The Vine Newsletter

Mrs Felicity Grima - Principal

It has been another busy two weeks in the life of our College and, as you can see from this edition of our newsletter, your children have had many learning opportunities and special events to enjoy. 

College Tours

College tours are a great way for families to visit our campus and ask questions as they consider schools for their children. Next week we are opening the Pre-Kindergarten classrooms and holding an information session. If you have any friends or family who are looking for a Pre-Kindergarten program for their child, please invite them to join us.

Our Director of Teaching and Learning, Mr Phil McMurray, has written an article in this newsletter considering some of the questions we are asked at tours and what makes our College unique. It’s a good opportunity to be reminded of the values that are at the heart of our College.

Winter

As we are now in Winter, we are well into the cold and flu season, with COVID 19 still prominent in the community. We would like to remind our families that if your child has cold or flu symptoms, that they are not to attend school until all the symptoms have gone away.

Please know that if your child develops any cold or flu like symptoms at school, students will need to go home. We ask that you understand that we are following the NSW Health Guidelines and are only trying to keep everyone healthy and safe at school.

College Production

Rehearsals are in full swing and we are all very excited to see the results of the hard-work that is going into putting our College Production together. It has been 3 years since we were last able to have a musical so I know everyone is looking forward to being in the audience at one of the shows. Please buy your tickets if you haven't already and support our Sponsors below.

Mrs Felicity Grima
Principal

Have you booked your seats yet?  Seats are selling fast so book your tickets now https://www.trybooking.com/BYDMY

Don't miss out - performances are on:

17 June at 7pm
18 June at 7pm
24 June at 7pm
25 June at 1:30pm and 7pm

Thank you to our generous sponsors for their support of the upcoming College production:

Box Hop Moving Box Hire https://boxhop.com.au/

Devine Scapes Landscaping Renovations http://www.devinescapes.com.au/

Jaymak Equipment Hygiene Services https://jaymak.com/

Mindflare Mental Health Services https://mindflare.com.au/

"The Lord your God is with you,
the Mighty Warrior who saves.
He will take great delight in you;
in his love he will no longer rebuke you,
but will rejoice over you with singing.”

Zephaniah 3:17

Please pray for:
Those families in the College community experiencing times of hardship and stress.
Those involved in the upcoming College Production.
Year 10 students as they begin the process of selecting subjects for Year 11 and 12.

 Praise God for:
The way our fabulous Year 6 students interact so wonderfully with their Kindy buddies.
The many opportunities in the performing arts, sport and other areas which exist for students at the College.
Classrooms with heaters in this cold snap!

Mr Philip McMurray - Director of Teaching and Learning P-12

Unique Distinctives

Who are we?

What makes us distinct?

How are we different from other schools?

These are the kind of questions that visitors frequently ask when they come on a College Tour. And they are great questions.

Being a part of the College means being part of a community that delights in learning, strives to improve continually, and is keen to promote student agency through teachers and teaching that engages students in meaningful activities. It makes sense. That is what we are about and what we invite others to join.

But it’s more than that.

I was invited to witness the closing moments of the Year 10 CEP activities, where parents and students recognise the natural transition that has occurred and that their children are no longer little but emerging young adults. As the sun was setting, the heart of what makes us unique shone brightly at that moment in time. The rain clouds limited the glow of the moment, but it was the words and poignancy of the occasion that captured the heart of Penrith Anglican College.

We’re passionate about people. In that one simple but deliberate ceremony, everyone present got it too. School isn’t just about learning – the learning, resources, staff – all our energies are because of people.

And that, too, makes sense. We are a Christian school, and with that comes a dedication to value, honour, and respect every member because they are made by God! It means we have an eternal perspective that shapes our desire to care for, encourage, support, and love every community member alongside our passion for teaching.

Tim Keller captured the essence of what it means to see people as made by God and being precious to him. It all comes down to identity – its source and the sustaining power of its foundation. He says:

“If our identity is in our work, rather than Christ, success will go to our heads,

and failure will go to our hearts.”

So, who are we and why are we different? We are Christians, committed to valuing students and staff, friends, families and visitors as people uniquely made by God. It means that we are a learning environment intent on quality education because we never lose sight of the fact that people are far more than the sum of their successes, failures, or plans. People are precious!

Mr Philip McMurray
Director of Teaching and Learning P-12

Mrs Ljubica Mansell - Deputy Principal (Primary)

Dear Families

Primary School has been buzzing over the past few weeks with so many exciting events taking place.

