Student & Parent Matters

• Tuition Statements for Term 2, 2018
• Bus Route & Timetable Changes from 6th May​
• From the Head of Student Services
•  -   ANZAC Schools Remember Commemoration
•  -   Kokoda Immersion
•   -   ANZAC Day Ceremonies
•   -   Students and social media
•   -   Student Diary Planners
• Kokoda Track Expedition 2018
• -  Participants' Training Hike
• -  Fundraising for Callan Services PNG
• Public Speaking & Debating
• Chess
• School Zones in operation this Friday 13th April
• Travel Concession Cards
• Holiday Programs

Tuition Statements for Term 2, 2018

Tuition Statements for Term 2, 2018 will be emailed to all families at the end of this week.  If you do not receive your statement, please contact the Finance Office urgently at fees@stpiusx.nsw.edu.au.   Unless you have a payment arrangement in place with the College, payment is due by 1 May 2018.

Mr N Carson - Business Manager

Bus Route & Timetable Changes from 6th May

We have been notified that as from Sunday 6th May there will be changes to a number of bus routes and timetables to reflect customer demand and improve the reliability of services. These changes impact both school special and regular route services.

To ensure all students are aware of any change to their travel patterns, please go to  www.transportnsw.info to check timetables. New timetable information will be available from Monday 23rd April 2018.

From the Head of Student Services

ANZAC Schools Remember Commemoration

The NSW RSL supports an Annual Commemorative Ceremony at the ANZAC Memorial Hyde Park run by schools for students. This year, marking the Centenary of the cessation of WWI and the Battles which made Sir John Monash and the Australian Imperial Forces famous as a highly effective fighting force of immense pride, courage and determination to succeed, St Pius X College was afforded the great privilege in taking a lead role in this very public event.

Year 11 student Oliver Tysoe joined Sarah Brannan from Mercy College in leading the Ceremony, each wearing their Great Grandfathers’ medals, hard earned on the battlefields of Northern France, Middle East and the Pacific, from 1916 onwards. Year 11 House Vice-Captains Liam Kerlin, Nic McLachlan and Tom Hunt fulfilled the roles of Flag Orderlies with their Loreto student counterparts, raising and lowering the flags to half-mast with appropriate solemnity and respect.

Our Year 5 – 10 Class and House Captains joined our 2018 Kokoda Expedition and Callan Services Immersion participants and Mr David Reay in representing St Pius X College at the Service and were highly commended on their presentation and conduct to, from and at the event, by all accounts and sources.

Oliver was joined on the podium by the NSW Premier Ms Gladys Berejiklian, Minister for Education Mr Rob Stokes, State President of the RSL Mr James Brown, Secretary to the Governor of NSW Colonel Michael Miller, CEO Catholic Schools NSW Mr Dallas McInerney, Association of Independent Schools NSW Chief Executive Dr Geoff Newcombe and Secretary NSW Dept of Education Mr Mark Scott.

The event is all the more special in that it is led by students for students and schools and features schools and students from all types of schools and faiths from across NSW. It commemorates the Service of all those Australians who have answered the call, and all who have suffered as the result of conflict and war. The message of remembering sacrifice, and the need to strive for peace, was a strong one, extolled by students and guest speakers alike.

Our thanks go to Mr Malcolm Hunt (Association of Independent Schools) and Mr Tony Macarthur (Catholic Schools) who supported our students in leading such a significant solemn commemoration ceremony so thoughtfully and fittingly.

Kokoda Immersion

Preliminary planning has been completed for the conduct of our Callan Services PNG Social Justice Immersion following our Kokoda 2018 Expedition in July with a proposed Itinerary below.  Our proposed Itinerary (subject to change with safety and opportunity for Social Justice) will be:

Saturday 7th July:  Whole group return flight from Kokoda Airstrip to Port Morseby visit Bomana War Cemetery (Jacob DeSisto’s etc), St Joseph’s Parish Mass Boroko and Expedition Dinner and stay at the Gateway Hotel Port Moresby.

Sunday 8th July:  Departing Group to Jackson Airport Port Moresby then Immersion Group to Tour City, Harbourside secure shopping centre for lunch, possible visit to Yacht Club and Harbour sights / St Peter Chanel evening Parish visit. Stay at Brothers House Erima.

Monday 9th July:   Visit Callan Services SERC Gerehu am.  Afternoon  visit to AFP facilities or suggested sites TBC.

