Newsletter Term 3 - 2024 - Week 1-5

Principal's Report

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

Prayer:

Remember, Our Lady of the Sacred Heart,
the great things the Lord has done for you.
He chose you for his Mother.
He wanted you close to his Cross
He gives you a share in his glory.
He listens to your prayer.
Offer him our prayers of praise and thanksgiving;
present our petitions to him.
Let us live like you in the love of your Son that his Kingdom may come.
Lead all people to the source of living water that flows from His Heart, spreading over the world hope and salvation, justice and peace.
See our trust in you, answer our prayer,
show yourself always our Mother. Amen.

St John the Evangelist – Pray for Us

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

OLSH Jubilee 

St John’s Catholic College draws our charism from two religious orders, the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart (MSC) and the Daughters of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart (OLSH). Our spiritual founder, Father Jules Chevalier was a French Catholic priest who was born in Richelieu, France in 1824. Father Chevalier was ordained a priest in 1851 and founded the MSC in 1854 and the OLSH in 1874 in Issoudun, France. Father Chevalier had a deep devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and believed that the whole of creation is the gift of God’s love, and that everything that exists is being sustained and cared for by God’s tender compassionate care.

It was wonderful to gather with the wider Diocesan Community on Sunday 11 August to celebrate 150 years since the founding of the Congregation – the Daughters of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart (OLSH). It was wonderful to have a number of OLSH in attendance at the Mass, including OLSH Provincial, Sister Philippa Murphy, who was Principal at St John’s Catholic College from 2003 – 2008. 

Formal Assembly – Academic Achievement 

It was wonderful to gather on Friday 9 August to acknowledge, affirm and celebrate academic excellence in our College Community.

Cum Laude Awards – awarded to students who achieved 50%+ of A grades in their End of Semester 1 Academic Reports: 

Querene Bamia, Naura Abietha, Vanessa Jangkup, Jackson Brisbane, Piper Gaisford, Sysha Lamba, Harper Azzopardi, Kiara Baxter, Nash Eddy, Leon Filitsis, Amara Glynatsis, Sienna Jarrett, Tamlin Johnson, Johara Lubguban, Olivia Pledger, Anastasia Thomas, Hunter Watling, Alexander De Zylva, Maria Helina Ravini Jansz, Benjamin Koefed, Abhaydeep Malhi, Scarlett McKeen, Sienna McKeen, Lachlan Meredith, Adam Pendergast, Marlon Jr Puno, Adjoa Woode, Nicole Allen, Korede Dada, Rye Agustine Meer, Catrina Meldrum, Patricia Rubi Sefu, Zhibin Sun, Avika Malik, Dylan Ngere, and Hoang Ngoc An.

Magna Cum Laude Awards – awarded to students who achieved 100% of A grades in their End of Semester 1 Academic Reports: Grace Harris, Felicity Idama and Chloe Ryan

NAPLAN Achievement Awards – awarded to students who achieved in the ‘Exceeding’ category in the various NAPLAN tests:

• Grammar & Punctuation: Elijah Murphy, Regina Dada, Amata De Zylva, George Barnes, Adam Pendergast, Benjamin Koefoed, and Sienna McKeen.
• Reading: Elijah Murphy, Piper Gaisford, Regina Dada, Sysha Lamba, Finnegan Tickner, Amata De Zylva, Megan-Lynn McClelland, George Barnes, Felicity Idama, Scarlett McKeen, Lachlan Meredith, Adam Pendergast, Benjamin Koefoed, Maria Helina Ravini Jansz, Sienna McKeen, Grace Harris, William Bingham, and Colette Caldwell.
• Spelling: Elijah Murphy, Sonny Swanson, Jasper Hernandez-Butterworth, Amata De Zylva, Matisse Read, Santiago Kiely, Sysha Lamba, Marlon Jr Puno, Felicity Idama, George Barnes, Chloe Ryan, Grace Harris, and William Bingham.
• Writing: Matisse Read, Elijah Murphy, Grace Harris, Felicity Idama, Scarlett McKeen, George Barnes, Benjamin Koefoed, and Chloe Ryan.

