St Pius X College Newsletter

From the Principal

  • Reflection
  • EREA School Renewal
  • NAPLAN testing for Year 5, 7 and 9
  • Harmony Week
  • Project Compassion
  • Open Day - An outstanding success
  • Year 7 Camp
  • Key Dates
  • Cocurricular Program

Reflection

Fifth Sunday of Lent (Year B)

 

Gracious and loving God, 

We come before you with humble hearts, recognising that 

humility is the path to truth.

                                                                                                         

We thank you for sending your Son who willingly chose the cross 

out of love for us-so that we might, too, be your beloved.

 

As we enter Holy Week and approach the Triduum, we ask for 

the grace to see everything through the lens of this profound truth.

 

May the love that Jesus demonstrated on the cross be 

the guiding force in our lives.

 

Help us to surrender our own desires and ambitions, and to humbly follow 

in the footsteps of our Saviour.

 

Fill us with gratitude for the immense sacrifice Jesus made for us 

and inspire us to live lives of selflessness and love.

 

May our actions and attitudes reflect the truth of our identity 

as your beloved children.

 

We pray this in the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

 

Pieta’ Lenten Program 2024 published by the Catholic Diocese of Wollongong

 

As we move into the celebration of Easter, ultimately what we are celebrating is the utterly humbling reality that God loves us despite the fact that we don’t really grasp who he is; despite the fact that we reject him.  In the second reading on Sunday, we are reminded that Jesus chose to share in our human experience, and then, even to give up his life – all for love of us.  So, as we move into Holy Week, can we allow Jesus to be the truth within us.

 

Holy Week – celebrating the mysteries of our faith

As we approach the holiest week of the Christian calendar, have you ever wondered why this week is called 'Holy Week'? 

This is the week in which the saving mysteries of our faith unfold in Jesus Christ, the man. 

The week began with Palm Sunday, then moves towards the Easter Triduum (Holy Thursday, Good Friday, Easter Vigil).

Each day is significant in our understanding of God’s love for us.

Palm Sunday marks Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem as a King.  We testify to how well people exalt Him and yet, as the scene unfolds into Friday, the true nature of human emotions would be revealed.  Who within the crowd would still stick by His side in the moment of crisis?

 

The Easter Triduum is one celebration of its nature in the Church’s Liturgical Year.  The sign of the cross is made at the beginning of the mass of the Last Supper and no blessings until the final blessing at the Vigil Mass of the Resurrection.

 

Holy Thursday begins a tense moment.  We celebrate Jesus’ institution of two sacraments – Holy Orders and Holy Eucharist.  In washing the disciples’ feet, Jesus commissioned them to a life of service.  In instituting the Eucharist, He commissioned them to make these mysteries continually present.  During the Mass of Oils in the Cathedral, the priests renew their vows to their bishop and the Mass of the Last Supper celebrated in parishes.

 

After supper, Jesus goes to the Garden of Olives for intense prayer.  Jesus invites us to spend a moment with Him in prayer.  It is here that Judas finds and betrays Him with a kiss, meant to be a love gesture.  The arrest follows.

 

Good Friday is ‘good’ because it holds the Hour for which Jesus came.  The crown that exalted His entry in Jerusalem now screaming out, 'crucify Him!'  Jesus submits to the torture because He knows how much debt our sins have caused in God’s love.  We draw this memory in the Stations of the Cross and the celebration of the Lord’s Passion at the ninth hour (3 o’clock).

 

Holy Saturday is a low tone day, waiting for the vigil celebrations.  As we mourn and try to comprehend the reality of Jesus’ death, we join with the entire Church in prayer – Divine Office.

 

Easter Vigil is the night in which light and life dawns.  Light emerges out of darkness, life out of the barrow of death.  Victory over sin and death giving us new hope of eternal life. Jesus emerges as a Saviour and Lord in the glory of the Resurrection.  Let us all celebrate these events with renewed and invigorated hearts.

 

Each year we are reminded of the sacrifice of Jesus and that it was His love for us that is be celebrated on Easter Sunday. Jesus is not just a memory but rather He lives within us and amongst us.

 

May His love for all of us be experienced during this Easter period.

‘

St Patrick – Pray for Us

St Joseph – Pray for Us

Blessed Edmund Rice - Pray for Us

St Pius X - Pray for Us

Live Jesus in our Hearts - Forever!

EREA School Renewal

The EREA School renewal process commenced on Wednesday with staff, students and parents interviewed.  The renewal panel consists of:

  • (Chair) Ray Paxton - National Director of Educational Strategy 
  • Maura Manning - CEO NSW Colleges Ltd
  • Domenic Burgio - Colleague Principal (CBC Freemantle)
  • Heidi Senior - Director of Professional Practice and Partnerships EREA
  • Andrew Fraser - Senior Strategic Advisor, Catholic Schools Broken Bay

St Pius X College looks forward to celebrating the achievements of the College while also identifying areas for growth that will help inform the College's next Strategic Plan. Thank you to everyone who has been part of the process.

