days) and Market Day:  Old Bus Depot Markets, Kingston on Sunday, October 13th from 9.00 am (Set-up), 9.30 am - 2.30 pm ( trading).

The Sustainable Steps Poster Competition invites Canberra school students to create a poster that will inspire Canberrans to take a simple action for sustainability.

The competition is open to school students from preschool to Year 8. Entries close on Friday 11 October 2024.

Finalists’ posters will be displayed and winners will be announced at the Sustainable Schools Awards in early December 2024. Winners will receive a book prize.

Find out more and download the entry form.