Parent & Student Matters 

• Commerce - Market Day
• Chess Club
• History
• From the Senior Resource Centre
• Maths Drop-In

Commerce

Market Day - Friday 13 September - Cashless - prepurchase vouchers

Market Day is back for 2024 and is on Friday 13 September. For 2024 the event is cashless, so food and other items need to be purchased using a voucher system.  All vouchers are valued at $2 and combinations of these can be used to purchase items on the day.  There will be very limited ability to purchase vouchers using card on the day.  Vouchers can be purchased using the following trybooking link or QR Code:

These will be distributed to students prior to Market Day. Please note purchase of vouchers closes, Tuesday 10 September at 6:00pm.

There will be no Canteen facilities available on Friday 13 September.

Mr Simon Yue, Leader of Learning EGBC

Chess Club

Year 7 'Check Mate' Chess Club

Who? Year 7 students

When? Every Tuesday during lunchtime (for the remainder of the year)

Where? D2 classroom

Why? To play chess and build connections with our peers

This week saw our Year 7 SRC students officially start their lunchtime initiative, the 'Check Mate' Chess Club. It will take place every Tuesday lunchtime, in D2 classroom and is also open to Year 7 students looking for a quiet space to read a book. 

While this initiative is exclusively open to Year 7, a few academically minded Year 11 students also joined in this week. We look forward to welcoming interested students over the remainder of the year. Check mate!

Mr Glen Carroll, TAS/PDHPE Teacher

History

Olga Horak

Photo by Katherine Griffiths

(from Sydney Jewish Museum website)

On 8 August the three Year 10 History classes visited the Sydney Jewish Museum. As part of the program the staff and students heard from Olga Horak, a Holocaust survivor. In 1944 when Olga was just 16 years old, she and her family were deported to Auschwitz death camp. Her father and sister were sent directly to the gas chambers, and Olga and her mother were subjected to horrific conditions and forced labour.  That bitter winter Olga and her mother were forced to march hundreds of kilometres through day and night and were then transported to Bergen-Belsen. Despite suffering from typhus and diphtheria, she survived to see Bergen-Belsen liberated on 15 April 1945. Tragically, her mother died a day later, and Olga was the sole survivor of her family.

Two years later Olga met her future husband, John Horak, also a Holocaust survivor. In 1949, Olga and her husband John arrived in Sydney to begin a new life.  Olga dedicated her life to educating others about the Holocaust. She played a large part in the establishment of the Sydney Jewish Museum where she volunteered for many years, ensuring that the memories of those who perished are never forgotten.

Three days after the visit by Year 10 to the Museum, Olga turned 98. Four days later she passed away. The St Pius X students were the last group that Olga told her incredible story to.

As a result, the Museum has contacted us to ask for any tributes about Olga that the students would like to write. This is an honour to be included in the commemoration of such an important individual. 

Any student who visited the Museum that day is encouraged to see Mr Rodgers or their teacher for more details. The tribute can be as long or as short as is seen appropriate.

Recently Olga was honoured by the NSW Premier, Chris Minns:

https://www.jwire.com.au/nsw-premier-chris-minns-pays-tribute-to-olga-horak-oam/

Mr Pat Rodgers - Leader of Learning, History/Legal Studies

From the Senior Resource Centre

The 'Wonderful Webb' Readers

Gwen Harwood is, like Francis Webb, another of Australia’s greatest poets and she would affectionately refer to Francis Webb as 'Wonderful Webb'.

At this year’s Francis Webb poetry reading honouring his poetry, it was not only Webb and his brilliantly devised words but the readers who were on hand to bring them to life who were indeed wonderful!

This year, author and poet, Associate Professor Toby Davidson of Macquarie University brought together an assembly of poets, writers and academics - wonderful Webb presenters who shared their uniquely cerebral and splendid insights into their choice of Francis Webb’s poem.

For me, none were more wonderful than our own Pius X College Year 10 reader, Angus Gibson. Angus chose Webb’s For my grandfather about Webb’s experience of sailing on Sydney Harbour. Angus had a touching background story, telling the audience it mirrored his own experience of sailing with his much-loved grandfather. 

Not only that, Angus had an amazing 'six degrees of separation' connection between his great, great grandfather Eliot and Francis Webb. Eliot started at the College in 1938 in Year 7 as did Francis Webb! Indeed, the school register shows Francis Webb as student 255 and Eliot Gibson as 295 and as both were Chatswood locals who lived a few blocks from each other they surely knew each other. 

It’s incredible to imagine that Angus, Eliot’s great great grandson, would not only be attending St Pius X but be reading Eliot’s classmate’s poem. And that this classmate would one day be considered one of, if not Australia’s greatest poets, Pius’ own, wonderful Webb! 

Pictured at Chatswood Library on Saturday 31 August, Associate Professor Toby Davidson, Associate Professor Veronica Alfano, Dimitra Harvey, Jonathan Shaw, Dr Michael Griffith, Tony Thompson, Cassandra Golds and our Angus Gibson.

Mrs Karen Keighery - Library and Information Services Coordinator

Maths Drop-In

Maths Drop-In has been buzzing with enthusiasm and attendance this term. It is wonderful to see peers working together and supporting one another. 

With the up-coming Maths assessments in Weeks 8 & 9 it is the perfect opportunity to do further study and seek support. Come along and be apart of the Maths fun.

Mrs Amanda Fileman - Maths Teacher