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Newsletter Term 4 - 2024 - Week 1-5

Principal's Report

Dear Members of the St John’s Catholic College Community,

Prayer for our Year 12 Students:

Please keep the Class of 2024 in your prayers as they complete their final exams and prepare for their Valedictory Mass:

Father God, we praise you for the gifts of education, intelligence, wisdom, and friendship. We pray that as the year comes to its climax for our Year 12 students, you give them peace of heart, strength of mind, and joy in their spirits. We pray for the grace of recollection, resilience, and for gifted hands and thoughts as they sit their exams.

Jesus our Lord, we thank you that all knowledge, wisdom, and life proceeds from you, for all things are held together by your love and mercy (Colossians 1:7). We are thankful that you redeem and refresh our hearts and minds and that you empower us to know God and the world you created.

Holy Spirit, we thank you that you give us energy and life. We ask that you comfort our Year 12 students as they sit their exams. We pray that they will know the peace and wisdom you offer and that their gifts and talents will honour you.

Lord God, we pray for the future of all our Year 12 students, that you will guide their footsteps and establish their plans whichever direction they head. May each student know your love, grace, and plans for their life.

In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.

St John the Evangelist – Pray for Us

May the Sacred Heart of Jesus be everywhere loved – Forever!

Upcoming Events:

Formal Assembly - Presentation of Awards Evening:

Our Formal Assembly for the Presentation of Awards will be held at the College on Monday 18 November, commencing at 6pm in Jubilee Hall. At this assembly we acknowledge, affirm and celebrate effort, achievement and excellence in our community. Students are to wear their school uniform (red polo) and to sit with their Homeroom class. Student attendance is expected. Parents, Carers and Family Members are highly encouraged to attend.

Event: Formal Assembly – Presentation of Awards Evening

Date: Monday 18 November, 2024 (Week 7)

Time: Students are to be seated with their Homeroom class at 6pm

Attire: Full College Uniform – Red Polo Shirts.

Valedictory Mass:

Our Valedictory Mass to celebrate the Eucharist and to farewell the graduating Year 12 Class of 2024; will be held at St Mary’s Star of the Sea War Memorial Cathedral, Smith Street Darwin, on Thursday 21 November. Please note that this is a formal full school event and is part of the Catholic Identity and Faith Formation program of being an enrolled student at a Catholic school. Student attendance and reverence are expected. Parents, Carers and Family Members are most welcome to attend.

Event: Valedictory Mass for the Class of 2024

Date: Thursday 21 November, 2024 (Week 7)

Time: Students are to meet their Homeroom teachers at St Mary’s Cathedral between 8:15am – 8:45am

Attire: Full College Uniform – Red Polo Shirts.

2025 Student Leadership Team:

It was wonderful to gather as a College Community recently to bless and thank the 2024 Student Leadership Team, and to announce, bless and commission the 2025 Student Leadership Team.

The Student Leadership Team supports the Principal in working towards the College Vision by providing visible positive servant leadership to the student body in line with the College values of Compassion, Courage, Welcome and Truth. Key components of the role are the promotion of student wellbeing, the development of a culture of welcome and belonging, and the fostering of College and House identity, pride and spirit that is Strong in Faith.

College Captains

Emma Ryan & Tyrell Lindsay

College Vice Captains

Afia Azam & Avika Malik

Burford House Captains

Catrina Meldrum & Hoang Ngoc An

Daley House Captains

Kiara Ryan & Korede Dada

O’Loughlin House Captains

Hannah Thomas & Jorja Brisbane

Doneley House Captains

Belchia (Virginia) Dias Quintas & Sheraz Ahmad

2025 Subject Selections:

Middle School Students for 2025 (Current Year 7 & 8 + IEU students) and our Senior School Students for 2025 (Current Year 9, 10 & 11 + IEU students) have completed their subject selection forms. Links to the form remain on the SEQTA noticeboard. Data will be entered into the timetable system and students will have the opportunity to review their choices. A reminder that all NTCET and ATAR enquiries should be directed through the Assistant Principal: Teaching and Learning, Mrs Cherilyn Hughes, and all VET and Careers enquiries should be directed through the VET and Careers Coordinator, Ms Tracey Ingui.

