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Faith and Good Works

The second reading from Mass last Sunday has an important message for us all. James 2:14-18 emphasises the importance of putting faith into action. "What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but do not have works?" The passage teaches that simply claiming to have faith without demonstrating it through good deeds is not enough. True faith is shown by how we treat others and help those in need. Just as saying kind words without offering help is empty, faith without works is lifeless. The message encourages us to live out our beliefs by actively doing good for others, showing that our faith is genuine and impactful.

We heard the very sad news on Monday morning that one of our alumni John Therry teachers and past school captain, Mandy Evans passed away after a long battle with illness. If ever I have met a person who lived out their faith then it was Mandy. A great example of this was Mandy's efforts in pioneering our breakfast club at John Therry. Mandy and a team of teachers, could see that there were some students that were struggling and became aware that they were not eating breakfast and coming to school hungry. Mandy and the team jumped to action and worked with local businesses to organise donations and begin the breakfast club. This club runs to this day and is run by staff and students who volunteer their time. Not only did Mandy put her faith into action in these very visible ways, but importantly in her everyday interactions with all she met. She was humble, compassionate, gentle and caring and examplified living "In the way of Mary". Mandy was an inspiration to myself and the many others she encountered. I give thanks that we were blessed to have Mandy as part of the John Therry community. We pray for her soul, and that Mandy is welcomed back in the loving arms of our God.

Our Term 3 P & F meeting took place on Tuesday 10th September and was a busy and productive meeting. I thank our school counsellor supervisor, Rita Maher for delivering a workshop on Supporting Students Mental Health to commence the meeting. We also discussed the Master Plan currently being developed for John Therry, with parent presentations to come later this year. We made decisions on the College Jumper and tracksuit with both being approved for 2025. 

Sport Jacket - new shell type jacket that is warmer and has a more stylish design. 

Jumper - poly cotton jumper that is much more comfortable to wear. The decision was made to return to the green jumper due to the different colour of the sienna jumper in the poly cotton. 

The new items will be available next year, with the current style still able to be worn in the coming years to transition to the newer styles. 

Vivienne Faraday, a Year 12 student at John Therry Catholic College, has been recognized as one of the recipients of the prestigious Bishop's Student Excellence Award. This award celebrates her outstanding achievements in academics, leadership, and service to the community. Vivienne’s dedication and commitment reflect the core values of our school, and we are incredibly proud of her accomplishments. She has been a role model for her peers, consistently demonstrating excellence and a deep commitment to both her studies and extracurricular activities. Congratulations to Vivienne on this well-deserved recognition!

On Thursday 19th September we had a Photography Incursion. It was a great day, involving three rotations;  Analogue Photography, Fashion Studio Photography and outdoor Sports and Movement Photography, all as enjoyable and intriguing as the others, being an awesome practical experience. The three teachers, Mrs Hume, Mr Peters and Mrs Cozzarin were just the topping on the cake, each specialising in their designated rotation in order to further make this day a memorable one. 

Within the analogue rotation, we created both a Cyanotype print and a Photogram print without a camera on photosensitive treated paper.Within the Fashion and Street Photography rotation, we took our ideas to life, generating fashionable clothing choices and capturing them. The final rotation I had for the day was the Sports and Movement where we experimented with motion blur panning. Everyone had a workout here, whether it be the people who were running and jumping as the subject of the photos, or the people who had to focus on their moving targets without blurring them as well. 

The day was a great refresher from coming out of the stress of preliminary exams from the week prior.I am certain that everyone had fun. Thank you teachers for running such an amazing day for us.

Braydon Donovan

At the recent Burra Bumal gathering, three of our students—Jorja Smith, Paige Halliday, and Sienna Coglhan—had the opportunity to participate in this enriching cultural experience. The event provided a platform for them to engage with Indigenous traditions, share stories, and deepen their understanding of the rich heritage they are a part of. Their attendance at Burra Bumal not only reflects their commitment to learning but also their pride in representing the school in such a significant cultural event. We are proud of their involvement and the way they embraced this opportunity to connect with their roots.

