Welcome Back to Term 3

It has been wonderful to welcome our students back for Term 3. The first two weeks have passed quickly, with classrooms filled with energy, enthusiasm and a renewed commitment to learning. Students have returned focused on building upon their Semester 1 achievements, setting new goals and striving for continued growth throughout the term.

Learning flourishes when strong partnerships exist between home and school. I sincerely thank our parents and carers for your ongoing support in helping students return to positive routines, arrive prepared for each day, and reinforce the importance of regular attendance and engagement in learning.

Attendance Matters

A consistent routine is one of the most significant contributors to student success, both academically and socially. A reminder that the school day begins with the first bell at 7:55am. Students are expected to be on site before this time and move promptly to Homeroom, where the first official attendance roll is marked.

Parents and carers are reminded that all absences or late arrivals must be explained through Compass within seven days. Under NSW Education requirements, any unexplained absence remaining after seven days must legally be recorded as an unexplained absence, which will appear on your child's academic report.

Thank you for your continued support in ensuring students attend school every day, arrive on time and are ready to learn.

Year 12 Trial HSC Examinations

Next week marks an important milestone for our Year 12 students as they commence their Trial HSC Examinations. These examinations provide students with an invaluable opportunity to demonstrate the knowledge, skills and understanding they have developed throughout their courses while preparing them for the Higher School Certificate later this year.

We also acknowledge that this period can bring additional pressure for both students and families. We encourage our Year 12 students to maintain healthy routines by getting adequate sleep, eating nutritious meals, remaining physically active and balancing study with appropriate breaks. Small daily habits often make the greatest difference to wellbeing and academic performance.

Our thoughts and prayers are with our Year 12 students as they continue their preparation, and we wish them every success during the examination period.

Year 11 Drama Performance – Ruby Rose

Last week I had the pleasure of attending the Year 11 Drama performance of Ruby Rose. The production showcased not only the students' developing performance skills but also their confidence, creativity and maturity in presenting challenging themes with sensitivity and professionalism.

A particular highlight was the opportunity for students to receive feedback from an experienced external HSC Drama marker. The authentic advice and guidance provided will be invaluable as students continue refining their performances and developing their understanding of the course requirements.

Congratulations to our Year 11 Drama students and Mrs Cauci on an outstanding production.

For families currently using a Hotmail email address, we strongly recommend considering a transition to a Gmail or other contemporary email service provider that aligns more effectively with current software security protocols and communication systems.

These delivery issues can also impact emails sent from parents and carers to the College, with some messages being blocked or filtered before they reach staff members. As a result, there may be occasions when correspondence is not successfully received by either party.

To ensure effective communication, we encourage families to follow up any email or phone enquiry if a response has not been received within 48 business hours. A simple follow-up phone call to the College Office will assist us in confirming that your enquiry has been received and is being addressed appropriately.

Thank you for your understanding and continued partnership as we work together to support the learning, wellbeing and success of every student.

Compass Behaviour Notifications

Throughout this term, Compass will be updated to reflect new behaviour notification templates being implemented across all Catholic Schools Parramatta Diocese schools. These changes are designed to provide a more consistent and unified approach to recording and communicating student wellbeing and behaviour.

As these updates are introduced, there may be a small number of duplicate notifications or minor inconsistencies while the new system is tested and refined. We apologise in advance should this occur and appreciate your patience during the implementation process.

Extensive quality assurance processes are being undertaken by both College staff and Catholic Schools Parramatta Diocese to ensure the new system operates effectively. We are confident these improvements will strengthen communication with families and continue to support our shared commitment to student wellbeing.

Supporting Your Child Through Assessment

As we move into Term 3, our school community reaches two significant assessment milestones. Our Year 12 students have commenced their HSC Trial Examinations, while families of students in Years 7 and 9 have recently received their NAPLAN Individual Student Reports.

Although these assessments serve different purposes, they share one important goal: to provide valuable information about student learning and to help identify the next steps for growth.

Supporting Our Year 12 and Accelerated Year 11 students during Trial Examinations

The Trial HSC Examinations are an important opportunity for students to consolidate their learning, practise examination techniques and identify areas for improvement before the Higher School Certificate begins later this year.

Parents and carers can make a significant difference by helping students maintain healthy routines and perspective.

You can support your child by:

• Encouraging a consistent study routine rather than late-night cramming.

• Ensuring they get adequate sleep, eat well and remain physically active.

• Providing a quiet, organised place to study.

• Encouraging them to complete practice questions and past examination papers under timed conditions.

• Celebrating effort, persistence and progress, rather than focusing solely on marks.

While the Trial HSC is an important milestone, it is only one part of a student's HSC journey. The most valuable outcome is understanding what has been mastered and where further learning is needed before the final examinations.

Understanding Your Child's NAPLAN Results

Families of students in Years 7 and 9 will recently have received their child's NAPLAN Individual Student Report.

NAPLAN is designed to provide a snapshot of your child's literacy and numeracy skills at a point in time. It is not a report card, nor does it measure creativity, critical thinking, resilience, collaboration or the many other strengths that make each child unique.

The report provides valuable information about your child's achievement in:

• Reading

• Writing

• Conventions of Language (Spelling, Grammar and Punctuation)

• Numeracy

Rather than asking, "Did my child do well?", a more helpful question is, "What can these results tell us about their next steps in learning?"

Teachers use NAPLAN data alongside classroom assessment, observations and everyday learning to tailor teaching and provide targeted support where it is needed most.

Working Together

Whether your child is sitting the Trial HSC or receiving their NAPLAN results, one message remains the same: assessment is most powerful when it informs future learning.

The greatest gift parents can give is confidence, encouragement and reassurance. By celebrating effort, maintaining positive routines and reminding young people that learning is a journey, we help them build the resilience and confidence they need to thrive, not only in assessments, but throughout life.

Thank you for your continued partnership in supporting your child's learning. Together, we can ensure every student continues to grow, achieve and realise their potential.

Our Junior and Intermediate girls recently represented St John Paul II Catholic College at the PDSSSC Netball Gala Day. Both teams displayed outstanding sportsmanship, determination and teamwork throughout the tournament.

A special congratulations to our Intermediate team, who fought hard through the pool matches and successfully reached the Semi-Finals!

Well done to all the students involved for representing the College community!