Junior School News 

• From the Head of the Junior School
• Junior School Sport

From the Head of the Junior School

We thank you Lord, for this term.

For the challenges, the successes, and the mistakes from which we have learnt.

Be with us as we spend our time with family and friends.

Give us strength and courage to do what is right: to be witnesses of our faith.

Help us to be a practical Christian these holidays, to appreciate what others do for us,

to give time and effort to help others.

To be peacemakers in our family.

Keep us safe in our activities; give us good rest and good fun.

Bring us back refreshed and ready for a new term.

We thank you for our classmates, teachers, parents

And a community that cares for us.

May we always be conscious of you in our lives.

Amen

Merit Awards

Congratulations to last week’s Merit and Blue Award winners:

State of Origin

State of Origin excitement has reached fever pitch in the Junior School this week.  The Queenslanders were first to get up the maroon bunting, which prompted a quick, but impressive response (5 stars Harry Layton!) response from the Blues’ supporters. Everyone looked fantastic in their jerseys and beanies and were thrilled to have the opportunity to fly the flag for their favourite team for the day.  We are all very much looking forward to seeing who has bragging rights in the morning!

Go Queensland!      

Semester One Reports

Semester One reports will be issued on the portal today.  Please take the opportunity to read through your son’s report prior to Parent/Teacher/Student interviews on Thursday or Friday.  Interview bookings close at 3:00 pm today, so please contact your classroom teacher by email if you didn’t get an opportunity to make a booking.

Dance Concert | Thursday 22 June at Oxford Falls 12:45 pm - 1:20 pm

Raw Energy Dance Education dance lessons will culminate in a final performance tomorrow at Oxford Falls from 12:45 pm – 1:20 pm.  Everyone is welcome to come along and watch the boys perform.

Blue Fide Awards | Tomorrow at Oxford Falls 1:30pm - 2:00 pm

After the Dance Concert, we will present Blue Fide Awards to those students (three from each class) who have shown “Consistent Effort Leading to Improvement” in Semester One.  Following the awards, the boys will be free to go home with parents or come back to the College at 2:20 pm for normal dismissal.

Parent/Teacher/Student Interviews Thursday 22 and Friday 23 June

Thank you to those parents who have already booked a time to meet with their son’s teacher. If you haven’t been able to secure a time that suits, please contact the relevant teacher to arrange a suitable time in Term 3.

Mrs Iwatani - Long Service Leave

We wish Mrs Iwatani all the very best for a well-deserved break in Semester 2 and look forward to her return in 2024.  5 Gold will be in the very capable hands of Ms Boyle who is already well-known to the class through her work with them throughout the year.

The Term in Review 

Thank you to those Junior School Class Captains (past and present) who sent me their reflections on the year:

I was the Class Captain in Term 1 for 5 Red. Firstly, I love the teachers here. They are so nice and respectful to me and my class. I also love all the fun adventures like our Milson Island camp and our Mary MacKillop excursion. One of the most exciting things I have done is debating. I love going to different schools and sharing what I have researched. 

Levi Azar, 5 Red

I was Class Captain in Term 2 for 5 Red. One of my favourite things at Pius was camp because I made so many new friends that I will surely keep forever. Another great moment out of my time at Pius this year has been being part of the College Orchestra. I am the youngest and the shortest in the group, but it is the best being able to play with people more experienced so I can learn stuff from them. 

Alexander Nunes, 5 Red

It has been a great term as Class Captain, I tried as many things as possible and would recommend doing that exact thing and making a goal like getting five badges or getting a Principal’s award.  There are many events that happened in Term 2, one of those was going to Mercy College and discussing community problems with Mr Balboa and Mercy and St Pius representatives.  It was a great experience to listen to how Mercy does things. Class Captain is a great experience and a great opportunity to make a good impression at St Pius. 