Census 2024 and Enrolment and Attendance Update:

A wonderful result for the College in the 2024 Commonwealth Census with the College reporting growth in student enrolments from 267 (2023) to 281 (2024). The College is on track to reach our target of 300 students in 2025.

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 most concerning the significant number of students who are well below the 90%+ goal. 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. 

Jubilee Hall – Progress Update:

Our 2024 Block Grant Authority capital works project (Jubilee Hall) is progressing. The roof is close to be finished and wall cladding is currently being installed. The project is on schedule to be completed by the end of Term 3 ready for the Wet Season.

Well done to Daley House on their win at the Athletics Carnival. Can anyone top the Daley juggernaut? 

Fortes in Fide,

Cameron Hughes 

Principal 

Deputy Principal

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

As week five comes to a close, we are undoubtedly in full throttle into the fullest of terms for the academic year. We had an excellent start to the term three, with the beautiful weather inviting a lovely sense of peace across our College. Subject selections began in full swing as we entered into a new semester and students did well in choosing across a wide range of subjects and electives. One of the real strengths of St John’s Catholic College, is the wide range of subjects end electives on offer, that students can begin choosing, right from Year 7, forming their academic pathways.

The message to our Year 12’s at the beginning of this important term has been simple – they need to work hard and be present at school as much as possible. The weeks ahead are vital now as they work through the final assessment pieces and begin the process of preparing for graduation, which always comes so quickly in a school setting.  Students are given a lot of support and need to ensure they take up the support offered, even after school in our ‘Learning Nest’, as the weeks progress in term 3.

We continue to emphasise to our student body the three golden rules of being a student at St John’s Catholic College. To stay safe, respect everybody, and learn every day. Respect for others, in particular the teacher in front of the class is non-negotiable and with no exceptions. Respect demonstrates value in the person, place or space that we are engaged with. Disrespect demonstrates that we do not value that person, place or space, and we do not tolerate that approach at our great College. 

Our athletics carnival was a wonderful day, and congratulations were offered to Ms Genevieve Molendijk, who is our new sports coordinator, on the fantastic job she did in organising such a successful day.  Our students really did us proud with the good sportsmanship, and the way they all participated so enthusiastically across the board. WELL DONE to Daley House (again) on taking home the points for the day. A special mention must go to Emma Ryan on winning 10 x 1st place ribbons – such an amazing effort.

The CENT ‘TTFM Survey’ project has been in operation since week three.  This gives our students and families an opportunity to give vital feedback to us as a College to understand our strengths and identify areas for improvement, ensuring we continue to provide the best possible education for your children. All eighteen Catholic schools across the CENT participate in these surveys, and the students enjoyed doing them in respective groups.  We look forward to receiving the information back that help influence our planning and decision-making processes.

We have finished the week leading into Week 5 with the Cum Laude Assembly and the Mass for the ‘Feast of the Assumption’. Our students always do us proud, and they did again, in the way they participated and supported both of these important events which enhance the academic prowess and Catholic Identity of St John’s Catholic College. These were great events to come together, reflect and celebrate as a community. We were delighted with the large numbers of families who came along to support their loved one at the Cum Laude Assembly and THANK YOU again to all who were able to be there, it was heartening to see such support.

Kind Regards,

Joseph Hicks

Deputy Principal

Assistant Principal: Teaching and Learning

Dear St John’s Catholic College Community,

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.

Stage 2 Students

A reminder to Year 12 students that all coursework for your subjects will be completed by Friday Week 10 Term 3. All school-based assessment should be completed by this date. The first version of the SACE Exam timetable is now available; however, is subject to change and does not yet include the languages oral and written exams. It is important that Year 12 students continue to work hard and follow a study plan to ensure they complete the required work for their courses on time.

Year 12 Students – SACE Exams 2024

The first version of the SACE Examination timetable for 2024 has been released. It is important for students to note that this timetable may change and that not all exam dates have been released. Students should also note that the time listed is the starting time of the examination. Students are expected to be at the exam room 30 minutes before the start time.

A reminder to Year 12 students that all coursework for your subjects will be completed by Friday Week 10 Term 3. All school-based assessment should be completed by this date. 

