From the Head of Junior School

WOODCHAT (For busy families who just want the facts, fast!)

ST GABRIEL’S VISITORS

Last Thursday, the Junior School welcomed some very special visitors from St Gabriel’s School to join us for a day of sport, friendship, and fun. It was also a thrill to see Mrs Iwatani, now teaching at St Gabriel’s, back with us for the day! A big thank you to our amazing teachers, coaches and to Mr Bourke for his superb organisation. Days like this remind us of what community is all about and we were all so proud of how kind, gentle and patient our students were with their new friends. Mrs Iwatani summed up the day perfectly:

To everyone at the St Pius X Junior School,

Thank you for welcoming us and organising such an outstanding day for our Year 5 and 6 students. It was a truly memorable experience. As Azayliah put it, "It was the best day of my life!". The Pius students truly shone today, demonstrating great patience and genuine friendliness as they engaged with our students and supported them to participate fully in the activities. Their encouragement and care made a significant difference and were greatly appreciated by both students and staff.

It was also incredibly heartwarming to hear the warm farewells at the end of the day, with the Pius students calling out goodbyes and addressing our students by name. These small gestures made our students feel truly special and valued. Today certainly embodied our Touchstone of Inclusive Community.

We are also very grateful for the thoughtful gift. The students were so excited to go home and inflate their mini soccer balls.

I hope this marks the beginning of a strong and positive relationship between the SPX Junior School and the students of St Gabriel’s Primary School.

Mrs Samantha Iwatani

St Gabriel’s

Photos from the day: Junior School St Gabriels Visit AUG2025

GRANDPARENT LITURGY AND WALK-A-THON

As I write, the Junior School is welcoming grandparents and other special grandfriends to a very special liturgy at Oxford Falls. Following the liturgy, students – and some keen grandparents – will participate in our annual major fundraiser, the Walk-a-thon (weather permitting).

If you haven’t had an opportunity to donate as yet, you are warmly invited to donate as little or as much as you are able via this link:

https://www.trybooking.com/au/donate/jnrschoolwalkathon.

All contributions go towards helping Vinnies support people who are experiencing homelessness. For those of you who are going old school and donating per lap - the LAP COUNTER CARD will come home this afternoon.

Thank you for your support.

LEARNING HOW TO LEARN – FOR LIFE

Last week, I joined over 80 other Heads of Junior Schools from across NSW at a conference where we heard from teacher and author James Anderson, who spoke about ideas from his new book Learnership. His message was clear: while great teaching matters, the real magic happens when students take ownership of their learning, developing the skills, confidence, and mindset to succeed not just in school, but in life.

This is something we already value deeply in the Junior School. Our classrooms are filled with opportunities for students to think independently, ask questions, and take an active role in their learning. But, just like our students, we educators are lifelong learners too. James’s ideas gave me fresh ways to think about how we can continue to strengthen this culture, and I look forward to exploring how we can make it even richer for our students.

PRAC STUDENT

This week, we were delighted to welcome SPX Old Boy (Class of 2020) Alexander Clelland back to the Junior School for his final teaching practicum. Alexander will be working alongside Mr Nouragas in 6 Green. We are grateful to our staff for the time, guidance, and energy they give to support emerging teachers as they take these final steps towards their degrees.

PEER MENTORING BUSHWALK

Thank you to Mr Gillogly, Mr Ticli, Ms Boyle, Mr Bourke, Mr Callow and Mr Quilty who joined our students and their Year 11 mentors on the annual Peer Mentoring Bushwalk last Friday night.

Students from Years 5 and 6 joined their Year 11 buddy mentors on a walk from the college to Lane Cove National Park. The walk was designed to promote connection, friendship and a sense of belonging across different year levels. It was a great opportunity to strengthen bonds in the beautiful surroundings of the national park.

BOOK WEEK | Parade: Wednesday 20 August, from 1:30 pm in the College Gymnasium

Teachers have been hard at work designing and making their Book Week costumes. It’s amazing what you can do with a hot glue gun, contact paper and a handful of cable ties! I hope your son’s costume is coming along. Just a reminder that we encourage students to come as a character from a book and ask that costumes don’t include any weapons. This is primarily to protect students whilst on public transport.

