The Vine Newsletter

Mrs Felicity Grima - Principal

As we reach the mid-way point in Term 2, it is already clear that the College will see sustained growth in enrolments for 2024. We have had hundreds of prospective families visit us for a Tour or Taster Morning so far this year, and we are always so pleased to show them our amazing facilities and discuss the values that are at the heart of our College. 

There are limited places available in most years across the College and the College will continue to accept applications for 2024. However, please be aware that Year 7 for 2024 is currently fully subscribed and any new applications will go onto a waiting list. If you know someone who is interested in enrolling their child for 2025 in one of the key entry years of Pre-Kindergarten, Kindergarten or Year 7, please encourage them to start the application process early. 

We have a Pre-K Taster Morning coming up on Thursday 8 June and College tours on Thursday 15 June. The link to book is https://enrol.penrith.nsw.edu.au/events

Thank you to all our current families for spreading the word in the community about our wonderful College. We are thankful to God for His ongoing provisions and for our strong College community.

Mrs Felicity Grima

Principal

A reminder that the College’s photo days will occur over two days in Week 6 - Wednesday 31 May and Thursday 1 June 2023.

The School Photographer will be taking photos on the following dates:

• Day 1 – Wednesday 31 May – All Secondary School Photos including Year Group photos and Individual photos, Sport and Co-Curricular for Secondary Groups including Pre K 3 Days class.
• Day 2 – Thursday 1 June – All Primary School photos including Class photos, Year Group photos, Individual photos, Sport and Co-Curricular for Primary Groups including Pre K, both 2 and 5 days.
• Sibling Photos will occur on both days from 7.30am – 8.30am – see below on how to book your timeslot.

Please note the following regarding uniform:

• Full winter uniform is to be worn for all photos.
• Blazers (Senior School) or Bomber Jackets (Primary School) are to be worn
• NO Jumpers or rain jackets are to be worn in the photos
• Hair must be in a neat, school style with no products. Ribbons etc. for girls must be in plain College colours. All girls’ hair must be pulled back off the face and tied back if longer than their shoulders.

Sibling photo envelopes can be collected from Reception. Please note time slots need to be prebooked for sibling photos before 10am on Monday 29 May 2023. Photo timeslots are between 7.30 – 8.30am. To reserve a spot, please click the trybooking link: https://www.trybooking.com/CHWCW

Please Note this is for reserving a time slot only, payment is direct to The School Photographer via the Sibling Envelope. Older siblings may collect their younger siblings on the way. Please be aware there are limited spots available.

Primary students will need to return their envelopes to the classroom teacher by Monday 29 May 2023.

Secondary students will need to bring the envelope on the day of photos.

Payment details must be completed on the envelope or cash payment placed inside. Each student needs an individual envelope, even if the cash payment is placed in a sibling’s envelope or an online payment has been made.

The College also requests, that although our photo day is important, that if your child is unwell that they do not attend on the day.

If you have any concerns upon receiving your photos, please contact The School Photographers directly on 9674 9824.

To further support our commitment to being a Child Safe School, the College has designed new posters and slides that will be displayed around the Campus to help children know how to seek help if they feel unsafe. We have attached an example here and we encourage families to discuss the contents with their children. 

Our complete Child Safe Policy can be found on the College website: https://www.penrith.nsw.edu.au/explore/policies/.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.

Please pray for:
Protection against sickness for the College community.
Those families in the College community experiencing times of hardship and stress.
Our students as they engage in the many enriching co-curricular opportunities available;
that they show humility in victory and perseverance in defeat.

Praise God for:
A successful Year 10 CEP, Ryle House Charity Day, and Primary Book Parade.
Safe commuting for Year 10 students attending the Careers Expo.
The support from our Parents and Friends Committee.

Mrs Fiona Wright - Director of Students 10-12

Over the past few weeks Year 10 students and their parents have spent a lot of time thinking about subject selection and future careers and Year 12 are in the thick of balancing assessments and planning for next year with apprenticeships being sorted, early entry applied for and information about potential options being examined.

