Wednesday 1st November

Year 12, 2018 Parent Information Evening

Saturday 4th November

Years 5 & 6 (2018) Orientation Morning

P&F Morning Tea

ISA R3 / IPSHA R10

Monday 6th November

Year 10 Assessment Block begins to 10/11

P&F AGM

Tuesday 7th November

Year 7, 2018 Orientation Day

Friday 10th November

Remembrance Day Assembly

Year 12 Formal

Saturday 11th November

ISA R4 / IPSHA R11

New Enrolments 2018 Music Auditions 1

Tuesday 14th November

Years 5-9 Exams begin

Saturday 18th November

ISA R5 / IPSHA R12

New Enrolments 2018 Music Auditions 2

Thursday 23rd November

Year 7 Vaccination Clinic #3

Friday 24th November

Founder's Day Festival

Saturday 25th November

ISA R6

Monday 27th November

Year 10 Immersions / ABW Begins

Friday 1st December

Year 11 conclude

Snowy Hike departs to 7/12

Christmas Twilight Concert

Monday 4th December

Year 10 Peer Support Training

Year 10 Dinner Dance

Tuesday 5th December

Year 10 Peer Support Training

Years 5-10 Reports on Portal

Wednesday 6th December

Junior School Prizegiving Day

Years 5-10 Closing Mass/Term 4 concludes

Thursday 7th December

Staff Day

P/T Interviews (if requested)

Monday 11th December

College Office open

Thursday 14th December

HSC Results

Friday 15th December

Year 12 BBQ

• Prayer:  All Saints Day and All Souls Day
• P&F AGM:  Next Monday night 6th November at 6.00pm in the Sarto Centre

• Senior ​Leaders' Investiture

• HSC

• 2018 Orientation and Transition Days

• College Fees 2018 - Letter from the Board Chair

1st November - All Saints Day

2nd November - All Souls Day

In the front foyer we have our November Remembrance Book. This book contains the names of deceased family and friends of members of the St Pius X College community. During the month of November we especially pray that Jesus will continue to hold them close. A special Mass will be celebrated for all of the deceased whose names appear in this book at our College Mass on Tuesday 7th November at 8.00am.  Please feel free to either place a name in this book or attend our College Mass.

Full details can be found on the P&F page.

Last Thursday the College was very pleased to welcome the NSW Police Deputy Commissioner, Catherine Burn, as our special guest to the Year 12 2018 Student Leaders' Investiture.  Every student in Year 12 2018 was presented with a tie and a badge and the House Captains, Prefects, Vice-Captains and College Captain were all invested with their leadership for their HSC year.  

Deputy Commissioner Burn spoke to all our students and the community gathered together in relation to making good decisions based on the common good and service for others.  Below please find the text of her speech for your consideration.  

Our new College Captain, Daniel Hall, spoke powerfully and articulately to the student body and the St Pius X College Community.  Daniel spoke of the dedication to the College, the wellbeing of all students and how his Year 12 group aim to support one another and all the students through the challenges and trials ahead in their HSC year.  With great enthusiasm and commitment the Year 12 students pledged their allegiance to the College and the Community. 

We ask God's blessing on this outstanding group of young men.  The text of Daniel's outstanding speech can be found below.

The Higher School Certificate for 2017 continues this week and the final examination will be held next Tuesday 7th November.  Please continue to pray for the boys.

A reminder that the Orientation Day for new students starting in Years 5 and Year 6 in 2018 is being held this Saturday 4th November commencing at 9.00am.

Parent Helpers are required to assist with serving morning tea between 8.30m and 11.00am.  If you would like to volunteer please contact Sarah Gillard on [email protected] 

There is also a Transition Day for Year 6, 2018 being held for new students to the College (only) this Thursday 2nd November commencing at 8.30am. 

The Year 7, 2018 Orientation and Transition Day is being held on Tuesday 7th November commencing at 8.50am. 

Attendance on these days is compulsory for ALL new students to the College.  Please contact the Enrolment Registrar, Christine Jennings on [email protected] should you have any further queries. 

The College Board Chair, Mr Peter Hughes, has written to the school community in the attached letter advising that our school fees for 2018 will rise by 6.5%.  I thank the College Board and the EREA Board for their leadership in prudently managing the challenges to our school funding announced earlier this year by the Federal Government.  I urge all parents to read Mr Hughes' letter.