Nicholas Lindsell, 5 Blue

It has been a great term and we have learnt a lot. Firstly, I got a Class Captain badge! We have learnt how to make different rockets, how to make a bionic hand, learnt Chinese symbols and how to speak and write in Chinese. I have learnt coding in computers and how to create folders. We are able to do musical instruments which is good – now I know how to play an instrument. I have become a better artist and in English we have recently made a story of a Ring-Tailed Possum with a maximum number of words of 250 words for a Writing competition.  We have played many sports - my favourites are football/soccer, rugby, basketball, softball, touch footy, multisport, cricket and AFL. We have debating, chess and we have gone on some excursions like Mary MacKillop place and Milson Island for camp. We have done many fun events like the swimming carnival, athletics carnival, and cross country, which there are next levels for. Every Thursday we have done dance and sport training for the whole day at Oxford Falls.  St Pius term 2 has been a great experience and now the best part is a 3 week holiday.

Beau King, 5 Blue

Class Captains.  We are both honoured to be class captains at St Pius X College and we have had many privileges along the way, including a morning tea with Mrs Greenwood in the College Boardroom and even the opportunity to organise a jersey day today! 

Friendships.  Friendships this year have evolved rapidly.  Because many new kids have come this year, new friend groups have formed that will last a lifetime.  Even people who you had never met before are included and great friendships were formed immediately.

Life at St Pius X.  St Pius X College forms a tight knit community that we can all make friends in. We are all very proud of our school and are glad that we come here.  We are always lucky to have amazing teachers that help and care for us each day. Academics and sport are also treated as equally important and every achievement is recognised.  

Co-Curricular Activities.  In the Junior School this year, we have had the opportunity to involve ourselves in a number of fun co-curricular activities such as Saturday sport, robotics, debating and performing arts.  

Fun in the Classroom + Camp.  This year in Year 6, we were lucky enough to go on camp to Canberra. It strengthens our bond with many of our friends and what we learnt their tied in with our history topic very well. We have also had a great time in 6 Blue over the past semester and have completed many great activities such as a puppet play, making our own Kahoots with 6 Green, a Science incursion and even had a parent come in to talk about their life journey as an immigrant.

James Pratt and Rory Rapa, 6 Blue

The year so far has been excellent with lots of memorable moments that will be with us for the rest of our lives. The Junior School has had some full-on weeks like the week we went to camp. Times have been great like the athletics carnival, swimming carnival (Treacy have won all of them so far) and soon to come the RED ED performance (dance).

Leo Barnett, 6 Green

It has been a memorable and exciting year from the trip to camp, to our sporting carnivals. The semester has been action-packed with lessons and playing handball on the playground. The greatest thing about our school is the opportunities we get and the supporting teachers we have here. All of us enjoy the learning we get and the support we receive. Our year is only going to get better and grow to the best year ever.

Lachlan Yu, 6 Green

Here are five things I love about St Pius X:

1. The Library.  The library is the place to go if you are looking for somewhere calm and quiet.  I go there quite a lot.  It also has heaps of great books, Author talks, board games and more.
2. Co-Curricular activities.  I love the opportunity to do something different. For example, I have joined Debating and Chess.
3. Excursion.  The excursions this year have been so much fun, especially Camp and Mary MacKillop Place in North Sydney.
4. Oxford Falls.  This is the day when we can really let loose and get out all our energy.  It is an amazing place with a huge sporting ground and lately we’ve been dancing there.
5. Science.  We have been having fun designing our own Mars Lander and landing it safely.

Hugh Slack-Smith, 5 Gold

It has been a busy term to finish off a busy semester.  It has been wonderful to see our new Year 5 students settle into busy College life and to see our Year 6 students develop in their roles as senior leaders in the Junior School.  At the start of the year, I asked the boys to take advantage of every opportunity that came their way – to give everything a go - and the Junior School boys of 2023 have certainly taken on that challenge in the most impressive way.

Saturday Sport

I enjoyed being able to watch the U10As smash their way to a resounding 7-2 win against Coogee Prep last Saturday in Maroubra.  The game was drawn at 2-all at half time, so the boys put in a spectacular effort to come home with a big win in the second half.  Big thanks to Mr Burke and Mr Klarich who have been managing the team this season, and a special shout out to Aidan Burke for pulling on the Keeper’s jersey and keeping Coogee scoreless in the second half.  

