The Vine Newsletter

Mrs Felicity Grima - Principal

Term 3 started incredibly well as the students and staff have adjusted to the new arrangements to accommodate the building program for C, D and E Block. If you have been on campus lately, I am sure you have seen the scaffolds in place and the enormous amount of excavation works to prepare the site for the new buildings. We look forward to watching this project progress over the next 12 months.

Leadership Investiture Service
The Secondary Leadership Investiture took place last week. During the service, our new leaders were challenged to consider the ‘influence’ they would have on the community in their roles. In particular, they were challenged to consider the life of Jesus, who unlike many modern influencers who are driven by self-interest, was driven by love for others and led with compassion, integrity, courage, humility, and perseverance.

Congratulations to our 2024 – 2025 Student Leaders.

College Captains
Jessy Schoebel and Colby Carroll

College Vice-Captains
Teagan Kumar and Kupakwashe Tirivazvo

House Captains
Cranmer – Elizabeth Godwin and William Watson
Latimer – Sandra Stojanovic and Nate Ciantar-Pirrone
Ridley – Lucy Young and Morgan Leita
Ryle – Ellisa Patterson and Ellison Game

Prefects
Josephine Birtles, Brianna Campbell, Rishelle George, Chelsea Jenkins, Thomas Jones, Andi Simmons, Charlotte White, Samuel Wright

Learning Support Review
As a growing College, we are committed to continuous improvement to ensure we fulfil our mission to nurture and develop empowered learners with strength of character who know and follow Christ and serve others.

As part of this commitment and as we work towards the Strategic Priority ‘to enhance the support for students with specific learning needs’ we have engaged AISNSW to conduct a review of our approaches to learning support at the College. The AISNSW Review process uses the research-based School Wide Integrated Framework for Transformation (SWIFT) as a rigorous and reflective measure of inclusivity and current practice. It was developed by the University of Kansas and AISNSW have worked with the researchers to contextualise it for Australian school contexts.

The Review commenced this week with the final day scheduled for Tuesday 20 August. We will be gathering feedback from students (Years 5 to 12), staff and parents. An email containing a link and QR code to complete the survey was sent to all parents on 1 August, 2024.

Welcome to our New Staff
This term we have welcomed the following Staff to the College:
Angela Streeter – Legal Studies and History Teacher
Tim Durlach – English Teacher

We are pleased to announce that enrolment applications for 2026 are now being accepted. Please note that places for 2025 are extremely limited, with some years already on waitlists. To secure a spot and avoid disappointment, we encourage you to apply as early as possible.
For more information on how to apply, please visit our website or click https://www.penrith.nsw.edu.au/enrol/apply/
We look forward to welcoming your child!

The Australian Government Department of Education would like to advise all staff, parents and guardians that it will collect certain information about our College, staff and student body as part of the 2024 Non-government schools census collection (the census). You can find a copy of the Privacy Notice Here. 

Please pray for:

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

Year 12 as they begin their Trial HSC examinations this week

Upcoming camps and incursions

Praise God for:

Grandparents’ Day on Friday and welcoming so many special people to the College

The depth and breadth of co-curricular opportunities available at the College

The stunning weather and sunrises we have enjoyed lately

Mrs Melinda Richardson - Deputy Principal (Primary)

Welcome to Term 3! I love the halfway point of the school year as it is a wonderful chance to reflect on what has passed and what is still to come. This week in our Primary Assembly, we talked about gratitude, and how saying thank you and reflecting on the blessings in our lives can help not only our own mental health, but that of others too. The bible tells us to Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus, 1 Thessalonians 5:18, and Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good. His love endures forever, Psalm 136:1. Students have been encouraged to say thank you for the little things they notice, whether verbally, written or as an arrow prayer to God!

Thank you to those parents who attended our Parent / Teacher Interview evening. I am a firm believer in the partnership between parents and teachers in ensuring our learners continue on their journey here at the College. It was lovely to stop and chat with a number of you, and also for you to see the building progress. Please be reminded of our communication process here in Primary. For all matters relating to your child, please always start with your child's teacher. If matters remain unresolved, please speak with your child's Stage Coordinator (Mrs Melinda Lucas: Pre-Kindergarten / Kindergarten; Mrs Carmen Etherington: Years 1 / 2; Miss Amanda Fowler: Years 3 / 4; Mr Scott Bell: Years 5 / 6). From this point, you are then welcome to contact Mrs Bronwen Knebel (Curriculum), Mrs Lynette Karp (Pastoral / Wellbeing) or myself (all other matters).

