We have had a wonderful last week of school.  The students have really enjoyed the special activities that we have run in the latter part of the week and worked really cooperatively with us to ensure that lockers and classrooms are in a good state for the long break.

Some highlights of the week have been …..

JPC has talent
This is always a highlight of our last week of the year.  We are always astounded by the great talent displayed in the acts and by the great appreciation of the audience.  It is always quite an inspirational afternoon and this year certainly did not disappoint!  Along with the dancers, singers and actors, we enjoyed some very impressive work from the Year 8 Media class.  Equally impressive were the videos of the Mannequin Challenge that Year 8 and 9 students did as an activity in the morning.  If you have never heard of a mannequin challenge (as I must admit I had not!), ask your young person about it and no doubt they will lead you to some Youtube examples – quite amazing and great fun!

The Band Safari
See Paul McKie’s article below!  Once again this has become a wonderful tradition in the school.  It’s inspiring instigator is Mr John Thompson who is retiring this year.  We are incredibly grateful to John for the foundation work he has done.

The Christmas Liturgy
We were privileged to take part in an inspiring re-creation of the Christmas story this morning.  Our students led us through the events of the birth of Christ in a way that challenged and aspired us to do more and to be more – to be “disturbed” by the advent of the Christ into our lives.  See also the article by Nicola Edghill.

Student leaders for 2017.
Our Year 10 leaders for 2017 were announced at the conclusion of the liturgy.  We are incredibly proud of all of the Year 9 students who underwent leadership training and then who nominated to be student leaders for next year.  My congratulations to each of them, whether they were successful in gaining formal leadership of not.  I have no doubt that all of them will indeed exercise leadership next year.  See also the article by Mrs Edghill.

At the conclusion of our day today, we wished farewell to those students and teachers who are leaving us this year.  I thanked them all for the contributions that they have made to JPC in their time with us and I wish each of them every blessing as they continue on to the next stage of their journey.  My thanks go too to their families for all of the support that you have given us.

Teachers leaving us are:
Mrs Meredith Atilemile, Ms Gail Curtis, Ms Sheree Harris, Ms Bronwyn Griffin, Mrs Colleen Marriott, Mr John Thompson and Mrs Kellie Quirk.  I am very grateful to all of them for their generous contributions to us in their time with us.  In particular, I would like to pay tribute to Ms Griffin and Mrs Marriott, both of whom were foundation teachers of JPC.  They have been incredibly generous over the years, brought us great expertise and wisdom and worked with determination and energy to develop the school.  We owe them a great debt of gratitude and they will also be very special to us as the JPC community.  We wish them both every success.

It has been another wonderful year – a milestone for JPC with the completion of our first Year 10 group – and our first year in the Courage Wing.  Our students have amazed, inspired, entertained and delighted us (at least most of the time!)

I wish each and every one of you a joyous Christmas and a lovely break.  We look forward to working with you again next year.

Catherine Rey

This morning we gathered as a College community to celebrate with joy the coming of Christ at Christmas. The theme for our celebration was Join the Journey as we reflected on the powerful narrative of the nativity, one that begins in the humblest of settings and features a cast of unlikely characters drawn from the outskirts of society - a young, unmarried couple; a group of shepherds in the fields; intrepid travellers from the East. Each finds their way not to a palace or a throne room fit for a king, but to a stable. And yet, in that simplest of settings, heaven and earth meet. The words of our opening reading today reminded us of how momentous this occasion was.

This, tonight, is the meeting place of heaven and earth.
For this, tonight, is the stable in which God keeps his appointment to meet with his people.

Not many are here,
Not many holy;
Not many innocent children,
Not many worldly wise;
Not all familiar faces,
Not all frequent visitors.

But, if tonight only strangers met, that would be enough.

For Bethlehem was not the hub of the universe,
Nor was the stable a platform for famous folk.

In an out-of-the-way place, which folk never thought to visit -
There God kept and keeps his promise;
There God sends his son.

