From the Principal     

• Prayer:  Gospel Spirituality
• Request for Prayers – Mr Craig Naismith​
• Remembrance Day Services
• Meeting with the Bishop
• ISA 2017 Service Award for Mr Matthew Stearn​
• Exams
• 2018 Student Leadership Team Speechcraft Graduation Dinner​

Gospel Spirituality Prayer

From Jesus' life recorded in the Gospel, we can learn the values and morals to live our lives by.  Leading by example, Jesus taught us that our actions are what define us and are what can truly bring change.  We can continue Jesus' legacy of being compassionate and loving to all by actively living our lives by the values of the Gospel.

GOSPEL SPIRITUALITY PRAYER

by Cameron Fernandopulle, Year 9

If we can be people who set views, and don't blindly follow those of others,

if we can choose to do what is right, over what is easy,

if we can welcome all, and dismiss none,

if we can care for and give to those less fortunate than us,

if we can be loving to those who aren't loved,

if we can appreciate the beauty of the world that has been given to us,

if we can treasure empathy, and put ourselves in the position of others,

and all the while, if we can remain humble in our actions,

then can we be virtuous people

then can we be part of Jesus' legacy

and then can we be followers of the Gospel.

Request for Prayers – Mr Craig Naismith

The College offers prayers and support to the Naismith family and friends on the passing of Mr Craig Naismith last Saturday. Craig has battled a rare cancer for the past 10 years or more and has shown tremendous courage and strength against all odds. We pray for his wife Fiona and children Louis (Year 5 at SPX) and Annaliese (Year 4 at OLD).

Craig's funeral will be held on Friday at 11.00am at St Clement’s Anglican Church Mosman. Please continue to pray for Craig and the Naismith family. May perpetual light shine upon him, may he rest he peace.

Remembrance Day Services

The College hosted a very moving Remembrance Day Ceremony on Friday 10th November. Such occasions have become a feature of the College in recent years and provide an opportunity for the entire community to come together and acknowledge the sacrifice of people in war.

We were glad to host our guests, ex-student Mr Jim FitzGerald who served in Vietnam, Mrs Ela Taranto, the sister of first day student Jacob de Sisto, killed in action in 1944 on Bougainville and another ex-student and greatly valued member of the College community, Mr David Bradley, who has been a staunch supporter of these ceremonies. He attended with his partner Lesley who was proudly wearing the medals awarded to her father for serving in the First World War.

In addition, another long term supporter and ex-student Mr Phil Chaplin attended. Chaplin Oval is named after his father in recognition of his support for the College. Also attending was Mr Ted Myers who played in the inaugural Christian Brothers’ Old Boys Rugby Club in 1946. 

College Vice Captain, Nikita Papastamatis delivered an excellent reflection on the occasion which can be found below. I thank all concerned with this event.

St Pius X Student Leaders Represent the College at Chatswood RSL Garden of Remembrance Commemoration 11/11/2017

The College was well represented at the Chatswood RSL Remembrance Day Ceremony last Saturday 11th November. Although many of our Junior Class and House Captains were on ISA/IPSHAA Saturday sporting duties, the wreath was solemnly laid by 5 Gold Class Captain Max Forbes, Year 8 Rice House Vice Captain Alex Hannam, Year 9 MindMatters Team member Daniel Fileman, Year 10 Barron House Vice Captain Kieran Zucconi and College Vice Captain Nikita Papastamatis who joined Mr Coauni at the beautiful Chatswood Garden of Remembrance.

The ceremony was a significant one led by Mr Garry Brigden and Mr Barney Flanagan of Chatswood RSL and attended by Willoughby Mayor Gail Giles-Gidney. Also in attendance was Daphne Dunne whose first husband Albert Chowne was a local boy awarded the Victoria Cross, the highest British and Australian army award for valour, for his actions in Papua New Guinea. He is buried in Lae Cemetery, PNG, and the Willoughby Park Memorial Hall is named after him.

After the ceremony we were able to chat with Mrs Daphne Dunne who although well into her nineties, was able to recount her and Albert’s stories to the students. Recently she met Prince Harry on his visit to Sydney.  Like the De Sisto sisters who attend our College Remembrance Day Ceremonies, she was also very excited to learn that we will again visit and pay our respects at the Bomana War Cemetery next June on our Biannual Kokoda Expedition. Prior to hiking the Track in 2018 we are planning an SPX Kokoda Expedition Advance Party Immersion to the Christian Brothers run Callan Services Disabled Education Schools in Port Moresby. 

