Dear Parents 

It looks like the spring weather is starting to bless us with its presence. It is hard to believe that we are almost in September. 

Book Week Dress up Day.

Last Friday we had our Book Week dress up parade. It is always great to see the creative and wonderful costumes that the children come to school dressed in. The Book Week parade gives us an opportunity to celebrate the joy that books and movies bring into our lives. It was also wonderful to see so many parents, grandparents and other special visitors come along to celebrate with our children. The presence and support of the adults in our community makes the Book Week parade an extra special day for our children. I would like to thank everyone who supported the children in getting into the spirit of the day. 

St Pius X student visit Blackfriars and Kildare

Last Monday, all our Year 4 & 5 girls visited Kildare College for the day and our boys attended Blackfriars. As part of the day the children got to see what it was like to be on a Secondary Campus and had the opportunity to engage with the students and staff from both schools and utilise their facilities. The feedback from both schools about the behaviour and conduct of our students was excellent. We have a wonderful working relationship with both Kildare and Blackfriars, and I would like to thank both schools for their hospitality.

If you are considering enrolment in one of our partner Secondary schools, I strongly suggest that you start planning your enrolment when your child is in Year 4 in order to avoid missing out on a spot. Both Blackfriars and Kildare guarantee families from St Pius X enrolment in their school, providing that enrolment forms are lodged before June when your child is in Year Five. 

St Pius X wins District Athletics Carnival

I would like to congratulate the St Pius X athletics team who won the SAPSASA District athletics carnival on Thursday the 17^th of August. I would like to thank Angelo Zamparelli for his hard work in preparing and training the students in the lead up to the carnival. We have some very talented athletes with nine of our children being invited to the State Athletics carnival. Well done to all involved. 

Father’s Day Breakfast and Stall

This Friday we have our Father’s Day Breakfast. All Dads and special people are invited to come along and have breakfast at school from 7:45am and then spend some time visiting classrooms. In addition to the breakfast provided by the school, there will also be a coffee van and a donut van on site which will have items available for purchase. 

The Parents and Friends Committee will also be running a Father’s Day stall on Friday and children will have the opportunity to purchase a gift for their dad or another special person in their life. I would like to thank our Parents and Friends group for all their hard work in organising the Father’s Day stall for our children.  

 St Pius X Colour Run

On the afternoon of Friday 10^th of November, our Parents and Friends Group will be hosting a colour run at St Pius X School. This will be a very exciting and colourful event and will also act as a wonderful fundraiser for our P&F committee. More details about the event and what the P&F committee are raising funds for will be sent home in the coming weeks. 

Children leaving in 2024 – notification.

Earlier this term a letter was sent home to all families requesting that parents notify us if their children will not be returning to St Pius X in 2024 (with the exception of those currently in Year 6). This letter also outlined our schools fee policy which now requires families to provide the school with at least One Term’s notice if their children will not be returning the school in 2024. 

In Term Four we order student stationery, ICT devices, make decisions about class placements and staffing for the 2024 school year. Families who do not inform us in a timely manner that their children will leaving the school will be charged a full term’s school fees as late notifications about student departures have financial implications on the school. I thank all families for their support and understanding of the above and welcome any families who would like to discuss any aspects of their child’s enrolment in 2024, to come and speak with me. 

Enrolments for 2025 and beyond

Just a reminder that if you have a child who is due to start at St Pius X in 2025, then it is imperative that you have completed an enrolment form as we have limited spaces left. Jessica Harmer has taken over from Susan Trimboli as the Principal’s PA and Enrolments Officer. If you have any questions about enrolments, please don’t hesitate to contact Jessica either in person at the school or via email jharmer@stpiusx.catholic.edu.au .

God Bless

Ashley Keane

Stewardship Reflection

Since we are made in God’s image, we too, are called to be generous. How we use our God-given gifts becomes our gift back to God. Gratitude for all we have been given opens our hearts to joyful generosity! And, through our generosity, we just may be the answer to someone else’s prayer. We pray that in gratitude for our gifts, we may grow them and give back with increase.

Pray for Father’s Day

Dear Lord

We thank you for the gift of Fatherhood.

