The Vine Newsletter

Mrs Felicity Grima - Principal

Dear Families

Throughout Semester One this year, the College engaged SEED to complete an external review of our Christian Mission and Ministry activities. This process involved staff, students and parents sharing insights to understand better the College's needs moving forward as we seek to honour our motto of 'To Serve Christ' and help us achieve our Gospel priorities identified in the Strategic Plan.

This review noted a variety of recommendations, including considering our staffing and personnel for effective ministry. Appointing a team of people who would work together on planning and implementing our Mission and Ministry activities was a strong recommendation. To lead this team, there will be a Director of Christian Mission and Ministry. This role will be a member of the College Executive and will be involved in the recruiting, appointments and leadership of other Ministry team members.

After much prayer and a thorough process, I am pleased to announce the appointment of Mr Phil McMurray as our Director of Christian Mission and Ministry. Mr McMurray is very well known in our College community and a long-standing staff member. Commencing at the College as a Primary teacher in 2010, he is currently serving as our Director of Teaching and Learning and was Acting Head of Primary earlier this year. He is a respected member of our community and is passionate about serving our College.

Mr McMurray has educational and theological qualifications and significant experience in Ministry both in and outside school settings. He and his wife, Melanie, are actively involved in their local church, Penrith Anglican Church (St. Stephens). Mr McMurray is deeply passionate about the Gospel and helping young people engage in the Bible. We believe and pray that he will be an excellent leader as our College continues to engage people in the Gospel.

Throughout Term 4, Mr McMurray will transition into this new role. He will continue to oversee Teaching and Learning until a suitable replacement is found. We are sure you will join us in praying for Mr McMurray as he commences this new position and for the College generally as we seek to serve Christ.

With the creation of this new role, recruitment has also commenced for a Head of Christian Living, who will be responsible for curriculum leadership of the Christian Living faculty in the Secondary School. Recruitment for a new Director of Teaching and Learning will commence soon.

I want to acknowledge and thank all our staff involved in leading our Christian Mission and Ministry programs across the College in 2023, with particular thanks to Mr Corr and Mrs Heath who have played significant roles.

I pray you have a safe and restful term break and look forward to seeing you in Term 4. 

Mrs Felicity Grima
Principal

Hebrews 4:16 (NIV)
Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence,
so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

Please pray for:
Students and Staff on the Duke of Edinburgh hike.
New Staff appointments.
A restful and safe school holidays.

Praise God for:
Years 3-6 Performing Arts evening.
Fun and teamwork on Latimer House Charity Day.
Year 12 Events and Graduation.

Mr Anthony Kelshaw - Director of Students (7-9)

As the Director of Students for Years 7-9, I have many conversations with students about a myriad of different topics. From navigating bus routes home, who said what on Snap, what is happening over the holidays, how do I improve my marks, and many other topics that students want to discuss as they navigate the world around them.

Whilst not a daily topic of conversation, there are times where students are struggling with feelings of anxiety. Providing strategies for managing these feeling is part of my job, and it brings great satisfaction. After reading this blog post (https://tinyurl.com/bdedbfv5) by Elaine Griffin, I have been challenged to consider the way I approach some of these conversations around anxiety.

Elaine’s blog post challenges the current cultural practise of putting clinical labels on feelings that are a normal part of life for both adults and adolescents. The recent change in language from “I have butterflies” or ‘I am feeling nervous” prior to delivering an in-class speech, representing the College in sport or performing on stage in the musical to “I am anxious” puts language from the clinical psychology profession onto feelings that are normal and healthy for adolescents to experience.

The adults in our young people’s lives have a responsibility to help shape their responses to the uncertainty that elicits these feelings. Part of this shaping is helping students accurately name the feeling they are experiencing. Rather than taking the mental short cut of labelling negative feelings as “anxious”, using the Feelings wheel to empower students to name what they are experiencing helps them accurately articulate what is going on and helps them more fully understand themselves.

Andrew Fuller’s article Relationships, connects a young person’s ability to know themselves with the quality of their relationships. “Most people don't know very much about their inner senses and it often shows in their relationships. If you are out of tune with yourself, it is very hard to be in tune with others”.

It is tough for parents in the adolescent years to know how their young person is traveling. Timing is everything for teens and finding an appropriate time to encourage and normalise discussions about feelings will set young people up for success in the future. Cultivating a rich and diverse vocabulary of emotions allows young people the scope to describe what is going on in their world in a way that is healthy and leads to the development of resilience and stronger relationships through self-knowledge.

The upcoming holidays are a great opportunity to find the time for these conversations. Walk along a beach or through the mountains, sit in a coffee shop, ride a bike, go for a drive or just hang out at home and listen to music with your young person – they crave your attention in our busy world. 