Mr John Couani - Principal

The month of November is a month of remembering.  We begin by celebrating the lives of all the Saints on 1st November, All Saints Day. Saints are such important role models who have lived lives based on the values taught by Jesus. The following day, 2nd November, is All Souls Day when we have the opportunity to reflect the lives of our family and friends who have passed away. Whilst this day can be looked on as a difficult day where we mourn those who are no longer with us I hope we can take some time to reflect on how our lives have been enriched by these special people who have given so much to us and now seek their reward with God.

In the front foyer we have our November Remembrance Book. This book contains the names of deceased family and friends of members of the St Pius X College community. During the month of November we especially pray that Jesus will continue to hold them close. A special Mass will be celebrated for all of the deceased whose names appear in this book at our College Mass on Tuesday 7th November at 8.00am.  Please feel free to either place a name in this book or attend our College Mass.

Next week on Friday 10th November at 11.00am we will hold the Remembrance Day Assembly. This is an opportunity for us to remember and give thanks to all those who died or fought in war.

We are busy preparing for our Founder's Day Festival on Friday  24th November at Oxford Falls. The theme this year is Gospel Spirituality with a specific focus on respect and tolerance of other faiths.

Ms D Dempsey - Assistant Principal Mission & Identity

Founder's Day Festival Auditions

Founders Day Festival auditions have been extended until next Monday 6th November. The sign-up sheet is on the Music Noticeboard.  Acts including band, singing, dancing, magic, comedy or other styles of variety acts will be considered.  Auditions will be held in the Band Room on Monday 6th November from 3.30 – 4.30pm.

Toiletries for Matthew Talbot Drive has concluded.  Thank you for all of your donations of men’s toiletries. Over the coming weeks the Junior members of the Edmund Rice Society will turn all of your donations into gift bags for the men of Matthew Talbot which will be delivered before Christmas.

Edmund Rice Society ‘Skateboards for The Haven’ Project

Last Wednesday the Year 9 and 10 members of the Edmund Rice Society, along with Ms Ho and myself, attended The Haven Education Centre in Terrigal. Our students presented 28 skateboard kits to the staff and students along with some sporting equipment. Our boys enjoyed the day engaging with The Haven students as well as learning about their special needs and how The Haven caters for these needs.

Mr David Blake – Social Justice Coordinator

• Anti-Discrimination Board of NSW's Youth Forum at Waverley College
• Kokoda 2018 - 2nd Training Hike​
• ​From the Head of Student Services:

            - Remembrance Day

            -  Leadership with Integrity Forum

            -  Class of  1967 - 50 Year Reunion

            -  Prefect Speech Craft

            -  Year 9 Ceroc Dance    

• Bus Safety Brochure:  highlighting bus safety for everyone
• General Notices:  
   -   Helping Learner Drivers Become Safe Drivers
   -   Pittwater Sports Centre Summer Holiday Workshops
   -    St Joseph's College Spring Fair - Sunday 12th November

The following are comments from the students who attended the Anti-Discriminatin Youth Forum:

“We arrived at Waverley College and were greeted by The ADB of NSW. The guest speaker Felicity Huntington began to explain to us what the ADB of NSW does for the community. She explained how the board started in 1977 and its main functions were to handle complaints, engage the community and be involved with the Australian Law reform. She also talked about the Anti-Discrimination Act of 1977 and how it was against the law to discriminate against someone for their Race, Domestic Status, Age, Disability/Disabilities, Sex, Homosexuality, Transgenderality, Carers’ Responsibility [Family] and Victimisation. After this we split into groups of fourteen and answered four questions we presented to everyone at the Youth Form.  All in all it was a great experience at an amazing school from which we learnt a lot.”                                                                                                                                                        William Thomson

“The day was enjoyable and it was great to be able to interact with people who were passionate about this kind of area. I would definitely do it again and recommend everyone to promote anti-discrimination.”

James Baldock

“Throughout the event it was a significant and valuable experience for us as students to hear the stories have definitions and legal terms of discrimination explained to us and to be educated alongside older students on the impacts and implications of Discrimination on society, culture and  the individual.”

Josh Jones

“All round it was a day full of learning about the troubles of minorities and even larger groups.”

Ashley Johnson

“After listening to the Anti-Discrimination Acts each group discussed their answers to the questions after we came in for a group picture and we departed.”                                                                                       Andrew Kim

“We were taught about the exceptions to the NSW Anti-Discrimination Act and the actions that are considered Vilification. We were spilt into small groups to talk about our experiences in discrimination.”

