The Vine Newsletter

Mrs Felicity Grima - Principal

Yesterday, the final day of the school year, was a big day at the College as we held three Presentation Assemblies to celebrate our students' achievements. Each Kindergarten student was presented with a Bible for the end of their first year at school. We acknowledged commitment, progress and achievement in a range of areas including sport, academics, Christian service, co-curricular activities, a commitment to learning, public speaking, performing arts and many more. 

During the Presentation Assemblies, the College launched its latest music release; a cover of 'On that Day' by CityAlight. I encourage you to listen to it. Details are below.

The end of a school year always prompts a time of reflection on the year that has passed and anticipation for the new year ahead. As we look back on this past year, we are proud of the progress we have made as a community. Our students have shown remarkable growth, not only in their academic achievements but also in their character development and their faith in God. 

In 2023 we welcomed over 130 new students as we continued with the development of a four-stream primary school and the commencement of a five-stream secondary school. In 2024, we will see this growth continue with over 100 new students enrolled across the College. While growth is exciting, to remain committed to our values and mission, it requires careful planning, a clear sense of direction and, most importantly, strong foundations.

In the book of Matthew, Chapter 7, verses 24-29, Jesus speaks of the importance of building on firm foundations. There are two builders—one who built their house on the rock, and the other who built it on sand. When the storms came, the house built on the rock stood firm, while the one built on sand was washed away. Unlike the foundations we see in our building projects at the College, Jesus uses this parable to explain the importance of building our lives on the firm foundation of the Gospel. At Penrith Anglican College, we embrace this message wholeheartedly and it provides the direction for everything we do, both now and into the future.

At the start of the year, we launched our Strategic Plan for the next 5 years which provides strategic directions for building a strong College. The plan focuses on the strategic priority areas of

-       Gospel

-       Learning

-       Character

-       Community

-       Sustainability

While work has commenced in all these areas, I particularly want to highlight two areas we have been working on in 2023.

Firstly, with growth, comes demand for facilities. Throughout the year we have been working with Leaf Architecture to collaboratively develop our master plan to guide the development of our campus over the next 25 years. The plan focuses on developing a welcoming and connected campus, that enhances the feeling of open space and maximises views to the mountains and beyond.

I am pleased to announce that the Anglican Schools Corporation Board approved our Master Plan last week and I look forward to sharing this with our community at the beginning of 2024.

The second area I would like to highlight is our work on our Gospel ministry. As a result of engaging SEED Consulting we reviewed our staffing and personnel for ministry and appointed Mr Phil McMurray as Director of Christian Mission and Ministry and Mr David Jenkins as the Head of Christian Living. They will take up these positions in Term 1, 2024. 

This week, families have also received a copy of our annual ‘Harvest’ yearbook. I am sure you will enjoy reading about the breadth of learning and co-curricular opportunities that have returned life and colour to the school experience this year.

I would like to thank everyone for their roles in the education and guidance of our students throughout the year. 

My sincere thanks to our staff. Your dedication, passion, and commitment to our students' growth have not gone unnoticed. Your influence extends far beyond the classroom walls, shaping the lives of the next generation. 

I would also like to acknowledge the Student Leadership Teams who have contributed to the life and culture of the student body led by:

Secondary

o  Sam Lucas and Francesca Periera until the end of Semester 1, and

o  Ava Toland and Will Tupper from Semester 2

Primary

o Spencer Witten and Sarah Broad

To our families, thank you for entrusting us with the education and development of your children. Your partnership with us is invaluable, and together, we will continue to nurture and build the lives of our young people. I would particularly like to take this opportunity to thank the Parents and Friends Association, led by Mrs Sunny Hunt. Thank you for your generosity, your spirit of service and for all your support.

I pray that you have a blessed Christmas and we look forward to partnering with you all again in 2024.

