This week, during ILT, Year 10 students began the transition to the senior school with a Specialised Pathways program. The program involved an introduction to the BSSS and the many concepts that need to understand as they move into Years 11 and 12. Each faculty presented the myriad of subjects that students can choose from in the Senior years and guidance was offered around how to start to make their choices.

The program was followed by the Year 11 2020 Information Night and Expo on Thursday evening that was beautifully devised and lead by our Student Leadership Team.

During the evening parents and student where able to gain detailed information regarding the BSSS and ACT secondary system as well as the units on offer. There were also many opportunities for one-on-one conversations with expert Senior teachers. As part of the presentation, graduate and present senior students shared their stories regarding the pathways they had followed. It was lovely to hear of the successes from our graduate students and how they felt that the transition to university and work had been helped by the skills and knowledge that they had gained while here at JPC.

If your family was not able to make the evening, information packs are available for your son or daughter to collect. These are available from the Assistant Principals offices.

Mrs Catherine Rey is a 2019 Vinnies CEO Sleepout ambassador and will be taking part in the Canberra event on 20 June. On Thursday morning, Mrs Rey and College captain Chloe McGovern and Peace Leader Lachlan Richards were interviewed on ABC Radio Breakfast by Adrienne Francis, about JPC’s involvement in the Sleepout over the last 6 years. Once again, our students’ eloquence and commitment to the school and wider community was evident. We encourage students to participate in the 2019 event that we will be held at school, and for students and their families to contribute to our fundraising efforts. 

Look out for more details to follow early next term.

Listen to the radio Interview here from 1:39:00

The ART-RAGEOUS Art Club is a new opportunity for students at JPC to engage with a range of media and experiences in the Visual Arts, where students can create individual and collaborative artworks using a range of materials, including ceramics, sculpture, drawing and painting, amongst other media, which will be determined by student interest. Come along to learn a new skill, create with others, have some reflective artmaking time and make your mark!

ART-RAGEOUS will be held weekly on Wednesdays, and students will make a commitment each Term to the Club.

Please complete the Permission Form and Payment of $15 per term through Qkr

We look forward to our first full session on Wednesday Week 1 Term 2!

Ms. Kath Podger
Visual Arts and Photography Teacher
 

This week the arts department here at JPC held a community showcase which gave students the opportunity to show off what they have been learning in their arts courses thus far.

On Tuesday the school was treated to multiple performances from music students and teachers in the foyer, Wednesday featured media, drama and musical theatre performances and showcases in the theatre and finally on Thursday came a wonderful showcase of student’s works in dance and visual arts.

We’d like to thank everyone involved so much for their courage in sharing what they have created this term, especially as many have never taken one of these classes in their lives, you all performed brilliantly. We’d also love to thank the tech crew and all of the teachers who helped in the running of the days.

It was great fun and we can’t wait to do it all again next term!

Thank you all so much for getting involved,

Codie Haycraft and Thomas Purton - Leaders of Courage

On Tuesday, the Year 11 and 12 Sports Development class travelled out to Brumbies Headquarters in Bruce. The aim of this excursion was for students to analyse training sessions, methods and principles utilised for teams and individuals within an elite sporting pathway. Students were provided with the chance to tour the facilities including the gym (where they were fascinated to see David Pocock in action), recovery areas, meeting rooms and the hall of fame. They were able to mingle with the Brumbies team members after their session and engage in some small activities at the end.

Thank you to Sammy and Luke, the Brumbies development officers, who are always looking to provide opportunities for JPC students.

If any students are interested in Rugby Union pathways and are after more information, they should email Miss Turner on ashlee.turner@cg.catholic.edu.au

Last week, Tuesday 26th March, JPC sent 2 teams of boys from Years 7, 8, 9 and 10 to Belconnen Basketball Stadium to compete in the SSACT competition. Both teams played outstandingly and represented themselves and the school exceptionally.

The 7/8 team played their first match of the day against Melba Copeland and acquitted themselves well, with a solid victory. Our second game saw us go up against Canberra High and the boys once again played exceptionally, taking the victory. Finally, we were up against Lyneham High for a place in the finals. Unfortunately, Lyneham jumped out to an early lead in the first half. In the second half the boys battled back valiantly but left their run too late, ultimately falling short of a finals position. The whole team played well all day and have a lot to be proud of. They came together as a team and always supported one another.