Nathan Byrne

“Discrimination is a virus with different acting components making it a disease difficult to conquer. Today helped us learn how to act and treat the symptoms and what is covered by the NSW Anti-Discrimination Board Act.”                                                                                                                             Adam Carpenter

“We learnt that the Anti-Discrimination Board is a free community service that you can go to if you are discriminated against. The Board takes complaints and confidently puts them through a process that will take both sides of the story and decide what the consequence should be.”                     Aidan Lonsdale

Ms M Waterson

The second of our training hikes is locked in for Sunday 5th November 2017.  We will be walking from Cowan to Brooklyn, 13.4km (one big hill).  This is an opportunity for all prospective participants to meet, prepare and to discuss all aspects of the Kokoda Track Expedition 2018.

When:  Sunday 5th November 2017

Meet:    Hawkesbury River train station (Brooklyn) 7.20am (Train to Cowan at 7.40am; arrive 7.55am)

Finish:   Hawkesbury River train station (Brooklyn) 1.00pm (approx.) Trains every 30 minutes to Hornsby

Need:    3 litres of water (no water on route), hat, sunscreen, snacks, OPAL card, sense of humour

In the event of track work we can do a car shuffle to Cowan. In the event of track closures due to controlled burns we will decide on an alternate route.

All members of the College community are welcome to attend these hikes.

Next Hikes

3.           Sunday 4th February 2018

4.           Sunday 4th March 2018

5.           Sunday 1st April 2018

6.           Sunday 6th May 2018

7.           Sunday 3rd June 2018

Please note that I will confirm the following hikes as we move closer to the dates.

Mr P de Silva - Outdoor Education Coordinator

Remembrance Day

Those members of the House Vice Captain Student Leadership Team listed below are requested to see Mr Brannan to confirm whether they are available to represent the College and lay a wreath at the Chatswood RSL Willoughby Remembrance Day Commemoration Service in the Garden of Remembrance, Albert Avenue in Chatswood at 10.35am until approximately 11.30am on Saturday 11th November.

Many of our School Leaders have sport commitments and thus we will be led by College Vice Captain Nikita Papastamatis (Year 11) who visited the Western Front Battlefields with the NSW Premiers Tour for the Anniversary of the Battle of the Somme in 1916. He will be accompanied by Daniel Fileman (Year 9) and other Student Leaders, House Vice Captains and College Representatives who are available.  Please see Mr Brannan after the Year 9 camps conclude this week to confirm your attendance status.

Leadership with Integrity Forum

Preparations continue with our Year 9/10 Wellbeing Coordinator Ms Foord organising our 2017 Leadership with Integrity student leadership forum on Monday 27th November at Oxford Falls.  Ms Foord has organised some inspirational guest speakers on the topic including:

• Dr John Honner of the EREA Council:  His father Lt Colonel Ralph Honner, was a child of the Great Depression, WA teacher and lawyer before inspirationally leading troops in WWII in the Middle East, Greece, Crete and Kokoda. Before a post war career in law in NSW and as Australian Ambassador to Ireland 1968 – 72.
• Greg Growden:  Renowned Rugby and Sports Journalist with the Sydney Morning Herald, Foxtel, ESPN and writer who Ms Keighery recently hosted at a Senior library writers guest breakfast to celebrate the release of his book on Brad Hogg and to encourage our students to develop themselves as writers of the present and future.
• Our own recent College Captain Stuart Maclaine who will reflect on his leadership journey and current status as a University Student and leader of the future.  

At this point all of Year 7, House Vice Captains, MindMatters students and identified students from Years 8 and 9 will attend the day at Oxford Falls.  Please see Ms Foord for details

Class of 1967 50 Year reunion

Congratulation to the SPX Graduating Class of 1967 who held their 50 year reunion last Thursday at the Kirribili RSL Club. While their numbers are thinning out the spirit and friendships forged in Blue and Gold remain indomitable. The photos below shows each attendee last Thursday, and also with their school boy alter ego of 50 years ago.

Members of the cohort include Richard Lund who knows some of our staff from Hornsby Rifle Range Club and Bill James whose sons Richard and Andrew run On Track Expeditions facilitating our Kokoda Track expeditions of 2014, 2016 and 2018.

Prefect Speech Craft

Our Prefects and Student Leadership Team continue their hard work in honing their speaking and presentation skills for their tenure as school leaders. On Monday 13th November they will host a Speechcraft Graduation Ceremony at Chatswood RSL to practice their speaking skills in front of a “live” dinner audience.

Ceroc Dance

Year 9 Students will host Brigidine College St Ives at Oxford Falls on Monday 20th November to continue to hone their Ceroc Dancing skills as a part of the PDHPE Curriculum. The event also provides the opportunity for our young men to host our guests and run an event complete with welcomes, acknowledgement of country, prayer and thanksgiving.

