From the Head of the Junior School
Junior School Sport

From the Head of the Junior School

FATHER’S DAY LITURGY AND SPORTS DAY

Our Father’s Day Liturgy and Sports Day was an extraordinary event with over 200 dads, grandads and special guests spending the day with our students at Oxford Falls. Thanks again to everyone who took the time to come and spend the day with us. I sent out the photo link last week, but here it is again for those who haven’t had the opportunity to look at it yet:

A very special thank you to those mums who slaved over the hot BBQ to feed all our hungry students and their special guests: Priscilla Safarian, Emma Nunes, Phuong Ton, Rita Auer, Leigh Waddell, Sandy Belov, Maria Requin and Michell Calcarao.

JUNIOR SCHOOL 'KIDS GIVING BACK'

We are very proud of the Charlie Swete, Henry Swete and Robbie Spurway who participated in meaningful ‘giving back’ activities at Kids Giving Back during Term 2 and the July school holidays. These students were part of an extraordinary group of 900 young people who provided over 6,800 meals, snack packs, and care packages, and wrote heartfelt messages to support 15 charities across Sydney. Their leadership, compassion, and commitment to making a difference are a credit to the values St Pius X College instils in them.

If you think your son might be interested in participating in the Kids Giving Back October School Holiday Community Program, the details can be found here

www.kidsgivingback.org

MATHS OLYMPIAD

Our final Maths Olympiad is taking place as I write. This is the final Olympiad for 2024. Thank you to Mr Makhoul for facilitating this experience for our junior students – the improvement in scores across the competition has been extraordinary and is testament to the hard work and dedication of the students who attend Maths Megaminds at lunchtime every Wednesday.

CREATIVE QUILLS

My Creative Quills students are about to start working on a new submission for entry into the Willoughby City Library Emerging Writers Competition. If your son is interested in entering, he is welcome to either enter independently, or to join us on Tuesdays in the College Boardroom where we discuss ways in which we can improve our writing. Details can be found here:

DATES FOR THE DIARY

Friday 27 September | Year 5 Science Fair 1:30 pm – 2:30 pm | Term 3 concludes

Thank you for your continued support of the Junior School.

Mrs Jill Greenwood - Head of the Junior School

Junior School Sport

Thursday Sport: Sport trials #3 for basketball, touch football, cricket, softball and tennis continued this week. Please remember to bring any additional gear you may require.

Father and Son Liturgy & Sports Day 2024:

Last Thursday at Oxford Falls offered so many dads and father figures the opportunity to connect with their sons through liturgy, prayer, and thanksgiving, as well as on the sporting field across a range of activities. While rain threatened for a moment, we were blessed with beautiful weather and mild conditions, allowing us to engage in some friendly competition. Before the day began, I was reminded of some of the injuries from years gone by, so with over 400 people taking part, I was fully prepared for a torn hamstring, a twisted ankle, or a sore back. Thankfully, Adriene Lowe, our First Aid Officer, had a quiet day, only issuing some ice and a band-aid.

Despite the seemingly unfair advantage the dads had over their sons, it quickly became evident that the boys had a much better game plan, scoring more points and often stepping, blocking, intercepting, acing, bowling, or running around their dads. It was an incredibly positive and purposeful day made possible by the generosity of spirit of the staff, coaches, and mums. I look forward to next year’s event and hope to see many new and returning faces.

Summer Sport Registrations:

Thank you to all those who have completed their Clipboard registrations or those that have contacted me to indicate their son wished to change to a different sport in Term 4. Teams will be finalised following trials and trainings days will be shared prior to the season start.

Summer Season:

The Term 4 Summer season commences in Week 1 of Term 4. Please see below a list of fixture dates. Times and venues will be shared in Clipboard once confirmed with opposition schools.

Round 7: Saturday 19 Oct
Round 8: Saturday 26 Oct
Round 9: Saturday 2 Nov
Round 10: Saturday 9 Nov
Round 11: Saturday 16 Nov
Round 12 Saturday 23 Nov

Return of any hired sport uniform:

Thank you to those who have returned any sport uniform that was loaned for their sport in Term 1 and is now no longer required due to taking part in another activity in Term 4. These Basketball singlets and Touch Football tops need to be distributed to those boys who have joined these sports for the first time in Term 4. If you still have any items at home, could you please return by Friday 13 September.

Please also return any borrowed uniform from the Term 2 /3 winter season by Friday 13 September, this will assist with planning for next season.

Junior Student Success

NSWPSSA Softball

Dominik Playle (6 Green) was extremely proud to represent CIS in the NSWPSSA Softball Tournament on 27 to 29 August 2024 in Penrith.

The teams had an intense schedule, playing 12 x 1 hour round robin games over 2 &1/2 days.

CIS won 9 out of their 12 games and placed an impressive equal 3rd in the tournament (the highest CIS have ever finished!).

'Dominik enjoyed making friends from across NSW in his own team & from opposing teams including Sydney & surrounds as well as North & South Coast, Riverina & Hunter.

He is looking forward to competing against many of the players he met at the tournament in weekend baseball games scheduled for this summer.

Dominik faced many amazing softball pitchers, developed his fielding and batting skills, as well as learned valuable lessons of being part of a team and developing mental and physical resilience.