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.

Stage 2 Trial Exams – Week 9 Term 3

Stage 2 Trial Exams will take place during Week 9 this term. This will allow students to experience SACE Exam conditions and required conduct. It is also provides students with important practice in responding to exam questions in exam conditions. The Trial Exams will take place in MP Room 2. Students were provided with a copy of the trial exam timetable in Week 4.

Stage 2 Exam Rules:

It is important that students are familiar with the SACE Exam conditions and rules.

Students can access information on SACE exams and exam rules at the website below:

SACE Exam Information for Students

SACE Examination Rules:

The basics

If you’re enrolled in a subject or subjects that have exams, you’ll receive an exam attendance slip, which shows the exams you’re registered to attend and the relevant rules. You must bring this slip with you to all your exams.

Some rules apply to specific subject exams, such as those that may allow calculators. The following conditions apply to all exams in 2024, and will be reinforced as you prepare and practise for your SACE exams.

• Be ready at the doors of the examination room at least 15 minutes before the examination start time.
• You can’t enter the examination room more than 40 minutes after the starting time, or leave until 40 minutes after the starting time.
• You must hand your answer books to the examination supervisor before you leave the exam room.
• Some exams have a separate script book or question booklet for particular sections or questions. If you do not attempt such a section (or question), you must write 'BLANK' on the cover of the script book or question booklet before handing it in.

In addition to following the exam rules, you’ll be expected to act honestly and respect your fellow students.

Signing the examination roll

If you have at least one external exam, you’ll be asked to sign the examination attendance roll.

This is a formal declaration indicating that you’ll comply with the rules on the examination attendance slip, including the conditions for the use of calculators.

Use of notes in an exam

Notes aren’t generally allowed in external SACE exams, but there are some exceptions.

• For General Mathematics and Essential Mathematics, you may bring one unfolded A4 sheet (two sides) of your own handwritten notes.
• For Mathematical Methods and Specialist Mathematics, you may bring two unfolded A4 sheets (four sides) of your own handwritten notes.

These notes cannot include calculator manuals, but any complex key sequences you think you may need can be included in your handwritten notes.

Handwritten notes, unmarked scores, transcriptions and charts should not be placed in plastic sleeves and should not be laminated.

Use of calculators and dictionaries

Dictionaries

You can use English-English dictionaries, bilingual dictionaries, and monolingual dictionaries in your written exams. Electronic dictionaries are not permitted.

If you do want to use a dictionary in your exam you must provide your own. The SACE Board does not supply dictionaries, but schools may prefer to provide dictionaries for exams.

Use of dictionaries in an exam is subject to the following provisions:

• A dictionary must not contain any additional material that may provide information to help the student in the exam of the subject concerned, such as a thesaurus or maps.
• An English-English, bilingual, or monolingual dictionary must be a printed standard dictionary, not a special purpose dictionary such as a Physics or Chemistry dictionary.
• A dictionary used in a language exam may contain grammar sections.

Calculators

The following document lists the approved scientific calculators, graphics calculators, mathematical stencils, and computers and how you’re able to use them in exams. 

Approved calculators

Approved graphics calculators

Students may use any of the graphics calculators listed below in the external examinations for mathematics subjects and designated non-mathematics subjects. Examination invigilators will check the model of the calculator being used and students record the calculator brand and model on the front page of their examination booklet.

Previously approved calculators

The calculators listed below were previously on the approved graphics calculator list. They are not recommended for use in exams from 2022.  Schools with students who wish to use these calculators should advise their students that the speed and functionality of the calculators in the list below may be a disadvantage in an examination. If students do wish to use these calculators after receiving the advice about the potential disadvantage, schools do not need to contact the SACE Board for approval.

Schools that have students who wish to use calculators that are not on either of the lists above should contact askSACE.

Approved scientific calculators

There is no list of Board-approved scientific calculators. Any scientific calculator, except those with an external memory source (USB jack or SD card slot), may be used. All students are required to clear the memory of their scientific calculators.

Mathematics subjects

The following conditions apply to the use of approved calculators in external examinations for Essential Mathematics, General Mathematics, Mathematical Methods, and Specialist Mathematics.

