College Update

Over the long weekend the College Agriculture team participated in the Livestock competition at the Hawkesbury Show in Richmond which we won the “Pick of the Sheep” ribbon. We are very proud of the team, led by Ms Phillips, in their dedication and professionalism. This year we invited students from St Joseph’s Primary, Schofields to join the team and be part of the programme. It was great to see the collaboration between the students and staff.

The College conducted our annual ANZAC Day assembly with three students marching as the catafalque party. The students were reminded of how the day honours the service and sacrifice of all military personnel, veterans, and those who have died in war, conflicts, and peacekeeping operations.

As we begin a new term, it offers a valuable opportunity for every student to reset, refocus, and recommit to their learning. A new term is more than a continuation, it is a fresh start. It is a chance for students to approach their studies with clarity, purpose, and a renewed mindset.

One of the most powerful ways students can set themselves up for success is by establishing clear learning goals. Goals provide direction. They help students understand what they are working towards and give meaning to their daily efforts in the classroom. Whether it is improving in a particular subject, developing better study habits, or contributing more confidently in class, setting specific and achievable goals encourages ownership of learning and builds motivation.

Equally important is embracing a growth mindset. This means recognising that ability is not fixed, but can be developed through effort, perseverance, and a willingness to learn from mistakes. Students who adopt this mindset are more likely to take on challenges, persist when work becomes difficult, and see setbacks not as failures, but as opportunities to grow. In contrast, a fixed mindset can limit potential and discourage effort when success is not immediate.

At school, we are committed to supporting every student to grow both academically and personally. Our teachers will be working closely with students to help them identify meaningful goals and develop the skills needed to achieve them. However, this is most effective when supported at home. We encourage parents and carers to engage in conversations with their children about their goals for the term. Simple questions such as “What would you like to improve this term?” or “What is one challenge you are willing to take on?” can make a significant difference.

A successful term does not happen by chance. It is built on clear intentions, consistent effort, and a positive mindset. By starting the term with purpose and embracing the belief that growth is always possible, our students can continue to flourish.

We look forward to working in partnership with you to support your child in making this term both meaningful and successful.

God Bless

Mr R. Muscat

Ms Michalea Evans - Head of Catholic Identity and Mission

May is traditionally known as the month of Mary, it is a time in the Catholic Church dedicated to honouring Mary as the Mother of God and our spiritual mother. It is a season marked in prayer, devotion and reflection on Mary’s example of faith, humility and love. Through practices such as the Rosary and Marian prayers, the faithful are invited to deepen their relationship with Christ by looking to Mary, who always leads us to her Son.

St John Paul II had a profound devotion to Mary, expressed in his motto Totus Tuus (Totally Yours). He saw Mary, as the perfect model of discipleship, one who listened deeply, trusted completely, and responded to God with courage. Her “yes” at the Annunciation reveals a heart open to God's will and a mind attentive to His truth, even in uncertainty.

As a school community, this reflects our calling to be people of Christ with courageous hearts and minds for all to flourish. Like Mary, we are invited to say “yes” to God in our daily lives through our learning, relationships and service to others. In a world searching for hope, Mary stands as a powerful witness that trust in God leads to true flourishing. Inspired by her example and words of St John Paul II to “Be not afraid,” may we live with courage, fatih and love bringing Christ to others in all that we do.

As we look forward to Mothers Day during this Marian month, we also give thanks for the gift of mothers and mother figures in our lives. Like Mary, they reflect God’s love through their care, sacrifice, strength, and unwavering presence. May we honour them with gratitude, prayer and love, recognising in them a living sign of God’s tenderness and grace.

Mr Anthony Hulme - Assistant Principal - Wellbeing and Learning

Uniform

Thank you to the large number of families that have supported us in meeting our published uniform guidelines. Unfortunately some precious time is still being wasted dealing with jewellery/piercings, shaving, sport uniform and eyelashes issues. There have been no changes to our policies and they can all be found on the Community Hub.

Some areas we will work on this week:

Boys

tucking shirts in during Terms 2 & 3
wearing the tie correctly
No earrings or clear plastic keepers

Girls

Hair tied back at all times
One set of earrings (small sleeper or stud)
No makeup

Trackpants should not be rolled up, or the legs held higher with elastics.

The school sport shorts should be mid thigh or longer!!

Hats - Sun Safety - We always recommend a hat is worn at all break times & compulsory for all outside classes eg PDHPE/Sport

PIVOT Survey - Wellbeing for Learning

This CSPD has appointed PIVOT survey to assist in collecting Wellbeing data across the Diocese. Last term we ran a baseline survey that assisted us in formulating questions for our Term 2 cycle.

The 3 domain of Resilience, Belonging and safety all showed very high and positive trends which did mirror our results from last year.

The students 3 top responses were:

I have friends at school I trust (4.43/5)
I feel safe online from bullying (4.35/5)
I feel safe from bullying at my school (4.09)

To assist us on Wellbeing responses from our community, we are asking parents/carers to complete the attached StJPII Wellbeing Barometer Survey.

The Wellbeing Barometer has evolved into an essential, evidence-informed resource that provides schools with a clear and timely snapshot of student mental health and wellbeing. By capturing the experiences, concerns and perspectives of young people, the survey supports a deeper understanding of the needs within a school community and enables more confident, informed responses. Importantly, it also supports meaningful dialogue between school and families, strengthening trust and shared responsibility for student wellbeing.

Participation in this survey will support our school to identify areas of strength, developing concerns and opportunities for timely intervention. Designed to reflect the realities of young people's lives today, the survey enables a targeted, evidence-informed approach to enhancing mental and emotional wellbeing across your school community.