College Advisory Board – Finance Representative:

The College Advisory Board are seeking a Finance Representative to join the Board for 2025. The Finance Representative should hold formal accounting / finance qualifications and be available to review financial information in advance of our eight meetings per year. Members of the St John’s Community are invited to make contact with the Principal, via Cameron.Hughes@nt.catholic.edu.au to discuss this opportunity.

Enrolment and Attendance Update:

College Enrolment stood at 287 students at the end Collection Period 7, with an overall Attendance Rate of 83.6%. Positive improvements when comparing year on year data from the corresponding period 12 months ago. Enrolments have grown from 266 students to 287 students, and overall attendance has improved from 78.2% to 83.6%. The College is on track for our target of 300 students in 2025 and is planning for three streams of Year 7 students.

As part of our Strategic Plan, the College is committed to ‘driving student enrolments, attendance, engagement and retention supporting growth and achievement, differentiation and choice’. Whilst there is context to every student’s attendance rate, the College’s goal is a 90%+ attendance rate for each student. On a 200-day school year, 90% represents attending 180 days per year (less public holidays and school closure days). Whilst it is pleasing the number of students who maintain excellent attendance, it is concerning the number of students who are below or well below the 90%+ expectation. By choosing to enrol at St John’s, students are joining a community committed to our Catholic Identity, quality teaching and learning, and good pastoral care. Research supports a focus on attendance, as a fully engaged student is more likely to experience positive education, employment, health and wellbeing outcomes. The College looks forward to working with students and families to improve individual and overall attendance.

Advent and the New Liturgical Year:

The new Liturgical Year begins with the First Sunday of Advent (Sunday 1 December in 2024) and progresses through key seasons. The cycle concludes with the Feast of Christ the King, which marks the culmination of the liturgical journey (Sunday 24 November in 2024). 2025 has been declared a Jubilee Year, with the theme of ‘Pilgrims of Hope’ by Pope Francis. As we approach our Valedictory Mass, the Season of Advent and the new Liturgical Year; let us continue to work together and give thanks for being blessed, and for being part of the St John’s Catholic College Community.

Fortes in Fide,

Cameron Hughes

Principal

Deputy Principal

Dear Members of the St John’s Catholic College Community,

As we wrap up the first five weeks of our final term, it's a great time to reflect on the many exciting events we have celebrated. It’s been a busy start, full of learning, community-building, and plenty of growth.At the heart of the first few weeks, our focus has been on celebrating our Year 12’s and their last weeks of their schooling journey. Our Year 12 teachers have been working very hard with them all year, to ensure all the last pieces of work have been handed in, and for those undergoing exams to be prepared as best they can be. We had a lovely bacon and egg breakfast celebration, a lunch, and then the traditional Year 12’s versus staff in dodgeball. This was a fun and happy way to finish their last official day.

One of the most important goals of the first few weeks has been to nurture a sense of community within our school. Our ‘Student Leaders for 2025’ were announced at a special assembly in the auditorium. We also used this as the perfect opportunity to thank our ‘2024 Student Leaders’ for the outstanding contribution they have made to the community of St John’s Catholic College. Looking at next year’s leaders, we are very excited about the group that will lead the College in such important ways.

As we head into the second half of Term 4, we’re excited about the opportunities ahead. We look forward to continuing our academic journey, finishing up various classes, setting new goals, and supporting each student’s individual growth. Our students are once again in the process of choosing their subjects for 2025, a very important part of shaping their academic journey. We offer our students a lot of support in this important process.

A huge thank you to all our students, teachers, and families for making the first five weeks a success. We’re excited to see what the rest of the term brings.

Kind Regards,

Joseph Hicks

Deputy Principal

Assistant Principal: Teaching and Learning

Dear St John’s Catholic College Community,

Year 12 Results Release on 16 December 2024 - StudentsOnline – SACE Results portal for students

SACE Board helpline: 1300 322 920 – PIN help and Result/ATAR enquiries

Results will be released at 8.30 am on Monday 16 December 2024.

Year 12 students must log into StudentsOnline, the SACE results portal for students, in order to access their results and ATAR at the end of the year. Students must log into the portal and ensure that they have ticked ‘yes’ to the sharing preferences. By not doing this, you may restrict your result access, which may include not generating an ATAR as you have not ticked ‘yes’ to sharing with SATAC.

