Thursday 21st October - Junior Primary Sports Day
Friday 22nd October - Upper Primary Sports Day
Monday 8th November - Pupil Free Day

Dear Families,

Welcome to Term 4 and please be prepared for a busy and exciting term!

I’m looking at the calendar and viewing lots of excursions, Sports Day, Graduation Ceremonies and a Community STEM celebration on Wednesday 24^th November (after school).  Please pop these dates into your calendar and look out for the term calendar!

I am pleased to say that 2022 staffing has almost been completed and St Pius X community should be excited about the wonderful educators and support staff that will be with us in 2022.

Sadly though the year’s end is usually accompanied by a number of staff moving to other workplace opportunities, or indeed, retiring from work. May I congratulate Danae Hamilton (Yr 3H) who has decided to retire at the end of this year. Danae has been teaching for almost 40 years and has been a much loved and respected educator here at St Pius X for 10 years. Danae’s compassion and care for children has been a great blessing to our school. Also, congratulations to Kimberley Whyte (RW) who has won a permanent position at St Francis of Assisi School. Kim has been with us for 4 years and has contributed enormously to the Early Years Team. I particularly thank Kim for her work in shaping our new Reception Transition program.

I will be welcoming two new wonderful educators, Andrew Getgood (from St Columba’s, Andrews Farm) and Brittany Honner (St Columba’s, Yorketown) as newly appointed permanent staff to our school in 2022.

Class Placements for 2022
Work begins next week in commencing to shape the class groups for 2022. As always I invite you to send any information that you would like us to consider in selecting a class for your child,  via email, to info@stpiusx.catholic.edu.au by Friday of next week - 22nd October.

As in previous years I stipulate that this is not about ‘choosing a teacher’ but providing an insight into the learning environment in which your child thrives. Children will be given opportunities to select 5 ‘friends’ and we will endeavour to ensure at least one friend is in the new class.  

Sports Day
So far we are fortunate that no further COVID-19 restrictions have been placed, so we look forward to our parent/caregivers being able to sign in, come into the School/ Megacourts and watch their children participate in Sports Day next week. A reminder that in order to keep numbers within density limits, we ask that 2 adults per child maximum are in attendance. So, if grandparents other adults want to attend, you are invited to schedule the day to meet these requirements.

God Bless

Welcome back to school for the final stretch of 2021. Term 4 is always an exciting and busy term with Sports Day, sporting carnivals, water awareness lessons, excursions, liturgies and many other events. With so much happening, please regularly check your child’s SeeSaw account and School App for updates and information. We look forward to a successful and happy term at Saint Pius X.

During Term 4, we particularly keep our Year 6 students in our prayers. In the coming weeks, they will begin their transition to high school. Saint Pius X has been ‘home’ since commencing school in Reception or joining us along the way. As with any transition, there will no doubt be a mix of emotions – excitement at venturing off into new environments, some sadness about leaving familiar faces, all tinged with an appreciation for the opportunities and experiences that our school has provided. Please continue to keep these children and their families in your prayers as they journey towards graduation in December.

We continue to hold the people of New South Wales, Canberra, and Victoria in our prayers as they grapple with the pressures of COVID restrictions and lockdowns. Many of us have family and friends in these places and have been unable to see them for some time. We pray for those who are lonely and have been isolated due to COVID. May God’s gentle presence keep them safe. We pray for doctors, nurses, paramedics and hospital staff as they care for the vulnerable, sick and dying. May God’s loving embrace give them courage to continue their work during this pandemic.

Blessings for the week ahead

All adults (and children over 12 years of age) must wear a face mask, covering mouth and nose whilst on the school site. 
Please ensure you scan the QR codes at the entrances to the school and maintain social distancing whilst waiting to collect your child.

Please find the latest edition of The Southern Cross

Our Sports Days are next week!  The students have been working well during their Physical Education lessons in preparation for it. Due to the unavailability of SA Athletics Stadium, Sports Day will once again be held on the school grounds and at Mega Courts over two days.

• Junior Primary Sports Day (R-2 classes)  Thursday 21st October
• Upper Primary Sports Day (3-6 classes)  Friday 22nd October

Our Year 6 students will be involved on both days. The whole school will then come together for the opening and closing presentations. 

Please ensure you have completed and submitted the permission form distributed via the SZAPP.

Sports Day is typically an event where students are able to showcase to parents and carers some of the activities they have been learning during Physical Education and Daily Fitness lessons.

