As Week 7 draws to a close I’m sure that I am not the only person in the JPC community wondering just where the term, no actually, where has the semester disappeared to? Many of our students will be finding themselves completing the last of their assessment tasks and looking to avail themselves of the opportunity to resubmit or re-sit aspects of their formal assessment tasks. The beauty of such a philosophy is that assessment becomes a learning opportunity rather than a static end point never to be revisited. As Professor John Hattie highlights in his research, allowing students an opportunity to use the feedback they receive enables them to become more effective learners and to gain a better understanding of how they can learn. Staff at the College have been implementing the various strategies advocated by Professor Hattie along with Dylan Wiliam in relation to formative assessment since undertaking professional learning in this area over the past two years. Many of you may have also seen Professor Hattie’s strategies in practice in the ABC documentary series Revolution School. Classwork and ILT portfolio tasks are still being completed whilst our staff members are in the beginning stages of preparing semester reports. For our Year 10 students, this will the last opportunity to be able to resubmit their tasks as we move towards preparation for their Senior Studies. In the senior years, students are bound by the policies and procedures of the ACT BSSS, where they are able to submit drafts for comment prior to finalising a task, but are not able to re-submit following the return of their task.

On Wednesday this week, the College Leadership Team met with the Registration Panel as we move towards Year 11 in 2017 and becoming a College in our own right (until now although we have been functioning independently, we have been a campus of Good Shepherd Primary School). For JPC, registration is a process that we are very familiar with, having undertaken it each year as we add a new year group. As part of the visit we showed the school to the panel, which includes Mr John Stenhouse, the Executive Officer of the ACT Board of Senior Secondary Studies. As we toured the school during ILT, hearing his reflections on what he was observing and how this could easily be transferred to the use of multi-faceted and flexible delivery of curriculum within the Senior years was very encouraging. Much of our focus for this registration has been on the development of our processes, policies and structures for Year 11 and 12. The panel will return for a two-day visit in October where they will be observing classes, speaking with staff and students, and providing their key commendations and recommendations.

Preparations for our Year 10 Transition Week are underway and we will be meeting with Year 10 students next week to discuss aspects of the week, determine their preferences for off-campus visits and guest speakers. A key aspect of the week will be subject selections for those students returning to JPC for Year 11. Whilst the final return date for the Commitment of Continuation forms for Year 10 students moving into Year 11 are not due until 24 June, to facilitate the appointment process for Year 11 Subject Interviews, if your child is intending to return to JPC in 2017, could this form be returned ASAP. Should you require a form, please contact the College Office. More information about the interviews and subject selections will be available closer to the Transition Week. During our meeting next week, Year 10, returning students will be given a copy of the JPC Senior Studies Guide and a copy of the Subject Selection Form. The Senior Studies Guide includes information about the Senior Secondary System in the ACT, Assessment and Attendance in the JPC context as well as details about each of the courses on offer at JPC in 2017.

This week our community has received sad news concerning two of our families. Our thoughts and prayers are with those families in their time of grief and we are working with our students as they move through these challenging times.

I wish you all a wonderfully restful (hopefully dry and sunny) long weekend.
Rachel Francis-Davies
Assistant Principal

On Thursday, 270 Year 5 students from Holy Spirit, Good Shepherd, Mother Teresa and Mount Carmel (NSW) primary schools attended the Year 5 Challenge Day. The students demonstrated fantastic spirit, making new friends, getting to know the JPC student leaders and students and working with the teachers. The Year 5 students were able to try a variety of subject specific activities including Chinese, Dance, Wood Technology, Food Technology, Physical Education, English and Sustainability. This was also a great opportunity for JPC student leaders to demonstrate their talents in working with young people and they did a fantastic job. Congratulations to all the students and staff involved. The JPC students who lead the activities were an absolute credit to our College, showing initiative, creativity and a welcoming spirit (even in the rain)!

On Wednesday, Year 9 students had the exciting opportunity to visit the Australian War Memorial. They are currently studying World War I in History and being able to explore a world-class facility like the AWM is an opportunity not every Year 9 student in Australia has!

We started our day by watching a short movie directed by Peter Jackson, called Over The Front, where students were able to see what combat in the air was like in WWI with all the drama, excitement and special effects that a director of The Lord of the Rings Trilogy was able to bring to the movie.

Students were able to explore ANZAC and Aircraft Halls, the First World War Exhibition , the Hall of Valour and Memory and also placed poppies next to the names of soldiers who have died in battle on the Roll of Honour.