‘We would like to thank St Pius X for providing Dominik with the opportunity to compete in such an exciting tournament.

We would also like to express our thanks to the amazing CIS team coach, Breanna, & CIS Team Manager, Dan.'

Justine and David Playle

IPSHA Athletics

Congratulations to our SPX athletes who have qualified for the IPSHA Team and will represent us at the upcoming CIS Carnival! Ethan Suleman has qualified for high jump with an impressive height of 150cm, Ethan Leong for Shot Put with a throw of 8.95m, and Lukas Gazey for Long Jump with a leap of 4.58m. We wish them the best of luck as they compete at the CIS Carnival. Go SPX!

Club AFL

On Sunday 1 September, Cian Geaney and Dominik Playle played for the Forest Lions in the AFL Sydney Juniors, U12, Division 2 Blue Grand Final at Lionel Watts Oval. In a hard-fought game of Australian Rules Football, the Forest Lions overcame the Lane Cove Cats 3-5-21 to 2-3-15.

Club Rugby

There were three Year 5 St Pius X players competing in the U11 club Rugby grand finals on Sunday: Billy Cashel in B grade, Darcy Gray in C grade, and Haarlem Fallowfield in D grade. Billy's team unfortunately lost, while Haarlem's team drew in their D grade final. Darcy's team, the 11C Allambie Jets, won their game 39-19 against Hunters Hill. Congratulations to all boys on a great session!

Upcoming Events

SPX Football Social – 14 September 2024

Join us for the SPX Football Social on 14 September as we celebrate a fantastic 2024 season! We’d love to see as many Junior Football families as possible come together for a night of fun and support for our Football program.

What’s on:

Guest Speakers:
- Robbie Slater: English Premier League legend and Socceroo with 44 caps.
- Dave Mitchell: Pioneering Australian footballer with a career across the UK, Europe, and Australia.

Why Attend?

Support the growth of football at St Pius X.
Reflect on the season with fellow parents and coaches.
Enjoy great food and a night of football talk.

Get Your Tickets! Don’t miss out—gather your team’s parents and make a night of it. Secure your tickets now and join us for an unforgettable evening!

We look forward to celebrating with you!

SPX Football Supporters Committee

Holiday Rugby Camp

Hey everyone!

With the holidays just around the corner, we’re excited to offer some fantastic rugby camps that will keep your kids active, engaged, and having a blast!

Why Join Our Rugby Camps?

Fun and Engaging: We know it’s the end of the rugby season, so we’ll make sure our camps are all about fun and skill-building.
Active Play: Let’s get kids off the couch and onto the field, honing their rugby skills and staying active.
Future Stars: More kids playing rugby means more talent for clubs and maybe even future Wallabies!

Check Out Our Camps:

Club Camps: Great for all skill levels!
School Camps: Convenient and exciting!
Social Camps: Fun for friends and teammates!

Spread the Word! Help us reach more families by sharing our new video that showcases the excitement and enjoyment of our camps: Watch Our Video

For more details and to register, visit our website: Try Time Rugby Camps

Let’s make this holiday season one to remember for our young rugby stars!

Trytime Rugby

Mr James Bourke - Junior School Sport Coordinator

SPX Football Social Night, 14 September

The Football Social on 14 September is shaping-up as a fantastic night. Thank you so much to those that have contributed raffle and auction prizes.

Get ready for our guest speakers

Come and hear what it takes to make it as a professional footballer . . .

Robbie Slater made it to the dizzying heights of the English Premier League, playing for Blackburn, West Ham and Southampton as well as stints in Europe, Australia. His crowning glory was 44 caps for the Socceroos. Come and hear what it took to make the grade and perform at the highest levels of football.

Top flight striker and a pioneering Aussie in Europe, Dave Mitchell has played in the UK, Europe and Australia, with clubs like Rangers, Feyenoord and Chelsea. He was the first Australian to play in the Bundesliga and he also played 44 times for the Socceroos before moving into a career in coaching. Come and hear Dave's insights into what drove his success.

You need to get your tickets!

Why not gather a group of parents from your son's team or year group and make a night out of it. Click on the link below to secure your tickets to enjoy some great catering, guest speakers and a night of reflecting on the SPX Football season that was:

https://events.humanitix.com/st-pius-x-football-club-social-event

Looking forward to seeing you there!

SPX Football Supporters Committee

spxfsc@gmail.com

Cricket School Holiday Camp

Mr Ryan Balboa - MWJCA Cricket Convenor

Rugby

SAVE THE DATE

ANNUAL GOLF DAY 2024

Friday, 18 October

Northbridge Golf Club

296c Sailors Bay Rd, Northbridge

1:00 pm Start (Lunch) followed by 2:00 pm Tee Off

Following the success of last year's event, we are returning to Northbridge Golf Club in October for our annual Ambrose golf outing.

The committee’s focus this year is to maximise the appeal and to encourage as many parents as possible to join us for a great opportunity to mix with other parents and friends of the school. And, of course, to have fun. We are particularly keen to see more mums participate this year. Pull together a 4-Ball or just join as a single … either way a great day is guaranteed.

For more information please see the attached flyer below.

For all bookings, please use the following link:

Careers