The Vine Newsletter

Mrs Felicity Grima - Principal

It was wonderful to have our College together for the Year 12 Graduation ceremony at the end of Term 3. It was the first time everyone was in the same room for this occasion and not on livestream. 

I wondered what the Class of 2023 would say if I asked them in Kindergarten what they wanted to do when they leave school. I looked back at the 2011 Yearbook, and I know what a few of you were thinking.

Laughlin Bennett – wanted to be a racing car driver

Hayden Comber – wanted to be a real estate agent and sell houses

Jenna Isaac – wanted to be a teacher like her Mummy

Matthew Fox – wanted to be a soccer player

Jacob Rolles and Oliver Jenkins – wanted to be policemen and Ollie noted that he particularly wanted to wear a blue hat

Cooper Lees - wanted to be a fireman

And Sam Lucas might've wanted to be in a rock band, but he also wanted to be a superhero!

I’m sure many Year 12 graduates had similar aspirations, although as they’ve grown up, those thoughts have probably been modified by a greater understanding of what is possible.

How many of you would say right now, I don’t know what I want to be OR would give a firm answer and say, “I know what I want to be! I want to be a doctor, a graphic designer, a teacher, an engineer, an accountant, or I want to be a plumber or a business owner”.

Our conversations at this point in Year 12 students school life quite naturally focus on your plans for future study, career aspirations and life goals. But over their time at the College, particularly these final years of high school, we have challenged you to consider more than just these endpoints. Whether you realise it or not, we have been shaping their experiences to support the development of WHO they want to be.

We speak consistently, and some would say constantly, about becoming reflective, relational, resilient, and resourceful learners, empowered to approach any new situations in life with the skills to learn and thrive, but more than that, we have challenged our Year 12 students to consider the strength of the character they are building. The opportunities we provide in the classroom, through the CEP camp program, service activities, co-curricular pursuits in debating, creative and performing arts, robotics, and sporting competitions are not just provided because we are a school. They are deliberately included so that our students can

- discover their passions

- to stretch them

- to confront them with alternative views

- to push them to the edge of their current abilities.

They are a chance to strengthen their character so that they continue growing as a person of compassion, a person with integrity, with courage and humility, and a person who displays perseverance in all that they do.

As Principal, I would be so proud if every person who graduated from PAC said when asked, “What are you going to be when you leave school?” they answered: “I’m going to be a person of character – I’m going to be compassionate, I’m going to be a person of integrity, a person known for my courage, humility, and perseverance.

In John 14:6 Jesus said: “I am the WAY, the TRUTH, and the LIFE. No-one comes to the father except through me.” Jesus made the way for you to have eternal life and he has a prepared a place in heaven for you.

Jesus’ offer beats the best ATAR, Uni placement, travel opportunities, or salary – though we hope you reach your goals in all these areas.

Jesus invites us all to enjoy complete belonging, hope, peace, and joy NOW – and forever.

My hope is that each person, not just Year 12 but all our students, will make a choice and place God at the centre of their lives. This will help them to establish who they are, and they will never have to worry about where they are going.

Please continue to pray for our Year 12s as they sit their exams, applying everything they have learned over the past two years. Pray they will have a sense of peace that their identity is in Christ and he knows their futures. 

Mrs Felicity Grima
Principal

Below outlines some key information for students and parents in the College for our last term of the year.

Carpark
Some safety reminders:

• Please only park in the allocated car spaces when collecting students, and do not use the service road for parking. This road is constantly used by moving vehicles and is an unsafe space for students to be getting in and out of vehicles.
• You should not be using your phone unless it is hands-free.
• Please slow down on the approach to crossings.

For those using Kiss n Run; please have your child’s name clearly displayed for staff on duty to read. New signs can be arranged by calling Reception. Primary parents are also reminded that students are to be collected from the Assembly Area at the end of the day, and not from classrooms. The only exception is for Pre-Kindergarten students.

We thank you for your support in keeping our students safe.

Uniform
With the weather warming up, this is a reminder to ensure students are bringing their college hat each day. The Uniform Shop is located in M Block, next to Their Care. The trading hours are:

Monday: CLOSED
Tuesday: 8am - 12pm
Wednesday: 1pm - 5pm
Thursday: 12pm - 4pm
Friday: 8am – 12pm

Whole College Events
Please save the dates:

• John Lambert Assembly will be held on Wednesday 18 October. Invitations have been sent to families of students receiving awards.
• Ridley House Charity Day will be held on Thursday 9 November and will be a whole College event. Students in Ridley House can wear their sports uniform on the day and further information will be distributed closer to the event. Keep an eye out on the school app.
• Whole School Christmas Chapel will be held on Friday 1 December in the College Gym. Families are welcome to join us.
• 2023 Presentation Day will be held on Wednesday 6 December. Further information regarding timing will be provided closer to the event.

