Junior School News

• From the Head of the Junior School
• Year 6 Chinese
• Junior School Sport
• Junior Resource Centre News

From the Head of the Junior School

PRAYER

We thank you Lord, for this term. 

For the challenges, the successes, and the mistakes from which we have learnt. 

Be with us as we spend our time with family and friends. 

Give us strength and courage to do what is right: to be witnesses of our faith. 

Help us to be a practical Christian these holidays, to appreciate what others do for us, to give time and effort to help others. 

To be peacemakers in our family. 

Keep us safe in our activities; give us good rest and good fun. 

Bring us back refreshed and ready for a new term. 

We thank you for our classmates, teachers, parents,

And a community that cares for us. 

May we always be conscious of you in our lives. 

Amen

THE UPCOMING WEEK 

Tomorrow we will have our finale of the dance with House Points available for the best Colour House.  Unfortunately, we won’t be able to have an audience but we will be recording this event and making it available for you to watch.  After the finale we will present the Blue Fides for Semester 1.  The Blue Fides are an excellent award to win as it is for 'consistent effort leading to improvement'.  I believe these awards embody the college motto of ‘Fide et labore’   Through Faith and Hard Work.

On Friday we will have the student/parent/teacher interviews.  As the title says, the students should be at the meeting to get the feedback.  These meetings will also be held on the first Monday, 20 July, of Term 3.  The boys will recommence on Tuesday, 21 July.

REPORTS AND INTERVIEWS

The Junior School interviews will run for 8 minutes with a 2 minute break to log into the next interview.  A one subject interview such as Literacy or Mathematics might only go for 5 minutes as they do in the Senior School.  You will be able to book your interviews in 10 minute segments.   This system only works if we stay to the times. In the vast majority of cases this should be long enough.  If it isn’t then please arrange for a future interview with the teacher. 

Please note that the main teachers a parent will book in for an interview are only their son’s classroom, mathematics and possibly their literacy teachers.  As specialist lessons are only once or twice a cycle, unless there is an issue that you particularly need to be addressed, there is no need to book an interview time with these teachers.

As Mrs Doheny and myself share Maths classes, if you wish to talk to us about Mathematics, you book the interview with Mrs Doheny and I will join the Mathematics interview.  I will not appear on the booking sheet.  However, if you do wish to speak to me about something else unrelated to the Maths classes then please email me and maybe suggest 3 available time slots.

THURSDAY

This Thursday (Week 9, 25 June only Year 6 will have the opportunity to be dropped off from 8.30 am - 9.15 am.  Year 6 will be bussed down at 9 am and Year 5 at 10.45 am.  This will be the grand finale of the dance competition which is for House Points.  In previous years we have had an audience and afternoon tea but unfortunately, due to Covid-19 this won't be possible.  Alternatively, we are investigating a way to record the event.  The boys in Colour House groups (approx. 60) will be in the centre of the gym and videoed from up higher in the mezzanine level.  If you don't wish for your son to be videoed, please contact Mr Long before the event and he can sit out the Grand Finale.  We are looking at sharing the video using a link only, in the same fashion as we do for whole school assemblies.

The pick up on this last day of the term will be at 1.40 pm - 1.55 pm outside the Christian Brothers Centre.  If the boys aren’t picked up they will be bussed back to the College for a normal Thursday dismissal.

TERM 3

We have planned to have a 6 week season of IPSHA winter sport in Term 3.  Please note that we will be following ISA rules and there will be no spectators allowed for the first Saturday and then it will be one spectator per student for the remainder of the season. We do have a Pius long weekend this coming term but we will still hold Sport on the Saturday. You will need to make arrangements for your son for  Monday, 31 August.

As with many things this year, we will have to wait and see if we can have the Junior School Father and Son sporting afternoon at Oxford Falls.  In the past we would have a sporting afternoon from 11.45 am to about 1.15 pm followed by a sausage sizzle.  The planned date is Thursday 3 September so try and mark the date.  We hope to confirm this a month before.

We also plan to have the Junior School Charity Walkathon during the term.  All  the money goes to our partner schools and charities.

THOUGHTS TO PONDER

"Do not let the behaviour of others destroy your inner peace.” —Dalai Lama

“Nobody can bring you peace but yourself.” —Ralph Waldo Emerson

“If you are depressed you are living in the past if you are anxious you are living in the future, if you are at peace, you are living in the present.” —Lao Tzu

Have a safe holiday season.  

Please drive safely as you have precious cargo - yourself and your children.

Thanking you for your support,

Mr Tim Long - Head of Junior School

Year 6 Chinese

In Term 2 in Chinese classes, Year 6 completed a unit of work – Introducing My Family. This unit required the boys to compose a Microsoft PowerPoint Presentation introducing their family members by title, name, age and nationality, in the form of a photo album. Whilst all the boys did an excellent job with their work, here are some of the work samples from boys who excelled in their use of vocabulary, sentence structures and presentation. Congratulations to Angus Gibson, James Kevric, Aiden Kiem, Rory McCallum, Alex Dal Molin, Andrew Montano and David Smith for their hard work and effort. 

Ms Leanne Lee - Language Teacher

Junior School Sport

News: 

Saturday Sport is back in Term 3!  We have a 6 week Winter Season running from Weeks 1 - 6.  Please check the St Pius X App for Winter Draws.

Thursday Sport:

All boys will be participating in the House Dance Competition.  We will be recording this and sharing the You Tube link with the Junior School Parents.

Mr Benn McBrearty - Junior School Sports Master

Rugby Clinics in the School Holidays

While clinics and holiday training session are not compulsory, I believe some activity during the break is necessary given we are playing matches on the first weekend of Term 3. Below are the opportunities on over the break at Oxford Falls:

Thursday 2 July – SPX exclusive TryTime Rugby Clinic DAY 1 (Mike Cross and Trytime Coaches) user pays via trybooking. All ages groups.

