Junior School News
- From the Head of the Junior School
- Junior School Sport
- From the Junior Resource Centre
- Junior School Chess
From the Head of the Junior School
NAN MANEFIELD YOUNG WRITER’S AWARD 2024
Last term, writers in my Creative Quills Writing Skills group worked on a submission to the Nan Manefield Young Writers Award. This year marks 35 years of Stanton Library and North Sydney Council celebrating the writing talent of young people in the greater Sydney area with an annual Young Writer’s Award and I was thrilled to be advised that two of our young writers have been awarded a prize.
All awarded young people receive a certificate, an invitation to a Writing Masterclass with judge and award-winning Australian author, Helena Fox, and a loot bag stuffed with bookish goodies and snacks.
Congratulations to Sebastian Clark (Year 6) for his piece “Forever Changing” and to Isaac Roth (Year 6) for his poem “The Old Oak”.
Thank you for your continued support of the Junior School.
Mrs Jill Greenwood - Head of the Junior School
DEBATING
Last Friday the Debating Team travelled to Masada College for the 2nd Round of the IPSHA competition. The topic for Round 2 was whether ‘There should be a class for how to use the internet correctly’. Our Year 5 Team were affirmative, whereas our Year 6 Team were negative. The adjudicator was impressed with the calibre of both debates and the breadth of arguments offered by Pius and Masada. I was particularly impressed with Year 6, who unfortunately had to be resilient in the face of two absences and some last minute allocation switches. Congratulations to Year 5 who remain undefeated, and well done to Year 6 for handling a narrow loss with grace. The students are continuing to hone their ability to rebut arguments presented by other teams and are excited for the opportunity to debate St Ignatius' College next week at 1:00 pm.
Ms Lana Shaba - Junior School Debating coach
Junior School Sport
I’m thrilled to share the wonderful atmosphere that surrounded our games over the weekend. Our young players took to the field with smiles and determination, showcasing their teamwork and skills. It was heartwarming to see families cheering from the sidelines, adding an extra boost of encouragement to our players. Thanks to everyone for making the weekend games such a positive experience! One thing to note: could the area where players and their coaches are positioned on the sidelines be given space away from parents. This will allow for all the coach’s instructions to he heard clearly by their players provide the chance to the team to bond and develop as a group.
Thursday Sport: Winter sessions continue this week for Rugby, Football and AFL. Please continue to travel to and from school in your SPX PE uniform and bring along a change of clothes to train in. Please ensure all personal items are clearly labelled. There is an open AFL training session this week for any ‘Non-Sport’ students to join the session and learn new skills. Please encourage your son to take up this option if he is keen.
Term 2 Schedule:
Clipboard App: Please continue to consult the Clipboard App for the most up to date information on sport/fixtures.
Junior School House Athletics Carnival – Wednesday 12 June (SOPAC Homebush)
- Expressions of Interest for Parental Assistance: As always, we require the assistance of parents to help with scoring, ribbons and potentially a field event. Should you be attending the Carnival and are able to help, please complete the following form https://forms.office.com/AthleticsCarnivalHelper. Further information will be sent to volunteers in the week leading up to the Carnival.
IPSHA Code of Conduct and SPX Risk Warning
As we move through the winter season I draw your attention to the following documents which are provided for your information:
IPSHA Code of Conduct
SPX Risk Warning
Football:
Logging an Absence - If your son is unable to make their scheduled match, due to illness or injury, please log the absence via Clipboard with an explanation and also email Mr Bourke.
Miss Shaba notes that the Prep E's continue to go from strength to strength, with a rather convincing win on Saturday against Barker College. The improvement in their positioning and passing has been remarkable. The boys entertained the crowd with some brilliant assists. Most pleasing was their team spirit and the fact that the goals were shared amongst several players. Lots of striking talent across the board!
Coerver Holiday Camp
The July school holidays are fast approaching. Please see the following link to the St Pius X holiday programs Coerver course | Coerver Coaching showing 2, 3 & 4 day options. Coerver are offering an early bird discount for the 4-day camp of 10% off. This is for the first 50 players. ($260 down to $234 per player).
Players can also use Active Kids vouchers for a further $50 off.
AFL: Last week our AFL team had a bye.
