Pastoral Care

• Year 12, 2019
• House Cup 2019
• House Vice Captains
• Vale Jim McCartney, Kokoda veteran and great Catholic
• Guringai Aboriginal Consultation Group
• Best Wishes ...

Year 12, 2019

It is pleasing to observe the generally calm and mature manner in which our Year 12 students are approaching their final days of learning here at the College, and celebrating their graduation under the caring guidance of Mr Masters and the Year 12 Pastoral Care team. The Graduation ceremonies culminate with an Assembly in front of the student body in the Concourse on Thursday, and then Mass and Graduation Luncheon at Our Lady of Dolours Church and Miramar Gardens Terrey Hills on Friday. In the midst of this emotional and happy time of celebration and transition, it is great to see the way in which our young men look after one another and show gratitude to those who have helped, worked closely with, and contributed to their learning including parents, families, teaching staff and support staff. In that vein students are reminded to respond to the email from Ms Cheney inviting them to receive their Old Boys Association membership, tie, tie pin and annual dinner invitation 2020. I look forward to celebrating “the journey” with students and their parents on Friday, at the Formal in November and at the ATAR BBQ in December, as well as the many other opportunities and celebrations.

Go safely and in good company with each other and God.

Fide et Labore

House Cup 2019

In a truly festive spirit at our weekly Sports Assembly last Thursday we celebrated the final sports assembly from our superb 2019 Year 12 College and House Leaders: College Vice Captains: Nic McLachlan and Luke Forwood, House Captains: Barron: Tim McLachlan, Purton: Hayden Robertson, Rice: Luke Psaila and Treacy: Kalani Lenehan.

The occasion was marked by the Presentation of the Annual House Cup Competition which in the words of Nic McLachlan, “came down to the Premiers Reading Challenge point”. Perhaps fittingly the House Cup for 2019 was awarded by Nic to his twin brother Tim, whose articulate expression and delivery at each and every assembly this year, was in stark contrast to the white line fever which cost his team dearly in the recent Mercy – Pius Netball Test.

A wordsmith and renaissance man, Tim was man enough to acknowledge his occasional over enthusiasm, and join his fellow House Captains in thanking their House Teams for the honour and privilege of serving them as leaders. 

For the record the House Cup 2019 Points were finalised as follows, while the excitement for the next incarnation of the House Cup under the adjudication of College Vice Captains: Tyson McCallum and Michael Fakhoury:

1st          Barron                        6228

2nd         Purton                       6179

3rd          Rice                             5915

4th          Treacy:                       5595

House Vice Captains

With our outgoing 2019 House Captains and their 2020 counterparts on hand to congratulate them (Barron: Kiefer O’Brien, Purton: Duncan Dingley, Rice: Sam Barrell, and Treacy: Will Chen) we were able to present our newly elected House Vice Captains to Mr Couani, Mr Casey and the College:

The House Vice Captains are tasked with supporting the Colleges distributed student leadership model, ensuring a vehicle for student representative voice and representing the College, their Houses and peers at various curricular, co and extra curricula and formal occasions over the course of Semester 2. One such occasion where the above students will represent the College will be in the various Remembrance Day Ceremonies to which the College is invited mid-way through next Term. We know that these students will step up and represent us, and the College, appropriately and well.

Semester 2 House Vice Captains are asked to see their Semester 1 Counterpart to ensure the House Vice Captain Badge is handed on, or otherwise see Mr Brannan if the badge needs to be replaced by the Semester 1 bearer.

Vale Jim McCartney, Kokoda veteran and great Catholic

The College was saddened to learn over the weekend of the passing of a friend and source of great inspiration to our Kokoda Expedition: Lt Jim McCartney. Born in Egypt, Jim’s father had served with the Australian Light Horse in WWI at Gallipoli, Egypt and the Holy Lands, before marrying an Italian girl in Cairo. Jim returned with his family to Brisbane aged 10, and worked as a telegram delivery boy before transferring to the 25th Bn, 25th Bde, 7th Div, 2nd AIF as a battalion signaller, from the Queensland Cameron Highlanders Militia Bn. He served in Darwin, Egypt, Syria and Lebanon before returning to Australia and advancing over the Kokoda Track. After the 25th Bn retrained in Australia he returned to the Papua New Guinea battlefields, only to be later seconded at short notice to Officer school, tasked with reviewing the Cowra Breakout incident, and returning once more to New Guinea to serve in a Papuan Infantry Battalion. In peacetime Jim worked and raised his family as an active member of Armidale Parish before retiring to Manly Parish and linking up with another great Kokoda veteran with links to our College: The “Kokoda Hero” Lt Col. Ralph Honner.

Jim was a thorough gentleman, great family man, and stalwart of the Catholic Parishes he served in later life. We offer our heartfelt condolences to his family and mourn the lost of one of the few remaining survivors of one of the greatest Australian generations, aged 99.

Lest we forget.

Guringai Aboriginal Consultation Group

I was fortunate on Monday this week to partake in a Guringai Aboriginal Consultation Group cultural awareness professional development “on country” at North Curl Curl and Allambe Hts Rock carvings and Ceremonial site. The day was convened by AECG President Clarence Bruinsma and led by respected Cameraigal leader and elder Professor Dennis Foley from ANU and Canberra Universities. Opportunities for engaging with, and celebrating, Australia’s Aboriginal History, Culture and Spirituality and reconciling some of the misdeeds and misunderstandings of the past are an important area for growth in which St Pius X College is making humble but significant developments.

In this context students, staff, parents and members of our wider College community, are warmly invited to inform, discuss, research and contribute to the College’s Reconciliation Action Plan by making contact initially with myself or Social Justice Coordinator Mr Ryan Balboa.

Best wishes ...

Best wishes to all students and their families for a restorative holiday break of recuperation and growth. I particularly mention the following students:

• Our Year 12 students as they prepare calmly and efficiently for their HSC Examinations.
• Our China Study tourists as they travel to and through the most populace country on Earth to learn and develop their language and cross cultural skills.
• Our Senior Jazz Band who will perform under Mr Power’s baton at 10am on Monday of the long weekend at the Manly Jazz Festival. They will entertain and, for our Year 12 players, it may be their final performance in College Colours. In the immortal words of Ringo Starr:  “Don’t blame the drummer.”
• Our Kokoda Expedition participants who similarly have a practice hike on the long weekend!

Fide et Labore

Mr Sean Brannan - Assistant Principal Pastoral Care