Pastoral Care 

Week 4, Term 3

As the term wears on it will be important for students and teachers to bring variety to learning by setting time limits and goals for learning and recreational activities, and moving from one activity to the next at regular intervals to bring some diversity to what you are doing.

Our Wellbeing Teams have emphasised the importance of a balanced lifestyle to the students. Eat well and exercise regularly, access sufficient rest, recovery and sleep and take regular breaks from screen time to stimulate your mind and body to be more creative and sharp. Taking time to read for recreation and enjoyment is an important way to accumulate new ideas, positive thinking and imagination into our daily lives. Coupled with exercise this is an important way for us to reset our psyche.  

Over the coming weeks we will be looking to include a variety of learning tasks and activities including screen free time and days in learning patterns. So please make sure you are working and communicating proactively with your teachers and other students, to optimise the learning opportunities of each day and maintain a positive growth mindset, healthy outlook and body.

So please consider your patterns of activity and learning and approach activities with a view to use them to challenge and stimulate rather than grind and allow them to create a monotone of experiences.

With advice coming through from NSW Health, the Government, NESA and CSNSW, we continue to adjust our contingency plans for ongoing Flexible Online Learning and the safe student return for assessment and learning at school using appropriate COVID-19 safety protocols. 

May our students and staff continue to support and look out for one another with great respect in these challenging times.

SPX Olympic Connections

On the subject of the Olympics, it was great to see Liz Clay, sister of Harry Clay (Class of 2016), lighting up the 100m Hurdles qualifying with her smiling face and a 2nd place in the heats on Saturday. 

Olympic Kayaker Jo Brigden-Jones is also a local girl and addressed our Year 9 modified camp last September, leading our students through their Black Dog Institute AIS Mental Fitness Challenge. 

And Boomers Basketball Captain and proud Muralag Torres Strait Islander man, Patty Mills, can claim our Science Coordinator Mrs Schuster as his teacher when he attended school in Canberra, well before being selected in the San Antonio Spurs NBA team.

In an inspirational Olympic-Themed Assembly last Friday Mr Couani and Mr Russo reflected on the newly added International Olympic Committee theme with Baron Pierre de Coubertin’s themes of “Higher   Faster  Stronger”  being added to by an important ideal for these times: “Together”. Sentiments which also channel our Student Leadership Team’s theme of “Better Together” and motivate your mate.

Best wishes to our Olympic Athletes and all those representing our Country proudly as well as our Year 12 cohort who continue to train towards their HSC.

Old Boys' Association Meeting 

At the St Pius X College Old Boys Meeting this week the decision to cancel the September 2021 Annual Dinner was taken in view of the current Health Orders, priorities, restrictions and concerns. With the classes of 2019 and 2020 missing their first Dinners, the OBA Committee is looking to host a meeting of these year groups and the Class of 2021 as they complete their school year in November. Stay tuned for details. 

The College thanks the Old Boys' Association for their support of the recent Red Dirt Expedition to Aboriginal, Rural and Remote communities of Western NSW, as well as their support of students on the victorious EREA Cup 1st XI Football win in Brisbane in April, as well as for their generous support of our 1st XV cancelled tour of Queensland where their BBQ support has secured the students’ Reconciliation Jerseys while Mr Stearn has managed to refund all monies to the players the families. 

We look forward to the Year 12 2021 receiving their Old Boys' Association Life Membership ties and tie pins on graduation, as well as future initiatives such as their hope to secure a visit from Archibald Prize winning artist Craig Ruddy (Class of 1986) to inspire our Visual Arts Program over the coming years.

Fide et Labore

Mr Sean Brannan - Acting Deputy Principal