Pastoral Care

• Year 9 Ceroc Dance Workshop
• Senior Student Leadership Speechcraft Course
• 2020 Student Diary Planner preparations

Student Wellbeing Anecdote from the Diary

“There is no short cut to any place worth going”

 

Year 9 Ceroc Dance Workshop

The Annual Year 9 Ceroc Dance Workshop with Brigidine College was a great success last Thursday with our students again making up for our rapidly improving dance coordination with great inclusive manners in hosting Brigidine College Year 9 to our Oxford Falls Campus. The Brigidine staff (including former SPX Religious Education Coordinator: Mr Bill Gleeson), and students were deeply impressed and highly appreciative of the way our students conducted themselves. A huge rap to our student leaders who led our prayer, acknowledgement of country and efficient running of the day: Jack Thornton, Harry Melloy, Nick Lough, Harry O’Brien, Ronan Crispe and Ben Cullen.

The highly coveted Best and Fairest dance award for 2019 was taken out by an impressive performance from Ja Nastys and his partner but accolades must be awarded to all our students who rose to the occasion and really worked hard to integrate with our guests and improve their dance movement skills throughout the day. So much so that by the end of the day not all the dance partners were having to be led by the Brigidine dancers, who no doubt on average have significantly more dance training!

 Some notable quotes recorded by Ms Waters on the day.

“I’m a born natural.” Isaac Kugel

“Don’t fall over in the final, we’ve gotta win the chocolate!” “Well don’t drop me then!” Zac Low and Partner 

“Look, I’m Dancing With the Stars Material.” Harry Melloy 

“I’ve never won an award like this. I’ve only ever danced in my bedroom!” Ja Nastys

“I am pretty happy today.”  Were you nervous about a day of Dancing?  “No, I was looking forward to it.” Peter Yastreboff

Ceroc Dancing and the St Pius X – Brigidine College connection were the real winners!

Thank you to the staff who gave up valuable marking time at this stage of the school year to facilitate this rich learning experience for our students:  Ms Waters, Ms Loughman, Mr Quinn, Mr Lynch and Mr Yue.

Speechcraft Course

The Senior Student Leadership Team has been participating in a public speaking course over the last few weeks. The course is designed to prepare the students for public events and at times when presentation skills are needed. It is generously funded by the Old Boys Association. Oliver Lenehan, Cultural Prefect has shared his thoughts on the Speechcraft course.

‘The Speechcraft course has prepared all of the Prefects for leadership in 2020. It taught us about posture when speaking, the tone of our delivery and techniques for staying calm such as deep breathing and plenty of practise. But there is only one way to be truly calm and confident, and that is to take up every opportunity to speak. The skills learnt from the course not only prepare us for leadership in the school, but for the HSC and life beyond. Whether it be jobs in teaching, coaching, speaking or performing, the skills learnt are invaluable for being able to present your case in the connected world. The knowledge and experiences gained will open up opportunities for us to teach others these skills, and give us the confidence to do things we didn’t think we could. All of the Leadership Team are extremely grateful for the chance to take part in the course. We thank Ms Janes, Mr Brannan, Mr Couani and particularly the Old Boys' Association for providing the means for us all to take part.’  Oliver Lenehan Year 12

Donna Janes

Year 12 Co-ordinator

Student Diary Planner 2020 Preparations

Thank you to our student representative Reconciliation Action Plan Committee including Connor Ryan, Ben Cullen, Ronan Crispe and Caleb Hanrahan who have all been working to source / develop a student written St Pius X College Acknowledgement of Country, Aboriginal representative-based prayer and appropriate artwork to support the EREA Touchstone Aboriginal Artwork and Symbols which will be included in the Student Diary Planner next year.

I am proud to relay that St Pius currently is a highly regarded advocate of Reconciliation Actions to address the growing ground swell for inclusion of First Nation's history, heritage, culture and spirituality in our community.

Moves are also currently afoot to determine the viability of a re occurrence of The Red Dirt Expedition to Rural and Remote NSW in July 2020.

Any additional student voice and input in the planning for our 2020 Student Diary Planners is warmly welcomed. Please see any of the team above or Mr Brannan on his return from Bowraville Immersion next week.