Year 6 students get a taste of high school at St Pius X

Approximately 250 Year 6 students from eight feeder Catholic primary schools participated in a fun sports day at St Pius X High School, Adamstown on Wednesday 30 August.

Students from St Columba's Adamstown, St James’ Kotara South, St Patrick’s Wallsend, St Therese's New Lambton, St John’s Lambton, St Joseph’s Merewether, Holy Family, Merewether Beach and Our Lady of Victories, Shortland feeder primary schools were invited to attend as an important step in the orientation program for students attending Year 7 at St Pius in 2018.

The day was planned, organised and conducted by 150 St Pius Year 10 students who have been studying sports coaching and event management in their Physical Activity & Sport Studies (PASS) elective subject.

The Year 10 students had the roles of: organising committee members, team coaches and managers, activity leaders, time keepers, first aid officials, as well as catering for 500 sausage sandwiches and juices.

This day is an annual event that has now been running for 10 years. There are no points scores or results taken.

The focus of the day is to ensure an enjoyable first experience at St Pius that helps make the transition to such a large high school a little less daunting at the start of next year.

St Therese’s Principal, Duilio Rufo, said, “Our students saw the day as a great experience with many of them telling me that they were looking forward to going to high school and that they were feeling less anxious about high school now that they had spent time there.”

For the Year 10 students, as well as an assessment task, the event provides a great leadership opportunity for our students.

The chance to build capacity, put skills into practice in leading junior students and the continued development a strong sense of community and connection between our network of primary and secondary schools make this event a highlight on each school's calendar.

"It was an exciting and enjoyable day for our students to meet students from other feeder primary schools and to get their first taste of high school,” said Assistant Principal from Holy Family, Merewether Beach, Susan Porteus.

To find out more about St Pius, visit their website.

Photography by Gabrielle Sutherland.

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Gabrielle Sutherland

Gabrielle Sutherland is a Marketing & Communications Officer for the Catholic Schools Office and a regular contributor to mnnews.today and Aurora.