Junior School News
- From the Head of the Junior School
- Junior School Sport
- From the Junior Resource Centre
- Junior Chess
From the Head of the Junior School
REFLECTION
Families strive for unity and togetherness. Nobody enjoys occasions when divisions in family life become all too evident. Yet, in this Sunday's Gospel (Luke 12:49-53), Jesus says that he has come to bring division and that members of households will be divided.
You might like to talk as a family about the things that you do together to bring about family unity, such as sharing meals, going to church together, celebrating special occasions, or sharing family traditions. Explain that all of these things are important, and that Jesus wants families to show this kind of love for one another. Point out that this Sunday's Gospel sounds as though Jesus is saying something very different. Tell your children to listen closely as you read aloud Luke 12:49-53.
Explain that sometimes as parents, you have to make decisions that are unpopular with your children. You don't do it to divide the family but because it is the right thing to do. In the short run, such decisions may “divide” children from their parents. In the long run, however, doing the right thing will bring about a deeper unity. Talk to your children about decisions that they have to make that might be unpopular with their friends and how these decisions may divide them from others. Encourage them to pray to Jesus for the gift of courage so that they may do the right thing even if unpopular.
Reference: Sunday Connection
TEACHING AND LEARNING
On Tuesday afternoon, I spent some time with the Junior School students at Robotics Club. It was easy to see why it is such a popular extra-curricular activity at the College. The attempts to get the robots to follow the programmed path took an enormous amount of patience, teamwork, and skill.
SATURDAY SPORT
We had a number of wins, with only a few losses, to farewell the winter sport season. A huge thank you to all the teachers in the Junior School who are up early on Saturday mornings throughout winter to manage their teams across a range of venues across Sydney and beyond as well as providing extra opportunities for training throughout the week. It was a glorious morning at Oxford Falls where I was able to catch some football and rugby action.
MONDAY MORNING ASSEMBLY
Thank you to Mr Morris and the students in 6 Green for preparing Monday’s whole-school assembly prayer commemorating Saint Mary MacKillop’s Feast Day.
MERIT AWARDS AND BLUE AWARDS
Congratulations to last week’s Merit and Blue Award winners.
WALK-A-THON FOR CHARITY
Tomorrow (Thursday 11 August), students in the Junior School will be participating in our annual Walkathon for Charity at Oxford Falls. The boys will walk a course at Oxford Falls for 1.5 hours, during their normal sport time.
Wear: Sport uniform
Bring: Extra drink and snack
Pickup (optional): Oxford Falls at 2.20 pm
Your son will bring home a Walkathon Donation Record form. We are not seeking sponsorship (ie “I’ll give you a dollar per lap”), just donations. If you could please supervise your son’s efforts in collecting donations, it would be greatly appreciated. The boys will be told not to approach strangers - please reinforce this message at home. We ask that the boys bring back their Donation Record form on Thursday 27 August with their collected donations.
Money raised will be distributed to St Joseph’s Primary School, Walgett, St Mary’s Primary School, Bowraville, and World Vision Child Sponsorship.
Thank you for your continued support of the Junior School and our social justice initiatives.
SPECIAL EVENT! BOOK WEEK | BOOK WEEK PARADE
This year sees a return of the much-loved St Pius X Junior School Book Parade. Students are encouraged to dress as their favourite book character or to find another way to reflect the theme: DREAMING WITH EYES OPEN.
Students wear their full uniform to school and change into their costumes for the parade.
VERY SPECIAL EVENT! FATHER AND SON DAY
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED
If you’d like to volunteer to keep me company as we sizzle 600 sausages for the Father and Son Day barbeque, please put your name down – you will be most welcome! Jobs include cooking, serving, and cleaning up on the day. It’s a great way to meet other parents whilst watching your son/s enjoying Oxford Falls with their dads or the other special men in their lives.
Help is needed from around 9.30 am until 2.20 pm, but if you are only able to help for part of the day, you are still most welcome to come along. Please use this Google Doc to add your name to the list and you will be contacted closer to the date to confirm details:
UNIFORM REMINDERS
Today, members of the College’s Leadership Team inspected uniforms, hair, shoes, diaries, and desks in the Junior School. We received a glowing report – so thank you to those boys who made a special effort today and congratulations to those boys who always do their best to represent the College proudly through their personal presentation.
There are still a number of students who are not bringing hats or caps to school. If your son is not wearing a hat, he will be asked to sit out of the sun for recess and lunch.
https://spxchatswood.formstack.com/forms/uniformshop
APPLICATIONS FOR LEAVE
A reminder that if you are applying for leave of any duration (including one day), please complete this form:
https://www.spx.nsw.edu.au/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/SPX-Application-for-Leave.pdf
DATES FOR THE DIARY:
- Thursday 11 August | Walkathon for Charity
- Friday 19 August | Debating at SPX vs Ravenswood
- Friday 26 August | BOOK WEEK PARADE
- Monday 29 August | St Pius X Feast Day Holiday
- Monday 29 August | IPSHA Athletics Carnival
- Thursday 1 September | Father and Son Day at Oxford Falls
- Friday 2 September | Debating vs PLC
- Saturday 10 September | St Pius X Trivia Night
Thank you for your support of the Junior School
Mrs Jill Greenwood - Head of the Junior School
Junior Maths Drop-In
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
Junior School Sport
Thursday Sport: Good luck to all the students who are taking part in the Walkathon this week.
Round 10 Results
AFL: Congratulations to the boys on a successful season of AFL. A sincere thank you to SPX Parent and Coach, Mr Chris Godfrey, who volunteered hours of his own time (often missing his own sons’ Saturday sport commitments) helping to develop the skills of the Junior School AFL players.
