St Pius X Catholic Parish Primary School Unanderra eNewsletter

Dear Parents and Carers,

I would like to sincerely thank you for your support of St Pius X in 2020. Research has shown that collaboration between educational institutions, teachers and families can influence pupils’ and students’ academic achievements, social development and sense of wellbeing in all levels of education. I am so thankful for the community that makes St Pius X a special place to work and the open dialogue and strong relationships between Parents, Parish and Staff.

I am particularly thankful for the Parents and Friends Executive who have worked tirelessly throughout the year. A special mention to our President and Vice President Kathy Hicks and Danielle Chapman who work beind the scenes to ensure our many fundraising ventures come to to life. I would like to acknowledge our leaving families and wish to thank them for their many years of service to St Pius X Unanderra.

YEAR 6 LEAVING FAMILIES

Martin

Chrostowski

Avramoski

Jones

Thompson (Z)

Wright

Da Costa

Rawle

Massarella

Starcic

Ward

Smith

Collinet

Volpato

Jakimoski

Dimovski

Shanahan

Zachristos

Towle

Rigby-Clack

Stigler

Palma

Betz

Doherty

Gasoski

STUDENTS FROM OTHER YEARS

Anish

Britliff

Harrison

Staffing 2021

A special welcome to Mrs Alyssa Frew and Miss Stephanie Shalala who join us as relatively new graduates. Alyssa and Stephanie bring enthusiasm and a wealth of new ideas to our staff. We are excited to have them as part of our team and the energy they bring is contagious! They have both worked in a casual capacity at St Pius X this year and are exceptional educators, with impressive resumes.

I am also excited to announce that Mrs Chloe Tighe and Ms Shay Lindner are preparing for the impending births of their babies. They will join us for part of Term One in indentured casual teaching roles.

Our School Counsellor Cherise Lomas also leaves us at the end of 2020. Cherise is preparing for the birth of a baby and a new School Counsellor is yet to be appointed. We wish Cherise all the very best as she embarks on the wonderful journey of motherhood.

Farewell

I would also like to announce that Mrs Carmen Nughes will leave us at the end of the year after 20 years of service at SPX. Carmen has worked tirelessly over the years in many roles including Kindergarten Teacher, librarian, Leader of Maths and Junior STEAM teacher. Carmen’s passion is literacy and Book Week just won’t be the same without her! I wish Carmen a well-deserved rest and time with her husband Claude and family.

With the above in mind, I am delighted to announce the following arrangements for 2021

Parish Priest: Fr Duane Fernandez

Parish Assistant: Sr Kerry Gardner

LEADERSHIP TEAM
Mrs Pauline Chrostowski	Principal
Mr Simon Farrugia	Assistant Principal
Ms Lousie Sartor	Religion Education Coordinator
Ms Shay Lindner	Middle Leader 2
Mrs Clare Suartama	Middle Leader 2
Mr Bill Whittle	Middle Leader 1
TEACHING STAFF
Mrs Amanda Garretty	Kindergarten Red
Mrs Kylie Hertsch	Kindergarten Blue
Mrs Carolyn Malone	Year One Red
Mrs Alyssa Frew	Year One Blue
Mrs Joanne Stewart	Year Two Red
Mrs Leah Galea	Year Two Blue
Ms Renee Maguire Miss Stephanie Shalala	Year Three Blue Year Three Blue Support Teacher Wednesday / Thursday (1/2 Day)
Mrs Cathy Zamroz (Mon-Thur) Mrs Clare Suartama (Fri)	Year Four Blue
Miss Anna Jaklic	Year Four Red
Mr Bill Whittle	Year Five Blue
Mrs Sam Walker	Year Five Red
Mr Simon Farrugia (Mon, Tues, Thurs, Friday) Mrs Carlie Staples (Wed)	Year Six Blue
Mrs Jeanette Starcic (Mon to Wed) Mrs Carlie Staples (Thurs- Friday)	Year Six Red
STEAM Kindergarten to Year Six 1 hour weekly lessons	Mr Andrew Hales (Wed-Fri)
Physical Education Teacher Kindergarten to Year Six 1 hour weekly lessons	Mrs Carla Olima (Wednesday and Thursday)
Instructional Coach- leading literacy / numeracy initiatives in Kindergarten to Year Six	Ms Louise Sartor
Diverse Learning Support Teacher Kindergarten to Year Six	Mrs Clare Suartama (Mon-Thu)
Indentured Casuals Term One	Ms Shay Linder Mrs Chloe Tighe
SCHOOL SUPPORT STAFF- ADMINISTRATION
Mrs Susan Adams	Senior School Support Officer (Tues-Fri)
Mrs Karen Harley	School Support Officer (Mon-Thur)
SCHOOL SUPPORT STAFF CLASSROOM
Mrs Jan Poder	Mrs Nada Bratjanscak
Mrs Louise Burke	Mrs Dianne Moran
Mrs Lyndal Clancy	Mrs Belinda Panto
Mrs Olietta Garrety	Mrs Jodie Maloney
Mrs Kristy Cauduro
School Counsellor	TBC
Pastoral Support Worker	Ms Alana Sullivan (Mon-Tues)

