Junior School News
From the Head of Junior School
WOODCHAT– For busy families who want the facts – fast!
WOODCHATTA
YEAR 5 & 6 2026 ORIENTATION DAY
Last Thursday, we were delighted to welcome more than 100 Year 4 and 5 students to the Junior School as part of their transition to St Pius X in 2026. Although this event takes place each year, it is always heart-warming to see the smiles and excitement as big brothers visit the Junior School playground to check in on their younger siblings:
JUNIOR SCHOOL CONCERT
Thank you to the parents and friends who were able to attend our Junior School Concert last Friday. The concert was the culmination of months of lessons with our dedicated Music teachers, and we thank Mrs Westhoff and the Junior School Music teachers for their efforts. If you missed the concert or would just like to sit back and enjoy an encore, please click on the link below.
The Junior Maths Olympiad is a prestigious inter-school competition designed to stimulate and challenge high achieving students in Years 5 and 6. Highly regarded for its quality and integrity, the Junior Maths Olympiad is unlike other competitions in that it provides an opportunity for students to demonstrate their capabilities and improve their problem solving skills as they complete four assessments.
Congratulations to all Junior School students who participated in this year’s Maths Olympiad competition. Under the guidance of Mr Makhoul, our students achieved outstanding results and should be very proud of their efforts.
We look forward to celebrating these wonderful achievements and presenting the students with their certificates.
Think you can match our Maths Olympiad students? Try this challenge for yourself!
AWARDS PRESENTATION
We were very pleased to present certificates at this week's assembly for students who have been involved in the IPSHA Debating Competition and participants in the Maths Games. Congratulations to everyone involved!
EMERGING WRITERS COMPETITION
Congratulations to Dario Leotta who has been awarded Winner of the 12 Year category in the Emerging Writers Competition, hosted by Willoughby City Council, for his piece of written work, 'The Camera'.
The Camera
Robert
Briskly walking the streets of Sydney, Robert, a tall man in his twenties, had a goal. With his first pay cheque in hand, he was going to spend the lot on a camera. He figured he would have plenty of use for it as he was going away with his fiancé. Two months later war was declared, and the 2/3rd battalion were called to fight. The last thing Robert packed was his beloved camera. As the assault on Italian-held Bardia continued, Robert’s hands were shaking so much he fumbled and dropped the camera. He searched frantically but was yanked up and told to keep moving as they were being shelled.
Idris
As the acrid smoke cleared, Idris started to scavenge items he could trade for food. Idris really only wanted to know if his goat was alive though. In the confusion and panic, Idris had run. Whilst he feared the worst, he found his unfussed goat happily munching a thorny shrub with shell holes and bullet casings all around him. Then something else caught his eye. A camera! He picked it up and wiped the dirt and grime off the lens. His family were delighted. Over the following days many heartwarming pictures were taken. Alas, there was nowhere to develop the film. One day, a line of grim-faced soldiers marched past the house. They were Italian prisoners of war.
Leonardo
Exhausted and disillusioned, Leonardo was forced to march. He had had enough of war. But when a little boy, perhaps twelve years old, compassionately offered him a camera, he was extremely grateful and saw in that little boy’s eyes the same loss and suffering as is own. He gave the boy his rations in exchange. Leonardo took photographs to show how much the war was costing the world. At war’s end, Leonardo returned home. But Sicily was in ruins too. Lives destroyed and opportunity stolen. Now his family had to start a new life. He took pictures of his heart[1]wrenching migration to Australia, which reflected the stories of so many immigrants.
Friends
The gruff foreman was an interesting character; a tall Aussie, who had fought at Bardia and looked suspiciously at Leonardo. One day he told Leonardo how he had lost his cherished camera in battle. Leonardo was overjoyed and so was the foreman, Robert. Robert had all the film developed. He saw pictures of himself, his fiancé, laughing diggers, a goat munching a shrub, a poor but smiling Libyan family, an immigrant ship with Leonardo and his wife, and finally, a toddler with his little hands balled into fists attempting to walk with his mother at his side. Robert’s camera had captured moments in history and the happy times and struggles of ordinary people. Robert realised that this was an extraordinary heirloom becoming far more valuable with every picture taken and every memory captured. It had been held close to the hearts of others as well and Robert felt deep comfort in having shared this heirloom.
WILLOUGHBY STORY BOOK COMPETITION
To the parents of students who have been invited to this event: Unfortunately, this event clashes with one of our sessions at the Macquarie University Pool. By the time students get to the pool, it will almost be time for them to get out of the pool, get dressed and be collected for return to the Chatswood Library.
