Junior School News
From the Head of Junior School
WOODCHAT
JUNIOR SCHOOL SWIMMING CARNIVAL
Last Thursday, our Junior School Swimming Carnival was a fantastic celebration of House spirit, determination and community, with students showing great enthusiasm in the pool and tremendous encouragement on the sidelines. Congratulations to Treacy, who were crowned overall House champions after a strong all-round performance, and to Rice, who took out the War Cry competition with an energetic and creative display.
A sincere thank you to our wonderful parent volunteers for their help with scoring throughout the day, and to our staff and students for making the carnival such a positive and memorable event.
For all the colour and news from the day, please see Mr Bourke’s Sport report below.
SATURDAY SPORT
Last Saturday marked the exciting start of our summer sport season, with teams taking to courts and fields full of energy and enthusiasm. A sincere thank you to Mr Bourke for the tremendous time and effort he has invested behind the scenes organising teams, venues, coaches and referees to ensure the season began so smoothly and positively. Please see Mr Bourke’s sports wrap below for a full update on the weekend’s results and highlights.
CLASS CAPTAINS
Last week, students across the Junior School voted for their Class Captains following thoughtful campaign presentations from each candidate. Congratulations to the students who demonstrated maturity, initiative and leadership, and who have been elected by their peers to represent their classes.
5 Green: Nate E
5 Blue: Liam C
5 Red: Sebastian F
5 Gold: Oliver J
6 Green: Toby H
6 Blue: Rory S
6 Red: Edward R
6 Gold: Felix H
Together with our House Captains, these students will participate in a fortnightly Leadership Program (at recess time), designed to build confidence, strengthen communication skills and develop a deeper understanding of what it means to lead with integrity and purpose. We had our first meeting today and I look forward to working closely with these young leaders as they grow in confidence, collaborate with one another and make a positive impact across our school community.
MATHS MADE FUN!
Last Friday, students in 5 Red discovered that Mathematics and Science make a powerful combination during a hands-on learning experience. Applying their understanding of physics and forces, students designed paper rockets and launched them across the Junior School foyer using a pencil as the propelling force. They then measured the distance travelled, recorded their results and represented the data using column graphs. The lesson also provided an opportunity to explore averages, with students calculating the mean distance of their launches. It was a fantastic example of engaging, real-world learning in action.
YEAR 5 CAMP
By now you should have all the information you need to prepare for camp.
Please contact Mr Montgomerie cmontgomerie@stpiusx.nsw.edu.au if you have any questions.
YEAR 6 CANBERRA TOUR
By now you should have all the information you need to prepare for our tour of Canberra. Please contact Mr Nouragas cnouragas@stpiusx.nsw.edu.au (Year 6 Leader of Learning) if you have any questions.
HOP INTO THE EASTER EGG GUESSING COMPETITION!
Students are invited to jump into the fun at the Easter Egg Guessing Competition in the Junior Resource Centre. Can you crack the code and guess how many eggs are in the giant basket of colourful Easter treats?
Simply take a close look and submit your best guess. The closest guess wins a sweet prize! It’s easy to enter, fun to play, and even sweeter to win.
Guesses are just $1 each, with all funds raised going to the Aboriginal Literacy Foundation.
DA VINCI CLUB – A BRIGHT START TO THURSDAY MORNINGS WITH MR CUMMINS
We’re excited to let families know that the Da Vinci Club is up and running on Thursday mornings from 7:30 am - 8:15 am with Mr Cummins. This enrichment group is open to students in Years 5 – 10 who enjoy stretching their thinking, tackling challenging and complex problems, and working alongside other like-minded students.
This term, the focus is on Mathematics, with sessions designed to build confidence, creativity, and problem-solving skills in a supportive and engaging environment. It’s a great opportunity for students who love a challenge to start the day with some positive brain-work and a sense of achievement.
We encourage parents to prompt and support their sons to come along and give it a try. Students should meet at the Podium on Thursday morning and bring a pencil case with their usual school supplies. New faces are always welcome!
Thank you for your support of the Junior School.
Mrs Jill Greenwood - Head of Junior School
Junior School Sport News
Fixtures
Thursday Sport Term 1
Last Thursday’s Junior School Swimming Carnival was a wonderful celebration at Macquarie University Pool. It was fantastic to see our Year 7 students join us for the first time, adding even more energy and enthusiasm to the day.
A huge thank you to the many parents who assisted with recording and distributing ribbons, we simply could not run a carnival of this scale without you. Despite the full mix of weather conditions, student involvement and House spirit never wavered. The students threw themselves into every race and every cheer, showing exactly what makes our community so special.
Communication regarding IPSHA selections has now been sent to families. If your son was not selected but would like to join or continue in Swim Squad, he is strongly encouraged to do so. The more students involved, the stronger our program becomes.
