From the Head of Junior School

WOODCHAT – for busy families who just want the facts, fast!

DATES FOR THE DIARY

WOODCHATTA

THURSDAY 26 JUNE (Week 9)

Last day of Term 2 for students
Dance Performance at Oxford Falls 10:40 am – 11:15 am
Early finish – students can be collected from Oxford Falls from 11:15 am or return to the college and make their way home.
Parent/Teacher meetings via Teams from 1:00 pm

FRIDAY 27 JUNE (Week 9)

Pupil-free day
Parent/Teacher meetings via Teams from 8:00 am

GARDEN CLUB LUNCH

It was a real treat to be invited to lunch with the Garden Club last Friday! I enjoyed a fresh salad with greens grown by our Year 5 and 6 gardeners before getting a tour of the worm farm. Mrs Doheny and Mr Makhoul have done a wonderful job in inspiring our students to appreciate 'farm to plate' right here in the middle of Chatswood!

REDED DANCE PERFORMANCE | Thursday 26 June

On Thursday of next week, Junior School students will celebrate the end of their four-week dance program with a special performance for parents and special guests. The performance will begin at 10:40 am and conclude at approximately 11:15 am.

Following the performance, students may leave with their parents or return to school for early dismissal.

We look forward to seeing you there to support and celebrate the boys’ hard work and enthusiasm!

2025 YOUNG WRITERS’ AWARD

Congratulations to Creative Quills member, Dario Leotta who has been awarded in the 2025 Stanton Library and North Sydney Council Young Writers Award for his historical fiction piece: Calling All Vikings.

This year marks 35 years of Stanton Library and North Sydney Council celebrating the writing talent of young people in the greater Sydney area with an annual Young Writers Award. This year the judges included award winning Australian authors Jaclyn Moriarty, Sue Whiting, Will Kostaskis, Erin Gough and Helena Fox. Dario will receive a certificate, an invitation to a Writing Masterclass with judge and award-winning Australian author, Will Kostakis, and a loot bag stuffed with bookish goodies and snacks. Dario’s winning entry – Calling All Vikings - will be available on the library website https://www.northsydney.nsw.gov.au/young-writers from Friday 20 June.

Thank you for your continued support of the Junior School.

Mrs Jill Greenwood - Head of Junior School

Fixtures

Junior School Sport

As we approach Round 7 of the IPSHA season, we would like to take a moment to express our sincere gratitude to the incredible staff and families who make our sport program possible. Without the dedication of our teachers and coaches, we couldn’t run our training sessions or manage weekly fixtures. Without the unwavering support of our families, we simply couldn’t field teams each week.

The growth we’ve seen in the players this term, both in skill and in spirit has been truly inspiring. They’ve played with heart, resilience, and sportsmanship, and we as a college couldn’t be prouder of their efforts.

Thank you for being part of this journey. We look forward to finishing the season strong, together.

Junior School Dance Program Continues

Today marks the completion of the 3rd dance session, and the students are well on their way to delivering an exciting performance at next week’s House Dance Showcase. Their energy, creativity, and teamwork over the past few weeks have been outstanding, and we’re thrilled to share their progress with you.

We’ve had a fantastic 3 weeks working alongside the RedEd Dance team, and this week is our final round of rehearsals before the big event. The Dance Program continues to run in tandem with Winter Sport training:

Week 8: Dance + Sport
Week 9: Final rehearsals and Dance Showcase
- Performance Time: 10:40 am
- Location: Christian Brothers Centre, Oxford Falls

Dance Showcase Details

Each House will present a stage performance as part of our House Dance Competition. We warmly invite families to attend and celebrate the students’ hard work and creativity. The showcase begins at 10:40 am, and students will return to school by bus or can be collected from 11:15 am at Oxford Falls.

Thank you for your ongoing support. We look forward to seeing you at the showcase and celebrating the incredible efforts of our Junior School students.

Supporter's Gear

Don't forget, there’s a great range of SPX Supporter's Gear available at the Oxford Falls canteen every Saturday, including hats, scarves, beanies, and jackets, perfect for these cooler mornings!

