Student & Parent Matters

• ​From the Head of Student Services:   

          -  Year 7 Inclusivity – Induction Day Friday 9th February 2018

          -  Year 7 Parent Information Evening

          -  Year 10 and 11 Parent Information Evenings

          -  Student Diary Planners

          -  NSW Athletics Finals

          -  Vale Tony Virgona, SPX Old Boy circa 1956

• Duke of Edinburgh Award
• ​Public Speaking & Debating
• Chess
• Lads & Dads/Mums & Sons Bootcamp
• General Notices
• -  'Teaching Learner Drivers'  Workshop

From the Head of Student Services

Year 7 Inclusivity – Induction Day Friday 9th February 2018

The Year 7 Cohort can be proud of the way in which they conducted themselves under Mr Lynch’s leadership last Friday. In their first incursion to the College’s Treacy Centre at Oxford Falls as a cohort of 160 students, Year 7 2018 - who will graduate from the College as Year 12 in 2023 - responded fantastically to the three sessions designed to get them into the frame of a cohesive cohort capable of sharing the responsibilities of being St Pius X College high school students.

1. College Counsellor Mr Russo and Mr Lynch led a MindMatters session promoting the values of sharing, communicating, respecting others and building a community at St Pius X College.
2. Our resident Historian and Head of Publications Mr Tony Cunneen was joined by Senior Art teacher Ms Bryant in leading a fascinating session about the Indigenous Heritage in the local area.
3. Finally Br Carl Sherrin (SPX Old Boy from 1954) led an Edmund Rice session explaining the history of Edmund Rice, his values and work, Edmund Rice Education and contemporary Edmund Rice Beyond Borders, linking Edmund Rice Schools around the World.

Thanks to the above staff along with the Year 7 Pastoral Care Teachers Ms Diane Rogers, Ms Amanda O’Brien and Mr Luke Barbour who supervised the students through the course of the day, and the Year 10 MindMatters students Lachlan Mathie, Duncan Dingley and Kyle Bowen who coordinated the MindMatters student participation component of a another great day for pastoral care at the College.

One outcome of the day is that all Year 7 students are drafting a letter to be written into their RE books in final draft and then typed onto PLDs so that it can be emailed to schools variously including:

• Edmund Rice: Stella Maris College Uruguay, a co-ed school made famous by their Old Christians Rugby Club which was involved in the ordeal of the Andes Mountains plane crash and rescue in 1973. Social Studies Coordinator Bruno Cazzuli visited us from Stella Maris last February.
• Cardinal Newman College Buenas Aires, Argentina whose Principal Alberto Oliveras and four Year 11 students visited the College at our Athletics Carnival Day last year.
• Mount Edmund Christian Brothers College Pretoria, South Africa. A school visited by Mr Couani and myself over recent years, coinciding with their Year 12 Graduations.
• St Anselm’s College, Birkenhead, Liverpool England whose Principal Mr Simon Duggan is a good friend of St Pius X College and Edmund Rice Beyond Borders.
• St Mary's Grammar School Belfast Northern Ireland from whom lead teacher Mr Raymond Herron skyped his student leaders into conversation with our student leaders in January last year.
• St Thomas Moore Collegiate Vancouver, Canada, another co-ed school whose leaders, The BERT (Blessed Edmund Rice Team), also skyped our student leaders last year and Principal Mitch DesLauriers met with me on a Soweto home stay in South Africa in 2015.
• St Kevin's College Oamaru, New Zealand where our 15s Rugby Tour will play in April this year and whose Principal Mr Paul Olsen also attended The EREBB South African Conference in 2015.
• Last but not least Amity College in North Western Sydney, an Islamic Collage which has accepted an invitation to partner us in both interfaith dialogue and addressing social justice issues in contemporary society.

The desired outcomes of the day were:

*  That all boys build connections with one another and identify five people each boy could turn to if they had a problem.

*  In small groups, brainstorm ways in which we as a community can reach out to connect with indigenous or marginalised groups in our society.

Year 7 Parent Information evening

Friday’s Year 7 Induction Day followed hard on the heels of our Year 7 Parent Information Evening on Monday night where parents were addressed by Principal Mr Couani, Assistant Principal Teaching and Learning Mr Alex Damo, Year Coordinator Mr Lynch and myself. Following this all Year 7 Pastoral Care staff were available to show parents to their son's Homerooms where a short presentation and conversation preceded parents being able to have a look at their son's locker featuring their timetable of classes, and organisational prowess already achieved by their son. All Year 7 students now have a colour-coded folder for each subject’s materials as designed by Learning Support Teacher Ms Meredith Leedham and Mr Lynch. We look forward to a great Year 7 followed by five exciting years  of Higher Order Learning for this cohort.