Some of our students are loving this process. They know what they want to do, they are excited about subjects, or traineeships or university and well on track. Others feel immense pressure to make decisions without knowing what they are really interested in and keen to do, and still others really are not interested in school but know they need to stay and get their HSC. It can be a really stressful time for students and their families.

As parents, it can be hard to know how to guide and support our children through times like this. Sometimes it can be frustrating when we see so much potential but seem to not be able to help our children see themselves the way we see them.

Dr Justin Coulson offers some great advice for parents of older students. He talks about a “needs supportive process [which] facilitates conversations about expectations in ways that preserve the relationship and elevate autonomy.”^[1] This process leaves the decisions about subjects, the level of effort that students put in and career choices to students, but opens discussions about hopes and dreams and what support would be appreciated. It offers acceptance when students do not yet have any big hopes and dreams and encourages them to work hard at what they are doing to keep their options open.

Alongside these big decisions about futures, it is important to remember that teaching our children practical life skills such as cooking and cleaning and budgeting, as well as the people skills of how to listen well, how to develop and maintain good friendships and how to care for people who are vulnerable are critical for their futures.

As a school, we work to ensure that all our students feel supported and empowered to own their own futures and actions and to provide students and their parents with the appropriate information to make wise and informed decisions. Our hope for our graduates is that whatever path they choose to follow, they will be empowered learner with strength of character who know and follow Christ and serve others.

Mrs Fiona Wright
Director of Students 10-12

Pre-K recently had an important lesson with NSW Ambulance. They learned what number to call and the importance of knowing their address. They also saw what Paramedics wear when they come to help, and what they do to care for us when they arrive. Students especially loved looking through the ambulance and trying on the uniforms!

At Recess this week, Year 4 held a Lolly Stall in the Primary Assembly Area to raise money for our Compassion children. Each lolly bag was sold for $1 although some large bags got sold for $2 and some smaller bags went for 50 cents. After Recess Mrs Palmer sent some students around the High School to sell to the High School Students. There will be a smaller stall set up next week to sell the rest of the lollies.

Here are some thoughts and observations from the students:

Mr Leighton Corr - Deputy Principal (Secondary)

Term 2 continues to be filled with excellent opportunities for our students to engage in their learning and experience a wide range of opportunities. Recently, it has been Year 10’s turn to enjoy CEP and my thanks to the students, staff and in particular Mrs Fiona Wright for all the work done in making this event possible. Parents joining us for afternoon tea was certainly a highlight of this week.

In our Year Meetings this week, I spent some time with Year 8 and 9 talking about them as learners. We talked about what worked for them, when do they learn best and what could they identify as their major distractors. What was important was that each of them could reflect on these themes and give some helpful responses. This highlights a truth that we talk about often here, that learning is learnable. I challenged these students that they should reflect on their learning more often and in a way that is constructive and helps them continue to grow as a learner.

My commendations to our NASSA Cross Country as well this week who competed on Thursday. We finished 3rd overall in a wonderful achievement for our students.

I hope to see our students continue to engage in their learning and enjoy the opportunities they have here at the College.

Mr Leighton Corr
Deputy Principal (Secondary)

Year 7 Level Up is a new initiative for PAC that assists in the transition of students from Primary to Secondary School. The term "Level Up" is a computer game term that means to advance or improve oneself, someone else, or something, as if in a game.

Building on this concept, Year 7 students engaged in a series of activities aimed at helping them to "Level Up" for learning in high school. Throughout periods 1-4 last Tuesday, students participated in a series of sessions on time management, study skills, and spent time in House groups to get to know each other, their Head of House, and discuss the challenges of high school learning.

The timing of this activity in Term 2 is a deliberate strategy to allow students to settle into the rhythm of a high school term before providing them with an opportunity to develop skills relevant to high school learning. Once they have overcome the initial cognitive overload that often accompanies the start of secondary education, students are then more able to engage in learning activities that will equip them as learners.

