Filter Content
- PRINCIPALS REPORT
- MOTHER'S DAY BREAKFAST
- TELL THEM FROM ME (TTFM)
- YEAR 11 PUBLIC SPEAKING
- DRONE INCURSION - STEM EXPERIENCE
- CAREER NEWS - ZOOKEEPER FOR A DAY
- ABORIGINAL STUDENTS PARTICIPATE IN BURRA BUMAL WORKSHOP
- YEAR 11 HMS FIRST AID
- SYDNEY BUILD EXPO
- JT RUN CLUB
- AMS 5TH ANNUAL SPRING SALE
- SPORT NEWS
- MARIST APPEAL
- OLHC BULLETIN
This newsletter highlights many of the wonderful things happening at John Therry and reflects the vibrant community we are proud to be part of. One great example featured later in the newsletter is the Run Club, which I joined this week alongside more than 20 other staff and students. I really enjoyed the experience—exercise is a great way to start the day, and I appreciate our teachers volunteering their time to make this opportunity available to students. Everyone runs at their own pace, and it was encouraging to have Mr. McGrath and Mr. Bodeker cheering us slower runners and walkers across the finish line. I encourage any interested students to give it a go!
The many excursions, events, and activities included in this edition reflect our commitment to providing a holistic education and creating opportunities for students to discover and develop their strengths and talents.
At the heart of our work, however, is always student learning. Our recent staff professional learning day was a valuable opportunity to work with NESA on curriculum reform and assessment. Our goal—this year and every year—is to ensure growth in learning for every student and to support them in reaching their full potential. We aim to achieve this through a clear, consistent approach to teaching and learning across the school, using high-impact teaching strategies in every classroom. These professional learning days are essential for our staff to learn together, collaborate, and continuously improve our practices to meet the evolving needs of our students.
Attendance Update
It is nice to see that 4 of our Year groups have average attendance above 90% as we make our way into Term 2. The winter months often bring some sickness that affects the attendance rate and we are keen to maintain this above 90% for the whole school.
Our overall attendance rate at present is 91.3%
We encourage parents to monitor attendance in the compass app and discuss this with your chidlren. High attendance rates not only support learning but prepare students for the expectations of the workforce.
Mother’s Day Breakfast at John Therry Catholic College
On Thursday 8th May, John Therry Catholic College Hall was filled with warmth and gratitude as we hosted our annual Mother’s Day Breakfast. It was a wonderful opportunity to honour and celebrate the incredible women in our community—our mums, grandmothers, carers, and mother figures—who give so much of themselves every day.
Held in the morning before school, families gathered to enjoy a delicious breakfast and share quality time together. The event was beautifully set up and featured a spread of breakfast favourites, juice and sweet treats, creating a welcoming atmosphere for all.
There was a great sense of joy as students and staff came together to acknowledge the love, strength, and dedication of our mothers. A special thank you goes to all those who helped organise the event, including our students and staff, who worked behind the scenes to make the morning so special.
Events like these are a wonderful reminder of the strong sense of community we share at John Therry. We are grateful to all the families who joined us and helped make the Mother’s Day Breakfast a heartfelt success.
Happy Mother’s Day to all the amazing women who care for and guide us—we appreciate you every day.
We want to hear what YOU think
John Therry Catholic College is participating in an online survey for students, staff and parents. Tell Them From Me (TTFM) is a survey for measuring student engagement and wellbeing. We are inviting students, teachers and parents/carers to provide feedback on their experience of our school using an online survey. The surveys are an important part of our whole school evaluation and planning process.
The Survey is open NOW until 30h May.
We would like to invite you to complete the Tell Them From Me (TTFM) Partners in Learning survey. As we value the role of parents and carers within our school community, we would greatly appreciate your feedback. The information you provide will be used to maintain our commitment to working together in partnership to further improve student learning and wellbeing at John Therry Catholic College.
You are able to access the parent survey on your computer or mobile device by using the URL below:
http://tellthemfromme.com/zqpwd
The survey is anonymous and will take approximately 20 minutes to complete.
All students will be given the opportunity and time to participate in this survey during regular school hours. Students who agree to complete the survey will be given a random username and password to access and complete the survey online.
If you do not want your child to take part in this survey, please contact the College office via email - info@jtccdow.catholic.edu.au.
