Junior School News 

From the Head of Junior School

WOODCHAT – for busy families who just want the facts, fast!

DATES FOR THE DIARY IN TERM 2

You can make a donation to the Biggest Morning Tea via the link below:

WEEK 3

Next week, we celebrate Founder’s Week at St Pius X College, and reflect with gratitude on the life and legacy of Edmund Rice, whose vision continues to inspire our community today. Born in Ireland in 1762, Edmund Rice recognised the transformative power of education and dedicated his life to supporting young people who were poor, marginalised, or excluded from opportunity. Through courage, faith and compassion, he established schools where every child would be known, valued and encouraged to flourish.

The Edmund Rice tradition calls us to live with justice, inclusion and hope. During Founder’s Week, we are reminded that safeguarding the dignity and wellbeing of every student is central to who we are as a Catholic school community. Edmund Rice believed that education should form not only the mind, but also the heart, inspiring young people to act with kindness, empathy and a commitment to making a positive difference in the world.

MONDAY 4 MAY

Students from 5 Red will present a special assembly to the whole school to commence our Founder's Week celebrations.

TUESDAY 5 MAY

Edmund Rice Feast Day.

WEDNESDAY 6 MAY

9:00 am Mother’s Day Mass and Biggest Morning Tea at Oxford Falls.

For those who are joining us at the Mass, it is important that you read the following information very carefully.  

If you are attending the Mother’s Day Mass at Oxford Falls, you need to (a) mark your son's attendance at the Mass on Sentral and (b) transport him, yourself, and any other guests to Oxford Falls.  Mass will begin at 9:00 am.  

Following the Mass, students will have a light morning tea with their mother and then be transported back to the college by bus. 

Instructions on how to mark your son's attendance at the Mass:

1. Go on to Parent Sentral Portal 
2. Mark your son as absent/timed on Wednesday 6 May from 8:35 am – 12:00 pm, as shown below.
3. The reason for the absence will be ‘Mother's Day Mass'

FRIDAY 8 MAY

Founder’s Day at Oxford Falls

Students to bring their own recess and lunch – no canteen.

10:15 am Mass commences 

11:30 am – 12:30 pm Lunch (students to bring lunch) 

12:30 pm -1:50 pm Year 12 performance 

1:50 pm - Parents can pick up their son/s from Oxford Falls

2:00 pm - Buses return remaining students back to the college for an early dismissal

PEER MENTORING PROGRAM

Our Peer Mentoring Program kicked off on Tuesday at lunchtime.  Thank you to Mr Gillogly, Mr Maloney, Mr Ticli and Mrs Anderson for leading this important program.  Nominated students have an opportunity to spend time with an older student who can support them, get to know them, and help them feel more confident and connected at school.

FUTURE PROBLEM SOLVING

Future Problem Solving equips students to tackle complex real-world challenges through research, collaboration, and structured thinking. The program builds critical and creative thinking, strong communication, and ethical decision-making, preparing students to lead and succeed in a rapidly changing world.

Last month, Year 6 students; Sam L, Joshua W, Emile R, Tom S, and James R completed their first Global Issues Team Booklet in the National Future Problem-Solving (FPS) Competition. The topic was 'Invasive Species' and after reading through the Future Scene, the boys had to identify sixteen issues, write an underlying problem and then come up with 16 futuristic solutions to their underlying problem.

The booklet was uploaded to the FPS site, marked, and returned with our students finishing second in their group. This is a fantastic achievement considering it was their first competitive booklet. There are two more booklets in the competition, and the new topic is ‘Space Exploration’. 

The students are congratulated for working in their lunch break twice a week to prepare for the program.  We extend our thanks to Mr Cummins for giving of his time to facilitate this exciting program in the Junior School.

FIZZICS EDUCATION

Last week, Year 6 enjoyed an exciting incursion run by Fizzics Education to kick off this term's Science and Technology unit. We were treated to an immersive experience exploring energy and how it circulates around different circuits, challenging us with technological challenges. Working in pairs, we explored and learned various symbols that represent highly scientific and technological imagery. In unison we learnt the difference between a varies circuit, and a parallel circuit, giving us a new skill set helping us in years to come. Our instructor Ben informed us on the patterns and pathways energy follows, energy circumnavigates toward the pathway of least resistance which typically runs through the switch and back to the battery.  In conclusion, it was a great learning experience filled with lots of smiles, reflecting that it was an overall great experience for the students.

by Kent Sobey and Hugo Farmer (6 Green)

Thank you for your ongoing support of the Junior School. 

