The Vine Newsletter

As in previous years, this November issue of The Vine includes updates on staffing changes, listing those departing at the end of 2024 and new appointments starting in 2025. This year’s recruitment process has been shaped by several factors, particularly the steady enrolment growth our College has experienced—a trend expected to continue over the next five years. In response to this growth and feedback from the recent College Review, a new Organisational Structure is being developed for implementation next year. This ongoing process has already led to several positive and productive changes.

The main changes relate to the Secondary School, as the Primary School and the Christian Ministry Department had previously been reviewed in 2023:

1. The Head of Secondary role has been separated from the Deputy Principal role to increase focus and resourcing for the Secondary section.
2. The previous two roles of Director of Students for 7-9 and for 10-12 have been combined into one Director of Students 7-12 role to oversee the strengthening of our House pastoral care system, which is highly regarded as the most effective way of promoting Secondary students’ wellbeing and managing their welfare.
3. The House pastoral care system has been bolstered from next year with the addition of 4 Assistant Heads of House.
4. The Careers Coordinator role has been removed from the Director of Students role, to increase focus and resourcing in this area.
5. Additional leadership positions in four Departments (English, Maths, HSIE, Performing Arts) enables the introduction of Assistant Department Leaders.

Such significant changes will have profoundly positive impacts on the functioning of the Secondary section.

We acknowledge and convey our thanks to the following staff who will finish at the end of the year:

Mr David Collins (Maths Teacher and Acting Secondary Teaching and Learning Coordinator) – appointed as Head of Secondary at Shire Christian School, less than 10mins walk from home rather than a 60km car trip each way.

Ms Caitlin Williams (Secondary Sports Admin) – promotion to Head of Sport K-12 at Penrith Christian School.

Mr Thomas Kroon (Technologies Teacher) – appointed at Bede Polding College.

Mrs Melissa Boulden (Music Teacher) – appointed at Marsden Park Anglican College, closer to home.

Mr Nick Lane (Head of Performing Arts P-12) – appointed as Music Ensembles Coordinator at Leppington Anglican College, closer to home.

Mrs Alix Madden (Science Teacher) – appointed as Assistant Head of Science at Norwest Christian College.

Mr Ben Voller (Science Teacher) – appointed as a Science Teacher at Arndell Anglican College.

Mr David Thurlow (K-12 Music Teacher/Head of Latimer House) – appointed as a Music Teacher at Australian Christian College.

Dr Felix Kobus (Director of Operations P-12) – has been appointed as a Science Teacher at St Columba's in Springwood.

We announce and welcome the new appointments of the following staff for 2025:

Head of Secondary – Mr Tony Kelshaw.
Currently, the acting Deputy Principal/Head of Secondary and Director of Students 7-9. Prior to arriving at PAC in 2023, Tony held a range of leadership positions (Head of PDHPE, Head of House, Head of Midde School). These experiences have equipped him well with the necessary skills and knowledge to lead a large and complex Secondary section. He is a strong advocate for innovation and collaboration, to empower staff and to partner closely with parents for the benefit of students and for creating a multiplicity of opportunities for them to succeed.

Director of Students 7-12 – Mr Mark Gee.
Presently Mark is the Learning Enhancement Leader at Wycliffe Christian School and prior to that was the Head of Middle School and the Deputy Head of Senior School at Penrith Christian School. He has over 24 years’ experience as a teacher of English and Japanese, as well as a leader of Christian education. He has consistently demonstrated a passion for student wellbeing and a talent for developing and leading teams. He thrives on creating a nurturing environment for both students and staff. He has a proven track record of successfully implementing new programs and initiatives that enhance student progress. He is skilled in communication and collaboration and is committed to building strong relationships.

Director of Teaching and Learning Innovation P-12 – Ms Liz Errington.
Liz has over 25 years of experience as a teacher and a leader of teaching and learning in Anglican schools. She holds a Graduate Certificate of Teaching (Middle Years), Master of Science in Coaching Psychology, a Master of Education, and a Bachelor of Education (Special Needs Education). She is passionate about fostering academic excellence, student engagement, and staff development. Currently she is the Director of Teaching and Learning (K-6) at Georges River Grammar, demonstrating expertise in curriculum, pedagogical practices, and strategic planning. Most recently, she has co-written the K–12 staff goal-setting program for the staff Professional Development & Growth Program.

