Junior School News
WOODCHAT (For busy families who just want the facts, fast!)
BOOK WEEK PARADE - A SYMPHONY OF STORIES
What a fantastic celebration of books and reading we enjoyed at yesterday’s Book Week Parade! The Junior School was transformed into a wonderful Symphony of Stories, with an extraordinary collection of characters stepping straight from the pages of much-loved books.
A huge congratulations to all our students for embracing the day with such enthusiasm and for the incredible effort that went into their costumes. Of course, we know that many of those costumes involved some serious behind-the-scenes work, so a special congratulations, and thank you, to the mums, dads and family members whose creativity, sewing, gluing, painting and last-minute problem-solving helped bring so many characters to life!
Thank you also to the many parents who joined us for the parade. Having you there made the occasion even more special and added enormously to the wonderful sense of community.
Most importantly, today was a joyful reminder of what Book Week is really about: celebrating stories, imagination and the pleasure that comes from a lifelong love of reading.
Photos can be found here:
PD/H/PE INCURSION - PUBERTY
We extend our sincere thanks to the presenters from the Growing Towards Wholeness program for delivering an engaging, informative, and respectful session for our students. Their thoughtful approach helped students to better understand the changes associated with puberty and provided a safe and supportive environment for learning and asking questions. We are grateful for the expertise, care, and professionalism they brought to the session, and for supporting our students as they continue to grow in confidence, understanding, and wellbeing.
DEBATING
Congratulations to Ms Shaba’s IPSHA Debating squad for their commendable performance during Round 5. This was a much-anticipated fixture on the topic: 'That Playing video games should be considered to be added to the list of Olympic sports.' Unsurprisingly, students had a lot to say about this issue! Both Oxford Falls Grammar and St Pius X were successful in arguing the affirmative case. We sincerely thank Ms Hawthorne and Mrs Arena for their assistance with facilitating our home debates.
Round 6 will take place this Friday at Mosman Prep at 1:00 pm. We look forward to debating 'That countries should limit how many tourists visit natural landmarks each year’. Best wishes to all speakers as they finalise their preparation.
YEAR 6 MIGRANT EXPERIENCE
Year 6 thoroughly enjoyed their Migrant Experience last Thursday, an opportunity for students to hear firsthand about the migration journeys of staff members with whom they may not normally have the chance to interact.
The students particularly enjoyed learning about the foods, cultural traditions, sporting passions and everyday aspects of life that migrants can miss when they leave their home country. Just as importantly, our speakers spoke openly about both the opportunities and challenges that come with leaving the familiar behind and establishing a life in a new country.
We are very grateful to Mr Ronchetti, Mr Wheatley, Mr Callow and Mr McGeekie for generously sharing their time, photographs and personal stories with Year 6. Their willingness to share their experiences brought our Migration unit to life and gave students a much more personal and tangible understanding of the migrant experience.
GARDEN CLUB
Thank you to Mrs Doheny for bringing in her air fryer last week so that we could air-fry the kale we had grown ourselves in the Junior School garden.
The Garden Club members agreed that the kale tasted a little like popcorn at first, before developing a rather hard-to-describe aftertaste! Reviews were mixed, but everyone agreed that growing, harvesting and cooking our own produce was great fun.
We may not have discovered the Junior School’s new favourite snack, but at least we can say we gave kale a chance!
FATHER'S DAY MASS AND BREAKFAST BBQ
We’re seeking mothers from our wonderful SPX Community to help with cooking and serving at the Father’s Day BBQ in Chatswood on Friday, 4 September.
There are three one-hour shifts available, starting from 7:00 am through to 10:00 am.
If you’re able to assist, please add your name to the spreadsheet below.
PAPA COMEDY NIGHT
Buy your ticket today – https://events.humanitix.com/spx-papa-comedy-night-2026
PLEASE NOTE – This event is for attendees aged 18+ and current SPX students are not eligible to attend.
Thank you for your continuing support of the Junior School.
Mrs Jill Greenwood - Head of Junior School
Junior School Sport News
Summer Sport registrations via Clipboard is OPEN.
Please refer to the information below regarding registration requirements for each sport.
