Mrs Felicity Grima - Principal

Dear Families,

We have had a wonderful start to the 2024 school year and it is great to have the energetic and exciting buzz of learning return to the College after the long holiday break.

We have welcomed 241 new students to the College across Pre-K to Year 11 and I would like to, again, extend my very warm welcome to you all. It is my prayer that all our students will settle well into the new school year and thrive as part of our wonderful College community.

Sad news of the passing of Mr Simeon Ogundepo

Sadly, Mr Simeon Ogundepo, the father of students at the College, passed away on 20 December 2023 from a chronic illness. Please pray for his wife, Dami Awobiyi, and his children, Joanna (Year 2) and Anna (Pre-K). Anyone who is interested in supporting the family can do so via the following link: https://www.gofundme.com/f/femi-simeon-ogundepo

Building Works

A considerable amount of work has been completed over the holiday period by our Property Team as well as contractors.

A number of buildings have been painted including the Lighthouse Theatre and L Block where Kindergarten and Year 1 classes are located. Outdoor seating, railings and poles have also been refreshed. This work will continue each holiday as part of a 3 year program to refresh the painting of all spaces around the College.

We have also completed the five new modular classrooms, staffroom and toilets adjacent to the Oval. This block will be known as ‘N Block’. These spaces will provide additional areas as we commence the completion of the Master Plan in the years ahead. We will be trialling a number of different student furniture options in these classrooms to inform the furniture selections for classrooms in the future.

We are in the final stages of completing the new Senior Technologies Workshop located in the space which previously housed the Property team. This is a purpose-built space which will accommodate Senior Technologies subjects.

More information and images will be provided shortly in the next edition of the Master Plan Newsletter.

Anglican School Corporation Review

The College is one of 18 schools within the Anglican Schools Corporation. Every five years, the Corporation completes a thorough review of each school as part of its quality assurance process to ensure Corporation schools are filling the mission and vision of the Corporation.

Penrith Anglican College will be reviewed in Term 1 this year. The review will involve surveying all staff, parents and students in the Secondary School.  There will also be a team of people visiting for three days at the end of the Term to conduct interviews and see the College in operation.

More information will be provided shortly, particularly in regard to the completion of surveys. I encourage all parents to be involved in the process by completing the surveys when they become available.

Staffing Updates

In the ‘Start of Term’ letter, I announced the new staff who have joined the College this year. Over the holiday break, we had a number of staff who have accepted new roles at schools closer to their homes.

• Mr David Hall, HSIE Teacher, has commenced a new role at Broughton Anglican College at Menangle.
• Mrs Josefa Calfoforo, HSIE Teacher, will leave the College on Friday 23 February to commence a new role at Bossley Park High School.
• Mr Mark Pullen, Head of Library Services, will leave the College on Friday 23 February to commence a new role at William Clarke College as the Head of Library.

We thank these staff for their service at the College and wish them every success in the years ahead.

This does mean that we are looking to fill three positions. The full role descriptions are on the College website https://www.penrith.nsw.edu.au/explore/employment/

• Head of Library Services
• HSIE Legal Studies Teacher with Commerce and 7-10 Geography
• HSIE Business Studies Teacher with Commerce and 7-10 Geography

Please share with suitably qualified family or friends.

We look forward to an excellent year of learning together at the College.

Mrs Felicity Grima

Principal

There is a great demand for places at the College as evidenced by the considerable growth in student numbers over the past few years. Families looking to enrol siblings for 2025 or beyond, are strongly encouraged to put in applications as soon as possible. Particularly anyone seeking places in the key entry years of Pre-K, Kindergarten or in Year 7 in 2025 should enrol quickly to avoid disappointment.  

Our carpark arrangements from 2023 will continue, with each side of the carpark operating in a ‘one way’ capacity.

Of a morning, K - 2 families can enter through Gate 2, and use the Kiss & Run space outside L Block to drop children off. Of an afternoon, all Primary students are picked up from the Primary Assembly Area.  

For both drop off and pick up, 3 - 6 families can enter through Gate 1, and use the Kiss & Run space outside the Primary Assembly Area.

