The Vine 2022 - Vol 1

Start of Term 1

COVID-19 Update

RAHT Kits
RAHT Kits will be available for families to collect on 28 January through a drive-thru service. Two weeks’ worth of tests will be provided for each student (4 tests total).

To make sure we can safely manage this service to ensure everyone’s health and safety, please see the times of when you can collect your RAHT Kits:

Pre-K to Year 2 families 9.00am-11.30am
Years 3-6 families 11.30am-1.30pm
Years 7-12 1.30pm-3.30pm

Families will be signed off once they receive their kits. Unfortunately, other families are not able to collect the RAHT kits on someone else’s behalf.

If you have multiple children across many grades, please come at the time of your youngest child.

Please enter the car park via the eastern gates (automatic gates) and proceed towards the College administration building. There you will see cones and signs marked to direct you to wear you need to go.

Please ensure that you have your car park pass displayed on your windscreen and we ask that you are wearing a mask during this time.

If you cannot collect your family's RAHT Kits on Friday you may come on Saturday January 29 between 9-11am.

Twice Weekly Rapid Antigen Home Tests
Staff and students are required to screen for COVID-19 twice a week for the first four weeks of Term 1.

It is suggested that the testing to occur on Sunday evening or Monday morning, prior to school beginning and again on Wednesday morning.

The results of those tests, both Positive and Negative, will need to be communicated with the College. A link will be provided to all families to assist with reporting the results. This information is kept private and confidential in accordance with the Privacy Act.

Students who test positive
Any student or staff member who tests positive to COVID-19 is required to follow NSW Health requirements under the Public Health Order for testing positive and self-isolation. Currently, the requirements are:

isolate for 7 days following the positive test
leave isolation after 7 days if no symptoms (sore throat, runny nose, cough or shortness of breath)
if there are symptoms after 7 days, then remain in isolation until 24 hours after symptoms have resolved. Note: if a person continues to have symptoms, they are able to leave isolation after 7 days with a medical clearance.

Students who return a positive RAHT result must register it on the Service NSW app or service.nsw.gov.au website as soon as possible.

Students who receive a positive PCR or RAHT result must tell their school as soon as possible and follow NSW Health advice.

Communicating with families of a Positive Case
When we receive information of a positive case at the College, an email will be sent to families of the relevant cohorts. Students will be advised to monitor for symptoms but are able to return to school if they do not have any symptoms.

School environments are not considered close contact environments and we will not be closing the school if there is a positive case.

Masks
Health advice continues to be that masks provide an important first line of defence in minimising transmission, particularly as the Omicron variant is recognised to be incredibly transmissible.

The protocols for wearing masks have not changed since the end of 2021.

Masks continue to be required in all indoor settings for staff and secondary students, as well as being strongly encouraged for primary students from Year 3 and above.

Schools have been advised that cloth and vented masks should not be used at school. It is recommended that surgical masks are used by staff and students at school. The College requests that wherever possible students bring their own mask each day.

Travelling on Buses
Many of our students use Public Transport to travel to and from school. Here are some updates:

Students require an Opal Card and must Tap On and Tap Off, this is required so the bus company knows who has travelled on those services.
Face Masks are Mandatory for all Secondary School Students while travelling on public transport.
It is strongly recommended that Primary School Students also wear a face mask.
The same rules apply for the use of the private College bus

Communication
The College acknowledges that it is necessary to have a strong partnership between school and home to ensure students have the best schooling experience. Parents have access to our College App which gives information about the calendar and events. Parents are also able to log onto the parent portal on Edumate and see details of either positive or negative comments and actions from any teacher. Parents will be regularly able to check on their child’s behaviour via this means. We feel this will give our parents a more thorough understanding of how their child is tracking at school. Student timetables are also accessible via Edumate.

Of course, our College staff are readily available to discuss academic or wellbeing matters with families as necessary.

The College Vine continues to be the major form of ongoing communication with parents. This publication is sent out fortnightly during term time and we encourage you to read each issue. We also post regularly on Facebook and the website with relevant information and hope parents find these avenues of communication are clear and helpful.

Pick up and Drop off arrangements
We will continue using the pick up and drop off arrangements that were in place in 2021 with the exception of Pre-K, Kindergarten and new families joining the College on day 1 of school who are able to have up to two vaccinated adults walk them in.

We ask for your patience in the car park as we begin a new year. Whilst we know that at times, there are delays which can be frustrating, we ask that you remain calm and trust that the College staff are ensuring the safety of all our students.

Arriving early to collect your child/ren is not helpful, as it causes additional traffic and delays for all. Please keep to the times to assist us in a smooth afternoon pick up as possible.

