Student & Parent Matters
MindMatters for Families

Jeanette James with Student Empowerment Team

From the Head of Student Services
MindMatters for Families
Boxercise - Open to ALL students

From the Head of Student Services

THE NATIONAL EDMUND RICE EDUCATION AUSTRALIA PASTORAL CARE & WELLBEING CONFERENCE

This conference, hosted last week by St Pius X College, St Edmund's Wahroonga, and the other EREA Sydney schools, provided an opportunity for our students and staff to showcase the great many structures, programs and strategies which we employ to enhance the connectedness and wellbeing of our students and school community. Our visitors were greatly impressed by the quality and range of our practices in this field, within which the reputation and respect with which St Pius X College is held has well and truly been enhanced among our EREA cousins.

We were well represented at the Conference by our inspirational School Counsellor Mr Rick Russo, Year 9, 11 and 12 Coordinators Mr Ticli, Batchelor and Mr Masters and Stage 4 Wellbeing Coordinator Mr Joe Lynch.

Generous reviews of the St Pius X College school visit of 60 conference delegates complimented the presentation of our PC/Wellbeing Programs coordinated by School Captain Joe Unwin, Wellbeing Prefects Daniel Butler, Nathaniel Panozzo, Daniel Warren, Matt Hall, Rory Beattie, Jacob Crisafulli and Josh Thrum. They were supported by Jack Moran, Harry Pfeiffer, Hunter Clarke, Oliver Stewart, Jonathan Stewart, Oliver Tysoe and James Spencer.

Staff assisting the students included Stage 5 Wellbeing Coordinator Ms Foord, Mindfulness Leader Mrs Doheny, Student Mindmatters Empowerment Team Facilitators: Mr McBrearty, Ms Allington, Ms Kuganathan, Counsellor Ms Joe McCarthy and College Archivist Br Carl Sherrin.

Mr Russo’s Boxercise team demonstrated the value of teamwork and exercise to wellbeing through their program while students such as Ben Cullen, Christian Dertadian, Harry Crowe-Mawell, James Bleasdale, Nick Cowie, Dennis Webber and the Year 9 – 12 MindMatters Student Empowerment Teams.

The conference concluded with a powerful address from Social Justice in Pastoral Care advocate Br Damien Price who inspired the social justice programs which led to several EREA students being recognised as The Young Australians of the year last year. Damien, along with past SPX Principal Br Mick Walsh, was again glowing in his assessment of the ongoing work of the students and staff at the College. It was indeed a proud moment for the College in a week in which we celebrated both the Feast Day of Blessed Edmund Rice and the 80th Anniversary of the College.

MINDMATTERS PRINCIPALS - INSTITUTE OF AUSTRALIA WEBINAR

Congratulations to our own inspirational College Counsellor Mr Rick Russo, who on the final Thursday of the recent school holidays, was asked to attend the Principals’ Institute of Australia Head Offices in Fouveaux Street, Sydney. Rick was a guest presenter and also led a MindMatters Webinar investigating best practices developed by St Pius X College in the areas of innovative student empowerment in the enhancement of student well-being.

As a leading school in these practices St Pius X College is highly regarded across the educational systems and there is a mass of interest in adapting our programs across a diverse range of educational settings as evidenced by the responses to Rick’s presentation. Components such as our Peer Support, Peer Mentoring, Student Empowerment Teams, Transition programs, Buddies not Bullies interactions and overall pastoral care and student support programs were all hot topics from the Webinar and we can be extremely proud of the esteem in which our College, students and staff are held.

Mr Sean Brannan - Head of Student Services

MindMatters for Families

Tuning into Teens' Workshops

Five-Session Parenting Course for Parents of Teens in Chatswood and Brookvale

Would you like to learn how to:

 Communicate effectively with your teenager?

 Understand your teenager?

 Help your teenager with emotional intelligence and managing emotions?

 Prevent some teenager behaviour problems?

 Teach your teenager to deal with conflict?

Please see the flyers below for details.

Tuning into Teens T2 2017 flyer - Chats Brookvale.pdf

Mr R Russo - College Counsellor

Boxercise

A reminder that Boxercise is held every Thursday and Friday morning at 7.30am in the Junior School playground. This MindMatters initiative provides friendship, fun and fitness to strengthen students’ resilience and general sense of wellbeing. Classes are free to all students.