Welcome to Secondary at JPC

The first day of Term 1 2026 is on Tuesday 27 January.

Key Dates:

• Day 1: Tuesday 27 January 2026 (8.20am – 3.20pm) - Year 7, Year 10 and Year 12 students only
• Day 2: Wednesday 28 January 2026 (8.20am – 3.20pm) - All students (Years 7-12) commence regular timetable

New Students:

Year 7 students will assemble on the courts next to the Piazza, while Year 8 to 11 students will come directly to Main Administration by 8.00am. This allows us to prepare students for Roll Call at 8.20am in their Academic Welfare classrooms.

All Students: 

We ask that ALL students wear their blazers on the first day of school; however, we do understand that at times there are delays. We kindly ask that any student, who is without their blazer due to it being embroidered, or whose blazer has not yet arrived, bring a note from home.

Students are required to wear their formal uniform on the first day of term, which includes school ties. Should any student have difficulty obtaining uniform items in time for the first day, we ask the student to advise their Academic Welfare Mentor with a letter from the parent or guardian.

Personal appearance should reflect the conservative, professional nature of the College and align with our College Values and Expectations and Uniform and Personal Appearance Policy. High standards of dress and personal appearance are important at all times.

Any holiday indulgences concerning hair length or colour need to be rectified to meet our College expectations, as outlined in the JPC Handbook. Students’ hairstyles or hair treatments should be neat, sensible and conservative in nature. Bleached, tipped or highlighted hair is not part of our uniform, as is the use of substances such as gel, mousse or wax. Make-up is similarly not part of our uniform. To ensure College standards are being met, we seek the support of all parents in ensuring students arrive at school in the correct uniform. A reminder that black lace-up school shoes are required.

As part of our holistic approach to education at John Paul College, we offer a diverse range of co-curricular activities to our students. It is a requirement that all students at the College undertake at least one cocurricular activity each year

Sport and Activities

Information in relation to registration for all sports and activities will become available prior to the beginning of each term. We have a strong emphasis on participation, but some sports may require students to attend ‘trials’ in circumstances where there are limited places available for registration. To ensure the process is consistent and fair to all new and existing students, this information is forwarded to all parents prior to each term and notices are placed in MyJPC. If you require any further clarity or information, please send your enquiries to sport@jpc.qld.edu.au to ensure we direct your questions to the appropriate staff.

Performing Arts

For new students wanting to join various performing arts ensembles and groups, auditions will be available on request. Parents wishing to learn more about our Performing Arts Program are encouraged to contact their office on 07 3826 3383 to speak with a program co-ordinator.

If your child is interested in taking up private or group music lessons, parents will be required to complete a Performing Arts Enrolment Form (New students - click here; Current JPC students - click here). Information regarding co-curricular ensemble options for students can be found in the Performing Arts Handbook.

Parents and guardians of Years 7 to 12 students are asked to use the Markwell Car Park for student drop-off and collection each day. Markwell Car Park has been specifically designed with the older students in mind to ensure the traffic flows smoothly. Please do not use the entrance to the main driveway as a pick-up and drop-off point. Students are not to use the main driveway to exit the school grounds after school unless they go to the bus stop or cross the street at the lights. The Chatswood Car Park will be extremely congested in the first weeks of term, so it would be appreciated if you could avoid these areas unless you are collecting Primary School students. Chatswood Road and John Paul Drive will also be heavily congested with local school traffic, so please be patient to keep all of our College community safe. Please do not double park or park illegally and remember 40 km/hr in school zones.

Your family ID number is also your username for the Cashless Canteen. Your initial login password is CanTeen. This is a temporary password and will need to be reset once you have successfully logged in for the first time. To access the Cashless Canteen system, log in to the MyJPC dashboard and click “Canteen Online Orders”. Set up and access to the Cashless Canteen through My Student Account (MSA) can be supported on the laptop allocation day.

Secondary students can access the tuck shop directly during first break and lunch break. We recommend that students bring their own morning tea and lunch during the first few days while they familiarise themselves with the campus.

Students will need to get a temporary ID card at Main Admin if they would like to use the tuck shop in the first few days.

To ensure our students are safe, please use the online form in MyJPC (the link is accessed from the QUICK LINKS tab under ‘Report an Absence’) to notify of your child's absence from school. If your child will be late to school but not absent, or you need your child to leave during the day for an appointment, use the drop-down option to choose Partial Day and state the time of absence. If you are unable to use MyJPC for any reason, you can call our Absentee line on 3826 3566 or email absences@jpc.qld.edu.au. We ask that you advise the school by 8.30am, so we know your child is safe.

All students must sign in and out when entering or leaving the College grounds for whatever reason, whether it be due to running late, an appointment or early departure. Parents are required to notify the College by any of the above means and the student is to check in or out at any admin office to confirm.

For the safety of our students, John Paul College offers a number of different private bus routes around the community for our students in Years 4 to 12. Students that are of a younger age and wishing to utilise this service will need to contact the Head of School so the College can ensure that absolute safety is ensured for these students.

To reduce the expense for families, our bus system is not a door-to-door service; however, they navigate a route that is set out by the College based on feedback we received through our Bus Route Expression of Interest forms. Whilst we cannot guarantee a route in your area, we strive to assist as many families as possible by using feedback from this form to improve our bus routes each year.

To ensure a convenient service to families, our public buses are paid for through the use of a Translink card. Fares are subsidised by the College and utilise council bus stops for pick-ups and drop-offs. Students only pay for what they use and bookings are not needed to secure a seat on any of our routes. For more information about our routes, please access our full listing on our Bus Routes page.