Students are not required to clear the memory of their graphics calculators.

Computer algebra systems (CAS) are not permitted.

Students are required to clear the memory of their scientific calculators before the examination.

It is the responsibility of students to ensure that their calculators are set in the correct mode.

Designated non-mathematics subjects

The following conditions apply to the use of approved calculators in external examinations for Accounting, Biology, Chemistry, Geography, Nutrition, Physical Education, Physics, Psychology, and Tourism.

Students are required to clear the memory of their graphics calculators and scientific calculators before the examination.

Students’ attention must be drawn to the declaration on the use of calculators printed on their examination attendance slip.

It is the responsibility of students to ensure that their calculators are set in the correct mode.

Capabilities of graphics calculators used for external examinations for mathematics subjects

The following summary lists the mathematical capabilities of graphics calculators and computer software that are available and may be expected to be used in external examinations for mathematics subjects.

1. Standard scientific calculator operations or functions.
2. Graphing functions, including:

• graphing functions simultaneously or consecutively
• investigating and calculating aspects of interest for one or more functions
• Points of intersection
• Axes intercepts (roots)
• Local extrema
• graphs in coordinate, polar, and parametric forms
• graphing inequalities and piecewise defined functions.

Note: A graphing function has a zoom capacity to focus on a section of interest (‘box zoom’).

        3. Data, including:

• storage and analysis of bivariate data, including means, standard deviations, regression coefficients, and product-moment correlation
• graphical displays of data, including histograms, box plots, scatter plots, and least squares regression lines, including linear and other models of regression.
  

         4. Matrices stored and manipulated, including: 

• matrix addition, multiplication, and inversions
• solutions to systems of linear equations numerically solved
• determinants and transposes.

          5. Numerical calculus facilities:

• numerical derivatives
• definite integrals (e.g. areas between functions).

          6. Numerical solutions to equations — graphical or iterative.

           7. Tabular array for a function.

           8. Complex numbers:

• operations (arithmetic operations and operations with rational indices)
• conversions between Cartesian and polar form.
  

            9. Sequences and series either through list structures or by formula.

             10. Probability, including:

• calculating probabilities, using the normal distribution and the binomial distribution
• calculating the mean and standard deviation for the normal distribution and the binomial distribution
• calculating confidence intervals for the population mean and the population proportion
• calculations associated with the Z-test that compares a sample mean to a stated population mean (null hypothesis).

Computer algebra systems (CAS) are not permitted in external examinations. 

Flash memory (memory that can be used to store add-in programs and other data) must not exceed 5.0 MB.

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.

StudentsOnline – SACE Results portal for students

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.

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

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. 

Please find attached links below for the Examinations Timetable and Trial Timetable. 

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 St. John’s community,

NAIDOC week falls in the first week of July every year, and is celebrated across the country.
Unfortunately this is during the school holidays and we don’t have the chance to celebrate the week as it happens. Therefore, we always acknowledge NAIDOC week as we return to school in Term 3.
This year we held an assembly on Friday of Week 1 to welcome our student body and celebrate NAIDOC. We were lucky enough to have Trent Lee join us at the College, and present a ‘Welcome to Country’ for us all. Trent also shared some of his knowledge about the Larrakia flag and Larrakia artwork that represents the expectations of visitors to Larrakia country.

Staff member Izaak Thomas shared his family connection to the Aboriginal Flag, created by his grandfather Harold Thomas, Izaak spoke about the inspiration for the flag design and the importance of education that inspired his grandfather.

NAIDOC week is about celebrating Aboriginal and Islander culture but is very much about learning from Aboriginal and Islander peoples, so that we can bridge the knowledge gap and grow stronger together. We were fortunate to have these two Aboriginal men share their knowledge and help us grow together to learn and create a better mutual understanding.
At lunch time, we enjoyed a BBQ Lunch to share, with dugong, kangaroo and some sausages that were enjoyed by all. Music was played and the College community gathered together in a very positive occasion.