Teen conversation starters - https://www.scienceofpeople.com/teen-conversation-starters/

Mr Anthony Kelshaw
Director of Students (7-9)

Mrs Melinda Richardson - Deputy Principal (Primary)

When I am afraid, I put my trust in You – Psalm 56:3

Throughout our Performing Arts evenings this term, the clear message that ran through was how we can trust God to help us in our daily lives. Learning about God is at the heart of all we do. It is not just through Chapel and Christian Living, but rather, it is intricately woven through our school day to help our learners make sense of the world around them. We are here because of God – the Bible tells us so. In the good times and in the not so good times, we can trust that God cares, and He will provide.

Term Three has been filled with a whole host of events, and has demonstrated so clearly, the amazing community within the college, and the strength of partnership between you, our parents, and the staff that work here. I trust that you have had the opportunity to connect with the school in some shape or form this term. We, as educators, can only serve our learners best, through the partnership we have with you, so I thank you for all you have done this term to support us. I would also like the opportunity to acknowledge our amazing staff, who invest their time in caring for our students and ensuring that their learning journey continues. We are incredibly blessed with such dedicated team!

I pray that the school holidays are a wonderful blessing of refreshment, ready for Term Four.

Mrs Melinda Richardson
Deputy Principal (Primary)

This week, Year 2 made Gozleme from vegetables they have grown in their garden, and animal and plant products they have learnt about in Science. In English they also learnt about procedures.

Mr Leighton Corr - Deputy Principal (Secondary)

As we come to the end of Term 3, a term that has been so busy with so many events and highlights, the attention naturally and rightfully becomes our Year 12 cohort graduating from the College.

I had the pleasure of being involved in their Graduation Service and their Valedictory Dinner. At each of these events quite a few things stood out to me as being clear and positive.

1. PAC is a place that seeks to recognize their students and farewell them well. There were a number of people who spoke about this, but such detail and care was taken to make sure these events went well. My thanks to the many staff who worked hard to make sure our class of 2023 were farewelled well.

2. We have very talented students. For anyone who was present at these events you could not argue with the amazing abilities and talents of so many of our students. Those who spoke and performed were far from ‘students’ but acted and spoke like young adults. It was incredibly impressive to see what our Year 12s brought to this event.

3. The Gospel was clearly shared. Throughout both events, there was a genuine focus on sharing the good news of Jesus Christ and what that can mean for our community. I was encouraged that at such a significant milestone for young people the message was not all about ‘well done, you’ve finished school’, but very much on know who you are and where you are going.

I thank all of the student body for contributing well to these events and allowing Year 12, 2023 to go out the way they did.

Mr Leighton Corr
Deputy Principal (Secondary)

The day finally arrived on Monday 18 September….the final instalment of our Staff v Student 2023 series.

The series has been all tied up and on the day, students were confident in having National Netball player Isabella Degei lead them to a comfortable win against the aging staff, and they were not wrong. Congratulations to the Class of 2023 who had the pleasure of being crowned the victor and receiving the inaugural Staff v Student Trophy!

Thank you to Mr David Andison and Mr David Tucker for their creation of the 'Kangaroo Cup Trophy' - the new perpetual trophy for the Staff v Student tournament. 

This term we had our Year 8 CEP at Lake Macquarie. The CRU camp staff were very warm and made the visit an enjoyable and memorable one. We had a blast participating in a range of activities which included fishing, sailing, rock climbing, canoeing, archery and much more. The windy weather was perfect for the water-based activities. From sailing at immense speeds to climbing the massive rock-climbing tower we were always engaged and having fun with our friends and peers. The facility also had ping-pong tables and a volleyball court where we hosted and played lots of games in our free time. My personal most memorable experience was playing ping-pong with the camp leaders at night, going against them in a mini tournament. On the second night we had a bivouac and camped in tents away from the main accommodation. During the bivouac we learned how to set up tents and cooked our own dinner, which turned out to be an enjoyable experience and helped us connect with each other. After that we had a campfire night. We all sat around a campfire, listening to fascinating stories about the camp leaders' lives, enjoying the warmth of the fire and toasting marshmallows. Finally, on the last day of CEP we packed our bags and said our goodbyes, I'm sure everyone wanted to stay longer. It was the most unique and engaging CEP yet with lots to do and great carers who looked after us and made sure we had the most fun we possibly could. Akshaj Sharma

A trip to Lake Macquarie had been possibly the best way to start off spring. We arrived at 10am, the skies almost impossibly blue and clear. Our surroundings distinctly marked by blue shores.

