Junior School News
WOODCHAT (For busy families who just want the facts, fast!)
GRANDPARENT’S DAY / DANCE SHOWCASE
Grandparent’s Day once again proved to be one of the highlights of the Junior School year - and certainly one of the highlights of mine. What a joy it was to welcome more than 200 proud and loving grandparents and special friends to Oxford Falls and to see the delight on their faces as our students did their very best to dance their way to victory.
Congratulations to Purton House on taking out this year’s Dance Showcase!
Thank you to the RedEd team for another fantastic program, to the Junior School staff for their enthusiasm and support.
Photos from the day are here:
DEBATING with Ms Shaba
Congratulations to the IPSHA debaters on their well prepared and thought-provoking arguments in relation to local and international travel. The team travelled to Mosman Prep to argue 'That countries should limit how many tourists visit natural landmarks each year'. The competition was fierce, with each team presenting convincing rebuttals.
In both debates, the affirmative teams were victorious.
We look forward to our final IPSHA fixture of the regular season later this week.
Travelling once more to Mosman Prep, the debaters are hard at work getting ready for a challenging final topic, 'That governments should prioritise public transport over building new roads'.
Preparations are now well underway for our upcoming IPSHA Debating Gala Day. On Friday 11 September, students will be driven to St Ignatius' College, Riverview. They will be tasked with deliberating whether 'competition improves learning' and if 'protecting nature is more important than building infrastructure'.
Families are most welcome to join us at Riverview at 9:30 am for this exciting event.
CHATWOOD LIBRARY VISIT
Junior School students thoroughly enjoyed their visit to Chatswood Library last week. The library staff guided students through a series of activities related to the 2026 CBCA winning books. Students took part in quizzes, games and even an impromptu drawing workshop. We thank the Chatswood Library team for helping the students develop their love of reading.
FATHER AND SON SPORTS DAY
As you are receiving this edition of Woodchatta, we will have come to the end of our Father and Son Sports Day. It is always our biggest event of the year, and I look forward to reporting on it next week. Hopefully, everyone has arrived home safe and sound without any injuries!
NIGHT OF THE NOTABLES: CELEBRATING ABORIGINAL AND TORRES STRAIT ISLANDER PEOPLES
We are delighted to invite Year 5 families and friends to our Night of the Notables, a special evening where our students will bring history to life by honouring the stories of Notable Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples.
Over recent weeks, students have researched the lives of remarkable Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander leaders, artists, activists, and changemakers who have made a lasting impact on our nation. Through this inquiry, they have developed not only their skills in research and critical thinking, but also a deeper understanding of the resilience, wisdom, and contributions of First Nations Peoples.
On the night, students will share their research through creative displays and engage visitors in conversations about their historical figure. Families and guests will have the opportunity to meet these inspiring 'notables' and learn from their stories in an interactive, memorable way.
Date: Tuesday 15 September
Time: 4:00 pm – 6:00 pm
Venue: Junior School (Waterford Learning Centre)
Students will remain at school until 6:00 pm. Please send them with some afternoon tea.
GARDEN CLUB
In addition to tasting delicious snow peas over the past 2 weeks, students in Garden Club harvested the first of our broccoli this week. This was a crisp and nutritious snack!
YEAR 6 DAY OF THE DISASTERS – YOU’RE INVITED!
Our Year 6 students warmly invite you to join them for the Day of the Disasters on Wednesday 16 September from 4:00 pm – 6:00 pm.
This exciting event is the culmination of an inquiry unit exploring the science, history, and human stories behind some of the world’s most powerful natural disasters. Students have investigated earthquakes, cyclones, floods, volcanic eruptions and more, developing their skills in research, critical thinking, and problem-solving along the way.
Students will showcase their learning through interactive displays, creative models, and engaging presentations. Visitors will have the chance to explore disaster zones, hear first-hand 'survivor accounts', and discover how communities respond and rebuild in the face of such challenges.
It promises to be an afternoon of curiosity, creativity, and discovery as our Year 6 students bring science and history to life.
Date: Wednesday 16 September
Time: 4:00 pm – 6:00 pm
Venue: Junior School (Waterford Learning Centre)
Students will remain at school until 6:00 pm. Please send them with some afternoon tea.
Market Day 2026 - Cashless - Prepurchase your vouchers
Market Day is back for 2026 and is on Friday 11 September. For 2026 the event is cashless, so food and other items need to be purchased using a voucher system. All vouchers are valued at $2 and combinations of these can be used to purchase items on the day. There will be very limited ability to purchase vouchers using card on the day. Vouchers can be purchased using the following trybooking link https://www.trybooking.com/au/event/1642649 and will be distributed to students prior to Market Day.
Prepurchase of vouchers closes, Monday 7 September at 2:00 pm
There will be no Canteen facilities available on Friday 11 September.
Mr Simon Yue - Leader of Learning EGBC
PAPA COMEDY NIGHT
Buy your ticket today – https://events.humanitix.com/spx-papa-comedy-night-2026
PLEASE NOTE – This event is for attendees aged 18+ and current SPX students are not eligible to attend.
