Junior School News & Sport
Year 5 presenters at Assembly on 2 December
- Junior School News and Information
- Highlights from the Junior Resource Centre
- P & F Welcome Morning Teas
- Junior School Sport:
- SPX Rugby Supporters' Club AGM on Monday 9 December at the Sarto Centre at 7pm
Prayer/Reflection:
The Joy of giving
Somehow, not only for Christmas
But all the year through,
The joy that you give to others
Is the joy that comes back to you;
And the more you spend in blessing
The poor the lonely and sad,
The more of your heart’s possessing
Returns to make you glad.
John Greenleaf Whittier.
PRAYERS PLEASE
It is with much sadness (but with permission), I write to say that Sam Ferguson’s (Year 5) father, Kevin, is gravely ill with cancer. It is terminal and so I’m asking for prayers. Sam has a little sister at Our Lady of Dolours and Sam’s mum, Kristy is a teacher. Kevin has put up a very brave battle. Please say prayers for the Ferguson Family.
CHRISTMAS COLLECTIONS
Thank you to everybody who contributed to the two Christmas collections - the presents for Bowraville and the food hampers.
HEAD LICE
We have been advised of a case of Head Lice in the Junior School. Please would you check your son's hair and if required, treat appropriately.
Year 6 Retreat
We had our Year 6 Retreat at Oxford Falls. The 4 activities were:
- Reflect on their Primary school years
- Look to the future
- Explore what we are grateful for
- Remind ourselves of the importance of prayer in our lives
With the session on 'Being Grateful', the teachers initiated the conversation by watching a ‘You Tube’ video entitled, ‘Teenager Affluenza’, and then by the end of the session the boys made a gratitude chain. This could be a good conversation starter for Year 6 parents especially as we approach Christmas and the advertisers focus on the children to harass their parents for items. I would prefer if Year 5 parents didn’t show video as it will take away from the session next year.
Thank you to the parents who attended our liturgy at the end of the day. Thank you also to Mrs Iwatani who came up with the concept and then made it happen. It was a successful day.
Twilight at Christmas
Santa was our special visitor at this great event. Congratulations and well done to all the boys who participated in the evening. Sometimes it can be hard to stand up in front of a crowd, but all the boys performed wonderfully.
P & F EVENTS
A big thank you to all the organisers for all these events. A great effort!
- Year 5 Family Gathering
A wonderful gathering of SPX Year 5 families was held at the Longueville Sporting Club last Sunday. Here are some photos of our Year 5 boys celebrating the end of their first year at SPX. Thanks to Mr Long for joining us and thanks to all the Junior School teachers who have taught and supported our boys in 2019!! They have certainly grown up at lot this year!!
Sunday was a great event for the boys and their parents. A huge thank you to Cathy for her efforts in organising events for Year 5 this year with the great support of the Class Parents - Editor (alias Tim Long)
- Year 6 Graduation Family Gathering
Below please find some photos from the Year 6 family gathering
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1s-Fc-QB5I1iarzGQ6tFYsjzWDEDLHDzk
or
THANK YOU!! Year 5 and 6 Reps
UPCOMING EVENTS
Reports
Reports will be posted to the Portal tomorrow. Hopefully there aren’t any surprises by this time of the year.
Information on accessing your son's report can be found in the Parent & Student Matters page of this newsletter.
If you require feedback from the teachers, you can contact them on Friday or Monday. In the calendar it does say Friday as a contact day but we have swapped staff days and we now have a Spirituality Day and the staff won’t be on campus on Friday so if you do contact them on Friday, you will receive feedback on Monday.
PRIZE GIVING ARRANGEMENTS - last day of school - 5 December
Please note that the Junior School Prize giving presentation will commence at 12 noon on Thursday 5 December in the gym at the CHATSWOOD CAMPUS. The boys will not have sport on this day so will wear their Summer uniform NOT their sporting uniform.
The day is structured with:
10.00 am - End of Year Mass- Our Lady of Dolour’s Church
12 noon – till approx. 1.00 pm - Junior School Sport presentation
Approx. 1.00 pm till 1.30 pm – intermission (the boys need a break)
1.30 pm till approx. 2.45 pm – Junior School Academic Assembly.
If parents are going to the Sports and Academic Assembly, we will have tea and coffee at the intermission between the two assemblies.
Year 7 2020 Textbook Information and Specific Year 7 Practical Information
If your son is going into Year 7, please click on the links for practical information and textbook information.
TERM 4 DATES
- Thursday 5 December – Term 4 concludes – Years 5 to 10 Closing Mass/Junior School Prizegiving Day
TERM 1 2020 - Some important dates
- Wednesday 22 January – Office opens</
Highlights from the Junior Resource Centre
This week’s highlights are:
‘Tis The Season ….for celebrating the arrival of new books in the JRC for summer holiday reading. Three of the biggest children’s titles have arrived. Wimpy Kid will be a huge hit, the new David Walliams, The Beast of Buckingham Palace and The Wings of Fire Series by Tui. T. Sutherland.
Sizzling Summer Hints for reading at home
Reading to and with your child can be a very special time spent together.
Set a regular time to read each day. You might even set a timer.
Talk about the book as you read – think of this as a discussion not a set of formal questions.
Match books with family activities
Always carry a book
Have a family reading time
Consider reading the library book yourself so you can connect with your child and the books they enjoy.
Drawing Competition
Congratulations to the following boys, John Badger-Rahme, Matthew Yee and Ethan Auer - winners of the Manga drawing competition.
Mrs Martin's Book Trail
All I want for Christmas is Rain by Cori Brooke, Illustrated by Megan Forward
An Australian Christmas is threatened when drought takes hold. A little girl has only one wish - for rain. Will her wish come true?
Dedicated to Aussie farmers, and an antidote to the commercialism of Christmas, All I Want For Christmas is Rain is an uplifting story about one girl's selfless desire to ease the strain on her family and community at this special time of the year. #MrsMartinsBooktrail2019
As the year closes, I would like to acknowledge our wonderful Library Monitors; they were a huge help ensuring all aspects of the library ran well. Looking forward to 2020, with lots of reading, author and illustrator visits and of course Book Week!!
Finally, to all the students who borrow and return their books each week – THANK YOU.
Happy Reading!
Mrs Elena Martin - Junior Librarian
P&F Welcome Morning Teas - You're Invited
Touch Football
The SPX Junior School has greatly enjoyed the addition of Touch Football in Terms 1 and 4 as a new summer sport. Thanks to Mr Ure for being a fantastic coach for our boys. Here are some photos of the Junior School Touch Football A and B teams at their last 2019 game.
Cathy Thomson - Touch Football parent
SPX Rugby Supporters' Club AGM
The Rugby Supporters' Club AGM will be held on Monday 9 December at the Sarto Centre, commencing at 7pm.
Paul O'Neill - President SPX Rugby Supporters' Club
Tel: 0418-634750