Over the last few years our school has been fortunate to receive regular grants from ‘Sporting Schools’, a Federal Government initiative, enabling us to give additional PE sessions to all students. These lessons will also be on display showing skills acquired in Physical Literacy Daily Fitness, Tri-Skills Gymnastics and Miss Fit Dance & Movement. We will also be trying to connect to our history by including some of the traditional Sports Day events that many of you may have performed during your own school years.

Nev’s Canteen will operate as normal over the two days, however, there will be no lunches sold over the counter - all lunches must be ordered via the Qkr! app.

Students can wear a coloured shirt and their regular school shorts. Coloured hair spray and coloured hair ties are acceptable but must be applied at home.  However, please NO coloured zinc or body paint as we will be using the equipment at Mega Courts and this will damage these surfaces.

Spectators at Sports Day

You would recall that the 2020 Sports Day was severely restricted, and no spectators were allowed due to COVID-19. We have received some updated advice from Department for Education on the possibility of staging school sports days on school sites with spectators. That advice is general in nature, but does allow at the leader’s discretion, the staging of this type of ‘in-house’ events so long as:

• the broader density advice is followed
• all COVID Safe measures are in place

The presumption being made here is that Sports Day is an event for the children and families of the school and not for the broader public to have access to the school grounds.

Based on Level 1 restrictions, we have calculated that we can allow our parents and carers on site if we maintain a ratio of 1 child: 2 spectators over the duration of the event. Therefore, providing current restrictions remain the same, we would ask each family to organise so that there are a maximum of 2 adults per child attending at any one time. For example, parents could stage their time so that parents are spectators in the morning and grandparents in the afternoon. We understand this is difficult but if this arrangement is complied with, we will be able to have spectators at our 2021 Sports Day.

This same ratio of 1 child: 2 spectators apply at Mega Courts. With one class group in our Gym, we can have 60 spectators in that space. The school oval and courts will be the site of more activities and allow us to stay within density requirements.  In order to do this successfully and meet all our legal obligations we also must ensure

• all visitors sign in using the COVID check-in app or the sign in sheet.
• social distancing is maintained and
• all visiting adults must wear masks

We are excited about the prospect of a Sports Day with spectators cheering on our children. Let us pray that tougher restrictions are not applied in coming weeks.

The deadline and cut-off date, for the Children’s University 30 hours of Accreditation for 2021 Graduation, is due tomorrow, Thursday 14th October at 9:00am. Unfortunately, Passports cannot be accepted after this date. 

Thank you for the support you continue to provide by being a Registered Volunteer here at St Pius X School.  

There are changes to the requirements in respect of the Responding to Risks of Harm Abuse and Neglect - Education and Care (RRHAN-EC) training which is one of the essential components of your Registration.

As your volunteer work here is with children (under 18 years), you are a mandated notifier and all volunteers must now update their training which is available via this link -  RRHAN-EC training.

The training must be undertaken and your Certificate provided to Susan Trimboli (either paper copy or via email to strimboli@stpiusx.catholic.edu.au) before end of this term.  

Please contact the school if you have questions and thank you again for your participation in the life of our school.

Yesha P of 4A on her 2^nd placing in the 9-12 Yr old Vocal Eisteddfod Section with her lively and musical rendering of ‘It Don’t Mean A Thing’ – Brava!

Congratulations also to the Javale M of 4B/T for successfully completing all Grades in AMEB Level 1, gaining a B+ (High Credit) for his Grade 4 ‘Singing for Leisure’ exam – excellent achievement, Javale!

Virginia Rawlinson - Singing Teacher

The Speech & Drama program has continued throughout the pandemic with appropriate precautions.  While parents for the most part have been restricted from attending Open Classes, Concerts and last year’s Drama Day, the use of Zoom/Skype has meant that few students have been precluded from lessons, concerts or exams.  Bravo everyone!

Included in this newsletter is the Drama Day program which takes place in the Walkerville Primary School Theatre on Saturday October 30 (please see attached flyer for details). As attendance will be restricted, please contact me if you wish to attend.  As the event will be filmed, you may prefer to be given the link instead, for a small fee.  We wish all participants the very best!

Enrolments for Term 4 Come'n'Try Introductory Lessons for Beginners are now open.  Beginners join the group classes each year for 5 lessons beginning in November at age appropriate times on Thursdays at school between 11am-1pm in the Activity Room.  Please contact Lisa Forster on 0439 082 622 or info@speechanddramasa.com.au to enrol.
Lois Brimblecombe - Coordinator (lois.brimblecombe@gmail.com”)

For more informatiom, please refer to the attached flyer.