Department News

• Ancient History
• PD/H/PE
• Performing Arts
• Public Speaking & Debating
• Science            

Ancient History

Year 12 Ancient History Excursion to Pompeii Exhibition

On Wednesday 24th May, our Year 12 Ancient students travelled back in time (okay, really to Darling Harbour) to see the Pompeii Exhibition at the Maritime Museum. We were privileged to hear Professor Andrew Wallace-Hadrill speak about Pompeii’s sister city, Herculanuem. Wallace-Hadrill is an internationally renowned expert on the cities of Vesuvius who has appeared in a range of documentaries and publications. This was exciting for the students as it is our Core Study, and they got to see objects from 2000 years ago including beautiful jewellery, exotic sculpture (including a monkey dressed as a gladiator) and try on parts of a Roman military uniform. It was a valuable day and the students found it extremely enlightening.

Left:  Students with Professor Wallace-Hadrill  

Ms A Gripton - History Teacher

History & Legal Studies

St Pius X College was fortunate enough to be able to send along 10 students to hear a talk presented by Senator John McCain during his visit to Australia. Senator McCain spoke articulately about the need for Australia and America to remain friends, while acknowledging the difficulties present. He crossed many topics such as the Trans Pacific Partnership, the South China Seas, Afghanistan, Syria and NATO. He gave advice to our students, telling them to “get involved… there is nothing more rewarding than serving a cause greater than yourself”.

It was an inspiring talk and our students had the added thrill of seeing two ex-Prime Ministers, John Howard and Bob Hawke, as well as our current Premier, Gladys Berejiklian.

Ms Anne Gripton - History Teacher

PD/H/PE

Yr 12 PDHPE Sports Science and Medicine Excursion to NSW Academy of Sport

In preparation for their HSC, our 2 Unit PDHPE Sport and Health Science students had an invaluably rich learning experience on Friday when they visited the NSW Academy of Sport Human Performance Laboratory at Narrabeen to learn from Australian 7s Rugby Olympic Team Strength and Conditioning Coach Mitch Henderson, and Sports Scientists Christine Mc Dermott and Susan Cutbill.

A wide ranging lecture addressed higher order curriculum-relevant contemporary thinking on Sport Science methods, periodisation, nutrition and technology applications in planning and recovery among many other topics. This preceded a resistance weights training session with the Australian 7s Rugby Gold Medal winning squad and a cryotherapy, ice bath and contrast therapy recovery session in the Academy’s aquatic area.

The afternoon sports science laboratory session featured VO2 max tests for students Ben O’Hehir and Tim Hallissy who recorded impressive maximal relative oxygen uptake scores of 60 – 80ml/ kg/ min and then 10 and 20sec Wingate Maximal Power output tests from a number of students including Matthew Hall and Nathaniel Panozzo who greatly impressed the Academy sport science staff with scores exceeding 2000 watts, which is in the higher range of elite athletes

Next Monday 5th June we have a guest presenter from ASADA the Australian Sports Anti-Drug Agency coming to lecture on the campaign against illegal drugs in sport.

The higher order thinking and learning achieved will inform the students' 3rd HSC Assessment Task over the coming weeks which will be a great stimulus to study leading into the HSC Trial PDHPE Examinations in Week 3 of Term 3.

It was pleasing also to see Bailey Perkins (Year 7) in attendance at a Basketball NSW Talent Identification Camp in the Academy Basketball Gym coached by Sean Rogers who coaches some of our elite Basketball players in the Northern Suburbs Representative program, while the NSW Combined Catholic Colleges Rugby League Team trained in the vicinity. 

Mr S Brannan - Head of Student Services

Performing Arts  

MEET THE MUSIC

Years 9, 10, 11 and 12 Elective Music students are reminded that the next concert in the series is on Thursday 8th June at 6.30pm at the Opera House. Students will be given their tickets during class and should be in their seats by 6.15pm. The concert will finish at approximately 8.30pm.

PERFORMING ARTS PHOTOS

All Music ensembles, both Drama Ensembles and the cast of “Boy Overboard” will have their photos taken on Friday 9th June. Students should attend to their uniform in the next week, ensuring that blazers are clean and have buttons and if haircuts are needed, that they get this done before Friday week.