Mrs Felicity Grima

Principal

As a special gift to our College community, to mark the end of the 2023 school year, the College has released a new single - "On That Day" (Cover). Thank you to Mr Nick Lane, Mr Jake Nauta and students from the Senior Choir and various ensembles, for their time and effort in producing this amazing song.

The song was performed at the end of our three Presentation events, and a video is available on Youtube - Students from Years 1-12 should keep an eye out for the drone shot at the end in which you were all involved a few weeks ago on the Oval. You can also download the song on Spotify and iTunes. 

Find it on:

Youtube: https://youtu.be/aD_WwGdxcmw

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/track/2N851Q8p8zqeAL67Y2LU57?si=8f475a36b516406c

iTunes: https://music.apple.com/au/album/on-that-day/1716681527?i=1716681528

We hope it is a blessing to our community and others as we share the hope we have in Jesus. 

"On that day, we will see You
Shining brighter than the sun
On that day, we will know You
As we lift our voice as one
'Til that day, we will praise You
For Your never ending-grace
And we will keep on singing on that glorious day."

The College will be closed from Friday 22 December 2023 to Fri 5 January 2024 (inclusive), reopen Monday 8 January 2024.

Reception hours from Monday 11 December 2023 to Tuesday 23 January 2024 - 8.30am to 3.30pm. 

Reception hours from Wednesday 24 January 2024 - 8.00am to 4.00pm.

Matthew 1:21
She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus,
because He will save his people from their sins.

Please pray for:
For protection against sickness or injuries for the College community.
Rest during the Christmas and January holiday period.

Praise God for:
Year 6 Graduation and Year 10 Charity Ball,
Christmas Chapel and End of Year Presentation Events.
Crotchet Crew, Quaver Crew, Senior Choir, and the Vocal Ensemble.

One copy of the Penrith Anglican College Yearbook, The Harvest 2023, has been distributed to the youngest child in each family to be taken home.

Pre K - Year 11: If your child has been absent from school, your copy is available from Student Reception.

Year 12 2023 students: Copies will be available at the Morning Tea on ATAR Release Day (14 December at 10am). 

At Christmas Chapel we saw Mrs Heath and Miss Anderson find a MASSIVE gift. They found a magnifying glass, heart and dollar sign in it. Initially, they didn’t think these had anything to do with Christmas but after watching skits and music performances from Primary and Secondary students they realised what the symbols represented. The magnifying glass reminds us to investigate who Jesus is and why Christmas is important. The heart reminds us to dedicate ourselves to Jesus and commit to following him wholeheartedly and that God gave us the most valuable gift, JESUS!

After finding the meaning of the massive present, we learned from Mr McMurray that if God is giving us the most valuable of Jesus we can give a gift back to God - our worship - and worship is giving everything to God.

Let’s remember this message this Christmas. The gift of Jesus is worth everything.

Miss Meg Anderson
Primary Teacher

Dates are correct as of 6 December 2023. Please check for latest updates via the Parent Portal on Edumate or the College App.

Term Dates 2024 are available on the College website, or click here to download.

Stationery and Book Lists for Years 1 to 12 in 2024 are now available on the College website. Click here to download a copy.

Mrs Melinda Richardson - Deputy Principal (Primary)

The final weeks of school have seen students and teachers abuzz with preparing for a range of events that enable us to celebrate the year that has been. It was wonderful to meet with families today at our Presentation Events, and showcase the achievements of a number of students across the Primary school. Each and every child is to be commended for their wonderful efforts this year, not only in their academic learning journey but in the development of a range of skills that help them be successful in the world around them.

Years 1 - 6 Orientation
It was a great pleasure to welcome our newest students to the College, on Friday 24 November. The day enabled these students to grasp a sense of what our Primary school offers and supported them in developing early friendships. It was wonderful to speak with them as they left for the day, to hear how welcomed they felt by our current students, and to hear their enjoyment of the learning activities that were prepared for them.