To login you must use your SACE registration number and a PIN. If you forget your PIN please call the SACE Board helpline: 1300 322 920

https://www.sace.sa.edu.au/studying/your-sace/what-is-students-online

SEQTA Engage & Learn

A reminder that you can view all the assessment tasks and course work to be covered for Semester 2 via SEQTA Engage. Parents/Guardians can also view when an assessment task has been submitted late, when it has been marked and the feedback provided by the teacher. Students can view the content to be covered for the week, their upcoming assessment tasks, feedback and grades through SEQTA Learn.

Semester 2 reports will be released electronically via SEQTA. Parents/Guardians can view reports once released using the SEQTA Engage app. Reports are also able to be viewed through the student app SEQTA Learn on the ‘Reports’ page.

No reports will be emailed, please ensure that you have installed and accessed the SEQTA Engage app.

If you did not receive your unique QR code to access the app please contact the administration team.

Year 12 Students – SACE Exams 2024

SACE Exams are underway with the final exam to be completed by Friday Week 6.

A reminder of the benchmarks to achieve the NTCET and ATAR for students.

Students are required to achieve a ‘C-‘ or better in 3 subjects (60 credits) at Stage 2 in order to qualify for the NTCET. This is in conjunction with the 140 credits at a ‘C’ grade or better at a Stage 1 or 2 level and the successful completion of the compulsory subjects (PLP, 2 x literacy, 1 x numeracy units).

To achieve an ATAR (university entrance score), students are required to undertake 90 credits worth of Stage 2 subjects.

Student Tracking – Years 10-12 SACE subjects

Students in Years 10-12 enrolled in SACE subjects will have received their traffic light tracking this week.

St John’s Catholic College senior students (Years 10 – 12) undertake the Northern Territory Certificate of Education and Training (NTCET). The College regularly monitors the academic progress of all senior students to support successful NTCET completion.

As part of the monitoring process, a traffic light style tracking has taken place. Students have been highlighted in one of three colours to indicate their current progress in a Stage 2 subject as pictured below:

On Track: Students who have submitted all work to date and are on track to potentially earn a C- or higher will receive a green highlight.

Of Concern: Students who may have a missing task or some tasks not at a potential C- or higher will receive an orange highlight.

At Risk of Failure: Students who may have multiple missing tasks and/or multiple tasks not at a potential C- or higher and are therefore at risk of failing a subject will receive a red highlight.

In addition to this, those students who have two or more subjects in either an orange or red highlight have been flagged by the College as at risk of not successfully completing the NTCET by the end of the 2024 academic year. This is due to the requirements to achieve the NTCET in which students are required to have 200 credits, 140 credits at a C or better and 60 credits of Stage 2 subjects at a C- or better. Students are encouraged to discuss their progress with their subject teachers.

Year 10 Students

A reminder to Year 10 students that by the end of the year you are required to have the following criteria in order to progress to Year 11 and be on track to achieve the NTCET:

Minimum of 40 credits at a ‘C’ or higher
PLP achieved at a ‘C’ grade or higher
English subject achieved at a ‘C’ grade or higher

Students who have not successfully completed Stage 1 PLP in Semester 1 will be required to re-enrol in this subject in Semester 2.

Students may also be required to change their English and Mathematics subjects in order to achieve the compulsory required units for the NTCET.

Year 11 Students

A reminder to Year 11 students, that by the end of the year you are required to have met the following criteria in order to progress to Year 12 and be on track to complete the NTCET:

140 credits at a ‘C’ grade or higher
All compulsories completed at a ‘C’ or higher – 2 x English subjects, 1 x Maths subject, 1 x PLP

Students who have not successfully completed their Maths subject in Semester 1 will be required to change their Math selection in Semester 2 in order to achieve the required compulsory units for the NTCET. This may also be required for some students undertaking Stage 1 English subjects in Year 11.

Targeted Placement

Our College uses the targeted placement policy to place students in classes in Years7-9 core classes and Year 10 Math. The College does not offer mixed ability classes for these subjects:

The targeted placement policy is used from Years 7-9 in:

RE
English
History/Geography
Mathematics
Science

Targeted Placement refers to the grouping of students in classes based on academic levels to best cater for their learning needs. Targeted Placement provides the opportunity for students to receive support and/or extension depending on their progress in each subject area. Targeted Placement decisions are informed by a range of data collected through: NAPLAN, standardised tests, school assessment and other relevant considerations.

