St Pius X College Newsletter

Pastoral Care 

  • HSC Students
  • Founder's Days
  • AIS Mental Fitness Program
  • Vape Detectors
  • Remembrance Day
  • Aunt Miriam Rose

HSC Students

We keep our HSC students in our thoughts and prayers, and this week include our Year 11 Mathematics accelerants students who sat the Advanced Paper on Monday and Extension I on Friday.

As students conclude their exams over the coming weeks we ask them to maintain their health, safety and perspective, especially in regard  to driving considerately and not rushing to and from the venue. There are several Police points in the vicinity of Oxford Falls and they too are mindful of keeping all HSC students safe. 

Founder's Days

Due to COVID restrictions our Founder's Day will be limited to Year Groups Days at Oxford Falls as follows:

Year 8 Wednesday 17/11/21

Year 7 Tuesday 23/11/21

Year 9 Wednesday 24/11/21

Year 5 and 6 Thursday 25/11/21

The emphasis of these days will be on connecting and learning about our Social Justice partners and initiatives in The Red Dirt Expedition, St Mary's Bowraville and St Joseph's Walgett, Centacare, St Gabriel's Castle Hill and St Edmund's Wahroonga, as well as Callan Disability Education Services in Papua New Guinea who we have worked with after each Kokoda Track Expedition.  We also connect through Edmund Rice Beyond Borders.

Students will wear Sports uniform and bring recess and lunch to these days. A small recess (eg chips and drinks may be provided).

Students will spend the day at Oxford Falls, while observing the HSC exclusion zone.

Australian Institute of Sport Mental Fitness Program

The Founder's Days for Year 8 and 9 will include a presentation from London and Tokyo Olympic Kayaker Jo Brigden-Jones on how to support Mental Fitness which will be integrated into a Mental Fitness Challenge for the students run by the Black Dog Institute.

We look forward to Jo’s presentation and to learning about the importance of mental fitness and wellbeing underpinning learning and living well.

Vape Detectors

All members of the College community were informed at Monday’s Assembly, that in responding to recent College survey feedback, and information regarding the prevalence and harm caused in school communities by vaping, we have installed detectors in the school toilets and wash rooms. 

The sensors detect, among other things, when there is evidence of vapes being used. An alarm is raised which will result in those vaping being identified.

Our primary duty of care is to safeguard everyone in our community from harm, as was our highest priority during COVID lockdown and remains our highest priority now we have returned to our physical school environment.

The message which has been communicated to the students is a simple one: Students are not to bring or use vapes, not to loiter around the toilets, have their mobile phone in their locker all day, not be out of bounds, and use only those facilities allocated to them. The Junior toilets, for example, are for Junior students only!

We welcome any conversation which can support the well-being of our students in this context, and thank those students, parents and staff who help us safeguard our students and community. If there are individuals who are addicted to vaping or anything else, come and speak with us. We can help you with these help problems. 

Remembrance Day

Our Year 11 History Students led the College in a moving Commemoration Ceremony, watched online by the school community. We were also well represented at the Chatswood Garden of Remembrance by College Vice Captain Ronan Crispe, and Learning Prefect Elliot Cook. We joined Student leaders from Mercy College, Chatswood and Willoughby Girls High Schools as well as Fr David Ranson, Mercy Principal Mrs Brenda Timp and School Captain Olivia Hester, Mayor Gail Giles-Gidney, State Member for Willoughby Ms Gladys Berejiklian, and Chatswood RSL President Barney Flanagan OAM, in honouring the fallen.

 

Lest we forget.

Aunt Miriam Rose

Last week saw an inspiring conversation moderated by EREA Executive Director Dr Craig Wattam featuring Dr Miriam-Rose Ungunmerr Baumann (Senior Australian of the Year 2021). A proud Aboriginal woman who has been an innovative and effective leader in education, and particularly education in the contexts of our First Nations people for over 45 years, Dr Ungunmerr Baumann espoused the values and concepts which are consistent with our own initiatives and mission in holistic education. She endorsed the practical service experiential based learning principles St Pius X and EREA is renowned for. We look forward to sharing these learnings and continuing our vision and mission using these principles in the future.

 

Fide et Labore

 

Mr Sean Brannan - Assistant Principal, Pastoral Care and Wellbeing