Student Matters

• White Knight Foundation Walk Against Violence
• Speechcraft Course
• St Pius X College Wellbeing Week
• Manly Jazz Festival
• Lads & Dads Bootcamp Workouts
• Chess
• General Notices:  Go4Fun Fitness & St Patricks School Fete

Student Matters

WHITE KNIGHT FOUNDATION - WALK AGAINST VIOLENCE

Newly elected Prefect Andrew Jackson (Year 11), Huw Manson (Year 12), Jamie Miller (Year 10), Ethan Tan (Year 9), Mindmatters staff Ms Allington, Ms Foord, Ms Kugananthan, Mr Pembroke and Mr Brannan, Year 12 Parents Mr and Mrs O’Donohoe, Mrs DiCiano, Mrs Saunders and Mrs Woo joined 2014 Old Boy Liam Knight, his three brothers, and a host of other members of the SPX extended community, at the White Knight Walk on the first Sunday of the holidays. The walk followed the scenic Spit to Manly Wharf Harbour Walk under perfect conditions to raise money for Liam’s Foundation and awareness of the negative consequences of irrational violence.

Thank you to all who supported the event and Liam’s stand against violence. We look forward to having Liam address our students in Pastoral Care and Reflection time over the coming months.

SPEECHCRAFT COURSE

In an initiative sponsored by the SPX Old Boys Association, our Prefects gathered on the first Saturday of the holidays to continue their Speechcraft Course in the College Board Room and Junior School Classrooms. This Friday and next, they will hone their microphone speaking skills from the Assembly Podium and Gym Lectern before practising speaking to a dinner audience at the Chatswood RSL on Monday 31st October.

After witnessing the high speaking standards set by College Captain Liam Houlihan and Vice Captains Christian King and Nick Parker at the recent Year 12 Graduation ceremonies, our Prefects Elect 2017 are looking forward to their tenure of Leadership of the College in action and communication over the next twelve months. The skills they are developing will, no doubt, prove useful throughout their lives and we thank the Old Boys Association and Leadership Team for supporting this activity on behalf of our students.

ST PIUS X COLLEGE WELLBEING WEEK

With the National Mental Health week curtailed by our return to Term 4 this week, our Mindmatters Student Empowerment Teams led by Ms Allington’s Year 10 students and the newly elected Wellbeing Prefects: Daniel Warren, Nathaniel Panozzo, Matthew Hall and Joshua Thrum, along with the College Captain (elect) Joe Unwin, have appointed next week, Week 2, our College Wellbeing week.

The event will be launched by these students at Monday’s assembly and will include a student developed survey on Wednesday to raise awareness of wellbeing issues in our society and community. Aspects of wellbeing will then become a focus led by our student advocates during Pastoral Care time each Wellbeing Wednesday.

The week will culminate with our White Ribbon Day (brought forward from Exam Week 7), to celebrate the positive contribution of women in our lives.  English classes are already developing and publishing biographies of the significant contributions of women throughout history and each student will be encouraged to add a note naming a significant woman in his life to our Women’s Wall in the College Foyer, in exchange for a white ribbon to be worn against domestic violence throughout the day.

The Year 10 Mindmatters Student Empowerment Team who will lead the upcoming Mindfulness exercise includes Nik Papastamatis, Jasper Choi, Jamie Miller, Daniel Hall, Jack Moran, Lewis Handy, Tom Zwart, Spencer Fleming, Harry Marchant, Oscar Jacobson, Ryan Kelleher and Ben Di Tommaso.

Mindfulness training for Homeroom Pastoral Care staff and lead students commences next Monday after school. See Mr Brannan and / or Mr Russo for details.

It should be noted that Jamie Miller (Year 10) supported both The White Knight Foundation Walk and Running for Rowie Festival the week before. Next year Jamie hopes to run the Sydney Half Marathon at the Blackmores Running Festival preceding the Running for Rowie activity. Well done Jamie.  Are there any other takers?

MANLY JAZZ FESTIVAL

Congratulations to Mr Powers and the Senior Jazz Band who took time from their vacations to build up a strong audience as first performers at the Wharf end Corso Stage of the Manly Jazz Festival on the middle weekend of the holidays. The solos from Nick Parker, Liam Kivijian, Angus Dingley, Nick Wellard and Ben Sheehy, well supported, certainly brought the fans back to Jazz.

LADS & DADS BOOTCAMP WORKOUTS

Father & Son workouts with Mr Lynch commence next week - Tuesdays in the gym. See the flyer below for further details.

Mr Sean Brannan - Head of Student Services

Chess

On Sunday the 30th October Knox Grammar will be hosting a 7 round Swiss style Chess Competition for secondary students. The tournament is for teams of 3 players at a cost of $20 per head. It begins at 9.30 am and finishes approx 3.30pm .

If your son is interested in participating he needs to register his interest with either Ms Ramsey or Ms Dempsey by Wed 26th Oct. As it is a “team” event it would also be helpful if your son could try to organise himself into a team of 3, although this is not mandatory.

Ms D Ramsey - Convenor

General Notices

Go4Fun Fitness

St Patrick's School Fete