Junior School News
From the Head of the Junior School
Welcome to the first issue of Woodchatta for 2025 and thank you for finding your way to the Junior School section where you’ll find all the information you’ll need throughout what promises to be a very eventful Term 1.
Today marked the start of a new school year, bringing with it the buzz of excitement and possibility. For some students, it was the first day at a new school, while for everyone, it meant meeting their new teacher, making new friends, and embracing fresh adventures ahead.
This year is particularly special as we make history by stepping into our stunning new Junior School building - the Waterford Learning Centre (WLC). The significance of this moment was felt by all as we took our first steps into this incredible space, designed to inspire learning and foster community.
Here’s to a fantastic year of growth, discovery, and milestones in our new home!
JUNIOR SCHOOL STAFF 2025
Head of Junior School
Mrs Jill Greenwood jgreenwood@stpiusx.nsw.edu.au
Assistant to the Head of Junior School
Mrs Bridget Hawthorne bhawthorne@stpiusx.nsw.edu.au
5 Green – Mr Callum Montgomerie (Leader of Learning) cmontgomerie@stpiusx.nsw.edu.au
5 Gold – Ms Belinda Hodges bhodges@stpiusx.nsw.edu.au
5 Red – Mr Matthew Makhoul mmakhoul@stpiusx.nsw.edu.au
5 Blue – Miss Tayla Bird tbird@stpiusx.nsw.edu.au
6 Green – Mr Chris Nouragas (Leader of Learning) cnouragas@stpiusx.nsw.edu.au
6 Gold – Mrs Bridie Barrett bbarrett@stpiusx.nsw.edu.au
6 Red - Mr Matthew Buda mbuda@stpiusx.nsw.edu.au
6 Blue – Ms Lana Shaba lshaba@stpiusx.nsw.edu.au
All questions related to your son should be directed, in the first instance to your son’s classroom teacher.
If you have additional concerns that have not been addressed by your classroom teacher, please contact your Leader of Learning (Mr Montgomerie in Year 5 and Mr Nouragas in Year 6).
DATES FOR THE DIARY
STUDENT I.D. PHOTOS
Friday 31 January
- All students must wear full school uniform (blue shorts, grey shirt, tie)
NEW FAMILIES WELCOME MASS / BBQ / INFORMATION EVENING
Monday 3 February from 5:00 pm
- Attending students must wear full school uniform
- The Information Evening will take place at the Waterford Learning Centre following the BBQ
SPORT TRIALS AT OXFORD FALLS
Thursday 6 February, Friday 7 February and Thursday 13 February
- Students can be collected from Oxford Falls at 2:20 pm
- If not collected by 2:30 pm, students will be returned to the College by bus.
COMMENCEMENT MASS AT OXFORD FALLS
Wednesday 12 February at 10:00 am
JUNIOR SCHOOL SWIMMING CARNIVAL
Friday 14 February
- Macquarie University Sport and Aquatic Centre
- Everyone welcome
IPSHA SATURDAY SPORT – Round #1
Saturday 15 February
For all questions related to Sport, please email our Sport Coordinator, Mr Bourke
QUICK REFERENCE GUIDE
You have received a lot of information from a range of sources, so I will repeat some of it here as a quick reference:
PIUS APP
Make sure you download to your mobile device.
https://apps.apple.com/au/app/st-pius-x/id1498569584?ls=1
From the Pius App you will be able to access:
NEWSLETTER
Woodchatta – you’re reading it now! Woodchatta is the College’s weekly newsletter.
CALENDAR
The College calendar.
CANVAS
- Student learning platform
SENTRAL
- Student Management System – this is where you will log student absences
- To log in, look for an email sent 28/01/25
CLIPBOARD
Your home for everything related to Sport and cocurricular activities (eg Band, Debating, Chess etc).
You have been emailed details about how to login to Sentral.
For any questions related to Clipboard of Junior School sport, please contact jbourke@stpiusx.nsw.edu.au
CANTEEN
- Flexischools https://user.flexischools.com.au/login
PERSONAL LEARNING DEVICES (PLDs)
Please ensure you have read, understood, and co-signed the CODE OF CONDUCT and ACCEPTABLE USE POLICY FOR STUDENTS AND TECHNOLOGY in the diary. This might also be an opportunity to explain your own expectations around the use of PLDs both at school, and at home.
