Learning Support
& Enrichment

Mrs Waterson and & boys on the GATSTA Philosophy Day

Thank you to our Parent-Provision Helpers
GATSTA Creative Writing Day, hosted by SPX
Touch Typing & Handwriting Classes for your son
Get familiar with NAPLAN – for interested students in Years 5, 7 and 9
After-school Study Program
Maths Drop-in Centre

Thank you to our Parent-Provision Helpers

The LSE Staff extend our thanks, on behalf of our Senior students, to Mrs Kathy Bradford (Mum of Andrew Bradford, Year 7) and to Mrs Aline Murphy (Mum of Dylan Murphy, Year 5). These wonderful Mums joined us in the LSE Department as Parent-Provision Helpers, and provided vital reader assistance to our Year 11 and 12 students with approved provisions, during the past week.

The boys involved have been undertaking mid-course exams and end of term assessments, and they expressed their particular thanks in the face of such a stressful and busy exam block. We are very grateful for your assistance, thank you.

If other parents and carers are able to volunteer their time during the school day, and you are interested in being a parent-provision helper, please visit our volunteers page on the SPX website: http://www.spx.nsw.edu.au/community/dsp-default.cfm?loadref=2266 , or contact Joanne Raheb-Mol, LSE Coordinator, via email: JRahebMol@stpiusx.nsw.edu.au

GATSTA Creative Writing Day, hosted by SPX

On the 27th March St Pius X Hosted a GATSTA (Gifted and Talented Secondary Teachers’ Association) “Reading to Write” all day session on Creative Writing. We were fortunate to have the library booked for the whole day and 60 students from 3 schools worked with the presenter, Mrs Anne McCallum, (Ex-President of GATSTA and Head of Enrichment at Ascham School for 30 years) to develop an understanding of the skill sets required to build rich, evocative imaginative texts. Student feedback from the day is in the attachment to this week’s Woodchatta and gives us an understanding of the depth of student understanding of the skills needed to write effectively.

The need to use language to persuade others is a powerful tool and valued in the external assessment tasks of NAPLAN and the HSC as well as a skill set that is embedded into the English Curriculum from K-12. The day’s focus was on how mood, structure, language and plot help to build an engaging short story. We undertook a detailed deconstruction and analysis of extracts from texts and summarised responses in groups. We then explored specific short stories for key elements: structure, characterization, setting, theme, subject, tone, mood, pace, word choice, sentence structure/rhythm and literary devices. We developed an understanding of how the crisis in a story is created and practiced writing to emulate the short story experts.

Thank you to library staff for providing such a wonderful working environment for the day.

What students explored at the CREATIVE WRITING WORKSHOP:

CREATIVE WRITING.pdf

Mrs Michele Waterson

Touch Typing & Handwriting Classes for your son

These are intensive small group courses, open to all students in Years 5-10, who are interested in improving vital writing and typing skills, which can only enhance performance at school. Each course involves one nominated afternoon per week for a block of 8 weeks, and is run by our experienced occupational therapist and registered provider, Anna Orchard.

For Term 2 2018, the courses will run for 8 consecutive sessions at a cost of $280.00 for students. All course sessions are held at St Pius X College.

Students who have attended these courses in the past and would like to again build on their skills, are also welcome to register.

ALL courses begin Week 2 of Term 2 (week beginning Monday 7th May 2018).

All classes run from 3.20pm – to 4.30pm and are held in LC1, D Block.

Once registered and enrolled, Anna will confirm and advise parents and boys about all the details closer to time.

See the flyers below for registration and enrolment details and send enquiries to anna.louise.orchard@gmail.com or JRahebMol@stpiusx.nsw.edu.au

Term 2 2018 HW Flyer.pdf

Term 2 2018 TT Flyer.pdf