Dear Parents and Carers

It is hard to believe we are at the end of Week 5 already! Students are busy working on assignments and we encourage them to use their ILT lessons productively to help manage this workload.

I take this opportunity to introduce myself and provide some information about my background and roles at JPC. I completed a Bachelor of Arts degree with Honours in History at the ANU in 2004 before undertaking my teaching studies, specialising in SOSE and English, at the University of Canberra in 2005. I took up a position at St Clare’s College in 2006 and during my ten years there taught English and History across Years 7-12. During that time, I was also the SOSE Assistant Coordinator for 18 months and the English Assistant Coordinator for four years. In 2014, I completed a Master of Philosophy in English at UNSW Canberra.

Since joining the staff of JPC this year as English Coordinator and Co-Coordinator of Drexel House, I have really appreciated the warm welcome I have received from the students. I am enjoying working in an environment such as this with students who readily accept and adapt to challenges and opportunities presented to them. In my role as English coordinator, I am excited by the variety of topics explored across our 7-10 courses and the development of units for our Senior Secondary English courses which will continue to be of interest and relevance to our students.

The expansion into Year 11 and 12 over the next two years is a really exciting phase in the development of JPC. Another part of my role this year is the Year 10 Transition into the senior secondary years. Plans for this stage are well underway and we will keep you informed about the various information sessions and transition events that we are planning.

I hope you have a lovely weekend.

Madeleine Harley
Drexel House and English Coordinator

On Wednesday this week, the JPC Science Department welcomed volunteer scientist Gonzalo Estavillo to our Year 10 Science class through the Scientists and Mathematicians in Schools (SMiS) national program managed by the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO).

Gonzalo is a plant physiologist and molecular biologist at CSIRO’s Agriculture Department, working on crops and other species. His main focus is to understand the links between photosynthesis and yield in crops such as wheat. He has also developed a novel and engaging teaching tool in Plant Biology for undergraduate students called “Plant Detectives”.

Gonzalo spoke with the whole group outlining details of his background, work, inspirations and how he sees the role of science in the world. He then spent time working with individuals in the laboratory, giving advice and direction on their Individual Research Investigations being undertaken by each student. Gonzalo was very impressed with the calibre of our students – their insightful questions showed deep thinking and articulation well beyond what he expected.
Gonzalo will work with the group during Semester 1 and bring a REAL scientist’s insight, expertise and a fresh perspective to support their work.

We are VERY grateful for the commitment which Gonzalo has made to our school as a volunteer scientist, and are very excited with the prospect of this relationship building our students’ enthusiasm, curiosity and engagement in science, both as a career option and as part of their every day lives.
Our goal is to develop this partnership into a long-term collaboration between JPC and CSIRO over the next few years to allow students access to a scientific mentor in order to have a positive impact on Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education in our school.

Jen Tually
Science Coordinator

Holy Spirit Parish Multicultural Gathering – Saturday 5 March, from 6pm

We are delighted to be part of the Holy Spirit Parish Multi-Cultural event this Saturday evening.  A group of Year 10 students -Mia Pennay, Emma Watt, Natalie Perez de Villarreal and Danijela Bodo -  will be part of the concert, performing an acro-jazz dance named Wonderland.  We thank them for their enthusiasm and dedication to our broader community and acknowledge the guidance of their teacher Mrs Faye Robertson in assisting them in their preparation for the event.  We look forward to seeing you there!

Official opening of the Courage Wing – Thursday 10 March

C4 Concert, Canberra Theatre – Thursday 10 March, 7pm. Tickets are available from the Canberra Theatre Centre.

Week 6 is also Catholic Schools Week with the theme "I Belong. You Belong. We Belong."