‘A Wake-up Call in Empathy’

Year 9 Refugee Immersion Program

This week our Year 9 students participated in the JPC Refugee Immersion Program - ‘A Wake-up Call in Empathy’. The program offers a hands-on experience for our students, allowing them to step outside their comfort zones to glimpse some of the experiences of displaced people throughout the world. The Immersion, now in its 6^th year of operation, is unique to our College and has been commended for the way it challenges our students to consider their place in a global society and the impact they could have on positive change in the world.

The opportunity to explore what it means to respond to the ever-increasing crisis of displacement facing millions of people is of vital significance to our youth, who will, in just a few short years, be able to play a pivotal role in electing the leaders of our country or later on in life, being one of those leaders. Our hope is that this experience will help us produce citizens who are compassionate to the needs of others, and able to make informed decisions about the responsibilities we all share in seeking to build a more just and fair Australian society.

Our Year 9 students are commended for their courage in tackling the program with such enthusiasm, and for embracing this opportunity with open minds, hearts and enormous positivity. It is an exercise in working towards complete independence, where students must advocate for themselves, fend for themselves and cooperate in their family groups as the events of the day are revealed.

Special thanks must go to the significant number of teachers – Chauntell McNamara, Veronica Harrold-Carter, Rohan Duddy, Chloe McCallum, David Johns, Ann Cleary, Dominic Charter, Sara Rowley, Alyssa Markmann, Jess Reid, Carlia Zedde (and Matt Caldow as our reserve!) – who, along with the highly trained Outward Bound staff, led small groups on camp, facing the “elements” with their students and assuming their roles so effectively. I thank each of you for your generosity of time, and the care of our students during the experience. Teachers go into this profession to care, support and help students grow, and that makes their participation in the program, by its very nature, a significant professional challenge. I would also like to thank the parents of our Year 9 students who have supported this Immersion program through enabling their young people to participate.

Events of this nature work best when they are embraced by our wider school community, and I thank you all coming along on this journey and contributing to strengthening empathy in our Year 9 students.

Jennifer Tually

Leader of Learning and Wellbeing – Mission and Ministry 

Phones at School

• Phones are to be kept in lockers during the school day.
• They may be accessed at lockers at lunch or recess but must remain in the lockers.
• Phones used outside of these times will be taken to the front office in accordance with JPC’s Device policy.
• Parents who need to urgently contact their children during the day should email them using their student email and copy in the College office if they are need to collect them early.

UNIFORM

• Term 4 is approaching! Please make sure you have all your summer uniform requirements sorted. 
• Hats are compulsory in Term 4 and must be worn when outside.
• If there is an issue with a uniform, a note from parents/guardians should be provided. 

Dear Parents and Guardians,

Due to a scheduling conflict, part two of the numeracy practice NAPLAN test will occur on Wednesday 23^rd. Your child will be notified of their period and tech hub in the daily notices each morning. They are again expected to choose the “NAPLAN” room on their digital ILT planner. This will conclude our practice NAPLAN testing period. Many thanks for your support as we gather this essential data, which helps us inform programs at the school.

Patrick Wood
Leader of Learning and Wellbeing/Literacy and Numeracy Initiatives

Congratulations to the following students who completed the Chief Minister’s Reading Challenge this year. Reading everything from Morris Gleitzman’s Once series, to Suzanne Collins’ Hunger Games series, these students each read 15 books to meet the challenge.

• Alena Prendja
• Liliana Beckett
• Tanya Sharma
• Zara Pathan 

A special commendation for Tanya who completed the ‘Challenge Yourself to Read Something Different’ option for secondary students, which required her to read a range of books from autobiographies to plays, and true stories to books with blue covers!

Well done to all who completed the challenge – we look forward to seeing more people give it a go in 2021!

Kate MacGregor
Leader of Learning & Wellbeing

This semester, we have been able to offer first-hand industry experiences for our Senior Drama students. Luke Rogers, Artistic Director of Canberra Youth Theatre, led a three-hour intensive workshop with the Senior Drama class this week. Luke has trained as a professional actor, undertaken the NIDA director course and directed many performances in Sydney and Canberra.

As part of the Senior Drama course, students are studying Community Theatre, in particular, Verbatim Theatre. The purpose of verbatim theatre is to challenge, provoke and console the audience regarding a relevant issue in efforts to perhaps, make a difference in the community. As additional support and exposure in preparing students to create their major verbatim performance piece, they explored different styles and techniques. Students engaged intensely with headphone verbatim and discussed the issues of ethics and respect surrounding presenting a character ‘verbatim’ on stage. Additionally, students also experienced physicalising audio material.

A great learning experience and opportunities for the Senior drama students to work with industry professionals to continue to grow their knowledge and understanding of theatre forms. With their ongoing hard work, their end of year major performance in Term 4 is sure to be a great one! Stay tuned for details. Chookas!

Mrs Sarah Smith

This week our own Nikala Prendja was the recipient for a grant from the ACT Government. The Youth InterACT Grants aim to provide young people aged 12 to 25 years of age, with funding to organise projects, events, activities and programs that benefit other young people in the ACT. Funding amounts up to $1,500 for each project are available.

“The grant that I have received is to involve young kids (like us) to help a cause. With the money, the plan is to make masks, sell them and then with the money made I would like to purchase swags for the homeless and their pets.”

Congratulations Nikala!!!

In the past few weeks, students have been submitting their music assessments and performing to their peers with the work they have been creating/rehearsing. I just want to say how incredibly proud I am of all the music students and the effort they have put into these. The world deserves to hear your work…..so here they are.

Click on the link below.

Ms Sharon Robinson

Congratulations to everyone on a challenging but wonderful season - thanks especially to players, coaches, managers, umpires, parents and supporters.

We have five JPC teams through to semi-finals - well done Apollos, Sun’s, Eclipse, Orbits and Meteors! 

JPC Netball Team – FINALS

• JPC Apollos – Finished 2^nd on the Ladder
  Semi Final 19^th of September 1:45pm Lyneham Court 8 (2v3)
• JPC Suns’s – Finished 2^nd on the Ladder 
  Semi Final 19^th of September 12pm Lyneham Indoor court 2 (2v3)
• JPC Meteors – Finished 1^st on the Ladder
  Semi Final 19^th of September 12:30pm Charnwood Court 1 (1v4)
• JPC Eclipse – Finished 3^rd on the Ladder
  Semi Final 19^th of September 11:30am Charnwood Court 5 (2v3)
• JPC Orbits – Finished 2^nd on the Ladder 
  Semi Final 19^th of September 12:30pm Charnwood Court 3 (2v3)

Caitlin Young
JPC Netball

HOTSTART Program

This week, Meika and Ashley attended the HOTSTART Hospitality program. The course provided students with a 'taste' of front and back of house hospitality activities such as a sequence of service activities, plate/tray carrying, work station set up and pack down, WHS, hygiene and basic cookery. On the final day of training, they were involved in an OzHarvest 'Cook for a Cause' event where they were partnered up with a qualified industry chef to produce meals from rescued food. 

Congratulations Ashley and Meika!

School’s Recommendation Scheme closes this Sunday!

A reminder for Year 12’s to submit their School’s Recommendation Scheme applications to UAC by this Sunday to be considered for this early entry scheme.

Women in Civil Construction

Virtual Careers Expo