Thank you for your continued support of the Junior School.

Mrs Jill Greenwood - Head of Junior School

Cocurricular and other photos

On Thursday 28 August the College will be conducting the last photo day for the year. Photos include: Performing Arts, Athletics, Tennis, Debating, Chess, Public Speaking, Sons of Old Boys, Duke of Edinburgh, Boxercise, Robotics and some sport photos.

A full list of photos and when they will be taken throughout the day will be in the next Woodchatta.

As the Junior School travel down to Oxford Falls for their regular sport afternoon, all photos that include Junior School students will be taken during Periods 1 and 2.

Ms Leisa Proc - General Coordinator

Junior School Sport

Winter Sport

As we wrap up the winter sport season, we extend our heartfelt thanks to all the players, coaches, and families whose dedication and enthusiasm made it such a success. Your commitment to training, teamwork, and school spirit has been truly inspiring. A special thank you goes to our Rugby and Football Supporters Clubs for their tireless efforts and unwavering support throughout the season. As we now shift our focus to the Athletics season in the coming weeks, preparations for the summer sport season are already underway. We look forward to another exciting chapter of competition, growth, and community.

Key Events Coming Up

Summer Sport Session Grading Week 5 and 6
Father-Son Day at Oxford Falls Week 7

Junior Athletics

Athletics Squad Training at Dunbar Park - Monday, Wednesday, Thursday afternoons
Athletics Invitational 16 August, Barker College
Athletics Invitational 22 August, St Ignatius Riverview
Athletics Invitational 23 August, SOPAC
IPSHA Athletics Carnival 27 August, SOPAC

Clipboard Registrations Open

Registrations for Term 4 Summer Sports are open via Clipboard.

(All registrations will be closed by Friday 22 August)

Already Registered in Term 1 2025?

If your son participated in Basketball, Touch Football or Softball during Term 1, his registration automatically carries over to Term 4.
There is no need to re-register, even if he is switching between Basketball, Touch Football or Softball.

New to Basketball, Touch Football and Softball?

If your son did not participate in Term 1 and would like to join Basketball, Touch Football or Softball for Term 4, please complete the registration via Clipboard.

Signing Up for NSTA Tennis?

The Tennis season runs from Term 4 2025 through to Term 1 2026. Students wishing to join Tennis must complete their registration as soon as practicably possible to assist with team organisation and grading planning.
Grading day information will be shared to all families that register.

By ensuring registrations are completed promptly, we can provide the best possible experience for all students involved.

CRICKET SEASON STARTS 13 SEPTEMBER

Registrations are now open for the upcoming MWJCA cricket season, which begins on Saturday, 13 September. The season will feature three rounds before the school holidays, followed by the continuation of the competition in Term 4.

To ensure your son's participation, registration is required on both Clipboard and PlayHQ:

Clipboard – for internal College registration and team coordination. The College fee for cricket is paid via the app.
PlayHQ – for official MWJCA registration. There is a $17.50 fee payable directly to Cricket Australia for player insurance. This will be available via the Clipboard app.

Please ensure both registrations are completed by Friday, 22 August to secure a place in a team.

Mr Ryan Balboa - MWJCA Cricket Convenor

Stay Updated with Clipboard Notifications

To ensure you receive the most accurate and up-to-date information regarding fixtures, events, and registrations, please make sure notifications are enabled within the Clipboard App and on your device.

This involves two quick steps:

Approving permissions within the Clipboard app
Allowing notifications through your device settings (Apple or Android)

For iPhone Users:

Open the Settings app.
Scroll down and tap Clipboard (you may need to open the app first for it to appear).
Tap Notifications.
Toggle Allow Notifications to ON.
Choose your preferred alert style (Lock Screen, Notification Centre, Banners).
Ensure Sounds and Badges are also enabled if desired.

For Android Users:

Open the Settings app.
Tap Apps or Apps & Notifications.
Find and tap Clipboard.
Tap Notifications.
Toggle notifications ON.