On Thursday 15th May, two of our brilliant Yr 11 students, Elijah Gill & Anabel Martin attended the MISA Public Speaking competition at St Francis Catholic College.
The competition included writing a prepared speech on a topic the students were passionate about. Elijah skillfully spoke about the importance of free speech in society, while Anabel passionately spoke about the importance of reading and storytelling. The second part asked students to deliver an impromptu speech on an unseen topic, and speak for 1-2 minutes. Both students were able to cleverly deliver speeches on "Being Australian is an Individual Experience".
21 students competed from all over the region competed, and Anabel Martin came away with 3rd place!!!
Both students spoke beautifully, with passion and they should be proud of themselves.
This week, our Year 7 students participated in the fourth drone incursion as part of our ongoing STEM program. Led by an instructor from Surf Life Saving NSW, the session explored the many uses of drone technology, including a valuable discussion on gender bias in certain industries.
Students learned to pilot drones manually before moving on to coding their own flight paths. This required spatial awareness, problem-solving, and persistence as they worked to program the drones to fly over specific areas.
It was a rewarding and engaging experience, with students rising to the challenge and developing new skills in a hands-on way.
“It was a fun and interesting experience that I thoroughly enjoyed.” – Sophie Kumutat (Year 7)
After attending a recent careers expo with the school, Year 10 student Abby Quinn was thrilled to win a “Zookeeper for a Day” experience at Sydney Zoo — and has now completed the hands-on opportunity.
During the day, Abby worked alongside experienced zookeepers, helping with animal feeding and learning about conservation and animal care practices. The experience gave her a real-world insight into what a career in animal care involves and working with animals.
The opportunity came as part of a careers expo giveaway, showing just how valuable these events can be for students exploring their future pathways.
A group of Aboriginal students from Years 9 to 11 recently took part in the Burra Bumal workshop, an exciting opportunity aimed at fostering cultural expression and artistic growth through dance and performance.
Held in collaboration with the renowned NAISDA Dance College, the workshop offered students the chance to engage with professional First Nations dancers and choreographers. The experience allowed students to explore their cultural identity through movement, storytelling, and connection to Country, while also building confidence and teamwork.
The workshop serves as a pathway to potential selection for the Burra Bumal performance, to be held at the Campbelltown Arts Centre later this year. Those chosen will receive further mentoring from NAISDA artists in preparation for the final showcase.
We are incredibly proud of our students for representing their culture with pride and enthusiasm and for seizing this unique opportunity to deepen their connection to culture and the arts. We wish them all the best as they await the next stage of selection.
On Thursday the 8th of May, our Year 11 Health and Movement Science students proudly completed their first aid certificate with Royal Life Saving Australia. This not only formed part of their first depth study, but also equiped them with vital life-saving skills that will benefit both our school and the wider community. Over the course of an intensive training program, students learned essential techniques including CPR, anaphylaxis, immobilising injuries and how to respond effectively to a range of emergencies.
The students showed tremendous engagement, responsibility, and teamwork throughout the course — attributes that will serve them well in the future.
We are incredibly proud of their achievement and know that these newly certified first aiders will be valuable assets wherever they go. Congratulations to all our Health and Movement Science students.
JT Run Club Kicks Off with Energy and Enthusiasm
On Wednesday morning, 7th May, the JT Run Club officially launched with a fantastic turnout of both staff and students. The weather was ideal, and the atmosphere was full of energy as participants gathered for a morning run around the local duck pond.
It was a great way to start the day, promoting physical activity, wellbeing, and a strong sense of community. We’re excited to support and watch our students progress in their running journey over the coming weeks.
Well done to everyone who took part in the first session!
Marist Annual Spring Sale Blooms with Surprises
We’ve officially kicked off our Annual Spring Sale — and this year, it began with not one, but two wonderful surprises!
Firstly, a huge thank you to our dedicated maintenance team, Graeme and Wayne, who have transformed and modernised our garden storage area. With their hard work complete, we now have a fresh new space ready to be filled with vibrant greenery and blooming plants.
Our second surprise came from a generous member of our extended Marist community. Linda O’Connell, grandmother of Penny, has been lovingly growing a wide selection of plants since last year — and today, she donated them all to the school. This incredibly thoughtful gesture set the perfect tone for the start of our Spring Sale and brought many smiles to both students and staff.
With such a beautiful beginning, we’re looking forward to a season full of colour, growth, and community spirit. What a start!