James 1:2-4
Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds,
because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.
Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

Please pray for:
Class of 2023 as they sit the HSC exams: that they will stay calm
under pressure and perform to the best of their ability. May they be affirmed
in their efforts and know that You are with them.

Year 11 students who have commenced their Year 12 program this week:
give them the gift of wisdom, the courage to make the right choices,
and energy to end the year well.

Praise God for:
Our wonderful Parents & Friends volunteers who work so hard and always with a smile.
A safe and successful three-day Duke of Edinburgh hike.
His Providence.

Mr Philip McMurray, Director of Teaching and Learning (P-12)

Who doesn’t like a good story? As humans we love them. Some of us may prefer different genres and styles but all of us enjoy and appreciate the power and transformative nature of stories.

It’s not surprising really because humans are made for relationships – for connecting with others and through support, modelling or anti-types people learn. Term 4 is already upon us, and it’ll only be a few weeks before the bell-ringing ceremonies begin. Year 12 2023 students will ring the bell outside the Administration building to signal their final exams are over. Their schooling journey at our College finished. But that’s not the end of their story, it’s just the end of this season with the next one already forming and beginning to have clarity and expression.

For students not in Year 12, their stories are continuing at all different levels and with a kaleidoscope of varying expressions. That’s what is so powerful about our College Learning Culture's emphasis on being relational learners. Our students, teachers and parents must develop, model, practise and learn how to empathise with others’ experiences, respect a range of perspectives, collaborate and value the strength of teams, and emulate the habits or values of those who lead well.

We all know that it takes a village to raise a child, and it is the “way we do things around here”, placing immense value on student learning that we believe will shape our graduates into the kind of people who transform any situation in which they find themselves. So, this term, as we continue to consider the power of stories, I encourage you to spend time talking with your child about how they are going in building their relational skills – the skills of empathising, respecting, collaborating and emulating. No two stories will be identical, but in sharing stories together, the common thread of our humanity, our desire for community, belonging, support and love will come out. It is these that must shine, and not simply academic standings, for in building these we will nurture and develop empowered learners with strength of character who know and follow Christ and serve others. That’s an ongoing story that will continue long after students leave schooling behind.

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

Mrs Melinda Richardson - Deputy Principal (Primary)

Welcome back to Term 4!  I trust that the school holidays were a wonderful opportunity to reset and relax, ready for the final school term of 2023.

Philippians 4:8 “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things.”

At Assembly this week, I spoke with our students particularly about a focus on the value of integrity across this term at school. We discussed that having integrity is making the choice to do the right thing, even when it can be hard and perhaps no one is watching.  It requires us to be honest and truthful, even when we are afraid that the truth may get us in trouble. When we show integrity, people will respect us. Students were encouraged to be reflective, to stop and think about the choices ahead of them, and to go with the best choice. They were also encouraged to be ‘integrity identifiers’, where they can identify and celebrate the integrity of others.  

We desire our students to be the best they can be, and to be accountable for the choices they make. We want them to know that their actions build positive relationships with others. 

We would love your support in this endeavour. You could do this by modelling and verbalising integrity in your own decision making or by using real-world examples to help develop understanding. Please also consider becoming ‘integrity identifiers’ at home, celebrating when you see your child/children demonstrate integrity.

Mrs Melinda Richardson
Deputy Principal (Primary)

As families are aware, the school is home to a range of wildlife, in particular snakes and kangaroos. As portrayed in the media, snake season has come early and as a result, we have increased vigilance around snake awareness in the school. Please be assured that we have detailed procedures in place to ensure safety. 

Should you happen to see a snake whilst onsite, please contact our Administration Office immediately, and provide details that are as specific as possible. 

Thank you for your help in this matter.