By enabling notifications, you’ll never miss an important update again!

Summer Sport Grading – Week 5 and 6

We’re excited to kick off summer sport grading with a great team of coaches and programs:

Cricket – Led by Cricket Appeal
Touch Football – Run by Try Time
Basketball – Led by Danny Garrett (First V Coach & SPX Player Development)
Softball – Overseen by Mrs Williams
Tennis – Coached by Oxford Falls Tennis Centre

Equipment Reminders:

Students must bring the correct equipment for their chosen sport
Softball – All equipment is provided
Tennis – Students may bring their own rackets if preferred

Unform for the season:

Basketball – Playing singlet is loaned out for the season
Softball – Playing shirt is loaned out for the season
Tennis – Playing shirt is purchased from the College Uniform Shop
Touch Football – Playing singlet is loaned out for the season
Cricket – Playing uniform is purchased from the College Uniform Shop

Term 3 Weekly Sport Calendar

Winter Sport

AFL

The AFL season was a rewarding journey for our young SPX team, who showed tremendous growth and resilience throughout the season. Despite being one of the youngest squads in recent years, the students displayed great determination, skill development, and team spirit. While the weather posed some challenges towards the end of the season, it didn’t dampen the enthusiasm or commitment of the group. We’re especially excited about the strong core of players emerging as future leaders, and we look forward to welcoming even more students to the team next year. The future of AFL at the school is looking bright! Thank you to Mr Stuart Mackinlay for leading the team on Saturdays and Mrs Williams for training the team each week.

Mr James Bourke - Junior School Sport Coordinator

Football

This year’s Junior football season was a fantastic showcase of growth and development across all ten teams. The students gained confidence with each game and embraced an open, attacking style of play that made for exciting matches and strong team cohesion. We’re incredibly grateful for the ongoing support from Sydney FC, whose partnership continues to enrich our football program. Looking ahead, we’re exploring off-season opportunities to keep the momentum going and strengthen our connection with the sport, to stay tuned for updates

Mr James Bourke - Junior School Football Convenor

Rugby

The 11A's and the Prep 1st XV secured two terrific victories over rivals St Patrick's in very difficult conditions, rounding off an incredibly successful season of Junior School rugby. Both teams played with grit, determination and pride for the jersey, demonstrating the positive rugby culture that is growing at SPX. Although the 7's had their fixtures called off due to the weather, it has been pleasing to see so much improvement and excitement in the squad throughout the season.

All students involved in rugby should be pleased and proud of their efforts and commitment this season. Finally, thank you parents and carers for your continued support in SPX rugby – your commitment to your son/s and the College has also aided in the positive culture that the Junior School promotes. Thank you all, and enjoy the rest of the term.

Mr Callum Montgomerie - SPX Junior School Rugby Convenor

SPX Rugby Golf Day

Sponsor a Hole!

Friday, 17 October 2025

The SPX Rugby community warmly invites all SPX families and the wider community to join us for our Annual Rugby Club Golf Day — a perfect way to mix business with pleasure while supporting one of our key fundraisers.

This year, you can choose your lucky number between 1 and 18 to secure sponsorship of a hole — but be quick, as numbers will go fast!

Why Sponsor?

Sponsorship offers fantastic exposure for your business within our passionate rugby community, including:

A professionally printed banner displayed on course (see example below).
Advertising in the official Golf Day program booklet.
Mentions via WhatsApp, the College newsletter & direct email communications.

Event Highlights

Ambrose team event
Exciting hole prizes, including a Volvo Hole-in-One!

Sponsorship Packages

Package 1 – $550: Hole sponsorship only
Package 2 – $800: Hole sponsorship + 1 player ticket
Package 3 – $1,050: Hole sponsorship + 2 player tickets
Package 4 – $1,550: Hole sponsorship + 4 player tickets

📩 Interested in sponsoring? Email wibke@iinet.net.au to secure your hole and join us for this fantastic day on the green!

Mr James Bourke - Junior School Sport Coordinator

Careers