Welcome to Semester 2

Welcome back to Semester 2.  A particularly warm welcome to new families and new staff in the College. I hope you all had a good rest and are feeling energised for the semester ahead.  This first week has been very memorable with celebrations for NAIDOC week (see the article from Mrs Annie Daley) and our annual Sports Assembly (see the article from Ms Ashley Turner). My sincere thanks to both Mrs Daley and to Ms Turner for the wonderful community events that they organised this week. We have certainly started the semester on a high note!

CEO Vinnies Sleepout
I would like to formally thank all of you who contributed so generously to the Vinnies CEO Sleepout. The work done by our students who slept out and by all of the community who supported this event was quite outstanding. I am delighted to announce that JPC raised a total of $16,631 this year for the homeless. Over the six years of our participation in the Sleepout, we have raised over $60,700. This is a great testament to the generosity of our students and families and of the wider community. Perhaps even more importantly, it means that we all have a much greater awareness of the plight of people who are homeless, very often through no fault of their own.

One of the activities that the CEOs participated in prior to turning in for the night was a role play/simulation. We were given an identity and details of our circumstances and then asked to actually navigate the various government and community organisations to seek financial and other appropriate support for our particular circumstances. For all of us, it was an incredible experience of frustration, humiliation and distress. I can only imagine what it must be like for people who need to do this regularly just in order to survive.

The Community Trivia Night, organised by our Peace Leaders, Maddie Greenwood and Lachlan Richards, ably aided by the rest of the Year 12 Leadership team, was a huge success. Not only was it a real celebration of community – we even had an alumni team of our Year 12 students from last year! – but it also contributed a further $700 to the Sleepout result. My sincere thanks to Lachlan, Maddie and their team for all of their work to make it such a success. The sophisticated platters prepared by our Hospitality students (led by Mrs Daley) also enhanced the enjoyment of the evening. I extend my thanks to them also.

Annual Satisfaction Surveys
An annual satisfaction survey of parents, students and staff will be conducted on behalf of all Catholic schools in the Diocese this term. The surveys are designed to gather feedback from parents, staff and students about our school and will be used to inform school improvement. Responses are confidential and individuals cannot be identified.

The surveys will be launched via email on 29 July and close on 9 August 2019 using the email addresses supplied to the school. If you do not receive an email with a link to the survey, you can access and complete the survey at the following link. https://www.research.net/r/stjohnpaulcollegeparent2019

The questions asked are mainly generic questions applicable to all of our Catholic schools in the Archdiocese of Canberra Goulburn. However, you will notice that there are several questions applicable only to JPC. These ones are regarding mentoring, team teaching and ILT. 

I encourage you to contribute your voice to the survey as it gives us very valuable feedback to enable us to plan improvements for the future and I thank you in advance for taking the time to do so.

Catherine Rey

What a wonderful belated celebration of NAIDOC week we have had at JPC, celebrating the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. The theme for 2019, Voice, Treaty, Truth was featured in our annual NAIDOC week poster competition. Talented teacher Chloe McCallum encouraged some amazing graphic designs and winner Alex Mencshelyi (Yr 10, KE7) received the very cool new AIME hoodie, designed by Iteka Ukarla, an inspiring young Aboriginal artist and Ambassador.

Hospitality classes embraced our theme with cupcake baking and decorating with the Indigenous flag on Monday; these were sold on Tuesday in the canteen, profits going to the Indigenous Literacy Foundation.

Our girls participated in a very hands-on ‘Emu-Caller’ workshop in the Wood-work tech lab (thank you for the space Kevin Robertson and Andrew Rose), a very hard but satisfying session which they followed up under the watchful eye of Art coordinator Kath Podger, with painting and decorating.

Our new JPC Indigenous cross was unveiled in the NAIDOC assembly on Wednesday, with guest speakers Alex Jackson from AIME (Australian Indigenous Mentoring Foundation) presenting the new Unity/Love hoodies to our Aboriginal students and Alex Murchison from Didge in a Day inspiring us with his story.