This program will be further developed in the coming years, enabling our students to continue to grow into well-rounded, competent and confident learners.

Mr Anthony Kelshaw
Director of Students 7-9

Year 9 CEP set off on Monday 3 May for Kangaroo Valley. After leaving the College, students and staff made their way to the Illawarra Fly, an elevated treetop canopy walk situated on the escarpment overlooking Albion Park. The walk enables students to explore an aspect of the forest that is usually inaccessible on foot. A series of elevated metal boardwalks provided a platform for viewing and engaging with the uppermost reaches of a eucalypt forest. The height of the boardwalk proved challenging for some students, all of whom showed great courage by completing the 1.5km walk despite initial trepidation.

The buses then transported students to Kangaroo Valley, our home for the next 2 nights. A windy, open grass field greeted students at the campground. Despite the preparation and practice of putting up tents at school the previous week, the windy conditions provided an additional challenge when completing the task at camp. The character of Year 9 students was demonstrated through this process, with many students helping others to erect their tents.

Food was provided by Mrs. Cochrane, who catered for the entire camp. Mrs. Cochrane bought all the required meals from school and was able to cook up a storm in the camp kitchen at the site we were staying. Through the camp feedback forms, students and staff were quick to point out the quality of the food and expressed gratitude to Mrs. Cochrane for the time and energy she put into providing food for us all.

Powered by an excellent breakfast, Day 2 activities saw students spending half a day paddling and half a day walking in Kangaroo Valley. The initial paddling group undertook the challenge of the Class 1 rapids of Kangaroo Valley, paddling from Kangaroo Valley Bridge through to Bendeela Campground. The second group then picked up the canoes and kayaks from Bendeela and completed an out-and-back trip to the south of the canoe drop-off point.

The walk was across a ridgeline looking east towards the Illawarra escarpment. Initially apathetic students who had been moaning about the bush walk soon found themselves awestruck by the beauty of the vista. Many students commented that they had not been looking forward to the walk and that it had become one of their favourite activities during the camp.

The second evening proved to be colder than the first, but with a warm fire and marshmallows before bed, tired students were able to sleep well despite the frosty conditions.

The following morning involved a significant pack-up and a series of challenges prepared by Mr. Fleming to encourage students to develop their creative thinking and leadership skills. Year 9 Duke of Edinburgh students departed camp first, heading to the Royal National Park, while the rest of the camp packed the buses and travelled back to the College for a Friday afternoon drop-off.

CEP is a significant program for the school and for the development of our students. It does not happen without the commitment of staff who take time away from their families for the benefit of our students. A huge thanks needs to be given to Mr. Jacob Fleming, Mrs. Diane Catto, Mr. Darryl Kelshaw, Mr. Jon Wright, Mr. Andrew Cox, Mrs. Erica Price, Mrs. Michelle Cochrane, Miss Georgia Cosier, and Mr. David Tweed, who facilitated this experiential learning activity for Year 9 PAC students.

Mr Anthony Kelshaw
Director of Students 7-9

On Friday 5 May, 16 students from Year 9 attended an overnight hike in the Heathcote National Park. They opted to add another night away directly following the two-night Year 9 CEP in Kangaroo Valley. For most students t it was their first time packing and hiking with all their equipment into a National Park and for a few this week was their first experience camping in a tent.

The students were very efficient at cooking their dinner on the stoves and there was a range of meal options being made. Many students opted for an early bedtime following such a busy week and rose bright and early for their 8.5km hike to Heathcote. Students found the route across a variety of tracked terrain demanding but felt a strong sense of accomplishment when completed. The stop at McDonald’s before the bus journey home was also quite rewarding after a long adventurous week.

Thank you to Mr Andrew Cox and Miss Georgia Cosier for joining the students on their camping adventure.

Mrs Erica Price
PDHPE Teacher & Duke of Edinburgh Award Coordinator

Mr Casey's Year 10 Design and Technology class is currently in the production stage of their Ergo-Stool design project. Students have explored ergonomic factors in design and have justified the height of their stool by using the anthropometric data of their target market. During the design and development of this project, students have learned to use a range of timber and metal technologies to manufacture their design solution.

