As we get closer to the end of the term it is important to celebrate some of the inspiring successes of the last week and to highlight particularly the importance of the Year 10 Transition Week next week.

This edition of Key Messages contains some inspiring articles that I recommend to you!

We are particularly excited today at the success of the Vinnies Sleepout which took place last night. Please see the article below for details. Alyssa Markmann was key to the organisation of the event and we are very grateful to her for her support of the students. The opportunity for students to explore the complexities of homelessness, the issues involved and the circumstances that can bring it about was a particularly valuable part of the experience.

Other highlights of the week included the Chess Championships, held yesterday – another great way of building skills and confidence in our students and of creating community.

Band Evening

On Wednesday night the College bands performed their work over the term. This was a great opportunity for our students to showcase their talent and their work within their classes. All performances were of a professional standard and excellently performed by our students. A huge thank you to the Arts team, in particular Sharon Robinson,  Aron Lyon and all of the JPC music tutors for all of their support of the students. 

Year 10 Transition Week

Reminder for all of Year 10 that it is Transition Week next week (Week 10). We highlight and encourage the Year 10 cohort to engage with all of the opportunities and new learnings this week offers. This is a special time in the students’ lives where the students can see themselves as Senior students and be able to work towards what they want to pursue in their life.

Nic Whatman
Assistant Principal – Wellbeing and Community
Maathai and Van Thuan Houses

Due to events beyond our control, the Year 12 retreat has been rescheduled, and relocated to a new venue:

When: Term 3, Week 1   Wednesday 20 – Friday 22 July

Where: Greenhills Centre, Stromlo

A reminder that Year 12 Retreat is a compulsory part of the JPC co-curricular program, and is a rich opportunity for the cohort to bond together as they approach the end of their schooling experience.

We apologise for any difficulties the change of date may cause.

Kate MacGregor
Leader Learning and Wellbeing
Mission and Ministry | Kennedy House

Yesterday we had around 55 students and staff participate in the annual Vinnies Sleep Out to raise money towards meals, shelter and help for the 116 000 people experiencing homelessness every day. We crossed over to the CEO Sleep Out where Mrs Rey was sleeping out, heard from our guest speaker Mattew Wilson from Vinnies, played some games and had a liturgy to reflect on the issue of homelessness.

We made our way to the terrace for the students to find a space to sleep, away from the wind as best they could! Storage King kindly provided boxes for the students to sleep on during the night. While it was a challenging evening the students all did a fantastic job and we thank them for their efforts. Thanks also to Dominic Charter, Nic Whatman, Louise Bignell, Amber Donoghue and Kirstie Gibson for supervising through the night, and Steve Thomas and Teena Zorzi for helping out in the evening.

A standout has been the radio interviews of our students, with Ivy Keating and Jordan Skerritt interviewed by Adrienne Francis on Drive yesterday just before 6 pm and Liliana Beckett and Hayley Silcock to be interviewed this afternoon. They are outstanding ambassadors not only for the cause but also for our College – articulate, passionate and committed.

We have been overwhelmed by the support of our community, with donations coming in thick and fast, particularly in the last few days. To date, we have raised just shy of $9000 as a school – an amazing result! We could still aim for our goal of $10,000 as donations are possible until the end of July.

Here is the link if you would like to donate:

https://www.ceosleepout.org.au/fundraisers/catherine-rey/canberra

Thank you all for your wonderful support of our brave and generous students and the work that St Vincent de Paul does to support those in our community who are less fortunate than ourselves.

Alyssa Markmann, Nic Whatman and Catherine Rey

On Wednesday night, all of the JPC music ensembles performed at our Bands Evening. This showcased the Rock bands, Concert Bands, Vocal group, Acoustic groups, our music teachers band and of course the amazing tech crew who made everything look and sound amazing. A huge congratulations to all students who participated, Aron and I are so very proud of you and grateful that you wanted to be part of such a great night. Thank you to all our music teachers who came to support the students and also performed on the night. Thank you to the JPC teachers who came and supported the students and watched them perform. And a huge thank you to Alli, Megan and Veronika for organising the snacks for the students after school before the concert. Aron and I are very grateful for all of your support and are so excited to have our performance evenings back.  

Sharon Robinson
Music teacher

Thursday saw the ACT Junior Chess League (Northside) Championships take place. As hosts of the tournament, our Chess Club participated with great spirit and everyone demonstrated their outstanding growth mindset, winning some and learning some throughout the day.

Notable performances included: Kian Cox, finishing with 5 wins from 7 games, placing him in the top 8 and many students competing for the first time learning a tonne, including a new rule for most; You are not permitted to say “check” when checking your opponent’s king! Turns out it is distracting and can be used falsely to alter the mental state of your opponent. It’s still an accepted convention to follow when playing socially and in learning as it prevents legal moves and confusion.

If your child is interested in learning the game, have them come along to PF5 Tuesday and Thursday Lunch.

Mr. Steven Thomas

Mountain biking and did someone say snow?!

9/10 Outdoor Education had their own adventure in the Snowy Mountains, NSW doing a series of activities in the Snow and at base camp in Jindabyne, NSW. 

This trip truly showed that no matter what the weather conditions, you can always have fun!

Thanks to Mr Thomas, Ms Dallas and Mr Maloney for helping run the trip with me and the 9/10 team!

Cheers, 

Mr. Adam McDonnell
Teacher – SOSE, English, Outdoor Education, PE

It's that time of year again! Design a poster for 2022 NAIDOC week to celebrate Indigenous Culture, using this year's official theme 'Get up! Stand up! Show up!' to win a hoodie. Entries are due by the end of ILT, Thursday Week 10, to Ms Daley.

The Winner will win a Hoodie!

Regards

Annie Daley
Contact Teacher for First Nation’s Students

Entry is open to all students attending Archdiocesan Catholic Schools.

Students need to use the 2022 NAIDOC theme: ‘Get Up! Stand Up! Show Up! as their inspiration and need to ensure that there is a Catholic symbol as part of their design.

Entries can be a piece of photography or art using paints, pencils, textas and/or collage and must be photographed and converted into an electronic format (jpeg) and submitted in high resolution, no smaller than 1mb.

Students need to include the ‘My Artwork’ information page when submitting their entry.

The competition closes on 24 June 2022. Further details are available below.

2022_NAIDOC_Week_Postcard_Competition_Information.pdf

Parish Newsletter

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

Auditions are just around the corner for Canberra Youth Theatre's next production for young artists in school years 4—7: the sci-fi adventure Soul Trading, which will have its world premiere at Canberra Theatre Centre in the October school holidays. It's a beautiful, thoughtful piece that will be an incredible experience for the young artists involved. Plus, robots!

All our productions are led by teams of extraordinary artists, creating professional-standard work with and for young people. A reminder too that there is no cost for young artists to be involved in productions. If you know a young person who might like to give it a try, we encourage you to encourage them to audition: there isn't a better opportunity to discover the unforgettable camaraderie, exhilaration, and sense of accomplishment that comes from being part of a show.

We'll be looking to cast 12 young artists for this production, so there are plenty of opportunities to get involved. We encourage artists from diverse backgrounds to audition, including for roles where a character’s ethnic or cultural background, age, gender, sexuality or disability need not be specified.

Download the audition pack and apply to audition at: https://canberrayouththeatre.com.au/productions/get-involved/auditions/

• • •
SOUL TRADING by Kate Walder
School Years 4—7
Auditions: Sunday, 26 June
Production: 5–8 October 2022, The Courtyard Studio