From the Principal
- Reflection
- EREA Charter Renewal and Mission Strategy
- Further Eisteddfod Success
- Year 5 - 10 Reports
- Year 11 2025 Subject Selection Information Evening
- 2025 Enrolment Interviews
- Key Dates
- Cocurricular
Reflection
The Secret of Growth
The gardener was impatient.
The seeds had been sown in the garden beforehand. A short time later, in that very moment, God was taking a stroll through the same garden.
“Lord. Thank heaven you are here! I need your advice!”, exclaimed the gardener.
“How can I help you?” asked God.
“Lord, do you know the secret of growth? I have been waiting here so patiently. I have watered the seeds, provided them with the right conditions, yet still they do not sprout.”
The Lord smiled.
“My friend, the secret of growth is not what seed you plant or where you plant it. The secret of growth is ... time.”
There are many secrets about growth.
One of those secrets involves time.
Another part of the secret is to nurture.
One cannot thrive without the other.
One cannot rush growth, no matter who our contacts may be.
Let Us Pray
Lord, there are days when I struggle to see positive growth in some students:
it is easy to dismiss them as having no potential
whenever I experience negativity.
Remind me that in order for young people to grow, Lord,
they need time, peace and quiet.
May I provide them with some of these necessities
through the course of my lesson
Amen
As we reflect on this story and consider the gardener, may we too listen to God as we support our young people in their formation as happy, good, honest, and peaceful gentlemen. May they realise their potential and may we as teachers and parents give them the time, peace and space to grow.
Last week, I shared with the community an insight to Gospel Spirituality. I outlined our sacred story: The loving creator God, The life of Jesus, The charism of Edmund Rice and Our own story. We are all invited to engage in Gospel Spirituality. Some of the ways we can engage in this Touchstone is described through the EREA Charter.
Our Charter Touchstone of Gospel Spirituality is richly described:
We invite all people into the story of Jesus:
- by celebrating the centrality of the Gospel in liturgy, prayer and ritual
- by providing formation experiences that invite people into an understanding of the story of
- Jesus
- by providing iconography and images that make known the story of Jesus
- by integrating the story of Jesus into relevant learning experiences
We strive to make his message of compassion a living reality within our community…
- by striving to know the stories of all who are part of our community – recognising their inherent dignity
- by offering an education that steeps students in the reality of our world
- by developing practices of empathy, awareness-raising and advocacy
We strive to make his message of justice a living reality within our community…
- by empowering students to become advocates for justice by offering an education built on critical thinking and life for all
- by holding an intention for creating places of right relationships for all life
- by creating a community where equity of opportunity is real
We strive to make his message of peace a living reality within our community…
- by committing ourselves to practices of non-violence, where an awareness of words and actions influence the way we relate to each other
- by developing skills of reflective practice and contemplation
- by our ability to recognise where we exclude and our willingness to encounter the other
We are all invited into the story of Jesus and strive to make his message of compassion, justice and peace a living reality within our community.
The Church is above all a mother that takes care of all people…
The announcement of the Gospel requires an opening of the doors; to allow people to enter and allow the Gospel to go out to the world.
Pope Francis, 2013
Let us engage in Gospel Spirituality and open doors to allow all people to enter.
Blessed Edmund Rice - Pray for Us
St Pius X - Pray for Us
Live Jesus in our Hearts - Forever!
EREA Charter Renewal and Mission Strategy (CRaMS) Invitation to Online Forums concluded
Thank you to all those who contributed to the online Forums for the Charter renewal continue. Your feedback is valued by St Pius X College and EREA.
