Dear Parents

Welcome to Term 4, it is hard to believe that we are nearing the end of the School Year.

Staffing Announcements.

After a very long and distinguished career in Catholic Education, Deb Madgen has made the decision to resign from her full-time position at St Pius X to undertake relief teaching roles closer to home. Deb has been a very long-standing staff member who has made an enormous contribution to the St Pius X community. We wish Deb all the best with the next chapter in her life and hopefully, we can entice her back for a few relief teaching days at St Pius X School in 2024.

I can also announce that Lisa Parletta will be leaving St Pius X at the end of the school year in order to take up a permanent position at St David’s school at Tea Tree Gully. Lisa has been a contract staff member at our school for several years, teaching across multiple year levels. In the last 2 years, she has taught our Year 5 students. We wish Lisa all the best in her future endeavours, and we know St David’s will benefit from Lisa’s skills and experience.

I would also like to announce that Amy Rypstra and Natasha Castelluzo have both accepted teaching positions at St David’s School for the 2024 school year. Amy has worked at the school since the middle of last year in out mid-year Reception classes and has also undertaken a variety of relief teaching roles around the school. Natasha joined us in the middle of this year as a teacher in our mid-year Reception class.   

We will have the opportunity to farewell Deb, Lisa, Amy and Natasha at our end of year mass.

I am pleased to announce that we have appointed two new staff members for the 2024 school year. Ms Jacqueline Walters will be joining us from St David’s Catholic School at Tea Tree Gully where she currently teaches Year 4 and has also taught in Junior Primary classes for a number of years.

Amelia Honner will also be joining us from St Paul’s College. Amelia has been teaching Year 6  in 2023 and before this, has worked in the country teaching across several year levels.

Both Jacqueline and Amelia come to us very highly recommended, and we look forward to the contribution that they will make to our school community in 2024.

Planning for 2024:

Planning for the 2024 school year has well and truly commenced. We are currently starting the process of ordering stationery and resources for our students for 2024. We will also be starting the process of putting children into their classes for the 2024 school year. Please be aware that a significant amount of time and effort is put into this task to try and achieve the best social and educational environment for each child.

If your child will not be returning to St Pius X in 2024 and you have not yet informed the school, then we ask that you do this as a matter of urgency. Once we have ordered resources for the 2024 school year, we will be charging families who withdraw their children without sufficient notice a full term’s fees in line with our School Fee policy.

School Camps:

Over the last week, I have had the pleasure of attending two different camps with our Year 6 and Year 4 students. Last Wednesday to Friday our Year 6’s went on a 3-day camp to Narnu Farm at Hindmarsh Island. As part of this camp, the children were engaged in kayaking, Archery, building and racing billy karts, cooking cockles on the beach and also had the chance to feed animals and nurse baby chicks as part of a working farm. At nighttime, the children were engaged in some very competitive games of spotlight and could be heard across the island belting out Living on a Prayer by Bon Jovi as they toasted Marshmallows on the campfire.

The manners of our year 6 students were impeccable, and the staff made several comments on what a wonderful group they were to work with.

On Monday and Tuesday this week, I had the opportunity to join the Year 4 children for their first-ever camp at Nunyara campsite at Belair. The children had a great time participating in team-building games, facing their fear of heights in a tree climbing activity and working as a team to conquer a water obstacle challenge. This camp was a great way for the children to experience being away from home and develop some independence. 

It was great spending some time with all of these students and get to know them better.

I would like to thank the staff who attended the camps, Chris Hyde, Jenny Mittiga, Antony Scarfo, Jess Jenkins, Rachel Bond, Carena Warnes, Rita Campbell, Jamie Deverson, Nigel Armstrong, Andrew Getgood, Jane Buhagiar & Angela Terminello. Without the full support of such committed staff, experiences like our school camps would not be as successful as they are.

Colour Run

Next Friday we will be hosting our first-ever school colour run. This event has been organised by our Parents and Friends committee as a fun way to raise funds for resources for our children to use in the new school library. Information has been sent home to all families about the colour run and I encourage all students to get involved in the spirit of the day.

Our goal is to raise $20,000 as a community and to have a lot of fun on the day. If you have not already done so, please register your child so they can join in the fun. On the day, all children will receive a headband and a pair of glasses and will be run around the obstacle course. The event should be very colourful. There are wonderful prizes and incentives for children to raise money. Please feel free to come along and join in the spirit of the day. Please contact the front office if you have any questions about the colour run.

Catholic Schools Music Festival

In the last week of last term, our school choir performed as part of the opening night of the Catholic School’s Music Festival which was held at the Festival Theatre. We had approximately 40 children from Years 5 & 6 who performed in our school choir this year. As part of their commitment to the choir, the children had to learn the words and actions to 10 songs. They started rehearsals for this performance back in Term One this year.

