Learning Support

& Enrichment

• 2018 Philosothon
• Hand Injuries - Support for Exams and Assessments
• Enrichment Club resumes! ​
• Da Vinci Decathlon – Congratulations on SPX Wins
• Junior Maths Drop-in Centre
• After-school Study Program:  Not running next Wednesday 20th June due to Staff Meeting
• Maths Drop-in Centre

Senior School boys represent St Pius X College at 2018 Philosothon

“A Philosothon is not just a competition between schools. Nor is it just for students who are ‘really, really smart’. The educational agenda behind Philosothons is about helping all young people to think for themselves. To think for oneself means to be able to question what you have been told and to critique ideas you see and hear. To think for oneself means challenging the views presented to you, in a considered and considerate manner. To think for oneself involves intellectual humility: not only could others be wrong about things, but so too could I. And, it cannot be an isolated activity; rather, it involves building upon the ideas of others, both past and present. Drawing upon the Philosophy in Schools pedagogy of the Community of Inquiry, Philosothons allow dialogue to take place within safe educational spaces that encourage collaborative and caring engagement with others around important philosophical and ethical issues.”     2018 NSW Philosothon 

Last Thursday evening the following students travelled to St Andrew’s Cathedral School to participate in the NSW 2018 Philosothon.  Benjamin Cullen represented Year 8 with Joshua Jones as his support; Ashley Johnson represented Year 9 with William Thomson as his support; James Baldock represented Year 10 with Aidan Lonsdale as his support and Alexander Hassan represented Year 11 with Andrew Kim as his support. We need to commend all of our students for participating in this spectacular event.

Students participated in 4 x 40 minute Community of Inquiry sessions competing against Sydney Girls High, Meriden School, Sydney Boys High, St Vincent’s College, SCEGGS Darlinghurst, North Sydney Girls, Cranbrook School, St Patrick’s College, Monte Sant’Angelo Mercy, and Redfield.  They explored the following questions in the COI building on their ability to engage with the ideas of others through considered, respectful, informed and personal dialogues.

1. Is virtual reality real?
2. What make something a work of art?
3. Friendship:  various questions sourced from our lecture by Dr Sandra Lynch
4. Can we ever know the world as it is and not just as it appears to us?

The winning schools were Sydney Girls, Sydney Boys, North Sydney Girls and Meriden School.  We have our 2019 strategy already organised and we look forward to participating next year.

We could not attend such a challenging event without the support of the parents.  Thank you to all of the parents who travelled in to Town Hall to collect their son at 9pm on Thursday night.  This was a BIG ask and you all embraced it with such enthusiasm.  We are so lucky to have your support!  Thank you.

Ms M Waterson - English and Applied Philosophy Teacher

Hand Injuries - Support for Exams and Assessments

Please let the LSE know if your son has a hand or arm injury and requires support for exams and assessments.

Dear Parents and Carers,

The LSE team is noticing a significant increase in hand and arm injuries amongst the senior boys this term, whether from sport-related or other causes.  If your son has suffered such an injury, which affects his ability to write in an exam or assessment task, please do let his Year Coordinator or the LSE Department know earlier, rather than later.  This is so that we can provide scribe/writer support or other supports to assist him as needed.

So that we can provide the most appropriate provision/s under the circumstances, please scan and send in a medical confirmation/certificate or x-ray report, and let us know the following details:

• What is the injury, to which arm, and is he right or left hand dominant? How will the injury impact him during school, and particularly for exams and assessments?
• If he can handwrite to some degree, then would he prefer to handwrite for his assessment task but receive extra time to compensate for the slower speed?
• If he can use a keyboard, he may prefer this to using a scribe? (Again, please note – this also includes extra time if needed.)

Many thanks for helping us to support your son at school,

The SPX LSE Team

Enrichment Club resumes! 

All Year 7-10 welcome –  Day 10 Friday Lunchtime in LC1

Enrichment Club is on each Day 10 Friday lunchtime in LC1. Its aims are to promote opportunities for interested students who want to extend their thinking skills, enjoy learning and research challenges, and making new mates in other classes and year groups, as they engage in trivia quizzes, games, drama, online activities and more.