SPORT TRIALS | OXFORD FALLS
Everyone is very much looking forward to two days of sport trials next Thursday and Friday at the Treacy Education Complex and Sporting Fields at Oxford Falls. If you would like to collect your son from Oxford Falls, please do so by 2.30 pm, as that is when the rest of us will be heading back to school on the buses. A reminder that you are not permitted to take another person’s child from Oxford Falls unless we have written permission from that child’s parent.
To enable us to keep our students safe, if you are collecting your son from Oxford Falls, please meet us at Watkins Oval. Students are not permitted to walk to parents waiting in cars.
Students who have not been collected by 2:20 pm will return to the college on the bus and will need to make their way home from there.
STUDENT DIARY
Please ensure that you check your son’s diary regularly and sign it at the end of each week.
STUDENT ATTENDANCE
Attendance Rolls are marked in morning administration or assembly time 8:35 am – 9:00 am.
Students are marked absent or present by their Homeroom teachers. An text message to the nominated parent is generated if the absence has not been explained by mid-morning.
If you receive a text notifying you that your son is not at school, but you believe he should be at school, please call the school. Almost 100% of the time that this occurs, it is because the rolls have not been marked correctly, or the student is at Band or a tutor when the roll is marked – so don’t panic!
Sick Leave and short-term non-attendance
Log on to Sentral.
Application for Leave/Exemption from Attendance at School
When a student is planning to be absent from the College for three or more days, please complete the following Application for Leave/Exemption from Attendance at School Form and email to bhawthorne@stpiusx.nsw.edu.au.
Leave form:
https://www.spx.nsw.edu.au/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Applicaton-for-Leave.pdf
CLASS PARENTS
If you are interested in becoming a Class Parent in 2025, please email your interest to bhawthorne@stpiusx.nsw.edu.au before Monday 3 February. No experience needed! If you are new to the school, you are very welcome to volunteer, and we have some very experienced Class Parents who can show you the ropes.
Thank you for your ongoing support of the Junior School
Mrs Jill Greenwood - Head of Junior School
Junior School Sport
Sport Choice 2025:
We are excited to share that the draws and schedules for Basketball, Touch Football, and Softball have been finalised for the Term 1 IPSHA Saturday sport competitions.
The number of teams we have entered is based on the sport selections you submitted via the online expression of interest form in 2024. For all new families, you will now have received a link to access your Clipboard accounts.
Junior families will receive a notification shortly when sport registrations officially open in Clipboard. This will provide an opportunity to confirm your son's selection before next week’s trials.
Please note that registrations for Term 1 summer sports will close on Friday, 14 February. Winter sport registrations will open and close later this term.
The Armidale School Rugby Carnival:
Expression of interest are currently open for the 2025 Rugby Armidale Tour. The following link answers some questions you may have about the carnival FAQs and is worth reading over.
The link below is to register your interest in your son attending the carnival in 2025. It is a tremendous opportunity for our young rugby players to be involved in. Further details, including costs will be shared once numbers are confirmed.
https://forms.office.com/TASRC Expression of Interest
Return of SPX loaned uniforms:
Thank you to all those who handed in their basketball or touch football tops in the last couple of weeks of 2024. A reminder that there are only a handful of students yet to return their respective tops and it is important these are returned by Friday 7 February.
Students can either hand their singlet to me or leave with their class teacher if I am not in my office. Distribution of tops/singlets will then again take place prior to Round 1 in 2025.
It is also a timely reminder for all students who have been involved in any of the activities below return their SPX loan uniform. These include:
- Touch Football singlets
- Athletics singlets
- Cross Country singlets
- AFL jerseys and shorts
- Basketball singlets
- Basketball shorts
Mr James Bourke - Junior School Sport Coordinator
NSTA Tennis
Welcome back to NSTA tennis for Term 1, 2025. Please note that the Saturday games will start on 15 February (Week 3) the last game will be held on 22 March (Open Day). All students are expected to be at every game and every training.
Training for ALL senior students will start Tuesday 11 February (Week 3) and finish Wednesday 19 March and run every Tuesday and Wednesday afternoon. I will confirm days for trainings by next Monday.
I will be in touch with all players who played last year with draft teams for this term.
Mrs Samantha Iwatani - NSTA Tennis Convenor