Your options are:
Send your son to school and miss the presentation (I don’t recommend – it’s a lovely honour)
Send your son to school and collect him from the pool and return to the Chatswood Library (will be a quick turnaround)
Keep your son at home and take him to the Chatswood Library for the presentation
Unfortunately, all Junior School staff (including me) will be at either the pool or the beach, so there won’t be any supervision available at school.
If you have any questions, please let me know.
2026 BOOK ORDERS
Orders due: Friday 19 December 2025
Delivery: Week ending Friday 23 January 2026.
Codes for ordering:
If you are currently in Year 5, will need to use the following Access Code: “V8G3”
If you are currently in Year 6, you will need to use the following Access Code: “MC4M”
Thank you for your continued support of the Junior School.
Mrs Jill Greenwood - Head of Junior School
Fixtures
Junior School Sport
Commitment to Summer Sport
As we move into Round 4 of the Summer Sport season, I want to take a moment to acknowledge the outstanding turnout and spirit shown across all sports last weekend. With great weather and plenty of happy faces, it was fantastic to see students enjoying their games. Tries were scored, home runs hit, baskets made, wickets taken and points won. The energy and enthusiasm on display were a credit to the students, coaches, and families involved.
This level of attendance and engagement makes a real difference.
Swim Squad Update
Students in our swim squad performed extremely well this week at the Knox Grammar Invitational Swim Meet and represented the College with pride. Some squad members will also be attending the Senior School Carnival at Ryde Aquatic Centre, continuing to showcase their commitment and school spirit.
Our Term 4 Swim Program is underway, and it’s been fantastic to see the students in action. We would love to see even more students join us next week, it is a great opportunity to build fitness, technique, and team spirit.
Sessions are Tuesday and Wednesday at Fitness First Chatswood: 7:00 am – 8:00 am.
Summer Sport Results
Basketball
A special congratulations to Junior C Basketball, who secured a thrilling 21–20 victory over The Scots College after going down in a thrilling tight match the week before. They took learning from that experience and made the most of their opportunities when presented. This was a hard-fought game and a great example of teamwork, determination, and composure under pressure.
While other results didn’t go our way, there were many moments of skill and sportsmanship worth celebrating, from strong defensive efforts to impressive shooting across all teams. Every player who stepped up contributed to the spirit of the day, and that’s what makes SPX basketball so special.
Basketball Committee AGM
Basketball Committee AGM will be held online on Thursday 6 November at 7:30 pm.
The committee is seeking and intends to elect a new president at this AGM. If you are interested in joining the committee, or have any questions, please contact Chris Hillsdon by email at chrisandbrooke@gmail.com
Meeting link:
Meeting ID: 445 952 552 916 1
Passcode: SJ9Hp9Tr
Touch Football
What an incredible effort from the entire Touch Football squad last weekend! Regardless of the result, win, loss, or draw, every player showed true SPX spirit, giving their all for the team and stepping up when needed. Many boys backed up and covered extra matches to ensure games could go ahead, and that commitment does not go unnoticed.
A huge thank you to the parents who helped manage games on the day, your support is invaluable and deeply appreciated.
Special shout-out to C1, who staged an amazing comeback after trailing 4–0 at halftime to snatch their first win of the season, 6–5, in the dying minutes. This was a brilliant display of resilience and determination!
This weekend we have 2 byes and as such we have assigned all players to a team that is playing to ensure everyone gets a game. All games are at Oxford Falls, so please check for changes.
Softball
On Saturday, the team played in wet conditions and unfortunately lost 8–6 after only two innings due to the rain. Despite the slippery field and ball, everyone gave their best effort. The players stayed positive and showed great teamwork throughout the short game.
Mrs Jennifer Williams - Softball Coach
NSTA TENNIS
Round 3 Recap
What a weekend! The weather definitely kept us on our toes, with a few of our 8:00 am teams unfortunately getting caught out by the rain and some late changes. A huge thank you to all the parents for your patience and for making sure our Pius students arrived on time. It really means a lot to the coaching team.
Xpoint
A few students have noticed that some doubles players weren’t listed in the results. That’s because the Xpoint system currently only allows us to log scores for two players per match. While we can’t change this right now, we’re aware of the input system and are looking into ways to improve it moving forward. Thanks for your understanding
The forecast is looking much better for Round 4, and we’re keen for all teams to get back into it this weekend!
Mr Chris Nouragas - NSTA Tennis Convenor
Term 4 Dates: Sport Calendar
Sport Convenors
Cricket – Mr Balboa rbalboa@stpiusx.nsw.edu.au
Touch Football – Mr Bourke jbourke@stpiusx.nsw.edu.au
Basketball – Mr Bourke jbourke@stpiusx.nsw.edu.au
NSTA Tennis – Mr Nouragas cnouragas@stpiusx.nsw.edu.au
Mr James Bourke - Junior School Sport Coordinator