Bless all father figures with strength, wisdom and love.  May they reflect Your grace and guidance in their journey of raising and nurturing their children.  Surround them with your peace and let your joy fill their hearts each day.

Starlight Foundation

Following the celebration of St Pius X Feast Day, we have chosen the Starlight Foundation as our chosen charity. The Starlight Foundation care for and teach children while they are in hospital as well as grant wishes for sick children and their families. This year we are asking for donations of:

• new art and craft supplies - sketch pads, pencils, cardboard, paint, stickers, games for children to use when in hospital.
• care packs - sunscreen, zinc, shampoo, moisturiser, toothpaste for families to access while they are staying away from home.

Due to health reasons please keep items in its original packaging and leave at the front office.

Dernancourt Parish Mass Schedule

Weekend Masses: Saturday - 6.30pm Sunday - 9.30am & 5.30pm

Weekday Masses: Tuesday to Friday 9.15am, Rosary 8.55am

Reconciliation: Saturday 11:30am-12 noon

Reporting Absences

If your child is absent from school please notify us through SZapp.  Use the 'Absences' tab.  Additionally, you may like to notify your child's class teacher via Seesaw or email.

If your child/ren will be absent for 5 days or more please complete an Exemption from School Attendance ED175 Form C - https://stpiusx.schoolzineplus.com/form/389

Change of clothes

Please have spare pants and socks in your child's bag incase of wet or dirty clothes. This request is for all children as we have noticed a renewed interest in the nature play space.  JP parents please ensure there is always change of clothes in your child's bag. 

Labelling reminder

Lots of unnamed lost property is being handed into the office.

Please ensure ALL your children's belongings (uniforms, lunchboxes, drinkbottles, pencil cases etc.) are CLEARLY LABELLED with your child's name.

Labelled property can be easily returned to their owner.

Payment receipting 

For parents convenience payment receipting can now be done at reception.

Supporting your child in mathematics learning

The lockdowns and home learning are rapidly becoming memories. Although the experience of learning from home may have mixed feelings in your household, it certainly highlighted the challenges, but also opportunities there might be in learning mathematics outside of school. 

This article is a reminder of the quick, fun and opportune ways you can support maths learning for you children at home. These are ‘informal’ strategies, meaning they are not designed to teach concepts in maths, but to reinforce what is happening in the classroom and build positive experiences when engaging in mathematics at home. 

The excerpts featured in this article are from a website by Dr Catherine Attard, who is a Professor of Mathematics Education and Deputy Director of the Centre for Educational Research within the School of Education at Western Sydney University. https://engagingmaths.com/ 

“As a parent, be conscious of displaying positive attitudes towards mathematics, even when it’s challenging. Adopting a ‘growth mindset’ allows children (and parents) to acknowledge that mathematics is challenging, but not impossible. Rather than saying “I can’t do it” or “it’s too hard”, encourage statements such as “I can’t do it yet” or “let’s work on this together”. If you’re struggling with the mathematics yourself, and finding it difficult to support your child, there are options such as free online courses like Jo Boaler’s YouCubed website (www.youcubed.org), apps such as Khan Academy, or you can seek help from a professional. The following tips may assist:

• When in doubt, ask. Some of the strategies taught in contemporary classrooms are very different to those you might have learned at school. It’s important to support the strategies that your child is learning rather than confuse them with yours, so make sure you seek assistance from your child’s teacher.
• It’s not just about content. The mathematics curriculum covers content and processes. All students need to know how to do the mathematics and how to apply the mathematics, and it’s important to encourage your child to explore, investigate and problem solve whenever possible. Ask them questions like ‘How do you know?’, ‘Can you solve this a different way?’, or ‘Can you explain how you worked it out?’.
• Bring maths into daily conversations and activities with your child. After all, there’s maths in everything we do. For example, if you’re cooking you might ask your child to help you measure out ingredients. If you’re shopping, you could have a little competition to see who can make the best estimation of the total grocery bill or perhaps ask your child to work out the amount of change (this may be challenging given that we use credit cards most of the time).

Tips for keeping kids interested in maths

Games

Traditional games can provide opportunities to talk about maths and help your child. Games that use dominoes and playing cards are great for young children as are board games such as Snakes and Ladders, Monopoly or Mabble. Even non-numerical games such as Guess Who? have benefits for mathematics because they promote problem solving and strategic thinking which are important mathematical skills.

