St Pius X College Newsletter

Pastoral Care 

  • Student Absence Notifications
  • Image and brand are key when representing St Pius X College
  • International Women's Day 2024 campaign theme is 'Inspire Inclusion'  
  • Peer Support
  • Congratulations to the Pius Rugby 7s players
  • Year 10 NSW School Vaccination Program

Student Absence Notifications

All student absences from class during the week are to follow the usual protocol by emailing Student Management:  studentmanagement@stpiusx.nsw.edu.au.

If the absence is sport or cocurricular related, this is to be done through Clipboard.  

 

For example:

  • If your son is sick and will not be at school for the normal school day, or requires a leave pass, please notify Student Management. 
  • If, however, your son will be absent from after-school training, a weekend game or any other cocurricular commitment, please notify this absence through Clipboard.

If an absence from class is notified through Clipboard, it will not be picked up and linked to the normal student absence record.

Image and brand are key when representing St Pius X College

Following on from Mr Ronchetti’s comments on setting high standards and expecting them to be met address. The way in which we conduct ourselves when we are in the St Pius uniform is paramount. We are in the middle of Chatswood and eyes are on us all the time. How we behave outside the College walls has an impact on our brand. In business the good name of a brand is key to performance.

What you do when wearing the St Pius X uniform is noticed. Is your hair to standards, is your shirt tucked in, are you on time for school, are you using the appropriate language are you being an upstander and displaying Catholic values? 

I had the pleasure of speaking to a business consultant who coaches companies through brand management and the following are his observations on ‘brand’ ...

 

I am acutely aware of how image and reputation, and how you conduct yourself, professionally and personally is paramount in today’s world and as a former boarding school student, this was embedded in my schooling days. 

These days I still teach to much older audiences and am fortunate to be asked to speak at conferences across Australia and the world. 

When speaking about businesses, we often refer to them becoming an ‘Employer of Choice’, as many companies seek to dominate, attract, and then hire the best people. When defining an employer of choice in a school setting, I always compare schools and how parents choose one for their children.

The school search always ignites any room. You see, it is deeply personal, and most parents really do want the best for their children, hence the school search is of paramount concern to most, especially the first child. These results come from all schools and do not reflect on the private sector alone. Of course, there are some that don’t care; however, they are far outweighed by those that do.

So, what answers do I always get?

  • The culture
  • The leadership, especially the Headmaster or Principal
  • The staff (and turnover)
  • The reputation 
  • The students (how they dress, the way they wear their uniform, their shoes, their hair, how they act in public, their language, the respect they show others, and how they act as a pack). The students are the unofficial custodians of the school reputation and the public label of schools are based almost entirely on them.
  • Academic results
  • Sporting facilities and results
  • Extra curricula activity 
  • Proximity to home and ease of access
  • Size of classes and school numbers 

It is hard to rank them, but that is the order I usually get.

 

I really hope that all students can uphold the values and expectations of the College. Let’s make the St Pius X College brand a highly recommended and preferred school of choice for our community. What actions can the students make to uphold the Pius brand?

International Women's Day 2024 campaign theme is 'Inspire Inclusion'  

The campaign theme for International Women's Day 2024 is Inspire Inclusion. When we inspire others to understand and value women's inclusion, we forge a better world. And when women themselves are inspired to be included, there's a sense of belonging, relevance, and empowerment.

Pius will be combining with Mercy to celebrate International Women’s Day. Both respective leaders will be greeting our students at the front with a pledge cards, balloons and enthusiasm for the day. All the staff are encouraged to wear purple as a show of solidarity on the day.

Collectively, let's forge a more inclusive world for women.

Peer Support Program

Pastoral Care is a cornerstone of the College, and through the Peer Support program students have been able to focus on improving health and wellbeing. These weekly meetings between our Year 11, 7 and 5 students consist of small groups working together on set activities. These hands-on activities have been designed to help the younger students build self-awareness, create friendships and foster a greater school connection, while also allowing the older students to develop confidence in communication, leadership qualities and organisational skills.  My thanks to Ms  Zervakos and Mr Naidoo for their organisation of this program.

Congratulations to the Pius Rugby 7s players

Six Pius boys were part of the SJRU 7s tournament last weekend.

The Hornsby 7's team won the Under 18 Championships, beating a big Hawkesbury team 40-5 in the Grand Final.

 

 

 

Year 10 NSW School Vaccination Program

If your child is in Year 10 you can provide online consent for their routine school vaccinations.

 

Year 10 - Meningococcal ACWY, school clinic, 27 March 2024.

 

Vaccination will only be provided at school if consent has been received.

 

How to provide consent: 

1. To complete online consent for your child’s school vaccinations, visit: https://nswhealth.service-now.com/school and log in using your ServiceNSW details. This is the same account you may already use to renew your driver’s licence. Refer to Service NSW to create an account if you don’t already have one. 

2. Update or confirm your personal details in ServiceNSW as required. 

3. Complete the School Vaccination Consent Form for your child.   

 

Read a step-by-step guide on how to provide consent online. Translated guides are available in Arabic, Korean, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Vietnamese.

If you or your child do not have a Medicare card or access, consent can still be provided by requesting a paper-based consent form directly from your child’s school. 

 

The benefits of providing consent online: 

• easily update your child’s details 

• receive SMS and/or email notifications when vaccinations are given 

• faster upload of vaccination records to the Australian Immunisation Register (AIR).

 

For more information on routine school vaccinations, please visit 

www.health.nsw.gov.au/schoolvaccination . 

If you require information in your language, please visit

www.health.nsw.gov.au/immunisation/Pages/school_vaccination_language.aspx

 

Mr Martin Gillogly - Assistant Principal, Pastoral Care