Pastoral Care

• Year 7 Aquatiacs Program
• Attendance Reporting
• Cammeraygal Cave Excursion
• Hosting Goodooga Central School
• Carly Ryan Foundation Cyber Safety Presentations
• St Anthony's Landcare
• St Pius X College - wider community service in the face of the recent natural disasters
• St Pius Students vs Old Boys Gala Day
• Counselling Team
• Boxercise
• After-school study

Student Wellbeing Anecdotes from the Diary

"You must expect things of yourself before you can do them."  Michael Jordan

"Find a higher purpose to have in life to aim for, say no to mediocrity."

People do not decide their future, they decide their habits and their habits decide their future."  F M Alexander

Year 7 Aquatics Program

The Year 7 PDHPE Aquatics program commenced in perfect conditions on Tuesday after being storm swelled out two weeks ago. It was great to see the enthusiasm with which the boys challenged themselves in the Manly surf conditions: swimming, running and paddle boarding with great effort and skill. The surf skills and fitness being developed will stand them in good stead for lifelong physical activity in a whole range of movement situations and environments.

Attendance Reporting

Parents and students are reminded that the New South Wales Education Standards Authority (NESA) requires that all absences from school are documented by an electronic or written communication from parents / guardians to explain them. Where a parent requests a partial absence of leave from school during the day, the student should see their relevant Year Coordinator before school, with their note, which needs to be approved for the processing of a leave pass from the Administration Office. Year Coordinators and Pastoral Care staff have the primary duty of care for each student and approve and monitor student attendance and absences.

As a matter of course then students should see their Year Coordinator on the morning of the absence and inform their Pastoral Care Teacher during roll call before processing the leave and collecting a processed notice form from the front office on departure sign out.

Cammeraygal Cave Excursion

Twenty Year 10 to 12 members of our Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP), Student Empowerment, Student Wellbeing and Social Justice Teams met with local guide, and former parent of the College, Mr Ed Coates on Monday afternoon to visit a Cammeraygal Cave and occupation site. The cave featured hand stencils, and is situated above the harbour shoreline at Northbridge. Unfortunately a Sailors Bay Scout Canoe double booking meant the group were required to swim on their way to this important Cammeraygal site.  We will use the canoes in a few weeks for our Year 6 Peer Mentors afternoon.

For those interested in this topic, there are two good free exhibitions currently on display in the State Library, one of which is “Sydney Elders” featuring film interviews with four respected Sydney Aboriginal elders including Cammeraygal man and local cultural leader, Professor Dennis Foley. 

The student group included Tyson McCallum, Sam Barrell, Connor Ryan, Rory O’Connell, Charlie Jackson, Ronan Crsipe, Ben Cullen, Elliott Cook, Ashley Johnson, James Bellenger, Patrick Mulheron, Austin Cleary, Charlie Hamill, James Hunt, Will Staber, Tom Marren, Blake Houlahan, Monte Tanfield and Cameron Bragg.

Hosting Goodooga Central School

In a great opportunity for St Pius X College to celebrate a partnership with a tiny remote indigenous school family, we have been invited to host Goodooga Central School from March 18 to 24, as they visit to learn about Sydney. The 20 Goodooga students and 4 supervising staff will join our National Day Against Violence and Bullying and Harmony Day Assembly on Friday 20 March, and then run an Indigenous Games event at Wentworth Park.  This indigenous school has done much to support the EREA/Edmund Rice Centre for Social Justice "Let's Talk Reconciliation" Immersion over many years.

In order to host this group I now put a call out to the SPX Community to see if we can provide some camp beds, inflatable mattresses or the like, that might be in people's camping equipment, that we could use for the week.

If you have any to lend, or could point me in the direction of any (World Youth day mattresses?) which may be around please feel free to contact me at sbrannan@stpiusx.nsw.edu.au.

Remote Goodooga is 70km West of Lightening Ridge, almost at the Queensland border, and boasts a population of 200. There are 40 students in the school. It will be great to reciprocate the rich cultural welcome they provided for us when we visited them last August.

Carly Ryan Foundation Cyber Safety Sessions

On Monday we were fortunate to have our Year 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 groups receive presentations from Victoria, Zach and Cam who travelled from Adelaide as advocates for Cyber Safety Awareness and Action. Their pertinent message was well delivered to our attentive and receptive students. The Foundation honours Carly Ryan, who sadly fell victim to a tragic online social media interaction and crime. Our students learned valuable information about how they can protect and keep themselves, their friends, and families safe online.

Topics included protection of our online information, identity, location and reputational risks associated with information and statements we share or publish online. The contemporary trend of potential employers, and even associates and friends, searching our online profile to assess our character and values, greatly impressed upon our students the need for thoughtful discretion as well as safe behaviours online.

Below is a reflection from Eamon Boyle, Year 9 Student.

