Pastoral Care 

• Ceroc Dance Workshop
• World Cup Morning
• Buddies Beachwalk
• STEM Award, Kokoda Track Research

Year 9 Brigidine and St Pius X College Ceroc Dance Workshop

Last Friday was a great day in the pastoral journey of our Year 9 students, beginning with the nervous energy of learning new dance skills and making social connections and culminating in a high energy and well supported dance-off. Ceroc Dancing, student voice and agency were the real winners! Thanks to our facilitator Ms Julie Gunns who helped us host Brigidine College St Ives in great spirit to our Treacy Centre Oxford Falls' Christian Brothers Courts. 

A spokesman team including Lachie Staber, Jet Stump, Julian Johnson, Rob Oner and Flynn Pavely welcomed our guests with an Acknowledgement of Country, Prayer and statement of appreciation for the work of our Maintenance Team Mr Willoughby and Mr Noort for the preparation of our outstanding facilities. 

Congratulations to Caighleigh and Charlie who were our dance champions, and to Chloe with whom we celebrated her recent selection in the National Water Polo squad! Moreover we congratulate all students on the way in which they listened to others, learned and interacted positively throughout a most enjoyable event and day.

The order of merit of Ceroc Dance, as judged by our independent panel of adjudicators including Ms Gunns included: 

5th place - Justin Kup-Ferroth

4th place - John Badger-Rahme 

3rd place - Julian Johnson 

2nd place - Nelson Elliot and

1st place - Charlie Woolf 

Thank you also to the Brigidine staff Ms Kuiper, Mr Loughland, Mrs Ledlin, Mr Gleeson and Mr Clifton, and the St Pius Staff: Mr Kovacic, Ms Barwick, Ms Lee and Mr Perry who facilitated a great day of learning for our Year 9 students in keeping with their Year Pastoral Care Theme: Respectful Men of Honour.

World Cup Morning

Congratulations to Mr Mario Phasie and Mrs Kara Manga of our Languages Department who organised a great gala kickoff to the Socceroos World Cup campaign with a viewing of the France/Australia game, along with a breakfast this morning in the gym. It was a great celebration which received media coverage on ABC radio and was well supported by our students and staff including Mr Matt Stearn, Mr Fernando Mendez, Mr Paul Cummins, Mr Kiaran O’Byrne and with a big shout out to our Maintenance team Mr Darbin, Mr Munday and Mr Williams who set up this event, as they have so many initiatives in the last week including Last Friday’s Twilight Concert, Year 9 Ceroc Dance Workshop, and Founder's Day Festival this week.

Peer Mentoring Buddies Beachwalk

This Friday after Founder's Day our Peer Mentoring Program celebrates its Buddies Beachwalk, departing Oxford Falls on the first bus to travel to Long Reef before walking the length of Dee Why Beach for a swim and games between the flags or pool and in front of Dee Why SLSC (conditions dependent). Thank you to those Year 11 Peer Mentees who support this initiative for our younger students and the program. Please see Mr Brannan, Mr Russo, Mr Ticli, Ms Fileman or Mr Stollery for a permission form. The activity will conclude at Dee Why SLSC at 5.00 pm (parents may pick up there at or prior to 5.00 pm), for a 5.30 pm return to Chatswood.

STEM Award, Kokoda Track research and Remembrance Day links to our RAP

At Monday's Assembly we were joined by a special guest Royal Australian Navy Communications Technology Specialist Warrant Officer Stuart Taylor who presented Ben Woollard of Year 11 with his Future innovators STEM Award.

In Warrant Officer Taylor's presence we also recognised the work of our Year 5 students who contributed to the Chatswood RSL Garden of Remembrance Ceremony after researching the Service of some ex servicemen linked to St Pius X College:

Rory Rapa researched the story of Lieutenant Colonel Ralph Honner WX15 MC, DSO who is widely regarded as the hero of the Kokoda Track through his leadership of the 39th Militia Battalion at the battle of Isurava and subsequently at Gona beachhead where he famously reported Gona’s gone! Ralph's son John Honner visited the College before our 2016 Kokoda Expedition. Below are the 39th Colours made famous in the mud of the Kokoda Track! 

Rory’s research and speech drew incredibly positive acclaim as the Occasional Address at the Remembrance Day Ceremony before Mrs Tanya Taylor, Mayor of Willoughby and local State MP, Mr Tim James.

39th Battalion Mud Over Blood

Jack Munro researched and produced a speech on “First Day” Old Boy of the College Jacob de Sisto who was killed in action on 18 December 1944 on Bouagainville. Jacob’s surviving sister Maria Barrett was moved with emotion when she was a guest to Year 5 Classrooms after our College’s Remembrance Day Assembly and listened to Jack’s speech.

Jacob’s 2/9th Battalion was a Queensland Battalion who he joined as a reinforcement after their exploits at the siege of Tobruk!

Charlie Munro researched the story of Sgt Bede Tongs who won the Military Medal on the Kokoda Track at Eora Creek Templeton’s Crossing. Bede was involved in the Men from Snowy River March and joined the 3rd Milita Bn and later 2/3rd AIF Bn. He visited the College in 2014 before our first Kokoda Expedition.

3rd Battalion

The three students above were joined by Prefect Xander Buckingham and fellow Year 5 student Harry Surplice who laid the wreath at the Remembrance Day Ceremony.

On December 13 and 14, when our students deliver the Year 7 Giving Tree gifts to St Mary's Bowraville community our RAP student team of Pat Frost, Dominic Mitchell, Ben Hillsdon, Sam Ferguson, Sean O’Donnell, Lucas Gleeson, Matari Webster, Brayzen Sargeant, Charlie O’Donnell, Brad Newman and Zac Rapa will continue our research of the Kokoda Track visiting the tiny Bowraville Museum commemorating two boys of Greek descent who were killed in Action at Eora Creek on the Kokoda Track in August 1942.

Our Year 5 students attended the Kokoda Track Memorial Walkway in Week 5 and walked the memorial, listened and learned from 99 year old World War II veteran Reg Chard. Reg Chard was seconded by Maj Gen Tubby Allen from the 53/55th Militia Bn after the Battle of Milne Bay to join and serve with the 2/33rd Bn in their arduous advance over the Kokoda Track to the Northern Beaches Battlefields of Gona, Buna and Sananda. In respect of our Kokoda Track Expeditions and rich learning supported by Old Boy Bill James (Class of 68) the 2/33rd Bn have shared their motto and Griffin logo with the College’s Cricket program. Our best and Fairest Cricketer is Awarded the “Strike Hard” Award each season.

Lest we forget

Fide et Labore

Mr Sean Brannan - Assistant Principal, Mission and Identity