From the Head of the Junior School
Junior School Sport
From the Junior Resource Centre

From the Head of the Junior School

WOODCHAT – for busy readers who just want the essentials!

WOODCHATTA – for readers who want all the details and more!

SURF & SWIM PROGRAM

Last week, Junior School students had the opportunity to get active, learn new skills, and have loads of fun as part of their exciting Surf and Swim programs.

Year 5 students focused on building their confidence in the water, improving their strokes, and mastering important water safety skills. Whether they were perfecting their freestyle, diving to retrieve objects from the bottom, or just having a good splash around with friends, from floating to diving, the Year 5s really made a splash!

Meanwhile, Year 6 students were having an equally exciting time at the beach, learning essential surf skills. Not only did they develop physical skills, but they also learned about ocean safety and respecting the environment around them.

A huge thank you to all the instructors and staff who made these experiences so memorable.

JUNIOR SCHOOL ACADEMIC AND SPORTS AWARDS CEREMONY

PLD RETURN – FRIDAY 29 NOVEMBER

On Friday 29 November, Year 6 students will return their PLD (laptops) to the ICT Department. Keep an eye out for an email from the ICT Department with details on how you can purchase your son’s laptop, if you wish.

YEAR 6 GRADUATION LITURGY AND AFTERNOON TEA

Please register your attendance – and upload a Kindy photo – via this form: https://forms.gle/QshjVAMqE7TRGoCGA

Thank you for your continued support of the Junior School.

Mrs Jill Greenwood - Head of the Junior School

Junior School Sport

Fixtures

St Patrick’s College Invitational Swim Carnival

Last Friday evening, the Ryde Aquatic Centre came alive with energy as St Pius X swimmers participated in the St Patrick’s College Invitational Swim Carnival. Competing alongside top swimmers from across Sydney, in what was a high level of competition.

Special recognition goes to our Junior School athletes who attended with the senior team and competed with determination, representing the St Pius X community with pride. Congratulations to Dominik Playle, Ethan Leong, Liam Gallery, Kye Ausling, and Brandon Abram. Each of these young men swam as part of the Junior Division, contributing to a collective effort that reflects the dedication and resilience our athletes bring to the pool, ultimately winning the Junior Shield.

The evening provided valuable racing experience, and the students showcased impressive technique and speed across multiple events. Well done to all our swimmers who took part and thank you to the families who went to support them. We look forward to seeing this momentum carry forward into future events!

Thursday Sport: Our swim/surf program continued this week during Thursday Sport. Hopefully your son came home last week not only having learnt various aspects of swim stroke development, but also with an appreciation of how to handle a board in the surf.

A reminder of some key details:

Students are to arrive at school with their swimmers/speedos already on (underneath their PE uniform); it is preferable that time is not spent having to get changed at either venue. After their session, they can dry off as best as possible and put their PE shorts back on over their swimmers for the journey home.
Hats are compulsory and sunscreen will also be provided by the College.
In a small bag, students can also bring their towel, water and lunch, as no food will be purchased at either venue.
It is recommended that all students wear skins or speedos, as boardshorts can make it difficult to swim
Year 5 students will also need goggles and a rashie (compulsory)
Year 6 students will be provided with a rashie, but are welcome to bring their own

Students will be bussed back to school for dismissal at normal time or alternatively, may be collected from the pool/beach by 2:10 pm. Any students not collected will return to school on the bus. Parents will need to contact their son’s teacher prior to the day to make the appropriate arrangements. For further details on each program, please refer to the letter distributed earlier this month.

The Armidale School Rugby Carnival (Year 6 Rugby 2025):

Save the date – 12 and 13 April 2025. More details to come…

Sport Awards:

A reminder that we celebrate a mammoth year of sport in the Junior School on 27 November. It is sure to be a joyous occasion where the junior school community can acknowledge the efforts of all and applaud those who will be recognised across a variety of sport and co-curricular activities.

