Student/Old Boy Matters

MindMatters

• From the Head of Student Services:  Week 4
• Speechcraft Course Graduation
• The Class of 1986 Reunion
• Buddies Beach Walk - Friday 25th November (Founder's Day) for all Mentors & Mentees
• Bubbledome Holiday Courses:  Minecraft, Coding and Web Design

From the Head of Student Services

WEEK 4

Last Wednesday our Prefect Leaders and Mindmatters Student Empowerment Teams were addressed by Mr Couani on the Outreach opportunities provided by St Pius X College's status as an Edmund Rice Education Beyond Borders lead school. Mr Couani, who attended the recent EREBB Kolkata Conference in the holidays, made contact with the Leaders of Edmund Rice schools with whom our Year 5 and 7 students have been in Skype and email contact this year: St Mary’s Belfast, Northern Ireland; Stella Maris College, Uruguay; CBC Mt Edmunds, Pretoria, South Africa; St Anselm’s College, Birkenhead, England; Cardinal Newman College, Argentina; St Kevin’s, New Zealand; Callan Services Papua New Guinea and St Thomas More Collegiate, Vancouver, Canada.

An outcome of the conference was an agreement across Edmund Rice schools worldwide to conduct a shared Celebrate Mandela Day as an example of an inspirational leader and a man for others who led his people and acted at all times with dignity and thoughtfulness.

Our Mindmatters Student Empowerment Teams hope to begin educating our community about Mandela Day at the Founder's Day Festival on 25th November and continue this into next year.

Our Year 7 students have been requested by their Uruguayan Edmund Rice counterparts to continue their communication with Stella Maris College in Uruguay via video messaging. There are exciting times ahead.

SPX OLD BOYS ASSOCIATION SPONSORED SPEECHCRAFT COURSE GRADUATION

Congratulations to our 19 strong Student Leadership Team who completed their public speaking course in front of a dinner audience of parents and Old Boys on Monday night. It was an  entertaining evening and the students spoke eloquently to demonstrate the skills they have been developing since their Leadership Camp in August.

We were privileged to have Br Carl Sherrin, Patron of the Old Boys' Association in attendance, much to the delight of the Prefect Leaders with whom he has developed a strong rapport.

Others in attendance included Mr David Bullard ’82, President of the Old Boys' Association, Jeff Clarke ’86 Secretary and Br Dave Curtin ’68 along with Mr Couani and 51 students and guests.  In front of an appreciative audience, the students' demonstration of public speaking skills was admirable and our thanks go out to their facilitator Ms Maria Pantalone and the Old Boys' Association who sponsored the course in the interests of raising the lifelong communication skill standards of our student body.

CLASS OF 1986 REUNION

Congratulations to the Class of 1986 who celebrated 30 years since their graduation last Friday night at the Willoughby Hotel. Over 50 alumni were in attendance with several notable apologies including one from Captain Christopher Brown who was, at the time, landing his Jetstar Flight in Tokyo. SPX ex students certainly go places!

Mr S Brannan - Head of Student Services

Founder's Day Buddies Beach Walk

Save the Date:  Friday 25th November

The Buddies Beach Walk from Long Reef to Dee Why will take place after the Founder's Day event at Oxford Falls. This is a compulstory activity for all mentors and their mentees.  A letter will be sent home next week providing full details. Any parent assistance to help with catering will be greatly appreciated.

Mr R Russo - College Counsellor

Bubbledome Holiday Courses

Courses will run at Masada College starting from Monday 16th January.  There are 3 category options: Minecraft, Coding and Web Design. 

Go to the website http://bubbledome.com/index.php?city=27 to see what is on offer these summer holidays!