• Year 2, 4 & 6 Swimming Program will be held f rom Monday 23 October – Friday 3 November.
• Kindergarten 2024 Orientation and Parent Information Session will be held on Wednesday 1 November, Thursday 9 November and Tuesday 14 November.
• Pre-Kindergarten 2024 Orientation and Parent Information Session will be held on Thursday 2 November.
• 2024 NEW Students Year 1 – 6 Orientation and Parent Information Session will be held on Thursday 23 November.
• Year 6 Graduation Chapel & Dinner will be held on Tuesday 28 November. Further information will be sent to Families of our Year 6 students.
• Pre-Kindergarten Presentation Afternoon will be held on Thursday 30 November. 

L Library is ablaze with great story ideas or try a new language ready for your next trip!

Welcome to Term 4 in the library. We are excited to continue library lessons this term where students are learning about the hairy-nosed wombat, shipwrecks and the role of zoos!

Borrowing continues during these classes and we have lots of exciting new titles to choose from. Come and see us for the latest information books, picture books and great stories from around the world. 

HSC exams have commenced and will affect G Library opening times this term. Please check with us for more information.

Library Staff

Mr Leighton Corr - Deputy Principal (Secondary)

It is always lovely to return to school with students after the schools holidays. There seemed to be a few extra smiles in the crowd on Monday morning after the Penrith Panthers' win in the recent NRL Grand Final. I hope that students and families did enjoy their time away from the College in the holidays and are feeling refreshed for the term ahead.

It was also great to welcome our Year 12 2023 students back on site to commence their HSC Examinations on Wednesday. It is a huge thing to walk into the Gym and know what is about to happen, but I commend the students for being diligent in their approach and wish them well as they complete their exams in the coming weeks. We tell our students often and genuinely mean that they will never be defined by a number or mark. We are confident that our graduating class of 2023 are well prepared both for their exams and life after school.

We also worked with our incoming Year 12 cohort with our annual Day One program. This is designed to help them understand the HSC a little better and enter their studies with a solid foundation and feeling prepared. My thanks to Mrs Fiona Wright and other staff involved in this day and well done to the students for their engagement.

Our 7-10 students have busily commenced getting ready for their upcoming examinations. As parents, be asking your children when their exams are, what they are on and encourage them not to stress, but to prepare. We often talk about the process of learning here at PAC and about everything being an opportunity to learn. Of course, we want our students to do as well as they can in the upcoming exams, but they should be seeing this as an opportunity to learn and grow and not just a mark.

Looking forward to the term ahead and seeing all that our students will achieve this term.

Mr Leighton Corr
Deputy Principal (Secondary)

• HSC Exams commenced on Wednesday 11 October – Friday 3 November. This is an important time for our Year 12 students, and we ask other students to be mindful of the noise as they make around the campus during the exam period.
• The Bell Ringing will take place again this year. As each student finishes their last exam, they make their way to the bell out the front of Reception and ring it to signal the end of their 13-year school journey. Families of our Year 12 students are welcome to join us to watch and celebrate. It is a great opportunity to take photos.
• Secondary Yearly Exams will be held:

Year 9 and Year 10 from 25 October – 27 October.
Year 7 and 8 from 30 October – 1 November.

• 2024 NEW Student Orientation Day and Parent Information Session:

Year 7 2024 will be held on Wednesday 8 November.
Year 8-12 2024 will be held on Thursday 16 November (For students and their families new to the College in 2024).

• Year 10 Work Experience Week will be held from Monday 6 November – Friday 10 November.
• Year 10 CEP Camp will be held from Thursday 16 November – Friday 17 November.
• Year 7 Vaccination will be held on Monday 20 November. Please contact Miss Nat in the Clinic if you have any questions.
• Year 10 Charity Ball will be held on Wednesday 29 November. Invitations and further information will be emailed to our Year 10 families.

The full suite of photos is available for viewing and/or purchase from The Wheatleys Photography via the link emailed to students and families.

Year 10 Food Tech have completed three other tasks over the last two terms.

• Superfood Bowls - showing the nutritional and health benefits.
• Design a Freakshake - Master Chef style challenge.
• Cake Design Task - displaying current presentation trends.

Mrs Diane Catto
Head of Technologies

During the first week of the school holidays William Watson (Year 10) was selected as part of a team of six from Orchard Hills Brigades to compete in the Rural Fire Service National Championships held at Douglas Park.  They competed over four days back-to-back events and the final day was the presentation.  This was the first time this team had competed. This team has now been selected to compete in a State field day.