Afternoon Pick Up Times

Pre-K to Year 1 2.50pm Infants Kiss and Run

Year 2 2.50pm Primary Kiss and Run

Years 3 and 4 3.00pm Primary Kiss and Run

Years 5 and 6 3.15pm Primary Kiss and Run

Years 7 to 12 3.25pm Primary Kiss and Run

Pre-Kindergarten, Kindergarten and new families to the College

Up to two fully vaccinated adults are welcome to accompany Pre-Kindergarten, Kindergarten and students from other years who are new to the College. The adults must check in using the QR code and show their vaccination status.

Canteen
The canteen will be in operation via Flexischools only and students will not be permitted to visit the canteen to purchase items. We have arranged for lunch orders to be delivered to the classrooms at lunch time. The Canteen staff will be sending out more information including a new menu.

Students in Primary are encouraged not to order for recess as there will not be adequate time for receiving and eating the items.

Welcome to New Staff

2022 College Executive Team

College Term Dates 2022

Parent Portal

College App

Stationery Lists 2022

Message from the Deputy Principal (Primary)

Mrs Ljubica Mansell, Deputy Principal (Primary)

Dear Families

We welcome you all to a new year here at Penrith Anglican College and trust that you have had the opportunity to rest and enjoy some quality time with your loved ones. We have included some information below that will allow families to prepare for the beginning of Term 1.

New staff
In 2022 we welcome a number of staff in the Primary School. We are excited to have so many quality professionals join our community.

Matthew Asplin           Primary Teacher
Aimee Tindall             Primary Teacher
Nikki Tallada               Primary Teacher
Vicki McGrath Primary Teacher
Rebecca Gange Pre-K Teacher
Rebecca Finemore Pre-K Aide
Candace Lamplough Pre-K Aide
Melody Head Learning Support Aide

We also welcome some staff back to our College in 2022.

Rochelle Smith Primary Teacher
Helen Muller Gifted and Talented Teacher

Diary Dates for Term 1 2022

Wednesday 2 February	Primary Information Evening
Friday 11 February	Family Fun Night
Tuesday 15 February	Primary Meet the Teacher Evening
Wednesday 16 February	Primary Swimming Carnival
Thursday 17 February	Primary Meet the Teacher Evening
Tuesday 1 March	NASSA Primary Swimming Carnival
Tuesday 8 March	Year 7 2023 Information Evening
Thursday 17 March	2023 Pre- K and K Information Evening
Wednesday 6 April	Primary Easter Hat Parade
Wednesday 6 April	Cross Country Carnival
Friday 8 April	Easter Chapel

First days of School

Pre-K 5- and 3-Day and Kindergarten begin Monday 31 January 2022
Year 6 Student Leaders begin Monday 31 January 2022 for leadership training.
Years 1-6 students return Tuesday 1 February 2022
Pre-K 2-day students begin Thursday 4 February 2022

Class Allocations
The timetable is currently live on Edumate but please know that it is not final until Friday 28 January 2022 at 5pm. Teachers will all have copies of the classes on Day 1 of school returning so we can assist your child if they are unsure of their core classes.

Uniform
All students in Kindergarten to Year 6 will commence in their full Summer Uniform and Summer Sports Uniform to be worn on Fridays only.

Pre-Kindergarten students will wear their Sports Uniform.

Please ensure that all uniform items are labelled.

What to bring each day In Primary
Students are asked to begin their lunchboxes and water bottles each day. We have water refill stations located around the school, but our bubblers are still non-operational. All items are to be labelled with your child’s full name and class.

Students will be given a diary that is required each day. It will be part of their uniform and is needed as an additional communication tool.

Masks are not mandatory in Primary settings, however, students are welcomed and encouraged to wear them while in the classroom.

All stationery and learning materials required as per the stationery lists are required from day one of school. Students in K-2 will have all their stationery items provided by the College. However, students who wish to bring their own pencil cases are welcome to do so. We do ask that all students in K-2 have their own headphones. Please ensure all items are labelled.

Classroom Times

Classroom and daily times in Primary will be the same as in term 4, 2021 and are as follows:

8.00am Supervision Begins

Primary
PERIOD 1	8.30AM- 9.22AM
PERIOD 2	9.23AM- 10.15AM
RECESS	10.16AM- 10.37AM
CORE CLASS	10.38AM-11.07AM
PERIOD 3	11.08AM-12.00PM
LUNCH 1	12.01PM- 12.23PM
LUNCH 2	12.24PM- 12.47PM
PERIOD 4	12.48PM- 1.40PM
PERIOD 5	1.14PM- 2.33PM
PERIOD 6	2.34PM- 3.25PM

Pre-Kindergarten

Start 9.00am finish 2.50pm- supervision available until 3.45pm

Kindergarten
Morning supervision begins at 8am each day.
Afternoon supervision will conclude at 3.45pm each day.