Further Success at the Eisteddfod
Congratulations to all our students who performed at the recent Eisteddfods this week. The results were outstanding. Congratulations to Ms Westhoff, Mr Saar (Ensemble Coordinator) and our Ensemble Directors, Ms Laura Power, Mr Geoff Power, Mrs Stella Talati and Mr David Sismey for their ongoing support and commitment to our performing arts students. Congratulations to:
• Our Junior Jazz Band - 1st place (conductor: Ms Laura Power)
• Intermediate Concert Band - 3rd place (conductor: Ms Laura Power)
• Senior Concert Band – 2nd place ((conductor: Ms Laura Power)
• Intermediate Jazz Ensemble – Highly commended (conductor: Mr Geoff Power)
• Senior Jazz Ensemble – 2nd place (conductor: Mr Geoff Power)
A truly memorable moment for me occurred during bus duty on Friday when I noticed a Year 12 student taking home his saxophone. When I asked why he was bringing his instrument home, he explained that he needed to practice and improve after witnessing the talent at the Eisteddfod. Thank you, Fergus Fung, for your dedication and commitment to improvement. May this serve as an inspiration for all our students on their journey of continuous improvement.
Year 5 – 10 Reports
The Year 5-10 Reports are currently being finalised. These summative reports offer students and parents a comprehensive overview of the learning journey for Semester 1. They provide an opportunity for students to reassess their academic progress and set new goals for Semester 2. The focus should not be on the mark or grade but rather on the question, 'Where to next?' This concept, emphasised by educational leader Dr John Hattie, encourages students to seek feedback and plan their next steps in learning. Reassessing goals for each subject is a positive start to this process. The upcoming Student/Parent/Teacher interviews present another valuable opportunity to support students in their Semester 2 academic journey. Additionally, the Student Learning Attributes serve as another metric to evaluate each student's dedication and sustained effort in their studies.
Year 11 (2025) Subject Selection Information Evening
It was wonderful to see so many parents with their sons at the Year 11 (2025) Subject Selection Information evening. The opportunity to seek advice and ask questions to our Leaders of Learning is crucial as students consider their courses of study for their final two years of schooling. During the meeting, and again this morning at a Year 10 assembly, I emphasised the importance of choosing courses that they will enjoy and that will challenge them while still being achievable. Making these important decisions requires reflection on what they would like to do after Year 12. If students have an idea of their future aspirations, it can greatly guide their course selection. May all our students make informed decisions about their courses so they can succeed, allowing us as a community to celebrate their achievements.
Thank you to all the Leaders of Learning and Year 11 students who contributed to make the evening an informative one for our Year 10 families.
2025 Enrolment Interviews
The 2025 Enrolment Interviews have continued this week. All interviewers have been highly impressed with the calibre of students who have nominated St Pius X as their school of choice. The interviews will conclude this week with letters of offer being posted by the end of Term 2.
Key Dates
Cocurricular
Congratulations to our Senior 2 Debating team for advancing directly to the Quarter Finals! Although our other teams did not make it to the next stage, they have gained valuable experience this year that will benefit them in 2025. Thank you to all our debaters, timekeepers, coaches, and adjudicators for their support of our Debating program.
The Senior and Junior School Athletics Carnivals were a great success this week. The enthusiastic participation from all year groups was remarkable. A special thank you to Mr Stearn (Senior School) and Mr Bourke (Junior School) for their excellent organisation of the carnivals and for ensuring opportunities for athletes of all levels to participate.
ISA Rugby kicks off this week with matches against St Stanislaus’ Bathurst. Despite the long journey and potentially cold weather, I am confident our players will demonstrate great spirit and sportsmanship. Best wishes to all our rugby students and coaches traveling to Bathurst.
ISA Football and Tennis Round 6 / IPSHA Round 6 continues this week. Football will have numerous games at Oxford Falls, while Tennis will have games at home, at Gosford Tennis Club against Central Coast Grammar and also in Burradoo against Oxley College. Best of luck to all our footballers and tennis players in their respective competitions this week.
Go the Blue and Gold this week.
Fide et Labore
By Faith and hard work
Live Jesus in Our Hearts - Forever
Mr Michael Ronchetti - Principal