JTCC SPORT UPDATE - Term 2, Week 3
Term 2 is shaping up to be an exciting one, especially for our budding athletes! With a full calendar of school, MISA and Diocesan competitions as well as many sport pathway opportunities, there’s plenty to inspire, challenge, and motivate our students to get involved and give it their best.
Term 2 MISA kicked off Round 1 with some beautiful weather, and JTCC has got some highly competitive teams entered. We look forward to seeing how our teams will progress throughout the term. Good luck to all!
Unfortunately wet weather has hampered a few Diocese events at the start of the term, with postponements for our Diocese Cross Country Carnival and our Open Girls Football Championships. It also saw cancellation for the majority of our MISA round 2 outdoor game in week 3.
For Sale - Oztag/Touch Tights
Students are expected to take pride in their appearance and be good ambassadors for the College while setting the highest possible standard of dress at all times.
We are pleased to announce the addition of girls oztag/touch tights to our MISA/representative uniform. These are available now for $40 each - please pay at finance and bring your receipt to the Sports Office to collect.
*Students are reminded that MISA/representative uniform is not to be worn during the school day or during timetabled PDHPE practical lessons - you must bring them with you to change into for MISA or representative duties.
MISA ROUND 1
|
TEAM |
COACH |
W/L Score |
Sport Report |
SPOW |
|
OPENS BOYS LEAGUE |
McGrath & Strojny |
BYE |
||
|
U16 GIRLS RUGBY LEAGUE |
Tran McGrath |
Loss 13-7 |
The amount of tries in this game does not reflect the effort from the girls. With the first hit out of the season, I am very proud of how well the students got out of their comfort zone and put their body on the line on many occasions. Jaz and Piper really set the tone in the middle, with some strong carries which even led to some tries. With some training and a bit more belief, the girls will see rapid improvements in their game play. |
Piper Regan |
|
11-12 BOYS SOCCER |
Williamson |
Loss 5-1 |
Disappointing first up game. Quite a few players out and a lot of tiredness crept in at the end of the game. This left the defense with too much to do and the opposition ran through easily. Need a boost of enthusiasm and commitment to the team in the coming weeks if we are to be a chance of achieving anything in the competition. |
Jeshua Prakasham |
|
10-12 GIRLS SOCCER |
Moon |
Loss 3- 2 |
In tough conditions and with the team playing together for the first time, the 10-12 Girls Football team battled hard but were narrowly defeated 3-2 by MacArthur Anglican. The match was further complicated by the absence of field markings, making it a challenging game for both sides. Alice opened the scoring with a brilliant goal, but MacArthur responded quickly, putting two goals past us. In the second half, the girls fought back, and Alice played a key role in the equaliser, with a stunning goal set up by Suprina. Unfortunately, MacArthur snatched the lead again near the end, with a somewhat lucky deflection off the post to score their third. However, there were many positives to take from the game, with Jorja and Laura stepping up into keeper positions and contributing solid performances all around. Special mention to debutants Elena, Mia, and Sienna, who showed great promise in their first match. |
Alice Stephenson |
|
7-9 MIXED ULTIMATE FRISBEE |
Bodeker |
Win - 31-0 |
A dominant victory for our 7-9 Frisbee team. Despite missing some students, JT dominated from start to finish winning 31-0. It was a great start for our team, especially with some students playing their first game of Frisbee at MISA level. Touchdowns were evenly spread out across the board, with 9 students scoring touchdowns. There was some great movement on and off the ball and we never gave Magdalene a chance. Well done on a great first game |
Isiah Leal |
|
7-9 BOYS BASKETBALL |
Jefferys WINTER |
45-45 Tie |
A roller coaster of a game against Mount Carmel resulted in a tie. From being down 10 points to being ahead 10 points, there was no letting up from either team. Relentless defence from Dorak and David allowed plentiful scoring opportunities on the other end, led by Mayen. The game resulted in a tie on the last millisecond of game time by a free throw from Mount Carmel. |
Mayen Ajak |
|
7-9 GIRLS BASKETBALL |
Winter O’Regan |
Loss 34-11 |