Tuesday 10th July:  Morning visit to Jubilee Catholic Secondary College, Principal Bernadette Ove and Christian Brother Francis Toliman; afternoon visit to Parliament House, AFP facilities or suggested sites TBC.

Wednesday 11th July:  Visit to Callan Services Gerehu all day to run some activities and group teaching.

Thursday 12th July:  Depart Jackson Airport Port Moresby on equivalent flight (Qantas TBC by On Track) as main group.  Arriving Sydney via Brisbane approx. 8pm.

Nominations of participants are now due to Mr Brannan so that participants can be confirmed and bookings made on the appropriate flights through our travel coordinators at On Track Expeditions. Please contact Mr Brannan to confirm participation. 

ANZAC Day Ceremonies

As I pointed out last week, all students are encouraged to engage with their local communities this ANZAC Day to commemorate the Centenary of the end of WWI, and reflect on the lives and contributions of those who served and or suffered in conflict.

There is a Dawn Service at the Chatswood Garden of Remembrance, and 7am Service at the Obelisk, Club Willoughby (off Penshurst St or Crabbes St) on ANZAC Day.  There is also a Dawn Service at 3pm  at Forestville RSL on the Sunday prior to ANZAC Day. 

Any Kokoda Expedition participants or other students intending to attend these services or others please see Mr Brannan to confirm. We have a number of wreaths and book tributes to be laid / dedicated on behalf of the College, and as always our students are our best representatives. Please represent the school well in polished winter uniform where appropriate.

I communicated last week that in addition to our ANZAC Day commemorations, we hope later this year to mark the Centenary of Remembrance Day in a number of significant ways. I am seeking student expressions of interest in researching a presentation for our Immersion visit to Walgett in November. We would like to present on the contributions of local men and women who have served and particularly on indigenous men and women whose service to our country preceded their constitutional allowance to vote!  As always there are valuable lessons we can learn from History.

Interested budding Historians, and particularly those in Year 10 who may be involved in the Immersions this year, should see Mr Brannan or Mr Rodgers for a research brief and list of contacts and leads to pursue.

Photos from ANZAC Schools Remember Ceremony 2018

Students and social media

In addressing concerns with student behaviour and social interactions, through our Pastoral and Duty of Care of our students, we are increasingly encountering examples of both use and misuse of Technology and Social Media. Students are challenged to ensure that anything they say or post, in person or online, needs to be thoughtful, considered, positive and pass the "Mum" test, ie: Is it something that you would say in front of your own or someone else's mother without causing offence?  If not, think of a better way of expressing yourself.

It is useful also to be aware of what trends and communication channels are being used. To this end I include an information sheet below, which was sourced by our Acting Year 8 Coordinator for Term 2 Ms Alex Foord, who is a welcome and highly respected addition to our Year Coordinator Team. Last Year Ms Foord fulfilled the role of Wellbeing Coordinator for Years 9 and 10 with distinction and her care and concern for the wellbeing and development of our young men under her watch is unsurpassed.

Student Diary Planners

At this stage of the term with many assessment tasks in the process of being conducted, marked, feedback given, and staff engaged in producing Interim Reports for students and parents, it is prudent to take pause and gauge the quality of learning that is occurring for our young men. We will gather a focus group of students to evaluate and recommend improvements for our student Diary Planners for 2019, and it is important that this review process be based on effective use and considered analysis of the Diary Planners as a tool to support and “make visible” our learning this year.

As a minimum, all students should record in their diary planners each lesson's subject and a “learning prompt” to what they learned, homework given or direction for further learning / inquiry. This should be sighted and signed weekly by parents and staff so that an active engagement and dialogue around learning occurs. Between Terms 1 and 2 students should review the “Personal Learning Goals” on pages 20 to 23 of the Planner and update their progress in subjects and Term 2 Learning Goals on pages 48 and 49.

Overall we appreciate the contribution of all our students to the general wellbeing, respect and higher order learning which are evident throughout our school community. Our MindMatters principle is that ”we are all advocates for wellbeing”, and that wellbeing and positive health unde

Kokoda Track Expedition 2018

Participants Training Hike

Last Sunday 8th April 23 members of our St Pius X community walked the 17.2 km from Cowan to Mt Ku-Ring-Gai. Whilst the weather was warm there was a pleasant breeze along the many creeks and covered track.  A big thank you to all who attended.

Our next training hike will take place on 6th May (end Week 1 Term 2). The hikes are now serious and we will hike from Mt Ku-Ring-Gai to Cowan (17.2km).  It is important that all members of our group attend as many of these training hikes as possible. They provide an opportunity for us to gauge fitness, to share information and to address any potential concerns or issues before they manifest.  All members of the College Community are welcome to attend.

