College Update

Term 3, Week 4B

We are called to be people of Christ with courageous hearts & minds for all to flourish.

In this week's College Update

Mr Rob Muscat - Principal Leader

Ms Michalea Evans - Head of Catholic Identity and Mission

Mr Anthony Hulme - Assistant Principal - Wellbeing and Learning

Ms Christina Luzi - Assistant Principal - Teaching and Learning

Mrs Emily Catt - Business Manager

Student Achievements

Ruby B Selected as Official NSWCCC Umpire!

Update to College Media Processes

Mr Rob Muscat - Principal Leader

Dear St John Paul II community,

As we move through another rewarding term, I would like to take this opportunity to celebrate the many achievements and exciting developments taking place across our College. It is always a pleasure to witness our students’ embracing opportunities, demonstrating resilience, and representing our community with pride.

Congratulations to our Senior Boys Soccer Team and our College Tennis Squad, both of whom have enjoyed outstanding seasons and earned the honour of competing as Grand Finalists. Reaching a grand final is a testament to the dedication, perseverance and teamwork displayed by our students throughout the season. We are incredibly proud of their commitment and the exemplary sportsmanship they have shown while representing our College. Thank you also to our coaches, staff, and families whose encouragement and support have played such an important role in these achievements.

We are delighted to share that our long-planned College building project will soon commence. This significant investment in our future will provide modern, purpose-built learning spaces designed to meet the needs of our growing school community. Construction is expected to be completed by mid-2028, at which time all students will be united on a single campus, benefiting from enhanced facilities and expanded opportunities for learning, collaboration, and community engagement. We look forward to keeping families informed as this exciting project progresses.

Recently, our College community came together to celebrate our annual NAIDOC Assembly, embracing this year's inspiring theme, "Deadly 50 Years". The assembly provided a meaningful opportunity to recognise and celebrate the rich cultures, histories, and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Our students participated with great respect and enthusiasm through traditional cultural dance performances and the sharing of Indigenous stories, creating a memorable occasion that highlighted the importance of understanding, respect, and reconciliation.

This term, we are delighted to welcome 25 students and their teachers from Japan as part of our international exchange program. Their visit provides a wonderful opportunity for cultural exchange, allowing our guests to experience Australian school life while giving our own students valuable opportunities to build friendships, broaden their global perspectives, and develop a greater appreciation for different cultures. We hope our visitors enjoy their time with us and create lasting memories of their Australian experience.

Japanese Visit Reel.mp4

Thank you for your continued partnership and support of our College. Together, we continue to create an environment where every student is encouraged to learn, grow, and thrive. I look forward to sharing more of our students' achievements and College milestones with you in the coming weeks.

God Bless,

Mr R. Muscat

Ms Michalea Evans - Head of Catholic Identity and Mission

This term we have officially launched our Ignite Food Drive, a social justice initiative in partnership with Jesuit Social Services. The Ignite Food store in Emerton provides low cost groceries, fresh fruits and vegetables, meat and pantry items, helping to support individuals and families within our local community. Our College community has always responded with great generosity, and we sincerely thank all families, students and staff who have already contributed to this year’s appeal. Every donation, large or small, is a particular expression of compassion, solidarity and our call to serve others.

Our launch comes at a significant time in the Catholic Calendar. We recently celebrated the Feast of St Mary of the Cross Mackillop, whose life reminds us to “never see a need without doing something about it”. Her example challenges us to notice those in need and respond with courage, generosity and action.

We also prepare to celebrate the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, we are reminded of Mary's complete trust in God and her willingness to say “yes” to His call. Mary’s faith was not passive; it led her to serve others with humility and love.

These feast days are important for us as a Catholic community because they remind us that faith is something we are called to live. Through initiatives such as the Ignite food drive, we follow the example of Mother Mary, St Mary Mackillop and our patron St John Paul II, who continually encouraged young people to respond courageously to Christ and to become people of hope and service.

As Saint John Paul II reminded us, “Do not be afraid. Open wide the doors to Christ”. Through our generosity, we open our hearts to Christ by recognising Him in those who need out support.

Thank you in advance for your contribution to this years food drive, your generosity is helping all in our community to flourish.

Mr Anthony Hulme - Assistant Principal - Wellbeing and Learning

From time to time it is important that we remind the community of some of our policies. This week we have chosen one that have been at the forefront of updates this year:

Hate speech is defined as per the Crimes Act 1900 (NSW) section 93ZAA as, by public act, internationally inciting hatred towards another person or persons on the ground of race in circumstances that would cause a reasonable person who was the target of the incitement to hatred to fear harassment, intimidation, violence or for their personal safety. Any instance of such alleged behaviour in the community is to be reported to the Principal or delegate. STJPII explicitly prohibits hate speech by any member of the community, that is, staff, students, parents, family members and volunteers.