Grandparents Day
It was so lovely to welcome so many Grandparents onsite today for our annual Grandparents Day. Through feedback received in previous years, our community have enjoyed a 'Grand Adventure' around many parts of our College. It was wonderful to see the interactions between the children and their grandparents, and the smiles on everyone's faces were evidence of the special time shared together.

National Week of Action: Bullying, No way
Throughout next week, students will participate in intentional learning activities focusing on the theme 'Everyone Belongs'.
When we feel like we belong, bullying struggles to find a place. It's about embracing who we are, respecting everyone's differences and standing up together against unkindness. Belonging means we all have a role in preventing bullying. We're encouraged to speak up and create a safe place where everyone feels supported and respected, and our voices are heard and valued. (Bullying, No way)

We know that sometimes 'speaking up' can be the trickiest thing to do. Often students believe that adults within their safety network are 'too busy' to listen to the concerns they have. We want to help our students learn that persistence is key, and that we are never too busy to help when they feel worried or upset. Ways you can help at home is to ask your children intentional questions to key into their day, continue to encourage them to speak up and tell a teacher when things haven't been great - and if needed, please reach out to a staff member yourself should have concerns.

Car Park & Courtesy
We know that the car park can be very busy, particularly at the end of the day. As many of you are aware, the College has sought advice from external providers to ensure that we have the best possible use of this space, as we manage the safe arrival and exit of our students. Additional staff are also allocated inside the school gates to support the smooth running of these times. We ask that all who use this carpark, and the surrounding streets, remember to adhere to not only legal requirements, follow the directions of staff and also remember to treat others with respect, kindness and patience.

Penrith Show
Students are encouraged to submit a range of personal works, as part of their annual competition. Further information can be found: Here

Nepean Budding Builder Competition
To celebrate the upgrade and expansion of the Nepean Hospital, students are encouraged to enter the Budding Builders Competition. For more information, please head to the link: Nepean Budding Builders

Year 3 have been learning about compasses, maps and position during Geography and Mathematics lessons this week. To put their skills to the test, Year 3 competed in an Orienteering Challenge, working in teams to solve clues and riddles and following their compass directions around the College. Students did an amazing job problem-solving and collaborating together.
Well done, Year 3!

On Wednesday, 7th August, a group of Year 5 and 6 students attended the ‘Junior Stretch and Challenge’ conference at Ascham school. This was a day full of inspiration and challenge that out us out of our comfort zone!

We explored big issues such as the ethics surrounding recent developments in technology and genetics. Using a text from the philosopher Plato, we worked in collaborative groups with students from the different attending schools, to discuss the morals and issues raised. Ideas then led to a whole group discussion.

During the afternoon, we continued to learn about the philosopher, Aristotle’s influence on how we perceive ourselves as humans, leading to a debate. Congratulations to those who were brave enough to present their points to the whole audience. As our presenter commented, you took your courage in your hands!

Mr Leighton Corr - Deputy Principal (Secondary)

It has been a wonderful start to Term 3, but there are a few highlights already I wish to point out.

Firstly, we had a lovely service to induct our new Secondary School Student Leaders last Thursday. Mrs Grima challenged students to think about their influence, and in a world of ‘influencers’ to consider what Jesus says in the Bible about how to influence others. Following the service, Mrs Duxbury and I had the privilege of meeting with the new leaders for a training event. We talked about the importance of character and highlighted the need to work well with others to get the most out of their leadership journey. It was great to hear the leaders talk about what they are most looking forward to and try and work together as a team.

At Penrith Anglican College, we also talk with students about making the most of the opportunities provided to them. I have been encouraged with the large response we have had to our u16 Rugby Union team. On Thursday last week the team overcame a strong and physical Rouse Hill Anglican College team 35-5. Some of these students have never played Rugby Union before and it has been encouraging to see them come together as a team and develop their skills and understanding. Watching them come together in this setting has also shown another factor of a PAC experience we highlight often; community. Coming together with others and feeling like you belong is a powerful thing for anyone to feel, but in particular for a young adult. I hope and pray that all of our students engage in the wide range of opportunities we offer and feel part of our community.

It is a privilege to work with our students and remind them of their character, to encourage them to make the most of the opportunities in front of them and help them feel a part of the community that PAC is seeking to be.