I was to camp out 1km away from the official site for the first night. The majority of this experience comes a blur, cooking pasta with my friends and singing along to songs on the speaker, but what truly marked me most was gazing into the stars whilst hearing the crackle of the campfire - students surrounding it with laughter as we heard stories and roasted marshmallows. This was certainly the most nostalgic part of camp perfectly pieced together. We set up our tents and said our final "goodnights" whilst we drifted to sleep.

The following day was the most eventful, filled with activities abroad the lake. We first went canoeing (not the best experience considering how many times I bumped, fell and got sand in the canoe). Other than that, I could feel a sense of amazement and accomplishment as we did all sorts of challenges.

We then had lunch, and by far, this is the best camp food I've ever tasted. In my lifetime I've never had camp food that tasted - well - good? The food was certainly a highlight!

Soon after lunch we went sailing, dividing ourselves into groups of 4 and learnt how to pull and control a sail. As soon as we started reaching further out the lake, I couldn't help but gaze at the gorgeous reflection of the sky in the water. The wind in my back and the speed of the boat had only made the experience feel all the more exhilarating! This was by far my favourite activity! 

The rest of the camp had been filled with games, fishing, land activities such as rock-climbing and obstacle courses, Christian talks and so much more! Overall the camp had been such a fantastic experience for me and my peers, and I hope to one day come back. Thalia Rao

As part of the practical component of their Food Service and Catering Unit, Year 10 Food Technology students curated ‘plated’ treats for Staff to enjoy at Recess. Staff were wowed by the savoury and sweet items on the menu, beautifully presented on individual plates. Year 12 Hospitality students provided coffee service. Thank you to Mrs Catto and students for a wonderful morning tea.

The final countdown for Year 12 students started a fortnight ago, starting with No Bags Day, where students turned up to school carrying their belongings in anything but their College backpacks. Among the perennial favourites, laundry baskets and shopping trolleys, were many other creative efforts - fishing nets, toy wheelie bins, tricycle, eskies, a blow-up raft, a baby pram and even a rice cooker! The fun and frivolity continued with jumping castles and inflatable gladiator at the Tabitha picnic, where students had the opportunity to sign each other's Year 12 Yearbooks.

For Dress Up Day, students arrived at school to be served a breakfast by staff. On the day, we had a scientist, healthcare workers, racing car drivers, a surfer, businesswoman, food service and retail workers, teacher, veterinarian, and lots of tradies. Can you guess the theme of the day? Not one to miss out on the opportunity to dress up, Mr Chris Hall and Miss Nat paid a surprise visit to say 'Hello'! Then it was time to face off at the Staff v Students Netball game.

On Thursday 21 September, their classroom days ended and many tears were shed as their families joined the whole school to farewell Year 12 students at the Graduation Service in the morning followed by the Valedictory Dinner that evening. We look forward to sharing more photos from Graduation Day with you in future editions of The Vine.

In her address, Principal Grima reminded our Year 12 students that rather than asking themselves 'what do I want to do next?', students should consider 'who do I want to be?'. Students were encouraged to uphold the values of the College - Compassion, Integrity, Courage, Humility and Perseverance - as they seek a place for themselves in this world, and to keep Christ at the forefront of everything they do. 

Congratulations to the Class of 2023. Godspeed.

There has been a lot happening in the Performing Arts department over the past 2 weeks. The Year 4 students are improving every week under the guidance of our Music Tutors and teachers who play along with them each Tuesday in class. Every Year 4 student plays either a Brass, Wind, Saxophone, or percussion instrument. From these classes, students are often asked to join the Junior Development Band which rehearses every Thursday morning from 7.30am.

The Senior Choir had the opportunity to perform their repertoire at the Nepean Village on Wednesday morning in front of shoppers, family and friends. Choir conductor Allison Lewis lead the choir in a number of songs including Don’t You Worry about a Thing, Africa, and Jesus Strong and Kind. The audience loved their performance, and were applauded loudly after every number. Rachel Dawes, Tegan Kumar, Colby Carroll and Cohen Alleume, also performed solos on the day. The choir also farewelled their favourite three Year 12 students who came to their final rehearsal on Wednesday morning. Their enthusiasm and voices will be missed.

Mr Nick Lane
Head of Performing Arts

Congratulations to all our athletes who attended the NASSA Athletics Carnival on 10 August. The wind and rain looked to threaten parts of the day but held it off for a great day of competing.

There were many great results over the course of the day which contributed to Penrith Anglican College coming Second overall.