Thank you for all you do to support Junior Sport at SPX.

Term 2 Weekly Sport Calendar

Term 3 Weekly Sport Calendar

Winter Sport Results

Football

Rugby

AFL

Student Success

Cricket

We’re proud to celebrate the achievements of three talented cricketers from our Junior School who were recognised at the Manly Warringah Junior Cricket Association Presentation Evening earlier this term.

Alex Paixao (Year 6) and Charlie Gabriel (Year 5) both represented the College in the U11s Representative Team during the 2024/25 season. Their team was awarded the prestigious Errol Cranney Award for the most outstanding Division 2 Boys Representative Team of the season. The team finished as minor premiers and narrowly missed out on the Grand Final win, capping off a season filled with highlights.

Individually, Alex impressed with a standout bowling performance of 4 wickets for 8 runs off 4 overs, while Charlie’s top score of 49 runs showcased his batting prowess.

Alex also received an individual award for the highest runs in the U12 Division 1 competition, scoring an incredible 73 runs off 43 balls.

Adding to the celebration, Daniel Tully (Year 6) was also recognised, receiving the award for highest runs in the U12 Division 2 competition, with a top score of 74.

These achievements reflect the dedication, skill, and sportsmanship of our students, and we congratulate Alex, Charlie, and Daniel on their outstanding seasons.

AFL

Congratulations to Xander Conner of Year 5, who was recently selected to represent the North Shore region in the U11s AFL Development Carnival held over the long weekend. This prestigious event brought together the top junior AFL players from across Sydney.

Xander played a key role in midfield and defence, and also scored a couple of spectacular goals for his team. His team performed exceptionally well, narrowly missing the final by just one point and finishing second in their pool.

It was a fantastic experience for Xander, and a proud moment for the College. Well done!

SPX Junior Football – Wrap

Our Junior School football teams took to the field last weekend in Round 6 of the IPSHA season, facing off against two of the strongest football schools in the association, St Aloysius’ College and St Patrick’s College, Strathfield.

The 11E team had a standout performance, securing a confident 4-0 win against St Aloysius. The 11A team also showed great resilience and teamwork, earning a 1-1 draw in a tightly contested match. While the remaining Year 5 and 6 teams didn’t come away with wins on this occasion, their effort, sportsmanship, and determination were commendable.

Facing schools with such strong football programs is always a valuable experience for our players. The players continue to grow in skill and spirit each week, and we are proud of the way they represent the College on and off the field.

From the Football Supporter's Club

Football Supporter's Day

With a number of games on at Oxford Falls this Saturday, the Football Supporter's Club will again be hosting the BBQ, Bake Sale and coffee cart. Come and get into the spirit, get something to eat, grab some SPX merchandise and cheer the students on.

If you would like to contribute any sweet-treats that would be fantastic - please contact Priscilla at pleasepris@hotmail.com just to let her know what you are planning on bringing.

Alternatively, if you would like to assist on the BBQ or Bake Sale, you are more than welcome. Please find the link to the volunteer sign-up sheet below:

https://signup.com/go/AOwNjhj

Many thanks and see you pitch-side this week.

St Pius X July Holiday Camp Program 30 June - 3 July

A fantastic way to start the July holiday break with 2, 3 and 4 day options.

A free bus to and from the Chatswood Campus for the first 60 registrations.

ABOUT THE COERVER COACHING HOLIDAY CAMP

Coerver Coaching holiday camps offer a fun-filled soccer experience. Each day will include, Ball Mastery, 1v1 Game Moves and Small sided Games.

There will also be a 5v5 tournament played throughout the camp!

These camps are the perfect way for the boys to maintain their fitness levels and stay in touch with the game during their holiday break and come back in great shape for the second half of the football season.

We are also running a competition for one lucky player to win a brand new top of the line pair of Adidas boots! Any player who registers for a 4-day camp at any of our holiday clinics goes into the draw to win! The draw will take place on 18 July with the winner notified by email.