Thank you for your continuing support of the Junior School.
Mrs Jill Greenwood - Head of Junior School
Accelerated Reader Program
The Accelerated Reader program has been very successful, with numerous students in Years 5 and 7 already achieving their set reading target over Terms 2 and 3. Students who have achieved their target will be presented with Accelerated Reader Certificates at the beginning of next term.
We are currently in Week 7 of the term, with the AR program finishing at the end of Week 10. Students who have not yet reached their reading target still have time to work towards and achieve their goal.
Please see the attached letter for more information.
Junior School Sport News
Term 4 Summer Sport Intentions Survey
Summer Sport registrations via Clipboard is OPEN.
Please refer to the information below regarding registration requirements for each sport.
IPSHA Basketball, Softball and Touch Football: If your son participated in any of these sports in Term 1, his registration will automatically carry over to Term 4 and no further action is required. If your son is joining one of these sports for the first time in Term 4, you will need to register via Clipboard. If your son is transferring between Basketball, Softball and Touch Football, we will process this change in Clipboard using the information provided in the Summer Sport Survey. No further action is required.
NSTA Tennis and MWJCA Cricket: These sports are commencing a new season in Term 4, 2026, which will continue through to Term 1, 2027. As a result, all students wishing to participate must complete a new registration via Clipboard.
Mixed Sport: There is no registration required for students not participating in summer sport. Students will take part in mixed sport activities during our Oxford Falls Thursday sessions.
Clipboard registrations will close Friday 4 September - tomorrow
Please note, tennis has reached capacity and registrations are closed
Please refer to Clipboard for more sport specific information.
Summer Sport Grading
Summer Sport grading sessions will take place across Weeks 8, 9 and 10.
Students are to wear their House Shirts and bring the below items specific to the sport.
Please note: Basketball grading may take a little longer than usual this year as approximately 10 teams will be selected using one court. Team selections and training information will be communicated once grading has been completed.
Dance Showcase
Our annual Dance Showcase was an outstanding celebration of talent, creativity and community. The energy, enthusiasm and confidence displayed by the boys on stage were a credit to the countless hours of rehearsals and preparation throughout the year.
A special thank you to the many grandparents who attended and helped create such a wonderful atmosphere. The support from our families plays a significant role in the success of the program.
We are also incredibly grateful to the REDed instructors for their guidance, expertise and encouragement. Their dedication to helping our students develop their skills and confidence was evident in every performance.
Congratulations to Purton House on being crowned the 2026 Dance Showcase Champions. The standard across all Houses was exceptional, making for a highly entertaining and closely contested event.
Father & Son Sports Day
A sincere thank you to all the fathers, grandfathers and special father figures who joined us for this year's Father & Son Sports Day. It was a wonderful afternoon of connection, fun and community, and we are grateful for the support shown by so many families.
We look forward to sharing a full event report and photos with the Junior School community next week.
IPSHA Athletics Carnival
Congratulations to all students who represented St Pius X College at the IPSHA Athletics Carnival. The boys should be very proud of their efforts.
We are delighted to announce that four students have progressed to the CIS Athletics Championships at Sydney Olympic Park Athletic Centre (SOPAC) on Friday 4 September:
Jack Cross – IPSHA Champion in the Long Jump and 3rd place in both the 100m and 200m. Jack has qualified for the Long Jump, 100m, 200m and 4 x 100m Relay.
Tommy Kay – IPSHA Champion in both the Discus and Shot Put, as well as finishing 3rd in the 200m. Tommy has qualified for the Discus, Shot Put, 200m and 4 x 100m Relay.
Oliver Thatcher – Qualified for the 4 x 100m Relay.
Flynn Scrivener – Qualified for the 4 x 100m Relay.
A special congratulations to Jack, Tommy, Oliver and Flynn, who combined to win the Senior IPSHA 4 x 100m Relay Championship, a fantastic achievement and a highlight of the carnival.
We wish the boys all the very best as they represent IPSHA and St Pius X College at the CIS Championships this Friday.
Mr James Bourke - Junior School Sport Coordinator
From SPX Football Supporters' Club
A big thank you to everyone who joined us at the St Pius X Football End of Season Event on Saturday night. Please find a few photos attached.
It was a fantastic evening and a great opportunity to come together, catch up and celebrate what has been another terrific season of football.
The success of St Pius X Football is built around a wonderful community of players, parents, carers, coaches, managers and volunteers, and we are incredibly grateful for the support and enthusiasm everyone has shown throughout the season.
We hope you enjoyed the evening as much as we did. It was great to see so many familiar faces, share a few laughs and celebrate the season together.
Thank you again for your support of St Pius X Football and the Football Supporters Club.
We look forward to seeing everyone at our AGM to be held in the coming weeks, date to be advised shortly.
Mr Matt Zanello - SPX Football Supporters' Club President
Rugby Golf Day
