Pastoral Care

• Year 7 EREA Touchstone Induction Day
• Year 9 Pastoral Care
• Year 8 Pastoral Care Camp
• Student Diary Planners
• Parent Information Evenings
• Edmund Rice CIP Hours at St Anthony in the Fields land care initiative
• Cadets
• Vale James Gillespie - Much-loved Old Boy
• Counselling Team Welcome
• Individual Mentoring Years 5, 6 and 7
• Boxercise
• After-school study

Student Wellbeing Anecdotes from the Diary

“Happiness is the only thing that multiplies when you share it."

Albert Schweitzer

"Reduce stress and the fight of flight feelings through regular exercise; at least an hour a day."

Year 7 EREA Touchstone Induction Day

Congratulations to our Year 7 2020 (Year 12 2025) cohort of students who have settled well into their classes and learning over the first two weeks of Term 1. Last Friday they overcame the challenges of the wild weather to travel to Oxford Falls under the direction of the Year 7 Coordinator, Mr Greg Virgona, for an induction to Year 7 and community building exercises.

Our Year 7 Touchstone Induction Day sessions included:

1. Forming a community and making new friends across the Year 7 cohort;
2. Indigenous Australian awareness: First Australians, and custodians of the land;
3. Edmund Rice Education Globally: What it means to be an Edmund Rice Student at St Pius X College;
4. “Be You” Mindmatters games oriented at facilitating positive interaction between members of the Year 7 cohort.

Thanks go to the Year 7 staff who facilitated the day including Ms Zervakos, Ms Loughman, Mr Lynch, Ms Bryant and particularly to Br Carl Sherrin a proud Old Boy Christian Brother who led the Edmund Rice session, Mr Balboa our Social Justice Coordinator who led our Reconciliation Action Plan session and Mr Russo who led the community building "Be You" session.

Lastly well done to the students who have made an excellent and resilient start to their pastoral care journey through the St Pius Senior School with the support of their Pastoral Care teachers. Social Justice Posters and Letters to EREBB students overseas are now being completed in RE classes for us to email to our overseas schools. When she visits Uruguay in April, Mrs Mendez has kindly offered to hand deliver the letters to Stella Maris Uruguay and Mr Bruno Cazzulli who visited St Pius in 2018.

The Edmund Rice Education Borders connections continue to demonstrate we are part of something bigger!

Year 9 Pastoral Care

Year 9 Pastoral Care cohort have similarly made a positive start to the year, taking appropriate custodianship and care of the newly refurbished C Wing learning spaces. Their first Pastoral care session with Year 9 Coordinator Ms Denise Ramsay on Monday was a great beginning and focused on setting the goals to be achieved in Year 9.

Year 8 Pastoral Care Camp

Year 8 Pastoral Care period on Monday focused on the preparations for The Great Aussie Bush Camp in Week 7: 11- 13 March. Those students who will represent us at ISA Swimming Carnival on Wednesday 11 March will be excited to catch up with the group well in time for Thursday’s Adventurous Journey. Please see Mr Stollery or Mr Brannan to finalise details.

Student Diary Planners

All students have now had several weeks to become accustomed to the Wellbeing Student Diary Planners which have increased importance in the wake of the Mobile Phone Policy. Ensure you have signed off the ICT agreement on page 18, pencilled in your timetable, and as a bare minimum written a learning outcome for each lesson of each day. The Diary should be co-signed by students, parents and PC staff at the bottom of each week to assess learning organisation and progress.

Parent Information Evenings

Thank you to the staff, parents and students who attended Parent Information Evenings last week which were well organised by Mr Ticli (Year 11), Mr Pawlak (Year 10) and Mr Virgona (Year 7) respectively. Any parents who may have missed these opportunities for connecting with their son’s learning should consult the portal and discuss the beginning of the school year set up with their son. Please consult with your son’s pastoral care staff and Year Coordinator should you have any concerns or questions.