Results from IPSHA Round 9

SPX Junior Basketball

Saturday's games against Scots presented a challenging round for St Pius X, with many teams facing tough results. However, the students showed great resilience throughout, despite the setbacks. A big highlight for me was the positive response from the players, with strong numbers at training and a clear commitment to improving.

It’s clear the hard work in training is paying off as the students continue to show determination and a strong work ethic. A special mention to our H team for a hard-fought 19-17 win, and Blue 1 for an exciting 20-20 draw. Congratulations to all players for their continued commitment, and we look forward to seeing more progress as the season unfolds!

SPX Junior Softball

Saturday’s softball matches saw both of our St Pius X teams face off against tough opposition from St Patrick’s. While the results weren’t in our favour, there were plenty of positive takeaways that showcase the resilience and spirit of our players.

This is the first time St Pius X has fielded two teams in the Junior School, and this is a significant milestone for our softball program. We are incredibly proud of how the boys have stepped up to the challenge, and with further training and development, we look forward to seeing their continued growth both individually and as a team.

A big thank you to all the parents for their unwavering support throughout the day. Your encouragement makes all the difference, not only to the players on the field but also in building a strong, positive culture for our teams. Let’s continue to support our players as they channel the lessons from these matches into their growth for the future. The road to improvement may have its ups and downs, but with hard work and a positive attitude, we’ll continue to see progress. Thank you for being a part of this journey with us!

Miss Lana Shaba and Mrs Jennifer Williams - Softball coaches

SPX Junior Touch Football

This past Saturday's touch football matches presented a mix of results for our St Pius X teams, but the performances were full of lessons and growth. All four matches were played at our Oxford Falls campus, and it was fantastic to see our players taking full advantage of the amazingly prepared fields.

The A1 team faced a tough challenge against St Patrick’s, with a final score of 2-5. While the result may not have been in their favour, it was a great opportunity to focus on skill development and maintaining composure under pressure. As we continue to play against high-level opposition, the ability to adapt and respond to the game is invaluable. The A2 team, on the other hand, showed real determination and team cohesion, securing an impressive 11-2 win against St Aloysius'. Their strong passing and quick movement off the ball were key factors in this success, and it’s exciting to see the team building such a solid foundation.

The B1 team had a difficult game against St Patrick’s, losing 1-9, but it’s important to remember that every challenge is an opportunity to improve. As a squad we’ll focus on refining our approach to execution in training. Meanwhile, the B2 team pulled off a well-earned victory, defeating St Aloysius’ 11-6. This result demonstrated great teamwork and the effectiveness of focusing on fundamentals – a reminder that when we focus on the basics, the rewards follow.

As always, the key takeaway is not in the results but in the growth each game brings. Keep up the hard work, and let’s continue to build on the positives from each match. The road ahead is one of constant improvement, and we are excited to see our players take on each challenge with energy and enthusiasm.

Mr Buda and Mr Montgomerie - Touch Football coaches

District Cricket Reports

SPX U12 Blue

The students were up against an undefeated team on the weekend. SPX had a strong start in the field with 3 early wickets however the opposition were loving the SPX fast outfield. Great bowling from Zac (3 wickets) and Samuel and Daniel Thompson both with 2 wickets each. Jacob and Daniel set-up a good opening partnership (Jacob made a fast 18), however SPX could not chase down the 190 total. Despite the loss, the students are loving their cricket!

Therese Tully - Cricket Manager

SPX U13s

St Pius X batted first in our fixture against St Augustine’s. All batsmen contributed well with the bat and we posted a formidable 5/160 on a heavy outfield in our allotted 30 overs. We bowled St Augustine's out for 84 winning the match by 76 runs. Oscar Haigh took the last two wickets off consecutive balls leaving him with the first ball of next match to take a hat-trick!

Well done to the students on a vastly improved batting and fielding effort.

