Department News

History Department

A year’s work was distilled into just a few minutes by each of the seven HSC Extension History students when they presented their major projects in the library at lunchtime on Friday. The boys, Tom Graziotto, Billy Moran, Josiah Lising, Nick Parker, James Langford, Matthew Fragiacomo and John Davie talked about the challenges that faced them and what they had learned from the hours of work that produced these stimulating and interesting works that ranged from the Brandenburg Gate to Holocaust denial to turning points in history.

Thank you to the boys who all presented their work in an engaging manner. Thanks to their teacher Ms Gripton who has guided her students along their Extension History journey with such skill and patience; to Ms Keighery for hosting this event as part of NSW History Week and to the staff and students who supported these young historians by providing an audience for these presentations. All left the library with much to ponder about the significance and nature of history from these impressive students.

Mr P Rodgers - History Coordinator

Commerce

MARKET DAY

Another great and successful Market Day at St Pius X College.  Market Day Number 2 held last Wednesday was bigger and better than the previous Market Day. With a number of different food stalls and treats on offer, the College was abuzz with fete festivities.

With the help of forward planning and strategies already put in place before the day, Year 9 Commerce students can stand proud on their great success. Students have learnt many skills from the practical experience of running their own business including, working as a team, negotiating with suppliers, preparing and cooking food, writing business plans and coping with deadlines, being WHS conscious, stress, resilience, accounting as well as dealing with customer service and finance. What is now left to do is for the students to write their Company Reports and submit their Company Books to the Regulatory Bodies.

Congratulations must go to all Year 9 Commerce students for their great efforts leading to and on the day itself.

Thank you to the whole St Pius X College community for your support and encouragement. We are grateful to all the parents, brothers and grandparents that may have assisted in some way to your son’s, brother’s or grandson’s business. Thank you to Ms Dempsey, Mr Spies, Mr Yue and Mr Quilty for their direction and guidance of the students running their businesses. This year the boys raised a sizeable donation for St Mary’s Primary School, Bowraville. Well done!

Ms Melissa Colefax  -  Year 9 Commerce Teacher

Performing Arts Department

PERFORMANCES

Congratulations and thank you to the Senior Jazz Band and their Ensemble Director Mr Geoff Power for their contribution to the Winter Colour Awards Ceremony on Thursday and to the Senior Choir for their rousing rendition of “We Will Rock You", "Crazy Little Thing Called Love" and "We Are the Champions” on Friday’s RUOK Day Assembly.

YEAR 10 MUSIC PERFORMANCE NIGHT

Students of the Year 10 Elective Music Class will present their final performance assessments for the year TONIGHT from 5.30pm in the Band Room. Parents, friends and other members of the College community are warmly invited to attend.

HSC EXAMINATIONS

Best wishes to Stewart Ross and Ben Sheehy who will sit their HSC Music 2 and Music Extension Performance Examinations tomorrow. There will be no access to the Band Room between 8.15am – 11.30am. Mr Cummins will teach in the Digital Music Studio and Mr Talati in Music Practice Room 1 (near the Art Rooms). All students who have instrumental tuition need to ensure they collect their instrument before 8.15am and keep it with them until lunchtime.

SENIOR CONCERT BAND

A reminder that tomorrow’s rehearsal starts at 7.00am (due to the HSC) and that you will also be rehearsing NEXT Monday (due to set-up for the Year 12 Internal Graduation on Thursday) at 7.30am.

PERFORMING ARTS FESTIVAL

The Performing Arts Festival takes in Week 2 of Term 4. The schedule is as follows:

• Monday 17 October:         Strings and Voice: Talati S and Richardson:      BMR
• Monday 17 October:          Woodwind: Andrews and Dollin:                           Gym
• Tuesday 18 October:          Percussion: Lewandowski and Talati I:              BMR
• Tuesday 18 October:          Brass: Power, Sismey, Blunt, Talati S:                 Gym
• Wednesday 19 October:   Music Production: Cummins:                                 BMR
• Thursday 20 October:       Piano: Gan, Waddington:                                          BMR
• Thursday 20 October:       Guitar: Cranney, Cummins, Talati S:                    Gym
• Friday 21 October:             Theatre Sports: Fernando:                             Sarto Centre

All students who undertake instrumental/vocal tuition at the College are required to perform. Students who have lessons outside the College are also welcome to participate and should give their performance information to Ms Bates before the end of term. No entries will be taken at the start of Term 4. Each night commences at 5.30pm

Splinters, Splashes, Stage & Sounds

Please click on the link left to see some of the Year 12 works showcased in last weeks' Splinters, Splashes, Stage & Sounds.