NAPLAN testing for Year 5, 7 and 9 

Students in Years 5 and 7 have now completed all their NAPLAN testing for another year.  Year 9 students will complete the NAPLAN testing tomorrow with Numeracy.  I would like to thank Mr Bell (Senior School) and  Mrs Greenwood and Mrs Boyle (Junior School) for their coordination of the NAPLAN tests during this testing period.

Harmony Week

Thank you to all the students and staff for their participation in this week's Harmony Week celebrations.   Students have brought their items to wear each day while at school, with the following themes:  

Some students wore jerseys and some even wore shoes or socks related to the particular theme of the day.  Participating students have been allocated House Points to add to their tally.

Project Compassion – please support

The theme of Project Compassion this year is For All Future Generations, with Caritas Australia highlighting the inspiring journeys of three resilient women from the Philippines, Malawi, and Samoa.

 

Philippines:  Ronita and her family had to live in survival mode every day.

When Ronita was a young girl, her mother worked three jobs to support her family. Ronita went to school with yellowing clothes because her mother didn't have enough income and she was frequently bullied by her students and even her teachers. 

Ronita was a teenager when she gave birth to her first child and her education prospects were bleak. She lived in a cramped single 10 square metre dwelling with her husband and two children in a crowded slum.

As a mother who wanted the best for her children, Ronita felt heartache when she couldn't afford to send them to the doctor.

 

Malawi: Memory's Story 

Growing up in Malawi, Memory had no choice over being born into a low-income family who rely on farming for survival, which is unreliable and left them vulnerable to food insecurity. Some mornings Memory had to walk to school bare foot.

 

 

Samoa:  Leaia's Story

Leaia's family in Samoa live in makeshift homes built from recycled scraps, with no access to piped water. She and her children had to walk long distances to collect water, which is then stored in old refrigerators.

 

 

 

Please give generously so that women like Ronita, Memory and Leaia can support their families.

OPEN DAY – Outstanding success because of the generosity of so many members of our community

What an exceptional celebration of community we experienced during our annual Open Day. The tours commenced at 9:00 am and continued until well past 3:00 pm, with the final group concluding their visit at the Science labs. The success of this event is owed to the concerted efforts of numerous individuals within our community, all of whom contributed to showcasing the excellence of St Pius X.

I would like to extend special recognition to a group of staff who worked tirelessly over the past two months to ensure that the College was fully prepared to welcome over 1,300 visitors.

First and foremost, our chief organisers Mrs Christine Jennings, Registrar, and Mrs Sarah Panozzo, Assistant Registrar, who meticulously coordinated all aspects of Open Day.

Our marketing team comprising Ms Felicity Barrett, Mrs Tracy Bradley, and Mr Tony Cunneen did an outstanding job in ensuring that we were well presented not only within the College premises but also in the surrounding areas, with striking banners promoting St Pius X College.

 

Furthermore, our Maintenance team demonstrated remarkable dedication in bringing the College to life for this event. A heartfelt thank you goes out to Mr Stuart Munday, Mr Ben Williams, and Mr Petar Pasatovic for their invaluable support and hard work.

 

A huge thank you also, to all the parents who supported the P&F Association with the BBQ. What an outstanding success. 

Special thank you to all the staff who were instrumental in supporting Open Day.

 

I am very confident that all families left with the knowledge that this is a great school. And the right place for their sons.

P&F thank you breakfast to staff

I would like to sincerely thank those members of our P&F parent community who provided a wonderful breakfast for staff on Monday morning. Bacon, sausages and egg sandwiches, muesli, muffins, fruit salad and yoghurt were provided, along with a coffee cart.  Staff were extremely appreciative of the effort to provide this lovely breakfast.  

Year 7 Camp

Year 7 students are currently participating in their annual camp at The Great Aussie Bush Camp. This presents a wonderful opportunity for all students to strengthen the friendships they have cultivated during their time at St Pius X. The memories and experiences gained from this camp will undoubtedly stay with them throughout their years at the College and beyond, serving as cherished moments during future reunions. I eagerly anticipate hearing about the exciting adventures and experiences they encounter during their time at camp.

Key Dates

Cocurricular Program

Last week two junior footballers Ryan Volpato and Ethan Suleman were selected in the representative side to compete in the CIS championship.  Congratulations to both Ryan and Ethan and we wish them all the success at the upcoming championships.

Our NSTA (Tennis) has reached the final stages of the competition with the semi-final and final games being played this coming Saturday.   Best wishes to all our tennis players who have qualified for these matches.

Congratulations also to Tom Kneeshaw and Cameron Giang who have made it to the finals of their NSW pennants squash competition.  A great achievement, as they finished their season undefeated.  All the best to Tom and Cameron for Saturday's final.

 

Go the Blue and Gold this week.

 

Fide et Labore

By Faith and hard work

Live Jesus in Our Hearts - Forever

Mr Michael Ronchetti - Principal