St Pius X College Newsletter

Pastoral Care 

  • Standards of Behaviour
  • Update: Gumbayngirrr Education Officer, Mr Mark Smith 
  • Red Dirt Presentation to Our Lady of Dolours Social Justice group
  • CIP Eddie Rice Social Justice Hours opportunity this Saturday 
  • Willoughby Council
  • Special Mentions
  • Prayers for Mr Waters

Standards of Behaviour

In the context of a new Student Leadership Team 2024 elect currently being commissioned with our Year 11 students over coming weeks, and in the lead up to RUOK Day, it is timely to reinforce the values by which our students have always been supported by our community to uphold.

Unfortunately, recently there have been some examples of individual students not living up to the standards set in terms of behaviour, speech, and action, consequently undermining the inclusive nature of our community. 

All members of our community are empowered to act responsibly and challenge and report any negative actions, behaviours, or language, including any racist, homophobic, sexist, rude, disrespectful, or derogatory language, manners, or behaviour. 

All members of our community must understand the importance of treating each other with dignity and respect in all circumstances. Our “calling out” of poor treatment of others is crucial to setting the standards by which we want our community to live and thrive. 

Please report any concerns in this regard to Mr Brannan or the Pastoral Care Team, so that we can exercise our duty of care in a timely manner to safeguard all members of our student community to learn and behave in a positive manner.

We are nothing if we fail to celebrate the rich story, culture, unique strengths, and identity of every member of our community in a positive manner. Our EREA Touchstones decree that we offer a Liberating Education in the best spirit of our lived examples of Gospel Spirituality to enhance Justice and Solidarity in order to enhance an Inclusive Community. 

Students are challenged to rise to these standards at all times, and face consequences along with a challenge to make it up to the community if they fall below this threshold. 

Update: Gumbayngirrr Education Officer, Mr Mark Smith 

Thanks and appreciation is extended to all for the prayers and support offered to our great friend Mark Smith, Gumbayngirr Aboriginal Education Officer, his family, and the community of St Mary’s Bowraville, led by Principal Nadine Slingsby. Mark, who accompanied our July Queensland Rugby Tour, suffered a medical emergency last Sunday week but has recovered to the point that he is now an out patient of Coffs Harbour Hospital ICU. In a phone call on Sunday evening Mark expressed his great desire to join our 1st XV Rugby for Reconciliation Round vs Stannies this Saturday. He has been to convinced to remain on Gumbayngirr country to recover, while we celebrate our friendship with him and his community and acknowledge the Cammeraygal land on which we  play, and the students and Wiradjuri land of St Stanislaus' College. Mark’s wife Janice and friends pass on their gratitude for our prayerful support. 

Red Dirt Presentation to Our Lady of Dolours Social Justice group

Thank you to Red Dirt student leader Matthew Dixon of Year 10 who led younger members of our Reconciliation Action Plan, Rhys Bourke (Year 9) and Esteban Curran (Year 7) in presenting our recent initiatives including the Red Dirt Expedition and Myall Creek Massacre site student visit last June to the OLD Parish Social Justice group last Thursday.

The team extended special thanks and a gift to ex-parents Mrs Jan Hunter and Mrs Di Munch who have provided stationery packs to support the remote indigenous communities and schools we visit including our good friends at St Ignatius' Bourke, St Patrick's Brewarrina and St Joseph's, Walgett.

On the same day a Year 10 Team of Lachlan Staber, Christian Wong, Jet Stump, Luke Mortimer and Isaac Donlevy presented on our RAP to the Celebration of Learning Assembly at the Concourse. We look forward to concluding our Reconciliation Lessons to Years 5, 6 and 7, presenting to the EREA Deputies Conference on 18 August, and hearing a presentation to the upcoming EREA Board Meeting!

CIP Eddie Rice Social Justice Hours opportunity this Saturday 

St Anthony in the Fields Church - 46 Myoora Rd Terrey Hills

Please note there is an opportunity to join with the Kieran’s Creek community Land Care Group (Frenchs Forest Catholic Parish) this Saturday from 9:00 am -12:00 pm. Please note that you must fill in a consent with your parents on arrival.

Don’t forget long sleeves and pants, robust footwear and tick protection which will be available at the venue.

See Mr Brannan to register your interest.

Willoughby Council

This Wednesday a small group of our Year 9 and 10 students will attend Willoughby Councils Youth Advocacy Training Evening at Chatswood Youth Centre to develop skills in the area of activism, advocacy or leadership.

  

LEADERSHIP Develop your leadership competencies such as communication skill, public speaking, and empathy.

 

INSPIRATION Learn from local positive social change activists and advocates through their motivational panel discussion.

 

OPPORTUNITY Share socially meaningful projects addressing positive change. 

 

NETWORKING Connect with like-minded peers committed to positive social change. 

 

ENGAGEMENT Participate in a skill development workshop delivered by NSW Peak body for Youth, Youth Action and advocate for people, environment and animals.

 

We look forward to Jack Fairbanks, Lachlan Staber, Luke Mortimer, Sean O’Donnell and Rhys Bourke reporting back on their experiences and to others supporting this initiative in the future.

Special Mentions

While there were some great wins and outstanding performances to mark the Winter season by last Saturday: including our 1st XI Football recording an important win, 4th XI with a 10 – 0 victory! And particularly our Junior AFL and Year 6 1st Rugby who completed undefeated seasons on Saturday. Our 1st XV did us proud on Wiradjuri Country vs Kinross at Orange but went down 12-13 on the bell. 

Special mention also must go to Kaz Tomkins of Year 10 who backed up from our 16B team to play a full 3rd XV match in Orange finishing 17–15 over Kinross. Outstanding school spirit Kaz!

Prayers for Mr Waters

The College was saddened to hear on Saturday morning of the passing of Mr Waters father of our former Performing Arts Coordinator Mrs Pip Waters. Pip’s dad was patriarch of the large clan of Armidale born and bred Waters of both Irish Catholic and Lebanese heritage. A larger than life character who will be sorely missed. We extend our deepest condolences, thoughts and prayers to Pip and the Waters clan. 

Fide et Labore

Mr Sean Brannan - Assistant Principal Pastoral Care