Parent & Student Matters  

What's happening in the College? 

• Year 12 2021 Study Day #1
• A-Wing Renovation starts next week
• Science Club Report
• Click & Collect:  Books on Demand
• French Village Language Immersion Experience 2021
• Team Chatswood Tour de North Shore!

Year 12 2021 Study Day 1

Last Friday, Dr Prue Salter from Enhanced Learning Educational Services (www.enhanced-learning.net) ran a study skills session with Year 12 at Oxford Falls as part of their first Year 12 Study Day.  The session focused on helping students identify changes and improvements they could make to their approach to their studies in order to maximise their results in their final year of school. The main areas covered with Year 12 were working effectively in the evenings and dealing with distractions, managing time efficiently, planning for assessments, making brain-friendly study notes on a regular basis and using a wide variety of active study techniques to suit individual learning styles. Parents are encouraged to review the handout from the session with students and discuss the main areas identified where changes need to be made. Parents can also find extra study skills tips on the following website: http://studyskillstoptipsparents.com/.  All secondary students and parents at SPX have access to a great study skills website to help students develop their skills. Go to www.studyskillshandbook.com.au and enter the username: spx and the password:  25success. There are lots of useful handouts on the THINGS TO PRINT page on this site and students can work through the units where they need additional help.

Mr Bernard Batchelor - Senior Studies Coordinator

A-Wing Renovation starts next week

Following the success of the C-Wing renovation the College is very excited about the upcoming A-Wing renovation which will commence after the HSC on Thursday 12 November 2020.

This renovation will transform the A-Wing classrooms and Science Labs into best practice learning spaces for our students. They will comprise new furniture and technology as well as increased white board space. 

This renovation will incur short term disruption to the College, three weeks, with Builders' compounds occupying the Year 7 Yard and part of the Main Yard until the end of the 2020 Academic Year.

The A-Wing renovation will be completed and ready for the students in Term 1 2021.

Mr David Reay - Resources and Facilities Coordinator

Science Club Report 

This week in Science Club, the boys made their own wax wraps with Ms Ramsey. This involved heating some wax, jojoba oil and pine resin in a tray on some hot plates and infusing some colourful cotton fabric in the mix. They are then left to cool and dry and are then ready to use.

Wax wraps are a reusable and sustainable alternative to plastic wrap and single-use plastic. They have the ability to counteract environmental issues such as plastic pollution and food waste. They are breathable and allow food to stay fresh for longer, reducing food wastage. They are easy to care for by simply rinsing the wrap with cool or lukewarm water and detergent, then leaving them to air dry.

Mrs Joanne Schuster - Science Coordinator

Click & Collect: books on demand 

The A-Wing renovations will result in the closure of the Senior Library from 12 November. Students will therefore be unable to visit the Senior Library for the rest of the Term. 

Consequently, unlimited book borrowing in English Wide Reading session is on offer along with loans extended to 2021. As well, I have reminded students of our eBook & audio book collection, https://stpiusx.wheelers.co. Its monthly updates of all the latest new releases together with the growing preference of many of our students for eReading have seen our e-loan rates soar. 

During our closure, an innovative Click & Collect service will deliver books directly into students’ hands. Full details on this service will be sent to students via their school email. Students can log on to our online catalogue to make their request and books will be delivered by Homeroom Library Monitors. Students can return books to their Homeroom Library Monitor OR Student Reception Desk. 

Whilst our physical library is temporarily off limits, our digital library is always available. This library has a range of high-quality resources to support classroom studies and is on every students’ Senior Library Portal page. In addition, the ClickView Online video collection supports all subjects as well as recreational interest. Our current library display highlights the chance to “read the book & see the movie” on ClickView. Many boys report to me that they are keen to read the book after seeing the movie. 

Students can contact me using the Ask a Teacher Librarian service for help using library resources, creating Bibliographies or researching.

On behalf of the Library Team, I apologise to students for this disruption. The library is a popular destination and is always busy with sounds of students studying (individually or in groups) and reading. However, I am confident the memory of this temporary inconvenience will fade when greeted with A-Wing’s contemporary learning spaces in the New Year.

Mrs Karen Keighery - Senior Teacher Librarian

French Village Language Immersion Experience 2021

NACEL Australia and Alliance Francais are offering students a wonderful opportunity to participate in a French Language and Cultural Experience during the 2021 April school holidays. The French Village is a 4-day non-residential program, open to all students in Grade 8-12, who are interested in French language and culture. As there is little chance to experience France next year, this is a wonderful opportunity to experience the French lifestyle in Sydney. Please see the attached brochure for the application, program and details. Applications close 5 March, 2021.

Please see Mrs Manga to express your interest.

Mrs Kara Manga - Languages Coordinator

Team Chatswood Tour de North Shore

Several staff members donned their helmets and their pedal pushers to participate in the National Ride2Work day recently. We had more riders this year and hopefully that will be a continuing trend, particularly with finer spring weather on the way.

Ms Frances Doyle - Art Teacher