Don't forget all parents have access to outstanding resources to assist you on your adolescence journey

https://stjohnpaul2.catholic.schooltv.me/

Attendance

Regular attendance at school remains essential in ensuring that students are able to engage most effectively in their learning and development at school. Regular attendance equates to attendance of 90% or more of the time.

Attendance also includes punctuality to school and to each class by students.

College staff work to support parents and carers in the regular attendance of students and may engage with parents and carers if the attendance level falls below 90%.

Should you have any concerns about your child’s attendance at school, or feel that the school can support you in any way, please do not hesitate to reach out to your child’s Home Room Teacher in the first instance, or the relevant Leader of Wellbeing.

Over the next few days, letter of attendance will be sent home as unfortunately some students have a significant number of days absent and parents may not realise how many days this has amounted to.

OpalCards

A reminder that all students are expected to have a valid Opal Card for travel on school buses and public transport to and from school.

Students are expected to ‘tap on’ and ‘tap off’ for every trip.

The use of Opal cards provides the transport companies with data related to service usage. This supports the provision of additional services, where demand is reflected in this data.

Unfortunately due to data and misuse of OpalCards some for our services do face some updates. Could you please have a strong discussion with your child to make sure they use an OpalCard at the start and end of teh journey so services to your destination are not impacted.

Students are also reminded that if they DO NOT have an OpalCard they should not be catching the public run vehicles ie 3 digit numbers 742, 734 etc. They should catch the school allocated runs starting with a 65 or 56

Ms Christina Luzi - Assistant Principal - Teaching and Learning

Helping your child maximise their study time

As we move into Term 2, our students across the College will be undertaking exams that require them to study at home. Often students are investing their time in the wrong study strategies, and whilst these may make them ‘feel’ like they are working hard and studying, they can often have a low impact on memory retention. Some examples of low impact strategies include

Reading notes
Higlighting
Summarising
Relying on Mnemonics

If you see your child relying on these strategies alone, perhaps suggest to them strategies like self-explanation, elaborative questioning (“why does this work?”), and interleaved practice, where students mix different topics or question types.

The highest-impact study practices are practice testing (self-quizzing, flashcards, or completing practice exams) and distributed practice, which involves spreading study sessions over time rather than cramming.

Parents can support their child by encouraging regular revision schedules, helping them create practice questions, testing them on key concepts, and promoting consistent study routines at home. By focusing on evidence-based strategies, families can help students build deeper understanding, improve retention, and approach assessments with greater confidence.

Please refer to the most recent email from the College sent Friday 1 May, regarding RSVP and subject website links.

Mrs Emily Catt - Business Manager

Facilities

It was an absolute privilege to arrange the installation of our ANZAC Memorial piece during the recent term break ready for our whole school ANZAC service. The Sandstone memorial and plaque were manufactured locally and has been positioned in the Gathering Area at the Schofields Campus in between our Flagpoles. The perfect place for paying tribute to the servicemen and women who have fallen and are still serving to protect our Country.

The term break was also utilised to attend to those equipment maintenance jobs while there is plenty of access to rooms normally filled with students. Air conditioning maintenance, internal and external deep cleaning, plumbing repairs, pest treatments, electrical safety checks and repairs, TAS equipment testing and security upgrades have all taken place across both campuses to ensure smooth operations during Term 2.

School Fees

The second of three installment invoices have been issued to families now and are due on 27 May 2026. We thank families who have already paid in full or have set up payment plans. This enables the College to ensure that excursions go ahead and resources are provided for the students in a timely manner.

Should you require assistance in fee management, please contact the College’s School Fee Officer on 9208 7200 as soon as possible.

St John Paul II Senior Academic Scholarships - 2027

Guiding principles:

The scholarship is offered for Stage 6
The scholarship will cover full tuition fees or part of the tuition fees from the point of entry into Year 11 to the end of Year 12 on the basis of continuing to meet the conditions of the scholarship.
Retention of a Scholarship is subject to review based on levels of academic performance and effort, involvement in College life, behaviour and attendance.

Selection Criteria:

Academic ability demonstrated through achievement in school assessment.
Application to studies and commitment to ongoing improvement
Commitment to College Life and outstanding skills in at least two of the following:

Debating and Public Speaking

Leadership

Communication Skills; both written and verbal

Performing Arts

Sport

Supporting the Catholic ethos and Charism of the school

Scholarship Inclusions:

Opportunities for students to strive for academic excellence, further develop their recognised areas of skills and talents, explore individual choices and take an active role in effecting change in their community.
Experiences and skill development which enable informed decision making and constructive participation in contemporary society.
Involvement in a wide range of activities which may assist in providing future career support.

Expectations of Recipients:

Outstanding application to College life, studies and contributions to community engagement
Commit to personal excellence in all areas.
Be a role model to peers and younger students.
Represent the College where required.
Serve the community.
Adhere to College policy and procedure requirements and expectations concerning behaviour and grooming.

Application Requirements:

A cover letter addressed to Mr Muscat outlining why the student should be considered for the scholarship. The letter should be no longer than one A4 page, Arial, 12
A Curriculum Vitae (designed and created by the student and a maximum of two pages) outlining achievements in the last four years, including academic and extra-curricular achievements.
Applications are to be in PDF format.

Applications must be submitted by 5pm Monday 18 May via email to Ms Thomas, Principal’s Assistant, at jthomas4@parra.catholic.edu.au with the subject title: Scholarship Application.

College Events

RSVP VIA THIS LINK

Student Achievements

PDSSSC Senior Basketball

The Senior Representative Basketball team showed great determination, reaching the semi-finals and progressing to the grand final, where they finished as proud runners-up.