COMING UP …

Thursday 22 June – Dance Concert at Oxford Falls at 12:45pm

Thursday 22 June – Blue Fide Awards at Oxford Falls at 1:20pm

Thursday 22 June – Parent/Teacher/Student interviews

Friday 23 June – Parent/Teacher/Student interviews

Friday 23 June – Pupil-free day 

Monday 18 July - Pupil-free day

Tuesday 19 July – First day of Term 3 

Wishing you and your families a relaxing and happy three-week break.  Sincere thanks for your on-going support of the Junior School.

Mrs Jill Greenwood - Head of the Junior School

Junior School Sport

Results - Round 7

Thursday Sport

After Recess we will head out to Oxford Falls to conclude our Term 2 Dance Program. Upon arriving, our boys will have a final rehearsal in their separate House groups to hone their routines, before gathering in the Christian Brothers Centre to compete for House points in the 2023 SPX House Dance-Off. Each routine will be heavily scrutinised by the Junior School staff, led by Chief Dance Adjudicator Mrs Williams. Boys are reminded that there will be no training for Saturday sport at Oxford Falls this week – just pack your dancing shoes and groove. Parents and carers are welcome to attend from 12:40 pm.

Looking ahead to Term 3

In Week 5 of Term 3, the trials for the Summer season will commence. Students will take up the same sport that they played in Term 1 - either Basketball, Touch Football, Softball, Tennis or Cricket. We conduct the trial process again to ensure your son is placed in a team befitting his skill and ability level, in time for the Summer season/Saturday games that will resume in Term 4. If you have any questions or issues, please make contact ASAP as the Term 4 Summer Draw will be arranged and finalised with our IPSHA colleagues in the coming weeks. 

IPSHA Athletics

Training will commence in Week 2 of Term 3 for a selected squad of track and field athletes chosen based on their results at the recent Junior House Athletics Carnival. If your son does not make the initial squad and would like to, then I am more than happy to discuss this with them. A letter will be sent to all those who are chosen outlining the key dates for training and a list of the invitational carnivals that will be held in the lead up to the IPSHA Carnival, which will be held on Wednesday 30th August at SOPAC.

Students Speak Sports #2

This week I was joined in conversation with Rice House Captain Matteo Borovac (6 Blue) to cover issues that are important to his and his peers in the world of sport. Matteo enjoys sport very much so because it's very fun and a good activity to do with your friends…it’s fun to play. Specifically, we discussed his application to Rugby Union and how he has benefitted from learning correct techniques associated with Union, and in particular the skill of tackling.

Favourite sport and why:

Rugby Union…because of the contact, and I love tackling and getting out there with my mates and having a good time on the weekend and representing school. When I'm standing in defense, they're running at me. You probably got to just get down low, and then make contact with your shoulder, wrap your arms around them and tackle them.

Favourite athlete and why:

Joseph Manu… He can play any position. I really like him. I like the roosters because they are a very good team. And as for State of Origin, Mitchell Moses has to step his game up. Since Nathan Cleary is out, he's definitely got to step it up.

Are there any sports you would like to try in the future?

Volleyball

Importance of Sportsmanship:

I think because if you're playing at that level, people will look up to you and if you do bad sportsmanship or just get in there and throw a punch, someone's just going to think, oh, that's dirty. People look up you, there's kids that admire you.

Pre-match meal:

I have weet-bix with sugar over them and banana. And I might have a Berocca as well.

Most memorable sporting moment so far at St Pius:

I think definitely going to Armidale with all my friends and representing St Pius and playing against all the teams out there. Very long drive. But it was a good time and a good experience for all of us. Yeah, that was definitely a highlight of my time at St Pius. And as for last weekend walking the First XV players on to Chaplin #1. That was amazing. There were so many people at the game supporting Pius. There were some St Pat's people on the other side coming to watch the game, supporting their teammates, supporting their friends, and I just think that's really good.

NSWPSSA Rugby League Championships

We wish Harrison Surplice (6 Gold) all the best as he competes for CIS in the NSWPSSA Rugby League Championships being held in Wagga Wagga this week. Twelve NSW teams will compete for honours over the course of the three day tournament.