There is a Secondary Only Pick-up and Drop-off area located on the side closest to Wentworth Road. Families should enter through Gate 1 at the round-about and exit through Gate 2. In the afternoon we ask that families picking up Secondary students arrive after 3.25pm. Queuing before 3.25pm blocks families from entering to pick up Primary students who finish at 3.15pm. 

In order to help the traffic flow smoothly and be respectful of our neighbours and the general community, please note the following:

• Particularly for the first few weeks as students and families adjust to new routines and procedures, we ask for parents to drive carefully and show patience in the carpark. Staff will be present to assist with moving the traffic on as quickly as we can.
• Students should only enter or depart cars in the designated areas in the College carpark and walk using the pedestrian crossings.
• Please do not leave your car unattended in the Kiss and Run Zones and please keep your stopping time to a minimum to allow other cars to move through.
• If you are parking, please park within the marked spaces and meet your child/ren at the 3-6 Assembly area. Please use the marked crossings to model appropriate car park etiquette.

Many of our students use Public Transport to travel to and from school.

• Students require an Opal Card and must Tap On and Tap Off, this is required so the bus company knows who has travelled on our services.
• Students are required to wear their College uniform when on public transport and our same expectations apply as if they were on site.
• The same behaviour expectations apply for students when travelling to and from the College.

A reminder for parents about our Mobile Phone Policy.

Students cannot use their phones during the school day. Mobile phones are to be handed to their class teacher at the beginning of the day, where they will be stored in a safe and secure location.

Students who wear smart watches are required to have them in school mode during the day.

If parents need to communicate with their child in Primary school during the day, they are asked to contact College reception on 4736 8100.

The College acknowledges that in order for students to have the best experience at school we need to have to have a strong partnership between school and home.  

Prayer

Please Pray for:

Our new students and staff as they settle into the routines and norms of the College

Those families in the College community experiencing times of hardship and stress

Start of term tiredness as students and families adjust to routine again

Praise

Praise God for:

God’s provision of new staff 

Students who go out of their way to assist those who are new to the College

Being able to praise him at Chapel services

Mrs Melinda Richardson - Deputy Principal (Primary)

• K-2 will be located in the Common Room (behind the administration building).
• Years 3 and 4 will be located in D Block.
• Years 5 and 6 will be located in C Block.

Deputy Principal (Primary)

Daily Times for 2024

Please note:

• Before 8.00am and after 3.45pm, all Primary students who are not involved in a sports program must be in TheirCare Before and After School Care. Families must have an account with TheirCare for their child to access this service. To enrol, please visit: www.theircare.com.au 
• Students who arrive later than 8.30am must get a late note from the office before going to class.
• Families that have siblings in the Secondary school are asked to arrive after 3:25pm, to support the flow of traffic in our car park.
• Parents and carers can alternatively park in marked bays and walk their child into school. Please use the marked crossings to model appropriate car park etiquette.

Mr Leighton Corr - Deputy Principal (Secondary)

The first week of school with students is always a great highlight. Watching new students be welcomed in, seeing people re-acquaint with friends, and everyone’s uniforms looking fresh, are small but significant reminders about who we are as a school community. We are a place that seeks to bring people together to learn and grow. 

I am incredibly impressed with the start our students have had this week. For Years 7, 11 and 12 this started on Tuesday and they have been getting to their class quickly and settling into their learning very well. Our Year 7 group also spent some time this week developing their understanding of who we are and our College Learning Culture. I hope they finish the week with a clearer view of who we are and what we are about. I was also encouraged with how our Senior students were role models to the younger years. They are ready to step up and be the students who lead our culture. 

Then on Wednesday we were joined by Years 8-10. As we commenced with Assembly in the Gym, I was incredibly impressed by just how much the College has grown in recent years. I do not just refer to numerical growth here, but also the fact that we are seeking to grow students in their character and in their development as wholistic people. Assembly was long as I went through a number of details for the coming weeks, but our students sat attentively, respectively and listened to what was being shared. As a College we talk a lot about helping young people in developing their values, I really hope in 2024 the respect that was shown in Assembly on Day One, becomes the normal thing for our students. 

Week 2 starts a series of weeks of big events with our Swimming Carnival on Friday. This is the first of many events that highlight us as more than a school but a community. It is a compulsory school event and I look forward to seeing everyone there. 

I hope the first week went well for all of our students.

Mr Leighton Corr
Deputy Principal (Secondary)

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