Staggered start times Day 1 Monday 31 January 2022
To assist with ensuring we are adhering to COVID safe measure and appropriately distanced; we will have a staggered start for KINDERGARTEN on Monday 31 January 2022.

K Green 8.30am
K White 8.45am
K Silver 9.00am
K Red 9.15am
K Black 9.30am

On the first day only, two parents, who are fully vaccinated, are permitted to walk their child to the classroom in the morning. Please check in using the QR code displayed at the front gates and have your vaccination certificates ready to show the relevant members of staff.

In Term 1, all Kindergarten classes will be ready to be collected from 2.50pm. Supervision will be available for all students until 3.45pm. If you require supervising of your child until 3.45pm, please contact your child’s class teacher. Parents are welcome to park and collect their child from the L Block ramp but are encouraged to use the College Kiss and Run system where the teachers will assist with afternoon pick up. Parents are asked to be socially distanced at all times and not to congregate with other parents and have discussions on school grounds.

Years 1 to 6
For new students beginning at the College in 2022, on the first day only, two parents, who are fully vaccinated, will be permitted to park their car and drop their child/ren off. Please know that for this to occur, parents must be fully vaccinated and will be required to show relevant vaccination certificates to relevant members of staff as well as sign in using the College’s QR code.

Morning supervision begins at 8am each day.

Afternoon supervision will conclude at 3.45pm each day.

All students in Years 1 to 6 will begin their school day at 8.30am.

Year 1 students will conclude their day at 2.50pm.
Students in Year 1 can be dropped off and collected from the Infants Kiss and Run Zone.

Year 2 students will conclude their day at 2.50pm.
Students in Year 2 can be dropped off and collected from the Primary Kiss and Run Zone.

Year 3 and 4 students conclude their day at 3.00pm.
Students in Years 3 and 4 can be dropped off and collected from the Primary Kiss and Run Zone.

Year 5 and 6 students conclude their day at 3.15pm.
Students in Years 5 and 6 can be dropped off and collected from the Primary Kiss and Run Zone.

If you have multiple children across the College, you are asked to come at the time of your eldest child. if your youngest child is in Pre-K to Year 1, you will need to collect them from the Infants Kiss and run Zone and then proceed to the Primary Kiss and Run Zone.

We are looking forward to seeing everyone as we begin 2022 and please feel free to contact the college if there is anything we can assist you with.

Kind regards,

Mrs Ljubica Mansell
Deputy Principal (Primary)

Message from the Deputy Principal (Secondary)

Mr Leighton Corr - Deputy Principal (Secondary)

Dear Families

Welcome to the New Year. A year where we had hoped to commence with far more certainty and the demands of Covid behind us. While that is not quite the case, we can assure you that we are working hard to be well prepared for the start of the school year.

We do hope you all had a chance to rest and relax over the break even with so much happening with the pandemic. This letter will provide you with information regarding the start of the year and also the year ahead. We hope you find this information helpful in preparing for your child returning, or joining us at Penrith for the first time. If you still have questions, please feel free to make contact with the College and we will seek to address any concerns you may have.

Daily Times
The day commences at 8:30am each day and concludes at 3:25pm. Each teaching period goes for 53 minutes and students should expect 50 minutes of teaching/learning and then time to pack up and head to their next lesson. Our Mentor time will go for 30 minutes each day with a schedule noted later in this letter.

Mobile Phones
A reminder for parents in the Secondary school about our Mobile Phone Policy; students cannot use their phones from the hours of 8:30am until 3:25pm. The exception to this is for the first 5 minutes of recess and the first 10 minutes of lunch. This will allow students to check their timetable, room changes, any important messages or contact home. Of course, we know at times phones can be used for learning activities and this will be communicated by the teacher for specific tasks. Outside of these times we ask that students keep their devices away.

Phones used outside of the appropriate windows will be confiscated for the remainder of the day and parents contacted if there is a second or third offence in any term.

Uniform
Our College uniform and sports uniform will remain the same in 2022 and the uniform shop is open ready for business. Please note that the uniform shop has moved locations and is now found in the L Block building. Details of our College uniform requirements can be found at: http://www.penrith.nsw.edu.au/enrol/essentials/uniforms/.

Mentor time timetable
The College seeks to provide students with a thorough and comprehensive school experience both in academic pursuits but also with a strong focus on well-being, and as a Christian school we endeavour to give every student a chance to explore the Christian faith and ask questions about the world and ensure that as young people, they are looked after and well connected with other students at the school.

Every fortnight students will spend time in their mentor groups, have a House Meeting (to be organized by their Head of House), attend Chapel, attend Assembly (which will be online to commence the year) and also have a year meeting for age specific content to be delivered. We will be resuming with our normal vertical mentor groups from the start of Term 1.

