Parent & Student Matters 

• Annual Tuition Fees
• UNSW Programming Competition
• History Department
• Duke of Edinburgh Adventurous Journey
• Diverse Learning Department
• Holiday Workshops
• Lights, Camera, Pius! Film Festival

Annual Tuition Fees

Annual tuition fees are due by end of Term 3 2024. Could parents/caregivers experiencing difficulties in meeting fee payments please email the Finance Office at 

spxfees@stpiusx.nsw.edu.au to discuss alternative payment.

If the College currently holds your credit card authority no additional action is required.

Mr Lachlan Skeen - Business Manager

UNSW Programming Competition

It is with great pleasure and pride that I report the results of the UNSW Programming Competition 2024.

The results are some of the best the college has achieved in all the years of our participation, with 10 out of the 12 teams reaching the Leader Board.  Considering there were 249 teams participating in the competition this is a wonderful achievement.

Of particular note is our Year 6 team of Micah Chan, Angus Rands and James Ulevik, who acquitted themselves extremely well and managed to achieve a higher score than some of the more senior students in the entire competition.  Congratulations!

Below are the teams on the leader board, with their total points. 

Congratulations also go to Thomas Kneeshaw, Patrick Kisso, Marko Fry, James Bone, Leo Ward Harvey and Alex Dowley, all of Year 9, who made a gallant effort in the competition.

Mr Joseph Lai - TAS Computing teacher

History Department

HSC HISTORY STUDY DAY

On Thursday the 50 Year 12 Modern, Ancient and Extension History students attended the Study Day organised by the History Teachers Association of New South Wales at the University of Sydney. Experts delivered a range of presentations on topics which were very useful in preparation for the Trial Examinations next term. Two thousand students from around the state attended the day demonstrating the value that the event has. 

The students gained a lot from four lectures which covered many areas of the HSC syllabuses. Thanks to Mr Hartnett and Ms Zervakos for their help during the day.

Mr Pat Rodgers - History/Legal Studies Leader of Learning

Duke of Edinburgh

Bronze Adventurous Journey

Awoken by rain at 4:30 am, each raindrop a dampening reminder of our prior Bronze Duke of Edinburgh Adventurous Journey; flashbacks to leeches, flooded creeks, evacuation routes, wet sleeping bags, etc; a text message from Mr Stearn: 'Let me know if you need an evac!' … and the hike hadn’t even started!

This sums up the Duke of Edinburgh Adventurous Journey on the weekend. Twenty students and staff hiked the 25km from Mt Kuring-Gai to Cowan via Berowra and Hawksbury River station, camping at Brooklyn Dam. The conditions were challenging, the rain unrelenting; navigating flooded creeks, muddy terrain, wet clothing, and being delayed due to a broken-down freight train. It was an adventure!

Congratulations go to our Year 9 participants and a big thank you to our staff of Mr Naidoo, Mr Munday and Old Boys, Jack Schyvens, Nathan McAdam and Ben Cullen. A special thank you must also go to our Duke of Edinburgh Convenor Mrs Gunns.

Mr Paul de Silva - Outdoor Education Coordinator

Diverse Learning Department

Parent Teacher Interviews

The Diverse Learning team are available this Thursday and Friday, should you wish to make contact immediately after Parent Teacher Interviews. Please email either myself, or:

David Menton          Year 7 and 8                      dmenton@stpiusx.nsw.edu.au

Samantha Alston    Year 9 and 10                    salston@stpiusx.nsw.edu.au

Year 12

We wish all our Year 12s the very best as they focus intently on their studies in the lead up to the HSC Trial Examinations and the final HSC Examinations. Please find a time in the holidays to check the exact wording of  personal NESA Disability Provisions decision letters.

Should you have any queries relating to the HSC Trial Examinations or the HSC Examinations please contact me by email at any time agunns@stpiusx.nsw.edu.au

The team of supervisors, external to the College, will be running the Trial Examinations and the HSC Examinations. Please understand that the supervisors for disability provisions will expect the same exam protocols as in the main group.

Individual student sheets which display the name, photo ID, NESA number, subjects, and disability provisions will be used for the Trials Examinations. If a student is uncomfortable with any information on the Individual student sheet, please alert the supervisor before starting the task.

Term 3 Collaborative Planning Meetings

We will be reaching out to all parents of students who have Individual Learning Plans early in Term 3 for meetings either in-person, on Teams or by phone. For many this will be an annual review and for some this is part of an ongoing and more regular review. Please encourage your sons to reflect on their progress and perhaps start conversations about learning goals for Term 3.

Mrs Annabel Gunns - Leader of Learning, Diverse Learning

Lights, Camera, Pius! Film Festival

To all Filmmakers, one thing we need to make a good film is time! With the winter break coming up you have three weeks, that’s 21 days, to make a 3-minute short film of any genre. If you already have an idea the best thing you can do is get your phone and begin filming. 

Here are some of my favourite films that were shot in less than 3 weeks!!! Whiplash (2014) – 19 days, Before Sunset (2004) – 15 days, The Blair Witch Project (1999) – 8 days. Experiment with different genres and styles, and start filming!

Attached is a poster with entry details and ideas. 

Michael Krizan - Film Festival Committee

Holiday workshops (Year 12 students)

Please see the updated timetable below of the Year 12 holiday workshops.

Year 12 students are warmly invited to participate in the workshops and study seminars during the Term 3 break. These workshops are designed to maintain study momentum and re-visit topics from earlier in the year. The College is very appreciative of the time devoted by the teaching staff and all Year 12 students are encouraged to attend any session that they can. 

Year 12 Parents and Students should also be aware that this information is available on their Canvas page. Please check Canvas for any last minute updates.

Mr Stephen Davidson - Assistant Principal, Teaching & Learning

Year 5 - 10 Parent/Teacher/Student Interviews

The Year 7 - 10 Parent/Teacher/Student Interviews will be held online on the following dates:

Thursday 27 June from 1:30 pm - 6:30 pm

Friday 28 June from 8:00 am - 4:30 pm

To enable students in Years 7 - 10 to travel home before interviews commence, classes will conclude at end end of Period 3 on Thursday 27 June (students will leave at 12:00 noon). 

The Year 5 and 6 Parent/Teacher/Student Interviews will be held online on Friday 28 June from 8:00 am - 4:30 pm. Year 5 and 6 students will remain at school on Thursday 27 June (to allow for their normal Thursday Sport day at Oxford Falls Campus), and their classes will conclude, as usual, at 3:00 pm. Please see the Junior School News page for further information on that day.

Mr Stephen Davidson - Assistant Principal, Teaching and Learning