The Cadet Coordinator for Orchard Hills RFS had this to say on their return:

"While we did not bring any trophies home, the cadets did make some new friends and gained experience moving forward. Our team was rated very highly from other brigades and organisers involved with the Championship for their skills, sportsmanship and their behaviour. The team would cheer on all other teams, and it is a credit to them all. They finished 8 overall out of 25 teams and did Orchard Hills proud."

Congratulations to Will and his fellow cadets. We are also proud of you and wish you the best for the State field day.

Over the October long weekend Torah and Estelle Kelly competed at the Equestrian Interschools competition.

Torah Kelly (Year 6) competed in the dressage competition. She competed at the highest level of dressage offered to primary school students and was awarded Third place in both of her tests.

Estelle Kelly (Pre-K) competed at her first Interschools competition in the Show Horse classes. She competed in six different events against children in Kindergarten to Year 6. Estelle and her horse Billy had a wonderful day, placing First in two classes and receiving four Third place ribbons.  

Both Torah and Estelle represented PAC proudly, with Torah qualifying to represent PAC at the NSW Interschools Championships in 2024.

Sandra (Year 10) and Ana (Year 7) Stojanovic recently spent two weeks training at the John Newcombe Tennis Ranch in Texas, USA. They both had a great time, working hard and taking part in match play with some of the best recruits.

After a tour of six elite colleges in the Texas area, Sandra’s Coach had further contact with Div 1 UTSA to say that she has been added to the exclusive recruiting list for Colleges in the US for 2025/2026.

Congratulations Sandra! This is an awesome result and a credit to her for all the hard work she’s been putting in on and off the court, and will surely open many doors for her, no matter what path she decides to take in the future.

We would like to acknowledge the achievement of a number of our Year 6 students who were crowned the 2023 Netball Penrith District Premiers for the U12 Division 3. Congratulations to Mia Borger, Amarissa Middleton-Swart, Kara Murphy, Havana Williams, Olivia Holden, Emmie Bakheet, Sarah Broad and Layla Davidson (Coach: L. Holden). 

There have been some changes to Canteen ordering for this Term. Due to the continued rise in the costs of obtaining ingredients, we have had to increase our prices. We have also removed and replaced a few items on our menu and this term will see the introduction of a Bacon, Lettuce, Tomato Burger, and Caesar Salad. We will also be trialling falafels for sandwiches or to add to your salad, and an option of Vegan Mayonnaise will be available in addition to our regular Mayonnaise. I have attached a copy of our current menu for you.

Orders can be placed for Breakfast (7am cut-off), Recess and Lunch (9am cut off). We also offer a limited late order menu (11am cut-off) through Flexischools, and orders can be placed weeks in advance.

As a result of the growing number of people calling the Canteen after the cut-offs or forgetting to order, from Monday, 16 October 2023, we will be charging a fee of $5.00 per student for the extra time involved in having to manually process the order, contact parents and follow up on payments for food provided. To avoid this fee, you could provide your child with a card that allows them to make purchases from the Canteen. There are many companies and banks that offer these, or Flexischools has one that may work for you. You can find out more information at https://www.flexischools.com.au/flx.

Should you have any questions or suggestions please feel free to contact myself or one of the other Canteen staff at [email protected] or phone us on 4736 8100 (after 1:40pm is the best time).

Michelle Cochrane
Canteen Manager

Do you have a child aged 7-11yrs and live in Western Sydney? Join a project on physical activity among families! It involves a brief survey and discussion session. Each participant receives a $20 digital gift card upon completion of the discussion and survey. 

The Families Active and Strong Together (FAST) project is a family-based research study being conducted by a team of researchers from Western Sydney University, in conjunction with Collective Leisure, a social enterprise aiming to improve health and wellbeing of Australian families.  

Why are we doing this? 
We are doing this research project to find out what families think about physical activity and muscle-strengthening activities.  

What do we hope to achieve? 
The findings from this project will be used to inform future physical activity studies among families in Western Sydney. We hope to increase vigorous physical activity and muscle-strengthening activity among Australian families for improved health and wellbeing.  

What do I have to do to participate? 
Families who want to be involved will fill in a short online survey and participate in an online discussion group with a member of the research team. 

Who is the study for? 
We are particularly interested in families living in Western Sydney with at least one child aged 7-11 years old (Year 2-6). We will invite all family members living in the child’s main household to participate in the study. No restrictions will be set on family type (e.g., nuclear family, blended family, single parent). 

Want to participate?
Click here and we’ll be in touch!

Where can I get further information? 
For more information, please send us an email at [email protected] We would love to hear from you!