Congratulations again to Treacy on another outstanding performance. As I reflected on the results, one key factor stood out: participation. Treacy had the highest number of swimmers across both the division and house races, and this commitment made a significant difference in the final standings. The stage is now set for the other 3 houses to respond with many more events still to come this year.
Thank you once again to staff, students, and families for helping create such a positive and memorable event.
Term 1 Summer Season Dates
- Round 2: 21 February
- Round 3: 28 February
- Round 4: 7 March
- Round 5: 14 March
- Round 6: 21 March
Summer Sports
It was wonderful to see so many smiles on Saturday. It was a fantastic start to our summer season, with plenty of learning, success, and opportunities for growth already on display. Thank you to all families who emailed me and logged absences in Clipboard, this greatly assists with team allocations and ensures every team has enough players each week.
In Touch Football, with 18 families withdrawing from the program during the grading weeks, team numbers are particularly tight. As a result, absences do have a noticeable impact. We appreciate your support and understanding, and please know that there will be opportunities for many students to take part in two fixtures most weeks, helping us maximise participation and maintain balanced teams.
Team Movement
To ensure all teams are balanced and have enough players each week, there may be some movement of students across Basketball and Touch Football teams over the next few rounds. These adjustments help us manage injuries, absences, and team numbers. Thank you for your understanding and flexibility as we work to provide the best experience for all players.
Uniform Expectations
Students must wear their SPX sport uniform and/or playing uniform to and from Saturday fixtures. This helps us represent the College with pride and ensures students are properly equipped for their games.
The following items are not permitted at Saturday sport:
- Crocs
- Casual clothes
Hoodies
Students must also wear enclosed shoes.
Arrival Time
Players are required to arrive 20 minutes before their scheduled game. This allows time for a proper warm‑up and helps families secure parking at away venues, where parking may be limited.
Information for Families New to SPX Sport
Communication & Fixtures
– All weekly fixtures, venues, and any late changes are published in the Clipboard app. Woodchatta will also contain a fixtures card each week as a point of reference.
– Please ensure notifications are enabled so you do not miss updates.
– Fixtures appear as UNCONFIRMED early in the week and will be updated to CONFIRMED once opposition schools finalise details. This can be as late as Thursday.
Absences
If your son is unable to attend a Saturday fixture due to illness or injury, please log the absence through Clipboard and email Mr Bourke as a courtesy by Thursday where possible.
Equipment & Preparation
– Students should bring a labelled drink bottle, hat (where relevant), and their playing gear.
– Please ensure all items are named, our lost property grows quickly during sport season.
– A healthy breakfast on Saturday mornings makes a noticeable difference to performance and wellbeing.
Sportsmanship & Expectations
Our Code of Conduct is built around creating the most enjoyable and meaningful sporting experience for every child. We encourage families to support fair play and help students “represent the College with pride” through respectful behaviour and positive encouragement from the sidelines. Respecting officials and their decisions is an important part of modelling strong sportsmanship for our players, ensuring that the focus remains on effort, improvement, and growth rather than simply winning or losing. Above all, it’s important to remember that our players are children and that school sport is an opportunity for them to have fun, learn new skills, and build friendships and connections that strengthen our community. If concerns arise, they should not be raised during the game; instead, they should be referred to Mr Bourke, who will handle the matter appropriately. Families are also reminded that communication with other schools should not occur directly, helping us maintain respectful and consistent processes across all fixtures.
Winter Sport Registration
Clipboard will open tomorrow afternoon for families to access the Winter Sport Activity Selection portal, allowing them to nominate their preferred winter sport options. This aligns with our Week 4 schedule, where the portal is set to open for all families. The portal will remain available until Week 7, after which registrations will close so we can prepare for Winter Sport Grading in Week 9.
Summer Sports Uniform
Basketball
Students are issued an SPX basketball singlet to use for the season.
Basketball shorts can be purchased from the College Uniform Shop.
Touch Football
Students are provided with a Touch Football singlet for the season.
Players wear their PE shorts with the singlet.
Softball
Mrs Williams provides the playing shirt to students.
Students wear their PE shorts.
SPX long socks can be purchased from the College Uniform Shop.
Tennis
Students are required to purchase the official SPX Tennis playing shirt from the College Uniform Shop.
Students wear their PE shorts.
Accessing Fixture Information via Clipboard
To stay up to date with training schedules and game fixtures, please ensure you regularly check the Clipboard app. 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.
You 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.
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. Holidays are not a reason to be missing games.
For normal school day absences, please continue to follow the standard school process via Sentral.
SPX App
If you haven’t already, please download and familiarise yourself with the SPX App.
