Pastoral Care

• House Cup
• Refugee Week and NAIDOC Week
• Pastoral Care Reports
• Narrawannagali Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP)
• Reconciliation Action Plan Team
• Year 11 Student Empowerment Team

 Well-being Anecdotes from the Student Diary Planner

"Education is the most powerful weapon 

which you can use the change the world."

Nelson Mandela

House Cup

Overcoming significant adversity in our 2020 House Cup competition, we thank Ms McHugh and our Year 8 House Vice Captains who last week audited the student involvement in our Music Ensembles to award House Cup Points for students who are enthusiastically reinstituting our Music Programs.

Last week points additions were led by Purton:

Refugee Week and NAIDOC Week

This week being Refugee Week and NAIDOC Week following in our holiday break, it has been topical in the current global climate of social change to talk about the situations of the "First Australians" - the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and the "Last Australians" - refugees to our country, some of whom have been affected by rising sea levels in the Pacific Region.  The Edmund Rice Centre is a great source of research information on those topics for our students to become informed citizens.

The theme of NAIDOC Week, July 5 - 12 2020, will be "Always Was, Always Will Be." 

This theme recognises that the First Nations People have occupied and cared for this continent for over 65,000 years.

Pastoral Care Reports

As Pastoral Care staff complete their Semester 1 Reports this week, all students should be commended for the resilience they have shown in transitioning to and from on-line learning during the isolation period between March and May.  John Hattie, who is one of our leading educationalists, made the following observation in relation to on-line learning adjustments after the Christchurch Earthquakes.  Hattie asserted that: "Students and teachers actually adjusted better after returning from on-line learning because they focused particularly on what their specific learning needs were rather than too broadly across the curriculum."

In this context respected Positive Education Psychologist, Martin Seligman, on whose work much of our student diary planner psychology is predicated, would offer the following advice:  take a growth mindset to your learning growth by using the Permah+ Model - use Positive Emotions and gratitude, Engage Mindfully, develop Relationships and empathy with Meaning and purpose in what you do.  Celebrate Accomplishments optimistically using your Health well being and strengths. (Page 25 Student Diary Planner)

Narrawannagali Reconciliation Action Plan

In a broader climate of Global concern for humanity, this week we were able to celebrate some part in local healing, with official endorsement of our Narragunnawali Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) on the anniversary of our 2019 Red Dirt Expedition to remote NSW Communities: Warrumbungles, Coonabarabran, Baradine, Walgett, Brewarrina, Bourke and Dubbo. St Pius X College was recognised for integration of meaningful learning about reconciliation with our First Nations people in the broader curriculum. 

Some of the leaders who have authentically led us on this journey include Aboriginal leaders:

• Mr Stuart McMinn our Year 9 Camp facilitator
• Mr Professor Dennis Foley, Cammeraygal man
• Caleb Taylor, CBHS Lewisham education officer
• The St Joseph's Walgett and St Mary's Bowraville communities
• Ms Jayde Ward, Catholic Schools NSW State Manger and proud Gadigal Woman
• Ms Min Wilson, Wilcannia Forbes Aboriginal Education Officer
• Ms Jill Norton, Gammilleroi Woman and NPWS leader
• The Gibbs Family from Goodooga and the Edmund Rice Centre
• EREA Lets Talk, Myall Creek and Hospital Creek Massacre sites educational leaders
• The Glen Centre for Indigenous Health and Well being on the Central Coast.

Reconciliation Action Plan Team

Our student Reconciliation Action Plan team of Tyson McCallum, Caleb Hanrahan, Cavan Ryan, Conor Ryan, Ben Cullen, Ronan Crispe, Harry O’Brien, Jonathan Webster, Reuben Jacobsen and Ash Johnson.

Staff : Mr J Quinn, Mr F Mendez, Mrs J Williams, Mr R Balboa and Mr N Mulheron.

The 50 students and 10 staff who walked the walk on the 2019 Red Dirt Expedition.

The 2019 Bingara Willoughby Council exchange team: James Baldock, Nick Ward and Dom Pannozzo who visited the Myall Creek Massacre site to pay St Pius College’s respects in July 2019.

Year 11 Student Empowerment Team

It is timely at this point to recognise the students of our Year 11 Student Empowerment Team led by Mrs Joe McCarthy. Despite receiving a setback last week to one of their Website projects due to reduced funding and governance concerns, they have redoubled their efforts to lead the College in student well being initiatives such as: integrating help seeking within the existing College Website, Junior Student Brick Break program, and our upcoming RUOK Day, Respect for Women, Founder's Day, Harmony Day and National Day of Action Against Violence and Bullying activities.

Fide et Labore

Mr Sean Brannan - Assistant Principal, Pastoral Care and Well being