I recently had the pleasure of guiding our Year 7 students through the enchanting realm of picture books. Together, we unravelled the secrets of storytelling, discovering how words and pictures intertwine to create captivating narratives.

To put their newfound knowledge into practice, the students embarked on a creative project: crafting their own digital picture books using Book Creator. We even incorporated a touch of AI, allowing them to generate images for their stories and enhance their digital skills.

Although I'm still working my way through the impressive collection of 194 student-created picture books, I've already been captivated by the stories I've encountered.

Below are links to some of the students works that completed their books early:

Harry Willis

Elena Krupljanin

Isaac Soriano

Keep your eyes peeled as I will add more as students finish.

Mr Jefferys
(Leader of Library and Education Technology)

Our Indigenous students were given a special opportunity to perform at the prestigious Military Officers Spring Ball, held on 7th September. Despite it being a Saturday night, they proudly gave up their time to represent both their school and wider community with grace and enthusiasm. Their performance was met with admiration and respect, showcasing their cultural pride and commitment to community engagement. We are incredibly proud of their dedication and for being such wonderful ambassadors of John Therry Catholic College, continuing to build meaningful connections through their talent and spirit.

We are excited to share highlights from the recent Year 11 Sports Leadership and Recreation (SLR) excursion, where students enjoyed a day filled with adventure, teamwork, and personal growth. The excursion included a challenging 15km bike ride accompanied by a surfing session at North Wollongong Beach.

After a brief safety briefing, everyone set off on the 15km bike ride from Wedderburn through to Appin. The route offered stunning views of the surrounding landscape and allowed students to test their biking skills while enjoying the great outdoors.Throughout the ride, students demonstrated impressive teamwork, encouraging one another and sharing tips to navigate challenging terrain. It was heartwarming to see friendships strengthen and new connections form during this physical challenge.

The group also headed to North Wollongong Beach for their surfing lesson. Many students faced their fears as they took to the waves for the first time, while others showed off their skills. The instructors provided excellent guidance, ensuring everyone felt safe and supported as they tackled the ocean's waves. With some falls and plenty of laughter, students quickly learned the art of balance and timing. 

Throughout the day, students exhibited remarkable sportsmanship and resilience. It was a fantastic opportunity for them to step outside their comfort zones and push their limits in both biking and surfing.The experiences gained will undoubtedly enrich their understanding of leadership and teamwork, key components of the SLR curriculum.

We would like to extend our gratitude to the staff who attended this successful outing. Your support is invaluable in providing our students with these enriching experiences.

During Year 11 Pastoral Day, our Work Studies and Maths Extension students took on the important task of enhancing the college playground. Their focus was the refurbishment of an existing retaining wall, which they transformed with a vibrant splash of blue, revitalising the space beautifully.

As a well-earned reward for their hard work, the students enjoyed a pizza lunch together. Their dedication made a significant impact, and the results speak for themselves! A special thanks goes to Mr. McKenzie and Mr. Tannous for supervising the project.

Come by and see the fantastic transformation for yourself!

JTCC SPORT UPDATE - Term 3 Week 7 + 9:

What better way to finish off the term by having an EPIC SPORTS UPDATE.

JTCC moved into the semi finals of the competition in a good position with 7 out of 9 teams competing for a grand final berth. 

As it turned out, three teams competed in the 3rd v 4th Playoff match to conclude their season with all teams failing to get the win, although well done to the 7-9 Girls Soccer team who secured a draw. Commiserations to our 10-12 Boys Cricket team and our 9/10 Girls Netball team.

John Therry has been fairly well represented in Term 3 Finals over the years, this year was no different. Four teams competed and we did not lose a game.

Congratulations to our 7/8 Boys Soccer team who defeated Magdalene 2 - 1. 

Congratulations to our 10 - 12 Boys AFL team who defeated Macarthur Anglican School 73 - 52.

Congratulations to our U15 Boys Rugby League team who defeated Magdalene 12 - 8.

Congratulations to our 9/10 Boys Soccer team who secured a 0 - 0 draw against Mt Carmel. MCCC are the premiers as the finished higher on the table after the competition.