The college app has been updated this week. To ensure you continue to receive all notifications from the college, please update the app via your regular app store. The app is free.
Chess – Junior School Update
Clipboard will open in Week 5 for families to complete their Chess registration. Please note that we carry a maximum of 20 players into the season; if registrations exceed this number, we will hold a short grading process to ensure selections are made fairly and transparently. Please stay tuned for more updates as we finalise arrangements for the 2026 season.
Swimming Squad Training – Term 1, 2026:
This week our Swimming Squad Training kicked off as we prepare for both our upcoming Junior School Swimming Carnival and IPSHA selections.
Why join Swimming Squad?
The squad is designed for students who enjoy swimming and want to build confidence, improve technique, increase fitness, and prepare for competitive opportunities.
Squad training also supports students aiming to qualify for the IPSHA Swimming Carnival later this term.
Who should attend?
Any keen swimmer in the Junior School is welcome. Students who wish to trial for IPSHA selection are strongly encouraged to attend regularly.
After the Junior School Swimming Carnival, selected students will receive invitations to continue preparing for the IPSHA event.
Training Details
Start Time: Training begins at 7:00 am
Days: Every Tuesday and Thursday morning
Location: Fitness First, Chatswood
Supervision: Students meet Ms Proc (Senior Swimming Coordinator) or Mr Bourke (Junior School Sport Coordinator).
Equipment:
Suitable swimwear
Goggles
Swim cap (required – no cap, no swim)
Uniform: Students attend in PE / Pius Sports Uniform, and at 8:00 am are walked back to school by staff, where they change into school uniform. A snack or breakfast afterwards is recommended.
Training Dates – Term 1
Week 4
Tue 17/2
Thu 19/2
Week 5
Tue 24/2
Thu 26/2
For anyone who would like to join the squad. Please email Mr Bourke.
Cross Country Training
Cross Country training commenced this week and will run every Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday. We are pleased to welcome back our coaches Chris Zilifian and Ethan Li, who are keen to work with our students this season.
This year, we plan to participate in two 5k fun runs - Run2Cure and the Sydney10 - giving students the opportunity to support worthwhile causes while preparing for the upcoming ISA competition (for those selected).
Training Details
Where: Beauchamp Oval (meet at the grandstand)
When: 7:10 am – 8:10 am
Who: Open to all students in Years 5–12
What to wear: PE uniform or SPX athletics singlet, with appropriate running shoes
After training: Students are to return to school to change into their regular school uniform
What to bring: Water bottle
Run2Cure 5k Fun Run
The Run2Cure Fun Run, in support of neuroblastoma cancer research, will take place on Sunday, 29 March 2026.
An early bird discount of 25% on registration fees is currently available and closes on 13 February. We encourage families to take advantage of this offer.
Please note that registrations completed by 10 March will also receive free bib postage.
Join our SPX Runners team upon registration:
https://sydney.run2cure.org.au/signup?parentId=spx-runners
Pricing details can be found here:
https://sydney.run2cure.org.au/event-info#sydneyeventpricing
Further information will be shared closer to the event. Please notify me via email once you have registered.
We look forward to seeing you all and kicking off a great season together!
Junior School Tours
Communication has now been sent to the football players who have been selected to attend this year’s tour, and we thank all students who expressed interest and took part in the trials. We now begin stepping up our preparations as we look ahead to an exciting campaign.
For rugby, our final trial session will be held today, with the team to be announced shortly after. Further details and finalised selections will be shared with families and students directly involved in the process. As always, we appreciate your patience as ongoing conversations continue, and we are working hard to keep the trip as cost‑effective and accessible as possible for all involved. Please stay tuned for a further update shortly.
Mr James Bourke - Junior School Sport Coordinator
NSTA Tennis
Round 2 Recap
Another fantastic weekend of tennis from our Pius students!
Absences
Thank you to all parents who have been proactive in logging absences and notifying me ahead of game day. This greatly helps us organise substitute players in time to support each team. Please continue this practice and remember to log the absence in Clipboard after notifying me.
Submitting Scores
All players must record their scores immediately after each match to ensure accurate entry into Xpoint. Please double‑check that scores are correct and signed by both the home and away team representatives.
Fingers crossed for sunshine this weekend as we head into Round 3!
Mr Christopher Nouragas - NSTA Tennis Convenor
Softball
We kicked off our season with an exciting win against Grammar St Ives, setting a strong tone for the games ahead. There was plenty of nervous tension on the field, especially with several new players stepping up for their first match. Despite the pressure, the team worked together confidently and supported each other in every play. The second innings flew by as we quickly got the first three batters out, sealing a fantastic victory to start our season.
Mrs Jennifer Williams - Softball Coach