Our 9/10 team also started the day against a strong Melba Copeland team. They jumped out to an early lead but Melba Copeland battled back to make it a 1-point game with a minute to go. In a very close game, some late defensive heroics saw us the winners. Our next game was against a strong Canberra High team who applied defensive pressure to snatch an early lead. Despite, a massive effort the deficit was too large to overcome and we went down. Our final game was a must win against an undefeated Lyneham High, the boys came together as a team and played their hearts out but it wasn’t enough to snatch a victory and we ended the day 1-2, missing the finals. The boys played excellently and worked extremely well as a team.

A big thank you goes to all the boys who played on the day, to all the parents and guardians who organized to get the players to and from the venue, to our volunteer student coaches and to Mr. O and Ms. Turner who helped me organize the day.

Mr. Duddy

On Wednesday the 3rd of April, four teams competed in the SSACT Touch Gala Day in Deakin. The 7/8 boys were coached my Year 11 student, Brodie McNamara and performed valiantly all day, reaching the grand final against Daramalan. In a gruelling match that went down to a drop off, the boys came out winners by a try. Congratulations boys!

The 7/8 girls had a very tough match first up, going down to Daramalan 5-0. It didn’t take the girls too long to find their groove and start working together as a team. The girls had a draw next against St Clare’s college and then moved on to have their first win against Merici in the third round. The girls soon learnt that they needed to communicate to each other out on the field, and began to work more cohesively as a team. They came up against Daramalan again in the third round and versed Campbell High in their Final. The girls came 4th overall, but more importantly made new friendships and worked on refining their skills throughout the day. MVPs were Montana Maher and Sienna Gerstenberg who were confident players and helped their team develop their skills along the way.

The year 9/10 girls had a mixed day out coming up against some tough competition but achieving 2 wins for the tournament. With 8 players, they were determined to persist throughout the day despite tired legs. The girls worked hard and finished the day off with a convincing win over Gold Creek. The 9/10 boys had a challenging draw, coming away with a few wins and a lot of enjoyment.

Well done to all of our teams, we look forward to seeing you representing JPC further in the future.

Thankyou must go to Brodie McNamara, Miss Greaney, Mr Robertson and Miss Thearle for taking time out to coach the teams.

On Thursday 4 April 2019 the year 11 Religious Studies cohort had the opportunity to explore places of worship in Canberra to prepare them for their creative assessment task due in Term 2 which focusses on Ninian Smarts Seven Dimensions of Religious Traditions.

The first stop was the ACT Jewish Community- National Jewish Memorial Center in Manuka. Students met Jewish couple Adel and David Rosalky who shared with us the history and journey of the Jewish community from the time of Abraham right through to their own personal family journeys from Europe to Australia during the Holocaust. Students learned of the centrality of the Torah in Jewish life- providing history, benchmarks for behavior and ritual practice.

Students moved then, to Saint Christopher’s Cathedral in Manuka to celebrate Mass. Participating in the Eucharist is a valuable and experiential way for students to recognize the importance of the inextricable connection between symbolism, ritual, community involvement and tradition in any faith.

Finally, students were invited to Hu Guo Bao En Temple in Nicholls. Here students were introduced to Chinese Buddhist practices and rituals. This further developed their knowledge of the Four Noble Truths and the Noble Eightfold Path as the precepts within Buddhism.

In a world where Religious understanding, acceptance and interfaith dialogue are vitally connected to peace, this is a timely and meaningful experience for our Religious Studies students, who inevitably will bring their knowledge and respect for the diversity of Religious expression into the wider community.

Miss Jones, Mrs. Edghill and Miss Keane

Work Experience Opportunity

Academy of Interactive Entertainment (AIE)
The 2019 AIE Canberra Work Placement positions are now available…get in quick!

Work Experience Email Link - Students can select their preferred dates using the link below.
https://aie.edu.au/student-information/work-experience-canberra/

Availability - The list of dates on the form will be updated as positions fill up. Some weeks may be gone if students wait too long. These are the only weeks we are able to host students as staff will be unavailable in the other weeks.

