Junior School News & Sport

• Junior School News
• Junior School Sport 

Junior School News

Congratulations to our published authors and illustrators.  Well done to our participants in the public speaking competition. (Read more below). 

Last Wednesday Year 5 had  a very interesting incursion entitled ‘Kadul’ which fits in with their English Unit on The Dreamtime. 

We have 3 weeks of our swimming and surf safety program to go so please continue to be sunsmart.  You could remind your sons about the Melanoma and Sun Safety Workshop last week which sent a very powerful message.  

Last Friday we had a very reverent Remembrance Day service where the Junior School playground became an amphitheatre for the whole school. Two Year 5 boys, Thomas Reay and Daniel Staal, whose fathers have served in the armed services, presented the wreath.

Lest we forget…  

WILLOUGHBY COUNCIL SHORT STORY WINNERS

Our winners wowed Willoughby’s Wildlife Story Competition!

It was a proud moment for the parents of five talented writers and artists from Year 5; Noah Elms, Dominic Mitchell, Daniel Guerrera, Thomas Reay and Christian Tierney. These students are this year’s winners of the Wildlife Story Competition.

This competition supports our school’s focus on literacy and concern for the environment. The Council sets the task for each Primary school to focus on a native creature as an inspiration for creative works. Our Year 5 boys focused on the magpie. Winning entries from every school are compiled into a book. 

Bushland Officer, Richard O’Brien described this year’s book as the “best-ever”, making Christian’s drawing which was selected for the cover even more special. Mayor Giles-Gidney commended Christian on his design.

Dominic’s story impressed not only the judges but a packed audience at Willoughby Library. Dominic was singled out from all the winners to read his story. Congratulations to Dominic for this great honour and for reading his story with perfect pace and terrific expression - his applause was well deserved.

Ms K Keighery - Teacher Librarian

IPSHA SPEAKERS’ CHALLENGE

Well done to Tomo Wilkins, Cavan Ryan and Jack Hammond who represented St Pius X College at the IPSHA Speakers’ Challenge at St Andrew’s Cathedral School on Thursday. They presented their individual speeches on the theme ‘The best things in life are free’.

There were over 30 schools on the day from Sydney and country NSW with over 110 students speaking.

It was great learning experience for the boys presenting to a panel and then being given feedback on their speeches as well listening to their peers on how they interpreted and delivered on the topic.  Well done to the boys attending the training sessions leading up to the day and their outstanding performance and efforts on the day.

GERRIC IN 2017

GERRIC offers a range of school vacation programs for gifted and talented students from Years 3-10. This doesn’t mean you have to be a genius. Gifted and talented students are generally students who are capable of performing in the top 10-15% of their age-peers.

Applications for 2018 January programs are being currently finalised - see the link below for details and more information. 

https://education.arts.unsw.edu.au/about-us/gerric/for-gifted-students/junior-scientia-3-4/

Mrs Spanyik - Learning Enrichment Teacher

UPCOMING EVENTS

• Tuesday 21st November:  Staff Meeting – no After School Study.
• Tuesday 21st November: Year 6 Guide Dog incursion.
• Wednesday 22nd November:  Year 5 visit to the Kokoda Track Memorial Walkway. Note has been emailed and is available on the Portal.  Sports uniform to be worn - bring morning tea, lunch, water bottle and a school hat!
• Friday 24th November:  Founder’s Day – lunch supplied, no school bags, boys wear Colour House sports uniform.
• Friday 1st December:  YEAR 5 PARENTS’ END OF YEAR SOCIAL - 7.00pm at Match Smokehouse in Roseville.  Please confirm attendance with Anja Lineen (Billy 5G) on anjalineen@yahoo.com.au
• Sunday 3rd December:  Year 6 Picnic – details below.
• Wednesday 6th December: 10.00am - Closing Mass for Years 5 to 10.  Junior School Prizegiving in the Gym at Chatswood from 12 noon to 2.00pm.

YEAR 6 GRADUATION PICNIC

Mr T Long - Head of Junior School

Junior School Sport

Thursday Sport:  We continue our swim program in lieu of regular sport. Year 5 attend Macquarie Uni Aquatic Centre for a pool based program and Year 6 attend Dee Why Beach for a surf skills program. Parents can collect boys directly from each venue by 2.15pm.

Basketball:  This Saturday is the final round of matches for 2017. Good luck to all players. Please return singlets ASAP next week so that I can prepare them for the 2018 season.

Mr G Virgona - Junior School Sportsmaster

Softball :  

Report Round 11:  Wow! What a game last Saturday. Our opponent was Trinity Juniors, a well organised team who confidently went into the first innings and scored 5 runs. Unfortunately our first 3 batters were out before 1st base. The SPX  team then went in with determination. We fared better in the 2nd innings and only 3 Trinity players touched home plate. At this stage we were none, Trinity 8.

Then we saw some outstanding play by Thomas Wilkins as he hit with a strong resolve and was off onto running the bases. Next, Max Lenton swung hard and it was his turn to make 1st base. This continued with Patrick Hall, Joshua Connors and Michael Whitehead. We were back in the game!  Jhon Evans kept his concentration as pitcher as regrettably Marcus Steen, his co pitcher, was still out injured.

Then disaster struck.  We had a few sick players so our numbers were dwindling and positions needed to be reallocated. However the team held it together and displayed excellent comeradery. Jose Monk went in to give Jhon Evans a break from pitching. Luca Van Vuuren and Andrew Bradford, who were both sick, played as much game time as they could. Eliot Sanders, Will Mathie and Rowan Roomie were on to the ball.

It was a great comeback to level the match, a fantastic game to be part of and I was very proud of the players.  Thank you to Mr Evans for keeping score.

Ms J Williams - Softball Convenor

NSTA Tennis:  Please see the Senior School Sports page.

Mrs S Iwatani - NSTA Convenor