Student & Parent

Matters

Leadership Day at Parliament House

Learning Posters

Year 11 Study Skills

Information for Year 10 Parents & Carers

Year 7 Study Skills Evening ​

From the Head of Staff Services

• Public Speaking & Debating
• Chess Draw
• Duke of Edinburgh Award​
• Kokoda track Expedition 2018 – Final Participants' Training Hike​ THIS SUNDAY
• Fundraising for Callan Services PNG​
• General Notices:
• -  Is this the future Willoughby City you want in 2028? 

• -  Lower North Shore Volunteer Expo
• -  School Holiday Programs Directory

Leadership Day at Parliament House

In a very full week of activities our College Vice Captains, Nikita Papastamatis and Jack Moran, were invited last week to a Leadership Day at Parliament House where, along with Student Leaders from other Sydney, Regional and NSW Country Schools, they received an inspiring and insightful training on the responsibilities and protocols of leadership and higher office.

Mr Casey reports that the program has evolved somewhat from the training he received in the 1970s!

Learning Posters

Our St Pius X Community consists of critical and creative thinkers who are resilient and passionate about learning.  The Touchstones and Values provide the foundation for our learning.

Around the College, parents and students will notice an array of stimulating and thought provoking posters that align with our College’s Learning Statement. These posters were inspired by our Learning Prefects, Daniel Aposhian, Oliver Stewart and Isaac Fong under the leadership of our Innovative Learning Coordinator, Mrs Anne Gripton.

Below is the first in a series of five posters.

INQUISITIVENESS

We want to encourage and develop in our students a disposition of inquisitiveness, intellectual flexibility, open- and fair-mindedness and  readiness to try new ways of doing things and to consider alternatives.

Mr A Damo - Assistant Principal Teaching & Learning

Year 11 Study Skills

This week Dr Prue Salter from Enhanced Learning Educational Services (www.enhanced-learning.net) ran a study skills session with Year 11.  The session focused on helping students identify changes and improvements they could make to their approach to their studies in order to maximise their results in their final years of school. The main areas covered with Year 11 were:

• Moving into a senior mindset.
• Working effectively at home and dealing with distractions.
• The importance of independent learning.
• Managing workload and planning for assessments.
• Organising resources for school, both paper and digital.
• Steps to effective study for assessments.
• Increasing the range of study techniques used.
• How often and how to make study notes.
• Making study notes brain-friendly.

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 extra study skills tips on the following website: http://studyskillstoptipsparents.com/.  All secondary students and parents at our school also have access to a great 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 useful handouts on the THINGS TO PRINT page on this site and students can work through the units where they need additional help.

Ms D Janes - Senior  Students Studies Coordinator

Information for Year 10 Parents & Carers

Mr Phil Glendenning spoke to our Year 10  students on Tuesday on issues faced by the millions of displaced people living in poverty and facing violence throughout the world.  Mr Glendenning is the Director of the Edmund Rice Centre and is currently the President of the Refugee Council of Australia.  He received the Order of Australia Award (AM) in 2017 for significant service to the community through social welfare organisations, as an advocate for human rights, and to education.  His presentation was warmly received.

Year 10  Reflection Day.  A reminder that our Year 10 Reflection Day will take place next Thursday 7th June at Oxford Falls.  The theme for the day is ‘Journey’.  Our guest presenter is popular singer, songwriter and story teller, Brett Hunt.  The boys are to wear casual clothes (enclosed footwear).  Lunch will be provided.

Mr M Pawlak - Year 10Coordinator

Year 7 Study Skills Evening 

Monday 18th June – 6:30pm

Dr Prue Salter from Enhanced Learning has specialised for the last 15 years in the area of study skills and is in high demand as a presenter of study skills sessions. Prue developed the study skills website our school subscribes to, and has written many other study skills resources.

On Monday 18th June Dr Salter will share with you some simple but powerful strategies to implement at home to help students cope with the academic demands of school and achieve their personal best. You will be discussing together what might work best for your family. 

Please arrive at the College Gymnasium by 6:15pm to collect resources before a 6:30pm start.  Tickets are $10 for families and can be reserved using the trybooking link: https://www.trybooking.com/388923

Full details can be found in the flyer below.

Mr J Lynch - Year 7 Coordinator

From the Head of Staff Services

Congratulations…

St Pius X College continues to be a community of people – both staff and students - who set challenges for themselves and then achieve them with great energy. It was exciting to celebrate with members of our Teaching Staff who recently graduated from their respective post-graduate courses.

• Mr  Glen Carroll:  Masters of Educational Leadership (ACU)
• Ms Donna Dempsey:  Masters of Theology (University of Newcastle)
• Ms Frances Doyle:  Masters of Children’s Literature (University of New South Wales)

As their colleagues we learn so much working alongside these teachers, given the depth of their knowledge, and our students of course benefit even more directly on a day-to-day basis.  As many Woodchatta readers will attest, working and studying at this post-graduate level is a huge personal and professional commitment and we offer our admiration of their success at Graduation!

Ms S-J Grove - Head of Staff Services

Public Speaking & Debating

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

Mrs M Waterson - Debating and Public Speaking Convener

Chess

1st June 2018 Chess Draw 

The full draw for all teams can be found on the College App.