May this Christmas offer each of us the opportunity to journey with the shepherds to see the newborn King; to offer ourselves in worship to the wonder of God’s coming into our world. And may all of us, wherever we may celebrate this season, be blessed with peace, the joy of love in our hearts, and the promise of hope for what the new year may bring.

Mrs. Nicola Edghill
Coordinator - Religious Education

This morning we announced our new Year 10 House Leaders for 2017. These students have undertaken a process of discernment and self-reflection, and have been recognised by their peers as exemplary models for their respective Houses.

Our leaders will take on their new positions at the start of next year where they will be called on to run various initiatives in the community, and to act as supporters of the students in their House group. It is an exciting opportunity for these young people to take on new responsibilities, and we look forward to seeing the fruits of their labours.

Our leaders will be officially invested in their roles at our Opening Mass in 2017. We also extend our thanks and congratulations to those students who nominated themselves for election. Although you may not have been elected in this instance, your willingness to lead and spirit of enthusiasm are qualities that will continue to benefit our community.

Congratulations to the Student Leadership Team, 2017:

Drexel House: Phoebe Nguyen and Madeline Moore
Ferré House: Madison Greenwood and Jason El-Khoury
Kennedy House: Tahlia Gee and Malcolm Murta
Maathai House: Tara Foster and Finn Salisbury
Vanier House: Simone Spanos and Jackson Quinn
Van Thuan House: Codie Haycraft and Oliver Vidaic

Over the last few weeks, each student from our school has donated staple and festive food items to JPC’s contribution to the Holy Spirit Parish’s Christmas Hampers. Ferré House students were able to assemble 20 hampers, each containing ~30 items, which were delivered to the Parish Office yesterday.

The hampers are much appreciated by those in need in our Gungahlin community. Parish families will be encouraged to take a hamper at the Giving Mass at Holy Spirit Church on the weekend of the 17th/18th of December and deliver them locally.

A very special thank you is extended to our JPC family for the continual support of Vinnies, our school, parish and wider community.

Jennifer Tually & Elizabeth Walsh
(on behalf of Ferré House students and teachers)

After a quick bite to eat we went to look at the beautiful Catholic Church across the road with its magnificent stained glass windows. We then headed for Crookwell where we performed in the school hall at St Mary’s Primary School. This was Mr Thompson’s last performance leading the band as he is retiring at the end of the year. He even played the trombone in the last item-“Fun Fun Fun” by the Beachboys. There were around 120 students in the audience this time and they thoroughly enjoyed the show. We hope to go back again next year.

We then headed back to school after a great day out in the country and bringing a bit of Christmas Cheer to some of the younger students in the Diocese.
Thanks to Mr Thompson, Stewart our bus driver, our 16 wonderful musicians and to everyone at school who made the day possible.

Paul McKie

To commemorate the efforts of the White Ribbon Leaders this term, we joined to share a lunch and reflect. Students were able to comment on what they were proud of and what they have noticed around JPC.

The Leaders were not only proud of their efforts, but also impressed that they were able to create something and see it implemented. They commented about how this term allowed them the opportunity to stand up for something they believed in and voice their opinions around the issue. Working as a team across the Houses was effective and allowed these Leaders to share their experiences and further develop their ideas to implement for White Ribbon awareness.

The Year 8 and 9 students have noticed that the College community are more aware of the issue. The conversations around what White Ribbon represents and the idea of respect are more prevalent. There is an increase in education about the issues and students were able to reflect that, even though there is more work to be done, there have made an impressive start.

The last of the weekly Respect Award have been given to the following students.

Drexel:          Tyson Truong, Year 8 and Aimee Dawe, Year 7
Ferre:             Hamedullah Jadeer, Year 9
Kennedy:       Ethan Small, Year 8
Maathai:         Nicole Willis, Year 9
Vanier:           Tia Morris, Year 7
Van Thuan:    Tayus Withers, Year 8

Well done to these students who are more than worthy recipients of these awards. Special congratulations to the White Ribbon Leaders who have led the way for developing an increase in respectful relationships around the College.