Student & Parent Matters

• Anti-Discrimination Board of NSW's Youth Forum at Waverley College
• Kokoda 2018 - 2nd Training Hike​
• ​From the Head of Student Services:

            - Remembrance Day

            -  Leadership with Integrity Forum

            -  Class of  1967 - 50 Year Reunion

            -  Prefect Speech Craft

            -  Year 9 Ceroc Dance    

• Bus Safety Brochure:  highlighting bus safety for everyone
• General Notices:  -   Helping Learner Drivers Become Safe Drivers
•  -   Pittwater Sports Centre Summer Holiday Workshops
•  -    St Joseph's College Spring Fair - Sunday 12th November

Excursion to the Anti-Discrimination Board of NSW's Youth Forum at Waverley College

The following are comments from the students who attended the Anti-Discriminatin Youth Forum:

“We arrived at Waverley College and were greeted by The ADB of NSW. The guest speaker Felicity Huntington began to explain to us what the ADB of NSW does for the community. She explained how the board started in 1977 and its main functions were to handle complaints, engage the community and be involved with the Australian Law reform. She also talked about the Anti-Discrimination Act of 1977 and how it was against the law to discriminate against someone for their Race, Domestic Status, Age, Disability/Disabilities, Sex, Homosexuality, Transgenderality, Carers’ Responsibility [Family] and Victimisation. After this we split into groups of fourteen and answered four questions we presented to everyone at the Youth Form.  All in all it was a great experience at an amazing school from which we learnt a lot.”                                                                                                                                                        William Thomson

“The day was enjoyable and it was great to be able to interact with people who were passionate about this kind of area. I would definitely do it again and recommend everyone to promote anti-discrimination.”

James Baldock

“Throughout the event it was a significant and valuable experience for us as students to hear the stories have definitions and legal terms of discrimination explained to us and to be educated alongside older students on the impacts and implications of Discrimination on society, culture and  the individual.”

Josh Jones

“All round it was a day full of learning about the troubles of minorities and even larger groups.”

Ashley Johnson

“After listening to the Anti-Discrimination Acts each group discussed their answers to the questions after we came in for a group picture and we departed.”                                                                                       Andrew Kim

“We were taught about the exceptions to the NSW Anti-Discrimination Act and the actions that are considered Vilification. We were spilt into small groups to talk about our experiences in discrimination.”

Nathan Byrne

“Discrimination is a virus with different acting components making it a disease difficult to conquer. Today helped us learn how to act and treat the symptoms and what is covered by the NSW Anti-Discrimination Board Act.”                                                                                                                             Adam Carpenter

“We learnt that the Anti-Discrimination Board is a free community service that you can go to if you are discriminated against. The Board takes complaints and confidently puts them through a process that will take both sides of the story and decide what the consequence should be.”                     Aidan Lonsdale

Ms M Waterson

Kokoda 2018 - 2nd Training Hike

The second of our training hikes is locked in for Sunday 5th November 2017.  We will be walking from Cowan to Brooklyn, 13.4km (one big hill).  This is an opportunity for all prospective participants to meet, prepare and to discuss all aspects of the Kokoda Track Expedition 2018.

When:  Sunday 5th November 2017

Meet:    Hawkesbury River train station (Brooklyn) 7.20am (Train to Cowan at 7.40am; arrive 7.55am)

Finish:   Hawkesbury River train station (Brooklyn) 1.00pm (approx.) Trains every 30 minutes to Hornsby

Need:    3 litres of water (no water on route), hat, sunscreen, snacks, OPAL card, sense of humour

In the event of track work we can do a car shuffle to Cowan. In the event of track closures due to controlled burns we will decide on an alternate route.

All members of the College community are welcome to attend these hikes.

Next Hikes

3.           Sunday 4th February 2018

4.           Sunday 4th March 2018

5.           Sunday 1st April 2018

6.           Sunday 6th May 2018

7.           Sunday 3rd June 2018

Please note that I will confirm the following hikes as we move closer to the dates.

