Greg is on camp with the Year 6's and thought the article below would be very helpful to parents in coming to understand the role of the School Chaplain at St Pius X School.

12 Ways the Chaplain Can Assist at School

• Support teaching staff in the busyness of their day    
  e.g.  be with children after playtimes who may be upset or have a grievance and to help in any way to assist. 

• Support children with grief, loss, or family breakdown issues. 
  e.g. children may like to be supported as a family or individually 

• Connecting children with others to aid in forming friendships. 
  e.g. small groups to encourage social awareness 

• Organizing fun and interactive activities for small groups of children struggling with similar issues. 
  e.g. grief, emotional challenges, self-esteem, life skills and healthy eating focus. 

• Provide one to one support with children feeling unsettled or disconnected. 
  Providing comfort for a child outside the busyness of the classroom where the teacher has many demands from other children.  Sometimes non-teaching staff are more approachable for some children. 

• To avert future issues (especially those known to be ongoing or re occurring) by providing a weekly get-together for students to express themselves and talk generally. 
  This doesn’t need to be formalized, it allows the students to chatter, laugh and approach any issues (if there are any at this time) in a friendly manner. 

• To build a relationship with child/children if a known future event may affect their wellbeing. 
  e.g. parents separating, one parent working away for short time, relocating etc. 

• An opportunity for children to ‘just be listened to’, and the talk to be about anything of interest to them. 
  e.g.  a very talkative or shy child may benefit from this. 

• Special Events or activities involvement. 
  e.g. helping with class cooking, craft or other activity (this is a great opportunity for me to be visible and connect with the children) 

• Providing a safe place/person for their need in the moment. 
  Sometimes children just need a few minutes out of their organized world so they can regather ready to join the class again with an uplifted spirit. 

• The children participating in an activity with me ‘just for fun’ or as a reward. 
  This is a message for children to know the chaplain is available for not only support in times of need, but for the special or fun things that are going on in their lives as well. 

Di is here to support you, the greater school community and the children. So please, if she can assist in any way she would be happy to do so.  

Welcome to Week 5!

Just when we thought that the heat of Summer was a memory, we are reminded this week that the forces of nature are powerful. As we journey through this heat wave, please take care and ensure you and your children are hydrated.

The Year 6 classes are near Murray Bridge on camp, and after spending the day with them yesterday, I can honestly say that they are having a wonderful time. The aquatic lessons they are receiving are of a very high standard and the behaviour of our children has been exemplary.

Next week, our Year 5 classes head to Belair for their camping expedition. The weather looks to be a little milder for them.

Later this week, your family will receive a Project Compassion box. Please consider how you can support Project Compassion during Lent. Each week during Lent, we will publish a story of a community who we are supporting through our donations. I encourage you to read the stories each week and discuss with your children. They will be talking about these stories in class too.

Next Tuesday, 5^th March, we will be celebrating Shrove Tuesday with a Pancake fundraiser. Pancakes will be delivered to your child’s class from around midday until early afternoon. Your child’s teacher will provide various toppings to choose from and we ask children for a gold coin donation which will be collected on the day.

Pancakes will be available for the community after school in the courtyard on that day. Again, we ask for a gold coin donation to Project Compassion.

Next Wednesday, 6^th March, is Ash Wednesday. This is the beginning of our Lenten journey. We will celebrate with a Liturgy of the word with Holy Communion presided by Deacon Anthony Hill from the Cathedral Parish. Please note, this service commences promptly at 9am in the hall.

Thank you to the Year 3 families who have enrolled their children in the Sacramental Program for 2019. If you received a letter, please return your reply to me before Wednesday 6^th March.

I pray that you have a blessed week ahead.

Instrumental, Voice and Speech and Drama Lessons 

The school has a number of peripatetic teachers who teach instrumental, voice, and speech and drama lessons.  Children who wish to participate in these lessons are charged a fee by those teachers.  These lessons are undertaken as an agreement between the parents and the teacher concerned and are not part of the school’s curriculum.  Payment for these lessons must be paid directly to the teacher concerned.  Please do not put payment for these fees in the locked boxes as this may result in an overdue fee letter coming to you from the peripatetic teachers.  Please make arrangements to pay these teachers in person by means of cheque, money order, EFT or direct debits. 

If cash is sent to school it must be handed to the child’s peripatetic teacher.  An administration fee of $5 is charged by the school, for each child for each instrument etc.  This fee will be charged to your account and invoices will be sent home.

2019 Tuition Fees
Yearly Fee accounts were sent home by mail on Friday 18^th February 2019. Please note that the due date for the first instalment was the 22nd February.  A School Fees Brochure was sent home at the end of 2018 notifying parents of the Fee Schedule and the relevant due dates for Tuition Fees.  Copies of this brochure can be collected from the Reception desk.

If you have applied for school card, $160.00 per child will be deducted from your account once the school receives notification that your application has been accepted. If you have taken a 2019 School Card Application Form – (Form A Income Audit)to apply for School Card, please complete it and return it to the school as soon as possible.  Cut off date for applications for the second round in Term 1 is Wednesday 6th March 2019.

If you have any difficulty in paying your school fees account by 22nd February 2019, please come in and see me to make other arrangements.  Part time agreements can be entered into, by paying on a weekly, fortnightly or monthly basis.  You may choose to have your payments taken out of your bank account by direct debit, deducted from Centrelink payments, placed to your merchant facilities, by BPay or pay personally by EFT, cash or cheque.  The school offers EFT, Visa and MasterCard facilities for your convenience.  WE DO NOT ACCEPT AMEX.

If you qualify for School Card under the 2019 School Card Regulations, you may be eligible for Fee Remission.  Please see me for an application form as soon as possible.

Please note - if you qualify for Fee Remission you do not receive the 5% discount as well.  This discount does not apply to the Resource Fee, and Building Levy.

For your convenience fee payments or documents can be dropped into the grey Fees Box (Box 1) in the Student Entry area.  This box is securely locked with access given to only the Finance personnel. 

Please do not hesitate to contact me by phone or email if you have any queries relating to your fee account. 

Julie's email address is - finance@stpiusx.catholic.edu.au

• Tahlia of Year 4, who won a place in the Children’s Chorus for State Opera’s May production of the Janacek Opera “The Cunning Little Vixen” as the character of ‘Young Vixen’.
• Pierre B - St Paul’s College is delighted to share that Pierre has been appointed as their 2019 College Vice Captain - he is a credit to St Pius X, his family and St Paul’s College.
• Old Scholar, Cynamon C for achieving an outstanding ATAR of 93.35 placing her in the top 10% of the State!

Our students really enjoy participating in the Commonwealth Bank School Banking program and to keep this program running we need your help.

The program requires a volunteer School Banking Co-ordinator to facilitate the banking and distribution of School Banking rewards. This only takes a small amount of your time one day a week and the Commonwealth Bank will provide support in how to run the program. Your help with the program will greatly benefit students as they develop vital saving skills and also help our school with fundraising.  

If you are interested in volunteering for this great program and have a current Catholic Police Clearance please contact the front office.