Hopefully the skills in integrating with the girls on the dance floor can be replicated at lunch and recess breaks with chivalrous inclusive conversation not overridden by the need to take advantage of every second kicking a football around at Oxford Falls.

Mr S Brannan - Head of Student Services

Helping Learner Drivers Become Safe Drivers

FREE two-hour workshop in Chatswood on Wednesday 29th November, 6.30 to 8.30pm.

Pittwater Sports Centre Summer Holiday Workshops

including age specific activities such as Gymnastics, Basketball, Kayaking and Trampolining.

St Joseph's College Spring Fair

Sunday 12th November 2017 

A reminder that Boxercise is held every Thursday and Friday morning at 7.30am in the Junior School playground.  This MindMatters initiative provides friendship, fun and fitness to strengthen students’ resilience and general sense of wellbeing.  Classes are free to all students.

Mr R Russo - College Counsellor

• Year 10 Parent Get-Together - Friday 3rd November
• P&F Annual General Meeting - 6th November 
• Year 7 Parent Get-Together - Friday 17th November
• Year 7 Class Picnic - Sunday 3rd December
• Founder's Day 24th November 2017 - PARENT HELPERS URGENTLY REQUIRED!

Let's begin the end of year celebrations early!  We hope you can join us in the Penshurst Room at the Willoughby Hotel from 7.00pm on Friday 3rd November.  The invitation can be found below.  For numbers can you please RSVP via Trybooking   https://www.trybooking.com/SRQQ  

We look forward to a fun evening.

The P&F AGM will be held on Monday 6th November 2017 at 7.30pm in the Sarto Centre (drinks and snacks provided). In accordance with the P&F Constitution all positions on the P&F Executive Committee become vacant at the AGM. 

The P&F Committee is made of many positions. It is flexible and thus you can volunteer to any capacity that suits your busy lives. The team is assisted by a significant number of volunteers from within the school community who assist at each event, making it a productive, social and satisfying way of being involved in the school community.

After five years as President, Paul Hunt has decided not to stand for re-election as President at this AGM. However he will continue to assist the P&F whilst his son is in Year 12 in 2018.  Whilst some parents have already expressed interest, each person interested in the position of President is invited to speak to Paul Hunt on 0400 503 074 (and/or College Principal Mr John Couani).

Many of the current P&F committee members are in their last year with the College so we are looking for new members to continue the great work and community spirit. If you are interested please feel free to contact any of the current team members (contact numbers are on the P&F website) to discuss what each position entails.

• President – currently Paul Hunt (Year 11)
• Vice President – currently Rodger Paino (Year 11)
• Treasurer – currently Mariano Rossetto (Years 11 & 7)
• Secretary – Sarah Gillard (Year 6)
• Assistant Secretary – Nadine Robson (Years 10 & 7)
• Social Coordinator – Braelen Zwart (Years 11 & 7)
• Communications Team – Viv Raynor (Yr 11), Nadine Robson (Yrs 10 & 7), Rodger Paino (Yr 11)

Minutes from the 2016 AGM can be read at the P&F Website.

We look forward to meeting many new faces at the upcoming AGM and throughout the year ahead.

Join Year 7 parents for a casual Friday night drink and/or a bite to eat at The Greens North Sydney from 6pm (www.thegreensnorthsydney.com.au)   We have reserved an area but please RSVP to the Year 7 class parents via email before 11th November so we can ensure enough seating for all.

Save the Date!  ​Year 7 Class mums are also organising an end of year picnic for all families on Sunday 3rd December.  More details to follow.  Stay tuned!

Each November the whole school comes together for the Founder’s Day Festival at Oxford Falls. Thanks to the many who have already volunteered.  We still need around six Parent Volunteers to assist with lunch preparation between 8.00am and 11:30am. You can help at any time during those hours so if 8.00am is too early that's OK, come sometime later!

If you can help please put the date in your diary NOW and let me know via [email protected].  I will work out a roster closer to the event.

Nadine Robson

[email protected]

0412 272 056

• Languages:  2017 Sydney Chinese Language Spectacular
• Performing Arts News

2017 Sydney Chinese Language Spectacular

On 23rd  October, thirteen boys from the Year 7 and Year 8 Chinese classes participated in the annual “2017 Sydney Chinese Language Spectacular” which took place in the Town Hall. This event was a great opportunity for students all over Sydney to showcase their talents and knowledge of the Chinese language and culture. It allowed students to further develop their skills in Chinese as well as learn new skills from each other.  Prior to the performance, the boys enjoyed Yumcha in Shanghai Stories at The Concourse.  