Mr P de Silva - Outdoor Education Coordinator

From the Head of Student Services

Remembrance Day

Those members of the House Vice Captain Student Leadership Team listed below are requested to see Mr Brannan to confirm whether they are available to represent the College and lay a wreath at the Chatswood RSL Willoughby Remembrance Day Commemoration Service in the Garden of Remembrance, Albert Avenue in Chatswood at 10.35am until approximately 11.30am on Saturday 11th November.

Many of our School Leaders have sport commitments and thus we will be led by College Vice Captain Nikita Papastamatis (Year 11) who visited the Western Front Battlefields with the NSW Premiers Tour for the Anniversary of the Battle of the Somme in 1916. He will be accompanied by Daniel Fileman (Year 9) and other Student Leaders, House Vice Captains and College Representatives who are available.  Please see Mr Brannan after the Year 9 camps conclude this week to confirm your attendance status.

Leadership with Integrity Forum

Preparations continue with our Year 9/10 Wellbeing Coordinator Ms Foord organising our 2017 Leadership with Integrity student leadership forum on Monday 27th November at Oxford Falls.  Ms Foord has organised some inspirational guest speakers on the topic including:

• Dr John Honner of the EREA Council:  His father Lt Colonel Ralph Honner, was a child of the Great Depression, WA teacher and lawyer before inspirationally leading troops in WWII in the Middle East, Greece, Crete and Kokoda. Before a post war career in law in NSW and as Australian Ambassador to Ireland 1968 – 72.
• Greg Growden:  Renowned Rugby and Sports Journalist with the Sydney Morning Herald, Foxtel, ESPN and writer who Ms Keighery recently hosted at a Senior library writers guest breakfast to celebrate the release of his book on Brad Hogg and to encourage our students to develop themselves as writers of the present and future.
• Our own recent College Captain Stuart Maclaine who will reflect on his leadership journey and current status as a University Student and leader of the future.

At this point all of Year 7, House Vice Captains, MindMatters students and identified students from Years 8 and 9 will attend the day at Oxford Falls.  Please see Ms Foord for details

Class of 1967 50 Year reunion

Congratulation to the SPX Graduating Class of 1967 who held their 50 year reunion last Thursday at the Kirribili RSL Club. While their numbers are thinning out the spirit and friendships forged in Blue and Gold remain indomitable. The photos below shows each attendee last Thursday, and also with their school boy alter ego of 50 years ago.

Members of the cohort include Richard Lund who knows some of our staff from Hornsby Rifle Range Club and Bill James whose sons Richard and Andrew run On Track Expeditions facilitating our Kokoda Track expeditions of 2014, 2016 and 2018.

Prefect Speech Craft

Our Prefects and Student Leadership Team continue their hard work in honing their speaking and presentation skills for their tenure as school leaders. On Monday 13th November they will host a Speechcraft Graduation Ceremony at Chatswood RSL to practice their speaking skills in front of a “live” dinner audience.

Ceroc Dance

Year 9 Students will host Brigidine College St Ives at Oxford Falls on Monday 20th November to continue to hone their Ceroc Dancing skills as a part of the PDHPE Curriculum. The event also provides the opportunity for our young men to host our guests and run an event complete with welcomes, acknowledgement of country, prayer and thanksgiving.

Hopefully the skills in integrating with the girls on the dance floor can be replicated at lunch and recess breaks with chivalrous inclusive conversation not overridden by the need to take advantage of every second kicking a football around at Oxford Falls.

Mr S Brannan - Head of Student Services

Bus Safety

General Notices

Helping Learner Drivers Become Safe Drivers

FREE two-hour workshop in Chatswood on Wednesday 29th November, 6.30 to 8.30pm.

Pittwater Sports Centre Summer Holiday Workshops

including age specific activities such as Gymnastics, Basketball, Kayaking and Trampolining.

St Joseph's College Spring Fair

Sunday 12th November 2017