St Pius X Catholic Parish Primary School Unanderra eNewsletter

Dear Parents and Carers,

On Saturday 9^th September, St Pius X Parents and Friends Association hosted their first ever Gala Night. This was a wonderful evening of glitz and glamour and was attended by parents, friends and staff of St Pius X.

A big thank you to all those that were able to join the Parents and Friends executive and myself on the night. All funds raised will ensure our shading project for the Adventure Playground and Top Basketball Court will come to fruition.

I would particularly like to acknowledge our Parents and Friends executive, led so capably by our President Jane Brejniak. Also, a big thank you to our musician extraordinaire Alex Specogna and all those that donated raffle and auction prizes.

Events like our Gala Night are so important for community engagement. Research shows that when there are strong parental partnerships with school, student learning and engagement is increased.

As we conclude Term Three, I would like to acknowledge the teaching staff for the wonderful routines they have in place. St Pius X is achieving outstanding academic results and I am proud of our students and the respect and commitment they are demonstrating towards school life.

My hope is that the children have a happy and restful holiday break and I look forward to welcoming them back to school on Monday 9^th October.

Yours Sincerely,

Pauline Chrostowski - Principal

** IMPORTANT - CHANGE OF DATE **

Whole School End of Year Mass - will now be on Wednesday 29th November commencing 9.30 am at Immaculate Conception Church, Unanderra.

Christmas Story Art Competition 2023 - FINALIST

A big congratulations to Marlee McIntyre (Year 5) for being selected as a finalist in the 2023 Catholic Education Office Christmas Story Art Competition.We here at St Pius X are very proud of your achievement and thank you for sharing your artistic talents with us all. Marlee’s artwork entitled ‘The Three Wise Men’ will be on public display in the Wollongong City Art Gallery from the 6th of October.

Please see below Marlee’s written reflection which accompanied her artwork, along with an image of Marlee and her piece.

The Three Wise Men

My artwork represents the three wise men coming together to help and give gifts of gold which represent the wealth, frankincense which represents Jesus deity and myrrh which is for when he died for us.

I created my artwork on First Nations heritage as inspiration. The hands come together showing how the three wise men worked together in a team and committed to each other and were kind, just like Jesus taught us. I completed my artwork on a wooden board because when Jesus was born they didn’t have canvases and they also may have used wood to share their stories. In the middle of each handprint is the First Nations symbol that stands for a ‘man’. The fingers represent their crowns. The connection I can make between the bible passage and my artwork is when we come to school to work together and learn how to change the world for the better. The wise men came together to do good for us, if they didn’t do what they had done I wouldn’t be here today. Showing my artwork I am acknowledging my family’s proud culture. I am a proud Yorta Yorta, Wodi Wodi and Wemba Wemba girl.

SOCKTOBER 2023

October is Mission Month and the school community of St Pius X will support the work of Catholic Mission by holding a CRAZY SOCK DAY on Wednesday the 25th of October.

Please see flyer for further details.

SOCKTOBER.pdf

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Feast of St Francis of Assisi

During the student vacation period the Feast of St Francis of Assisi will be celebrated. On this day 4th OCTOBER we are all invited to remember our Mother Earth and the call of Pope Francis to be the best stewards of our God’s creation for the future generations to come.

First Holy Communion TryBooking Links

Parents of registered candidates for First Holy Communion please ensure you have checked your emails (including Junk/ Spam folders) for an email from the parish in regards to the TryBooking Links you will require to secure your spot at your preferred retreat session AND a sacrament timeslot. If you are UNABLE to attend a retreat session parents are required to inform the PARISH via unanderra@dow.org.au at your earliest convenience to organise an alternative meeting time. Failure to attend a retreat session could result in your child not being able to complete their sacrament as attendance is mandatory. Links open on Saturday 23rd September at 9am.

R U OK DAY

Last week St Pius X celebrated R U OK? Day.

A very important day in our calendar where we learned the importance of checking in with our friends and being kind.

Our school celebrated with the students creating an R U OK? Garden. The children participated in lessons and painted rocks for our garden.

Together, we reaffirmed our commitment to creating a caring and compassionate community where everyone's mental health and wellbeing is valued and supported.

A special thank you to Mrs Jennisen and Mrs Staples for coordinating this event.

As we approach the end of another fantastic term, we can't help but reflect on all the incredible learning experiences, achievements, and joy that have filled our school over the past weeks.

Our students have truly shone this term, demonstrating their dedication to learning and their eagerness to explore new things. From exciting classroom projects like the Year 6 - Night of the Notables to memorable excursions like Symbio and Wollondilly Heritage centre for our Kindergarten, Year 1 and 2 students to various sporting events and creative achievements such as Christmas story Art. The students of St Pius X have embraced every opportunity.

