From the Principal     

• Prayer:  First Sunday of Advent 
• Year 7 Art - Christmas Cards for sale at the College 
• Founder's Day
• Long Serving Staff Members
• Farewell to staff departing the College​
• Australian Business Week
• End of Year Mass
• Christmas Twilight Concert
• Volunteers' Christmas Gathering:  ALL VOLUNTEERS - YOU ARE INVITED!
• Christmas Appeals

Prayer

Loving God, We give you thanks for the blessings of this holy Advent season.

You are the source of life, of hope, and of all good things.

We look forward to the coming of the light of Christ at Christmas.

Help us to turn toward that light in our lives.

We rejoice at the gift of your Son who taught us to love in your name.

May we be people of peace and justice all the days of our lives.

Your kingdom come and your will be done now and forever.

Amen.

This coming Sunday 3rd December is the first Sunday of Advent - a time of 'Watching, Waiting and Wondering'.  The first candle of the Advent Wreath will be lit and it symbolises Hope - hope for the world for the coming of our Saviour Jesus.

This week's masthead banner shows the five beautiful Christmas Cards that have been selected from the work of Year 7 Art students and I thank Ms Frances Doyle who has coordinated this year's Christmas Cards.  These cards are available to purchase from the College Reception and Uniform Shop at a cost of $10 per pack of  10 mixed cards.  They will also be on sale at the Christmas Twilight Concert.  The students have been exploring modernist interpretations of Madonna and Child and the inscriptions inside read:  "For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given - Isaiah 9:6-7" and "Wishing you every Christmas blessing".

The cover artworks have been produced by Thomas Marren, Harrison Pierides, Jake Ormsby, Flynn McDonald and Harrison Melloy and I congratulate them for their beautiful artwork.

Founder's Day

Last Friday’s Founder’s Day Festival was a remarkable day and a wonderful community event for the students, staff and parents who attended. It was a true opportunity for meeting in dialogue with the three faiths presented – Christianity, Islam and Judaism. I wish to acknowledge especially:

• Amity College
• Sandy Hollis from the NSW Board of Jewish Deputies
• Mr Adrian Brannan for his presentation on Christianity
• St Edmund’s College – Eddie’s Entertainers!
• The Bands and Talent Quest Stars
• Mr David Blake – College Social Justice Coordinator
• Mrs Nadine Robson and all the many, many P & F who made lunch
• Mr Guy Russo for donating the drinks and morning tea
• Mr and Mrs Leo who donated the lunch
• Year 12 who hosted the day

Please click on the gallery below for a selection of photos taken on the day.

Photo above:  Winner of the Talent Quest "Johnnie B. Goode"!

I thank all those who contributed to our various fundraising this year. Through the Walkathon, Market Day and Founder’s Day the College raised just on $36,000 and on Friday I announced the distribution of funds below. Our thanks go to our many partners and we say thank you to the students and parents.

• $10000 to Callan Services in PNG
• $8000 to St Joseph’s Walgett
• $8000 to St Mary’s Bowraville
• $4000 to St Edmund’s Wahroonga
• $2000 to St Gabriel’s Castle Hill
• $2000 to the South African Justice Desk in Cape Town
• $1000 to Edmund Rice Centre Homebush
• $650 for our sponsored student through World Vision

Long Serving Staff Members

At the conclusion of the Founder’s Day Festival we acknowledged our 80th Anniversary and we acknowledged the many years of service from our staff who have served for 25 years or more. There are 9 staff who have given service to St Pius X College for 25 years or more by the end of 2017.

• Mr Jim Olson 26 years
• Mrs Leonie Millar 27 years
• Mr Neil Gibson 28 years
• Mrs Elena Martin 28 years
• Mr Mark Anderson 32 years
• Mr Tony Cunneen 34 years
• Mr Ross Masters 39 years
• Mr Terry Patterson  40 years
• Mr Mark Pawlak 40 years

A total of 294 years of service to St Pius X College!

Farewell to staff departing the College

The College offers its deep thanks to those staff who are departing the College at the end of 2017 and we thank them for their service and for their contribution to every aspect of this College’s life.

Australian Business Week

This week  Year 10 students have been taking part in the Australian Business Week program at Oxford Falls. The program has been running for 15 years and involves the formation and running of a company.  On Monday business mentors, including ex-students, parents and external visitors came in to coach the groups. The program concludes on Friday and I thank Mr Quilty, Mr Pawlak and Ms Jellema for their commitment to this annual event.

Please see the invitations below:

• to attend the End of Year Mass
• to attend the Christmas Twilight Concert
• to attend the Volunteers' Christmas Gathering
• to contribute to the Christmas Appeals

End of Year Mass

Parents are welcome to join us in this end of year celebration on Wednesday 6th December commencing at 10.00am in Our Lady of Dolours Church in Chatswood.  The Mass will be celebrated by Fr Paul Finucane and will see the commissioning of our Year 10 Eucharistic Ministers.  The Mass is also significant as it is Fr Paul's last Mass with the school before he moves to the Kincumber Parish at the beginning of the new year.  We hope to see you there.

Christmas Twilight Concert

The St Pius X Community is invited to the Christmas Twilight Concert this Friday 1st December from 5.00pm until 7.30pm in the Junior School yard, or the College Gym if raining.  The Performing Arts Parents' Association will be running a BBQ and raffle on the night.  Please see details from the Performing Arts Department on the Department News  page of this newsletter.

Volunteers' Christmas Gathering

ALL VOLUNTEERS - YOU ARE INVITED!

TUESDAY 5 DECEMBER 5.30-7.00PM in the Junior School Playground

I am pleased to invite all College volunteers to join together for our Annual Volunteers' Christmas gathering. We will host this in the Junior school playground this year.  If you have assisted in the Canteen or Uniform Shop or perhaps with the Junior School Reading Program, the Library, Robotics or Public Speaking please come along.

We invite all parents who have assisted the Sports program as coach, manager or in other ways. Parents who have been volunteers in the Performing Arts are also very welcome. Members of the P&F Executive, Committee members of Football, Rugby, Cricket, Basketball and PAPA are all cordially invited.  Class parent representatives, social committee members and Year Group parent coordinators are also very welcome.

I hope I haven’t missed any volunteers but please pass this invitation on to anyone you know who has been a volunteer this year at the school.  Everyone is welcome.

For catering purposes please RSVP to Ann Brady abrady@stpiusx.nsw.edu.au by Friday 1st December.

Christmas Appeals

Please give generously to the Year 7 Christmas Giving Tree, the Year 9 Christmas Food Hamper Collection and the collection of clothing, coloured pencils and crayons for the poorest villages in the Philippines.  

Details can be found on the Mission and Social Justice and Student and Parent Matters pages.

Mr John Couani - Principal