Term 4 concludes - 
Tuesday 7th December for Year 6 students at 3:00pm and Wednesday 8th December for Reception-5 students at 3:00pm

Dear Parents

You may have seen in the media the recent SA Government Direction concerning COVID-19 vaccinations for staff in schools and Early Childhood Education Care settings.

This school has acted quickly to inform our staff of these new requirements. It has been our previous position that for the safety of students and the community, those who are eligible, ought to be vaccinated where possible.

The SA Government Direction now specifies that staff in all schools and education and care settings must have had at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccination by 10 December 2021 and show evidence of a booking for their second dose.

The Direction also extends to volunteers (including Board members) and any unpaid workers.

It does not apply to students and parents who are incidental visitors to the school.

You would appreciate that the 2-year journey we have experienced in dealing with the pandemic has resulted in numerous strategies and compliance measures implemented for the safety of students, families and staff.

Throughout the pandemic we have been absolutely lock-step in following the advice of the SA Chief Public Health Officer as it relates to the schooling sector. The Catholic Education Office has strong direct liaison with the SA Department for Education which has meant that each sector has been remarkably consistent in the messaging over health measures adopted at school sites.

We will continue to monitor and act upon any relevant advice and make staff aware of this new government law.

If more information comes to hand that has an impact on the wider school community, I will keep you informed.

If you are a volunteer in our community, I ask that as soon as convenient, that you provide the appropriate documentation as outlined below:

• An official transcript of your COVID-19 vaccination status (hard copy or electronic pdf version); or
• A medical certificate/exemption form from a legally qualified medical practitioner certifying that you either have a medical exemption from receiving the COVID-19 vaccine on either a permanent or temporary basis, endorsed by the Chief Public Health Officer (CPHO).

to Susan Trimboli (strimboli@stpiusx.catholic.edu.au).  

We thank you in anticipation for supplying the necessary information to be compliant with this government Direction.

Dear Families,

Thank you to those parents who have let me know there were concerns around the recent tree removals. May I assure you that the decision was not a light one, but made with the assurance that these will be more than replaced with mature trees. Actually, in line with the Landscape Master Plan, 15 new trees will replace the 3 trees removed in this area and have been selected as very suitable in relation to shade, hardiness and acceptable root coverage.

There already 52 more trees on our site than when the 2017 audit was taken, so may I assure you that, along with the several hundred new shrubs as part of the Stage 2 development, our school will have a significant green footprint.

By way of explanation, when we moved the Brigidine roses from the bed outside OSHC, plane tree roots were throughout the area and advice was that they had made their way under the toilet block in search of water. Our arborists informed us that the trees were planted too close to each other, were competing for water and, when the toilet block area is excavated, would suffer significant damage and become a risk to students.

In the landscape drawing above you will note the significant improvements planned for our next stage which include plantings, appropriate drainage and run off considerations. Our trees will have access to water which is not the case with current paving and synthetic surfaces.

STEM Expo
I am looking forward to next Wednesday's after-school STEM Expo. We will be exhibiting student work in the De Mazenod Hall during the afternoon and there will be an opportunity to view the new building's ‘Learning Terrace’ which is our STEM space from 2022.  

Parents are invited to attend at the following times - 

3:15pm - Reception to Year 2  
4:00pm - Year 3-4 
4:45pm - Year 5-6 

Tours of the new STEM Learning Terrace and a sausage sizzle will be available.  

Please remember that all visitors are required to wear a mask.

Sausage Sizzle
The P&F Committee will be providing a Sausage Sizzle during the Expo and the items available will be sausages/bread, vegie patties with coleslaw and a selection of cold drinks.

Volunteers are required to help run the bbq - if you are able to help betwwen 3:30 and 5:30pm please email pandf@stpiusx.catholic.edu.au with your name, contact details and the time you are available to help.  The P&F Committee thank you for your assistance!

Listeners of Radio Italiana 531 enjoyed the interview conducted by Lucas M and Axel M where they produced their own script and interviewed Mr Villano about his involvement with the Hospitality Industry in Adelaide and how he began his career as a chef.

Congratulations on the achievements reached by students at St Pius X School who graduated from Children’s University 2021. The students throughout the year have demonstrated their learning in new ways and in new contexts, exposing them to endless possibilities that await them for their future learning.

The Year 5 students are involved in Social Justice Projects that support our learning in Religious Education: God's Call to Love. One of our projects involves collecting donations of sports clothing for the students of Yalata Community School. Yalata Anangu Birth-12 Community School is located 200km inland from Ceduna. The children love sports but due to their location, it is hard to get access to sports clothing. We are encouraging St Pius X students to donate sports clothing that is clean and in good condition. This can include sports shoes (soccer boots, sneakers, basketball shoes), sport branded soccer or basketball tops, t-shirts, sports hoodies or jackets and baseball caps.  

If you would like to make a donation please ask your child to bring it to their classroom by this Friday, 19th November. 

We thank you for your generorsity.

With the school banking program closing, as a goodwill gesture, the Commonwealth Bank have informed us that every active banker can receive a final reward regardless of how many tokens they currently have! The last day for us to be able to place this order is this Friday 19th November, to allow time for delivery.

Please see the attached image as we have ticked what stock is available to choose from CBA_Gifts.pdf

If you would like to order one last reward, please write on a piece of paper 2-3 preferences (in order of preference) you would like and place it inside your childs bank book, in their money section and send it to school as usual this Friday 19th November for us to process. 

Please clearly label all your child's personal items with their name - everything including lunch boxes, drink bottles, hats and clothing!

Items found and brought to the school office which have a child's name attached are returned to the child via their class boxes.

There are a large number of unnamed/unclaimed items in the lost property container in the student entry foyer - they will be placed on a table in the courtyard on Friday 19th November from 9:00am for collection/selection/give away etc.

A reminder to please collect any items by the end of the school day today - 3:00pm.

Thank you.