For our students, this upcoming break is a chance to stop, relax and rejuvenate.Have a wonderful time and we look forward to seeing you refreshed and ready for another amazing term.

Christine Nunes

Assistant Principal

	TERM FOUR 9th OCTOBER - 15th DECEMBER
SEPTEMBER
Thursday 21st	DISCO - Infants and Primary after school (See Flyer)
Friday 22nd	Last Day Term Three
OCTOBER
Monday 9th	First day Term Four
Wednesday 25th	Crazy Sock Day Volunteer THANK YOU - 6.15pm P&F AGM Meeting - 7pm WESTS LEAGUES CLUB
NOVEMBER
Saturday 11th	Sacrament of First Holy Communion Ceremonies 11.30am or 2pm Immaculate Conception Parish
Monday 13th-Wednesday 15th	Year 6 Camp
Friday 24th	Family TWILIGHT FUN - Further details to follow
DECEMBER
Friday 8th	Christmas Celebration Day - Further details to follow
Monday 11th	Year Six Graduation WESTS LEAGUES CLUB
Friday 15th	Last Day for students Year Six Final Assembly and ringing of the bell 2.30pm
Monday 18th	PUPIL FREE DAY
Tuesday 19th	PUPIL FREE DAY

Award Changes

We have made a slight change to the Merit Award system in regards to Mary MacKillop Awards.

These Awards will now be awarded for Merit Award totals of 14 and 28

This is to alleviate the multitude of Awards that are handed out at 15 and 30 Merit Awards, with the system generating a Merit, Principal, Mackillop and Medallion all at the same time for 30 awards.

Principal Awards will still be awarded for every multiple of 5 Merit Awards

Medallions will still be awarded for 30 Merit Awards.

The only change is MacKillop’s will be allocated at 14 and 28 Awards.

Parents do not need to send awards in any more, everything is auto allocated through the school system.

The only grade that we are accepting past awards from are Year 6 who must bring in ALL Merit Awards to verify the amount given. Each individual child amount in Year 6 has been shared with them in class.

The ACE Award is the only other school award that scores points towards Principal, MacKillop and Medallions. This Award is worth 1 points and given out once per Semester.

School Medallions will now be given out during Year 6 Graduation evenings.

For students who are currently sitting on 14 and 28 Awards I have started triggering the system to allocate these awards so that no one is missed.

Mr William Whittle

School Uniform
Thank you for presenting the children so well in their summer uniform, the
uniform change was certainly timely with the recent bout of warm weather. A
friendly reminder in the holidays to ensure children have an adequate supply
of correct uniform items including:
- Grey socks for boys and girls with Summer uniform, no anklets please.
- White socks for boys and girls with Sports Uniform, no anklets please.
- Red and blue ribbons or scrunchies only.
- No jewellery except for studs or sleepers one per ear lobe, a
watch, signet ring or religious medals.
No single piercings are permitted. (Clear studs can be worn in
this instance)
- No nail polish, acrylic nails or makeup is permitted.
As we are heading into warmer months it is imperative that all students wear
their hats as a prescribed sun safety measure when out on the playground. In
addition to this each class has a stock of sun cream SPF 50, if your child has an
allergy to sun cream, please let your child’s teacher know.
In the instance where children present to school without their hat, they will
have the option of playing in the shade or under the covered outdoor learning
area.
Please note if children continually present in the incorrect uniform, including
no hat the following process will be followed:

1st Instance Uniform verbal reminder to child from class teacher

2nd Instance Follow up with parent

3rd Instance Formal written reminder asking parent to address the issues.
Thank you for your support in this matter as our unform speaks of the outward respect we have for the school.

SPX_Disco_21.09.23.pdf

SPX_Disco_21 _09 _23 _pdf 1.35 MB

DRINK BOTTLES

With the warmer weather now upon us can we please ask parents to remind children to bring their DRINK BOTTLES EVERYDAY.

Growing Good Men: Father and Teenage Son Weekend Experience (20-22 October)

One of the most important influences in the lives of men is the relationship they had with their father or significant father figure.

The encouragement and affirmation that this relationship could, and should, provide is a key ingredient for how young men view themselves and embrace their gifts as they take their place in the world.

Don’t miss this life-changing father and son weekend! Spots are limited to just 25 fathers with their sons aged between 12 and 16 years. This is a unique opportunity for dads and their sons to embark on a quest of discovery with Robert Falzon and the team from menALIVE at Cataract Scout Camp, Appin. Register here.