Fittingly the SPX Kokoda Track Expedition 2016 party included as one of its strongest members Declan Langreiter (Year 10) whose Great Uncle Flt Sgt Anthony Gillespie lost his life in WWII, and to whom our College Foyer Honour Board is dedicated. Pte Jacob De Sisto is honoured by a plaque in the Junior Playground and the Flagpole beside our Lone Pine. Such tangible links commemorating the past and educating our students to the tragedy of war are important and are testimony to the work of our College Historian Mr Tony Cunneen.

Meeting with the Bishop

On Wednesday 13 November four members of the newly elected Student  Leadership Team represented the College at the Broken Bay Secondary School Leaders' Gathering at Canisius College, hosted by Bishop Comensoli. The Bishop spoke inspirationally to the assembled young leaders about servant leadership before leading them in a celebration of the Eucharist in the Canisius Chapel and symbolically commissioning them as leaders of the Diocese.

The gathering was attended by representatives from schools across the Central Coast, North Shore and Northern Beaches and was a fantastic opportunity for structured discussion about topics relating to faith, leadership and morality. It also provided a chance to meet, converse and network with fellow leaders from schools within the Diocese. Thanks must go to Mr Batchelor for accompanying us to the event.                                       

Daniel Hall - College Captain

ISA 2017 Service Award for Mr Matthew Stearn, Senior Sportsmaster at St Pius X College

• Head of Sport at St Pius X College:   2008 to 2017 - 10 years
• ISA Cricket Convenor:   2012 to 2017 – 6 years
• ISA Representative Rugby Coach:  16B’s in 2008, 3rd XV in 2009 and 1st XV from 2010 to 2013 - total of 5 years
• ISA Representative Opens Rugby Selector: 2013 to 2017 – 5 years

Photo:  Dr Peter Cornish, inaugural Chair of the ISA presenting

Mr Stearn with his award.

 Presentation Speech by Mrs Annette Gee-Maclaine - ISA Director of Sport:

Mr Stearn has established himself as a respected educator, organiser and a man of passion for sport and fair play.  He has shown dedication and commitment to his school and the ISA, he is a pleasure to work with.

He has been the ISA’s Cricket Convenor for the last 6 years.   As ISA Cricket Convenor, Mr Stearn has effectively conducted ISA Cricket throughout this time.  

Not only has Mr Stearn led ISA Cricket, but in his first year at St Pius X College, he willingly became involved in the ISA Representative Rugby program as a coach.  First coaching the 16B’s in 2008.  In 2009, he took on the 3rds and then for the next 3 years the ISA First XV. 

Since 2013, he has been on the ISA Open Representative Rugby selection panel, giving, to date, 10 years of service to the ISA Representative Rugby program.

Like all our sports, Rugby has undergone competition structural changes.  St Pius X College accepted the joining with St Gregory’s College to allow a home and away structure.  Mr Stearn’s influence and support in this area and subsequently his school’s, greatly assisted in the reduction of the number of unmatched and mismatched fixtures in the Division 1/3 rugby competition. 

In the role of ISA Cricket Convenor, he communicates regularly and effectively with the ISA Office. 

St Pius X College is fortunate to have you as their Head of Sport and in recognition of your contributions to the Independent Sporting Association, in particular, to ISA Cricket and Rugby, the ISA awards you the 2017 Service Award.                                                                    

Exams

The students are continuing with their assessments and exams and the school is working very solidly at present.  I emphasise with parents that there is still much learning to continue after exams and right through to the end of the term. Parents are asked not to take students out of school before the end of term. The final day for Years 5 to 10 is Wednesday 5th December.

2018 Student Leadership Team Speechcraft Graduation Dinner

Last Monday night featured the culmination of our Student Leaders' Speechcraft course when our Student Leadership Team hosted over 66 Parents and Students to a dinner at Chatswood RSL. The skills in public speaking and presentation developed by our 12 Prefects, four House Captains, two College Vice Captains and College Captain Daniel Hall were on show as they practiced their speaking skills, techniques and learning through a range of speaking situations and contexts. The student leaders have chosen various year groups and portfolios including Mission, Learning, Cultural and Sustainability, and Wellbeing on which to focus their Leadership in 2018.

The Speechcraft Course is generously funded by the Old Boys Association who identified the ideal of developing our students’ ability to express themselves publicly in a range of contexts and life situations following ex-student Liam Knight’s formation of the White Knight Foundation against violence in the community in 2014. 

Mr John Couani - Principal