Congratulations to the following Primary students for their stellar efforts:

Sabella Whelan – Junior Girls Age Champion
Harper Egglestone - Junior Girls Runner-Up
Jake Farrugia - Junior Boys Age Champion
Caleb Ritchie - 12yrs Boys Runner-Up

Well done to all our NASSA Athletics competitors:
Methuja Amarasena, Hague Asare, Ellyse Bayada, Koen Bayada, Rueben Bleasdale, Laura Broad, Sarah Broad, Jeremy Clark, Grace Cullen, Harper Egglestone, Mia Egglestone, Jake Farrugia, Alexander Galea, Isaac Galea, Alexander Godwin, Charlotte Green, Nathaniel Grima, Levi Holden, Olivia Holden, Leo Horne, Airlie Howard, Jacob Kurniadi, Aubree Mika, Matthew Morphett, Audrey Morris, Edward Morris, Owen Morris, Eva Nercessian, Imogen Ovington, Sienna Ovington, Ariana Peikos, Jenson Pillai, Caleb Ritchie, Max Rolles, Bianca Rossetto, Charlize Sielicki, Rocco Stillisano, Lincoln Stratford, Milly Sturt, Scarlett Sturt, Chloe Turner, Chloe Vella, Chloe Walker, Sabella Whelan, Havana Williams, Jacob Williams and Rugbertha Williams.

Congratulations to all our athletes who attended the CIS Athletics Carnival on 19 September The day sunny and hot and our students competed with great determination and grit despite the conditions.

Congratulations to Sabella Whelan, Harper Egglestone and Jake Farrugia who qualified for the NSWPSSA Athletics Championships in Term 4. Well done on your achievements, we will be cheering for you!

On Monday 11 September, our Junior Boys and Girls teams competed in the NSW State Primary Futsal Schools Championships at the Hawkesbury PCYC. The competition on display was of a high standard and our students performed well on the day. The Junior Boys qualified for the quarter finals, and we eliminated in golden goal. Our Junior Girls qualified for the semi finals before being defeated. Congratulations to both teams on this amazing achievement.

Junior Girls: Airlie Howard, Sophie Howland, Ava Hutton, Ava Issa, Chelsea Membreno, Audrey Morris, Sophia Rouggos, Aria Stanford, Chloe Walker and Rugbertha Williams.

Junior Boys: Methuja Amarasena, Koen Bayada, Noah Brooks, Jeremy Clark, Jake Farrugia, Levi Holden, Ace Lee, Isaac Leung, Jasper Leung and Bryson McKenna.

Congratulations to the following students who did PAC proud at Secondary CIS Athletics: 

Congratulations to Isabella Degei (Year 12) for completing her school Netball career in outstanding fashion. Bella was a member of the CIS team who competed at the NSW All Schools Tri-Series Challenge on Tuesday, 12 September. CIS won the Challenge, and Bella was named a member of the All Schools Merit Team. Bella, we are so proud of all your achievements over your time at PAC!

Mrs Amanda Houison
Director of Sport

Latimer House Charity Day was held on Thursday 14 September and was a huge success. We were blessed with incredible weather, and students across the whole school enjoyed the food, games, and music that was on offer. There was an amazing atmosphere and a sense of community at lunchtime as students from Years 3 to 12 came together in playing games and listening to student led music. Students from Kindergarten to Year 2 were able to enjoy games and activities run by some of our wonderful Year 6 students. The sponge throwing game attracted lots of older students wanting to take a hit at staff and student volunteers, while on the Farm rubber chickens were flying everywhere! 

Most importantly, the school community raised just over $3000 for the charity, Take Love. This charity provides support for families and individuals who need food, clothing, financial support, and temporary housing.

Thank you to all the staff, students, and families who helped bring everything together and enabled the day to run so smoothly.

Mr David Thurlow
Head of House - Latimer

Reminder: CRU Rush Day Camp will run from 25-29 September, which is during the first week of the September/October school holidays.

Participants will enjoy the experience of camp, with the chance to participate in exciting outdoor activities and explore a Christian worldview. Activities include Laser Tag, Lego building challenge, Jumping Castles, EzyRollers and much more.

Limited spots available so don't miss out! Register now.

Unleash your child's inner scientist at our Weird Science Holiday Program! Dive into a world of bubbling potions, mind-blowing experiments, and science tricks that will spark their imagination and curiosity.

Each day promises a day full of fun, laughter, and incredible discoveries. Prepare for epic explosions and gravity-defying surprises that will have them talking for days! Engage in interactive games and wacky challenges that will challenge their minds and creativity. 

Bookings are open. See the brochure for TheirCare OOSH holiday program for more details.

Kerry Gale, a PAC parent, is doing a walk to raise awareness and funds for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF). She will be taking 8,000 steps a day during October for the eight Australians diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes every day, and her goal is to raise funds to support research to improve lives and work towards a cure for this lifelong autoimmune condition.

If you would like to support this cause simply visit Kerry's personal fundraising page https://walk.jdrf.org.au/s/15852/28039/e