Director of Operations P-12 – Mr Ben Ryan.
Ben brings over 20 years of experience in teaching and leadership in both Australia and the UK. His career is marked by a demonstrated record of success in improving the performance of departments and whole school areas. He has held a range of positions within schools including Year Coordinator, Director of Students P-12 and Assistant Principal. As a dedicated advocate of student-centred learning, he is committed to building strong relationships with colleagues, students, parents, and the community. His experience in leading strategic planning, organising events and managing change will be invaluable for the effective operation of our College.

Head of Performing Arts – Dr Christian Watson
Please see below for a letter from Dr Christian Watson.

Executive Assistant to Head of Secondary – Mrs Virginia Whyms

Clinic Officer (Part-time) – Mrs Jemalyn Adorable

We also congratulate the following staff for their new appointments from 2025:

Head of Latimer House – Miss Angela Streeter

Assistant Heads of House – Mrs Katie Dunn (Cranmer); Mr David Chen (Latimer); Miss Hannah Ramsay (Ridley); Mr Isaac Bingham (Ryle).

Assistant Department Leaders – English: Mrs Justine Gorman; HSIE: Mrs Renata Lackey; Performing Arts: Mrs Emily De Sousa

Careers Coordinator – Mrs Annette Carter

The Recruitment process for the Deputy Principal P-12 continues and we will provide an update for the College community before the end of the year. Other teachers commencing at the start of 2025 will be introduced to families at the start of the year.

Building Program

Another important update concerns our building program, which is progressing well and is ahead of schedule. Our projections for a staged completion of the various parts of the program are as follows:

Start of Term 1 – D Block Ground Floor classrooms returned to normal use;

Start of Term 2 – E Block Ground Floor classrooms returned to normal use and the new upstairs D Block classrooms ready for use;

Start of Term 3 – the remainder of the project finished.

Please pray for:

Students and staff to finish the year well.
Those in our community who are weary or struggling with complex situations.
The plans that are being made to ensure 2025 begins well.

Praise God for:

The successful completion of our HSC students and for the families and staff who supported them throughout their studies.
The opportunity we have to help others through the Toys and Tucker appeal.
The continual growth of the College, through enrollments and our building program.

Mrs Melinda Richardson - Deputy Principal (Primary)

We have had a wonderful few weeks of welcoming new students and families to our College for 2025. Our Orientation Days bring a consideration of wellbeing and transition as we help new families connect with our community. I have been impressed by the way our current students have made efforts to connect with and help new students, and share the things they love about school life.

Our Swim Program (Years 2, 4 and 6) was another wonderful learning experience, supporting not only curriculum requirements in water safety, but providing a service to our students in preparing for the swimming season of Summer. Our students are commended for their behaviour and representation of the College at the swim centre.

As the year quickly comes to a close, families are strongly encouraged to keep abreast of communication for a number of events. Of particular note:

• Tuesday 26 November - Year 6 Graduation Chapel & Dinner / Disco (GYM)
• Thursday 28 November - Pre-Kindergarten Graduation & Morning Tea (LHT)
• Thursday 5 December - Presentation Events (GYM), Last Day of School for students

Our Pre-Kindergarten students at Penrith Anglican College have been thrilled to welcome some new little friends!

Recently, our classrooms became home to hatching chick eggs, giving our young learners a firsthand experience with the life cycle of animals.

Through observing, asking questions, and caring for the chicks, students have been discovering the wonder of growth, development and responsibility. This hands-on learning experience has sparked curiosity and provided a beautiful opportunity to understand God’s creation in action.

We are on the hunt for all library resources to be returned as soon as possible, allowing us to finalise our systems for the year. Resources can be returned to either of our library centres (G or L) at any time. We hope to see all our lost books returning home to us in the next few weeks.

Remembrance Day

Last week, PAC observed Remembrance Day as a whole school. This tradition fosters respect, gratitude, and historical awareness among students. This solemn occasion provides an opportunity to honour the sacrifices of those who served in wars, conflicts, and peacekeeping missions to secure the freedoms we enjoy today. It was encouraging to see students respectfully observe a moment of silence to reflect on the significance of others' service.

Incorporating Remembrance Day into school programs allows our community to better understand the historical context of wars, the experiences of veterans, and the ongoing importance of remembrance. Our service was run by our Secondary Leaders, Andi Simmons and Chelsea Jenkins, with the support of Mr D. Jenkins on trumpet and Mr P. McMurray delivering the address.

Manners

As a school, we focus on developing the character of our students, not just academic outcomes. Sometimes it is hard for students to understand what is required of them to demonstrate particular character traits. During assemblies, there has been a focus on students using “thank you,” “sorry,” and “please” as ways of demonstrating compassion, courage, integrity, humility, and perseverance.