KEY DATES

16 December 2020	Last day of school for 2021	3:10pm
28 January 2021	Students Year 1 - 6 return	All day
4 February 2021	Kindergarten First Day	All day
11 February	Swimming Carnival Years 3-6	8:30am - 12noon
5 February 2021	Commencement Mass and induction of student leaders	12.00pm
1 April 2021	Term 1 concludes	3:10pm
19 April 2021	Term 2 commences	8:50am
25 June 2021	Term 2 concludes	3.10pm
12.July 2021	Term 3commences	8.50am
17 September	Term 3 concludes	3.10pm
5 October	Term 4 commences	8.50am
15 December	Term 4 concludes	3.10pm

Wishing you and your families a beautiful Christmas.

Yours sincerely

Pauline Chrostowski - Principal

END OF YEAR WISHES

KINDEREGARTEN

Sending lots of prayers and love your way during this holiday season. May God bless you. Merry Christmas to you and your family!

From Mrs Hertsch and Mrs Garretty

YEAR 1

To our wonderful Stage 1 students and their family, that we have been honoured to work with this year.

May the season warm your soul, bring love to your heart and bless you all with everything this life has to offer.

Thank you for all your hardwork and support this year. We hope you have had just as much fun as we have had, teaching you.

Merry Christmas!

Love Stage 1 Teachers

YEAR 2

What a crazy year we have all had!! We have made it to the end and I have been so lucky to have taught these amazing students. Thank you to all of the parents for your continued support throughout the year during our most difficult times. I could not have got through it without your patience and dedication to online learning. I wish all of you a wonderful Christmas and a fantastic year in 2021.

Mrs Galea.

YEAR 3

Congratulations to our Year 3 students on their first year in primary! We are so very proud of you and are thankful that we could share in this journey. Thank you for all of your hard work. We wish you a very Merry Christmas and a safe and restful break.
Best wishes,

Mrs Stewart, Mrs Starcic and Mr Hales.

YEAR 4

Dear Year 4 students, parents and caregivers,

We would like to thank you for the privilege of participating in the students academic journey for 2020. This year was different with some time home learning and we would like to recognise and applaud the application the student's put in and how they supported each other in the playground, at school and via zoom meetings. Merry Christmas to all and have a safe, happy and holy holiday season.

Miss Jaklic and Ms Maguire

YEAR 5

Dear 5 Blue & 5 Red,

We would like to start by saying “Thank you” to each and every one of you for making 2020 so great. It was certainly a tough year, but you all embraced the changes and passed with flying colours. You helped support one another, as well as us teachers, to get through all the craziness 2020 brought with it!

You have been a wonderful grade to teach. Thank you for your efforts in your own growth and learning this year. 2021 will be an exciting new year for you all, bringing with it the opportunity to shine as school leaders.

