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Dear Parents/guardians,

36th ANNIVERSARY OF SAINT JOHN PAUL II ABORIGINAL ADDRESS. 

November 27 has been set aside as a National Day of Celebration in recognition of Pope JPII’s address to Torres Strait Islander and Aboriginal people on 29 November, 1986 in Alice Springs. As he spoke the wind arrived and whipped some of the red earth through the crowd and it seemed like the Holy Spirit was present. 

“You are part of Australia and Australia is part of you. And the Church herself in Australia will not be fully the Church that Jesus wants her to be until you have made your contribution to her life and until that contribution has been joyfully received by others”. This day was significant for the Catholic ministries working in AITSL communities amongst the 120,000 Catholic Indigenous peoples. 

The beautiful Catholic Cathedral of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart in Alice Springs has a wonderful tribute to this moment in our history. 

Having spent a few days in Alice Springs and Santa Teresa at a Marist Brothers Retreat with Mr Robinson last Term, I can truly say that my understanding of our beautiful country and  our first nations has deepened. 

END OF THE LITURGICAL YEAR 

Last Sunday we celebrated the feast of Christ the King. This also signifies the end of the Liturgical year and the commencement of the next. This always begins with the Holy Season of Advent. This is a time of waiting and hope in preparation for the coming of the saviour, the birth of Jesus. To mark this occasion many Parishes and schools will prepare an Advent wreath. 

This is made up of a circle of evergreen leaves and branches with four candles. The candles are white or purple and some customs have a pink candle for the third Sunday. A fifth candle, the Christ candle is placed in the centre. 

On the first Sunday of Advent one candle is lit, on the second two and so on. The Christ candle is lit on Christmas Eve. The circle symbolises God’s everlasting love for us. Evergreen plants are also a symbol of endless life. The four candles represent the ever increasing light of Christ as we move towards Christmas, where Jesus comes into the world for us. 

I would ask all families to engage in the Advent activities in your local Church and encourage the students to explore the significance of this time of year. 

Advent commences this Sunday 27th November and is the season of waiting and preparation to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. Advent gives us the opportunity to reflect more on the truths about Jesus and our Catholic faith so we can spiritually prepare our hearts for celebrating Jesus’ birth on Christmas.

During the four Sundays in Advent, a special candle is lit at mass.

The first Sunday signifies the Hope of the prophets of the Old Testament, especially Isaiah, who waited in hope for the Messiah’s arrival.  This time of waiting is also a time for us to be working for peace among the nations, and peace with each other. It is a time for us to change our priorities as we walk in the light that God gives us.

The second Sunday represents Faith. It is called the “Bethlehem Candle” as a reminder of Mary and Joseph’s journey to Bethlehem. We reflect on our lives and work on becoming better-versions-of-ourselves in preparation for Jesus’ coming.

The third Sunday candle is pink and symbolises Joy. During the third week of Advent we are filled with joy for the near arrival of Jesus on Christmas day. This Sunday is often called "Gaudete Sunday" as we reflect on the joy the shepherd's felt at the birth of Jesus.

The fourth Sunday represents Peace and reminds us of the importance of peace as the true saviour of the world is coming.The angels announced that Jesus came to bring peace. He came to bring people close to God and to each other again.

The white candle is placed in the middle of the wreath and lit on Christmas Eve. This candle is called the “Christ Candle” and represents the life of Christ. The colour white is for purity—because Christ is our sinless, pure Saviour. 

Traditionally, Advent is a time for prayer, penance and sacrifice. Celebrating Advent is an excellent way to prepare your mind and heart for Christmas.

Angar Ajak, Tiana Giampalo and Xavier Martin attended a three day Marist Student Leaders Gathering at Mittagong. Coordinated by the Marist Youth Ministry (MYM) team, student leaders from 18 Marist schools, with 67 students across NSW and ACT attended to learn about Marist leadership by reflecting on the lives and the transformational leadership styles of Jesus, Mary and Marcellin. Through engaging discussion and fun activities, students formed strong bonds with like-minded students and discovered and affirmed their own unique gifts that can be utilised to 'serve' their own school community and beyond. 

During the gathering, special guest, Rebecca Bromhead, CEO for Australian Marist Solidarity (AMS) addressed the students on ways the organisation enables and transforms the lives of those living in the Asia Pacific region. Our college leaders were tasked to propose initiatives that address the needs in Vanuatu. School principals joined students to celebrate the Eucharist and enjoyed conversation with their student leaders at the formal dinner on Monday night. Later that night, students enjoyed Trivia and Marist Got Talent, where our own Tiana sang ‘Let me be your star’. 