Primary Athletics Carnival
On Thursday 19 May, students participated in our Athletics carnival. Students participated in a range of events ranging from shot put, javelin, high jump, long jump and running events as well as novelty-based games in between. Many students achieved personal bests in their events and enjoyed the opportunity to participate on the day. It was wonderful to see students participating in events for the very first time and supporting one another. The sunshine that beamed over the carnival was just delightful and allowed everyone to enjoy the event.

Book Parade
On Wednesday 25 May, the Primary students and staff transformed into incredible book characters from so many different genres. There was a sea of colour and creativity as the students paraded their costumes to the audience.  Each year we are surprised by the creativity of our students and enjoy the opportunity to learn about their favourite characters. We were blessed to have our families join us in the Lighthouse Theatre to celebrate with us.

Assembly Updates
Once again, we celebrated the achievements of students who have demonstrated a commitment to learning in all aspects of the school. Congratulations to all students who received a certificate of Merit this week.

At our Primary assembly, students in Year 3 provided the audience with a recount about their Solar Ovens. It was wonderful to hear the processes students used throughout the project and even more interesting to hear about the modifications they needed in order to obtain their desired result.

PeaceWise Kids

We continue to learn about being Peacemakers here at Penrith Anglican College, our students have well and truly embraced the valuable messages within the program.

I have the privilege of teaching PeaceWise Kids to some classes in Primary and I would like to share some of the highlights from my Year 2 and Year 5 classes.

In Year 2, we have been learning about Empathy. Students engaged in learning more about ‘Empathy’ and incorporating their senses into the activity.   Students created their own stories demonstrating their understanding of the word Empathy and had the opportunity to share them with others in the classroom.

In Year 5, we have been exploring the ‘roadblocks’ we experience when dealing with conflicts. Students have been learning about these roadblocks, identifying how they affect them as individuals and the effects they may have on others.

Students engage in a variety of activities including role plays, games and interactive activities through their online PeaceWise Kids accounts. They also can use these strategies in real life situations while in the playground or outside of school.

In all of our lessons, we remind students about the Peacemaking pie and the 5 A’s of Apology which I have included for you here. Ask your child about what it means to be a peacemaker and what they have been learning about.

Wishing you all a lovely week ahead and I look forward to sharing more exciting updates about Primary school in the next edition of the Vine.

Kind regards and God Bless,
Mrs Ljubica Mansell
Deputy Principal (Primary)

As part of the Year 12 Tabitha program, Kindergarten students and their Year 6 buddies have commenced the Primary School Olympics during buddy time on Tuesday afternoons. It was a fantastic opportunity to form closer connections not only with their buddies but also our Year 12 students.

The College's Foundation Headmaster, Mr Barry Roots, visited Year 2 to talk to them about the history of the College as part of their Stage 1 History unit. Year 2 discovered lots of interesting information about the history of the College including the uniform, the College colours and the College motto. The students were able to ask questions and were a bit shocked to discover there weren’t any interactive whiteboards or Ipads when Mr Roots started as Headmaster. Thank you, Mr Roots for being so generous with your time and graciously answering questions the students had.

Doreen Akello is a 5 year old girl from Uganda who lives with her grandparents and five siblings. Her grandfather is sometimes employed as a farmer.

Doreen’s chores are to care for animals, carry water and care for her siblings.  She likes to draw, play ball games and go to Sunday School. 

There are approximately 6000 residents who live in the plains of Okisiran. Walls of homes are made of mud, earth, and clay and the roofs are made of grass or leaves. The regional diet consists of beans, cassava, maize and millet. Common health problems in the area are malaria because the area is surrounded by swamps and typhoid. 

How blessed we are to live in our beautiful, free and healthy nation of Australia! Due to the sponsorship Doreen receives she can be educated, receive medical assistance and nutritious meals. She may grow to one day be a world changer and all because of the generosity of students and families at PAC! Thank you from her family and me!

Mrs Sue Munce
Primary Compassion Coordinator

Our College Book Parade went ahead on Wednesday 25 May despite the threat of bad weather. Our primary students toured through the Lighthouse Theatre to the delight of College families present. It was a delight to see a variety of book characters with many students having worked on their own costumes. National Simultaneous Storytime followed at 11am for our primary students, who had the story “Family Tree” written by Josh Pyke and Ronojoy Ghosh virtually read to them via video link. Over 1 million people participate in NSS simultaneously each year. Thanks to our families for creating a great celebration of stories on the day!

Mr Mark Pullen
Head of Library Services

Reconciliation week this year commenced on Friday 27 May. The day prior to this was our Secondary School Assembly where students had the chance to first learn and reflect on this important time. Unfortunately, our local indigenous speaker was unable to come on the day, and so Miss Crane spoke to students instead. The day of our Assembly was National Sorry Day, a day to remember and acknowledge the mistreatment of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples who were forcibly removed from their families and communities, which we now know as the Stolen Generations. Our Assembly day was also the 5 year anniversary of the The Uluru Statement From The Heart which is addressed to the Australian people, inviting them to create a better future via the proposal of key reforms.