For the record the Year 7 Pastoral Care Team is comprised of:                                

• Mr J Lynch – Year Coordinator 
• 7H1-B1      Mr P Formosa / Ms L Ho
• 7H2-B2      Mr M Kennedy / Ms D Rogers
• 7H3-B3      Mr L Barbour / Ms J Dempsey
• 7H4-B4      Ms D Ramsey / Mr M Stearn
• 7H5-B5      Ms A O’Brien / Mr G Virgona
• Team:         Ms N Rawle / Ms K Keighery

Year 10 and 11 Parent Information evenings

I was fortunate to be present for a section each of the Years 10 and Year 11 Parent Information Evenings on Thursday and was impressed by both the quality of information provided and the level of informed parent interest.

The Year 10 proceedings were masterfully coordinated by Mr Mark Pawlak who has educated generations of St Pius X students and is held in great esteem by parents and students alike. Both presentations featured input from Principal Mr Couani, Deputy Mr Casey, Assistant Principals Mission and Identity Ms Dempsey and Teaching and Learning Mr Damo, and our newly appointed Senor Studies Coordinator and Careers Advisor Ms Janes.

Year 11 Coordinator Mr Ross Masters coordinated the Year 11 Information Evening and introduced his program of Student - Parent - Teacher monitoring of student learning progress in partnership, to ensure all students receive timely and realistic feedback and support as they progress through the Year 11 and HSC Courses. This innovative program is a promising development which will facilitate positive and ongoing conversations to support learning and teaching and coordinate actions to maximise student use of learning time and resources without compromising their balance of activities and wellbeing.

If you have any feedback regarding the Parent Information Evenings please either contact the relevant Year Coordinator or myself so that we may more efficiently address the needs of our students, parents and community. From my perspective I look forward to attending the Mercy Information Evening next Tuesday as a parent and comparing notes from the other side of the equation.

Student Diary Planners

Please don’t forget to check that your son has written in his subjects, homework and reading materials in his Diary Planner, and sign it at the bottom of the page after each week.

The new Diaries represent the ongoing integration of positive education and wellbeing practices in the daily routines and thinking and learning patterns of our students.

You can support your son's ongoing development and learning in these areas by reading and signing his diary each week, along with pastoral care staff, to acknowledge the recording and prioritising of tasks to consolidate his learning, the maintenance of a reading log to support his exposure and development in literacy techniques, and stimulate conversation around wellbeing, goalsetting and personal growth and development strategies.

While there is a growing contemporary protest from some students of “I can do that online”, the muscle memory and concrete organisation achieved by consolidating planning, learning and recording by hand is irrefutable, particularly in the context of extended written expression such as that required in the HSC.

NSW Athletics Finals

Best wishes to those students such as Dom Panozzo (Year 9) who are competing in the NSW Regional Little Athletics Finals this weekend at

Duke of Edinburgh Award

The Duke of Edinburgh Award is an internationally recognised Award and is open to all students 14 years or older. The award is made up of a number of components including: Community Service, Physical Recreation, Development of a new Skill and an Adventurous Journey. Many of these activities your son may already be doing at the College. If your son is interested in participating in this activity please get him to speak with Mrs Manga or Mr de Silva.

Further information can be found at http://www.dukeofed.com.au/

Students wishing to undertake their Adventurous Journey through the College will need to complete their preparation training. Training is being offered on Monday afternoons from 3.30 to 4.30 in A3 for students to complete their pre-training prior to undertaking their first Bronze Practice hike. Due to risk minimisation considerations, students who do not complete this pre-training will not be permitted to complete the Adventurous Journey through the College. Many companies external to the College offer these Journeys. A permission note can be collected from Mr de Silva and students are advised to read the school daily notices. Training will begin on Monday 26th February.

A reminder that a meeting will be held every Day 4 in C1 for administration of the Award.

Draft Adventurous Journey dates (to be confirmed):

Term 1 Wk11     Gold/Silver       Friday 13/4 – Monday 16/4           Students require 8 hour days over 3 nights

Term 2 Wk4       Bronze                Saturday 26/5 – Sunday 27/5      Students require 6 hour days over 1 night

Term 3 Wk3       Bronze                Saturday 11/8 – Sunday 12/8      Students require 6 hour days over 1 night

Term 3 Wk8       Reserve Date    Saturday 15/9 – Sunday 16/9                  

Term 4 Wk7       Gold/Silver (in conjunction with Snowy Hike)   Students require 8 hour days over 3 nights

Mr P de Silva - Outdoor Education Coordinator

Public Speaking & Debating

Public Speaking & Debating information can be found in the document below:

Mrs M Waterson - Debating and Public Speaking Convener

Chess Training

Chess training is held on Mondays from 3.15 to 4.30pm in D1. Training is open for all students from beginners to experts!  We welcome any student who is considering taking up Chess as their extracurricular activity and will allow them a free two week trial.

Competition matches are played on Friday afternoons during Term 2.  If you have any questions please contact Mrs Janelle Dempsey or Ms Denise Ramsey.

Ms D Ramsey - Convenor of Chess

Lads & Dads/Mums & Sons Bootcamp

General Notices

Teaching Learner Drivers Workshop