Parent & Student Matters  

What's happening in the College? 

From the History Department

From the Visual Arts Department

Duke of Edinburgh News

• Chess (Senior):  Registration Details
• Public Speaking & Debating Information
• Science:  National Youth Science Forum 202
• Travel Concession Cards for Students 16 Years and Over
• Holiday Workshops & Activities

From the History Department

Last Wednesday at the University of Sydney’s Nicholson Museum, Jasper Choi was presented with his award for achieving 1st Place in the State in the 2018 Higher School Certificate History Extension course. This awards evening for High Achievers in the HSC History courses was held by the History Teachers Association of NSW in conjunction with the University and the Sydney Jewish Museum. Jasper was accompanied by his parents and his History Extension teachers, Ms Anne Gripton and Mr Pat Rodgers. When he received his award, Jasper spoke eloquently about his passion for History and what he learned about its great value. He is a fine ambassador for St Pius who can be very proud of his achievements.

Mr Pat Rodgers - History/Legal Studies Coordinator

From the Visual Arts Department

The Dada Collection:  The Year 9 Visual Arts class have been busy exploring 20th century approaches to art and the way that some artists elevated concept over technique to make controversial comments about what they saw as the alarming way advances in technology were being used for destructive purposes. As they put it….

“This collection of ready-made sculptures and merz poems, incorporates and draws inspiration from the Dada artists and their movement. The Dadaists were a group of early 20th century artists and poets who were outraged by the misuse of technology which lead to war and destruction. They challenged the traditional art scene and questioned the meaning and purpose of art. Marcel Duchamp exhibited a shop-bought snow shovel which he called In Advance of a Broken Arm and thereby questioned the idea of originality and skill which were presumed to be integral to the artistic process. Dada artists created sculptures and montages that often left the audience in shock and feeling confronted. Poems were made using found text and chance placement.  By focusing on concept rather than skill they revealed truths about the modern world which audiences felt unready for. The students from Year 9 Visual Arts at St Pius aimed to create their own readymades and merz poems to explore the mindset of the dada artists.”

Marco Locascio and Frank Houlihan - Year 9

Duke of Edinburgh News

Last chance for Gold Adventurous Journeys in April Holidays!

Outward Bound Australia are an external provider offering hikes for the Bronze, Silver and Gold Duke Adventurous Journey Section of the Award.  The following link is suitable for students participating in the DoE Award at any level who have been unable to complete the AJ section of their Award. dukeofed@outwardbound.org.au

Outward Bound Offer AJs, at a cost, to facilitate the completion of the AJ section. Should your son not be able to attend a College run AJs, this is a solution that may assist with making it work for you.  

Should your son wish to participate, please contact the DoE Coordinator, Mrs Kara Manga  Kmanga@stpiusx.nsw.edu.au to notify the College of your intention. Any AJ not approved by the College may not count towards the AJ Section of the Award, so please make contact as soon as possible if you are planning to make use of this provider.

Ms Kara Manga - DoE Coordinator

Senior Chess

Please register via the following link:  https://www.trybooking.com/485676

Ms J Dempsey - Convenor

Public Speaking & Debating Information

Information from Mrs Waterson can be found in the document below.

Mrs Michele Waterson - Convenor

Science: National Youth Science Forum 2020

Attention Year 11 Science Students:  National Youth Science Forum 2020

WHO CAN APPLY - Year 11 students who are interested in science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM).

WHAT HAPPENS - The NYSF Year 12 Program is a 12-day residential program designed to expose students to the diverse study and career options available in STEM fields. The Program includes lectures, workshops and labs run by established scientists, facility tours, social events, skills building activities and so much more.

WHEN & WHERE IT IS HELD - The Program will run three times in January 2020 in Canberra (Australian National University) and Brisbane (University of Queensland).

Do you love science, or technology, or have a drive to find solutions to problems and fix things? Are you constantly asking Why? How? Why not? Do you see yourself working in a science-related field and would like to know more about science initiated study and career paths?

If you answer yes to any of these questions, then you should think about applying to attend the NYSF Year 12 Program.

Eligibility:  To apply for the NYSF Year 12 program, you must:

• be in Year 11 in the year you apply, to attend the following January,
• be an Australian citizen or resident, and/or studying full-time in an Australian high school, and
• be considering pursuing a university degree at an Australian university to study science, engineering, technology, or a related discipline.

We are pleased to confirm that there are several opportunities available to cover part or all of the fee. Thanks to funding support from Bayer Australia and the National Innovation and Science Agenda, 40 Equity Scholarships are available as a $1,000 reduction in the total fee. Eligibility criteria can be seen here. 

In addition to this, local Rotary Clubs are often able to offer financial support to students. The amounts able to be offered will vary from club to club and we encourage interested students to reach out to their local Rotary Club to see what may be possible.

Finally, we encourage local fundraising efforts - please click on the flyer for details.

For more information about the application process please follow this link.

https://www.nysf.edu.au/what-we-do/how-to-apply/

Please see Mrs Schuster if you are considering this.

Mrs Joanne Schuster - Science Coordinator

Travel Concession Cards for Students 16 Years & Over

All students who are 16 years and over will be issued with a Senior Secondary Student Concession Card by their Year Coordinator this week.  Students need to sign the card in the space provided.

Please note that existing cards expire on 31 March 2019 and if you are a secondary student aged 16 years and over, you must have your Senior Secondary Student Concession Card with you as proof of entitlement, otherwise you will need to pay for and travel with an Adult fare.  Please note that if found travelling on a student fare without a Concession Card you may be fined for travelling on an invalid ticket.

Year 10 boys will need to ask Mr Pawlak for their Concession Card once they have turned 16.

Please see the information sheet below for further details.

Holiday Workshops & Activities

CODE CAMP:  At Code Camp children up to Year 7 are taught how to code and create their own computer games and websites. Information about upcoming Easter camps can be found below.