IPSHA Basketball, Softball and Touch Football: If your son participated in any of these sports in Term 1, his registration will automatically carry over to Term 4 and no further action is required. If your son is joining one of these sports for the first time in Term 4, you will need to register via Clipboard. If your son is transferring between Basketball, Softball and Touch Football, we will process this change in Clipboard using the information provided in the Summer Sport Survey. No further action is required.
NSTA Tennis and MWJCA Cricket: These sports are commencing a new season in Term 4, 2026, which will continue through to Term 1, 2027. As a result, all students wishing to participate must complete a new registration via Clipboard.
Mixed Sport: There is no registration required for students not participating in summer sport. Students will take part in mixed sport activities during our Oxford Falls Thursday sessions.
Clipboard registrations will close Friday 4 September - Week 7
Please refer to Clipboard for more sport specific information.
Term 3 Events
Remaining Dance Program Schedule
Week 6: Junior Dance Showcase Performance as part of our Grandparents' Day celebrations.
After weeks of learning, practising and refining their routines, the boys are ready to take to the stage next week for their showcase performance. We would love to see as many grandparents and special family members there as possible to witness the confidence, enthusiasm and teamwork they have developed throughout the program.
The students have embraced the challenge with great energy, and we look forward to celebrating their hard work and achievements with our wider Junior School community. We are sure it will be a wonderful highlight for our grandparents. See below for more information.
Father & Son Sport Day
Looking ahead, our Father & Son Sports Day will take place in Week 7, and we would love to see as many fathers, grandfathers and special father figures there as possible.
The day is a wonderful opportunity for students and the important male role models in their lives to spend time together, enjoy some friendly competition, and strengthen the sense of community that makes our Junior School so special.
Please see the poster below for further details, along with the sign-up link to confirm your attendance. We encourage fathers to register as soon as possible and look forward to welcoming you to what promises to be a fantastic day at Oxford Falls.
Father and Son Sport Day2026 – Fill out form
Athletics Update
The Barker Invitational Carnival was held last Saturday and it was fantastic to see our squad in action. There were a number of outstanding performances, personal bests, and plenty of smiles throughout the day.
While the results were impressive, what stood out most was the willingness of so many students to step outside their comfort zones, fill races or events where needed, and give their absolute best for the team. That commitment, courage and team-first attitude exemplify the values we seek to foster and were on full display throughout the carnival.
The athletics season continues this week with the BPSSA Athletics Carnival at Riverview on Friday. BPSSA is widely regarded as the longest-running school sporting association in NSW and provides a wonderful opportunity for our students to compete against some of the state's strongest independent schools.
On Saturday, members of the squad will once again take to the track and field at Sydney Olympic Park Athletic Centre for the IPSHA Invitational Carnival. Information regarding this event has been shared directly with selected students and their families.
We wish all athletes the very best over the coming days and thank families for their continued support throughout the athletics season.
Term 3 Athletics Training Information
Training will take place at: Dunbar Park, Sobraon Rd, Marsfield
Time: 3:50 pm – 4:50 pm
Departure: 3:15 pm from Anderson Street
Training Schedule (only days with dates)
Mr James Bourke - Junior School Sport Coordinator
End of Season Football Event
Well done to all teams that played on the weekend and best of luck to the 5th XI, 16As and 16Bs in this Saturday's grand finals.
Just over a week to go!! Grab your tickets to the SPX season-end football social on Saturday 29 August.
Thanks to all of those who have already secured their tickets. We have intentionally made the end-of-season social a relaxed affair so that you can feel free to come and catch up with other parents for a short or a long while!
The Football Supporters Club will put on food platters and will purchase the first 2 drinks for everyone. If you are yet to get your tickets, please do so this week. As we approach capacity, we will need to close ticket sales.
Saturday 29 August, 6:30 pm - 10:00 pm
Chatswood RSL - Yogi's Sports Bar
Full details and tickets can be found here - https://events.humanitix.com/2026-st-pius-x-football-end-of-season-event
Dress Code: Casual
Note: This is an adults-only event for parents, carers and SPX staff.
We look forward to seeing you there!
Mr Matt Zanello - SPX Football Supporters' Club President