Man of the match went to Oliver Ward for a solid effort with the bat finishing not out (alongside 3 other players) and a tight, economical spell of bowling.

Thank you to manager Andrew Spillane and parent/scorer Simon Moskvin for navigating a tricky day on the PlayHQ scoring app.

Andrew Ward - Cricket Coach

Swimming Squad Training – Term 4, 2024:

Training continues this week, here are the details:

7:10 am at Fitness First, Chatswood (24 Endeavour St, Chatswood)
Suitable swimwear, goggles and swim cap are all essential (no cap, no swim)
Students wear PE/ Pius Sports Uniform to the sessions. At 8.15 am the students are walked back to school by staff. They then change into school uniform. A snack/breakfast is also recommended at this point.
Training days/dates:

Mr James Bourke - Junior School Sport Coordinator

Summer Tennis

Another great day of tennis was held at Talus St and lots of great matches were played. Jason Bau and Massimo Musumeci SPX 23 were in excellent form for their singles matches both winning 6-4 and 6-3 respectively. Ethan Heng SPX 19 also played an excellent singles match against Reddam 7 winning 6-3. Micah Chan and Ryan Littler SPX 17 blitzed their match against SPX 18 winning all 3 sets.

There were 6 Pius v Pius matches this weekend in the 10:00 am timeslot and this is always one of my favourite weekends to watch tennis. The camaraderie on the court is amazing and the banter is always worth eavesdropping in on. Sebastian Dal Molin, Marcus Ulevik and Isaac Cheng SPX 14 played some excellent shots and rallies to win all sets. Nicholas Kwan SPX 7 showed how much his tennis skills have really come along winning his singles 6-0. Justin Lee and Lucas Willems make a great doubles team, this was proven last weekend when they won their doubles, 6-3.

GREEN BALL

After a washout last weekend, these boys were back and ready to play this weekend. Nicholas Keung and Javien Foo displayed their skills, winning 18 games to 8. Tom Shoudra and Harry Wortley have also shown that they are a pretty formidable team also winning 18 games to secure a victory for their team. Patrick Buono, Isaac Fernandez and Will Graham were also in fine form winning all 3 sets.

REMINDERS

Finally, a reminder to all players that it is important to make sure that you arrive to start your game at least 15 minutes before the start of play. This is to ensure that you have had a sufficient warm up and that you have a chance to correctly fill out the scoresheet with your first and last names.

Mrs Samantha Iwatani - Summer Tennis Convenor

From the Junior Resource Centre

Highlights: Remembrance Day 2024, Lest We Forget.

World Kindness Day – November 13

Kindness! We need kindness every day and understanding kindness starts when young! Here is where chldren’s books come in. Reading with our chldren at home, in schools and in libraries, complex subjects like kindness lie just beneath the surface, waiting to pop up into discussion.

Ruth Nitschke, created a bibliography of books featuring kindness and empathy. Here's a link to that bibliography of almost 50 Australian books for young people. https://www.ncacl.org.au/.../Kindness-and-Empathy

The bibliography also includes links to NCACL’s databases and resources featuring Cultural Diversity, Aboriginal and or Torres Strait Islander Peoples, Picture Books for Older Readers (Grade 5-secondary) and Verse Novels. Pictured is one of my favourite verse novel – The Kindness Project by Deborah Abela Enjoy!

New Books in the JRC

November new books. Some great graphic novels amongs the new purchase. Thank you to Mrs Nunes for the wonderful book recommendation – The 113th Assistant Librarian by Stuart Wilson. Guess what I will be reading ?

Mrs Martin’s Book Trail: Dog Town by Katherine Applegate

“Most robot dogs had their instructions built into the circuitry. But Metal Head was old school. He came with a manual.”

A beautiful novel on both the New York Times and Indie Best Seller lists.

I can’t wait for you to read it. A thumbs up from Teddy as well.

#mrsmartinsbooktrail2024

Mrs Elena Martin – Teacher Librarian

Careers