Parent & Student Matters
- Science Club News
- Microfiction Competition
- Year 7 & 8 Visual Arts
- Year 10 Visual Arts
- Year 11 Visual Arts
- Francis Webb Poetry Reading
- Olympics Unleashed (Year 9)
- Keep your Family Safe
- Morning Study in C5
- Maths Drop-In
Science Club News
Science Club was back last Thursday... after a very long period. Only a few keen students came along in the rain to participate.
Our Year 7 students worked with the Year 11 and 12 Chemistry boys and looked at metal displacement reactions. They saw how different metals react in different metal solutions... and then used this to determine which metals are the most/ least reactive. They used magnesium, copper, iron and zinc and placed them in solutions containing silver, copper and iron. They really enjoyed the colour changes formed from the copper and silver solutions.
Our few Year 10 students continued their building of the fox skeleton... slowly, but surely.
No photos from this week, but we are already looking forward to next fortnight.
Mrs Joanne Schuster - Science Coordinator
English Department Microfiction Competition
At the end of Term 2, all St Pius X College students were invited to enter the inaugural Microfiction Competition. From a pool of almost 100 entries, the following students have been named finalists:
Year 7
Changze Li, Aren Mamigonian
Year 8
John Medalla, Liam Godfrey, Aiden Lindsay, Christopher Schuller
Year 9
Robbie Oner, Sam Cooper, Anthony Parissis
Year 11
Alex Young, Angus McConnell, Christopher Elliot
Year 12
Tristan Williams, Christopher Zilifian
These students have been given their briefing for the final round, which will require them to compose a story of no more than 100 words, include the word "truth" and the action of a struggle. Winners will be announced in Week 5. Below are two of the entries from the finalists:
The Dull Grey Eyes by John Medalla
A wild stag wondering the winter snow, the adolescent child, lost in the winter snow. The taste of iron, water caught onto their tongue. The snow resting on their eyelashes, and a memory of home, long gone. Lost to the monsters who lurk the night. A lake, clear as diamonds. They rush in to slurp this frosty liquid. They exchange glances quickly, look away, but catch each other’s dull, grey eyes. A saga of emotions flourish in that split second that seemed to last hours. It feels like summer this intimate, familiar, inner warmth. A correspondence that lasts a lifetime.
The Secrets of the Beyond by Robbie Oner
The winds of the North blow the frost of tomorrow across the land. Gregor pulls his thin coat tight across his body to no avail as the cold creeps across his body in small tongues, reaching ever closer to his soul. He knows that the reward would make his journey worthwhile…but if he fails in his quest…he can’t think of what would happen then. This saga has led him through the depths of Hell itself. A twig snaps behind Gregor and the hairs stand up on the back of his neck. Is he the hunter or the hunted?
On behalf of the Academic Prefects and the English Department,
Mr Daniel Quilty - English Coordinator
Year 7 & 8 Visual Arts
The Visual Arts Team and I share with you a snapshot of what the students in Year 7 and 8 have been creating. We commend all the students for their enthusiasm and engagement with painting self-portraits in the art style of ‘Pop Art’. The feedback from the students was that it was a great experience and they enjoyed learning about different Pop artists, how to paint, choose colours and compose their piece of work. Please see some photos below of the students working on their paintings and some of the artworks that will be displayed around the College.
Mr Dennis Lee – Visual Arts Teacher
Year 10 Visual Arts - Self Portraits
Year 10 Visual Arts students have been busy exploring an old genre in new and interesting ways. These portraits began as experiments with expressive techniques to help the students ‘loosen up’ as artists. The use of various tools for painting including palette knives and sticks as well as brushes, and the choice of colours not limited to nature, helped to push boundaries and gave students the chance to explore aspects of their own character and personality. What began as experiments then developed into more resolved artworks.
Artworks left to right: Ewan Murphy, Will Lyall, Fergus Fung
Year 11 Visual Arts - Cubist Sculptures
In the early 20th century Picasso began to experiment with forms, showing multiple vantage points at the same time. He fractured images into geometric forms, playing with space. No longer was art about representing reality. It was about experimenting with forms, textures. Cubism asks audiences to look for clue, to make connections.
The Year 11 Visual Arts class have been studying Modernism, and lately, the ideas of Picasso. They spent three lessons sculpting instruments using cardboard materials. This was a challenging artwork to make because of time restraints and techniques of Cubism. A starting point was to cut up some images of musical instruments and rearrange them in 2D. Then came the work of creating 3D forms by manipulating the shapes, surfaces, space and lines. The final products are suggestions, symbolic but not literal.
Ms Frances Doyle - Visual Arts Coordinator
Year 11 Poetry Reading - this Saturday
After a two year hiatus, the annual reading of the poetry of St Pius X College alumnus, Francis Webb (1925-73), returns. This year, Jack Lonergan of Year 11 will represent our College. Jack will join Associate Professor Michael Griffith (ACU & Webb's biographer) and selected readers to read and reflect on Webb’s poetry. Professor Toby Davidson (Macquarie University, poet, author & editor of Webb’s Collected Poems) will MC this event.
Come along and support Jack and enjoy this unique to opportunity to get acquainted with the prodigious talent of Francis Webb.
Saturday 30 July, 2.15 pm – 4.45 pm
Chatswood Library on The Concourse
Mrs Karen Keighery - Library & Information Services Coordinator
Olympics Unleashed - Year 9 Incursion
Rohan Chapman-Davies (freestyle skier and Winter Olympian) will be connecting with Year 9 students on 10 August, as part of the Olympics Unleashed program.
The students will learn from Rohan Chapman-Davies' Olympic journey how to build resilience, the importance of setting goals and how to find what you are passionate about.
Students will hear firsthand from Rohan Chapman-Davies about how he overcame challenges to compete in his chosen sport at the very highest level, and how some lessons he's learned in sport can help students to be the best they can be – whether that’s in school, at home, on the sporting field or with friends.
Mr Martin Gillogly - Year 9 Coordinator
Keep your Family Safe
A message from the North Shore Police Area Command.
Morning Study
Morning Study is held on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday mornings from 7.30 am in C5.
An open invitation to get organised for the day, discuss your thoughts and ideas, complete yesterday’s work and prepare for today and tomorrow.
Please come to C5 when you arrive at school.
Maths Drop-In
Maths Drop-In Years 7-12
Maths drop-in sessions run each Tuesday and Thursday morning 7.40 am – 8.30 am in C1.
They commence for the term tomorrow morning - Thursday 21 July.
This is the ideal place where students can come and feel comfortable to ask questions, take time to study or nut out some challenging problems. Rewards are given, laughs are heard and words of encouragement are shared. Come along and be a part of the team in C1.
Maths Drop-In Years 5-6
Junior Maths Drop-In sessions will run on Friday mornings from 7.40 am - 8.30 am in The Learning Enrichment Room in the Junior School.
This is an ideal place for extra revision or taking the time to get support if needed. Come along and be part of the team.
Mrs Amanda Fileman - Junior School Teacher