The Student AntiBullying Procedure has been updated recently with the new update now titled "Safe Supportive and Connected Communities Procedures (AntiBullying)". A link to the CSPD public document is located here.

Compass Updates:

An essential procedure underpinning the development of good relationships is the establishment of appropriate and reliable means of communication between school and home. This is done in a variety of ways: newsletter, letters of introduction, letters, information evenings and phone calls. Compass messaging is another important communication tool for us.

Unfortunately many parents are receiving Compass messages and are not responding. These become part of our mandatory record keeping. Please respond to all attendance notices within 7 days. Recently, many parents were sent urgent messages to respond to late notices after deadlines were not met regarding permission to events. For children to be permitted to attend a parent permission must be received by the College.

At the end of the term, Compass behaviour modules will be updated across the system. Currently testing is being undertaken, and we apologies in advance for any errors that may be made. If you notice an issue please call the College ASAP so we can rectify.

Student ID Cards:

All students should carry their ID card with them at all times.

Local parks and Shopping Centres:

We remind all members of the community that students should travel directly home at the end of the school day. No student is to loiter or use the play equipment in Arilla Park (or any local park). Students should go home and get changed before heading to local shopping centres. We have had reminders from local Police regarding students and the importance of producing bags for inspection if shopkeepers request this as condition of entry. Travelling directly home will negate this.

Ms Christina Luzi - Assistant Principal - Teaching and Learning

Why we start every lesson with a "Do Now"?:

You may notice your child mention "Do Now" tasks - short, low-stakes activities that begin every lesson before new content is introduced.

These aren't busywork. They're built on one of the most well-established findings in cognitive science: retrieval practice. Each time a student is asked to recall something they've previously learned - rather than simply re-reading or being reminded of it, that act of retrieval strengthens the memory and makes it easier to access in the future. Psychologists call this the testing effect: the process of retrieving information is itself a powerful learning event, often more effective than restudying the same material.

A "Do Now" typically asks students to:

Recall a fact, definition, or process from a previous lesson (sometimes weeks earlier, not just yesterday's)
Apply a skill they've already been taught, in a slightly new context
Correct or explain a common misconception

Why this matters for long-term learning?:

It combats forgetting. Without deliberate recall, new learning fades quickly, this is sometimes called "the forgetting curve." Regular retrieval interrupts that decline.
It builds confidence. Successfully recalling something reinforces a student's sense that they do know the material, which reduces anxiety heading into assessments.
It frees up working memory for new learning. When foundational knowledge is secure and easily retrieved, students have more mental capacity to grapple with new, more complex ideas in the lesson ahead.
It surfaces gaps early. If a student struggles with a Do Now, their teacher can address it immediately, rather than discovering the gap at assessment time.

What you might see at home: your child may talk about "quick quizzes" at the start of class, or mention going back to content from earlier terms. This is intentional - spacing out recall over time (rather than cramming right before a test) is one of the most reliable ways to build durable, long-term memory.

If you'd like to support this at home, one simple strategy is to occasionally ask your child to explain a concept from a few weeks ago without looking at their notes first- the small struggle to recall is exactly what strengthens the memory.

Mrs Emily Catt - Business Manager

With the green light for our Building Project being given, the rest of the term will result in the rest of our livestock and our garden beds being relocated to the designated Ag Zone at the rear of the College. This will be an important step in the consolidation of all our Agricuture equipment and result in a much more efficient use of space contribution to more effective lessons.

Student Achievements

Ruby B Selected as Official NSWCCC Umpire!

Recently, Year 10 student Ruby B participated in a rigorous five-day trial at Netball Central for umpire selection at the upcoming School Sports Australia 12 Years & Under Netball Championships in Darwin.

Competing alongside 26 talented candidates, Ruby excelled and was chosen as one of only two umpires heading to the national championships and the sole official representing the NSWCCC!

We are immensely proud of Ruby’s dedication, hard work and sportsmanship. Please join us in congratulating Ruby and wishing her all the best as she represents our school community on the national stage this September!

Update to College Media Processes

Catholic Schools Parramatta Diocese (CSPD) has advised all schools within the diocese to limit social media content (images and video) that displays students' full facial features. This aligns with the new online safety guidelines released by the eSafety Commissioner on July 31, 2026.

In response, the College is currently reviewing its media and communications processes. Subsequently, you will notice a significant change in style of photos published on all platforms. This review will ensure we not only remain fully compliant with CSPD policies, but also uphold the highest standard of online safety and digital privacy for our students.