Here are some thoughts from the students who attended this event:

“The Chinese Spectacular was a unique experience – one that we’ll never forget. We were immersed in a culmination of Chinese culture and tradition, able to experience it firsthand. Not only were we able to sing in the Spectacular but we also attended a Yum-Cha meal prior to the performance, making our hard work all the more rewarding. It was wonderful to see the product of all our early practices and hard work come together as a success. Performing our songs on stage with our peers for the wider Chinese community and Mr Couani really enhanced the experience, bringing the Chinese culture to life. On behalf of the Chinese Club, I extend a warm thanks to Ms Ho, Ms Manga, Mr Donnelly and Mr Couani for attending and organising this memorable occasion”. -  Benjamin Cullen Year 7

“Chinese Spectacular was great fun. We sang a different variety of Chinese songs that were interesting and complex, but very fun to learn.  The yum cha was also very interesting as some people have never had it before, which made it a great experience”. – Andrew McKinnon Year 7

“It was an awesome day, learning new culture and experiencing a variety of things that were new to me and the rest of the students that joined Chinese Club. We had delicious new foods that most of the students may have never tasted before like dumplings and mango pancakes. We sang our hearts out for the performance. I hope all the parents who came enjoyed the night as it was a fantastic night of culture and beauty”. – Joshua Gomez Year 8

A huge congratulations to Benjamin Cullen, Thomas Fong, Ethan Griffin, Andrew Guerrera, Andrew McKinnon, Alex Vaccher, James Baldock, Matthew Felice, Joshua Gomez, Lachlan Miles, Benjamin Mooney, Ethan Rockett and Angus Vardy for their outstanding efforts in representing our school. A special thanks to Mr J Couani for attending the performance and Mr Donnelly for accompanying the boys and myself to this event.

Ms L Ho – Language Teacher

PERFORMING ARTS FESTIVAL

What a week! Over five nights more than 350 students performed and acted their way through our annual Festival. Congratulations to all boys and particularly their Instrumental tutors on the very high standard which was presented. All students who participated in the Festival will receive a Certificate of Participation in coming weeks.

MEET THE MUSIC CONCERT

Years 9, 10 and 11 Elective Music students will attend the final concert in this series TOMORROW night at the Opera House. Students need to be in their seats no later than 6.15pm. The concert concludes at approximately 8.30pm.

YEAR 9 MUSIC PERFORMANCE NIGHT

The final performance night for the year will be held next Tuesday 7th November, commencing at 5.30pm in the Band Room. This is a day earlier than previously advertised. Parking will be available in the Junior School yard.

CELLO TUITION

The College Orchestra is in need of some cellists! Any student who would like to immediately start learning the cello should see Ms Bates in the Performing Arts Staffroom.

ENSEMBLE AUDITIONS 2018

Auditions for new enrolments to the College will take place on Saturday 11th and 18th of November between 9.00am – 4.00pm in the Band Room. Entry to the College will be via the Kirk Street drive way. Any current student who would like to audition (to move to a higher ensemble) is more than welcome. Audition times can be booked by going to: https://www.trybooking.com/317565

The site will close on Tuesday 7th November.

MUSIC TUITION APPLICATIONS 2018

To apply for lessons for next year please go to https://www.trybooking.com/317187 The site will close on Tuesday 7th November. Places are limited and there can be no guarantee of availability, should students wait until the beginning of 2018. Students who are currently having tuition and are continuing in 2018 DO NOT need to re-apply. However, parents do need to notify the relevant tutor IN WRITING that tuition is continuing.

JUNIOR THEATRE SPORTS FINAL

Our team of Ben Cullen (Year 7), Reuben Jacobson, Ashely Johnson, Alec Ramsbottom and Max Wilkins (Year 8) will be competing in the FINAL of the Junior Theatre Sports Competition NEXT Wednesday 8th November at Knox. A supporters bus will depart the College at 5.30pm and will return by 9.00pm (approximately). Any student who would like to attend should sign-up on the sheet at Student Administration, no later than next Tuesday 7th November.

