Pastoral Care
- Respect Starts Now - free parenting webinar - tonight
- 2025 Student Representative Council
- Year 10 Vaccination Clinic
- Year 12 'You Choose' presentation
- Supporting positive peer relationships among young people
- 'Thinking Traps' online webinar
Respect Starts Now Workshop - Tonight
Tomorrow Man + Tomorrow Woman is presenting an online worshop aimed at working towards tackling disrespect at its roots to help prevent harmful behaviours and domestic violence before they start.
Date: Thursday 27 February
Time: 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm
Cost: Free
2025 Student Representative Council
This week we launched our 2025 Student Representative Council (SRC). Our SRC consists of a group of student leaders who represent and advocate for their peers.
Student Representative Councils look to foster a sense of community and improve the schooling experience of the entire student body.
At St Pius X College the Student Representative Council aims to provide opportunities for students to develop their leadership skills and address the interests and concerns of the St Pius X student body.
Objectives:
The objectives of the St Pius X College Student Representative Council are to:
- Promote the EREA Touchstones
Provide a sense of belonging, connection and voice for students
Promote and facilitate student responsibility and leadership
Provide an unbiased platform for students to advocate the views and needs of the college community
Foster a culture that promotes cross-cohort relationships where students communicate openly and work together to set and achieve common goals
Be a conduit for school policy improvement and change
Create a line of communication both upwards and downwards between the student body and the college
Promote active citizenship through action and deeds such as actively reporting relevant issues in the yards and on public transport
SRC Roles
Types of roles which SRC representatives might undertake are:
Help to promote social justice issues such as Project Compassion, Winter Appeal etc
Assist with lunchtime house competitions such as basketball, handball or volleyball
Saying prayers at Waterford Assemblies or during homeroom
Assist in helping with events like Mother's Day, RUOK? Day etc
Help to convey announcements to the year cohort
Attend planning meetings with House Patrons prior to an event
Congratulations to the following student representatives:
Mr Paul Ticli - Wellbeing Coordinator
Year 10 Vaccination Clinic
NSW Health will offer vaccinations to all Year 10 students on Friday 28 March.
Year 10 - Meningococcal ACWY
Also
Year 11 - Meningococcal ACWY (if not already vaccinated in Year 10) and
Year 8 - HPV and dTpa for those who missed the vaccination in Year 7.
Vaccination will only be provided at school if consent has been received. Please complete this consent at least 2 days prior to the school clinic.
How to provide consent:
To complete online consent for your child’s school vaccinations, visit: https://engage.health.nsw.gov.au/engage and log in using your ServiceNSW details.
Follow the steps to log in to your existing ServiceNSW account. This is the same account you may already use to renew your driver’s licence. If you don’t have a ServiceNSW account, refer to ServiceNSW to create one.
Update or confirm your personal details in ServiceNSW as required.
Complete the School Vaccination Consent Form for your child/ren. You will need to:
Enter your child’s personal details
Provide the Medicare card details for you and your child
Read the linked Parent Information Sheet and privacy statement. Translations available in 28 languages
Provide consent. (For detailed steps on how to provide consent please refer to guide on how to provide consent online on the NSW Health webpage.) If you require information in your language please visit Arabic, Korean, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Vietnamese
No Medicare?
If you or your child do not have a Medicare card or you don’t have I.T. access, consent can still be provided by requesting a paper-based consent form directly from your child’s school.
The benefits of providing consent online:
• easily update your child’s details
• receive SMS and/or email notifications when vaccinations are given
• faster upload of vaccination records to the Australian Immunisation Register (AIR).
(Year 7 students will be offered free vaccines for diphtheria/tetanus/pertussis (dTpa) and human papillomavirus (HPV) at school later this year.)
Follow this link for a 2 minute video of a young man who had Meningococcal disease; Seb’s Story
For more information on routine school vaccinations, visit
www.health.nsw.gov.au/schoolvaccination .
If you require information in your language, visit
www.health.nsw.gov.au/immunisation/Pages/school_vaccination_language.aspx
If you have difficulty completing the online vaccination consent form, please email
nslhd-phuschoolvaccinationprogram@health.nsw.gov.au or phone 02 9485 6971 for assistance.
Please see attached for further information on the school vaccination program.
Year 12 'You Choose' Presentation
Year 12 was joined by Melissa McGuinness OAM who delivered a deeply moving 'You Choose' presentation with a powerful message. Sharing her family’s heartbreaking story, she highlighted the devastating consequences of reckless driving. Her message was clear: every choice behind the wheel has lasting impacts, and young drivers must take responsibility for their actions. Hearing Melissa's personal experience made the dangers of speeding and risky behaviour on the road feel real and immediate, leaving a lasting impression on all who attended. The silence in the room showed that her message was certainly getting through to the cohort.
The presentation reinforced the importance of safe, responsible decision-making, ensuring that no family has to endure the pain that Melissa and others have suffered. Jordan, an 18 year old boy who lived a life just like many of us, made it evident that it is now up to us, the Class of 2025, to take this message and put it into practice.
We, as a group need to be making the correct choices when we get behind the wheel and be upstanders when others are making poor choices. As Melissa said 'the rising tide lifts all boats.' We, the Class of 2025, need to be that rising tide.
You Choose is always looking for support so if Melissa's message struck a cord with you, it would be great if you can support her cause by following their Instagram and Facebook page.
Jonathon Nercessian - Year 12 student
Supporting positive peer relationships among young people in online spaces
As we navigate the challenges of the digital age, we wanted to share insights from a recent seminar we attended on fostering positive peer relationships in online spaces for teens. These key takeaways offer practical ways for both home and school to collaborate in guiding our boys through the safe use of social media.
In today's world, social media is an integral part of our daily lives, and it will continue to play a significant role in your son's experiences. As they grow older, there is a natural inclination for them to rely more on peer connections than familial bonds. Research indicates that cultivating positive peer relationships, whether online or in person, has positive mental health effects for teenagers. By encouraging safe online interactions, we can help our young people feel more connected and develop a stronger sense of self and values.
We acknowledge, however, the challenges associated with managing social media and online activities. It is crucial for us, as trusted adults, to engage in open and non-judgmental conversations with your sons about the responsible use of technology. Research emphasises that one of the key protective factors for adolescents using social media is maintaining open and honest communication with a trusted adult. While it is normal for parents to react emotionally when misuse occurs, creating a safe and honest dialogue with young people is essential to prevent them from becoming secretive in their online activities.
We encourage you to discuss and work through the following areas with your son:
Setting appropriate and negotiated limits for online activities
Modelling responsible use of technology and social media
Highlighting the positive aspects of online interactions in fostering healthy peer relationships
Discussing strategies for managing negative online experiences
Utilising the resources provided by the e-safety commissioner, available at https://www.esafety.gov.au/
By addressing these topics together, we can work collaboratively to help you sons navigate the online world in a safer manner and continue to develop positive peer relationships.
Mr Jack Kovacic and Mr Scott Steinman
Thinking Traps Parent Workshop
The College and EREA community is pleased to provide the following positive parenting online workshop titled Thinking Traps.
Date: 10 March 2025
Time: 6:30 pm - 7:30 pm
For: Parents
Workshop: Thinking Traps
Format: Online
Cost: Free
Zoom Links:https://zoom.us/j/96308272460
Mr Martin Gillogly - Assistant Principal, Pastoral Care