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas and all the best for the new year!

Ms Sartor, Mrs Staples, Mrs Walker and Mr Whittle

Year 6

Year 6- we did it, we survived and thrived in 2020! We made it through lockdown, home-learning, endless rules and restrictions and cancelled events. But we are finally here, and you can celebrate all that you have achieved and accomplished, not just in this trying year, but in all the years that you have been a part of the St Pius X school community.

The three of us have enjoyed getting to know each and every one of you and the vast array of talents that you brought into our classrooms. We can all say you have truly been a pleasure to teach. As the year has progressed it has been heart-warming to witness the growth in friendships and maturity that you have shown, and we know that even though you may be going to different high schools, the friendships that you have made at St Pius will last a lifetime.

We are happy that we were able to get to know you all so well and are amazed at all the things you have achieved this year. You are happy, friendly, loving, caring, accepting, funny, chatty, outgoing and a really great group of individuals.

We wish you and your families all the very best as you enter into High School and beyond. Have a happy and holy Christmas!

Mr Farrugia, Mrs Tighe & Mrs Suartama

PE

Best wishes for a happy, healthy and sporty summer break! Enjoy your holidays and see you all for a fabulous 2021! Mrs Olima

Principal's Awards Week 9 and 10

Audrey K(KR)

Scarlett R(1B)

Zoe S(3R)

Sebastian R(3R)

SPLICED CONGRATULATIONS FOR SPX

A huge congratulations to all the SPX students who took part in the 2020 SPLICED unit 'Contemplating Connections.'

We had a number of amazing works produced by our students, many of which were successful in being published, either on the SPLICED website or printed in the SPLICED book.

The photos attached include: a group shot of students who participated in the SPLICED unit for 2020 (absent: Rose in Year 5 and Coen in Year 4) and two successful works - Charlotte O (Year 6: Music in a Person/Changes of Music) and Bethany C (Year 6: The Bush Fires/Pablo Picascco).

Bethany.pdf

Bethany _pdf 12.35 MB

Charlotte.pdf

Charlotte _pdf 16.44 MB

SPLICED.pdf

SPLICED _pdf 17.53 MB

Premier's Reading Challenge

The following children have been awarded a gold award for completing a Premiers Reading Challenge for four years in a row. What a great achievement.

Gabriella A

Amelia A

Mia H

The following children have completed a Premiers Reading Challenge for seven years in a row.

These children have done a challenge every year that they have been at primary school.

They are super readers. Well done.

Ellie C

Joshua E

Hope M

Charlotte O

Isabella S

Anthony S

Charlotte V

Yours in reading

Mrs Jan Poder

Library

Parish Bulletin

Dear friends,

This bulletin contains some important information regarding implications of the relaxing of Covid restrictions next week - including the cessation of the 7pm Mass on Sundays after this weekend, and an update for Christmas Mass bookings. The Christmas Mass booking flyer is attached again for those who haven't booked yet, or who wish to change their booking, in those cases in which your preferred option had been "sold out" (since all sessions are now available again with the increase in capacity).

Note also: the Sacrament of Reconciliation is available again as normal, with the usual times for both parishes - great timing to prepare for Christmas with this wonderful Sacrament of healing. I am so pleased to have had so many appointments for this Sacrament throughout the year, and it is still and always will be available by appointment as well at times that suit you.

Please find attached to this email:

Church Bulletin (with thanks to Sue Briscoe)
Christmas Mass Registrations
May God bless you and keep you and all your loved ones safe and well.

Fr Duane Fernandez
Parish Priest
Immaculate Conception and St Therese Parishes
0414 626 357

Church_Bulletin_6_December_2020.pdf

Church_Bulletin_6_December_2020 _pdf 888.56 KB

Christmas_Masses_2020_Unanderra_and_West_Wollongong.pdf

Christmas_Masses_2020_Unanderra_and_West_Wollongong _pdf 203.54 KB