Teaching and modelling the use of these simple words in our school is essential for fostering a respectful and positive community. These words carry significant weight in building strong relationships, promoting kindness, and encouraging accountability among students and staff.

Education works best when the school and families work together for the benefit of students. Over the coming break, families have the opportunity to reinforce these behavioural expectations at home and during holidays. Teenagers learn by observation, and modelling “thank you,” “sorry,” and “please” in adult conversations—and requiring adolescents to use these words—will have a positive impact on families and the overall tone within the PAC community.

Project-Based Learning

Both Year 9 and Year 10 students are/will be involved in project-based learning (PBL) initiatives over weeks 6 and 7 this term. Year 10 students are participating in Australian Business Week (ABW), while Year 9 students will undertake a series of projects of their choosing next week.

ABW is a business simulation where students work in teams to manage all facets of a business while developing a product for the final ‘trade display’ presentation. As part of the week, we have invited industry experts, local business owners, and ex-students to share their experiences in leading and developing businesses.

Year 9 students have selected PBL projects to engage with during Week 7. Each project is led by a PAC staff member and requires students to utilise their learning from various subjects while creating a final display for a project marketplace.

Staff involved in these initiatives are thanked for their professionalism and dedication to our students. Creating high-quality and rich learning experiences at such a busy time of the year is a significant effort that benefits student learning as we approach the Christmas holiday break.

Congratulations to Ava Kobus who has had her Visual Arts Body of Work nominated for consideration in ARTEXPRESS.
ARTEXPRESS is an annual showcase of HSC Visual Arts works and nomination for potential inclusion is a huge achievement.
Well done, Ava!

The National History Challenge is an opportunity for students from across Australia to research and explore history in their own ways. Finley G (Year 8) has been awarded a certificate for Young Historian Silver, as a finalist for the NSW Year 8 prize. Stay tuned as the NSW winners are yet to be announced.

Well done, Finley!

This year the history mastermind took place on Thursday 14th November at TARA Anglican school for girls. Two teams were sent each consisting of four year 9 students. These teams were A: Abhinav Maliakal, Akshaj Sharma, Elliott Written and Gurshan Kehal, and B: Arabella Chavez Palpan, Asef Rahman, Ella Johnson, and Keira Gurney. The competition is split up between the day. It starts with two twenty question rounds, which are marked with one mark for each question. These question are based on many topics including World Wars 1 and 2, Making of the modern world, Pop culture, Australia between the wars, Australia and the Vietnam war, Movement of peoples, Making a nation, Rights and Freedoms and general history trivia. This was followed by a fun round about flags. After a break we came back and did two more twenty question rounds before a guess the person round with a students guessing round and then a teacher guessing round where Dr. Jackson was robbed by someone who gave two guesses. After a lunch break there was another fun round with true or false questions the finals took place with the top four teams in each year being selected to compete. Two teams were seated in front of everyone and were given questions, had to hit a buzzer before saying the answer to the whole crowd. The day then concluded with the grand finals in the same format.

Personally this experience was great for me. Doing this experience with my friends for two years made me bond greatly with them while learning lots of history through our mistakes as well. While maybe sounding like it the Mastermind was not all that tense, allowing us to discuss and have a few jokes with our teacher and each other. While we didn't place in the top four it was definitely worth going and was an amazing experience. I highly recommend this experience to any student who is interested in history or any student who is looking for a fun experience with your friends and an opportunity to make friends with many other history students from a wide range of other schools.

- Gurshan Kehal, Year 9.

This term, our Year 7.1 Technology class showcased their creativity and technical skills through the Illumination Project. Students explored timber technologies and electronics to design and create their very own illuminated acrylic signs. Using tools such as a tenon saw, drills, and disc sanders, they crafted timber bases, while also soldering simple circuits to power three LED lights. Their laser-cut acrylic designs were inspired by everything from sports to sea creatures, with Adobe Illustrator used to bring their unique visions to life. The students' final creations are a testament to their hard work, creativity, and newfound skills in design and technology. The photos capture the pride and excitement of our talented young industrial designers.

On Tuesday 5 November 2024, Nate represented the College at the 30th NSW Schools Constitutional Convention, held at New South Wales Parliament House. Delegates heard from Professor Emerita Anne Twomey, of the University of Sydney. During this lecture, students were introduced to contemporary legal challenges, especially concerning freedom of political communication and the extent to which this is reflected and upheld in international human rights law and statute law and interpreted and enforced by the courts. For instance, pertaining to protest laws and relevant police powers, Professor Twomey imparted wisdom on how courts determine whether restrictions on rights are justified and constitutional through a proportionality analysis. To further enhance their understanding of these issues, students then participated in discussions concerning matters such as these.