Maths-based Children’s Literature

There are many great picture books that promote mathematical ideas. Use these books to start conversations about mathematics with your child or to spark curiosity and perhaps some mathematical investigation. Here are some websites that list children’s literature suitable for use in mathematics teaching and learning:

http://everydaymath.uchicago.edu/teachers/k/literature-list/

http://literacy.kent.edu/Oasis/Resc/Educ/mathkidslit.html

http://www.the-best-childrens-books.org/math-for-kids.html

Problem-Solving Activities

If you’re looking for some interesting mathematical problems for your child to explore, the NRich site (http://nrich.maths.org/teacher-primary) has an excellent range of problems and investigations for students of all ages. Best of all, the site provides information for teachers (or parents) to support students.

Taking the Maths Outside

There are lots of activities that allow you and your child to get outside and do some maths. The following are some easy suggestions:

• Play a game of hopscotch, or any game that requires counting/scoring.
• Take an iPad or camera outside and go on a treasure hunt for numbers/shapes/objects/angles. Use the photos in combination with a screen casting app to annotate/label/explain what was found in the treasure hunt.
• Design a maths trail where your child poses and then solves mathematical questions/problems in your backyard, at the local playground or in your neighbourhood.

Jane Buhagiar

The St Pius X School Choir, made up of 39 students from Yrs 5 and 6 will be performing at the Festival Theatre on Opening Night of the Catholic Schools’ Music Festival. It will be a wonderful evening of entertainment with a 400-voice Choir featuring students from 18 Catholic Primary Schools in SA,  Instrumental Ensembles, Vocal Groups and amazing Solo Artists, all exhibiting an astonishing calibre of musicianship.

32 of our students will sing in the Row 2, 1 in Row 3, 3 in row 4 and 2 in Row 7! Two of our students will have the honour of singing a solo section in 2 of the songs in our repertoire. They were chosen out of hundreds of students who auditioned. Yesha P (6MJ) will sing the Opening song of the Disney Medley-When You Wish Upon a Star; Javale M (6MJ) will sing the Opening verse of Heal the World! We congratulate Yesha and Javale and look forward to hearing them perform!

Many Yr 4 students have expressed an interest in coming to watch the show as they would like to audition for Choir next year.

If you would like to attend the Music Festival, you can purchase tickets from Ticketek by clicking the link below or from the attachments.

Looking forward to seeing you on Tuesday the 26^th September.

Regards

Basia Jedrzejczak

https://cesa.webtemplate.com.au/sites/3091/__files/f/8674/2023%20CSMF%20Ticket%20Flyer.pdf

Friday 3rd November

Athletics – Catholic Schools –  at Mile End Stadium

(This carnival is open to all students in Year 3 to Year 6)

Our next P & F meeting will be held on Friday October 27th at 2pm in the school staffroom.

All welcome.

Please come along to meet other parents and share ideas. 

We are holding our annual Father's Day Stall on Friday September 1st.

We still need volunteers, can you help?

If you are a registerd volunteer and available to help on the stall please contact the school office on 8266 9400 or email pandf@stpiusx.catholic.edu.au

Our 2023 School Disco will be held in the school hall on Friday September 8th 2023

Reception to Year 2 students from 5:30pm - 6:30pm

Year 3 to Year 6 students from 7:00pm - 8:30pm

The cost is $5.00 which includes disco entry and a glow stick.

Children must bring a clearly labelled drink bottle filled with water.

Bookings/payment available from Friday 1st until Wednesday 6th September via QKR! 

Next term we will be hosting our first Colour Run on Friday 10th November.

details regarding this event will be coming out later this term.

Are you available to help at any of our events? You need to be a registered volunteer. To become a registered volunteer please contact Jess Harmer at the school office on 8266 9400.

Families are invited to attend our school assembly in Week 8  - Thursday 14th September @ 9am - Year 1 team

Please see the latest edition of The Southern Cross.

"The services and events contained in this bulletin are in no way connected with the school and are included in this newsletter for your information only. Parents and caregivers need to make their own enquiries and assessments about the suitabilityof these events and services for their needs and those of their children.