Pastoral Care

From the Assistant Principal Pastoral Care

Wellbeing Anecdote from the St Pius X College Student Diary Planner:

“If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.”

John Quincy Adams

Iftar Dinner at Amity College

Social Justice Red Dirt Expedition June/July 2019 

• NSW CIS Football Representation
• NSW Schoolboys Rugby Union Trials at Oxford Falls

Iftar Dinner at Amity College

Today (Wednesday 29 May) ten students from Years 10 to 12, acting as Ambassadors for St Pius X College, will travel to the Amity Muslim Faith College at Prestons to be guests at their Iftar Dinner to break Ramadan at sunset.

Amity College is an interfaith dialogue partner school of St Pius and Mercy College with whom we have had valuable discussion and interaction over recent years, much to the benefit of our students and their understanding of the 2 Unit SOR associated topics. The guest speaker at the dinner will be Laura Murphy-Oates, an SBS Journalist. Students representing St Pius will include Sam Schyvens, Tyson McCallum, Harrison Clayton, Ben Marino, Lachlan Mathie, Ethan Tat, Kiefer O'Brien, Zachary Bull, Matthew Bradley, Sam Walters, Braiden Gunaratnam and Year 11 SOR Teacher Ms Guerrera.

Social Justice Red Dirt Expedition 

St Pius X College Red Dirt Social Justice Reconciliation Awareness Expedition

Coonabarabran, Walgett, Brewarrina, Bourke and Dubbo  - 30 June to 6 July 2019

The College’s Reconciliation Ceremony on Monday incorporated performance of traditional dance by our friends in Walangari Karntawarra and Diramu Aboriginal Dance and Didgeridoo group. Charlene and Lee’s family traditions are from the Ngemba, Murrawarri and Kamilaroi people within the Brewarrina and Walgett districts. They were pleased that our expedition in July will visit places of cultural significance in their country, and that many of the students in Walgett and Bourke Catholic Primary Schools in particular, for whom our students will run sports days, are relatives and kin.

Highlights of our visit should include Jill Norton, NPWS Area Manager and Kamilaroi leader, showing us features such as:  

• Warrumbungles National Park, Breadknife and Grand High Tops igneous rock formations
• Dandry Gorge
• Pilliga Scrub Sandstone Caves
• Reconciliation Art in the Pilliga Scrub
• Baradine Land Council and NPWS Discovery centre
• Brewarrina Fish Traps and Cultural Centre
• Bourke and Darling River
• ANU Siding Springs Observatory and Australian Astronomical Telescope
• Dubbo Taronga Western Plains Zoo

As such we will prepare for our visit to the sites and locations of significance with a briefing from Jayde Ward, Catholic Schools NSW State Manager, Policy and Programs and proud Gadigal woman, and Merindah Wilson, Aboriginal Education Officer, Wilcannia Forbes Diocese.

Students who will attend this initiative are asked to ensure they are accumulating a warm sleeping bag, light camp mattress to insulate them from the ground, warm clothing for nights, comfortable walking clothing for our archaeological walks and sports uniform for the visits and athletics carnivals / sports days to be run for the schools in Coonabarabran, Walgett and Bourke. You also need sunhat, sunglasses, water bottle and sturdy eating kit, packed compactly. Tents, stoves, walkie talkies and first aid kits will be supplied by the school / Mr Brannan.

If any of our family connections have sports gear, or donations of jerseys / other items of use which we can supply to the remote and rural communities we visit still suffering from drought, please contact Mr Brannan via sbrannan@stpiusx.nsw.edu.au

We look forward to an exciting experience of rich learning and I thank the staff who have volunteered to attend: Fr Jim, Mr A Brannan, Mr Quinn, Ms Spanyik, Mr Mendez, Mr Balboa and Mr Mulheron.

NSW CIS Football Representation

Congratulations to Paddy Moore (Year 10) and Jack Berte (Year 12) who have been selected in the NSW Combined Independent Schools U/16 and 1st XI teams respectively from the ISA teams under 1st XI Coach Mr Quilty’s guidance. This is a high level achievement for our students who are riding a high as members of our 1st XI squad which has now progressed to the CIS Cup semi-finals. We look forward to a strong and well organised presence of supporters at their upcoming matches.

NSW Schoolboys Rugby Union Trials at Oxford Falls

Next Wednesday 5 June St Pius X College will host the NSW Schoolboys Rugby Union Trials at Oxford Falls from 10.30am to 3.00pm. Proceeds from the Old Boys BBQ will support our annual Opens 1st XV Rugby Tour to The Gold Coast in July.

If you are able to assist at anytime through the day to do a shift in the BBQ or to pick up further supplies if required, please contact Sean Brannan at the College: sbrannan@stpiusx.nsw.edu.au

Fide et Labore

Mr Sean Brannan - Assistant Principal Pastoral Care and Wellbeing