From the Principal
- Prayer
- National Reconciliation Week
- What has it been like at School this week?
- Transportation To and From School
- St Pius X College Annual Survey
- Nationally Consistent Collection of Data on School Students with a Disability (NCCD)
Prayer
NATIONAL RECONCILIATION WEEK
As we gather to pray for Reconciliation, we remember that May 27 and June 3 are important dates in Australia's history. May 27 marks the anniversary of the 1967 Referendum when Australians voted to remove clauses in the Australian Constitution that discriminated against Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. June 3 marks the historic 1992 Mabo decision in which the High Court of Australia recognised Native Title.
We gather on the land of the Cammeraygal People and pay our respects to their elders, both past and present, for they hold the memories, the culture and the wisdom on which our nation's future will be built.
Students prepared a moving Reconciliation Assembly which was presented to students via our TEAMS Assembly on Monday morning.
WHAT HAS IT BEEN LIKE AT SCHOOL THIS WEEK?
The weather has not been kind but it hasn’t dampened the enthusiasm of students and staff for being back to full face-to-face classroom teaching.
Student attendance has been at approximately 97% across the school. Hygiene, health and safety has again been a major focus. Classes have been back to normal and we are working towards an assessment period within a few weeks and there will be the usual Semester 1 Report at the end of the Term.
TRANSPORTATION TO AND FROM SCHOOL
TRANSPORT NSW has been giving students a priority on public transport. Transport NSW is constantly cleaning the trains and buses. The students and staff who have been on public transport have reported a good service. Our estimate is that 30% of our students are using public transport and 70% are being driven to school. The major choke point has been in Kirk St with the drop off/pick up point for students from the Our Lady of Dolours Primary School and St Pius X College. We have raised the issue with Chatswood Police and the Local Council to assist with traffic management.
ST PIUS X COLLEGE ANNUAL SURVEY
The Annual surveys will again be conducted and I ask all parents, students and staff to complete these surveys. As you will have observed, we have acted every year to positively respond to the feedback we receive and the College Board’s Governance and Strategy Committee will review the responses and I always make available the results and overall feedback to the community.
NATIONALLY CONSISTENT COLLECTION OF DATA ON SCHOOL STUDENTS WITH DISABILITY (NCCD)
Please refer to the letter attached for information on NCCD 2020. The Learning Support & Enrichment team have been working closely with families in the period August 2019 – June 2020 to determine students who meet the definition of disability, require adjustments to assist participation in learning and record relevant documentation. Amendments to the Australian Education Act 2013 determine that schools do not require parents/carers/guardians to provide active consent for students to be included in the NCCD, nor is there an option for them to request their child not be included. Should you have any queries please direct them to Annabel Gunns at agunns@stpiusx.nsw.edu.au.
Mr John Couani - Principal