So three MISA Premierships is a fantastic effort by the teams. Well done to all or our student representatives who competed and represented the College to the best of their ability.

Term MISA Trials - Weeks 9 +10: Please see Compass for Term 4 MISA Trial information.

Any interested student should have completed the EOI - this will allow student attendance to be accurate.

Normal sport will still run for 9/10 Rec Sport and Years 7/8 Sport.

MISA Trial Venues: For weeks 9 + 10 of Term 3

JTCC Courts: 10/11 Boys Volleyball, 10/11 Girls Volleyball

Thomas Acres Reserve: 7 - 9 Boys AFL, 7 - 9 Girls AFL, 7 - 9 Boys Cricket

Oswald Reserve: 7 - 9 Boys Oz Tag, 7 - 9 Girls Oz Tag, 7 - 9 Girls Softball, 10/11 Mixed Frisbee

MISA Update: - Round 6 + MISA Semi-Finals

MISA FINALS + PLAYOFFS

If you have any questions regarding MISA Sports, please feel free to contact me. Mr Jamie Cook cooka01@dow.catholic.edu.au

Diocesan and Pathways update

As we head towards the end of Term 3 we are drawing a close on the majority of our pathway programs for 2024. The NSWCCC Athletics carnival is the final major pathway competition for the year, in which we saw a number of our JTCC students do really well. We have our final Diocese competitions in Week 1 & 2 of Term 4, Boys cricket, junior boys and girls AFL and Basketball.  Our final major challenge is our Intermediate Boys Basketball team heading to the NSWCCC Tournament in October, good luck to them. 

NSWCCC Athletics 

Monday 16th of September saw 10 of JTCC top athletics competing in the NSWCCC Athletics Championships at Sydney Olympic Park as part of the Wollongong Diocese Team. The athletes had a fantastic campaign, with some excellent results all round at a highly competitive carnival. Brooklyn Osborne unfortunately suffered a major injury in the high jump event, breaking his arm after a huge jump of 1.75m. We wish Brooklyn a smooth recovery.

NSW State Cup Volleyball Championships

Congratulations to the boys in the Senior Volleyball team who were successful in winning the NSW All Schools State Cup competition. Rarefied air for the College. We have only entered this competition once before. This is the premier schools tournament in the State and, although not involving many schools, the standard of play is at the highest level. We played five games against very strong volleyball teams, winning all of them to progress to the final. In most matches, we were behind at some stage, but managed to find a way to achieve when it really mattered.

Results were:

In the final we were matched against Tempe High School. A narrow loss in the first set (25 -27) had us on tenterhooks. With a time limit and time running out, the completion of the second set became a priority. Tensions were relieved by a 25 - 18 win in this set and victory on a count back of total points won.

The team is to be congratulated for their precise execution of skill and ability, their camaraderie and teamwork and their humility and sportsmanship throughout the tournament. 

For the first time the opportunity to compete at the 2024 Australian Volleyball Schools Cup in the Honours Division, on the Gold Coast is open to us. An International event that attracts close to 500 teams. A wonderful opportunity to promote the school to the wider community and further extend the experience of our students.

Picton Soccer Gala Day - Volunteer Referees 

Wollongong Diocese hosted a Primary Soccer Gala Day on Thursday 29th August at Picton Sportsground. The Wollongong Diocese relies on Secondary students to volunteer and referee these gala days, and John Therry and St. Benedicts were allocated to this day. The secondary student referee support of the students is invaluable and we appreciate the students who go and support and represent JTCC. Thank you to the following students who were in attendance. Aiden Murray, Blake Neale, Jeshua Prakasham, Brady Wilson, Alex Sanchez, Jackson Brisenden, Christian Baker, Jon Vasilopoulos, Emerson Yevenes and Paa Ekow Eduaful.

Netball - Georgia Bastock and Annelise Hall 

JTCC had two students in the  Opens Girls Wollongong team who took part in the NSWCCC Selections last Tuesday 27 August in Penrith.Annelise (back row - second from the left) and Georgia (back row - second from the right). Both did really well in a strong team and an extremely competitive selection process. Annelise progressed to the final game of possibles and probables but unfortunately missed out on selection. 