On 24 February, Period 3, the Year 9 cohort had the privilege of being visited by the Carly Ryan Foundation. Our amazing three presenters; Victoria, Zac, and Cam came from Adelaide to teach us all about cyber safety and how we can protect ourselves online. The talk started out with the powerful story of Carly Ryan, who sadly was murdered in 2007 by an online predator. We were told how Carly’s mother was extremely strong through these hard times and founded the Carly Ryan Foundation to help protect teenage children from the dangers of the online world. Carly’s mum campaigned and finally had a law passed in parliament which makes it a crime for an adult to use the internet to prepare to cause harm to a minor. We were taught how to protect and keep our online-selves secretive, and also how to keep enjoying our time online. As a year group we were very appreciative and thankful for our presenters, as we all learnt something new and valuable.

St Anthony's Landcare

In a great partnership with Frenchs Forest Catholic Parish Landcare group, Brigidine and Mater Maria Colleges, three of our Year 10 students: Bailey Littrich, Harrison O’Brien and Joshua Brown, began their Eddie Rice CIP hours last Sunday working on the Kieran’s Creek Landcare project at St Anthony’s Church Terrey Hills. They gave a great impression of themselves and our school and thought the experience very worthwhile. If there are other students who would like to join this initiative the dates listed below, see the students listed above or Mr Brannan for more details, fill in the forms attached to last week’s Woodchatta, and bring them to Mr Brannan.

St Anthonys Church, 46 Myoora Rd Terrey Hills Landcare Project for Edmund Rice CIP hours:

Sunday 5 April  3.00 - 5.30 pm

Sunday 21 June 3.00 - 5.30 pm

Sunday 20 September 3.00 - 5.30 pm

St Pius X College's wider community service in the face of recent disasters

Further to my call several weeks ago to acknowledge members of our community who served the wider Australian community over summer in and around the bushfires I have been made aware of the following significant contributions:

Glenn Sanders (class of ’86) and Uncle of Nicholas Gladen (Yr 8) is a Crows Nest Fire and Rescue NSW firefighter who was heavily involved in combatting fires including the Snowy Mountains region fires, in the vicinity of where the US Water bombing crew tragically lost their lives.

Fire and Rescue NSW Inspector Michael “Pickle” Wren (class of “81) similarly spent much of his Summer fighting bushfires including those in the Blue Mountains and Colo River areas. Through the work of Glenn and Michael and their colleagues, the iconic ancient Wollemi Pine site was protected along with the people and property throughout Eastern Australia.

A fitting commemoration to 25 people who lost their lives in the fires over Summer, was held in the Homebush Olympic precinct on Sunday, attended in an official capacity by good friend of the College and former Coonabarabran Shire Mayor Peter Shinton, father of our own Science Coordinator Ms Schuster.  Coonabarabran, sadly, is no stranger to the devastating ravages of the bushfires and drought.

St Pius Students vs Old Boys Gala Day

Sunday 22 March will see the Annual Old Boys Gala Day fixtures contested at Oxford Falls with Mr Quilty’s 1st XI Football kicking off against an Old Boys XI featuring past captains of the team from 9am. The Basketball and Touch fixtures will begin at 10am.

Please see Mr Brannan, the Wellbeing Prefects and House Captains to register your interest so that we can cater appropriately at the BBQ which follows the fixtures from 11am -12 Midday.

Fide et Labore

Mr Sean Brannan - Assistant Principal Pastoral Care and Wellbeing

Counselling Team 

The Counselling Team is available to provide confidential emotional and social support and guidance for your son and family throughout the year.  The College Counselling team consists of:

Mr Rick Russo

Counsellor (Full time Monday to Friday) working with students across all year groups.

Email:  rrusso@stpiusx.nsw.edu.au

Direct Phone:  9414-4359

School Mobile (in case of emergency):  0418-438-325

Mrs Joe McCarthy

Psychologist (2 days per week:  Tuesday and Thursday) working with students across all year groups.

Email:  jmccarthy@stpiusx.nsw.edu.au

Direct Phone:  9414-4322

Mrs Judy Gill

Psychologist (2 days per week:  Monday and Wednesday) working with student across all year groups.

Email:  jgill@stpiusx.nsw.edu.au

Direct Phone:  9414-4315

Boxercise

St Pius X College has a BOXERCISE program that runs every Thursday and Friday mornings from 7.30 am till 8.10 am in the College Junior School playground and School Gym. This program is voluntary and free to all students across all year groups. Students can attend one or both days.

Further details and information can be obtained from Mr Rick Russo on rrusso@stpiusx.nsw.edu.au or 9414-4359.

Mr Rick Russo, Counsellor

After School Study

After school study is held on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday afternoons in E1, from 3.15 - 4.30 pm for Years 5 to 10 students.  All welcome.