Hours on AIE Campus
Students will be on campus from 10am - 4pm each day, Monday - Friday for the week they are with us. Some of the weeks do fall during public holidays. During these weeks the campus will only be open for 4 days.

https://aie.edu.au/ (AIE Home page)

Student Exchange Australia New Zealand Info Sessions | Canberra

Thursday 22 August | 7.00pm | ibis Styles Canberra
Thursday 17 October | 7.00pm | ibis Styles Canberra

If you would like to find out more information on our programs, please come along to one of our free information evenings listed below. Student Exchange Australia New Zealand holds free information evenings around Australia each year.

• Come and meet our staff
• Hear comprehensive information on all aspects of exchange
• Listen to former exchange students talk about their experiences
• Ask questions
• Listen to questions asked by other students and parents
•  Meet other students who are considering going on exchange

Find out more and register: https://studentexchange.org.au/info-sessions/in-person-city-sessions/

ACT Uni Scholarships

Please find a list of Uni’s in the ACT and their main Scholarships pages. There are many fantastic scholarships on offer. Please see Mr Pettit if you need a hand completing scholarships.

Australian Catholic University (ACU)
https://www.acu.edu.au/study-at-acu/fees-and-scholarships/find-a-scholarship

Australian National University (ANU)
http://www.anu.edu.au/study/scholarships

Charles Sturt University (CSU)
https://futurestudents.csu.edu.au/help-with-costs/scholarships

University of Canberra (UOC)
http://www.canberra.edu.au/future-students/scholarships-and-financial-support

Full copy of JPC Career News

Details and information on a range of other topics continue to be sent each week via the Careers Moodle Site  - JPC Career News – all back copies can be found there too.

As always don’t hesitate to contact me via email should you have any questions or want to make an appointment to discuss pathway options.

Mr Ian Pettit
Specialist Pathways Advisor (Careers)
Member of the Australian Career Development Association of Australia (CDAA)

This year the University Admissions Centre is trialing a new system of applications. They have opened the admissions earlier than in previous years. Normally this process would be established in August, but this year the admissions centre opened this week (3rd of April). It is important to note that not all universities will have all their courses available to be chosen at this point. Applications close on September 30 as in previous years. Please also be aware that the UAC Guides 2019-2020 have arrived at JPC and will be handed out next week. Any questions don’t hesitate to contact me via email Ian.pettit@cg.catholic.edu.au

Payment for the extra-curricular Music Program is due prior to Term 2 commencing (Monday 29/4/2019).

$26 per term, payable via our preferred method Qkr!

If your child is not continuing the music program in Term 2, please email the office.

Thank you

Bus passes for student's who travel on the QCity/Transborder buses are now available for collection from the College Office.

Please note that all bikes/scooters left at the end of the day will be locked overnight in the bike shed.

Students need to padlock their bikes/scooters and though we will ensure the bike sheds are locked during the day and overnight we will not be responsible for any bikes/scooters left in the shed.

Thank you

JPC uses a bulk emailing system which not only sends the Key Messages but for all emails that are not direct from a staff member.

If you have unsubscribed from Key Messages because you read them on Facebook or from our webpage, it does mean you are not getting any other emails sent.

If you wish to subscribe so you get all emails, please contact the College Office office.jpc@cg.catholic.edu.au requesting to be added back onto the list.

If you are still not receiving emails please check your spam account and change your settings to accept emails from JPC.

For these interviews, we will again be using the internet-based booking system called Parent Teacher On-Line (PTO). It will save time for parents, staff and students! The system will be available to parents from 9am on Thursday 28 March.

If you did not receive the email with details on how to log on, please contact the College office.

We have a bike at the student office that has been with us since last Christmas. It came out of the bike shed one afternoon and no one has come to claim it. If you have lost a bike and can provide a description, please contact the student office immediately.

Are you a student over the age of 18 and interested in saving lives?

Contact Miss Turner to find out how! If you are already a donor within the JPC community (teacher, parent, aunty, friend etc), join our Red25 group by logging on to the Donate Blood website at www.donateblood.com.au , select Red25 Group and search for St John Paul II College Canberra.

Let’s increase our tally together!