Helping students to better understand our history and encourage them to want to work towards healing and a better, united future is important to our College. Reconciliation is about building relationships, respect and trust between the broader Australian community and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. It is important for all Australians to learn about and celebrate the rich diversity of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and histories. To achieve reconciliation, we need to develop strong relationships built on acknowledgment, respect, and relationships that are free of racism.

The theme for Reconciliation Week in 2022 is ‘Be Brave. Make Change.’ Tahlia Mayo from Year 10 shared the following in our Assembly, when she was asked what this theme means to her –

"For me this theme means we need to be brave to make good changes. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders value being included and respected. It would be great if people knew more about things such as the Uluru Statement and valued what it trying to achieve and recognise. We need to be brave and change things that result in too many aboriginal deaths in custody. There are still many injustices that indigenous people face in terms of racism and discrimination. We as students here can call out this if we see it and value everyone."

Our Secondary students had a chance to consider the themes from Reconciliation Week over the last five years. When asked which theme best fits our College, the majority of Mentor Group students nominated 2020’s theme of ‘In this Together’. It is true that we need to be brave and tackle the unfinished business of reconciliation so we can make change for all. But it is encouraging to know that we can work on this as one nation as we are in this together.

Miss Adele Crane
Director of Student Wellbeing

The Western Sydney Model United Nations Assembly (MUNA) is a two-day event involving senior high school students to emulate the United Nations. PAC registered two teams. Braden Jones, Oliver Jenkins and Elysia Castillejo represented Taiwan and the Palestine team consisted of Timothy Batcheldor, Elena Tomaras and Vanshika Rathore. Teams were given the task to exemplify the views of their country during BLOC meetings and during the debating process. Resolutions for debate included the humanitarian consequences of the aggression against Ukraine, Kazakhstan, the situation in Myanmar, the situation in the South China Sea, the effects of universal sanctions and the structural reform of the UN. Students in the Taiwan and Palestine team are commended for researching and preparing speeches to move or abstain the resolutions. They rose to the challenge, spoke conscientiously and applied their negotiation skills. Thank you to the Rotary Club of Penrith Valley for sponsoring the teams and thank you to District 9685 Western Sydney MUNA Committee for organising an enjoyable even.

Ms Josefa Calfoforo
HSIE Teacher

This year, The Anglican Schools Corporation introduced an Internship Program. This program is designed for interns to engage in a diverse range of school-based functions, not ordinarily covered as part of university study or practicum experiences, providing experience and insight into the diversity of an Anglican school setting experiences, in preparation for their first year of teaching.

We are fortunate enough to have Bethany Schanzer with us in the English Faculty this year.

Bethany, how did you get involved in the Internship Program?

I heard about the Internship Program through a friend of mine. I did further research and thought it was a wonderful opportunity to gain experience in a school environment where Christ was at its centre.

Can you tell us a little about your family?

My family consists of my mum, dad, sister and brother-in-law. We also have two dogs who have very easily weaved their way into the centre of our family.

What do you enjoy doing in your spare time and what Church do you attend?

I enjoy playing netball on the weekend and exploring new scenic walks with friends. I attend St George North Anglican Church and it's been a joy watch God at work as more people join.

What has been the highlight of your time at Penrith Anglican College so far?

It has been a great blessing to have been so warmly welcomed into the College. It has been wonderful seeing the Christ-centred community which PAC seeks to build amongst its staff and student and I look forward to experiencing this throughout the year.

What is your favourite Bible verse and why?

And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord's holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge - that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. (Ephesians 3:17b-18).

This verse reminds me of how deeply loved I am by my Father. Whilst it is a wonderful comfort of the unity we have with God's people, it makes me pray all the more that many more people would come to understand how fully loved and fully known they are by God. 

How can our community be praying for you?

I would appreciate prayer for effective time management as I undertake my studies in conjunction with the internship, that God might be glorified in all aspect of my life.

Miss Lauren Kenny
Head of English

In Term 1 this year, Year 9 students worked in pairs to build a bridge at least 500mm in length, using bamboo skewers and paddle pop sticks.

This challenge demonstrates an understanding of structural engineering principles.

To test their designs, the bridges were placed between two benches and loaded with weight to measure their maximum load capacity i.e. when they collapsed.

Students then reflected on their designs & possible improvements. 