NTCET_Results_Information_Sheet.pdf

Teaching & Learning Team

The Teaching & Learning Team members for 2022 are as follows:

Head of STEM Mr Alex Savage alexander.savage@nt.catholic.edu.au

Head of Humanities Mr Brayden Nheu Brayden.nheu@nt.catholic.edu.au

Inclusion Support Ms Shinead Love Shinead.Love@nt.catholic.edu.au

VET/Careers Ms Tracey Ingui tracey.ingui@nt.catholic.edu.au

Please make contact with the relevant Coordinator if you have questions.

Director of Boarding

To our College community,

There are many parts of the Boarding program that support our boarding students. One of the key elements of our program is the Health Centre. Staffed by our Registered Nurse, Jessica Bartlett and supported by Administration Assistant Kevin LaFarber, the Health Centre provides vital support and comfort for students living away from home. Nurse Jess is at the boarding house each weekday morning to check in with our students and administer any medications and then she is based at the Health Centre across the day to monitor any new illness or injury and take care of students across the College.
Our service provides regular health checks to ensure ongoing health and wellbeing, which includes health education, dental checks, eyesight and hearing, ear, nose and throat, immunisations, mental health support, and much more. We provide a counselling service twice a week through Catholic Care NT and utilise a number of external resources across the Darwin region.
We have had students at hospital recently with a number of injuries and ailments and our boarding staff and Health Centre staff do a great job supporting them and their families to help them get better.
Our focus is on ensuring that students are fit and healthy, feeling safe, comfortable and happy so that they can arrive at school every Monday morning and do their best each day for their educational outcomes.

We want to give a big shout out to Nurse Jess and to Kevin for the support and care they provide our
students across the year. It is a major reason we are able to retain our students.

Kind regards,

Scott Mannion

Director of Boarding

Acting Assistant Principal: Religious Education

To our St. John’s community,

A Season of Reflection and Celebration

As we journey through Term 4 and approach the season of Advent, an important time on the religious calendar, our community is blessed with multiple opportunities to gather, reflect, and celebrate together. This time of year is filled with both solemn and joyful occasions that remind us of our shared faith and commitment to honouring sacred traditions.

All Saints/All Souls Day Liturgy – Friday, 1st November
Our community recently gathered to honour All Saints and All Souls, celebrating those who have come before us. Thanks to Fr. Suraj and Sr. Pauline for organising a beautiful and reverent liturgy for this special day.

Weekly Staff and Student Masses
We are excited to offer regular weekly Masses in the school chapel, where students and staff are invited to participate in the Eucharist. Last week, we held our first Staff and Student Mass, with Fr. Suraj leads us in this service. We look forward to this becoming a weekly tradition for our school community.

Upcoming Eucharistic Celebrations and Liturgies:

Remembrance Day Mass – 11th November
We will come together to remember and give thanks for those who have served and sacrificed for peace. This Mass offers a time for reflection and gratitude.

Valedictory Mass for Year 12 Graduation – 21st November
As our Year 12 students prepare to graduate, we celebrate their journey and pray for blessings in their future endeavours. This Mass is a significant milestone, marking the end of their time at St. John’s.

Founders’ Day and Advent Mass – Monday, 9th December
In celebration of Founders’ Day and in anticipation of Advent, we gather to reflect on the College’s heritage and the hope that Advent brings. This Mass closes our school year, uniting us in faith and gratitude.

As we look toward Advent and the close of the school year, we encourage everyone to join in these celebrations and share in the joy and reverence of this sacred time.

Kind regards,

Justin Veitch

Acting Assistant Principal: Religious Education

Finance Manager

Dear Parents / Guardians,

As we approach the end of the year, we would like to take this opportunity to remind all families about the importance of settling any outstanding school fees. Timely payment is crucial in ensuring that our College continues to provide high-quality education and a range of extracurricular activities for our students. If you have any outstanding fees, we kindly request that you address these by 13 December 2024.
To facilitate the payment process, we offer several convenient payment options including weekly / fortnightly direct debits, online payments, credit card payments and in-person payments at our finance office. If you have any questions about the payment options available to you, please do not hesitate to contact our finance team.
Thank you for your ongoing support of our school community.