During Exercise Pitch Black, our Boarding students attended the open day at the RAAF base and were excited to see all of the equipment on display. They also went to the Mindil Beach flyover and enjoyed the event as the planes flew across the bay.
We have several new students with us this Semester, and they have generally settled in well. Moving into boarding from home can be a daunting and challenging experience. We have a great culture of welcome and belonging at the College and particularly in our boarding house. Our students are fantastic at making others feel welcome and going out of their way to support each other.

Kind regards

Scott Mannion

Director of Boarding

Acting Assistant Principal: Religious Education

Youth Ministry NET Team Visits St. John’s

We were thrilled to welcome the Youth Ministry NETT Team to St. John’s. Their visit was a energising experience for our students, providing a unique opportunity to engage with young, passionate leaders in faith. The team shared their stories, led engaging discussions, and offered a space for students to explore their faith in a supportive and relatable way. It was wonderful to see our students connect with the NET Team, and we look forward to more such enriching experiences in our upcoming retreats.

Weekly Class Masses with Fr. Suraj

We are also excited to announce that Fr. Suraj will be leading weekly class Masses for our students. These Masses will take place in a relaxed environment, allowing students to deepen their connection with their faith and with one another.

Having Mass in a smaller, more personal setting offers several benefits. It provides a space where students can actively participate and feel more comfortable asking questions or sharing their thoughts. This setting encourages a more meaningful engagement with the liturgy and helps students to develop a more personal relationship with God. Additionally, it fosters a sense of community within the class, as students come together in prayer and reflection.

We encourage all students to take advantage of this opportunity to grow in their faith and to support one another on their spiritual journey. We are grateful to Fr. Suraj for his dedication and leadership, and we look forward to seeing the positive impact of these weekly Masses on our school community.

The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Mass

On Thursday, the St. John's College community gathered to celebrate the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary with a Mass. It was a great opportunity for students and staff to celebrate a special date in the Catholic calendar.

Thanks to Fr. Suraj for his preparation and for leading us in Mass. A special thank you also to Mr. Fris and Grade Eleven student Emma Ryan for their exceptional work in leading the choir. Finally, we commend our students for their respect and reverence throughout the Mass. It is always great to see our community come together in such a respectful manner to celebrate our faith.

Finance Manager

Dear Parents / Guardians,

Welcome to Semester 2.
We have emailed the invoices for Semester 2 fee payments and I wish to thank the families who have already made payments for Semester 2. 
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.
The finance team is committed to providing seamless support services to the College to ensure the best possible education outcomes for our students.

Kind regards,

Finance Manager

Ruth Suriyagoda CA, CPA, FCA (SL)

Inclusion Support

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

The Inclusion Support Team had a busy start to the term with NCCD. We thank all our families for providing much needed documentation to aid with support funding applications and for your communication and patience during this time. Many of our students are due for their biannual Education Adjustment Plan so please keep an eye out in your inbox or spam inbox for an email from myself at shinead.love@nt.catholic.edu.au or from Mr. Zen Zenri at zen.zenri@nt.catholic.edu.au.
If you have any concerns for your child and do not currently come under our inclusion team, please feel free to contact me to discuss our process and recommendations. If you are in the process of seeking a diagnosis external to the school, please also feel free to reach out as we can assist in providing any additional information to support the process.
We hope everyone had a lovely restful holiday break and a great start to the term.

Upcoming events:
Parent Carer – Online Workshop (suitable for parents, carers, kinship carers, adult sibling carers,
grandparents & foster parents)
 Session 1: Diversity of Autism – 17 September 12.00-1.30pm (AEST)
 Session 2: Understanding Sensory Processing – 24 th  September 12.00-1.30 pm (AEST)

Kind regards,

Shinead Love
Inclusion Support 

TOP HEADLINES OF TERM 3

St John’s Catholic College Interhouse Athletics Carnival 

On Thursday, 25th July, we held our Interhouse Athletics Carnival at Arafura Stadium. Students competed in a variety of athletic events, including shot put, discus, high jump, 100m, 400m, and 800m races. We also had relays and a champion race at the end of the day, featuring the fastest female and male students from all events.

Daley emerged as the winning house, but all houses put in a tremendous effort. Each house had its own chant, showcased during our morning chant competition, which really boosted the house spirit. The participation and enthusiasm from the students throughout the day were exceptional. It was fantastic to see so many students get involved.