Mrs Diane Catto
Head of Technologies

Year 12 Hospitality students ran a Café event for College staff on Monday 30 May in the Hospitality space.  Students prepared and served a range of espresso-based coffees on the day, as well as prepared an incredible selection of food.  On the menu was Pulled Pork Sliders & Asian Slaw, Milk Chocolate Tarts, Lemon Myrtle, White Chocolate & Raspberry Blondies (GF).  Is your mouth watering yet?

Code Camp at Penrith Anglican College is now live! The camp is running on 14-15 July and is bookable via www.codecamp.com.au/pac

Please see flyer attached.

Penrith City Council is proud to hold this annual NAIDOC event at Jamison Park, South Penrith on Thursday 7 July from 10am-4pm.  On the day there will be cultural performances, workshops, activities, food and more. This celebration is especially important for First Nations students to see and engage with their culture, history and heritage, though everyone is welcome.  For more information please see attached flyer, or contact Penrith City Council directly. 

Please find attached flyers with information about the upcoming HSC Series at Penrith City Library. Sessions are free but places are limited and bookings are essential.

The latest version of our Community Business Directory is now available for download.

The Community Business Directory acts as a link for business and families to support each other.  This initiative has been created by the Parents & Friends Association for businesses of Penrith Anglican College families rather than a general advertising site to assist our College Community during the COVID-19 pandemic.  Each business in the Directory has a direct link with a College family.

Please note, the Parents & Friends Association, Penrith Anglican College and their staff will not be liable for any interactions or transactions that occur between any parties connected through this P&F Initiative. The Parents & Friends Association has not vetted the information, products or offerings provided by these businesses. 

We will continue to update this document and post a link to the updated version on the website and the College App.  If you would like your business to participate in the Community Business Directory, please fill out the form via this link. There is no cost involved.

We are excited to be able to support our College families in this way, and hope you find this Directory helpful.

Primary NASSA Cross Country
The conditions for the NASSA Cross-Country Carnival were tough this year. Many would say it was a ‘true’ Cross-Country run. All students competed extremely well as they fought their way through mud, mud and more mud. 

A big congratulations to Audrey Morris who finished 2nd in the 8/9 girls and Alexandra Hall who finished 3rd in the 11 years girls. (Photo credit: Mrs Morris).

Well done also to Harper Egglestone and Chloe Turner who qualified for the CIS Cross-Country Carnival which will be held at Sydney Motorsport Park, Eastern Creek on 8 June.

NSW 2022 CSSA Primary State Gymnastics Championship
Congratulations to Harper Egglestone who is the NSW 2022 CSSA Primary State Gymnastics Champion, winning the All-Around title for the Level 4 Division 1 WAG competition. Harper finished 2nd on vault, 2nd on beam, 2nd on bars, and 2nd on floor. Her consistency across all apparatus was enough to take the Overall title on points, in a very tight contest with some of the best gymnasts from across the State (Photo credit: Mrs Egglestone).

Mr Christopher Hall
Primary Sports Co-ordinator

 NASSA Secondary Cross Country:

• Hannah Roots – 1st 16 girls
• Alexander Wright – 1st 17 boys
• Five Year 12 students in attendance (Mia Kobus, Grace Patterson, Ashton Carroll, Jedd Kosman, Benjamin Mallin) – special thank you to them in their last NASSA Cross Country event
• Eight students qualified for AICES Cross Country

AICES Cross Country:

• Hannah Roots – 3rd 16 girls
• Jedd Kosman and Benjamin Mallin represented as Year 12 students – congratulations!
• Hannah and Eamon Toland have qualified for CIS Cross Country

AICES Football:

• Marcus Dimitri, Alexander Wright and Kalan Copeland represented PAC in the NASSA Football team. Congratulations to Marcus, who was selected to play in the AICES team in his final year of school at the CIS Championship.

Cohen Alleaume finished 2nd in the recent Jack Newton Jr Golf Competition at Port Macquarie, finishing 8-under the card. Cohen is working hard to reduce his handicap with the aim of qualifying for CIS Golf in 2023. (Photo credit : Mrs Edmonds). 

Sandra Stojanovic spend the weekend of 21-22 May in Gosford playing in the Tennis 14/u State Teams Event.  She was seeded number 1 in her team and played unbelievably well considering the family drove out of Sydney straight after getting back from Year 9 CEP camp the previous day. She was on court and ready at 7am!

CIS Swimming:

Our Junior Girls Medley Relay team of Klarissa Goodwin, Rebecca Hall, Isla Puri and Scarlett Stoneham finished an outstanding 5th at the CIS Championship. From NASSA, to AICES, and finally CIS, the girls improved their time over 5 seconds! (Photo credit:  Mrs Hall). 

Mrs Amanda Houison
Director of Sport