Simply scan the QR Code on the flyer to register for the camp or go to https://coerver.com.au/school-programs

For more information email: sydneyns@coerver.com.au

Mr James Bourke - Junior School Football Convenor

SPX Junior Rugby Report

Round 6 of the IPSHA competition saw two terrific results, with the 11A's overcoming a fierce competitor in Scots, and the Prep 1st XV downing Barker College in a back-and-forth competition. It was also pleasing to see the continued growth and development of our 7's teams, who also played 4 competitive matches including a win over Sydney Grammar. This coming weekend is the final fixture of the Term before a well-deserved break. Thank you to all Junior School parents who attended the Rugby Gala Dinner on Saturday; your continued support in SPX rugby is greatly appreciated.

SPX Junior AFL

Our Junior School AFL team showed great improvement in their second match against Newington College last weekend. While the final score saw us down by four goals, the performance was a marked step up from our season opener.

The students’ willingness to compete and their team spirit were outstanding throughout the match. Their commitment to working together and supporting one another continues to be a highlight of the season.

Special mention goes to Robbie, Alex, and Sam N, who were standout performers on the day, demonstrating skill, determination, and leadership on the field.

We’re proud of the progress the team is making and look forward to building on this momentum in the coming rounds.

Information via Clipboard

To stay up-to-date with training schedules and game fixtures, please ensure you regularly check the Clipboard app. Training and fixtures are accessible directly within the app, and any changes will be updated there as well.

Important Reminder

To receive timely updates and notifications regarding changes to fixtures or training sessions, please ensure:

Notifications are enabled both within the Clipboard app settings and on your mobile device. The have the option to receive push notifications and/or email prompts.
Please regularly review the app for any schedule updates.
Fixtures will be initially entered as UNCONFIRMED, by Thursday each week they will be CONFIRMED by opposition schools and a notification will be sent to families.
Please check clipboard regularly for any changes to the schedule.
Some fixtures are subject to weather, on occasion this can lead to cancellations. This will occur via the Clipboard app, you should receive a notification if a fixture is cancelled, but please check the app on the morning before leave to ensure you are up to date with any changes.

Logging an Absence

If your son is unable to attend a Saturday fixture due to sickness or injury, you can log his absence directly through Clipboard by following these steps:

Log in to Clipboard using your parent account.
Navigate to the Calendar page.
Click on 'Log an Absence' and follow the prompts to submit.

As a courtesy, please email Mr Bourke at Jbourke@stpiusx.nsw.edu.au prior to the fixture, if possible, by Thursday. For all other absences a request needs to be sent to Mr Bourke for approval.

For normal school day absences, please continue to follow the standard school process.

Mr James Bourke - Junior School Sport Coordinator

Junior School Chess

This week’s chess training was a perfect blend of learning, practice, and play as our students sharpened their strategic thinking and enjoyed a few games along the way.

Our session began with focused skills training, where students worked on key techniques including opening principles, tactical moves, and endgame strategies. Each participant had the chance to apply what they’ve been learning in guided practice games designed to stretch their minds and build confidence.

Adding an exciting twist to the day, we held a four-player chess tournament, which brought lots of energy and laughter! This fun variation encouraged quick thinking, teamwork, and an extra layer of strategy that kept everyone on their toes.

The highlight of the session was playing against Anmol of the Chess Academy, who always shares valuable techniques and insights from his experience. Anmol’s engaging teaching style and practical advice helped students understand complex concepts in a clear, relatable way.

We are proud of all our players for their enthusiasm and growth this week: whether you're aiming for your next checkmate or just enjoying the challenge and keep practicing!

Round 7

SPX Team A will play Artarmon at HOME

SPX Team B will play Redlands AWAY

SPX Team C will play Beauty Point AWAY

SPX Team B will end their season this week. Team SPX Team A and SPX Team C will have a game next term.

Miss Raelene Boyle - Chess Coach

Teaching and Learning

Year 7 - 10 parent/teacher/student interviews and Year 5 - 6 parent/teacher interviews