Pastoral Care

International Women's Day 2026 - Give to Gain
Year 10 NSW School Vaccination Program
Year 12 'You Choose' Incursion
Year 10 'Smashed' Incursion
Parent webinars

International Women's Day 2026 - Give to Gain

This week we celebrated International Women’s Day (8 March), embracing the 2026 theme, 'Give to Gain.' At St Pius X, this year’s focus invited our students to reflect on how giving support, respect, opportunity, and advocacy for women leads to a stronger, fairer community for all.

International Women’s Day is an opportunity to honour the achievements and contributions of women across every field of life. In schools, it is a time to educate students about gender equity, inspire them through the stories of influential women past and present, and promote the importance of respect, fairness and empowerment. The message of Give to Gain reminds us that when we invest in equality, encouragement and inclusion, everyone benefits. By giving recognition, opportunity and support, we gain progress, unity and shared success.

Morning Assembly – Q&A with Mercy College Student Leaders

We began our celebrations at Wednesday morning’s assembly with a dynamic and engaging Q&A session featuring the student leaders from Mercy College.

In an interview-style format, our students had the opportunity to hear directly from these young women about leadership, resilience, and the importance of lifting others up.

The session was insightful and inspiring, modelling authentic student leadership and reinforcing the idea that positive change begins with everyday actions.

Following the assembly, students moved into their Year groups to explore inspiring stories and examine the achievements and challenges faced by women in society. Discussions led by our Junior SRC teams, centred on how we can actively give support, solidarity and opportunity in order to gain a more inclusive future.

Some students were invited to write letters to women in their lives whom they admire - mothers, grandmothers, teachers, mentors and friends - expressing gratitude and recognising their influence. This simple act reflected the heart of this year’s theme: when we give appreciation, we strengthen relationships and community.

Our Year 9 cohort was very privileged to hear from Snr Constable Nick Consadine who presented on respectful relationships. Our Year 10 cohort also gained valuable insights from Daniel Principe, a well know champion of positive masculinity who call boys to a higher purpose and challenges toxic stereotypes and influences in the media and on social media.

A sincere thanks goes out to the School Captains/Prefects and Student Leadership Teams, the committee involved in the organisation of this important day, Mr Quilty, Ms Dempsey, Ms Robertson, Ms Sorby, Mrs Fileman, Ms Barrett, Mr Munday and the maintenance team and Mrs Arena and the catering team. We also thank the staff and students of Mercy Catholic College for kindly giving of their time and expertise. Your dedication exemplifies the spirit of Give to Gain.

Our hope is that one day, observances such as these will no longer be necessary - that we will live in a world where inequity and disrespect are the exception. Until then, we continue to give our effort, our advocacy and our commitment to equality, knowing that in doing so, we gain a stronger, fairer and more united community - unity in our diversity.

Mr Paul Ticli - Wellbeing Coordinator

Year 10 NSW School Vaccination Program

NSW Health will offer vaccinations to all Year 10 students on Wednesday 18 March 2026

Year 10 – Meningococcal ACWY

Also Year 11 – Meningococcal ACWY (if not already vaccinated in Year 10)

Year 8 – HPV and dTpa (those who missed it in Year 7)

To have your child vaccinated at school, you need to give your permission (consent) either online or by filling out and returning the paper consent form.

To do

Read the school vaccination program information. Translations are available. Please refer to the NSW Health webpage
https://www.health.nsw.gov.au/immunisation/Pages/school_vaccination_language.aspx
Sign the consent form – you can do this online or on a paper consent form.
If completing the paper consent form, return this form back to school as soon as you can.
Talk to your child about getting vaccinated. Information for students
To give consent online visit https://engage.health.nsw.gov.au/engage or scan the QR code below
If your child already has their Year 7 vaccination consent in the online system you need to tick 'Provide another consent' to access the consent form for the Year 10 vaccine. Link for detailed instructions below.

You will need:

Medicare card details for you and your child
Name of secondary school your child attends in Year 7 or Year 10
Your Service NSW login details (this is the same account you might use to renew your driver’s licence)
If you don’t have a Service NSW account, you can create one by visiting https://www.service.nsw.gov.au/services/myservicensw-account/how-to-create-an-account

Year 12 'You Choose' Incursion

In Week 5, Year 12 underwent an unexpectedly eye-opening and deeply impactful experience through the 'You Choose' road safety presentation delivered by Melissa McGuiness. Through the sharing of her powerful personal story, Melissa placed a serious and thoughtful lens over an issue that is part of everyday life for many of us in Year 12. It really led us to reconsider our understanding of driving and the choices that come with it. Her presentation was intense and confronting at times, yet this was what made it so meaningful, as it highlighted how quickly a single decision can have lifelong consequences for us, our loved ones, and people we have never met. We were particularly struck by the realisation that incidents like the one she described can happen to anyone, reinforcing the importance of responsibility, awareness, and care behind the wheel. The session prompted us to reflect on our own attitudes toward driving and the influence they can have on the safety of others. Overall, the presentation was highly memorable and will remain with students for years to come, leaving a lasting impression about the importance of making safe, thoughtful choices on the road and the possible consequences of our actions.

by Oliver Byrne and Christian Shahinian – Year 12

Year 10 'Smashed' Incursion

Overall, the 'Smashed' alcohol presentation was an interesting and highly informative experience, incorporating interesting activities along with practical information regarding alcohol. The information provided by the characters TJ, Jack and Bronte were highly relevant to our lives. In addition, the Gibber Company created a positive learning environment. This made the presentation interactive since the actors encouraged questions.

Real-life scenarios were used to explain how alcohol impacts the body and mind. As the scenarios related to our lives, it was easier to remember the knowledge provided regarding alcohol misuse. In addition, the three actors broke it down into terms everyone could understand. This made everyone feel comfortable with the information they were learning.

The presentation was highly enjoyable and educational and everyone in Year 10 learned valuable information regarding alcohol misuse.

by Hamish Sullivan – Year 10 SRC

Free Webinar - Understanding Anxiety and Depression to Foster Resilience

Webinars empowering parents and carers to support teen mental health

The Black Dog Institute are offering free mental health webinars designed to provide practical tools, strategies and insights to help them support the young people in their lives.