Pre-Kindergarten Presentation
Families were treated to a range of very cute performances prepared by our youngest learners as they celebrated their year of Pre-Kindergarten. At the centre of the event was the creation story, where we were reminded that we are blessed with an amazing world by God, the ultimate Creator. There was a beautiful sense of community at the shared BBQ after the event, where families could connect and chat, while the children enjoyed playing at school at night. My great thanks to our Pre-Kindergarten team for their daily, tireless efforts in designing engaging play-based activities that support our little ones in learning to love school.

Year 6 Graduation Service & Dinner
Concluding their time in Primary, our Year 6 students publicly reflected on their learning journey through the Graduation Service. Our camp program echoed as one of the highest memory-making experiences for this cohort, enjoying the opportunity to do things they wouldn't normally, such as canoeing and building billy carts. It was a privilege to hear them reflect on the way our teachers have impacted their development over the years, and it was clear testimony that these students felt known and cared for. The dinner and disco were an absolute hit and a great way for the students to party together. My thanks to our amazing Year 6 team for their efforts in ensuring our Year 6 students finish their Primary years well.

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish, but have eternal life. John 3:16

From all of the Primary team, we wish our students and their families a well-deserved break this Christmas season as you celebrate the birth of Jesus, for it is through Him that we can have eternal life.

Mrs Melinda Richardson
Deputy Principal (Primary)

Thank you to the students and staff for their massive efforts with the Year 6 Cupcake Stall on Friday of Week 8. 

Year 6 students raised $1,119 for Compassion Child! 

Miss Amanda Fowler
Stage 3 Coordinator

Five girls from a range of year groups attended a Safe Spaces for Women workshop facilitated by the University of Newcastle. The workshop involved students participating in a series of creative activities including a photography walk around Penrith CBD and responding to questions such as "what makes a space feel safe?". Their responses have directly assisted in the development of a public art installation aimed at helping women feel safe in their community. 

The students should be proud of the way in which they actively engaged in the workshop and the way in which they represented the College. 

Mrs Katie Dunn
Visual Arts Teacher

On Friday 24 November, two teams of Year 8 History students travelled to St Clair High School to compete in the History Mastermind competition, with one team narrowly missing out on the hotly contested semi-finals, coming 5th out of more than 30 teams. Below is an account from two of the students who attended.

Dr Samuel Jackson
Director of Studies

The History Mastermind competition was an experience which many of us could learn from. There were a variety of teams, ranging from private schools to selective schools, and each team worked hard to formulate a list of answers, which would then be reviewed by a set of markers. Between each session, a group of trivia-like games were played in which we had to recall our knowledge of civics, flags, and sports to answer the questions. As a team, we had to collate our knowledge of multiple areas of history to have a chance to get into the semi-finals. Unfortunately, we were not able to achieve this task, but one team was very close. We thoroughly enjoyed the competition, and the experience as a whole as we were able to broaden our understanding of the world and the past, as well as enhance our ability to work together as a team.  

Arabella Chavez Palpan and Abhinav Maliakal
Year 8 Students

Every year, the English Faculty organises the Year 8 Public Speaking Forum, where students compete to represent their class in a final round where they present their speeches to the whole cohort. Pictured above is one of our judges, Aryan Patial (Year 9), presenting the award shield to Thalia Rao (Year 8) who won this year’s event.

Mr Jacob Fleming
English Teacher

Year 8 had a wonderful time at the Australian Museum in Sydney. When we arrived, we headed to the Rameses II exhibit, where there were heaps of interesting artefacts, including parts of a colossus of Rameses II. We watched clips explaining how Rameses II came up with plans to conquer many neighbouring cities and his tactics in the battles.  

We explored different statues and sources from Ramses II’s life as well as his father. The videos explained significant parts of his life, and I was able to learn that he was the 3rd pharaoh of the 19th dynasty. As we moved our way through the exhibit, we had to fill out a quiz on what we had been learning when walking through the exhibit in small groups. 

After our time in the exhibit ended, we took a walk around looking at the other exhibits in the museum including the different animals and the dinosaurs. It was very interesting to see the different animals, what they ate and how they lived. 

