St Pius X College Newsletter

Department News

Year 11 - First lesson in the new Drama Room

  • Library
  • Performing Arts
  • Public Speaking & Debating
  • Visual Arts

Library

Welcome to 2017!

The library is eager to help students settle into the new academic year. It is a vibrant, flexible and welcoming resource-rich space open from 7.30 am till 4.30 pm.  We offer a range of services to students support their studies:

  • Quiet spaces for individual study and reading
  • Meeting spaces for group work
  • A collection that supports curriculum studies including books, journals and a range of eResources
  • 24/7 access Library resources including ebooks and a website (spx.libguides.nsw.edu.au) to support research assignments via the Portal
  • HSC study guides
  • Photocopy, scanning and help with printing

Teacher librarians, in collaboration with teachers, develop research skills and information literacy for assignments. We are keen for classes to come to the library to further assist this work.  

As well, research shows that recreational reading improves individual literacy outcomes. So, supporting adolescent book reading is one of our key goals. We encourage students to read in a number of ways:

  • Together with our English teachers students in years 7 to 10, we have one lesson per cycle in the library. The focus of the class is sustained silent reading.
  • We have an extensive collection of recreational reading including the latest YA and Manga titles.
  • We promote literature with enticing displays, read alouds, genre studies, book reviews and author visits.
  • We have reading challenges - all students from years 5 to 9 are enrolled in the Premier’s Reading Challenge and the Edmund Rice Readers’ Cup for Year 10 students.
  • We also have the book and writing clubs.

Students' book suggestions are valued - this helps us develop our collection with a title for every taste! We welcome suggestions on improving our services to meet the needs of every person in our learning community.

 

Ms K Keighery - Teacher Librarian

KKeighery@stpiusx.nsw.edu

Performing Arts

Welcome back to all students and parents. The Performing Arts Staff, Ensemble Directors and Instrumental Tutors look forward to working with you this year. We particularly welcome back Ms Natalie Rawle from maternity leave. Ms Rawle is part-time this year, working Tuesday – Thursday.

 

PERFORMING ARTS ORIENTATION NIGHT AND PAPA MEETING

These meetings are on TONIGHT in the Band Room. Parking is available in the Junior School yard. The Orientation Night commences at 6pm and is an opportunity for parents who are new to the College (as well as current) to learn more about our extensive Music and Drama Co-curricular program. The PAPA (Performing Arts Parents Association) meeting commences at 7pm with light refreshments. Parents who attend the Orientation are encouraged to stay for this meeting to make new friends and learn how this group supports performing arts at the College- both academic and co-curricular.

 

INSTRUMENTAL TUITION

Boys Who Would Like To Learn An Instrument: Students who would like to learn an instrument, voice or music production, should pick up a form from the Student Administration Office. The form should be filled in and returned to Ms Bates in the Performing Arts Department as soon as possible. Please be aware that for some instruments there are only limited places available. Consequently, students will be allocated to tutors on a first come, first serve basis and then placed on waiting lists.

New Students- Instrumental Tuition: All boys new to the College who requested to learn an instrument have been placed with a tutor. The tutor has been given your details and should be in touch shortly. If you have not heard from a tutor by the end of THIS week, please see Ms Bates in the Performing Arts Staffroom.

Continuing Students- Instrumental Tuition: Unless you requested a change of tutor you have been placed with the same person you had in 2016. Your tutor should be in touch shortly. If you have not heard from your tutor by the end of THIS  week, please see Ms Bates.

 

ENSEMBLES

A full list of Ensembles and rehearsal times can be found below. With the exception of the College Orchestra (who commence rehearsals this Friday at 7.30am), all other ensembles commence NEXT WEEK. Parents of new students who expressed an interest in and/or auditioned for an ensemble and parents of continuing students, were emailed in December last year advising of placements. Currently our Concert and Jazz Bands are at full capacity and there are no further positions available. There are limited vacancies in the Junior Guitar and Digital Music Ensembles. There are also vacancies in in the Junior Choir (Years 5 and 6). If your son is interested in these groups, please contact Ms Bates at TBates@stpiusx.nsw.edu.au for further information.

ENSEMBLE REHEARSAL TIMES 2017.pdf

ONSTAGE

Year 12 Drama students will be attending this evening performance next Saturday 4th February. A  permission note has been sent home with all the details.

 

AMEB RESULTS

Congratulations to Henrik Hogg (Year 6) who passed his first grade Double Bass examination with honours at the end of last year. Well done Henrik!

 

Ms T Bates - Performing Arts Coordinator

Public Speaking & Debating

CSDA Public Speaking Competition

Training for the CSDA Public Speaking Competition Round 1 will commence in Week 3 this term.  Watch Daily Notices for details.  The competition runs on Friday 3rd March and Friday 10th March.

Students from year 7 to year 12 participate in this event . The venues are still to be determined but training will commence in Week 3Everyone is welcome!  You don’t have to be familiar with public speaking, nor even confident with public speaking to participate.  We have time to train and build our confidence before the Round 1 event.

 

Debating Competitions

St Pius X competes in three debating competitions:  the Catholic Schools’ Debating Association (CSDA) Competition http://www.csda.nsw.edu.au/, and the Schools Debating Network (SDN) Competition http://www.sdndebating.com.au/  and the Macquarie Schools’ Cup Debating Competition. Enrolment forms will be available for students on Wednesday, 1st February and can be collected from the front office and then returned to the verandah notices box marked “Public Speaking and Debating”.  More details about the two debating competitions dates and structure as well as training times will follow in Week 2 Woodchatta.

 

St Pius X also competes in the Legacy Junior Public Speaking Competition and the

Plain English Speaking Competition and details will follow.

 

Ms M Waterson - Convenor

Visual Arts

During the holidays three Year 11 students took part in the Young Creators Program held by Willoughby Council. Patrick Howe, Alexander McLarty and Andrew Jackson can be congratulated for their curatorial skills. From meeting the artist they had to build a theme, select and display works which would work thematically and visually with works chosen by Mercy College students from another artist.

 

The exhibition, “Exploring Identity: Ned, Koala and Me” featuring works by Rosie Deacon and Liam Benson, is on at The Concourse Art Space until 11th February.

 

Mr M Anderson - Visual Arts Coordinator