The table below gives some insight into the model we feel gives us every opportunity to help our students become informed and responsible global citizens who follow Christ and serve others.

Week	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday
A	Mentor	Mentor	Chapel	Assembly	Mentor
B	Mentor	Mentor	Chapel	Year Meeting	Mentor

Class Structure in 2022
There will be an academically high achieving class in each year group 7-10, but the remaining classes will be mixed ability, hence creating a more comprehensive learning environment for our students. 2021 assessment and testing data was used in the formation of these class lists. All classes will continue to have high expectations and will work towards the achievement of the same educational outcomes. Please note students will also have ‘creative classes’ for subjects like Music, TAS and will be completely mixed in Years 7-8.

The College carefully considers class placements for all of our students and ask that parents are supportive and understanding of the class their child has been placed in for the year.

New Staff
In 2022 we welcome a number of staff in the Secondary School. We are excited to have so many quality professionals join our community.

Mrs Marina Assey joins us as a Science teacher
Mrs Josefa Calfoforo joins us as a HSIE teacher
Mr Mark Latham joins us as a TAS and Science teacher
Ms Corrinne Robinson joins us as a Mathematics teacher
Mr Isaac Bingham joins us as a PDHPE teacher
Mr Jacob Fleming joins us as an English teacher
Mrs Alix Madden joins us as a Science teacher
Mr Nick Lane joins us as Head of Performing Arts

We also welcome some staff back to our College in 2022.

Mrs Kim Crawford returns to teach English, Performing Arts
Mrs Donica Marks returns to teach Mathematics
Mr Phil McIntyre returns to teach Mathematics

First Day
School resumes for Years 7,11 and 12 on Monday 31 January, with all other students commencing on Tuesday 1 February. On both days we will begin with an Assembly and this will need to happen virtually. Details will be provided to students so they know where to attend. Students will then go to Mentor Groups to collect their diaries and timetables and complete other organisational needs. We will look to have all students in class as quickly as possible to commence their learning.

Key Contacts
As parents, your primary contact person for general matters will be your child’s Mentor Teacher. For subject related matters we encourage you to communicate with the class teacher or Head of Department. The other key contacts of note are listed below.

Heads of House: Mr David Andison (Cranmer) d.andison@pac.nsw.edu.au

Mr David Thurlow (Latimer) d.thurlow@pac.nsw.edu.au

Miss Sophie Tucker (Ridley) s.tucker@pac.nsw.edu.au

Mr Tim Pigot (Ryle) t.pigot@pac.nsw.edu.au

College Counsellor: Mr Jon Wright j.wright@pac.nsw.edu.au

Director of Student Wellbeing: Miss Adele Crane a.crane@pac.nsw.edu.au

Director of Studies: Mr Felix Kobus f.kobus@pac.nsw.edu.au

Director of Student Development (10-12): Mrs Fiona Wright f.wright@pac.nsw.edu.au

Deputy Principal (Secondary): Mr Leighton Corr l.corr@pac.nsw.edu.au

Principal: Mrs Felicity Grima principal@pac.nsw.edu.au

Diary Dates for Term 1 2022

Tuesday 1 February	Year 7 Information Evening
Thursday 3 February	Swimming Carnival
Thursday 3 February	Year 11 Information Evening
Monday 7 February	Year 10 Career Testing
Friday 18 February	Alumni Thanksgiving Service
14 - 18 February	Year 10 Career Profiling Consultation
Friday 11 February	Family Fun Night
Wednesday 2 March	NASSA Swimming Carnival
Wednesday 9 March	Year 11 & 12 parent/student/teacher Interviews
Wednesday 30 March	Year 7-10 parent/student/teacher Interviews
Monday 4 April	Year 7-10 parent/student/teacher Interviews
Wednesday 6 April	Cross Country Carnival
Friday 8 April	Easter Chapel

Thank you for taking the time to read this letter and I hope it has been helpful in giving some key information for the year ahead. I hope that your child has a wonderful year and can engage in their learning in a meaningful way in 2022. I look forward to partnering with you to help them achieve their best.

God Bless,

Mr Leighton Corr
Deputy Principal (Secondary)

In this issue

From the Principal

Start of Term 1

COVID-19 Update

Welcome to New Staff

2022 College Executive Team

College Term Dates 2022

Teaching and Learning

Parent Portal

College App

Stationery Lists 2022

Primary School

Message from the Deputy Principal (Primary)

Secondary School

Message from the Deputy Principal (Secondary)

Performing Arts

2022 College Production Update

Community Notices

Image Permission Withdrawal Form

2022 Student Residential Address and Other Information Collection Notice for Parents

Uniform Shop New Location and Trading Hours

Outside School Hours Care (OSHC) - Camp Australia

Opal Card Applications for School Travel 2022 Are Open

Community Business Directory