Youtube.pdf

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Mackillop Athletics Trials

Congratulations to the following students for their participation at the Mackillop Athletics Trials this week at Homebush Stadium.

Rocco Scaglia - 6th 1500m

Tiffany Tavsevski - 1st Discus, 2nd Shot Put

Tom Fischer - 1st 100m

Tiffany and Tom now become members of the MacKillop Athletics team to represent at the NSWPSSA Athletics event to be held on 25th & 26th October at Sydney Olympic Park, Homebush.

Basketball Gala Day

Last week some of our Stage 2 and 3 students participated in the Basketball Gala Day at Berkeley Stadium. Much fun and good sportsmanship was shown by the SPX students. A big thanks goes out to those parents who assisted on the day.

Cricket Gala Day - Thursday, 12 October 2023

Some students in Stage 3 will be participating at the Cricket Gala day at Thomas Dalton Park early next term. Please see compass for event details.

Dragon Tag Gala Day - Thursday the 9th of November

Students in Stage 2 and 3 are invited to attend a Dragon Tag Gala day at Reed Park in the following divisions:

Years 3 / 4 Mixed Dragon Tag

Years 5 / 6 Boys Dragon Tag

Years 5 / 6 Girls Dragon Tag

Please see Compass Event for details and registrations.

2024 Primary Sport Representative Trial Nomination Process

Information was provided on Compass this week about the 2024 representative pathway selection trials.

PRINCIPAL AWARDS

Noah Bunder - 3B

Fionn Keaveney - 3R

Orlando Specogna - 3R

Wyatt Kidd - 3R

Emmett Turner - 4B

Imogen Cruwys - 4B

Charlotte Peterson - 4B

Isaiah Santalab - 4R

Ezekiel Bubb - 4R

Zamelia Brejniak - 4R

Addison McPherson - 4R

Roman Trandafilu - 4R

Madison Perry - 6B

Xavier Gaffney - 6B

MACKILLOP AWARDS

Matilda Sharpe - 3B

Noah Bunder - 3B

Fionn Keaveney - 3R

Logan Sepple - 3R

Matthew Holland - 3R

Hamish Ryan - 3R

Cristian Alexopoulos - 3R

Orlando Specogna - 3R

Wyatt Kidd - 3R

Natalie Cacciola - 5R

Mason Bonham - 6B

Madison Perry - 6B

Natasha Pope - 6B

Stella Barila - 6R

Georgia Fraser - 6R

Mia Hanna - 6R

Diego Garcia - 6R

Georgia Correa - 6R

Owen Schembri - 6R

Leon Atinga - 6R

Khushi Maskey - 6R

SCHOOL MEDALLIONS

Madison perry - 6B

Medallions will be presented in Term 4 by Mrs Chrostowski.

Congratulations to all of these students.

Early Stage 1 and Stage 1

Last week our Kindergarten, Year 1 and Year 2 students all got a chance to experience an educational and fun school excursion aligned to classroom learning.

KINDERGARTEN

On Friday September 15, the Kindergarten students travelled to Symbio Animal Park for an excursion to support the Integrated Unit titled Living Things.

Two rangers led our groups around Symbio and taught the students about the different animals and their living environments.

Kinder had a great day and shared their knowledge of living things with the rangers. Kinder were very tired at the end of the day but they had a wonderful time at Symbio.

Mrs Suartama, Mrs Norrie and Mrs Zamroz

YEAR ONE

Stage 1 students embarked on a trip to the Wollindilly Heritage Centre. This educational excursion provided our Stage 1 children with a unique opportunity to immerse themselves in the history and culture of Australia, both past and present.

At Wollindilly Heritage Centre, our students engaged in a hands-on learning experience that allowed them to step back in time and gain a deeper understanding of the lives of our pioneers. One of the highlights of the day was the chance to work in a Pioneer Cottage. Here, our Stage 1 students got to experience the art of butter making and witnessed how food was cooked and preserved in the past. Our young explorers also delved into various group activities, such as learning about laundry methods of yesteryears, including washing, starching, soap making, scrubbing boards, water carrying, ironing, and mangling. They gained insights into the grading and packing of fruit, the intricacies of chicken farming, and the importance of egg packing. Additionally, our students had the chance to get their hands on hand-operated agricultural tools, offering them a taste of the hard work that went into farming in the past.

The Stage 1 excursion to Wollindilly Heritage Centre was a day filled with exploration, discovery, and hands-on learning. We are immensely proud of our students' enthusiasm, curiosity, and engagement throughout the day.