St Pius X College Newsletter

Pastoral Care

  • Year 8 and Year 5 Camps
  • Harmony Day / National Day of Action Against Bullying and Violence
  • EREA RAP Team
  • Goodooga Visit
  • Indigenous Games
  • House Vice Captains
  • International Women's Day
  • St Pius X vs Old Boys' Gala Day
  • Counselling Team
  • Boxercise
  • After-school study

Student Wellbeing Anecdotes from the Diary

"If it doesn't challenge you, it won't change you." 

Fred Devito

"Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement, nothing can be done without hope and confidence."

Helen Keller

Year 8 and Year 5 Camps

An important part of the Pastoral Care pathway of students at St Pius from Year 5 to Year 12 are the shared positive experiences of overcoming challenge, enjoyment and achievement in a diverse range of educational settings. Our Camps and Outdoor Educational Pastoral Care experiences play a significant role in this and this week we celebrate our Year 5 Camp at Milson Island and Year 8 Camp at The Great Aussie Bush Camp at Tea Gardens. Both camps incorporate elements of "Challenge" and "Journey" which are appropriate to the growth journeys of the students involved. Our Year 8 students for example will engage in a day long canoe and hike journey along the Myall Lakes. I thank the students and staff of these Pastoral Care Teams for the sense of adventure and growth mindset they bring to these invaluable learning experiences.

Harmony Day - National Day of Action Against Bullying and Violence Assembly

Friday 20 March

Next Friday 20 March we celebrate Harmony Day and the National Day of Action Against Violence and Bullying. The celebration will be led by Ms McCarthy and Year 10 Student Empowerment Team, the Wellbeing Prefects and Boxercise Leader Harry Clayton.

A Full School panel Assembly will explore the theme of 'Harmony in Communities' in the morning following welcome to school awareness-raising activities. A live student band at lunchtime and an ice block for each student will cap off the celebrations for the day.

EREA RAP Team

Coincidentally on Harmony Day we will be hosting the Reconciliation Action Plan Team for the EREA Eastern Region. Our student Reconciliation Action Plan Team including Connor Ryan, Ash Johnson, Ben Cullen, Cavan Ryan, Ronan Crispe and Caleb Hanrahan will be able to acknowledge our situation on traditional Cameraigal Country and lead the group in a prayer acknowledging the traditional custodians of this land and their wisdom learned over 60 000 years.

Goodooga Visit

Unfortunately the much awaited opportunity to host the very remote Goodooga Central School between March 18 and 24 has had to be postponed until further notice. Ironically after three years of crippling drought the Goodooga community is currently flooded in, and under SES support, by the Culgoa tributary of the Darling River.

Thank you to all those who have contributed mattresses for this hosting. I will contact people next week to ascertain whether to hold onto mattresses for when we reschedule or return bedding in the short term.

Indigenous Games

Although the Goodooga Central School students are unable to travel to Sydney we still plan to participate with St Andrew's Cathedral School Gawura students, International Grammar School and Jarjum Redfern School in the Indigenous Games in Wentworth Park from 11.00 am on Friday 20 March. If any students from Year 5 – 9 have a special interest in attending please see Mr Brannan ASAP next week when I return from Year 8 Camp. 

House Vice Captains

Year 7 – 11 House Vice Captains will be presented with their badges at an upcoming Assembly around camps and Open Day festivities etc. Please be ready to assemble beside the podium with your House Captain when called. We have some upcoming responsibilities with regards to the RSL Schools Remember ANZAC Day Commemoration on Tuesday 7 April, and the like, so please contact Mr Brannan for details and a permission note.

International Women's Day

The College was proud to contribute, with great respect, to a local celebration of International Women’s Day on Sunday when we hosted Anna Humberstone’s award winning Hummingbird Mass Women’s Choir as they warmed up for two Flash Mob performances in Chatswood Chase and Westfield on Sunday morning.

The harmonies provided by the ladies were inspirational in lifting the milieu. St Pius was well represented with Mrs Hanley (Year 11) and Mrs Ashford (Year 10 and 8) among the many connections who are members of this choir, which reached the Semi Finals of Australia’s Got Talent recently. The women in all our lives are certainly extremely talented.

St Pius Students vs Old Boys Gala Day

Members of the College community are reminded of the opportunity to join in our Annual Old Boys vs Students Gala Day on Sunday 22 March.

Year 12 Wellbeing Prefects - Harrison Wallace, Daniel Fileman and Will Oner are joined by Sports Captains: Will Chen (Treacy), Sam Barrell (Rice), Duncan Dingley (Purton) and Kiefer O’Brien (Barron) in organising Basketball and Touch Football matches between Old Boys and Students from 10.00 am – 11.00 am.  Mr Quilty will play a 1st XI Football trial between his charges and a past captains-studded team between 9.00 am and 11.00 am.

The celebratory BBQ and awarding of the aggregate trophy will take place from 11.00 am. The main objective of the occasion is to develop those connections which may help our alumni through their Tertiary studies, working careers and life journey. 80+ years of past students have answered the call through Fide et Labore.

Please send any queries or expressions of intention to attend to sbrannan@stpiusx.nsw.edu.au so that we can cater with some degree of confidence.

Fide et Labore

Mr Sean Brannan - Assistant Principal Pastoral Care and Wellbeing

Counselling Team 

The Counselling Team is available to provide confidential emotional and social support and guidance for your son and family throughout the year.  The College Counselling team consists of:

 

Mr Rick Russo

Counsellor (Full time Monday to Friday) working with students across all year groups.

Email:  rrusso@stpiusx.nsw.edu.au

Direct Phone:  9414-4359

School Mobile (in case of emergency):  0418-438-325

 

Mrs Joe McCarthy

Psychologist (2 days per week:  Tuesday and Thursday) working with students across all year groups.

Email:  jmccarthy@stpiusx.nsw.edu.au

Direct Phone:  9414-4322

 

Mrs Judy Gill

Psychologist (2 days per week:  Monday and Wednesday) working with student across all year groups.

Email:  jgill@stpiusx.nsw.edu.au

Direct Phone:  9414-4315

Boxercise

Rescheduled Annual Celebration for Boxercise participants

Last year's annual celebration for Boxercise participants had to be postponed due to poor weather.  We have now rescheduled the date to 19 March.  All interested Boxercise participants are welcome to attend and we will travel to Balmoral Beach swimming enclosure (near the Boatshed) for a supervised swim and light snack.  The boys and supervisors will travel by bus, leaving from school at  3.30 pm, and return to school at approximately 6.30 pm.  Parents are welcome to collect their son at Balmoral before 5.45 pm.  Please have your son/s see Mr Russo to receive a permission note.  Permission notes should be returned to Mr Russo by 16 March.

 

Boxercise Program

St Pius X College has a BOXERCISE program that runs every Thursday and Friday mornings from 7.30 am till 8.10 am in the College Junior School playground and School Gym. This program is voluntary and free to all students across all year groups. Students can attend one or both days.

 

Further details and information can be obtained from Mr Rick Russo on rrusso@stpiusx.nsw.edu.au or 9414-4359.

 

Mr Rick Russo - Counsellor

After School Study

After school study is held on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday afternoons in E1, from 3.15 - 4.30 pm for Years 5 to 10 students.  All welcome.