Before heading back to Penrith, we spent time eating lunch at Hyde Park across from the museum. It was nice being at the beautiful park with friends.

Overall, the most enjoyable part of this excursion was spending time with friends and growing in our knowledge of history and about Ramses II.  

An interesting thing I learned during the experience was that his burial place got ruined due to criminals, but archaeologists were able to find remains of Rameses II, other mummies, and the belongings of other rulers and pharaohs in 1881. 

Ella Johnson
Year 8 Student

In Week 7, students from Year 10 participated in the Australian Business Week program. During this week, students competed in teams to design, create, market and sell (via a computer simulation) a sports product of a value between $200 and $600. Students created video advertisements, trade displays and business reports, and gave a presentation about the way that they ran their business across the program. Congratulations to the winner of the 2023 Australian Business Week: Company 8, for their design of a self-greasing bike chain apparatus.

Mr Timothy Pigot
Science Teacher and Head of House - Ryle

Over two days, Monday 27 and Tuesday 28 November, Year 10 spent their last two days serving the College and the wider community.

On Monday, students worked in groups to scrub all outside tables and chairs at the College, wash the College Coach and mini buses, spread five cubic metres of soft fill under the play equipment on The Farm, spread ten cubic metres of mulch on the gardens outside The Lighthouse Theatre and clear the A block quadrangle ready for the year 6 Graduation.

On Tuesday, a large group of students went to Gow Park in Mulgoa to partner with Penrith City Council and Mulgoa Landcare in some bushcare work. Much weeding was done. Special thanks to Tom Covell from Tom’s Hooked on Nature for attending and bringing some creepy crawly friends to show our students, Penrith City Council for catering the event, and to Lisa Harrold, past Mum of the College and Coordinator of Mulgoa Landcare who organised the entire event.

Other students went to Lower Mountains Anglican Church and assisted in some Christmas decorating and getting the Church ready for a large number of events. Thank you so much to the crew from LMAP for hosting us! Other students remained onsite at the College and cleared and cleaned the Science Labs and Prep Room. Some assisted in the packing of Toys ’n’ Tucker and others set up the Year 6 Graduation Party Dinner ready for Year 6 in the evening.

Our students enjoyed their time and worked with perseverance and enthusiasm, representing the College brilliantly. We were very grateful that the predicted 40ml of rain did not fall and all service activities could go ahead!

Mrs Fiona Wright
Director of Students (10-12)

Following on from a great two days of service, Year 10 spent Wednesday off site getting ready for their Charity Ball. This evening is a celebration of a year’s worth of fundraising by Year 10 for their chosen charity. This year, Year 10 raised $5900 for Rare Cancers NSW. Natalie and Nikki from Rare Cancers NSW attended the evening and were moved and grateful for Year 10’s efforts.

A huge thank you to Mrs Renata Lackey and Ms Cate Duxbury for their work with Year 10 this year for Rare Cancers NSW.

We look forward to welcoming Year 10 back to the College in 2024 to begin their HSC journey as Year 11. They have been a delight over the past four weeks of different activities designed to equip and prepare them for Year 11 and 12 and life beyond school and we hope they have a refreshing break.

Mrs Fiona Wright
Director of Students

We are very much looking forward to seeing students on stage for the production of Charlie and The Chocolate Factory in mid June next year! Stay tuned for ticket booking details.

Congratulations to our Years 7 & 8 Cricket team, finishing as runners-up at the recent NASSA Cricket Gala Day – our younger players followed the footsteps of our Senior team, who were also runners-up at their Gala Day earlier in Term 4! Our boys faced some tough competition in the round games, and the Grand Final was a close match, with TIGS winning by just three runs. Our cricketers are looking forward to the opportunities 2024 will hold!

