Junior School News
Students at Oxford Falls
- From the Head of the Junior School
- Junior School Sport
- From the Junior Resource Centre
- Junior Chess
From the Head of the Junior School
PRAYER
LENT
Today is Ash Wednesday which marks the beginning of Lent. Lent is a time where we prepare for Easter. The teachers and I have discussed with the boys some possible ways to prepare for Easter. It could be by giving up something they enjoy (not homework or school - do you know how many times I’ve heard that line?) or it could be doing some extra chores around the house or both. Either way it builds self-discipline and character. As a school we collect money for Caritas/Project Compassion which goes to help those less fortunate than ourselves. So if your son is giving up soft drink then that money could go to Caritas. A priest, Father Tom, once said, Lent is 40 days and a time of preparation but the Easter season is 50 days (to Pentecost) and is a time of celebration. So as Catholics we celebrate for longer than we prepare!
Easter is about relationships with God through prayer, with others through giving and with ourselves through some form of self control, whether it be doing a chore or giving something up.
Spirit of God, who led Jesus into the desert to fast and pray,
Lead us as we enter this time of Lent.
Give us courage to scrutinise our hearts with honesty;
Give us strength to deal with what we find;
Give us love to forgive ourselves and each other,
So that, in peace and joy, we may celebrate at Easter
The death and resurrection of Jesus
And all that it means for each of us.
We make this prayer through Christ our Lord.
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COMMENCEMENT MASS
We had a wonderful Commencement Mass yesterday. We had four Year 5 boys who assisted with the entrance of the Bible and two Year 6 boys who were the altar servers. The theme of ‘Better Together’ was included in the homily and the boys’ behaviour was excellent. After the lunch break we had a play about ‘Cyber Bullying.’
THE CYBER BULLY PLAY
Yesterday we were treated to a play entitled, 'The Cyber Bully Play'. It was a very interesting play and should be a good conversation starter for the dinner table. They chose Lachlan for a guest appearance and he was excellent and received a great reaction from the boys. He may be interested in the Drama Ensemble!
The play was about Cyber Bullying which is a very important and serious topic. The boys have signed a Responsible Use of Technology Agreement. It is important that you monitor your son’s use of technology at home. Remember there are resources available on the Office of the eSafety Commissioner site for your use. https://www.esafety.gov.au/parents.
JUNIOR DRAMA ENSEMBLE
We are very excited to have an ex-Pius Drama student, Sam Schyvens, teaching our Junior Ensemble from Friday 12 February. He is presently at Drama School and is looking forward to teaching the younger boys some drama skills. This class will run Friday mornings from 7.30 am – 8.30 am in the Drama Room.
Sam was a talented drama student in his time at the College and will now bring his enthusiasm and knowledge gained as an acting student at university. Welcome Sam.
The cost is $250 for a student to participate in an ensemble. If a student only does Drama they will be charged $250 for the year. If they do more than one ensemble the cost remains at $250, it does not cost $250 per ensemble.
PARENT/TEACHER INTERVIEWS
Thank you to all the parents who attended the interviews on Monday and those attending today. It is important for you to sit down with your son and discuss goals for the year. Thank you for returning the surveys with the goals on them.
SATURDAY SPORT
Last Saturday was wet but we were fortunate that we could have basketball. The games were played in a great spirit. The ‘L’ team never gave up and had a wonderful comeback to have a draw. Thank you to all the coaches and the parents for your support, especially the parent ‘Saturday morning taxi service’.
CAMPS
We are busy organising the camps and you will receive information regarding camps soon. Just a reminder that if your son hasn’t slept away from home before, it would be good to have a practice sleepover at a friends/relatives place, to reduce the chance of him feeling homesick. There will be a no phone policy on camps as this also make boys homesick.
THE UPCOMING WEEK
Wednesday 17/2 – Junior School Parent Teacher Interviews Day 2 – please complete and return the survey about your son before the interview
Thursday 18/2 – Summer Sport
Friday 19/2 – Chinese New Year parade at 2.30 pm for the Junior School boys.
Saturday 20/2 – Unfortunately the P & F Commencement Mass has been cancelled due to COVID.
A THOUGHT TO PONDER
In line with Lent and our Theme of Better Together:-
Thanking you for your support.
Mr Tim Long - Head of the Junior School
Junior School Sport
Thursday Sport: Saturday fixtures for this weekend are listed below.