Both Indigenous and non-Indigenous male students spent the day in an outdoor Didgeridoo-making workshop with Alex and teacher Greg Mitchell; a brilliant self-affirming, culturally enlightening day. Thursday we had pebble-painting and dot-painting while eating native bush-tucker-flavoured popcorn and watching the brilliant, inspiring Aboriginal artist Gurrumal.

Our NAIDOC week ended beautifully with Friday morning Mass in Manuka, the highlight being a traditional smoking ceremony. Thank you to our whole JPC community for embracing and celebrating NAIDOC week so enthusiastically, including Natasha Bramham for showcasing our student's work, and Jonathan Langshaw for always being everywhere to help, and our wonderful canteen staff who incorporated native, bushtucker flavours into our menu this week.

We are blessed to be part of such an enthusiastic, enlightened and talented school community.

Annie Daley
Contact Teacher for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Students

This Thursday we celebrated the 2nd JPC Sports Assembly. It was an opportunity to celebrate the three sporting carnivals (Swimming, Athletics and Cross Country), present the age champion medallions for 2019 and award the House winners with their perpetual trophy.

We were also able to identify and congratulate the range of talented athletes at JPC who are at ACT level or equivalent in their sport, with a special celebration of the experiences of Harry Costelloe, and the 2018 Bill Turner football team.

Thank you to all who made the event possible, including Courage Leaders Tom Purton and Codie Haycraft, teachers, administration staff, the parents who came to celebrate with us and parents who consistently support their children in sporting participation.

Sport is a vital part of overall well-being, increasing our physical ability, social interactions and cognitive development. Students are encouraged to seek ways of engaging in sporting opportunities through listening to the daily notices and joining the JPC Sport Facebook and Instagram posts.

Videos from the assembly will be able to be viewed from next week on the JPC Website, should you wish to re-live the fun and the events that we have had this year.

Ashlee Tunrer

The time spent in PC each morning is imperative for all students, as this is where messages are shared about the events of the day, where students receive permission notes, and information about College life is disseminated.

Missing out on this important PC time means your child may not be receiving significant information, but also means they are not starting the day in an organised and calm way. All families are asked to be conscious of the starting time for school and to encourage all students to make a concerted effort to get to school on time to start each day.

Thank you

Dear Parents and Carers,

You are invited to attend a Parent Information Session about anxiety

On - Tuesday 30 July
Time - 5.30-6.30pm
(with open question session after presentation)
Location - JPC Theatre

Students are welcome but not required to attend.

If you have any questions about this event, please email me at chauntell.mcnamara@cg.catholic.edu.au.


Regards,

Mrs Chauntell McNamara
Leader of Pastoral Care and Student Wellbeing

Congratulations to Aidan Milicevic and Deacon Palombi for being selected in the ACT 16&Under Football (Soccer) Team!

Congratulations to Rok Van Dalen and Isaac Baldwin for being selected in the ACT 12&Under Touch Football Team!

Good luck to Alexandra Revell and Brady Bryant who are competing in the School Sport Australia Swimming Championships in Melbourne this weekend and throughout next week! This is a huge accomplishment to reach the National comp and we wish them all the best.

Tom’s next challenge is playing for Sydney University in the 2nd half of the Sydney Metro comp starting this Sunday.

Congratulations on your achievements Tom, and good luck for the rest of the 2019 competition.

While some of us were completing our final week of school last term, others were live streaming Schoolboys Rugby League National tournament and 3 specific JPC students were actually playing in the tournament - Zac Rolls, Noah Marcantonio and Owen Hromow.

Congratulations to all three boys for their performance and representing JPC and the ACT with pride. Special congratulations to Owen who received MVP across the whole tournament for the ACT team.

Congratulations to Bowyn Beatty, Tilly Bean, Alison Francis, Olenka Moran & Jordan Jonathan who competed for ACT in the Australian Basketball Championships during the holidays.

The boys finished a very credible 4th (missing out on the bronze medal by 3 points to SA Metro) and the girls were struck with injury early in the week, but finished off the competition in 10th place.

