Mission &

Social Justice 

• Advent
• Year 7 Wishing Tree - collecting Christmas Presents for the children at the Indigenous community at St Mary’s Walgett
• Year 9 Christmas Hamper Appeal
• Year 5-9 Closing Mass
• Willowood Aged Care Christmas Carol Sing-a-Long
• Year 10 Immersions

From the Assistant Principal - Mission & Identity

As we begin our Advent journey, it is tempting to get caught up in the materialistic aspects of Christmas however it should be a time when our focus should be for those less fortunate. The generosity of the St Pius X community continues to overwhelm me and I would like to thank families for their support of the many fundraising events we have had held during 2016. It is now time for our final drive this year for two very good causes:

• Hampers for St Anthony in the Fields Catholic Church at Terrey Hills. These hampers will be distributed to those in need in the Diocese of Broken Bay. This drive is organised by Year 9 and it is hoped that all students at the College will contribute at least one Christmas item to the hampers. This might be non-perishables such as Christmas Cakes or Puddings, nuts and those special treats we enjoy during the Christmas season. Items will be collected in homerooms next week.
• Christmas Wishing Tree - Gifts for the children at the Indigenous community at St Mary’s Walgett. This drive is organised by Year 7 who will lead the College in bringing in presents for children from 5 to 12 years. Presents should be wrapped in Christmas paper and labelled with the gender and age of the child so that appropriate gifts can be accurately distributed. These need to be posted to Walgett in Week 9 to ensure students receive their gifts before school finishes so please ensure presents are placed under the Christmas Tree in the College Foyer next week.

All families are invited to share our Closing Christmas Mass on Friday 9th December at 10 am at Our Lady of Dolours Church.

Ms D Dempsey - Assistant Principal Mission & Identity

From the Social Justice Coordinator

On Monday afternoon Ms Bates, Ms Whelan and Mr Listo accompanied the St Pius X Vocal Ensemble to Willowood Aged Care where they performed Christmas carols for the residents. This annual carol evening was very well received by the residents.

As we come to the last two weeks of the school year we launch two of our biggest appeals, the Year 7 Christmas Wishing Tree and the Year 9 Christmas Hamper Appeal. On Monday Year 7 will be putting up the Wishing Tree in the college foyer and they will be collecting wrapped Christmas gifts to be delivered to underprivileged children for the next two weeks. All students are welcome to place a gift under the tree; however as this is Year 7’s main social justice project they are all encouraged to place a gift under the tree.

Also on Monday Year 9 begin their two week Christmas Hamper Appeal, collecting and assembling hampers that will be delivered to St Anthony’s Terry Hills. These hampers will be joining the rest of St Anthony’s Parish hampers which will be delivered to Catholic Care and Burdiken. Year 9 will be coming around to all homerooms on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday for the next fortnight to collect non-perishable Christmas food for the hampers. Year 9 will also be placing a hamper in the foyer where you can donate.

Photo:  Hamper Appeal 2015

Next Monday fifteen Year 10 students will be going on our three annual Immersions to St Edmund’s Wahroonga, St Joseph’s Walgett and St Mary’s Bowraville.  They will be accompanied by Ms Grove, Ms Dempsey, Mr Reay, Mr Pembroke and myself. These students will spend a week representing the college in our neighbouring special needs school and two remote indigenous communities. We wish them all the best.

Mr D Blake - Social Justice Coordinator