Pastoral Care

From the Assistant Principal Pastoral Care

Wellbeing Anecdotes from the Student Diary Planner:

“There is only one good knowledge and one evil ignorance” Socrates

“You can’t stop the waves, but you can learn to surf”

Jon Kabat-Zinn

Student Representative Action Groups

Willoughby City Parent Support Seminar:  Gaming Addiction

Year 7 Study Skills Evening Monday 17 June

Edmund Rice Education Beyond Borders

Bourke, Brewarrina, Walgett, Coonabarabran & Dubbo Social Justice Expedition July 2019

Rest in Peace Harry Speter

Student Representative Action Groups

Calls are open for students to exercise their voice and take a part in the following action groups.

1. Coordinating and leading the Year 9 Term 4 Pastoral Group camps
2. Editing and improving the student diary planner 2020

See Mr Brannan with your ideas to register in either of these two student action groups.

Willoughby City Parent Support Seminar

Please see the attached Flier for an upcoming Parent Support Seminar on Understanding Gaming Addiction in Young People. The seminar will be held in the Willoughby City Council Chambers on Wednesday 26 June.

Year 7 Study Skills Evening

Please go to the Trybooking link https://www.trybooking.com/513498 and also see the flyer below for information regarding the Year 7 / 8 Study Skills Evening next Monday 17 June to be held in the College gym. Pru Salter, with whom we have developed a partnership to enhance our students' study skills, will host an informative evening of organisational techniques and habits to enhance learning. Please feel free to attend and / or access her website using the SPX school password communicated on the flyer.

Edmund Rice Education Beyond Borders

Edmund Rice Schools students featured prominently at the Rugby Representative Championships over the long weekend. Pictured are the respective Number 8s: Braden Godfrey from St Edmunds, Canberra representing the ACT Brumbies, and Austin Cleary from St Pius X College Chatswood who represented Warringah Rugby Club in the U/16 Titles Grand Final.

For the record Warringah took out the U/16 Title in a hard fought 17-12 win at Warringah Rugby “Rats of Tobruk” Park, Sydney. The ACT team was coached by EREA St Eddies Canberra Head of Co-curricular: Angus Balmaks.

The U/16 3rd placed Gordon Team included St Pius students Ben Kafer, Zac Davidson, Lachlan Onslow and Alec Paterson, while Adam Carpenter played for Northern Suburbs. No doubt the West Harbour and Melbourne sides featured EREA students from schools such as St Pats Strathfield and St Kevin’s Toorak respectively.

The Gordon 18s Team also finished 3rd with St Pius’ Brynn Mendel, Kiefer O’Brien, Duncan Dingley, Conor Montgomery, James Bragg, Ed Andronicus, Will Chen and Tim St John prominent, while Harry Melloy featured in the Gordon U/15s team.

Congratulations to all Edmund Rice students on their performances in what was a tough long weekend of representative Rugby before we continue our ISA matches vs De La Salle, Oakhill College, next weekend. The Edmund Rice Beyond Borders flavour of our Rugby Season will become even more colourful in Term 3 when we again host our EREA cousins from Cardinal Newman College, Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Bourke, Brewarrina, Walgett, Coonabarabran and Dubbo Social Justice Expedition July 2019

Preparations continue this week for our Social Justice Expedition to visit the Schools, Towns and Aboriginal communities of Rural and Remote North Western NSW.  

Next Monday 17 June Jayde Ward, NSW Catholic Schools State Manager Programs and Policy and Min Wilson, Aboriginal Education Officer Wilcannia Forbes Diocese will visit St Pius to speak with our Leadership Team, Our Lady of Dolours leadership Team, Year 5 (in Period 5) and Bourke Expedition Students (in Period 6), as well as with the students and staff of our Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) (after school).

The actual expedition will visit Kamilaroi significant cultural sites in the Warrumbungles, Pilliga Scrub and Baradine Land Council Office along with Coonabarabran High and St Lawrences Primary School.  St Joseph’s Walgett and the Brewarrina Fish Traps and Cultural Museum will be our foci on Day 3 before a Day 5 running of the St Ignatius Bourke Athletics Carnival and Desert Mass.  Day 6 features a Bike Tour de Dubbo Western Plains Zoo.

The objective of the expedition is very much one of listening to Story, History and Cultural Experience of the people we meet and country we walk on. Our 50-strong Expedition Team will definitely have some experiences and stories to share on our return in Term 3.

I thank the staff who have volunteered to give up the first week of their holidays to drive our expedition and support our students: Mr Quinn, Ms Spanyk, Mr Mendez, Mr Adrian Brannan, Mr Stollery, Mr Balboa, Mr Mulheron, and Fr Jim McKeon.

Fide et Labore

Mr Sean Brannan - Assistant Principal Pastoral Care and Wellbeing

Rest in Peace Harry Speter

The College was saddened over the weekend to learn of the passing of an Old Boy of the College from yesteryear, a stalwart of the Old Boys Rugby Club and long-time resident and proprietor in the Forestville district. Our thoughts and prayers are with Harry‘s extended family at this time of loss and bereavement. Vale Harry Speter.

Fide et Labore

Mr Sean Brannan - Assistant Principal Pastoral Care and Wellbeing