St Pius X College Newsletter

Parent & Student Matters 

  • Year, Individual and Group Photos
  • da Vinci Decathlon program
  • Year 11
  • Science
  • PDHPE
  • Maths Drop-In

Year, Individual and Group Photos

On Friday 16 June, the College will be having Year Group and Individual Photos during Periods 1 – 4. During Periods 5 and 6 the Performing Arts photos will be taken. A running order of photos will be included in next week’s Woodchatta. Students must have their ID card on the day.

Ms Leisa Proc - General Coordinator

da Vinci Decathlon program

The da Vinci Decathlon program running at the college has been in progress now for 6 weeks and over 60 boys enjoy the challenges presented to them each week. Last week the students had to build a bridge out of paddle pop sticks and nothing else.  No glue or tape.  Nothing!

Of course, the students saw this as an engineering challenge, but what the leaders were looking for was how each student interacted with their team mates. Were they a blocker? Did they shut down ideas of others or were they encouraging and considered all ideas as a way of working together?

The program continues until the end of term, culminating in team selection for the da Vinci competition which will be held in Week 3 of Term 3.

The da Vinci Decathlon program is held every Friday morning at 7:30 am and all are welcome.  

Mr Paul Cummins - da Vinci Decathlon Convenor

Year 11 

Lisa Maltman from The Sleep Connection shared the “Sleep for Better Health, Resilience and Performance” message in a workshop with Year 11 last week. Students kept a ‘sleep diary’ for a week prior to the presentation to track their personal sleeping habbits. The rationale for the program is that approximately 70% of teenagers experience insufficient sleep. This is having significant consequences on many areas of their lives such as:

  • Learning and academic performance:  Good quality sleep is essential for both pre and post learning.  Poor sleep decreases motivation, concentration and memory consolidation.
  • Mental health and resilience:  Poor sleep negatively impacts relationships, overall mood and can be associated with depression, anxiety, negative body image and low self-esteem.
  • Behaviour and decision-making:  Poor sleep impacts decision-making capacity, has a negative effect on behaviour and increases risk of accidents.
  • Physical health:  Poor sleep affects children's physical growth, brain development, immune system and plays a key role in weight gain.

The aims of the program include:

  • Creating an awareness of the current level of sleep deprivation among students and the effect this is having on all aspects of their lives.
  • Empowering students with the knowledge, practical strategies and tools to make informed decisions regarding their sleep health
  • Providing information to students and parents regarding options for those who may require professional help.

Ms Donna Janes - Year 11 Coordinator

Science

Last week in Science Club, we made hologram projectors using some YouTube instructions. We found that the projectors were very flat and only worked a little bit using the dimensions from the YouTube instructions. So, after some modifications, we were able to make a new projector that worked. The boys are encouraged to work on this at home as it is a fun STEM activity for all ages.

Mrs Joanne Schuster - Science Coordinator

PDHPE

Push-Up Challenge

The Push-Up Challenge starts on Thursday 1 June (tomorrow). The students can register with the information below. 

The Push-Up Challenge participants will complete 3,144 push-ups over 23 days to raise awareness and funds for mental health. Each of these push-ups represents a life that was lost to suicide in 2021.

Sounds like too many push-ups? No problems, alternatives to push-ups are allowed - think squats, lunges or sit-ups - and many people opt to take on half of the target (that's 1,572 over 23 days).

It all kicks off on 1 June and is free to take part. There’s also an app where you can check on how the rest of your crew are progressing during the event. To get involved, create or join a team through our Community page.

Mr Martin Gillogly - PDHPE Coordinator

Maths Drop-In

The Maths Drop-In has been buzzing. It is absolutely wonderful to see so many students working together, taking the time to study and sharing words of encouragement. 

MATHS DROP-IN YEARS 7 - 12

TUESDAY AND THURSDAY MORNINGS 7.40 am - 8.30 am 

Senior School Maths Drop-In sessions run each Tuesday and Thursday morning 7:40 am – 8:30 am in C1. 

These sessions are open to all students from Years 7-12 and are an ideal way to receive extra help, to do additional study or to complete homework. It is a great way to study with a friend and get ahead. Just simply turn up with your Maths books. Come along and be a part of the team in C1.

 

MATHS DROP-IN AND HOMEWORK HELP FOR YEARS 5 - 6 

FRIDAYS 8:00 am – 8:40 am 

Drop-in to 5 Gold for help with difficult mathematics concepts or general homework.  This is an ideal place where students can come and feel comfortable to ask questions. Students are encouraged to bring along specific queries, tasks, assessments, homework, general revision and problems to work on, with Mrs Fileman on hand, ready to help.

Mrs Amanda Fileman - Maths Teacher