Pastoral Care

From the Assistant Principal Pastoral Care

• Speechcraft Course
• Year 9 Ceroc Dance Workshop
• Years 7 – 9 Leadership Forum
• Mindmatters Peer Mentors Kayaking Afternoon
• Buddies not Bullies MindMatters Peer Mentors and Mentees Beachwalk Friday 23 November
• Kokoda 2020
• College Counselling Team
• Boxercise

Speechcraft Course

After four sessions beginning in the September Holidays our Student Leadership Team celebrated the culmination of their Speechcraft Presentations Course with a dinner speaking event at Chatswood RSL last Wednesday night. College Vice Captains Nick McLachan and Luke Forwood MC’d the event with great panache, even juggling the run sheet to ensure all our student leaders had ample opportunity to develop their microphone speaking technique. The event was enhanced by Mercy College Captain and Student Leader Sarah Brannan and Hannah Nolan.

It was an entertaining evening and I thank Jeff Clark, President of the SPX Old Boys Association, who has sponsored this event since 2015; Mr Mark Casey, College Deputy Principal;  Ms Valerie Close, Speechcraft Principal; Ms Gemma McDermott, Wellbeing Director of Mercy College; and the parents of our student leaders who provided a willing audience on the evening.

Best wishes were passed on to the group by our 2018 student leaders via the following communique:

“As elected leaders of the school community you have each been identified by the school and your peers as having leadership skills and hopefully some skills in public speaking. This speechcraft course has provided you with an opportunity to develop your skills and to help you make the most of your 12 months' leadership role. Being able to speak in front of the College students and keeping the audience engaged and interested is a core challenge for you leaders and something this course will provide. You will find yourself remembering the points and skills you have been taught and will refine them over the years to come. The 2018 cohort extend a wish of good luck to their successors with their tenure of leadership of the College”

Student Leadership Team 2018

per Nikita Papastamatis

Year 9 Ceroc Dance Workshop

Our Year 9 students combined with their Year 9 counterparts from Brigidine College St Ives today to develop and demonstrate the movement, coordination and social skills entailed in this activity.  Brigidine College staff and students have been highly impressed with the conduct and presentation of our students and Oxford Falls Campus since this initiative began with Angus Growden (Class of 2018) taking out the Best and Fairest Ceroc Dancer in 2015, and we know our current Year 9 Students will rise to the challenge similarly.

They were led by a student team including Adam Carpenter, Riley Kennedy, Ben Marino, Ash Johnson,  James Baldock, Liam Chang, Lachlan Onslow, Matthew Brannan and Callum Fitzgibbon.  Photos will follow next week!

Year 7 – 9 Leadership Forum

Unfortunately the Years 7-9 Leadership Forum has had to be postponed from next Monday 26 November due to the high demand on College resources. It seems that while the number of days to the end of the 2018 calendar year grows shorter the number of student activities including rich learning experiences such as Founder's Day, Immersions and Australian Business Week grows exponentially. We look forward to rescheduling opportunities for the development of our student leadership program in Week 8 and in 2019.

The recent representation of our Junior Class Captains and House Vice Captains at Remembrance Day Commemorations was outstanding. I mention in particular Noah Joynson whose Grandad served on Bougainville, and Jack Fairbanks whose Great Great Uncle was killed In action at Gallipoli in May 1915.

Mindmatters Peer Mentors Kayaking Afternoon

The Mentors and Mentees had a great time last Friday afternoon kayaking from Northbridge Scouts Boatshed as they worked in groups to navigate from Northbridge Baths to Castlecrag Bay. Thanks to Mr Ed Coates and Mr Michael Rohanna, past parents of the College, and to Mr Russo, Mr Brannan and Mr Stollery for leading the event.

Buddies not Bullies MindMatters Peer Mentors and Mentees Beachwalk Friday 23 November

A final reminder to register with Mr Russo for our Buddies not Bullies beachwalk immediately following Founder's Day this Friday. We go by bus to Long Reef Headland then walk to Dee Why Beach for a swim before returning to Chatswood around 6.00pm.  All students and their buddies welcome.

Kokoda 2020

In advance preparations for our next St Pius X College Kokoda Expedition I had the great privilege last Friday to interview a Kokoda veteran of the 2/25 Battalion, Lt Jim McCartney. Jim was born in 1920 in Egypt after his father, an Australian WWI Light Horseman, married his Italian mother. He moved to Brisbane in 1931 but returned to fight the Vichy French in Syria and Lebanon in 1940 with the 7th Division AIF.

When we walk the Track in 2020 we will visit the battle sites of Ioribaiwa Ridge, Gorari and Gona which Jim remembers vividly.  As a Manly Freshwater Catholic Parishioner, Jim has the walking stick of another friend of our College Lt Colonel Ralph Honner, whose son John Honner is on the EREA Board. Jim remembers being relieved by Ralph’s famous 39th Bn at the battle of Gona.  At the spritely age of 98 Jim lives in his own Manly unit and recalls the positive times he had in WWII, and the lessons it taught him in life. He has a great sense of humility and humour and is a great advocate for looking on the bright side.  As another Kokoda veteran who visited our College in 2014, Capt Bede Tongs MM said, “There is strength in a smile”.

Lest we forget.

College Counselling Team

Term 4 Counselling:

Mr Russo:            Tuesday - Friday in Week 1

                                  Tuesday - Thursday in Week 2

Ms Gill:                  Monday, Tuesday, Friday each week

Ms McCarthy:    Wednesday, Thursday  in Week 1

                                  Wednesday, Thursday, Friday in Week 2

Boxercise

A reminder that Boxercise is held every Thursday and Friday morning at 7.30am in the Junior School playground.  This MindMatters initiative provides friendship, fun and fitness to strengthen students’ resilience and general sense of wellbeing.  Classes are free to all students.

Fide et Labore

Mr Sean Brannan - Assistant Principal Pastoral Care