Overall, students forged authentic connections and left the three days inspired and motivated in serving the community. Thank you to our student leaders Angar, Tiana and Xavier for representing our college with such openness, enthusiasm and pride.

On Friday 18th November, students from John Therry attended an Aboriginal Cultural Day hosted by Tharawal.

This was a day to expand cultural knowledge and practice building resilience and spiritual wellbeing.

Information for Auditions

Legally Blonde 2023 is the musical you have waited for at John Therry Catholic College, if you want to be a part of the action all you have to do is follow the link below to our Google site and complete the Audition Form.

Auditions will be held on Tuesday Week 9 in the Lower Hall in Period 5 & 6. All you need to do is sing any song or perhaps read one of the scenes in front of the teachers who will cast the roles. If you just want to be in the Ensemble you won't need to sing but will still need to complete the form.

https://sites.google.com/dow.catholic.edu.au/jtcc-legally-blonde-jnr-2023/home

JTCC SPORT UPDATE -  Term 4, Week 6&7

The JT students continue to represent the College in a fantastic way as we continue to achieve some excellent results in the closing rounds of the Term 4 MISA competition.

Our MISA Volleyball teams played their first round of MISA final and both teams pulled out convincing 2 - 0 wins. Not so good for our 7-9 Indoor Cricket team as they were on the wrong end of the blowtorch, getting scorched by Magdalene.

The MISA competition wraps up next week with all teams playing in varied finals games to establish their final places. All points count as we look to close the gap on Mt Carmel who currently hold a 40 point lead over JT. I am sure all students will rip in next week and do the College proud.

After the MISA competition has been completed, we draw our attention to the John Therry Annual Sports Assembly which will take place on 13th December in periods 5 + 6. All parents and carers are welcome to attend as we acknowledge our individual and team sporting representatives from the 2022 sporting calendar.

The College will also be hosting The Annual Jack Crawford Games on Friday 16th December. With no Covid restrictions, a full program of individual and team competitions will be available for the JT student body. We have the services of Planet Entertainment which will once again be providing giant inflatable obstacle courses and slip n slides, not to forget the dunk station. More information will be released on Compass leading up to the event.

Year 7 - SWIM SCHOOL

Students in Year 7 will be involved in the compulsory swimming program that the school will be conducting at Gordon Fetterplace Aquatic Centre in Weeks 2-9 of Term 4.

This is being run during the students normal Sport time with the aim of encouraging confidence and improved skills in the water. Students will attend TWO sessions only. Outside these allocations, students will participate in regular sports rotations at school. Students will be participating in the program as follows: 

Week 2 - Chisholm ✅

Week 3 - Conolly ✅

Week 4 - Murray ✅

Week 5 - Ryan ✅

Week 6- Chisholm ✅

Week 7- Conolly ✅

Week 8 - Murray

Week 9 - Ryan

John Therry students from Group H engaging in some Martial Arts

2022 Annual CDF Sports Award Presentation 

On Friday 11th November the 2022 Annual CDF Sports Awards were held at St. Mary Star of the Sea with Mrs Roberts and Mr Marshall in attendance. A number of our elite athletes were recognised for their outstanding sporting achievements during the 2022 pathway sporting program. The incoming 2023 Sports Captain, Tess McEvoy-King was also a part of the presentation process reading the Acknowledgement of Country and a citation block during the awards ceremony.

To achieve a Secondary Sports Council Medallion students needed to meet the following minimum requirement -  be selected in a NSWCCC team and compete at the NSW All Schools level, and/or achieve a 1st place at NSWCCC Athletics. To achieve a Secondary Sports Council Blue students needed to meet the following minimum requirement -  be selected in a NSW All Schools Team and compete at a School Sport Australia Event. The students that attended the awards ceremony represented the school with great integrity and pride, and the college community congratulates you on your achievements. We look forward to further celebrating these achievements at the 2022 John Therry Catholic College Sports Assembly in Week 10.

Secondary Sports Council Medallion 

Chelsea Blankenstein - Rugby 7’s

Brooklyn Osborne - Athletics

Alexis Paulo - AFL

Fanaafi Fauese - Rugby League 

Tess McEvoy-King - Rugby League 

Coby Hilton - Athletics 

Secondary Sports Council Blue 

Annelise Hall - Netball.