Mrs Amanda Houison
Director of Sport

Congratulations to our amazing Year 7 Netball team, who competed at the NASSA Netball Gala Day. Our girls won their pool convincingly, and, in a closely fought semi-final, were defeated by just one point. The girls finished with the Bronze medal this year, and the skills displayed show that PAC is in good stead for the coming years! Thank you to Miss Kenny for coaching this team, and to Thomas Hassall Anglican College for hosting the day.

Mrs Amanda Houison
Director of Sport

Congratulations to our Douglas Shield Cricket team, who competed through to Round 3 in the 2023-24 knockout competition. Following a bye in Round 1, we defeated Hills Grammar in Round 2, with an impressive opening partnership. Facing William Clarke College in Round 3, PAC lost the toss, and were sent into bowl. WCC set a remarkable target of 434 off just 40 overs, which we were unable to match. PAC played with tenacity and persistence, complimented by both their opposition and the umpires for their spirit. Our Senior team is looking forward to opportunities early in 2024, with a friendly match against Nowra Anglican College already in the calendar.

Mrs Amanda Houison
Director of Sport

On Tuesday 28 November, Anglicare came to the College to collect the Toys ‘n’ Tucker donations. The staff were over awed by the generosity of the College community. We sent 35 Christmas hampers and over another 30 boxes of food donations as well as 40 bags of Toys.

I would like to thank all the staff and families who enabled the College to contribute so generously to 2023 Anglicare's Toys 'n' Tucker.

Ms Cate Duxbury
HSIE Teacher and Toys 'n' Tucker Coordinator

Penrith Anglican College, like several other landowners and businesses in the Orchard Hills area, has just received a notification from the NSW Department of Planning and Environment (DPE) with information about the rezoning of the Orchard Hills Precinct.

Within that notification, the Department advised of planned testing in the area for polyfluoroalkyl substances, otherwise known as PFAS.

As our College community is aware, the College sits alongside Defence Establishment Orchard Hills. It is our understanding that studies like these are standard for any proposed development of land adjoining that operated by Defence.

There is no plan to test on College grounds, but we will be able to see some of the testing on the adjoining property.

The advice from DPE is that “PFAS movement in the environment is via surface water and groundwater transport”. Penrith Anglican College does not draw water from underground (bore water) sources and is fully supplied by Sydney Water, with the exception of two tanks at the rear of the College, which draw from Sydney Water and rainwater from building roofs.

Penrith Anglican College is one of many stakeholders involved in this matter, and we will provide you with information as it becomes available from DPE.

DPE has provided the College with two fact sheets which I have attached, and which include a series of links and contacts for more information.

FAQ Precinct Planning.pdf
Onsite Fact Sheet - Contamination.pdf

Please do not hesitate to contact me if you require any further information.

Mrs Felicity Grima
Principal

Please find the Penrith City Council Bushcare flyer attached for families who may be interested in active community service.

Online Booking Appointments for new students opened on 7 November 2023. In January we will have Online Bookings available on 10, 11 & 12 January 2024 for new students.

Opening Hours in January 2024:
Wednesday 10 January 10am – 6pm
Thursday 11 January 8am – 4pm
Friday 12 January 8am – 4pm

Tuesday 16 January 8am – 4pm
Wednesday 17 January 10am – 6pm
Thursday 18 January 10am – 6pm
Friday 19 January 8am – 4pm

Monday 22 January 8am – 4pm
Tuesday 23 January 8am – 4pm
Wednesday 24 January 10am – 6pm
Thursday 25 January 10am – 6pm
Friday 26 January – Closed Australia Day

Monday 29 January 8am – 4pm
Tuesday 30 January 8am – 4pm
Wednesday 31 January  8am – 12pm (Store will resume normal trade from this date)

Normal Operating Hours:
Tuesday 8am-12pm
Wednesday 1pm-5pm
Thursday 12pm-4pm
Friday 8am-12pm

We look forward to helping you with all your uniform needs for the new school year!

Jasmine Bratby
Perm-A-Pleat Penrith Anglican Uniform Shop
02 9098 3123