Ms T Bates - Performing Arts Coordinator

• Call for Exam Provisions Helpers
• LearnFast :  Free 'Role of the Working Memory' eBook
• ‘Head to Health’ - A New Government Mental Health initiative​
• Free Webinars:  Strategies for Students with ASD
• Free Vocabulary Skill Builder
• Learn to touch-type or improve your handwriting at our OT after-school courses
• Thursday Enrichment Club for interested students in Years 7-10
• After-school Study Program
• Maths Drop-in Centre

Dear Parents and Carers,

The Learning Support and Enrichment (LSE) Department is responsible for managing and administering Exam Provisions for students in Years 5-12 as they undertake tests, exams and assessments throughout the school year. We also assist students who may have a temporary injury such as a broken arm or other hand or shoulder injury.

However, we are sometimes in need of ‘extra hands’ to help us provide readers, scribes or support person(s) for a range of students with ongoing needs and for those with temporary injuries that affect their ability to complete formal exams, tests and assessments. If you have a morning or afternoon spare during school hours, we would greatly appreciate the help of any interested parents and carers in the St Pius X College community, who are willing to be a reader or scribe for a student with a temporary or ongoing disability. Please note that for policy reasons, we would not ask you to administer provisions for your son or other student in your son’s year. You will be required to complete a SPX volunteer form and obtain a volunteers (no-cost) Working with Children Check clearance.

If you are interested, have further queries or wish to receive the necessary details and forms, please contact Joanne via email: [email protected] or telephone (02) 9414 4382.

Please click on the flyer below for your free copy of the Role of Working Memory e-book.

Dr Tony Attwood, clinical psychologist and Sue Larkey, independent Special Needs consultant and ‘pracademic’, have some great and easy-to-do ideas for strategies to use in the classroom and at home – with students who have ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorders). Please enjoy the two free webinars they have provided here:

The FREE Courses are available NOW for the next 2 weeks ONLY.  Please pass onto anyone who could benefit.  Watch NOW or anytime, anywhere by clicking the links below.

• Dr Tony Attwood - 35 minute webinar >> Click Here
• Sue Larkey - 40 minute webinar >> Click Here

Please see the information in the flyer below:

Ms J Raheb-Mol - Learning Support & Enrichment Coordinator

• Careers News
• Careers Newsletter

Engineering Workshop UNSW

UNSW Try Engineering Day allows students to attend the university and explore the engineering options for study and work in the industry.  Jeremy Hoy and Alexander Mills attended and share their insights.

"On Wednesday 25th October Alex and I were lucky enough to attend the UNSW Engineering Workshop day. We found this day very beneficial and informative as it provided practical examples of the different types of engineering available at the University such as controlling coded robots in Electrical Engineering, creating bouncy balls from chemicals in Chemical Engineering and building our own battery powered race cars in Mechanical Engineering.

The workshops also provided us with information on the different facilities the Uni had and the specifications required to enrol at UNSW. We both highly enjoyed the day and would recommend it to anyone interested in Engineering and Science."                                                                                         Jeremy Hoy

"The benefit of attending the Engineering day at UNSW was that it gave me reassurance on my interest in the possible engineering careers and helped to highlight the certain degree that interests me the most as well as eliminating the ones that didn’t. This helped me choose the subjects I will keep and drop for the HSC. Overall the day was very fun and enjoyable and I would recommend it to anyone interested in engineering."                                                                                                                                             Alex Mills

For more information:  https://www.engineering.unsw.edu.au/

Ms D Janes - Careers Adviser

• Basketball
• Cricket
• Swimming
• NSTA Tennis

B Teams: The Bus to Bathurst will leave from Anderson St at 6:45am. Students need to be at school by 6:30am. The bus will be back around 4:30pm. Game time changes. The 14Bs will be playing 10:00am and the 13Bs will play at 11:00am.

The Firsts played Oakhill and walked away eventual winners after a scrappy start that saw a lot of turnovers and mistakes. There was only two points difference at half time. In the fourth quarter the team went on an unstoppable run with Tom Courtney leading the way. The 2nds also had a win against Oakhill 2nds.

Overall there was a full mix of results with wins in all divisions except for our E teams. Redlands Bs proved to be too strong for our Es across all the ages.

Game of the day:  17Cs with a one point win over Oxley’s 17As

Play of the day:  Angelo Lekopoulos, Coast to Coast for the 17Bs.

Deserves a mention: Tom Courtney, Michael Fakhoury – 1sts. Hunter Clarke – 4ths.

Justin Cavaleri – 5ths. Christian Fleming, Zac Lomas – 17A. Lucas Whale, Nick Brewer – 17D. Nick Lowe – 17E. Joel Ghannoum – 15A. Sam Walters – 15E. Fred Braddock – 14A.

