Learning Support

& Enrichment

• Da Vinci Decathlon – Congratulations on SPX Wins
• Local programs can support your son’s learning at school
• Learning Difficulties Parent Helpline
• Junior Maths Drop-in Centre
• After-school Study Program
• Maths Drop-in Centre

Da Vinci Decathlon – Congratulations on SPX Wins!

Congratulations to all seven of our St Pius X College Da Vinci teams (that’s 56 keen, creative and competitive boys!) who competed in the Da Vinci Decathlon Competition, held at Knox Grammar School last week, over three days:

• May 22nd -  Year 7-8 teams
• May 23rd – Year 9-11 teams
• May 24th – Year 5-6 teams

The schools that we compete against at Da Vinci include many competitive, high achieving schools in Sydney and Canberra, and there were over 1300 students participating on each of the days.

The competition is developing internationally and growing as an authentic forum to build time-trialled critical and creative thinking skills in students from Years 5-11. It is all about getting children to problem solve, and is a testament to inquiry-based learning, with creativity and innovation skills being developed as these are the learning strategies and skills that all students need to take into the 21st Century in order to thrive as outstanding global citizens.

All teams set out early each day, and undertook in teams, an action packed day, full of difficult challenges, designed by ex-decathaletes to test our critical and creative thinking skills. Everyone in each team had a speciality, with the tasks ranging from Engineering, Maths, Drama (called ‘Creative Producers’), Philosophy (called ‘Ideation’), English and Spelling, Art and Poetry – involving tasks that required teams to design an artwork that matched a poem they had limited time to write.

Special congratulations go to each of the St Pius teams in each of the three divisions, whose superb teamwork, pooled knowledge and creative-thinking skills resulted in Pius winning First Place in General Knowledge (Year 10-11), and Third Place in Ideation (Year 6 team).  This was a SUPERB effort, and we particularly congratulate “Team Cameron” which, under the amazing leadership of Cameron Fernandopulle, displayed such productive teamwork to secure their victory.

The overall theme of the Decathlon was “The Unexpected” and Year 7-8 division was “unexpectedly” given an additional impromptu challenge on the opening day of the Decathlon, which they won. It was an anti-chocolate slogan challenge, and Max Leo, the English expert of the team, inspired a zinger: “It’s nothing more than the sweet sensation of manipulation”.

Overall, the Competition was a fun and challenging experience that reinforced skills such as, teamwork, creativity and cooperation.

Thanks and congratulations to all teams, and their coaches – Mrs Spanyik, Mrs Waterson and Ms Raheb-Mol.

Local programs can support your son’s learning at school

LearnFast is a program established in Australia and New Zealand, since 2007. Its aims include bringing Fast ForWord and other neuroscience-based programs to students in the home setting and in schools, and professional speech pathology and other clinics. The focus of these programs is overcoming learning and reading difficulties, and helping children achieve their potential through strengthening memory and executive functioning. The creators of the program are based in Lindfield and Pymble, which means they offer local programs, including the following which may be of interest to parents who wish to support their son’s learning through external programs:

For primary and high school children

• Fast ForWord program - and intensive, evidence-based language and reading intervention that builds the brains superhighways
• Reading Development program - advancing the key cognitive skills required to become a fluent reader
• Maths Brain Builder program -  strengthening the brain’s ability to learn maths
• Reading Assistant - an online reading tutor providing intensive reading practice
• Cogmed - improving attention by training working memory
• The Social Express program - teaching foundational skills for social and emotional learning

For English language learners

• Build English Fast program - uniquely targeting the phonemes of English to build the foundational skills required for all literacy

LearnFast also provide useful and FREE e-resources from time to time, and are happy to take your queries – phone 1300 203 104. See attached for your free copy of their Role of Working Memory ebook.

Learning Difficulties Parent Helpline – (02) 9806 9960

This is a FREE service and an easily accessible telephone resource, available throughout the school year, and provided by the Learning Difficulties Coalition NSW. Supported by NSW Department of Education, this service provides telephone advice, support and referral information about students with special needs (aged 5-18 years) – for the interest of parents/ carers and teachers.

Junior Maths Drop-in Centre

The Junior Maths Drop-in Centre will run each Friday morning from 8:10 – 8:45am. Boys may choose to bring along their maths questions, problems or homework. Alternatively boys can simply attend and work on set tasks provided by the teacher.

All Junior School boys are welcome to attend, on a regular or occasional basis, as it operates from Week 2 of each term. Please meet Mrs Barrett outside the Junior School Learning Enrichment Room at 8:10am on Friday mornings. Parents are encouraged to motivate your sons to attend and make good use of this resource.

For any queries about Junior Maths Drop-in, please contact Mrs Barrett at BBarrett@stpiusx.nsw.edu.au.

After-school Study Program

Maths Drop-in Centre

Ms J Raheb-Mol - Coordinator, Learning Support and Enrichment