A big thank you to the staff for all their help and support on the day. It was truly an excellent event!

Daley News

Daley team members met early in the new term, to celebrate a successful first semester and talk about how to best use the fresh start for the second half.

At the end of Semester 1, Daley House had a significant lead in the 2024 House Cup competition. The House leaders challenged team members to continue to build the legacy in the second half, by ‘Turning Up, Having a Go and Supporting Each Other’.

The first whole team challenge for Semester two was the College Aths Sports held at Marrarra.  Daley House Captains, Emma Ryan and Josh Winters, did a brilliant job of leading by example.  While team members enjoyed considerable success in all events, the stand-out was the willingness of all team members to participate.

Mr Hughes (Principal) commented on the ‘whole team approach’ of Daley for the chant competition to start the day.

Daley extended the lead in the House Cup when the results were announced at the end of the day.

We take this opportunity to recognise our Year 12 students who are approaching a critical phase of their studies.  We wish them well in the coming challenges.

Our current captains met with Year 10 and 11 students to encourage them to apply for 2025 Captain roles.  The 2025 positions will be finalised before the end of Term 3 so a handover can be carried out, and training and planning can be finalised before the end of the year.

At the College Cum Laude Awards assembly, a number of Daley students were recognized for their academic achievements Semester 1.  Congratulations to – Regina Dada, Amata De Zylva, Megan-Lynn McClelland, Benjamin Koefed, Sienna McKeen, Scarlett McKeen, Colette Caldwell, Chloe Ryan, Johara Lubgugan, Alexander De Zylva, Korede Dada, and Rye Augustine Meer. Special mention Of College Captain (Daley) for a fantastic job as the MC for the assembly.

Two Daley students were also presented at the assembly with Daley Merit pins in recognition of their contribution and commitment to excellence.  Congratulations Ethan Chirema and Emma Ryan.

Go Daley!

Ernie Fleming

Daley HOH 

For HRTs and Captains

Material Design-Timber Class

Some of the Middle school students from Material Design-Timber, class are showing a Pen holder. A small project that they made to refine their skills on wood techniques and joints, before they embark on a bigger project.

Stage 2 Creative Arts

In Stage 2 Creative Arts, students had the unique opportunity to learn about the life and work of Harold Thomas, the distinguished designer of the Aboriginal flag. Throughout the session, students delved into his journey, from his early years to his time in art school, exploring the influences that shaped his iconic design. The session offered a deep understanding of his artistic process and the cultural significance of his work.  The session concluded with a memorable moment where two students, alongside Harold Thomas himself, collaborated to paint the Aboriginal flag together.

IEU students making chocolate truffles 

On Friday students in IEU demonstrated their understanding of fractions but applying their knowledge in the kitchen by making chocolate truffles!

MATH & ROBOTICS 

Australian Mathematics Competition

22 students from Years 7 to 11 were selected to take part in the Australian Mathematics Competition during Week 5. As part of the competition students complete a computer-based test that includes unique problems designed each year by leading educators and academics. The tests are designed to challenge and extend students’ problem-solving skills in applying mathematics. Running for over 40 years, the competition is the largest of its kind in Australia and has participation from schools across every state and territory in Australia and New Zealand.

In this year’s test students and teachers agreed that there were a range of interesting problems with the final few questions proving to be very challenging. Students will receive their results later in the term with awards being given for those scoring highly compared to other students in Australia. Congratulations to all students for participating!

Robotics Kits
Term 3 saw new Lego Education Spike Prime Robotics kits arrive in our Middle School Digital
Technologies elective. Replacing our legacy robotics kits, the new kits allow students to work
with higher power motors and higher capacity batteries, new colour, distance and force sensors
and use the new web-based Lego Education programming platform.
Students have diligently organised and labeled their new kits and completed exercises covering
the basic operation of each of the sensors and motors. In the coming weeks students will be
challenged with building robots to complete an obstacle course, building a forklift solution and
building a robotic hand.

Government Funded Program: Saver Plus – Assisting families with education costs