Max Harmata – 14B. Matt Kachel – 14C. Jamie Corcoran – 14D. Luke Petitto, Josh Gomez – 14E. Sam Holm, James Shahinian – 13A. Oscar Fellew – 13D. Lachlan Griffith, Rhys Johnson – 13E.  

Use the link below to see all of the ISA Basketball Teams Results:

http://www.isa.nsw.edu.au/summer-sports/boys-basketball/

Mr N Gibson - Convenor

ISA Round 2 – 1st XI v Central Coast Grammar School at Gosford, 28 October 2017

Mr D Reay - Convenor

Match Report - 2nd XI

Swimming Squad:  Thank you to those swimmers who came to the St Aloysius Invitational Carnival last Friday night at North Sydney Olympic Pool. Whilst we were not victorious overall on the night, it was great to see everyone back in the pool and giving it their best. We achieved some pleasing individual results, with the following students gaining places on the night:

• Connor Ryan: 1st in 15A 50m Butterfly and 2nd in 15A 50m Freestyle
• Angus Miller: 1st in 13A 50m Backstroke and 3rd in Junior 100m Freestyle
• Sebastian Wallace: 1st in 13B 50m Butterfly and 2nd in 13B 50m Backstroke
• Jimmy Walton: 2nd in 17A 50m Breaststroke

Congratulations boys! A special mention and thank you to Sebastian and Angus of Year 6 for so willingly stepping in and swimming at a Senior Carnival to assist the team on the night.

A reminder to all swimmers that we have our 2nd invitational carnival for the season this week and Friday. Students will be given an events sheet at school so that they know which events they will be competing in on the night. The details for the carnivals are as follows:

Mrs S McCormack  (attending in Ms Proc's absence) 

NSTA Tennis

Yet another beautiful morning for tennis. The first session was very quiet at home with only four SPX teams playing. The enthusiasm and participation in all games was encouraging. Pius 20 vs Pius 21 was an excellent display of skills learnt. The boys started slow but once warmed up some great shots were seen, in particular an excellent line ball by Alex Vaccher. Pius 18 were not deterred when faced with a senior team from Reddam, they showed great determination to finish victorious. Thank you to Tom Fong who came to the earlier session to help with the umpiring, I know that the younger players appreciated the help.

In the second session the temperature began to rise and so did the excitement on the courts. With games on all eight courts there was no shortage of excellent shots seen. Thank you to Christian Harris who, for the second week in a row, played up a division and although a difficult match it was great to see him give it his all. Well done also to Zac Bull and Jamie Todd who were praised by the opposition’s coach for their excellent manners and sportsmanship. St Pius X College was quite successful in this session winning five of the eight games.

A quick reminder to all players that it is imperative that you arrive at least 15 minutes before the start of your game to complete the initial entries on the scorecard and then warm up in preparation for your game.

Mrs S Iwatani - NSTA Convenor

• Junior School News
• Junior School Sport 

THE HOME RUN

Our softball team had a very exciting game against Grammar at Edgecliff last Saturday.  The highlight would have to be a monstrous ‘homerun’ hit by Jose Monk. It was a very enjoyable game to watch.

ALL HALLOWS EVE

Yesterday was All Hallow’s Eve which is the day before all Hallows Day, otherwise known as All Saints Day.  It is commonly referred to as Halloween.  The boys were very excited and the Library had a great supply of books and decorations.  Well done to our scary librarian, Mrs Martin, for taking the opportunity to encourage a love of books and reading.  The boys enjoyed the fun and I know many were excited about it.

UPCOMING EVENTS

Please note that tomorrow 2nd November during Periods 1 and 2 Year 5 will be involved in an Orientation Day for the new Year 6 boys in 2018. The current Year 5 boys will then go off to sport as per the normal timetable.

Next Tuesday 7th November the current Year 6 boys will be involved in a Year 7 Orientation Day which will involve testing and information talks about Year 7.  As the testing is done by an external group it is important that the boys arrive at school on time.  If your son is sick, there is a catch-up day.   The Year 7 orientation should be a good conversation starter for Tuesday evening.

Mr T Long - Head of Junior School

Australasian Problem Solving Mathematical Olympiad 2017

Congratulations to the Year 5 and Year 6 students who participated in the 2017 Olympiad. The team produced some fantastic individual results.