Annelise Hall, Fanaafi Fauese, Tess McEvoy-King and Coby Hilton recieving their awards at the CDF Awards night.

Week 6 - MISA Round 5

Staff	Sport	Score	Report
MMH	7-9 BOYS OZ TAG	Won  8 - 5 v THAC	A great result today. The team showed great enthusiasm, commitment, speed and skills. Great team work on display. MVP: Nathaniel Leal
MTN	7-9 GIRLS  OZ TAG	Won 7 - 1 v THAC	The clouds in the sky disappeared to reveal the wonderful rays of sunshine spread across the vast green landscape of Minto. The girls oztag team had an excellent start to the game forcing early errors with quick line speed. The attack was smoother than butter with multiple passes being strung together leading to multiple tries around the park. Excellent defence from Isabella Stapleton with a long range chase down has earned her the MVP. MVP: Isabella Stapleton
BGO	7-9 BOYS AFL 12's	Won  97 - 21 v BAC	The boys returned to the field after the bye last week, eager to get back to their winning ways. Some strong performances in midfield from Sully and Cohan meant most of the first half was played in opposition territory. This lead to multiple goals from Jayden, Adam and Keon and a 65-0 halftime lead. Some complacency at the back end of the second half meant we gave Broughton a chance, which they took as they scored three goals of their own.  MVP: Sullivan O’Dwyer
SPO	7-9 GIRLS AFL 12's	Won  103 -1 v BAC	A sensational game today with huge points on the board for JT! The girls showed huge improvement this week in their skills of handballing under pressure, supporting their players on and off the ball as well as taking the mark. A high scoring game from the JT girls with goals scored by Isabella-Grace Marshall, Alexis Paulo, Georgia Bastock, Ava Hilton, Breanna Kelly and Hannah Epple. It was evident today that the girls' training efforts are paying off and hopefully will continue as we enter the final rounds. MVP goes to Isabella-Grace who took many marks right in front of goal and kicked four goals to add to our tally. A huge credit to the girls today who showed so much support to each other and the positivity they carried with themselves was outstanding. MVP: Isabella-Grace Marshall
PJO	10-11 MIXED FRISBEE	Won  30 - 9 v MAG	Cracking conditions on Tuesday promised dominant display of frisbee against Magdalene in round 5. JT started strong from the get go with strong attack in the middle from the likes of Darcy, Riley, Mason and Brendan. JT went into halftime with a positive 16-5 lead. Second half was no different with Emi, Ella and Ayla all over the Magdalene defenders. Final score ended 30-9, Magdalene copping an old school shellacking. MVP: Ella Fisher
NWN	10-11 BOYS VOLLEYBALL	Lost 2 - 0 v MAC	Disappointing result but to be expected with half the team missing and playing an undefeated side. Also, gastric problems on the bus rendered our star player incapacitated. Team hustled well and stayed close but ultimately caught short by some simple errors. MVP - William Chanhdara
MHD	10-11 GIRLS VOLLEYBALL	Won  2 - 0 v SPC	Strong win from the girls today against St.Pats. The JT girls have improved their performance over the term by using excellent communication skills and playing winning shots throughout the game. Allanda and Fanaafi dominated the play in both sets whilst Grace set up a huge lead in the second set with her serves. MVP - Allanda Lumagui & Fanaafi Fauese
ACN	7-9 BOYS IND CRICKET	Lost  59 -39  v MCCC	John Therry won the toss and batted first against Mt. Carmel. Unfortunately, we batted poorly and scraped to a below par total of 39. Mt. Carmel batted conservatively and our bowlers couldn’t create enough chances to make it a contest. MVP: Nicholas Augustine
JAS	7-9 GIRLS SOFTBALL	Lost  3 - 1 v THAC	Despite a delayed arrival to the fields the girls swung into action, batting first after losing the toss. Our first innings the girls had loaded bases but THAC took 3 quick outs ending our innings before we got a run home. THAC got 3 quick runs away in their first innings and once again kept us to no runs in our 2nd innings. However the girls put in a screaming fielding performance for THAC’s second innings, keeping them from running home. Exceptional fielding from Alice Stephenson in catcher, Sophie Regan on first, Lily Atkins as pitcher and excellent catches by Tahlia Sutton and Indianna Penney in the infield. Proud of the girls' efforts this week. MVP: Alice Stephenson

