St Pius X College Newsletter

From the Principal

  • Prayer
  • Video Message from the Principal
  • Splinters, Splashes, Stage and Sounds Showcase online - You're Invited
  • Staffing Arrangements for Term 4
  • Building update
  • Congratulations to Zac Davidson
  • Year 12 Program for Term 4
  • Summer Uniform
  • End of term – last day and best wishes

Prayer 

Today is the Feast of Our Lady of Dolours.  We look to Mary, the mother of Jesus, to comfort us in our difficult times and understand our fears and sorrows. 

 

Mary, Mother of the Lord, you experienced overwhelming grief

and powerlessness in the face of the pain endured by your Son, Jesus. 

You bore his suffering in your soul. 

Awaken in our own hearts awareness of the suffering of others. 

As we allow ourselves to be touched by the pain of others, 

stir within us our desire to be a companion to others in their needs. 

Inspire us to act always with creative and courageous compassion 

so that, leaving selfish ways behind and 

through our attention to the suffering of others, 

our world may be transformed by the pattern of love we see in your Son. 

Enable us to become a community of care for others 

in which people of every background find welcome 

and inclusion and their wounds healed. 

May your presence in our midst be our constant guide. 

Amen

 

Video Message from the Principal

Splinters, Splashes, Stage and Sounds Online - You're Invited

The College is very proud to invite you to view our Year 12 Splinters, Splashes, Stage and Sounds Showcase for 2021.  This virtual exhibition showcases our talented HSC students' work in TAS, Visual Arts, Drama and Music.

As part of our Splinters, Splashes, Sounds and Stage exhibition this year we are also very pleased to showcase works from our Photography, Video and Digital Imaging Class, which is a new subject held at St Pius X College this year.

The exhibition can be viewed on our website and is accessible using the link below: 

View Splinters, Splashes, Stage and Sounds 2021

Our Performing Arts Captain, James Baldock, introduces our showcase below:

 

Staffing Arrangements for Term 4

I would like to sincerely thank Mr Joe Lynch for the hard work he has done over the past two terms, stepping in as the Year 12 Coordinator while other staffing positions changed due to leave.  Mr Lynch has worked tirelessly for the past two terms with our Year 12 students as well as continuing in his role as PD/H/PE Coordinator.  Mr Paul Ticli will resume his role as Year 12 Coordinator from next term.

We thank and wish Mrs Stefanie Tita farewell as her maternity leave replacement position has come to an end.  We also farewell and thank Ms Laura Coombe for her work over the last two terms.  We also thank Mrs Annie Bryant for coming on to work full-time in Term 3. She will continue in her normal part-time capacity in Term 4.

We are also pleased to welcome back Mrs Sarah McCormack after her maternity leave and Ms Donna Janes from her surgery and recovery.  Donna returns to her Year 11 (Year 12, 2022) Coordinator position.

Exciting News - Our Building is Soon to Commence

I am delighted to advise the school community that we have been able to bring forward our building plans! Please look at the video clip I have included this week, above, which shows a little more but we are continuing with our building improvement program throughout the College.  We now focus on 'B Wing', the original and first classroom block of the school. Built solidly in 1937, the classrooms in B Wing will be refurbished to bring them into line with our 'A Wing' and 'C Wing'.  

Students in Years 7 & 8 have been given time this week to come to school to collect anything out of their lockers in a similar 'Click and Collect' procedure as our Year 12 students have done.  The wing will be handed over to our builders during the holidays next week and it will be ready for use at the commencement of the 2022 school year. The builder's compound will not interfere with the learning program for Term 4 as Year 12 will have their HSC exams at Oxford Falls.

In more exciting news, the Learning Hub for 39-41 Anderson St will commence work in October and will be completed for the start of the 2023 school year.

These ongoing improvements to the College facilities will continue to support the outstanding learning program for our boys!

Next term I will send the next Building Bulletin to the community to update the progress we are making.

Congratulations to Zac Davidson

We wish to congratulate our Year 12 student, Zac Davidson, who has been selected for the Australian Schoolboys Rugby 'A' Team.  The title of 'Australian Schoolboy' is synonymous with players of high rugby skill and outstanding personal character.  Traditionally, representative teams of the Australian Schools Rugby Union play matches against teams from other nations, but unfortunately, due to COVID-19 all such matches will not be able to occur in 2021.  Selection in this team is a wonderful achievement for Zac and is a testament to his hard work over the past years.

Year 12 Program for Term 4

We would normally be farewelling our Class of 2021 at this time, however, unfortunately COVID-19 lockdown has meant unprecedented changes for the end of school for Year 12 students.  The HSC dates have been changed and will now commence on Tuesday 9 November. This means that Year 12 will continue with their online lessons and preparations to sit their final exams for the first three weeks of Term 4.   We have developed a Term 4 program for our Year 12 students.  It is expected that they will return to onsite classes on Monday 25 October.  We are planning to hold some final whole year events to mark the end of their schooling during that week.

This program has been forwarded to all Year 12 students and parents and is dependent on any further government changes or advice due to COVID-19. 

We will not be holding any special holiday classes for our Year 12 students as we recommend that they have a good break over the two week holiday period and return to online classes refreshed for their final weeks of preparation for their HSC. 

We pray especially for our Year 12 students at this time.

Summer Uniform 

We return to Term 4 with our continued online learning on Tuesday 5 October.  While students are expected to return to school in a staggered timeframe, commencing in Week 5 next term (dependent upon government advice), this holiday break is a good time to look at your son's summer uniform to check if you need any new items.

Please see the Uniform Shop page of this Woodchatta for details on how to order your uniform requirements.

End of Term

We will end the term in Period 4 tomorrow (Thursday), with Friday being a Pupil Free Day. I wish everyone a relaxing holiday break and know we will all return to classes refreshed after a much-needed break.

Term 4 will commence on Tuesday 5 October with online learning for Years 5 - 12.

 

Mr John Couani - Principal