Well done to both our girls. 

Staff vs. Year 12 Championship 

Our first round of staff vs. students activities puts Staff one up over the 2024 Year 12 cohort. 

The staff team ‘Big Brains’ of Mr. Winter, Mr. Hatton, Mr Holt, Mr. Macdonald, Mr Barton, Mr Tran and Mr. Albury reigned overall champions, with a late surge in the final bonus questions against a bright student team. The ‘BBs’ team of Jayden Wolczak, Liam Wicks, Darcy Wilson, Clayton Baguley, Charlie Zammit had an awesome round 4, claiming 11 points to bring them to equal points with the staff.  The final bonus questions between the final two standing teams had the students unstuck, with a question on a famous chess play and kitchen appliances stumping the students to allow staff to claim victory. 

The final question from trivia, which Mr Hatton answered in a split second to claim victory was:

What is the portmanteau for a popular kitchen-related product, that’s chemically called polytetrafluoroethylene? 

Answer - Teflon 

Staff 1 - Students 0

Monday - Netball & Basketball 

With two games running at the same time on Monday, there were some very tight games played. Netball saw our staff experience and strategy outplay the students, with a narrow victory of 10-9. Unfortunately in basketball the staff struggled against the attack from Garang and Adrian, despite a time penalty for the lack of commitment to their volleyball representative duties. The staff clocked their first loss, but remained confident heading to soccer and ultimate frisbee. 

Staff 2 - Students 1

Wednesday - Soccer 

The intensity of the soccer match was peaking right before kickoff. Students by the hundreds surrounded the fields to catch a glimpse of the action. The student team promoted skill, athleticism, talent and speed.While the staff team has none of those traits, at least not in this decade. 

The students dominated possession and field position but failed to register a goal, despite having numerous shots on target. I do not recall  the staff team registering a single shot on target. Even though we did not lose the game, the staff secretly counted the result as a win, and were very lucky the game did not continue into extra time. No first aid or oxygen was required, so count that as a positive result.

Staff 2.5 - Students 1.5

Upcoming events 

Upcoming NSWCCC registrations and closing dates

NSWCCC Team Championships events and registrations

• NSWCCC Basketball JNR & INTER Championships (Penrith-Boys/Bankstown Girls) (4-5 Nov)
  
  
• NSWCCC Berg and Downie Shield - registrations are open

Sporting Pathways Calendar - CLICK HERE 

Diocesan Sporting Opportunities 

This is the main school sporting pathway that is offered to students at John Therry Catholic College. Some John Therry CC Diocesan teams are determined through trials, or a carnival hosted at a college  level (Athletics, Cross Country, Swimming), however some teams are determined by individual trials that students must nominate and register for online. Further information can be found at: https://www.dow.catholic.edu.au/sport/ 

NSWCCC Sporting Opportunities 

NSWCCC is another school sporting pathway that is offered to students at John Therry Catholic College. Some CCC teams are determined through qualifying at a carnival hosted at a Diocesan level (Athletics, Cross Country, Football, Rugby League, Swimming, Basketball, Touch Football), however some teams are determined by individual trials that students must nominate and register for online. Students must be currently competing at a representative level in their chosen sport to be considered for CCC team trials.The sports that require online nomination and registration include: 

It is important that online registration is completed before the closing date for each sport. These are outlined on the CSNSW website: https://csnsw.sport 

Online registrations are now open for 2024. Please refer to the information on the website regarding the registration process. Here is a link to assist with sports registration for parents: https://csnsw.atlassian.net/servicedesk/customer/portal/2/topic/65d787c5-0d2a-4699-a63a-25d586b67ba2 

A reminder to check the Compass Portal for upcoming sporting events and their respective closing dates.

You can also access the Wollongong Sport site for more information regarding Diocesan Sport  throughout the year.

https://www.dow.catholic.edu.au/sport/diocesan-sport-news

Yours in Sport,

Georgia Roberts (RobertsG03@dow.catholic.edu.au)

Please find below a link to the latest Parish Bulletin

https://www.olhcrosemeadow.org.au/bulletin/