Oz-Harvest (Yellow Van) is an Australia-wide food rescue organisation. They collect quality excess food from commercial outlets and deliver it directly to people in need across Australia, as well as distributing cooked ready to eat meals.

Each year, our JPC community come together to prepare and package meals for this worthy cause, when it is cold and the homeless and hungry need it most. We then sit and eat a meal together and feel very grateful for what we have. This is a great way to socialise and meet other JPC families and JPC staff in an informal setting and enjoy a fabulous evening for a good cause!

We are seeking teacher, student and parent/family volunteers to join us next week on Wednesday 31st July from 4pm to help cook the meals.

At 6pm we will sit down and share our meal together in the restaurant. Cost (to contribute to ingredients) is $15 per person - this will also include your dinner, dessert and a drink!

Please complete the RSVP form available here and return by Monday 29th July. Payment can be made on the night.

Mrs Annie Daley

Maths Homework Club is back for Term 3 and is open to ALL year levels.

Homework Club will run on Thursdays
(commencing Thursday 1 August)
3.45pm - 4.30pm
in JG 1-2

Students just need to bring along some Maths work they are completing in class.

See you all there!

Mums and Dads – have you always wanted to have some fun in the science lab? Play with dry ice? Levitate stuff? Make a magic rainbow that changes colour before your eyes? Are you wondering what your kids get up to in the science lab, but were too afraid to ask? Well, go one better and come along to our Adults Only Night (no, not THAT sort of night - we just mean leave the kids at home!) of Science Fun for Parents!

Join our Science Team in the JPC Science Laboratories for a hands-on, science fun experience, a glass of wine and some nibbles. Meet other parents, see science magic and take part yourself. (No previous experience needed.)

• Wednesday, 14 August 2019
• 7:00PM – 8:30PM
• $5 per person
• Book and pay via the JPC Qkr App or contact the school office
• Entry via the Justice Wing door, near the staff carpark (Western end)
• All safety gear and instruction provided

Places are limited - we imagine this will be very popular, so get in early!
(This is a night for adults to experience some of the more interesting Chemistry, Physics, Earth Science and Biology that happens in our senior Science subjects, so please leave the kids at home.)

For more information:

Mrs Jennifer Tually               
Science Leader of Learning                
jennifer.tually@cg.catholic.edu.au

or

Mr Rohan Duddy

IMS Facilitator

rohan.duddy@cg.catholic.edu.au

Many thanks to the continuing number of JPC families from the business community who are offering work experience opportunities and apprenticeships to our students.

Our latest family has an excellent job for the right student. RayBrowne Joinery (Custom Design Kitchens and Bathrooms) has an opening for an apprentice joiner. This position is a full time opportunity and would start with a week of Work Experience. This is an excellent chance for a student with the right attitude and commitment to work. Please email or see Mr Pettit for more details.

Mr. Ian Pettit
Leader of Learning (Career Pathways)

We are looking for parents/carers from our JPC Community who might be able to advise our Year 12 students on how they best enter the Public Service. We have students interested in many different branches but particularly the Department of Human Services.

If you know of anyone, or if you are able to help out, please contact us.

Mr. Ian Pettit
Leader of Learning (Career Pathways)

During the ADFA Open Day on Sat 24 August 2019, UNSW Canberra will be hosting a VIP STEM Lunch for future undergraduate students interested in STEM studies as a non-Defence, civilian student. Students and their families, teachers and careers advisors are all welcome.

The lunch is from 12-2pm in Seminar Room 06 (SR06) between Building 30 and 32 (see Mrs Tually at JPC for a map of the venue). If you have any issues finding the location, there will be many staff and students on hand throughout the campus who will be pleased to assist.

Our academic staff and current non-Defence undergraduate students will be available to share their experiences, as well as answer any queries you may have regarding studying as a non-Defence student at UNSW Canberra.

To register for the VIP STEM Lunch, simply visit the online event registration site here. We ask that anyone who is planning to attend registers their intention to do so in order for us to provide sufficient catering and look after any special dietary requirements.