Ms D Ramsey  and Ms J Dempsey - Chess Convenors

Duke of Edinburgh Award

Bronze Practice Adventurous Journey

Sixteen students from Years 9 and 10 gave up their weekend to hike the 37km from Mt Ku-Ring-gai to Cowan via Berowra and Berowra Waters. The boys were introduced to the basics of bushwalking, learning skills in first-aid, navigation, cooking, camping, leadership, resilience and general bushcraft. After carrying their packs over 19km they spent a cold night at Crosslands Reserve.  The boys excelled at the physical challenge of the terrain leading on to Cowan with a number of students demonstrating excellent leadership.

Well done to all the students and congratulations on the completion of the Practice Adventurous Journey for your Bronze Duke of Edinburgh Award.

Thank you to Mr J Donnelly, Miss V Kugananthan, Daniel Butler (Class of 2017), Mr Jake Bamber (D of E Convenor Bethlehem College) and Zac de Silva for their assistance with this very worthwhile activity.  For information on the Duke of Edinburgh Award please visit the Duke of Edinburgh Award website http://www.dukeofed.com.au/  or talk with Ms Manga, our Duke of Edinburgh Convenor.

Mr P de Silva - Outdoor Education Coordinator

Kokoda track Expedition 2018

Final Participants' Training Hike THIS SUNDAY 3rd June:  

Our next training hike will take place on the 3rd of June. The hikes are now serious and we will again hike from Mt Ku-Ring-Gai to Cowan (17.2km).  It is important that all members of our group attend this final preparatory hike. We will be accompanied by our two Australian guides that will be leading our party on the “Track.”  An opportunity will exist to address any further questions or concerns regarding the trip.

• When:  Sunday 3rd June 2018
• Route:  Benowie Walking track from Mt Ku-ring-gai to Cowan via Berowra Waters
• Meet:  Cowan Train Station 7.30am (Car shuffle to Mt Ku-ring-gai) Depart Mt Ku-ring-gai 8.00am (Train from Hornsby arrives Mt Ku-ring-gai 7.46am).
• Finish:   Cowan train station 2.00pm (approx.)
• Pick up:  Students dismissed from Cowan train station under parental supervision.
• Need:    3 litres of water (no water on route), hat, sunscreen, lunch, Opal card, sense of humour

In the event of poor weather, please check the College App.  All member of the College Community are welcome to attend.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of our participants and members of the College community who have supported these hikes over the past eight months.

I would also like to highlight our Fundraising for Callan Services in Papua New Guinea (see article below for details). Can I encourage you to either make a donation or share the link on Facebook.

https://give.everydayhero.com/au/spx-kokoda-callan-services-fundraising

Many thanks to those who have already made a donation to this very worthwhile cause.

Mr P de Silva - Outdoor Education Coordinator

Fundraising for Callan Services PNG

I would like to highlight our Fundraising for Callan Services in Papua New Guinea (see article below).  Can I encourage you to take the time to read the article and to either make a donation or share the link on Facebook: https://give.everydayhero.com/au/spx-kokoda-callan-services-fundraising 

Many thanks to those who have already made a donation to this very worthwhile cause.  

There has been a large amount of interest from parents and the College community in relation to fundraising for Callan Services in Papua New Guinea as part of our Immersion and Kokoda Track hike coming up at the end of Term 2.

Callan Services is part of our global Edmund Rice network and provides education, health & community based rehabilitation services for people with disabilities in PNG. Since its establishment in 1991 Callan Services has expanded and there are now 19 centres. Its work is having transformative and destigmatising effects on children with disabilities. In particular, its work in early detection and an inclusive education model can successfully integrate and transition some students with disabilities into mainstream classes – with some outstanding results.

The College community’s support of Callan Services assists them to continue their work in transforming the lives of those living with disabilities as well as their families.  Donations can be made online through the EverydayHero link below.

https://give.everydayhero.com/au/spx-kokoda-callan-services-fundraising 

If you have any questions or suggestions for further fundraising please contact me or Jane Higgins at the College.

Mr P de Silva - Outdoor Education Coordinator

General Notices

• IS THIS THE FUTURE WILLOUGHBY CITY YOU WANT IN 2028? ​

Dear Parents

Over the past 6 months we’ve heard thousands of thoughts and ideas from people across our city and brought them together to create Our Future Willoughby 2028. Now we want to know if we got it right. 

Click here to get involved before Monday 11 June (or go to www.haveyoursaywilloughby.com.au) so we can make sure that your family’s long-term vision and priorities for Willoughby City in 2028 have been captured.

Kind regards, 

The Willoughby City Council Engagement Team

• LOWER NORTH SHORE VOLUNTEER EXPO:  Thursday 31st May in Chatswood - see the flyer below.

• SCHOOL HOLIDAY PROGRAMS

SchoolHolidayPrograms.com.au is a directory resource jam-packed with holiday programs for kids.  You can search by category or location,  even share and review the programs.

Proud to be an Australian-based company, School Holiday Programs is passionate about providing quality school holiday care options to parents of school aged children.  Filled with hundreds of unique experiences, sports clinics, educational workshops and overnight camps, ‘School Holiday Programs’ provides parents of school aged children, a comprehensive choice of school holiday care and activities.

Check us out on facebook and instagram!

https://www.facebook.com/schoolholidayprograms.com.au/

@schoolholidayprograms