NSWPSSA Australian Rules Football

During this holiday break Patrick Butler (6 Gold) will go into a training camp with the NSWPSSA team in preparation for the School Sport Australia Australian Rules Football Championships to be held in Albury in early August.

NSWPSSA Boys Netball trials

The boys who attended the Primary NSW Netball trials last Friday were amongst the nearly 100 boys from across the state who were vying for one of 10 spots on the State Team. Whilst all boys gave a tremendous account of themselves representing St Pius X, unfortunately we were unable to secure a place on the team. Nevertheless, by all accounts it was a great day to be part of something new and exciting in the world of Netball. I thank the boys and their families for taking them to the venue in support of their son.

COERVER Football camp is on during the holidays, from 26 – 28 June. We encourage footballers to take this opportunity to participate in this intensive football training during the school holidays. A bendy bus has been booked to assist with travel needs. We urge anyone wishing to book a place on the bus, to book and secure their place promptly. Active Kids vouchers can be used.  See the flyer below and book by the link: https://coerver.com.au/holiday-camps 

SPX Football Supporters Club - Supporters Day 

Saturday 22 July 2023 

This final Football Supporters Day at Oxford Falls for 2023, will raise funds for future coaching support for our football young men with our BBQ, Football Coffee and Bake Sale. 

Please support this club activity by signing on to the volunteer roster today:   https://signup.zone/gsJSyYippYGkA3wgB 

If you can support this club activity by contributing baked goods please email Priscilla on:  pleasepris@hotmail.com

SPX Football Supporters Club – Annual Social Cocktail Night

Saturday, 29 July, Greengate Hotel, Killara. 7pm – 11pm.

Join us for a really fun night mixing with the Pius football community – come and celebrate football with other parents, our Principal, teachers, coaches and Old Boys. It’s time to mark a great season and support the ongoing development of the school’s football program. Women’s World Cup Games will be playing,  enter the raffles and lucky door, enjoy the delicious food and celebrate the 2023 season of SPX Football.

Click here to buy tickets - https://events.humanitix.com/spxfootballcocktailevening2023 

Share this invitation with friends and family. 

Looking forward to seeing you all there.

Mr Ben Ryan - Junior School Sports Coordinator

Junior Rugby

This week was the final week of games for the term. The Prep Firsts remain undefeated in a valiant effort against Barker. It is always a tough game when we head out to Barker and in my opinion, it was their greatest win so far this season. All players demonstrated determination and played with the true St Pius spirit. The 11As faced a tough Waverly squad but despite the scoreline, Mr Ure reports that the boys showed good defensive structure and effort. The Rugby 7s team had two fantastic wins.  

The SPX Rugby Supporters Day was a great success. It was filled with enthusiasm, passion and a strong sense of SPX community spirit. Thank you to all of the families who showed their support on Saturday to watch the 1st XV in action. It was a special moment to see the Prep Firsts walk out with the 1st XV on Saturday.

SPX Rugby Club – Gala Dinner

Saturday, 22 July, Kirribilli Club from 6:30 pm - 11:30 pm.

Get your friends and side-line supporters together and come and join us for an amazing night with live music by The Meldrums, an interview with our Guest Speaker, Darren Coleman – Head Coach of the NSW Waratahs, and enjoy video content of our players in action including behind the scenes footage.

PURCHASE TICKETS HERE

The Rugby Committee welcomes all SPX parents and carers.

Please direct all enquiries to spxrugby@gmail.com.

SPX Rugby Committee

Interschool Snowsports Competition

The 2023 Interschool Snowsports competition will be held at Perisher Ski Resort from Tuesday 4 July to Friday 7 July.

The College has approved for students to enter this competition representing St Pius X College.  All participants enter this competition at their own cost and parents are required to sign a liability waiver form.

Parents will also be required to attend the event and meet volunteering requirements of the competition.  Further details of the competition are in the attached document.

Please contact Mrs Cathy Thomson on cathythomson7@gmail.com if your son (and family) is interested in participating in this competition.