Year 5:   Cooper Anderson for Highest Individual Score and Top 10%

                 Fergus Fung: Top 20%

                 Christopher Harris: Top 25%

                 Samuel Hollinger: Top 25%

                 Aiden Tubman: Special Achievement Award

Year 6:   Ned Turner for Highest Individual Score and Top 10%

                 Jack Lonergan: Top 10%

                 Andrew Bradford: Top 10%

                 Angus Miller: Top 10%

                 Lucas Hamill: Top 20%

                 Luke Sarkissian: Top 20%

                 Darcy Keenlyside: Top 20%

                 Cameron Pfeiffer: Top 20%

                 Joshua Bewley: Top 25%

                 Matthew Moore: Top 25%

                 Jesse Reed: Top 25%

                 Ethan Chow: Special Achievement Award

A Special Mention and congratulations to the entire Year 6 Maths Class 1 on being awarded an Overall Class Certificate of High Achievement for achieving a score in the top 25% in Division J of Australian Schools.  Well done to all the boys who participated in the Competition you can certainly be proud of your mathematical abilities.

Thursday Sport:  We continue our summer training for Basketball, Cricket, Softball and Tennis.

Term 4 Swim Program:  All students will take part in this program. It runs as per the schedule above in lieu of regular Thursday Sport. Year 5 attend Macquarie Uni Aquatic Centre for a pool based program and Year 6 attend Dee Why Beach for a surf skills program. Students are required to return the respective form issued last term – Macquarie Uni Grading Form (Year 5) and SEA Australia Waiver (Year 6 boys). All details, including a detailed information letter, can be found under Junior Swimming on the College website.

Basketball:  

Mr G Virgona - Junior School Sportsmaster

Softball Report Round 9

On Saturday we suffered our first defeat for the season. It was a strange match as our SPX team looked strong and played a tight game.  However the final result did not reflect this. Thomas Wilkins and Patrick Hall were our catchers and kept the team focused on where the opposition was heading. Jose Monk made a magnificent home run. Andrew Bradford was able to score two runs home. In the first innings Grammar were lucky and had 8 runners home. In comparison only two St Pius X College players touched home plate.

The second innings was quick and both teams were able to stop any runners getting home. In the third innings we started confidently, then were out for two. It was in the fourth innings that the slippery ball and wet grass really tested our skills. Also our lapse in concentration let us down as we hesitated to throw the ball decisively to get a runner out.

Jhon Evans and Marcus Steen continued throughout the game to pitch well. Will Mathie and Michael Whitehead were ready, defending their bases. Eliot Sanders was at short stop and doing his best at getting to the ball and sending it to first base. Luca Van Vuuren, Max Lenton and Rowan Roomie were in the outfield, calling the fielders in as the ball was pitched.

Although we didn’t win it was a glorious day to be up early and watching a fantastic game of softball.  Thank you to Mr Evans for keeping score.

Ms J Williams - Softball Convenor

NSTA Tennis:  Please see the Senior School Sports page.

Mrs S Iwatani - NSTA Convenor

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Volunteers needed:  If you can assist on any weekday between 9:30am and 2:00pm please contact either Anna or Marianne on 9414 4301.  It's a wonderful opportunity to meet other parents and your help will be greatly appreciated.

Please click below to see the Term 4 2017 Canteen Roster:

Ms M Erickson and Ms A Coombs - Canteen Supervisors

REGULAR TRADING HOURS:

 MONDAYS, TUESDAYS & WEDNESDAYS 8.00AM – 2.00PM IN TERM TIME

The online ordering system  can be accessed via http://uniformshop.stpiusx.nsw.edu.au/

An updated Price List is now available on the College website.                                       

Orders can be placed:

• via the website http://uniformshop.stpiusx.nsw.edu.au/
• by sending an email to [email protected] 
• by phoning 9414 4339

Collection of Orders (whether made by phone or on-line):

• Students in Years 7-12  will be sent an email when their order is ready asking them to collect it from the Uniform Shop. If it is not collected by end of school on Wednesdays, it will then be available from Student Reception as the Uniform Shop is not open on Thursdays and Fridays. This arrangement is to prevent interruptions to classes.
• Junior School :  Orders will be given out at Assembly after lunchtime as required.

Blazer Buttons are available from shop - $2.00 each.   

Second-Hand Uniforms:  Parents are reminded that the Uniform Shop also sells second-hand uniforms, including Blazers. Please read the form below for information on providing second-hand clothing to the Uniform Shop.  

Gift Items:  The College Uniform Shop also stocks a range of gift items:

- Golf umbrellas  $30

- Coffee mugs $15

- Lanyards $5

- Aprons $20

- Scarf $20

- Glasses $5 (Tall and Short)           ​

Ms D Muirhead - Uniform Shop Supervisor