This is an open Club will provide opportunities for students to practice up on creative thinking, problem-solving strategies and coding skills in readiness for the annual Da Vinci Decathlon Competition. Boys are encouraged to develop critical thinking, general knowledge and leadership skills through bringing in ideas and running projects or activities, in an area of personal strength or skill. These may include vocabulary games, maths problems, lateral thinking puzzles, catchphrases, competition entry opportunities (optional) – some requiring pre-selection and trialling, as well as self-generated research questions and topics of interest.

There is no cost for joining or attending at Enrichment Club, except for any solo competition entry fees which selected students may choose to participate in, and students will be well advised about these and parent permission notes sent home before time, whenever these opportunities arise.

If interested, just bring your lunch and come along on any or every Day 10 Friday. Ms Raheb-Mol looks forward to seeing you there.

For further information or queries, please see or contact Ms Raheb-Mol at JRahebMol@stpiusx.nsw.edu.au

Da Vinci Decathlon – Congratulations on SPX Wins!

Congratulations to all seven of our St Pius X College Da Vinci teams (that’s 56 keen, creative and competitive boys!) who competed in the Da Vinci Decathlon Competition, held at Knox Grammar School last week, over three days:

• May 22nd -  Year 7-8 teams
• May 23rd – Year 9-11 teams
• May 24th – Year 5-6 teams

The schools that we compete against at Da Vinci include many competitive, high achieving schools in Sydney and Canberra, and there were over 1300 students participating on each of the days.

The competition is developing internationally and growing as an authentic forum to build time-trialled critical and creative thinking skills in students from Years 5-11. It is all about getting children to problem solve, and is a testament to inquiry-based learning, with creativity and innovation skills being developed as these are the learning strategies and skills that all students need to take into the 21st Century in order to thrive as outstanding global citizens.

All teams set out early each day, and undertook in teams, an action packed day, full of difficult challenges, designed by ex-decathaletes to test our critical and creative thinking skills. Everyone in each team had a speciality, with the tasks ranging from Engineering, Maths, Drama (called ‘Creative Producers’), Philosophy (called ‘Ideation’), English and Spelling, Art and Poetry – involving tasks that required teams to design an artwork that matched a poem they had limited time to write.

Special congratulations go to each of the St Pius teams in each of the three divisions, whose superb teamwork, pooled knowledge and creative-thinking skills resulted in Pius winning First Place in General Knowledge (Year 10-11), and Third Place in Ideation (Year 6 team).  This was a SUPERB effort, and we particularly congratulate “Team Cameron” which, under the amazing leadership of Cameron Fernandopulle, displayed such productive teamwork to secure their victory.

The overall theme of the Decathlon was “The Unexpected” and Year 7-8 division was “unexpectedly” given an additional impromptu challenge on the opening day of the Decathlon, which they won. It was an anti-chocolate slogan challenge, and Max Leo, the English expert of the team, inspired a zinger: “It’s nothing more than the sweet sensation of manipulation”.

Overall, the Competition was a fun and challenging experience that reinforced skills such as, teamwork, creativity and cooperation.

Thanks and congratulations to all teams, and their coaches – Mrs Spanyik, Mrs Waterson and Ms Raheb-Mol.

Junior Maths Drop-in Centre

The Junior Maths Drop-in Centre will run each Friday morning from 8:10 – 8:45am. Boys may choose to bring along their maths questions, problems or homework. Alternatively boys can simply attend and work on set tasks provided by the teacher.

All Junior School boys are welcome to attend, on a regular or occasional basis, as it operates from Week 2 of each term. Please meet Mrs Barrett outside the Junior School Learning Enrichment Room at 8:10am on Friday mornings. Parents are encouraged to motivate your sons to attend and make good use of this resource.

For any queries about Junior Maths Drop-in, please contact Mrs Barrett at BBarrett@stpiusx.nsw.edu.au.

After-school Study Program - 

Please note the After-school Study Program will not run on Wednesday 20th June

due to a Staff Meeting.

Maths Drop-in Centre

Ms J Raheb-Mol - Coordinator, Learning Support and Enrichment