Year 10 have had a busy week with two days of CEP followed by a visit to the Greater Western Sydney Careers Expo.

This CEP experience has been designed to create space for Year 10 to reflect on their childhood with gratitude and appreciation and then to explore what the future may hold for them before taking steps to own their own futures.

Students participated in workshops run by Tomorrow Man and Tomorrow Woman. Tomorrow Woman “aspires to reignite girls and women around Australia with their innate voice, empowering them to confidently express their needs and opinions in the moments that matter.”^[1] Tomorrow Man aims to disrupt stereotypes and build emotional muscle.^[2] Students reported that these workshops “…showed me strength and courage that myself and others had that I didn't know I had.”

“It let me see that I wasn't alone in some things and made me see people in a different way.”

“The workshop was really enlightening and made me realise that there are people who are going through things that I had no idea about. It helped me realise that I am not alone and other people feel the same as me.”

Following this students engaged in an extended reflection and wrote letters of gratitude to their parents and other special people in their lives.

A group of Alumni and parents from the College gave up their time to come and interact with our Year 10 students in a Careers Market type event where students had the opportunity to visit different people and learn from them about potential career paths and what helps people find their place in the world. Students enjoyed this session saying things such as:

“The alumni visitors were helpful and helped me realise that even if I don't end up going to Uni or Tafe there is still a chance I can have a successful career.”

“It was quite useful to be able to talk to some of the ex students and develop knowledge of specific pathways to jobs that might interest me, and also speaking about what their job was.”

Students were then challenged to think about what success actually looks like.

On Tuesday, the year group enjoyed the Bondi to Coogee walk together, with thought and discussion along the way based around the people they want to become. It was an absolutely glorious day with many dolphins sites, some whales and even some of the State of Origin Blues team! Students returned to school for an afternoon tea and sunset rite of passage with their parents.

Throughout the entire two days, Year 10 were amazing and conducted themselves beautifully. Well done Year 10!

Mrs Fiona Wright
Director of Students 10-12

Year 5 and 6 Da Vinci Decathlon 2023 was hosted at the Illawarra Christian School. Students completed ten disciplines of academia and art and were encouraged to implement the theme of Chaos into every task. 

Year 5 enjoyed working as a team in each task, particularly the ones that required out-of-the-box thinking. They loved expressing their talents and ideas through various modes. Year 6 enjoyed Engineering and using their skills to design and build a final product. They were proud of their Art and Poetry display, as it demonstrated their level of creativity and uniqueness.

Both teams worked extremely well. At the end of Da Vinci, Year 5 was placed 1^st in Science, 2^nd in Ideation, and 3^rd in Codebreaking. 

Mrs Shalom Lovin

Primary Teacher and Gifted & Talented Coordinator

Thursday 11 and Friday 12 May saw teams of Year 7,8,9 and 10 students attend the Illawarra Regional Da Vinci Decathlon at TIGS. This is an academic competition designed to challenge and stimulate the minds of our students. Competition occurs in teams of 8 across 10 disciplines: English, Mathematics, Science, Codebreaking, Cartography, Creative producers, Legacy, Ideation, Art & Poetry, and Engineering. Many of our teams placed in the disciplines which was a fantastic achievement.

Results:
Year 7 – 2nd in Art & Poetry
Year 8 – 2nd in Cartography; 3rd in Codebreaking
Year 9 – 2nd in Cartography, Mathematics, and Legacy; 3rd in English and Engineering

A few participants have reflected upon their days below:

The Da Vinci Decathlon was an exciting day of challenges, courage, and competition. I enjoyed working collaboratively with my friends and trying our best in all the disciplines that we were faced with. We found some subjects quite difficult, for example Mathematics, because it had complex algebraic simultaneous equations. We thought that we did a good job in Engineering, where we all contributed ideas and came up with a clear and concise motorway junction design. As always, the announcement of results was especially nerve-racking. I was proud of my team as we came 2nd in Art and Poetry, a subject that we thought we pretty much nailed. At the end of the day, I was exhausted, but it was entirely worth it! Finley Gange (Year 7)