Bus Protocol:
Whilst on Chartered buses all boys MUST always wear a face mask. Please ensure your son has one to comply with this.
Oxford Falls Pick-up between 2.10 pm - 2.20 pm:
- Location: Outside the Caretakers House as you pull into the car park on the left-hand side. Please join the queue or if first one here please stop outside and start a queue.
- Please remain in your car at all times.
- As you approach the front of the queue, the teacher on duty will identify you and your son will be dismissed.
- Any boy not picked up by 2.20 pm will be available for collection from Chatswood at 3.00 pm.
Basketball:
Cross-Country
Join our Senior leaders and top athletes, Matthew North and Dominic Panozzo, alongside our distance coach, Izzy Thornton-Bott for fun, varied and challenging sessions.
Beauchamp Park, Chatswood from 7.30 am – 8.15 am on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday mornings.
Meet at the Grandstand in comfortable running gear and with a water bottle. You don’t have to aspire to run in the IPSHA Carnival - all students and abilities welcome.
Swimming Squad Training 2020/21
Training continues this week as we work towards our two carnivals this term - Brothers on 26 February and IPSHA on 2 March.
Location: Fitness First, Chatswood (24 Endeavour St, Chatswood)
Requirements: Suitable swimwear, goggles and swim cap
- Students wear PE/ Pius Sports Uniform to the sessions. At 8.15 am the boys are walked back to school by staff. They then change into school uniform. A snack/breakfast is also recommended at this point.
Monday mornings (7.15 am – 8.15 am)
8 February until 8 March
Tuesday mornings (7.15 am – 8.15 am)
9 February until 9 March
Friday Mornings (7.15 am– 8.15 am)
12 February until 12 March
Touch Football
Mr Benn McBrearty - Junior School Sports Master
NSTA Tennis
Unfortunately, last weekend all games were washed out. This was disappointing as it is such a short season. Let’s hope for better weather this coming weekend.
Please make sure that you are checking the draw each week to see where you are playing but also to check that your scores from the previous week have been entered correctly. You can access this information on Xpoint.
https://www.xpointsports.com/region/325/currentEvents
Mrs Samantha Iwatani - NSTA Convenor
From the Junior Resource Centre
Celebrate a little bit of Science
Galileo Galilei, astronomer and mathematician was born on 15 February 1564. His discoveries were large, including developing the telescope that led to the accepted understanding that the sun lay at the centre of a system of planets that revolved around it and discovering the four biggest moons of Jupiter and the rings of Saturn. His wisdom was clearly great too, reminding us that no matter how powerful and important something or someone may be, the simple, small gestures have value in the grand scheme of things.
You can find books on his work and ideas on the non-fiction shelves at 520.92.
Winner of the Hearts In A Jar Competition
Congratulations to Aren Mamigonian from 6 Gold. He is our winner of the Hearts in a Jar competition. The prize was a gift voucher from the School Canteen.
Library Monitors for 2021
Introducing our new Library Monitors for Semester One 2021. Congratulations and welcome to a fun-filled year in the Junior Resource Centre. Aidan Lilley, Michael Chung, Julian Wallace, Ben Fogale, Noah Watson, Sebastian van Vuuren, Robert Ponniah (Absent) and Liam Spatola (absent).
Mrs Martin’s Book Trail – 'Catch Me If I Fall' by Barry Jonsberg is a fantastic Middle grade read, a real page turner, unexpected!
‘Ash and Aiden Delatour are identical twins, living a privileged lifestyle with loving parents. In a world that has fallen apart at the seams, they want for nothing. All they have to do is be there for each other, no matter what. But after Aiden suffers a terrible injury, he isn’t the same brother Ash always relied on. Something has changed, and it will lead to a discovery that will turn their whole world upside down’ #MrsMartinsBooktrail2021 #juniorresourcecentre
Ms Elena Martin – Teacher Librarian
JUNIOR SCHOOL CHESS CLUB
The NSW Junior Chess Competition is pleased to invite the SPX Junior School to take part in the 2021 Primary Schools Chess Teams Competition.
Registration closes Monday 22 February, 2021. Attached is a Chess Newsletter with all the relevant information if your son is interested please complete the form, detach and hand it to Mrs Martin by Week 5, Monday 22nd February, 2021. Training begins Week 8, Tuesday 16 March, 2021 at 7.30 am in the Junior Resource Centre.
Mrs. Elena Martin - Junior School Chess Convenor