Parent & Student Matters 

• Year 9
• Year 10
• Year 11
• Year 12
• Science
• PDHPE

Year 9

Critical Thinking

In Year 9 Critical Thinking Elective we have started a new topic called ‘Strategies Used in Business and War’. The topic began with a source study of Sun Tzu’s ‘The Art of War’ and students were tasked with investigating how relevant this text is for us today. Benji Tan wrote a persuasive response specifically for Woodchatta, please see the attached below.

Mrs Sophie Casamento - History Teacher

Year 10

Year 11 2024 Parent and Student Information Evening - Rescheduled

The Year 11 2024 parent and student information evening has been rescheduled to Tuesday 13 June, commencing at 5:00 pm.  There will be the opportunity to meet with subject coordinators and Year 11 student leaders to ask questions.

Formal proceedings will commence at 6:00 pm.

Mr Alex Damo - Assistant Principal, Teaching and Learning

Year 11 

Parent/Teacher/Student meetings - Monday 29 May

Year 11 Parent/Teacher/Student meetings will be held online using Microsoft TEAMS on Monday 29 May, commencing at 4:00 pm.  Bookings are currently open and will close on Sunday evening, 28 May, at 7:00 pm.

Parents/carers of Year 11 students have been emailed information regarding booking interviews, with further information below :

Bookings are made using the following link and event code:

Link: https://www.schoolinterviews.com.au/code/h97z4 

After making bookings, parents will receive an email containing ‘video’ links for each teacher they have made a booking with.

Mr Stephen Davidson - Curriculum Administration Coordinator

Study Day

Last Friday Dr Prue Salter from Enhanced Learning Educational Services (www.enhanced-learning.net) ran a study skills session at the Year 11 Study Day at Oxford Falls. The session focused on helping students identify changes and improvements they could make to their approach to their studies to maximise their results in their final years of school. The main areas covered with Year 11 were working effectively in the evenings and dealing with distractions, managing time efficiently, planning for assessments, making brain-friendly study notes regularly and using a wide variety of active study techniques to suit individual learning preferences. Parents are encouraged to review the handout from the session with students and discuss the main areas identified where changes need to be made. Parents can also find additional study skills tips on the following website: http://studyskillstoptipsparents.com/.  All secondary students and parents at our school also have access to an excellent study skills website to help students develop their skills. Go to www.studyskillshandbook.com.au and enter the username: spx and the password: 25success. There are lots of valuable handouts on the THINGS TO PRINT page on this site, and students can work through the units where they need additional help.

In the afternoon, students worked in small groups exploring the NESA Verbs, and we finished the day with a guided, mindfulness medication run by Ms Gill (SPX school psychologist). Special thank you to Ms Dempsey (Senior Studies Coordinator) for her organisation and guidance on the day. 

Ms Donna Janes - Year 11 Coordinator

PDHPE CPR/Fitness Incursion

The recent incursion to Oxford Falls was an invaluable opportunity for the Year 11 PDHPE students to enhance their knowledge and skills within CPR and fitness testing.

The morning session of the incursion focused on first aid/CPR certification. The students engaged in a comprehensive training program conducted by external certified instructors. Through interactive demonstrations, practical exercises, and theoretical discussions, the students gained a solid understanding of essential of CPR.

In the afternoon, the students participated in fitness testing activities. Students underwent a series of assessments to evaluate their overall fitness levels. These assessments included measuring cardiovascular endurance, muscular strength, flexibility, and body composition.

The fitness testing session provided valuable insights into the students' individual fitness levels and will serve as a resource for students to refer to when completing their Term 2 assessment task. 

Ms Laura Coombe - PDHPE Teacher

Year 12

Congratulations to our Year 12 student leadership team on the successful organisation and running of the annual St Pius X/Mercy Catholic College Trivia Evening. The event was well attended with approximately 130 students from both schools. Each and every leader from our student leadership team stepped up and contributed to make this a successful event and the organisation was seamless. A mention must go to the large number of other students who also selflessly contributed to help make this evening a success. The organisation involved group formation, table settings, the ordering and collection of food and the organisation of questions and intermission activities. I would like to thank all of the students from both schools for their behaviour and positive spirit they displayed on the night.

The night was about fun and learning to socialise and interact with others and both the boys and girls conducted themselves with grace and respect. There was a lovely atmosphere all round and we hope that this type of evening serves to strengthen friendships and connections into the future.

This initiative also raised over $250 for cancer research.  

Thanks also to the staff from both colleges who attended, and in particular Sean Brannan and Veronica Bamber, who assisted with the organisation and running of the night. Thanks also go to our wonderful canteen staff who provided refreshments for us all and who are always ready to assist us with our events.

Mr Paul Ticli - Year 12 Coordinator

Science

Year 11 and 12 Chemistry

Our Year 11 and 12 Chemistry students have been working hard over the last few weeks. Year 11 are using Molymod kits to model chemical reactions in their Reactive Chemistry Module.  Year 12 are finding the enthalpy of combustion of different alcohols for their Organic Chemistry Module.

Mrs Joanne Schuster - Science Coordinator

PDHPE

Push Up Challenge

As a college in PDHPE we are participating in the Push up challenge starting on 1 June. The boys can register with the information below. 

We're getting involved in The Push-Up Challenge this June and we'd love to have you involved. The Push-Up Challenge participants will complete 3,144 push-ups over 23 days to raise awareness and funds for mental health. Each of these push-ups represents a life that was lost to suicide in 2021.

Sounds like too many push-ups? No problems, alternatives to push-ups are allowed - think squats, lunges or sit-ups - and many people opt to take on half of the target (that's 1,572 over 23 days).

It all kicks off on 1 June and is free to take part. There’s also an app where you can check on how the rest of your crew are progressing during the event. To get involved, create or join a Team through our Community page.

Mr Martin Gillogly - PDHPE Coordinator