We came up against MCCC for our opening game. The girls took to the court without any warm up. We got off to a slow start, while Mount Carmel came out firing. We were unable to match the experience of our opposition, going down 34-11. Best player on court scoring 7 of our points was Lisi and special mention also goes to Grace for her aggression in defence. The girls played an admirable game, fielding a very young and inexperienced team without any training under their belt. They are to be commended on their effort. Well done. |
Lisi Mateni |
|
11-12 GIRLS NETBALL |
Kelleher Honan |
Loss 33 - 9 |
The girls competed in a challenging first game against Magdalene. Magdalene had a good start to the game, however John Therry made a comeback in the second quarter. Unfortunately, they were unable to secure the win, going down to Magdalene 33-9. Special mention to Chloe Donovan who had a consistently strong game and Hannah Epple for her quality umpiring. |
Chloe Donovan |
|
10-12 BOYS SOFTBALL |
D.Hatton |
10-2/15-4 Loss |
A great first up effort by a rather inexperienced outfit. The opposition had some seasoned veterans and scored freely despite our best efforts. Great catching by Alex Nohra helped to keep the score to what it was. The experience of today will help for the remainder of the season. |
Dante Foweraker |
MISA ROUND 2
|
TEAM |
COACH |
W/L Score |
Sport Report |
SPOW |
|
OPENS BOYS LEAGUE |
McGrath & Strojny |
THAC Forfeit |
||
|
U16 GIRLS RUGBY LEAGUE |
Tran |
Cancelled - wet weather |
||
|
11-12 BOYS SOCCER |
Williamson |
Cancelled - wet weather |
||
|
10-12 GIRLS SOCCER |
Moon |
Cancelled - wet weather |
||
|
7-9 MIXED ULTIMATE FRISBEE |
Bodeker |
Cancelled - wet weather |
||
|
7-9 BOYS BASKETBALL |
Jefferys |
41-32 L |
JT's Year 7-9 basketball team faced a challenging game today against Thomas Hassell Anglican College, falling short with a final score of 41-32. Despite the loss, the boys demonstrated commendable effort and determination throughout the match. The game began with an energetic start, but lapses on defence allowed Thomas Hassell Anglican College to take advantage and score easy layups. JT’s team fought hard, with a focus on teamwork and hustle, but ultimately, the defensive breakdowns and missed opportunities proved costly. Key players made notable contributions, with standout performances in scoring and rebounding. However, the defence needs to tighten up to prevent such easy scores in future games. Emphasising ball movement and man-to-man guarding will be crucial as the team looks to improve. Reflecting on the performance, it's clear that while there were moments of brilliance, consistency in defence is necessary. Looking ahead, the team is eager to re-focus and address these areas in practice. Encouraged by their perseverance, we know they will come back stronger and more prepared for the next challenge. |
Cooper Firman |
|
7-9 GIRLS BASKETBALL |
Winter |
42-6 L |
In an intense matchup, the John Therry Catholic College girls' basketball team faced off against the formidable Thomas Hassall girls. Despite a brave effort, JTCC girls were outscored, finishing with 6 points to Thomas Hassall's 42. The JTCC girls are still learning the game, with a few more training sessions their skills are sure to improve. |
Teirra Latulipe |
|
11-12 GIRLS NETBALL |
Kelleher |
Cancelled - wet weather |
||
|
10-12 BOYS SOFTBALL |
D.Hatton |
Cancelled - wet weather |
Boys Bill Turner Cup Round 2
DATE: 8th May 2025
The 2025 Bill Turner Cup campaign continued against a local rival in Elizabeth Macarthur High School.
With a delayed start to the game, the boys were quick to get their business started with goals to Floilan Maganola which came from a clinical short combination pass from Lucas Alvarado, and the swapping roles, Floilan switching the ball quickly across the park to an unmarked Lucas, who completed the assist by evading the inexperienced goalkeeper.
John Therry dominated possession for a majority of the first half with multiple attacking opportunities with Cooper Firman executing off a Julian Sanchez cutback.
To finish the first half off, Davonne Plaatjies demonstrated great individual ball control to make a penetrating run to open his first of three goals. A commanding 4 - 0 lead was tarnished by conceding a corner then copping a deflection and ricochet in our goals.
All players received vital minutes in preparation for our future matches, and as we returned to play, the boys were instructed to keep their efforts consistent.
The second half was deflated as the opposition played little football and our younger players saw plenty of action again. Numerous opportunities were wasted but with a touch of class, Davonne Plaatjies was able to notch up his hattrick but creating and executing another individual effort and also by finishing a set piece from a corner.