Da Vinci is a unique and fun experience that pushes us students to think on the spot and channel different things we’re good at. It can be challenging to work as a team, but when everyone’s amazing ideas are put together, we can create a project worthy of victory.  It was enjoyable competing in the variety of subjects on the day as you could use your strengths whilst also testing your abilities in other subjects. The best thing on the day was being able to collaborate with others and share a wonderful picnic at lunch.  Keira Gurney (Year 8)

On Friday, 16 people from Years 9 and 10 woke up quite early to catch the bus for The Illawarra Grammar School, which left at 6:30am. With us was our trusty Science teacher, Mr Ben Voller, who tagged along on our trip as our support teacher and Coach. The day consisted of eight people from each year working on problems ranging from Science, English, Maths, Codebreaking and many more. Both teams did well and had lots of fun. Our team consisted of Liam Ruan, Andrea Esdaile, Christopher Oliver, Krishav Narayan, Matthew Braga, Rachel Mills, Jack McGarity, and Aryan Patial. I would like to thank Mr Voller and Miss Debra Anderson for helping to organise this wonderful day and am looking forward to participating again next year.  Aryan Patial (Year 9)

Mrs Debra Anderson
Head of LOTE and Secondary Gifted & Talented Coordinator

Our Concert Band at the College has grown to around 40 students this year and the Music Department couldn’t be happier. Last Thursday during the normal afternoon rehearsal time, the Concert Band along with the Senior Choir performed their repertoire from the recent Music Tour for their families and friends in the Lighthouse Theatre. Our Choir has grown this year to have 50 students regularly attend rehearsals every Wednesday morning at 7.30am.

The audience was impressed by the strength of the students, and you could feel how proud they were of their children from the applause and smiles on their faces.

Both groups' success is due in large part to the hard work and dedication of its students. The students practice for several hours each week, and they are always willing to put in extra effort be it early mornings or late afternoons.

The Music Program is an important part of the school community. It provides students with an opportunity to learn about music, and it also teaches them important life skills, such as teamwork and discipline. This also helps students to develop their self-confidence and self-esteem.

The College has a number of amazing musicians who work at the College each week providing private lessons and also work with our students in the bands and choirs to assist in improving their musical skills. They will also play with our students in performances such as the John Lambert Assembly, Mother's Day Chapel and Anzac Day Ceremonies.

Penrith Anglican College is also hosting the 2023 Choral Festival in the Lighthouse Theatre in June with 700 students involved from across the Anglican Schools Corporation.  

Mr Nick Lane
Head of Performing Arts

On 9 May students from Stage 3 travelled to Blacktown Sports Complex to participate in the NASSA Soccer Gala Day. Even though they had tough opposition, both teams played well throughout the day, showcasing a wide range of their soccer skills. Well done to all students for representing the College with great sportsmanship.

NASSA Boys Team: Hague Asare, Benji Brard, Lewis Clark, Ethan Cullen, Beau Gerace, Alexander Godwin, Leo Horne, Loki Howard, Fynn Howland, Joel Lamplough, Alfonzo Micallef, Owen Morris, Nathaniel Nott, Caleb Ritchie, Max Rolles, Jacob Williams and Jeremiah Yoo.

NASSA Girls Team: Ellyse Bayada, Jasneet Bhullar, Gwen Dai, Charlotte Green, Aaleyah Hassan, Esther Hutchings, Piper Luscombe, Kelsey Maurer, Imogen Ovington, Bianca Rossetto, Aveesa Saadati, Chloe Turner, Chloe Vella and Havana Williams.

Students of Stage 3 recently participated in the Penrith Paul Kelly Cup at Jamison Park. They had a fun-filled day showcasing their handballing, marking, and goal-scoring skills. Our Boys A team exhibited exceptional gameplay and managed to make it to the Grand Final. Though they were narrowly beaten with a score of 15-6 in the final. Congratulations to Zane Clifford, who was recognised as the Best on Ground in that game.