Friday 3 July – SPX Exclusive Trytime Rugby Clinic DAY 2 (Mike Cross and Trytime Coaches) user pays via trybooking. All age groups.

Tuesday 14 July – Holiday Rugby Clinic – Day 1 (postponed from April) cost paid at registration.

Wednesday 15 July – Holiday Rugby Clinic – Day 2 (Opens Rugby vs Redfield College, 3.00 pm).

The clinics on Thursday 2 July and Friday 3 July are additional clinics provided by Head of Coaching Mike Cross and through TryTime Rugby. To books these clinics use the link below and see the flyer for more details.

http://www.trytimerugby.com/camps

The Tuesday 14 and Wednesday 15 clinics are have been moved from the April School holidays.  If you originally booked the holiday clinic before Covid-19 and received a refund, you can also use the link in the flyer and select the Clinic Option.

Please see the flyer below for more information and booking details.

Mr Joe Lynch - Rugby Convenor

From the Football Supporters Club

SPX Football Holiday Camp

Pack away your technology and improve your football skills ahead of the Term 3 Football season.  Have fun with our highly qualified external football coaching team of Richard Lacey, Chris Semaan and Troy Halpin with others for cost effective football training in the holidays.  The sessions are conducted in age-based squads and include skills and game-play.

Trybooking:        https://www.trybooking.com/UPLP

When:                  Monday 6 July to Wednesday 8 July, 9.00 am to 1.00 pm

Where:                 SPX Oxford Falls Campus

Transport:           Parents to drop off and pick up boys from Oxford Falls per Covid-safe

                               guidelines (please stay in your car)

                               Bus transport available from SPX Chatswood Campus:

• 8.15 am drop off at Kirk Street, boys walked to bus by Mr Lacey on Archer Street
• Bus to depart 8.30 am sharp
• 1.10 pm depart from Oxford Falls, arrive at SPX Chatswood Campus at 1.30 pm subject to traffic conditions

Cost:                      $50 per day (single or multi-day tickets available)

Bring:                    Football boots, shin pads, football training clothes (SPX sports uniform

                                not required)

                                Water bottle with name clearly marked per Covid-safe guidelines

                                Sunscreen, cap and rain gear and sneakers (for indoor football play for 

                                wet weather)

                                Food for snacks and lunch

                                For this camp, the traditional pizza lunch cannot be provided due to 

                               Covid-safe guidelines

Mrs Cathy Thomson - SPX Football Supporters Club

Junior Resource Centre News

This week's Highlights: 

As we wrap up a busy online start and then return to school in Term 2, I would like to thank all the boys for their fabulous efforts with all their work produced this semester.

Exciting activities are planned for Term 3 in the JRC. Year 5 will be working on how to create a Book Snap using Canva. Year 6, will be exploring how to make a Book Trailer in their Library program. 

This coincides with the NSW CBCA – Collide Book Trailer Competition.  A creative and fun activity for readers. This competition offers students in NSW in Years 3 - 9 an opportunity to be creative, imaginative and adventurous in showcasing a really great story in a book trailer format. And win some great book prizes.

Click on the link for more details on how to enter.

https://www.cbcansw.org.au/post/collide-book-trailer-comp

Exciting Holiday Activity

Looking for something exciting to do for the holidays? Look no further!

To celebrate Puffin’s 80th anniversary and the release of the second book in the Atticus Van Tasticus series, Puffin is giving one lucky school in Australia a school mural, painted by Stephen Michael King.

The lucky school will also receive a visit from the author Andrew Daddo plus a set of Atticus books for every grade class in the school.  The individual student who submitted the winning drawing will get a set of Atticus Van Tasticus books plus a signed limited edition drawing from Stephen Michael King.

HURRY!  Entries close 5.00 pm Friday 28 August 2020.

To enter, click on the link, and follow the steps.

https://www.penguin.com.au/articles/2569-win-a-mural-by-stephen-michael-king

Nit Boy – By Tristan Bancks, Illustrated by Heath McKenzie – A Huge Success!

It’ll make you laugh. It’ll make you cry. It’ll make you itch.

Meet Lewis Snow. He has the worst case of nits in world history. Everyone wants him to shave his head. But Lewis thinks of his nits as pets. He’s determined to keep his hair and his nits, whatever it takes. 

Ned lives on Lewis’s head. He’s the first-ever jumping nit. His dad wants Ned to help nits take over the world. But Ned likes it on Lewis’s head. Ned’s vegan and hates the taste of human blood. 

And you thought you had problems. 

This new edition contains two Nit Boy stories in one book!

Please visit https://www.thechildrensbookshopspeakersagency.com.au/person/bancks-tristan-speaker/ if you would like to purchase a signed copy of Nit Boy for your child. The book will be delivered to St Pius X College.

Year 5 students engaging in an online drawing workshop with 

the illustrator of Nit Boy, Heath McKenzie.

Mrs Martin's Virtual Library

This week Mrs Martin's Virtual Library visits Gryffindor!

Mrs Martin's Book Trail:  

Perfectly Imperfect Stories. Text by Leo Potion. Discover the mental health stories of 29 inspiring people – a non-fiction title for readers aged 10 plus. Meet 29 icons, from pop stars to sporting heroes, and discover how they overcame a range of mental health issues, from anorexia to depression, to live inspiring lives. At a time when kids’ mental health is under more pressure than ever, this book celebrates the message that it’s OK not to be OK! #mrsmartinsbooktrail2020

Mrs Elena Martin - Teacher Librarian, Junior Resource Centre