The chance to perform on the Festival Theatre stage in front of a capacity audience presents a wonderful opportunity for our students. Whilst I couldn’t attend on the night due to being away on leave, I did get the opportunity to watch the choir perform for me in the week before the performance. They sounded amazing and I heard they were wonderful on the night of the performance as well.

I would like to acknowledge and thank Basia Jedrzejczak for her wonderful work in preparing the choir. Basia puts her heart and soul into the school’s music program and as a result, the quality of our children’s singing and performances are always of a very high calibre.

God Bless

Ashley Keane

Catholic identity and Mission

Our community continues to show its generosity with a number of fundraising and outreach activities.  The Reception children have established a wonderful connection with the Southern Cross Care John Paul II Village at Klemzig.  The Intergenerational Project facilitated by Holli Caputo and supported by the other Reception teachers has enriched our community and given the children opportunities to interact, play, learn and sing with the residents.  We look forward to hosting the residents in Week 8.

The Year 5 classes are preparing for the annual Socktober fundraiser for Catholic Missions.  This year the focus is for the education of children in Timor-Leste and supporting families facing health and wellness challenges.

Also, the outreach bug has bitten the Year 2 and Year 3 children as they have arranged stalls and a raffle to raise money for sick children.  Their families have donated gifts and prizes which will now be on display and sold as part of the raffle.  We thank them for their generosity and support.

Term 4 is a time to acknowledge All Saints and All Souls Day, prepare for the Vinnies Christmas Appeal, celebrate the End of the Year, SPARX Graduation and of course farewell staff and Year 6 graduates.  All of these rituals will be filled with song, scripture and symbol.  Please check the school calendar for dates and times.

Rita Campbell

The School Board met in September with the meeting focusing on starting to think about long term strategic planning for St Pius. There will be opportunities coming up soon for students, families, and staff to also have input into the strategic plan. The Board had an update on the building works. It was exciting to see the receptions move into their new classrooms at the beginning of term 3! There is still more work to happen with planting garden beds and mulching. Stage 3 of the building works began at the end of Term 3. The Board reflected on the wonderful events that happened in term 3 including Book Week Parade, Fathers Day Stall, and the School Disco. These events can only happen with the wonderful work of the Parents and Friends Committee, Staff and Volunteers, so we say a big thank you to them for all their efforts !

Felicity Crowther

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.

Uniforms

Uniform items are available from JS Sports, 10 Newton Road, Campbelltown and online from their website

A |10 Newton Rd Campbelltown    M | 0451 725 600   

To book your appointment or access the online store:

https://www.belgraviaapparelschools.com/collections/st-pius-x-school 

School hats can be purchased from the JS Sports uniform shop or

via our school QKR! app or in the school office. 

Registered Volunteers

Would you like to help out on excursions or listen to reading in your child's/grandchild's class ? You need to be a registered volunteer. To become a registered volunteer please contact Jess Harmer at the school office on 8266 9400.

 On Friday October 27th we held our last P&F meeting for the year. Thank you to all our parent volunteers for their help this year. If you are interested in joining our P&F committee in 2024 contact us via email pandf@stpiusx.catholic.edu.au         Everyone is welcome. Come along to meet other parents and share ideas. 

2024 Parent class representatives

In 2024 we are looking for a parent(s) for each class to increase community togetherness - ie organinsing class/ year level or whole school events such as movie nights or playground catchups.

If you are interested in becoming a class rep in 2024 please complete and submit this form - https://stpiusx.schoolzineplus.com/form/459 by December 1st.  

Colour Run

We will be hosting our first Colour Run on Friday 10th November.

Our target fundraising goal is $20,000.

If we meet our target, Mr Keane gets slimed !!!!

Don't forget to register here if you want your child to be part of our fundraising and earn themselves great prizes - https://myprofilepage.com.au/

Remember your white T-Shirt !!!!!

WE STILL NEED HELP !

If you are available to help out at any time between 11am and 4pm on 10th November  at the Colour Run (you don't need to be a registered volunteer)

Let us know by emailing pandf@stpiusx.catholic.edu.au to register your interest.

Becoming a Registered volunteer at St Pius X School

 To become a registered volunteer please contact Jess Harmer at the school office on 8266 9400.

Please see the latest edition of The Southern Cross.

Families are invited to attend our term 4 school assemblies 

Week 4 - Thursday 9th November @ 9am - Year 2 team

Week 8 - Thursday 7th December @ 9am - Year 5 team

"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.