• When:  Sunday 6th May 2018
• Route: Benowie Walking track from Mt Ku-ring-gai to Cowan via Berowra Waters
• Meet: Cowan Train Station 7.30am (Car shuffle to Mt Ku-ring-gai) Depart Mt Ku-ring-gai 8.00am (Train from Hornsby arrives Mt Ku-ring-gai 7.46am).
• FInish:  Cowan train station 2.00pm (approx.) Students dismissed from Cowan train station under parental supervision.
• Need:    3 litres of water (no water on route), hat, sunscreen, lunch, Opal card, sense of humour
• Weather:  In the event of poor weather, please check the College App.

Last Practice Hike:   #7 - Sunday 3rd June 2018.  Please note that I will confirm the following hike as we move closer to the date.

I would also like to highlight our Fundraising for Callan Services in Papua New Guinea (see article below).  Can I encourage you to take the time to read the article and to either make a donation or share the following link on Facebook:

http://mail-track.everydayhero.com/track/click/30190481/give.everydayhero.com?

Many thanks to those who have already made a donation to this very worthwhile cause.  

Fundraising for Callan Services PNG

There has been a large amount of interest from parents and the College community in relation to fundraising for Callan Services in Papua New Guinea as part of our Immersion and Kokoda Track hike coming up at the end of Term 2.

Callan Services is part of our global Edmund Rice network and provides education, health & community based rehabilitation services for people with disabilities in PNG. Since its establishment in 1991 Callan Services has expanded and there are now 19 centres. Its work is having transformative and destigmatising effects on children with disabilities. In particular, its work in early detection and an inclusive education model can successfully integrate and transition some students with disabilities into mainstream classes – with some outstanding results.

The College community’s support of Callan Services assists them to continue their work in transforming the lives of those living with disabilities as well as their families.  Donations can be made online through the EverydayHero link below.

https://give.everydayhero.com/au/spx-kokoda-callan-services-fundraising 

If you have any questions or suggestions for further fundraising please contact me or Jane Higgins at the College.

Mr P de Silva - Outdoor Education Coordinator

Public Speaking & Debating

Information from Mrs Waterson can be found in the document below.

Mrs M Waterson - Debating and Public Speaking Convener

Chess

Attention all Junior, Intermediate and Senior Chess players!

This year we are going “green” and using trybooking as an electronic form of registering for Chess. If your son intends to play Chess this season can you please use the following link to confirm his involvement in co curricula chess: https://www.trybooking.com/USDR

The trybooking link is now open and closes 11.59pm on Thursday 12th April.

Please click on the flyer for information from Sydney Academy of Chess, for any of our keen players! 

Go to www.sydneyacademyofchess.com.au to check your Chess Rating or visit the Chess Shop.

Ms D Ramsey - Chess Convenor

School Zones Reminder

A reminder to all our parents ahead of the Term 1 break that school zones remain in place for the safety of our children and families.  School Zones operate on all gazetted school days, which are all the days the school is open, even pupil free days.  Therefore, be careful this Friday 13th April when your children have a pupil free day but schools are open.

Travel Concession Cards

Travel Concession Cards have been issued to students who are 16 years and over.  Students in Year 10 can ask Mr Pawlak for their card when they turn 16.

These concession cards permit students to travel at concession rate of fare on all Sydney Trains, State Transit and privately operated buses and government ferries.  The card will also entitle the holder to purchase a child/youth Opal card and a concession fare on NSW Train services.

Lost or damaged cards incur a $28 replacement fee.  Application forms can be obtained from the Administration Office.

Ms R Gaston

Holiday Programs

Macquarie University Holiday Sport Programs are now open for bookings for the April School Holidays.  Please see the flyer below for details.

GLENAEON Holiday Care Service offers alternative activities for the school holidays for families and we welcome children from all schools.  We also provide a program for children up to 14 years of  age during the school holidays.  Please click on the flyer below for details and program information.

NSW Office of Sport - Sport & Recreation Holiday Programs 

These programs provide kids and teenagers with the chance to meet new people while also trying a variety of fun sports and activities. Led by qualified instructors, parents can rest easy knowing their children are in safe hands. You can download the flyer and view the programs online as below:

• Download the Autumn school holiday program ad/flyer
• View programs online - sportandrecreation.nsw.gov.au/schoolholidays

Enquiries to sherilee.hemers@sport.nsw.gov.au or call 13 13 02.