Mrs Jill Greenwood - Head of Junior School

MICROFICTION COMPETITION

We are excited to announce the 2026 Microfiction Competition which sees participants writing a 100-word or less story.  The stories must contain a particular word and an action. The word is 'forgotten' and the action is 'sketching'.  Students should submit their entry via the attached form: 2026 SPX Microfiction: Round 1 – Fill in form.

This round of the competition closes on Friday 8 May, so please encourage your son to put on his creative hat and get his entry in!  Junior School students have the chance to win $100!

Mr Daniel Quilty - English Teacher  

Junior School Sport News

Fixtures

Around the Grounds

Term 2 Thursday Sport Dates and Events

Term 2 Winter ISPHA Season Dates 

• Round 1: 2 May
• Round 2: 9 May
• Round 3: 16 May
• Round 4: 23 May
• Round 5: 30 May
• Round 6: 13 June
• Round 7: 20 June
• Round 8: 25 July
• Round 9: 1 August
• Round 10: 8 August

Code of Conduct

At St Pius X College, we are proud of the strong values that underpin our programs and contribute to our success, win, lose, or draw. We play the game to learn, to enjoy it, and always within the spirit of the sport.

Families are asked to remain behind any ropes or fences at venues and allow clear space for coaches to lead and manage their teams. As some coaches may be supervising multiple teams, assistance with warm‑ups may be requested on occasion and is greatly appreciated.

By working together and modelling respectful behaviour, we help create a positive environment for all players to develop and enjoy their sport. Please see below for a copy of the IPSHA Code of Conduct for your reference.

Tuesday Afternoon Training Sessions for Football and Rugby

Thank you to the students for their excellent attendance at our first week of Tuesday training, it was great to see such a strong turnout.

As a reminder, students must be wearing an SPX House shirt or SPX training shirt to participate. Tuesday afternoon training will run weekly at Beauchamp Oval until the end of the IPSHA Winter season and will be led by a combination of internal and external coaches.

As Beauchamp Oval is council‑managed, training is subject to weather‑related closures. If a session is cancelled, families will be notified via Clipboard. Please assume training will proceed unless advised otherwise.

Rugby training is compulsory for all rugby players. Football training is optional and intended for students not already training regularly with an external club or representative team.

Junior Football - Tuesday Afternoon session – Fill out form

Team Allocations & Season Fixtures – AFL, Rugby and Football

There has been some movement of players following last Thursday’s session, with further adjustments expected after today’s training. Please check Clipboard tonight for any updates to Football and Rugby team allocations.

Please also note that some fixture changes have been received from opposition schools across Rugby, Football, and AFL. Ensure you can view the confirmed match times in Clipboard. If you are unable to see these details, please contact Mr Bourke.

Please note that due to lower-than-expected numbers in Year 5 Football, some students may be asked to play a second match each week to ensure all teams can take the field.

Information via Clipboard

To stay up to date with training schedules and fixtures, please check the Clipboard app regularly. All training sessions and fixtures are managed and updated directly through the app.

Important Reminders

• Ensure notifications are enabled in both the Clipboard app and on your mobile device (push and/or email).

• Fixtures will initially appear as Unconfirmed and will be confirmed by opposition schools by Thursday each week. A notification should be sent once confirmed.

• Some fixtures are weather‑dependent. Cancellations or changes will be communicated via Clipboard—please check the app on the morning of fixtures.

Absences

If your son is unable to attend a Saturday fixture due to illness or injury, please log the absence through Clipboard:

1. Log in to your parent account

2. Go to the Calendar

3. Select Log an Absence and follow the prompts

Where possible, please also email Mr Bourke (jbourke@stpiusx.nsw.edu.au) by Thursday as a courtesy. All other absences require approval.

Normal school day absences should continue to follow usual school procedures.

Wet Weather

• In the case that weather impacts Junior School fixtures, a notification will be posted via Clipboard and/or the College App. Please ensure you are checking for updated information on Friday evening or Saturday morning. Updates could include venue changes, times changes or cancellations. 

SPX App

Families are encouraged to download and familiarise themselves with the SPX App if they have not already done so.

SPX Rugby Club

Rugby Gala Dinner 2026

Save the Date.  The date and the venue are now locked in!  Mark your calendar for Saturday, 1 August at Dockside.  The Rugby Committee are excited to once again be hosting a fun filled evening. 

Stay tuned for further details, and if you have any questions, feel free to reach out to spxrugby@gmail.com.

Mr James Bourke - Junior School Sport Coordinator