Week 7 - MISA Semi-Finals and Rd 2 Replay

Staff	Sport	Score	Report
MMH	7-9 BOYS  OZ TAG	Won 11 - 4 v MAS	A huge improvement from the boys today against MAS. Their positioning in defence was exceptional, with every player knowing exactly where they should be and who they should be marking. A wholesome effort, with Nathaniel and Tyler leading the way in attack.  A great effort JT, well done!  MVP: Nathaniel Leal & Tyler Sharpe
MTN	7-9 GIRLS  OZ TAG	Won 8 - 1 v MAS	Another splendid day brought on a near perfect performance from the MISA girls Oztag. It seemed as though Danny Zuko had time travelled and left his hair products as there was finally a sense of unity and gelling from the ladies. Defensive pressure forced early errors once again and allowed for a positive start. Strong defence mixed in with the fast ball movement led to multiple run away tries from nearly every player.  MVP: Sheyahn Bista and Shanae DeVos
BGO	7-9 BOYS  AFL 12's	Lost 25 - 4 v MAS	The boys played an above average Macarthur Anglican side and lost 25-4. In the first half we played into the wind, and in the second half we also played into the wind. Luckily no one was pulling a funny face at half time. Two goals and fifteen behinds to MAC. That shows the impact of the wind and a few bigger blokes who can kick. Next week a replay but most importantly for the trophy in the grand final. We’ll be back stronger. Mr Holmes - Stand-in (but better) coach MVP: Cohan Timmer
SPO	7-9 GIRLS AFL 12's	Lost 23 - 19 v MAS	The girls faced a very windy game today and really demonstrated their improvement in handball skills. Some great running and plays made by Breanna Kelly, Ava Hilton, Achel Malek and Georgia Bastock keeping the ball in action and moving it into our forwards. Our JT girls led the win until the last 5 minutes where Macarthur Anglican took advantage of the wind to score 4 behinds and win the match. Once again our girls showed great support for each other. Well done to Alexis Paulo who played a vital role in all game play today and receives the MVP. MVP: Alexis Paulo
PJO	10-11 MIXED FRISBEE	Won 16 - 7 v WCCC	Troubling conditions with 30km/h winds spelled a tricky game of frisbee against WCCS. JT started fairly slow this week with first half points thanks to Mason, Brendan and Tess. JT going into halftime with a lead of 5-3. Once again JT’s bench unit added some fire to the squad and applied pressure both in offence and defence.  Second half points courtesy of Grace and Ayla as well as an arousing 3 minute stint from Riley ensured another cruising victory for JT, 16-7. Notable mention to Luke who was all over the field and the opposition. MVP: Luke Denniss
NWN	10-11 BOYS VOLLEYBALL	Won 2 - 0 v MCCC	The Boys volleyball team had a convincing semi-final win against Mt Carmel. Following on from the improvement during yesterday's tournament, the boys dominated from the start. We look forward to a rematch in the final next week.  Special commendation to Cody Meisenhofen for the first ever helicopter spike in MISA volleyball. MVP William Chanhdara
MHD	10-11 GIRLS VOLLEYBALL	Won 2 - 0 v THAC	The girls played exceptionally well to defeat Thomas Hassal in an easy semi-final match. They set up plays to win points as opposed to saving others poor plays, A first time block for Allanda was impressive. Great warm up today for next week's final. MVP - Fanaafi Fauese
ACN	7-9 BOYS  IND CRICKET	Lost 163 - 14 v MAG	JT played Magdalene in the semi final and we chose to bowl first. We started well with the ball, however, we couldn’t restrict the oppositions scoring and they blasted their way to 163 runs. With the bat it was an uphill battle as we needed to play aggressively from the first ball. As a result there were lots of chances and Magdalene capitalised on this.  Score: 163-14 Magdalene  MVP: Brady Wilson
JAS	7-9 GIRLS SOFTBALL	Lost  3 - 5 v BAC	The girls came out firing, batting first getting 3 home runs to Alice Stephenson, Elyse Stonebridge and Georgina Akol. Some excellent pitching and catcher work by Indy, pitcher, and Alice, Catcher meant we kept BAC to nil in their first innings.  Unfortunately BAC made short work of us in our second innings keeping us run-less and getting 5 home in their second innings. The girls worked hard and tried to strategise in this game which I am super proud of.  MVP: Indianna Penney and Alice Stephenson

