St Pius X College Newsletter

Learning Support

& Enrichment

Da Vinci Decathlon – Congratulations on SPX Wins

  • Hand Injuries - Support for Exams and Assessments
  • Participation in the 2018 NSW Philosothon​
  • Da Vinci Decathlon – Congratulations on SPX Wins
  • Local programs can support your son’s learning at school
  • Learning Difficulties Parent Helpline
  • Junior Maths Drop-in Centre
  • After-school Study Program
  • Maths Drop-in Centre

Hand Injuries - Support for Exams and Assessments

Please let the LSE know if your son has a hand or arm injury and requires support for exams and assessments.

Dear Parents and Carers,

The LSE team is noticing a significant increase in hand and arm injuries amongst the senior boys this term, whether from sport-related or other causes.  If your son has suffered such an injury, which affects his ability to write in an exam or assessment task, please do let his Year Coordinator or the LSE Department know earlier, rather than later.  This is so that we can provide scribe/writer support or other supports to assist him as needed.

 

So that we can provide the most appropriate provision/s under the circumstances, please scan and send in a medical confirmation/certificate or x-ray report, and let us know the following details:

  • What is the injury, to which arm, and is he right or left hand dominant? How will the injury impact him during school, and particularly for exams and assessments?
  • If he can handwrite to some degree, then would he prefer to handwrite for his assessment task but receive extra time to compensate for the slower speed?
  • If he can use a keyboard, he may prefer this to using a scribe? (Again, please note – this also includes extra time if needed.)

Many thanks for helping us to support your son at school,

The SPX LSE Team

Participation in the 2018 NSW Philosothon at St Andrew’s Cathedral School – 7th June, 2018

The Applied Philosophy class will be attending a “Philosothon” event this week, to explore the following exciting concepts. The Philosothon is not just a competition between schools. Nor is it just for students who are ‘really, really smart’. The educational agenda behind Philosothons is about helping all young people to think for themselves. The Philosothon Project is co-ordinated by the Federation of Australasian Philosophy in Schools Associations (FAPSA) and is the result of a generous grant provided by the Templeton Religion Trust. Over the next three years a variety of grant opportunities will be made available to schools to help them promote critical, collaborative and creative thinking skills by establishing new Philosothons and participating in existing ones. Other grants will be made available for academics, teachers, and schools (more details may be found on the website). The Philosothon Project prioritises the needs of remote and regional schools and schools in low socio-economic areas. SPX will join the 300 schools participating in Philosothons this year.  

Please click below to read the full article.

Participation in the 2018 NSW Philosothon at St Andrew.pdf

Da Vinci Decathlon – Congratulations on SPX Wins!

Congratulations to all seven of our St Pius X College Da Vinci teams (that’s 56 keen, creative and competitive boys!) who competed in the Da Vinci Decathlon Competition, held at Knox Grammar School last week, over three days:

  • May 22nd -  Year 7-8 teams
  • May 23rd – Year 9-11 teams
  • May 24th – Year 5-6 teams

The schools that we compete against at Da Vinci include many competitive, high achieving schools in Sydney and Canberra, and there were over 1300 students participating on each of the days.

The competition is developing internationally and growing as an authentic forum to build time-trialled critical and creative thinking skills in students from Years 5-11. It is all about getting children to problem solve, and is a testament to inquiry-based learning, with creativity and innovation skills being developed as these are the learning strategies and skills that all students need to take into the 21st Century in order to thrive as outstanding global citizens.

All teams set out early each day, and undertook in teams, an action packed day, full of difficult challenges, designed by ex-decathaletes to test our critical and creative thinking skills. Everyone in each team had a speciality, with the tasks ranging from Engineering, Maths, Drama (called ‘Creative Producers’), Philosophy (called ‘Ideation’), English and Spelling, Art and Poetry – involving tasks that required teams to design an artwork that matched a poem they had limited time to write.

Special congratulations go to each of the St Pius teams in each of the three divisions, whose superb teamwork, pooled knowledge and creative-thinking skills resulted in Pius winning First Place in General Knowledge (Year 10-11), and Third Place in Ideation (Year 6 team).  This was a SUPERB effort, and we particularly congratulate “Team Cameron” which, under the amazing leadership of Cameron Fernandopulle, displayed such productive teamwork to secure their victory.

The overall theme of the Decathlon was “The Unexpected” and Year 7-8 division was “unexpectedly” given an additional impromptu challenge on the opening day of the Decathlon, which they won. It was an anti-chocolate slogan challenge, and Max Leo, the English expert of the team, inspired a zinger: “It’s nothing more than the sweet sensation of manipulation”.

Overall, the Competition was a fun and challenging experience that reinforced skills such as, teamwork, creativity and cooperation.

Thanks and congratulations to all teams, and their coaches – Mrs Spanyik, Mrs Waterson and Ms Raheb-Mol.

Local programs can support your son’s learning at school

LearnFast is a program established in Australia and New Zealand, since 2007. Its aims include bringing Fast ForWord and other neuroscience-based programs to students in the home setting and in schools, and professional speech pathology and other clinics. The focus of these programs is overcoming learning and reading difficulties, and helping children achieve their potential through strengthening memory and executive functioning. The creators of the program are based in Lindfield and Pymble, which means they offer local programs, including the following which may be of interest to parents who wish to support their son’s learning through external programs:

For primary and high school children

For English language learners

  • Build English Fast program - uniquely targeting the phonemes of English to build the foundational skills required for all literacy

LearnFast also provide useful and FREE e-resources from time to time, and are happy to take your queries – phone 1300 203 104. See attached for your free copy of their Role of Working Memory ebook.

The_Role_of_Working_Memory_ebook_2018.pdf

Learning Difficulties Parent Helpline – (02) 9806 9960

This is a FREE service and an easily accessible telephone resource, available throughout the school year, and provided by the Learning Difficulties Coalition NSW. Supported by NSW Department of Education, this service provides telephone advice, support and referral information about students with special needs (aged 5-18 years) – for the interest of parents/ carers and teachers.

Junior Maths Drop-in Centre

The Junior Maths Drop-in Centre will run each Friday morning from 8:10 – 8:45am. Boys may choose to bring along their maths questions, problems or homework. Alternatively boys can simply attend and work on set tasks provided by the teacher.

All Junior School boys are welcome to attend, on a regular or occasional basis, as it operates from Week 2 of each term. Please meet Mrs Barrett outside the Junior School Learning Enrichment Room at 8:10am on Friday mornings. Parents are encouraged to motivate your sons to attend and make good use of this resource.

For any queries about Junior Maths Drop-in, please contact Mrs Barrett at BBarrett@stpiusx.nsw.edu.au.

After-school Study Program

AFTER SCHOOL STUDY PROGRAM.pdf

Maths Drop-in Centre

MATHS DROP IN CENTRE.pdf

 

Ms J Raheb-Mol - Coordinator, Learning Support and Enrichment