The final scoreline read 6 -1 but was very lopsided and was riddled with inconsistency, not ideal heading into the regional quarter finals against a tough opposition inn Freeman Catholic College or East Hills Boys High School
FR - Noah Cook, Lucas Alvarado, Kayden Thompson, Davoone Plaatjies, Billy Wilson, Harry Smith, Jayden O’Brien
BR - Floilan Magalona, Lucas Failla, Levi Fitzpatrick, Cooper Firman, Xavier Abi-Khattar, Austin Boxsell, Deklin Hutchinson, Julian Sanchez, Aidan Maskey.
Mr Cook and Mr Tannous
Pathway Achievements
DIO Touch
Tre-James Roberts and William Shearer recently participated at the NSWCCC Touch carnival representing the Wollongong Diocese. Both students were excellent performers during the carnival and conducted themselves with enthusiasm and pride. Unfortunately the Open boys team were unable to progress to the semi-final stage after being knocked out by the eventual champions (Parramatta Diocese) in the quarter-finals. Well done on your efforts Tre and William!
Southern Country Rugby League
The following students recently competed at the Southern Country Rugby League trials held in Wagga Wagga: Nathaniel Leal (Open Boys), Tayah Maharaj (16’s Girls), Rico Logai-Lusiano (15’s Boys) and Keiren Mostyn (15’s Boys). The students participated against strong Western Diocese students to vye for selection to participate at the NSWCCC Rugby League Trials.
Good luck to Keiren Mostyn who was selected in the U15 Boys Southern Country Team who will compete at the NSWCCC Rugby League Trials for an opportunity to be selected into the NSWCCC Rugby League team that will compete at the Australian Secondary Schools Rugby League Competition.
NSWCCC Basketball
We have a number of students competing at the NSWCCC Basketball selection trials this week - well done to Annelise Hall, Georgina Akol, Luca Federico and Azor Ruiz. A huge congratulations to Luca who has been successfully selected into the NSWCCC U16 Basketball Team to compete at the NSW All Schools Championships in June.
DOW Open Football Selections
Good luck also to Cohan Timmer, Cooper Marshall and Jorja Hohberg who have progressed to the Diocese Open Football Selection Trials on Thursday 15th May. This is a highly competitive event with students having to go through a vigorous initial nomination process.
External Sporting Achievements
Emmie Dodd and a number of other JTCC dancers recently competed in the World Dance Crew Championship held in Auckland, April 2025. Crews from Australia, New Zealand, USA and the Phillipines competed at in a highly competitive and rigorous championship. Emmie and the crew she is part of (Lil Loyalz from Breanna’s Academy of Dance) made it to the Junior Division finals! Lil Loyalz ended up coming 7th in the world which was a great result for a crew who have only been dancing together for 6 months.
A special mention to a few other JT girls (Hayley McDonald, Ella Grace Bertie and Chloe Hacquil) who came second in Youth Division plate final. Their section had 22 competitors so the plate final was run for crews who weren’t in top 12. Congratulations to all!
Upcoming Events Term 2 2025:
|
Term 2, Week 4 |
|
Wednesday 21st May -*rescheduled Diocese Opens Girls Football Championship - Myimbarr Community Park, Shellharbour |
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Term 2, Week 5 |
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Monday 26th May - *rescheduled Diocese Cross Country - Nowra |
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Term 2, Week 6 |
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Friday 6th June - College Athletics Carnival - Campbelltown Athletics Stadium i |
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Term 2, Week 7 |
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Thursday 12th June - Basketball Qualifying Tournament - Boys 9-10 - Snake Pit Friday 13th June - Diocese Netball Championship - Berkeley Netball Courts |
Diocesan and Pathways update
2025 planning and calendar for representative pathway opportunities are below.
CEDoW WEBSITE- Event Information, Selected rep teams and Carnival Results
A reminder to visit our Secondary CEDoW Sports Web current information about events, selected teams and carnival results
Don't forget to follow the CEDOW instagram handle: @cedow.sport
Students at John Therry are given the opportunity to represent John Therry at College, Diocesan and CCC sporting events.
CLICK HERE - JTCC PATHWAY INFORMATION
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:
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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 2025. 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/student-experience/sport/secondary-sport
Yours in Sport,
Georgia Roberts (RobertsG03@dow.catholic.edu.au)
Please find below a link to the latest Parish Bulletin