ADFA has limited parking available on the day, however it is expected to be filled early. ACTION buses will run shuttles from both the Russell and Campbell Defence Offices nearby, and we recommend utilising these services. Further information on transportation options on Open Day will be made available on the ADFA Open Day website.

We look forward to seeing many of you at this event.

Kind regards,

Mika Tranter
Student Recruitment and Outreach Coordinator
UNSW Canberra at ADFA
T: +61 (2) 6268 8201
E: M.Tranter@adfa.edu.au

If you, or someone in your family, have any unwanted clothing, material, sewing or craft supplies, the textiles department will greatly appreciate anything you have to offer! Upholding the school value of sustainability, we appreciate any donations, which will be used by students to make amazing practical projects.

Donations can be dropped off to the front office, clearly labelled ‘Textiles’.

Thank you!

St Mary’s is running preparation programs on the sacrament of Confirmation for baptised Catholic children who are in Year Six or above.

Information session parents / guardians and children on Sunday 4th August at 9:30am in St Mary’s Hall, 28 Turallo Tce, Bungendore.
1 Hour Preparation sessions for Confirmation will be conducted after Sunday Mass at 9:30am on 4th, 11th, 18th and 25th August.

More details and enrolment forms are on the parish website for the parish of Bungendore http://www.stmarysbungendore.org.au/
or on our parish page at the archdiocesan website at http://cg.org.au/bungendore/Home.aspx
or phone 6238 1247 (11- 5 Wednesdays) or email bungendore@cg.org.au

If anyone is interested in being involved in the ASC GIRLS BASKETBALL Carnival as an umpire (parents/carers/students not playing) please send through your details and umpiring experience to ashlee.turner@cg.catholic.edu.au. This is a paid role for the day and details will be passed on to the competition organisers.

There are a large range of sponsorships available to advertise companies around Canberra. With over 1000 attendees per day at this event, it is a great way to advertise to a large group of people. Please visit https://www.aidcsponsorship.com/ for more information.

AUDITIONS
Auditions for choristers wishing to commence in September 2019 will be held on Saturday 10 August.
For more information about the choir and the audition process and to download an application form go to wvyc.org.au

ROTARY CLUB OF HALL INDIGENOUS SCHOLARSHIP
WVYC welcomes enquiries from indigenous young people for the Rotary Club of Hall Indigenous Scholarship. Applicants should contact the administrator on info.wvyc@gmail.com to request the guidelines for applying for a scholarship.

CENTAURI VOICES
We are keen to grow our choir for young men aged 13 to 18 with changing or changed voices and are happy for interested young men to try out the choir before they commit to joining rather than auditioning.  If you are interested in sitting in on a few rehearsals please email us or phone 1300 599 655.

WVYC 50TH ANNIVERSARY CONCERT
If you’d like to see the choir in action, come to the Woden Valley Youth Choir 50th Anniversary Concert on 24 August in Llewellyn Hall. Tickets available through Ticketek.

GAMMA.CON – Canberra’s own pop culture festival returns 3-4 August at Exhibition Park Canberra.

The seventh GAMMA.CON pop culture festival is on 3-4 August at Exhibition Park in Canberra. This year promises fun for the whole family with tabletop games for all skill levels from beginner to expert, video games on both new and retro consoles, and over 100 artists and vendors selling cool handcrafts, books, comics, toys, clothes and collectables.

Our main stage will feature live music, dance and panels and performances from our guests; including YouTube Gamer superstars Jesse Cox and Alex Faciane (Scary Game Squad) and anime voice actor Paul St. Peter (Kingdom Hearts, Mobile Suit Gundam, Fullmetal Alchemist).

Alongside that will be our cosplay guests providing workshops on costume building, comic book guests offering workshops and tips on drawing, live action role play demonstrations and competitive games tournaments for the over and under twelves.

GAMMA.CON has family passes for one or both days and free entry for kids under seven.

Tickets available online at (https://gammacon.org.au/tickets/) or at the door.