YEAR 11 DRAMA PERFORMANCE NIGHT

Students in the Year 11 Drama class will be showcasing their work from Semester 1 on Thursday 15th June commencing at 5.00pm in the Sarto Centre. Family and friends are warmly invited to attend.

HORNSBY GANG SHOW

This annual Scout Concert is on from Friday 30th June to Saturday 8th July 2017 . Please go to http://www.gangshow.com to purchase tickets. Our affiliated student is Tristan Williams from Year 7.

Ms T Bates - Performing Arts Coordinator

Public Speaking and Debating

Last Friday St Pius X College hosted Rosebank College. The 12A, 12B, 11A, 11B, 10A, 10B, 7A, 7B teams were successful on the night.

This Friday St Pius X College is travelling to Our Lady of Mercy College in Parramatta.  Coaching will commence at 3.30pm and we will board our coach to OLMC at 4.00pm in Anderson Street.  Students will not have time to travel to Westfield to purchase their dinner so will need to bring an extra sandwich and drink for their supper.  Coin toss should commence at OLMC Parramatta at 6.15pm so debates commence at approximately 7.15pm and should conclude at around 8.00pm.  Could parents please collect their son from Our Lady of Mercy College, Parramatta by 8.00pm.  Parking in the surrounding streets is tricky but these are quiet streets so you will not be rushed in your attempts to park.

Please note below the date changes for the Elimination Round through to the Grand Final.

The topic this week is ‘Environment’.  Our Year 9 students are travelling to the Seymour Centre on Friday to see a play about a futuristic world where the environment has been challenged - possible material for our debate. 

* Please note below the date changes for the Elimination Round through to the Grand Final.

TERM 2:                                                                          TERM 3:

Round 6    June 2                                                           Semi-final    July 21 

Elimination Round 2    June 16                            Grand Final  July 28

Quarterfinal    June 23

Schools Debating Network

St Pius X  College participates in the Schools Debating Network (SDN) Competition which runs from Week 1 to Week 7 in Term 3.  We compete against Abbotsleigh, Redlands, Riverview, Roseville, Stella Maris, Monte & Wenona (and Ravenswood debate with St Pius X College as our two Primary team representatives). This 7 round competition runs in Term 3 every Friday night from 21st July to 8th September.  There will then be a Tiebreaker and Final round.

Round 1 - 21st July, Roseville College hosting St Pius X College

Round 2 - 28th July, Stella Maris hosting St Pius X College

Round 3 - 4th August, Riverview hosting St Pius X College

Round 4 - 11th August, St Pius X College hosting Wenona

Round 5 - 18th August, St Pius X College hosting Monte

Round 6 - 25th August, Abbotsleigh hosting St Pius X College

Round 7 - 2nd September, Redlands hosting St Pius X College

Tiebreaker - 8th September, hosted by St Pius X College (only students who compete in this Tiebreaker need attend)

Final -15th September, hosted by Monte

This is a very exciting competition and the experience is extremely valuable for our students broadening their debating skills. As the Schools Debating Network Competition requires ONE team of debaters each evening we only need our students to commit to three of the debate nights listed above.  We will have a roster that will be filled out for the 7 week round. Training is compulsory for ALL debaters each week. Our two debating competitions run throughout Term 2 and Term 3 (and do overlap for 2-3 weeks in Term 3 if our teams move through to the Finals in the CSDA).  This means that Debating is a full extra-curricular commitment for the year. Please visit the Schools Debating Network website to explore more about this rigorous debating competition:  http://www.sdndebating.com.au/

The cost of SDN Competition is half of the CSDA Competition ($50.00) and the fee will be included in your Term Three school fees. This fee goes towards paying for Friday evening coach hire in order to get to our Away venues. We keep our fees as low as possible and have funding from the St Pius X College P&F to subsidise the cost of hiring coaches on Friday evenings.

SDN debates have a different team structure and coin toss running order:

Debates DO NOT run late as this competition is adjudicated by external adjudicators who run both rounds of debates in the one evening.  SPX debaters will travel to venues from school each Friday afternoon and rooms at our host schools are provided for study/work for the later debaters.

Legacy Junior Public Speaking Competition

St Pius X  College will be entering two students into the Legacy Junior Public Speaking Competition which will be run in August.

Mrs M Waterson - Debating and Public Speaking Convenor