Paul Kelly Cup Teams

Boys A: Darcy Bernuetz, Rueben Bleasdale, Zane Clifford, Jacob Cruzado, Ethan Darcy, James Darcy, Jack Fenech, Isaac Galea, Jordan Kyte, Max Maloney, Addison Ralphs and Parasdeep Singh.

Boys B: Harrison Bachtis, Liam Bowler, Izaak Casha, Lachlan Garrett, Harshaan Jattana, William McKeown, Nicholas McWhirter, Riley Nicholson, Lucas Robinson, Tasos Saroglou and Mason Swadling.

Girls: Layla Atkinson, Emmie Bakheet, Emma Beshay, Mia Borger, Alice Braga, Estelle Ferro, Amarissa Middleton-Swart, Grace Nicholls, Aaliyah Scicluna, Charlize Sielicki, Ruby Sutcliffe and Sabella Whelan.

PAC participated in the inaugural Basketball NSW Schools Open Tournament this month. Schools from around the state converged on Penrith Valley Regional Sports Centre and Kevin Betts’ Stadium to display their skills.

Our boys walked away with two wins and two losses through round play, improving in every game. Our girls went on a winning streak, not defeated until the Grand Final – and it took extra time for a result to be found!

Congratulations to both our teams, and the PAC community looks forward to playing in the Years 7-9 Tournament in August!

Congratulations to Jayden Baumgartner (Year 10) on his successes refereeing at the NSW PSSA Touch Football Championship. Jayden umpired a number of games over the three-day championship, which brought teams from around NSW to The Kingsway. Jayden’s refereeing skill impressed the referees’ co-ordinator, and saw him appointed to officiate one of the boys’ Semi-Finals and the girls’ Grand Final game. Outstanding achievement, Jayden!

PAC sent three teams to the Football NSW Futsal Regional Championships, our Years 7-8 girls team, Year 8 boys and Years 9-10 boys.

Both boys’ teams played with tenacity, coming up against some extremely talented schools, but still kicking some goals and walking away with some wins. Our Years 7-8 girls shone – after a tough match the day before in the Bill Turner competition, the girls banded together, not eliminated until the semi-finals! Congratulations to all our futsal players!

Our Years 10-12 girls team and Years 11-12 boys team will have their turn on the court in the last week of term, and we wish them lots of success!

Congratulations to our Year 12 NASSA Football representatives, Kalan Copeland and Alex Wright, who competed at the recent AICES Championship.

NASSA played with strength at the Championships, finishing as runners-up to CDSSA in a nail-biting Grand Final.

What a fantastic way to finish your Football representation at PAC – well done boys!

Congratulations to the 80+ students who represented PAC proudly at NASSA Cross Country. Our awesome level of attendance, lead by the 16-strong contingent from Year 12, saw PAC finish in 3rd place!

Special shout out to Alex Wright, winning the 18 years 8km event in a time of 31:47. Alex and the 18 years team (Harfy Deol, Noah Phoebus and Lachlan Emmanuel) will lead the 17 students who have qualified to run as NASSA representatives at the AICES Championship on 1 June.

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

The Community Business Directory acts as a link for business and families to support each other.  This initiative was 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.

On Wednesday 17 May, Ryle House Charity Day was held. During this day, students in Ryle House were involved in preparing, serving and delivering food to students in the Primary and Secondary schools. Ryle students also ran activities in the Primary and Secondary schools, including games such as “Pin the Horn on the Rhino”, Water Dunk, Penalty Shoot-out, Gone Fishin’ and Face Painting. The day was a great time of community fun and engagement, with the goal of raising funds for charity. Across the day, $3467.91 was raised for the Salvation Army Red Shield appeal, which provides support for people and families who are struggling with the current cost of living crisis.

Mr Tim Pigot
Head of House - Ryle