Junior School News
- From the Head of the Junior School
- Junior School Sport
From the Head of the Junior School
FATHER’S DAY LITURGY AND SPORTS DAY
Full report next week, but here are some photos of the lovely day we had with our fathers and other special males in our lives.
SCIENCE WEEK
Students in the Junior School have enjoyed heading over to the Senior School Science labs to enjoy some fantastic activities over the last three days. Students had the opportunity to create an ecosystem in a jar, to analyse a sample collected by the SnotBot drone, to discover the differences in some common insects under the microscope, and to make a nest for injured birds.
Thank you to Mrs Iwatani for putting together a five-lesson program that will help our students to better understand the impact of hurtful words and racial slurs. Teachers will deliver these lessons over the next three weeks and students will get an opportunity to:
- discuss what racism looks like, sounds like and feels like
- clearly define the terms harassment and discrimination - particularly in relation to racism
- discuss, with a degree of understanding, the effects of racism on children and young people
- contribute to group research to present an anti-racism campaign within their community or school
- develop an action plan for preventing racially related bulling and harassment.
IPSHA ATHLETICS CARNIVAL
Congratulations to those students who represented St Pius X at the IPSHA Athletics Carnival yesterday. For results and more information, please see Mr Bourke’s Sport Report below.
CREATIVE QUILLS
The Creative Quills program has restarted for Term 3. Last week, we had a bit of fun using the Story Chain strategy. A story chain is a collaborative writing exercise where students work together to build a single story. It starts with one student creating the beginning of a story, and then each subsequent student adds their own twists and turns, extending the narrative. The result is a rich, multifaceted story that showcases the collective imagination and creativity of the group.
DATES FOR THE DIARY
- Friday 30 August | P&F Father's Day Mass and Breakfast
- Monday 2 September | St Pius X Feast Day holiday (Pupil- and Staff-free day)
- Wednesday 4 September | Winter Sports photos
- Friday 27 September | Year 5 Science Fair 1:30 pm – 2:30 pm | Term 3 concludes
Thank you for your continued support of the Junior School.
Mrs Jill Greenwood - Head of the Junior School
Junior School Sport
Thursday Sport: Sport trials #2 for basketball, touch football, cricket, softball and tennis all continue next week. Please remember to bring any additional gear you may require.
Father and Son Liturgy & Sports Day:
We wanted to extend our heartfelt thanks to all of you who attended and actively participated in our Father-Son Sports Day. Your enthusiasm and involvement made the event truly special, and it was wonderful to see so many smiles and great sportsmanship throughout the day.
We hope you enjoyed the activities as much as we did and that the memories made with your sons will be cherished for a long time. Thank you once again for your support and for helping to make the day such a success!
Athletics:
- Brothers Carnival
- Shore/Newington Carnival
Last Friday we took part in the Brothers Invitational at Riverview and Saturday the Shore/Newington Athletics Invitational at SOPAC. Despite having only just concluded their summer sport trials at Oxford Falls on Thursday, there were several strong performances across the age groups. There was plenty of competition in the middle-distance events and the St Pius X boys found conditions a little challenging. However, in the sprint events Pius excelled. Once again, our relay teams were competitive considering some slow changes. The final event on the Saturday we witnessed a thrilling finish for the 12’s relay team; to take first place by mere metres 58.5s. I thank the boys and their parents for attending both carnivals, and particularly thank Matt North (SPX Old Boy), Mr Caroll and Mr Montgomerie, for assisting at the events.
Athletics IPSHA Carnival
After several weeks of dedicated training, the day finally arrived. The recent IPSHA Athletics Carnival on Wednesday 28 August, was a fantastic day filled with outstanding performances on the track and across the field from our boys. The effort and determination displayed by each participant were truly commendable. A special thank you goes out to Matt North and Mr Carroll for their invaluable support and guidance throughout the event. We’re thrilled to announce that the names of the boys who have qualified for CIS will be shared next week. Well done to everyone involved!
Athletics training: A reminder that training continues this afternoon Thursday 29/8 and then again from Wednesday 4/9 for athletics squad members keen to continue to improve their athletic ability. There will be no Junior Athletic training on Monday 2/9 (Pius X Feast Day holiday). Students who qualify for CIS will continue to train but all squad members are welcome to maintain fitness levels.
NSWPSSA Football: This week Ryan Volpato and Ethan Suleman competed for CIS in the NSWPSSA 12yrs boys Football Championships in Tamworth. The CIS team were very competitive throughout the tournament. We are proud of Ryan and Ethan’s achievements. We look forward to witnessing their progress in the years to come in the blue and gold colours of SPX.
NSWPSSA Softball
Dominik Playle represented St Pius X at the NSWPSSA Championships in Penrith this week. This is a remarkable achievement, and we are incredibly proud of his dedication and hard work. Competing at this level is a testament to Dominik's commitment to his sport.
SPX Winter Sports Photos: Just a reminder that Winter Sport photos will be taken next Wednesday 4 September. Students involved in rugby, football, AFL and IPSHA athletics will need to bring their full kit on the day. I would also like the boys who attended the rugby tour to Armidale to bring along their special tour jerseys for a separate photo as well. We will also use this opportunity to retake photos from earlier in the year that were impacted by several students being absent (IPSHA reps, CIS reps, NSTA tennis, junior cricket).
IPSHA Code of Conduct: With the Summer Sport Season on the horizon (commencing on 19 October) I wanted to share once more with the Pius community the IPSHA Code of Conduct. We are very fortunate to have an incredibly supportive and hospitable sporting community and it is only through making a commitment to the code IPSHA publish, that our boys are able to engage in healthy play and competition free of unwanted distractions. Please take the time to read the attached Code of Conduct.
Mr James Bourke - Junior School Sport Coordinator
SPX Football Social Night, 14 September
The Football Social on 14 September is shaping-up as a fantastic night. Thank you so much to those that have contributed raffle and auction prizes.
Get ready for our guest speakers
Come and hear what it takes to make it as a professional footballer . . .
Robbie Slater made it to the dizzying heights of the English Premier League, playing for Blackburn, West Ham and Southampton as well as stints in Europe, Australia. His crowning glory was 44 caps for the Socceroos. Come and hear what it took to make the grade and perform at the highest levels of football.
Top flight striker and a pioneering Aussie in Europe, Dave Mitchell has played in the UK, Europe and Australia, with clubs like Rangers, Feyenoord and Chelsea. He was the first Australian to play in the Bundesliga and he also played 44 times for the Socceroos before moving into a career in coaching. Come and hear Dave's insights into what drove his success.
You need to get your tickets!
Why not gather a group of parents from your son's team or year group and make a night out of it. Click on the link below to secure your tickets to enjoy some great catering, guest speakers and a night of reflecting on the SPX Football season that was:
https://events.humanitix.com/st-pius-x-football-club-social-event
Looking forward to seeing you there!
SPX Football Supporters CommitteeSPX Football Supporters' Committee
Cricket - Registrations
A gentle reminder that all students interested in playing for the College need to be registered on Clipboard as well as PlayHQ. Please note that the registration process for MWJCA Cricket is due to close this Friday.
Please email RBalboa@stpiusx.nsw.edu.au should any questions or concerns arise.
Junior School – MWJCA Stage 2 Competitions: MWJCA Stage 2 - Registration Link
Senior School – MWJCA Stage 3 Competitions: MWJCA Stage 3 - Registration Link
Cricket School Holiday Camp
Mr Ryan Balboa - MWJCA Cricket Convenor