NSW Schools Volleyball 21/11/2022

Team: Samiuela Angianga, Adam Bell, Garang Bol, William Chanhdara, Renzell Chris Maningas, Matt Maytom, Cody Meisenhofen, Kalan Nau, Lachlan Phiousodarith, Kisione Tupola, Enrique Vasquez

The NSW Schools Volleyball tournament is an annual competition held at Homebush. The set-up for the day encourages the best schools, largely from the Sydney region, to come together with Olympic quality facilities in a day of intense, high level competition.

John Therry College has never registered in this competition before. The growth in interest in the game and the high level of skill that has been building over many years, suggested we may be a strong contender, although we really had no idea. We entered the Division 1 level of the tournament, more with hope than high expectations. The inclusion of State player Cody Meisenhofen and Lachlan Phiousodarith suggested we would do well. But, the preparations were not ideal, when a slight delay on departure followed by congested Sydney traffic, meant we had to run from the bus straight on to the court to avoid forfeiting the first set of the day. 

The rushed warm-up impacted our performance and led to a loss in the first set. We regrouped in the second game to level the tie before being trumped by the unusual format. Matches went for 11 minutes with no time-outs, and could be decided by a single point. The final hooter mid-rally caught us out a couple of times with very narrow defeats.

As the day progressed JT relaxed into the format. Two losses in our first games, meant we travelled to the final the hard way. Down 1-0 in the crossover game against Northmead CHHS, who had finished second in their pool, we quite suddenly reversed our form. In a team game it is difficult to single out one specific factor that would initiate this change. However, on reflection, the involvement of our Year 8 super setter, William Chanhdara, was probably the catalyst for our turn around. Playing with older and taller teammates, William quickly settled into leading the attack with expertly placed “assists” that enabled our tall men to dominate. Time and again he deceived the opposition with the range and variety of sets that opened opportunities for others. The spiking of Kisi, Garang and Sam created problems, along with a few injuries, for our opposition. 

The movement and teamwork demonstrated throughout the remaining games was, undoubtedly, some of the best volleyball seen at schoolboy level. For the record, the team came back from the brink of an early departure back to school, to work their way, deservedly, into the final against a skilful Seven Hills High School team. Here, an early lead looked likely to result in an unlikely victory. Up one set to nil, and 10-7 in the second set, we were poised for triumph. A run of errors, possibly from trying too hard, or possibly fatigue, allowed the opposition back into the match resulting in a narrow 2-1 loss. 

It was a long day of intense action with five matches, that all went to three sets, and the tiredness felt is evident in the photo taken during the return trip to school, arriving back about 6 pm.

The team is to be congratulated for the spirit and camaraderie they showed throughout the day. They come away with a Silver medal and confidence in their ability to compete at the highest level. The day was a great experience for our regular players and an opportunity for those with less experience to perform in a high level competition. The improvement in skills displayed should see success in upcoming MISA and Diocesan Competitions. Well done to all participants.

N Williamson (Coach)

Upcoming Events 

Week 9

Year 8 & 9 - REC SPORT 2023  selections

Week 10 - Tuesday 13th December

Sports Assembly - Periods 5 + 6

Week 10 - Friday 16th December

Jack Crawford Games

NSWCCC Teams

Remember that there is a new way to nominate individual sports for NSWCCC. This information, including registration closing dates can be found on the website:

https://csnsw.sport/

Please note that some sports are selected by individual trials, and these can be held throughout NSW. Individual nominations require students to make their own way to and from selections. 

Selection in the following sports: Swimming, Cross Country, Athletics, Touch Football, AFL (Boys) and Football are done through the Wollongong Diocese carnivals by way of representing John Therry at these respective carnivals.

Selection in the following sports: AFL (Girls), Baseball, Basketball, Cricket – Girls,  Golf, Hockey, Netball, Rugby League, Rugby, Softball, Tennis, Triathlon, Volleyball will need to be done via individual nomination and selections.

If your child has had an outstanding high level  sporting achievement outside of school, we would love to hear from you. Please email me so we can celebrate  their achievements with the JTCC community. 

Yours in Sport,

Mr Jamie Cook

(cooka01@dow.catholic.edu.au)

Please find below a link to the latest parish bulletin