Edmund Rice CIP hours at St Anthony in the Fields Land Care initiative - Terrey Hills

Students who live in the Terrey Hills vicinity may like to take advantage of the Frenchs Forest Parish initiative on the flier below. St Anthony in The Fields Church is at 46 Myoora Rd Terrey Hills and their Land Care group offer 4 sessions of Eddie Rice hours on;

Sunday 23 February 3 - 5.30 pm

Sunday 5 April 3 - 5.30 pm

Sunday 21 June 3 - 5.30 pm

Sunday 20 September 20  3 - 5.30 pm

Please see the flier and registration sheet attached, or see Mr Brannan for further details

Cadets

The College has a proud history of supporting local cadet units including the College’s own Unit until its disbandment in 1985. More recently many of students have been involved with North Sydney and Hornsby Units which are both recruiting currently. If you are interested in receiving more information you can see Mr Brannan or Will Oner in Year 12 who is currently an SUO (Senior cadet Under Officer) for North Sydney Unit.

Fide et Labore

Mr Sean Brannan

Assistant Principal, Pastoral Care and Wellbeing

Counselling Team Welcome

A very warm welcome back to the new school year to all our SPX families.  Once again, we look forward to providing confidential emotional and social support and guidance for your son and family throughout this year.  Let me introduce our College counselling team and relevant contact information for your safe-keeping.

Mr Rick Russo

Counsellor (Full time Monday to Friday) working with students across all year groups.

Email:  rrusso@stpiusx.nsw.edu.au

Direct Phone:  9414-4359

School Mobile (in case of emergency):  0418-438-325

Mrs Joe McCarthy

Psychologist (2 days per week:  Tuesday and Thursday) working with students across all year groups.

Email:  jmccarthy@stpiusx.nsw.edu.au

Direct Phone:  9414-4322

Mrs Judy Gill

Psychologist (2 days per week:  Monday and Wednesday) working with student across all year groups.

Email:  jgill@stpiusx.nsw.edu.au

Direct Phone:  9414-4315

Throughout 2020 the Counselling Team, together with the Learning Support Team, look forward to providing CONFIDENTIAL support to assist your son to build his SELF CONFIDENCE / SELF ESTEEM AND RESILIENCE within a caring, supportive Catholic school community.  Please do not hesitate to make contact with any of the above team should the need arise.

Individual Mentoring for our younger students: 

Years 5, 6 and 7

The Well-being of ALL of our students at St Pius X College is at the heart of our Pastoral Care program and our voluntary mentoring program is an integral part of that program. Senior students who have all been trained in the peer support program, voluntarily elect to become a peer mentor to provide additional support and care to our newer and younger students in Years 5, 6, and 7. In brief, mentoring is an additional, one to one, non-judgemental relationship formed between a Senior student and a younger student during school hours to provide support and encouragement to our younger students. At St Pius X College, we implement the “Peer Mentor” program to build upon the concept of “creating connections” amongst students in an effort to promote “school spirit” and a caring “Christian community.”

These are activities held on a Friday afternoon after school and involve the generous time and assistance of several teaching staff.  These group activities include rock climbing, bush walking, kayaking, beach walking and paddle boarding.

First preference is given to students most in need of support in Years 5,6 and 7. This is usually nominated from a member of the Counselling team, though parents can make direct contact with one of the counsellors to confidentially put forward their son’s name for inclusion. Students who benefit most are those who do not have a regular male role model in their lives, and those who have been affected through death/divorce or low self-esteem/resilience issues.

Please feel free to contact Mr Rick Russo 9414-4359 rrusso@stpiusx.nsw.edu.au, Judy Gill 9414-315 or Joe McCarthy  9414-4322 to discuss the possible inclusion of your son in the well-being program.

The SPX Counselling team

Judy Gill, Joe McCarthy and Rick Russo

Boxercise

St Pius X College has a BOXERCISE program that runs every Thursday and Friday mornings from 7.30 am till 8.10 am in the College Junior School playground and School Gym. This program is voluntary and free to all students across all year groups. Students can attend one or both days, and are welcome to use the boxing gloves and mitts that have been supplied over the years by the generous support of the SPX Parents and Friends Association and the College Well-being budget.  This year’s senior leader is Harrison Clayton who collectively leads the 30+ boys who turn up every Thursday and Friday to join in the fun. His leadership and unfailing attendance at every session is typical of the high quality students who have benefitted from regular and a consistent exercise program.

Further details and information can be obtained from Mr Rick Russo on rrusso@stpiusx.nsw.edu.au or 9414-4359.

After School Study

After school study resumes in Week 3, on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday afternoons in E1, from 3.15 - 4.30 pm for Years 5 to 10 students.  All welcome.