Student Testimonials:
‘It was really good fun and I learnt a lot from all the exhibits and interesting to get more information about the Great War.’ Eddie and Tamika

‘We found it very engaging and it was good to see all the artefacts and being able to read about the war. The visual side was really engaging.’ Alysa and Shae

It was a wonderful opportunity for Year 9 to make connections between Australian’s wartime history 100 years ago and the relevance this event still has for us today.  I have it on good authority that a number of students are going to insist on going back to the AWM during the coming holidays to explore the World War II section and other areas of the memorial. There just simply wasn’t time enough to see everything!

Bronwyn Griffin
SOSE Facilitator

The Da Vinci Decathlon is an exceptionally rewarding program that has been running for eleven years, and involves ten different disciplines, including English, Science, Engineering and Code Breaking. St John Paul II College competed in the annual event in Week 6 at the Canberra Grammar School. This day involved sixteen students, the two teams being from Year Seven and Year Eight. The students had an early start to the day, but were enthusiastic for the competition and were excited for the challenges that would be presented to them throughout the day. The theme for 2016 was ‘Exploration’, and this brought a diverse range of complicated questions before them. Our Year Eight team achieved an amazing result in the Philosophy section, coming a tied second. They were half a point away from getting tied first place. Overall, the students thoroughly enjoyed themselves and learnt a lot throughout the day. Many are looking forward to competing again next year.

Lauren Kelly

The annual JPC Sleepout is back again in 2016! On Thursday the 23rd of June, students will embrace the Canberra cold in nothing but warm clothes, a sleeping bag and cardboard boxes to simulate homelessness and raise money for a good cause. The JPC Sleepout is held in conjunction with St Vincent de Paul’s CEO Sleepout in which our very own Principal, Mrs Rey will be participating.

We are also looking for any donations of large cardboard boxes to use on the night so if you could help that would be great! Please contact Ms Zorzi or Mrs Ganderton.

If you would like to make a donation to support the JPC Sleepout (And St Vincent de Paul), donations can be made by credit card via the Qkr app. All of the proceeds will go towards Mrs Rey’s tally.
 

“It’s the action, not the fruit of the action, that’s important. You have to do the right
thing. It may not be in your power, may not be in your time, that there’ll be any
fruit. But that doesn’t mean you stop doing the right thing. You may never know
what results come from your action. But if you do nothing, there will be no result.”
- Mahatma Gandhi

Today our 7/8, 9/10 Girls and 7/8 Boys Futsul teams attended the Capital Football ACT Futsul Finals Day. Both the 7/8 and 9/10 Girls narrowly went down in their semi final however played extremely well and were unlucky in missing the final. The boys however made the final after defeating Harrison High School 10 to nil in the semi. After a tough game against much bigger opposition the boys narrowly went down 6 to 3. All three teams represented the school excellently and demonstrated great sportsman ship. The teams would like to thank Miss Griffin, Mr Robertson, Mrs McNamara and Malcolm Murta for their coaching and managing of the teams’

As part of developing performance skills and confidence in Drama, all students are strongly encouraged to participate in the Drama Showcase afternoon Wednesday 22 June, Week 9.The Showcase will run from 4pm – 5pm in the JPC Theatre.This is an excellent opportunity for students to perform on the theatre stage under full theatre lights to an audience, other than their class. The Showcase will also be an opportunity for students to show their assessment performance piece or another of their own devising. Students are reminded to rerun their permission notes to their PC teachers or Miss Keane but Friday of Week 8 to confirm their participation. It will be a fun and entertaining afternoon, hope to see you there!

The Holy Spirit Parish is holding its major fundraising activity in the near future. Father Mark is seeking monetary prizes for the raffle and we at JPC would like to support this. Any family who would like to donate money towards this raffle can send their donation to the College. Thank you for your generosity in supporting the Parish in the endeavour. 

Please read the message below from Archbishop Christopher regarding important information about our CE Director Moira Najdecki. 

"Moira Najdecki to retire in January 2017
In recent days, I have received written advice from Ms Moira Najdecki that she will not be renewing her contract as Director of Catholic Education with the Archdiocese of Canberra and Goulburn, beyond 19th January 2017. I have therefore accepted Moira’s resignation.
Moira has given outstanding leadership as Archdiocesan Director of Catholic Education since 2007. Prior to this, Moira worked for 30 years in Catholic secondary schools in the ACT as teacher, Assistant Principal and Principal. We are grateful for her Catholic leadership among us.
There will be an opportunity towards the end of the year, where we can acknowledge her many achievements and dedicated leadership.
Meanwhile, in the months ahead, the process of seeking a suitable replacement for the Director of Catholic Education in the Archdiocese will commence."

Archbishop Christopher Prowse
Catholic Archbishop of Canberra and Goulburn Wednesday, 8th June 2016