Boxercise
Boxercise, a high-energy group fitness class inspired by boxing, offers a dynamic combination of cardio, strength training, and coordination exercises. It not only enhances physical fitness but also fosters a sense of camaraderie and fun within the group setting. Students from all year group are welcome to join (Years 5-12) and engage in various boxing-inspired movements like jabs, crosses, and hooks, which not only improve cardiovascular endurance and muscle tone but also enhance coordination and agility. The group environment provides motivation and support, making workouts enjoyable and challenging. Boxercise is an effective way to boost overall fitness levels while having a blast with like-minded individuals, making it an ideal choice for those seeking a comprehensive and enjoyable exercise experience.
See below a flyer for more details.
Mr James Bourke - Junior School Sports Coordinator
IPSHA Rugby Trials:
On Thursday 23 May, five students from Year 6 will participate in the IPSHA Rugby trials. Throughout the day, the boys will complete a series of drills and skills and play some rugby matches against the other competitors. The students will compete for selection in the CIS Rugby team. Good luck to Ethan G, Jake B, Tom M, Lukas G and Benjamin P.
Junior Rugby:
It is great to see Junior Rugby teams continue to develop their skills and knowledge of Rugby. The Prep Firsts faced a very strong Knox Grammar team. It wasn’t the result we wanted but the boys are developing their skills each week with moments of individual brilliance. It is pleasing to see some players growing in confidence and working on their own personal goals. Thank you to our injured players who turn up each week and support their teammates.
Mr Montgomerie reports: 'The U11 boys had a terrific performance against St Aloysius'. Despite only having 10 available players, and at times, having to play with 9, the boys displayed exceptional teamwork and played with heart, passion and for the jersey, being victorious 46-17. They have continued to play to the game plan of 'hard tackles, strong rucking and perfect handling', which was put on display, particularly as St Aloysius' started to mount a comeback by scoring two quick tries in the second half. A special mention goes to Angus with a man of the match performance scoring 4 tries, Hudson for having to play at halfback despite being a forward, and Harvey who came and supported despite being unavailable to play. Well done to all boys, and to parents for your continued support. I look forward to next weekend's game vs Knox Grammar.'
A reminder of compulsory after school training at Beauchamp Oval every Wednesday from 3:15 pm - 4:30 pm for ALL Junior School Rugby players. In addition to bringing rugby boots, can players also bring a spare pair of sneakers to training each week.
Mr Antonio Morris - Junior School Rugby Convenor
From the Junior Resource Centre
This week’s Highlights are: Reading Fiction for Pleasure
Reading for pleasure is so important for our students. This week and every week in our lessons included the opportunity to borrow and read for pleasure. The JRC has an extensive and well-resourced collection of books. Picture books, graphic novels, manga, fiction and non-fiction books available. Students choose what they want to read, sometimes they ask for guidance or suggestions but mostly they are draw to the books that interest and excite them. Reading for pleasure is essential for developing a love of reading, building empathy, experiencing different opinions and ideas and letting their imagination take flight. My job as a Teacher Librarian is to teach students how to love reading and books and help them explore books in new and exciting ways.
Mrs Martin’s Book Trail: TO and FRO by Anton Clifford – Motopi
A middle grade novel for Years 5 & 6 from a budding young new author. It’s funny and authentic. In the novel, Sam tries to understand what it means to be black when he is a white kid with an Afro. A great read aloud for Stage 3 students.#mrsmartinsbooktrail2024
Mrs Elena Martin - Teacher Librarian
Junior School Chess Club
Thank you to all the students who attended Chess training on Tuesday 21 May. A reminder that the NSW Junior Chess Competition continues this week. Team A AWAY vs Redlands, Team B AWAY vs St Pius X Team D, Team C have a BYE. Team D will be HOME vs St Pius X B, this game will be held in the JRC with Ms Boyle straight after school. The draw can be found here: https://www.nswjcl.org.au/
17 May competition photos
Training Awards
2024 Chatswood Checkmate Allegro Tournament
Noah and Alex finished with 1 pt, Hugh with 1.5 pts and Mason 4 pts.
Grandmaster Ian Rogers was there to spectate.
Get your ‘game on’ as chess takes over Chatswood in April and May. Noah, Mason, Alexander and Hugh managed to grab their best selfie with supersized inflatable chess pieces dotted around the CBD. The boys managed to test their skills at a tournament. They enjoyed a simultaneous chess display where a champion takes on multiple players at once. They Joined in the fun and competed with friends in the 2024 Chatswood Checkmate Allegro tournament. 7 rounds with most of these boys playing for the first time. Noah and Alex finished with 1 pt, Hugh with 1.5 pts and Mason 4 pts.
Grandmaster Ian Rogers was there to spectate.
A great effort! Congratulations.
Mrs Elena Martin - Junior Chess Convenor