Annie Oliver - Youth Parliament

During Semester 1 of this year, I was given the privilege of participating in the Y's Youth Parliament program in NSW, as one of two Honourable Members for Blue Mountains. In the April school holidays, I went to the YMCA camp at Yarramundi to train at  As a committee, we decided to write about the implementation of the Y's Alternative Suspension program. The Alternative Suspension program is a program that focuses on breaking the cycle of suspensions and really finding solutions for the students of which our education system isn't catered to. After the sponsors wrote the bill, it was the refuters turn to amend the bill. My amendment focuses on integrating education surrounding behaviour management for various demographics into current NESA mandated teacher professional development and limiting the impact of this bill's implementation on teacher workloads. Through the process, my committee got to talk to some pretty cool experts and I got to consult the amazing Brenda Quayle from Real Schools. She got to share so much of her experience as a principal in the Western Sydney area and where she thinks the flaws in the education system are, providing invaluable insight into our bill and how we can make it the best it possibly can. After much anticipation (and some trash talking across party lines), in the first week of the July holidays, we were off to Youth Parliament! We got to stay at the amazing Dunmore Lang College in Macquarie University, staying in the dorms that the students would usually stay in. After a fantastic talent show on Monday night, we were off and raring to go on Tuesday. We started the Parliamentary experience with a beautiful opening ceremony in the Upper House, hearing from several cool people including the CEO of the YMCA NSW, then we moved on over to the Lower House to debate the National Matter of Importance, which was about breaking up monopolies and duopolies (eg Woolies and Coles) in order to increase competition which inherently decreases prices, alleviating cost of living pressures a little bit. During the open floor, I got up and talked about how breaking up these powers will create greater connection between supermarkets and their community as well as with producers, and about how this will create local jobs and long term domestic efficiency. This was a new experience for me as one of the few people in Parliament who isn't a debater or a public speaker, meaning that it was a really big moment that I'm still very proud of. After the National MPI, my committee (The Education & Training Committee) was first up for debates. As second speaker for the refuters and fourth speaker overall, I got to come up with a couple rebuttals while also getting to stick to my own speech. After an amazing debate, our bill and the amendments were passed pretty much unanimously which was really exciting. On Wednesday, we got the honour of going to Government House to be introduced to the Governor of NSW which was an amazing experience.Over the three days within NSW Parliament, so many issues impacting young people were debated with each of us having a personal connection to the bills and how these issues had impacted our community. We also each got to do a 1 minute Community Recognition Statement about anything we wanted, whether that was an issue in our community or something close to our hearts. I chose to speak about the pressure of being a teenage girl and how if we as a society change our mindsets just a little bit, it can make a big difference going forward. Youth Parliament is easily one of the best experiences of my life, providing me with some of the most incredible friends and teaching me how to advocate for others while still standing up for my own personal beliefs. It also gave me the opportunity to learn how to public speak and debate which are skills that I've always wanted but never had. It was truly an honour to represent both PAC and the Electorate of the Blue Mountains.
- Annie Oliver (Year 12 2024) 

Congratulations to our HSC students and their teachers for what they have been able to produce for our annual HSC Showcase. The students’ application to and perseverance through long term major projects, bodies of work, and performances was celebrated at this event. It is a pleasure to have the students share their products with the College community, and in particular, with their families and peers who have been a big source of support through the processes involved in the crafting, creating, critiquing, organising, planning, synthesising, resolving, problem-solving and construction that has taken place.

We look forward to seeing how the skills and attributes developed over the last 9 months set the students up for their future successes.

During the first week of the winter holidays, a group of year 11 students and teachers embarked on a service trip to Wellington, NSW. During the trip, they worked hard to clear gardens, fix fences, paint house facades, engage with children from PCYC, and had fun running trivia days with the community, spending an afternoon at the zoo, and getting to know one another. Throughout the trip, there were many conversations with the community about Faith, leading to come very inspirational moments. It was wonderful to see the students engaging with the community and really listening to the stories of others.

Keep your eyes out for more from the students and their experiences from a fantastic Dusty Boots trip!

During the holidays Ryan Hunt did the Hattah Desert Race at Mildura on the 6th of July. The race was 2 hours long and consisted of 5 laps of a 20km loop. Ryan was reaching the top speeds of 115kmph on his Ktm 85cc. Ryan ended up 117th out of 248 riders ranging from the ages 13-16 years olds riding on 85cc, 125cc & 250cc.
Well done Ryan!

On August 1-4th, Ella-Marie competed in the Oztag Australian Invitational Challenge in Coffs Harbour. The event showcases the talent of International teams, with 27 countries being represented in the gruelling four day competition. The competition started with an opening ceremony, with all players being lead out into the arena by their flag. Ella-Marie represented her heritage playing for the Great Britain Exiles under 18 girls competition. It was a tough comp with very fast paced games. Ella-Marie and her team worked together and played hard throughout the weekend and were able to come home with Silver, being beaten by a tough Australia team in the grand final. Well done Ella-Marie!

The team at TheirCare have an exciting program lined up for this Term! You can find their upcoming events Here.