Athletics – Barker Carnival: Our first carnival is this Saturday at Barker College. All relevant information has been emailed to those involved and will also be made available on the SPX App.
Athletics – Training: Training continues this week for all athletes, taking place on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday afternoons at Rotary Athletics Field, Mowbray Rd West, Lane Cove. After school dismissal, the College will transport the students to the venue by private bus, and the sessions will run until 4.55 pm where a bus will return the students to Chatswood. If you wish to collect your son from the venue, please be there no later than 4.50 pm.
Return of singlets: Thank you to everyone for confirming their Term 4 Sports choices. If your son played Basketball or Touch Football in Term 1 and is playing a different sport in Term 4, can you please return your singlets to Mr Carroll asap. Handing them back in person is ideal so that we can accurately record that your son has returned his singlet. If we have any singlets outstanding at the end of the year, a replacement fee will be charged to individual students. Students continuing with Basketball and Touch Football will return their singlets at the end of the season in Term 4.
Father and Son Sports Day: As mentioned in the previous edition of the Woodchatta, we will be hosting a Father and Son Sports Day at Oxford Falls on Thursday 1 September. We have been unable to host this event in the past two years due to COVID, so it is very exciting to be able to offer such a special opportunity once again. Please click on the link below and complete the online form. Thank you in advance for completing the form, as the information it provides is essential in planning the event.
Mr Glen Carroll - Junior School Sports Coordinator
Rugby
The final games for the 2022 Rugby season were played on the weekend and there was a lot to be celebrate. The Prep Firsts finished their season with a strong win over Waverley College. Special mention to Lachlan Quinnell for his display of sportsmanship in playing for Waverley as they were short on numbers. The 11As travelled out to Redfield College. It was a close game until the dying minutes when Redfield scored to seal the victory. The Rugby 7s teams played very well in all games finishing undefeated in the final round.
Thank you to everyone that has made this Rugby season possible. Thank you to the coaches for your hard work. Thank you to all the boys for putting in the effort at training and game day. A big thank you to all the parents for your support each week.
Mr Antonio Morris - Junior School Rugby Convenor
From the SPX Football Supporters' Club
On Saturday, the SPX Football Supporters' Club thanked our wonderful 1st XI coach, Mr Steve Quilty, on behalf of our whole SPX Football Supporters' Community. On Saturday, Mr Quilty coached his last home game at Oxford Falls after a quarter of a century of coaching our SPX 1st XI teams and being a valued member of the SPX Football Community for 26 seasons.
Thank you to Mr Couani, Mr Yue and the 1st XI players and supporters, for inviting us to join them in the Falls Room to thank Mr Quilty and present him with a gift from our football supporter families. It was wonderful to also see Old Boys return and families and players from younger teams coming together to celebrate our wonderful Mr Quilty’s contribution to SPX football.
Mrs Lorna Hammond - SPX Football Supporter’s Club President
Junior Cricket 2022/23 Season
Please see the attached document for instruction for registration.
From the Junior Resource Centre
This week's highlights:
DREAMING WITH EYES OPEN
"I dream of painting and then I paint my dream." Vincent van Gogh
FIND YOUR BOOK WEEK PARADE COSTUME - FRIDAY 26 AUGUST
9.00 AM IN THE JUNIOR SCHOOL PLAYGROUND
Term Three has arrived, Book Week is coming!!!! (20 – 26 August). You have two choices when it comes to your Book Week Parade costume – wing it at the last moment and hope for the best, or plan weeks (or months) in advance and win ‘Most Awesome-est Book Week Costume Ever’ Award. My suggestion is go for the latter.
Some ideas to help you are:
- Read as many books as you can get your hands on.
- Make a list of your favourite characters.
- Gather your supplies and do a costume run-through to make sure it all works.
- If you’re struggling for ideas, the CBCA has partnered exclusively with Spotlight for costume parade inspiration, so you could check out their site and DIY suggestions.
Dream Catchers - Customised Dream Catchers Happening in the JRC
“Remember to look up at the stars and not down at your feet. Try to make sense of what you see and wonder about what makes the universe exist. Be curious. And however difficult life may seem, there is always something you can do and succeed at. It matters that you don't just give up.” - Stephen Hawking
Dominoes in the JRC
Dominoes happening in the JRC.
Author Tour celebrating the release of:
What about THAO? by the bestselling author of Thai-riffic Oliver Phommavanh.
Thanks for an awesome day with Year 6, the boys were fabtastic! Still time to purchase Oliver’s new book.
The link for purchasing is below.
https://www.thechildrensbookshopspeakersagency.com.au/person/phommavanh-oliver-speaker/
Guessing Competition for Book Week 2022
Book Week is coming! I’ve planned the ‘Most Awesome-est Book Week Costume Ever’. Can you guess who I am?
Clue Number 1: Love the colour pink, and I am a stickler for good manners and etiquette! Watch this space for clue number 2 in Woodchatta next week.
Book Prize for the student who can guess who I am!
NSW Premier’s Reading Challenge
Have you checked out the new books added to the NSW PRC booklist? Don’t forget to finish your student reading record before 19 August.
Mrs Martin’s Book Trail: 'I Survived' Series by Lauren Tarishis
One of the most recent and popular graphic novel series for upper primary and lower secondary. Lauren Tarshis’s New York Times bestselling ‘I Survived' series has come to life in bold graphic novels. Great historical fiction that is booming in this graphic format. A very popular series in the JRC.
#MrsMartinsbooktrail2022
Mrs Elena Martin – Teacher Librarian