Kind regards,

Finance Manager

Ruth Suriyagoda CA, CPA, FCA (SL)

Inclusion Support

The Inclusion Support Team would like to thank the families and students for a wonderful year so
far. As we send off our year 12’s it is a wonderful time to reflect on their journeys.
Thank you for your work and collaboration this year. We will be reaching out to families that are due
for new EAP’s so they can be updated and ready for the start of next year. Please check your spam as
sometimes our emails go to this folder and respond with your preference of meeting. This will
provide a more seamless beginning to the term for students and teachers.
If you are seeking an appointment and we have not contacted you please reach our to myself
shinead.love@nt.catholic.edu.au or Zen Zenri at muhammad.zenri@nt.catholic.edu.au to secure a
time.
We look forward to hearing from you.

Kind regards,

Shinead Love
Inclusion Support Coordinator

TOP HEADLINES

Daley News

After ‘Student Voice’ feedback from the Daley team, the Term 4 program has included Monday Daley Team Chats, Fun Friday Inter Homeroom activities and a Breakfast Club.

As always, our goal, in line with the St Johns College Vision, is that, ‘EVERY Daley student develops the knowledge, skills and attributes to contribute positively to their world!’ We aim to be more compassionate, more courageous, more welcoming and truthful.

The Daley’s mantra of, ‘Turn Up, Have a Go and Support each other’, was tested at the Inter House Cross Country carnival run in the heat of Term 4, Week 2. It was pleasing that Daley House had the highest participation rate, and all those in attendance gave of their best! Particularly well done to Daley place getters –

Under 18 Girls Champion – Raquel Caldwell

Under 16 Girls Champion – Kiara Ryan

Under 16 Girls Runner Up – Ester Nigiri

Under 15 Girls Runner Up – Chloe Ryan

Under 14 Boys Runner Up – Ben Koefoed

Under 13 Boys Champion – Fazili Lukendo

At the Week 3 College Assembly, the 2025 Captains were announced. Congratulations to Emma Ryan, a 2024 Daley Captain on being elected a 2025 College Captain. Congratulations also to Kiara Ryan and Korede Dada on being appointed the 2025 Daley House Captains. At the assembly, Mr Hughes, College Principal) explained how the concept of leadership had changed over time. Mr Hughes explained that at St Johns, the role was ‘servant leadership’. In keeping with this approach, all 2025 Daley students will have a leadership role to play in supporting their House in 2025.

At last week’s House Chat, Laura and Dili, the College Counsellors, were guest speakers. They outlined what they do and encouraged students to seek them out if they ever wanted to discuss anything confidentially. Please let me know if would like an, ‘Expression of Interest’ form.

The assembly also provided the opportunity to acknowledge some more Daley students for their ‘role modelling’ of positive House spirit. The recipients of House Spirit pins were – Thanner Rynne, Ester Nigiri, Lavaigne Elambo and Preveena Manmurulu.

The Daley Class of 2024 have now finished their time at St Johns. The College held a range of events to celebrate their time at the College. Daley House also held a special assembly to thank them for their contribution to the House. Their ‘handprints’ have been added to their respective Homerooms so their legacy will not be forgotten.

The coming week’s will give us the opportunity to celebrate the House successes of 2024, as well as the chance to reflect on what ‘What Worked Well’ (WWW) and what would be ‘Even Better If’ (EBI) as part of our 2025 planning. Please feel free to contribute your ideas either by email or by phone to Homeroom Teachers or myself.

Thanks for your ongoing support and encouragement for the Daley program.

Go Daley Stingrays!

Ernie Fleming

Head of House for the Daley Team

Year 7.1 Geography

In Semester Two, Year 7 students dive into the concept of liveability in Geography, exploring what makes a place desirable for living. Through engaging lessons, they examine factors like safety, access to services, environmental quality, and social cohesion, learning how these elements impact quality of life. Students analyze real-world examples of liveable cities and discuss issues affecting communities. As a hands-on project, they work collaboratively to design their own "liveable community," applying their knowledge to create sustainable, inclusive, and practical spaces. This project encourages critical thinking and creativity, helping students understand the complexities of urban planning and community development.

MIDDLE SCHOOL's ART CLASS

Middle school have been learning about all different forms of print making this term. Here are some of their wonderful creations.

Jubilee Hall

Renovation works on Jubilee Hall have been completed with the facility back in action for Temr 4.

Lawnbowl

Students are learning about what inclusivity in sport means and why lawnbowls is the most inclusive. Students prepare a screencast advocating for the sport of Lawnbowls to be offered in Sports programs in schools, based on the argument that ‘Lawnbowls is truly inclusive”. The audience for the screencast are Sports Coordinators and relevant associations providing sporting programs for schools.