The Sustainability Group is a small team of dedicated students from years 7-9, who aim to make the school self-sustaining and completely eco-friendly for both the benefit of the students and the environment! As part of the program, ten of the students were chosen to participate in a Sustainability Expo on November the 8th. There, they were able to hear from inspiring young speakers from across Australia, including Ben Dessen, who spoke about how his mission to Borneo motivated him to help rescue and rehabilitate threatened Australian species at his own Wildlife shelter, and Sophia Skarparis, who started a movement to ban all single use plastic bags in Australia at the age of 14. They also had the opportunities to talk to other schools about how to better implement sustainable practices and were able to exchange ideas between schools. The day ended with a brainstorming session, where everyone came together to plan how best to put new ideas into place.

“In my opinion, the sustainability expo was an amazing experience. After hearing from speakers like Sophia I now have so many more ideas about how to help our environment, both inside the school and in the community!” - Lily S (Year 8).

Dear Families,

You may recently have heard that Mr Nick Lane is moving on from Penrith Anglican College at the end of 2024 to a school closer to home, and I am writing to introduce myself as the new Head of Performing Arts at the College from 2025.

I am currently the Director of Performing Arts at St Andrew’s Cathedral School located in the Sydney CBD, having worked at the school for the last 25 years as a saxophone teacher, ensemble conductor, classroom music teacher and most recently, leading the Performing Arts team for the last seven years. I also worked as a music tutor and ensemble conductor at The King’s School and International Grammar School earlier in my career. My education has included studying a Bachelor of Music (Hons 1), GradDipEd and PhD (Music).

I am very much looking forward to joining the College in 2025 and plan on continuing and developing the excellent work that has been undertaken recently by the music and drama staff and students. In moving to PAC, I will also enjoy working much closer to home.

To support this continued development in serving the community, we have recently appointed two other excellent experienced music educators to continue the work undertaken by Mr David Thurlow and Mrs Melissa Boulden, who are also moving to schools closer to their homes. I look forward to introducing these staff to you at the start of 2025.

I look forward to meeting you next year, and until then, I wish you all the best for the remainder of 2024 and a blessed Christmas.

Warm regards,
Dr Christian Watson

A huge congratulations to Jayden (Year 12), who recently represented Penrith Anglican College as a student referee at the SSA Championships!

Over the week, he officiated 3-4 games a day, showing dedication and resilience even in high temperatures. Jayden was honored to referee the 15 Boys Grand Final for the second consecutive year, officiating a thrilling NSW vs. QLD match that saw QLD take the gold.

This year’s championships were the first with only student referees from NSW, QLD and WA. Jayden thrived among them, learning from top national and international coaches and building lasting friendships with fellow referees from across Australia.

We’re inspired by Jayden’s passion, dedication, and hard work—qualities that continue to serve him and our community so well. Great job, Jayden!

The P&F were only too happy to join in the celebration of World Teachers’ Day this year providing “Grab & Go” snacks and refreshments, thank you cards, candy bags and colouring sheets to share our appreciation and thanks for all our PAC Teachers.

Our P&F volunteers were invited to attend the Orientation sessions for Pre K, Kindergarten and Year 7 this past week. We welcomed new families to the College, shared our experiences, and answered many questions. This was a wonderful opportunity for the P&F to connect with families.

The P&F are excited to offer families, staff and friends the opportunity to shop our label fundraiser from Oz Labels. Check out their brochure here, then head to ozlabels.com.au and enter our fundraiser code FRS1559 when you check out to receive a 10% discount on your order. Every order placed using our unique code provides a commission to the P&F. For more information, have a look  Happy shopping and thank you for your support!

Save the date! The P&F invite you to attend our Meet & Greet night, Monday, 10 February 2025 at 7:00pm in the Staff Common Room. Bring a friend, make new friends, find out what the P&F are all about, share your ideas and discover the many ways in which you can get involved in all things P&F!

Tuesday 26 November

- Year 6 Graduation Chapel & Dinner / Disco - in the Gym

Wednesday 27 November

- Year 10 Charity Ball

Thursday 28 November

- Pre-Kindergarten Graduation & Morning Tea - in the Lighthouse Theatre 

Thursday 5 December

- 9:00am in the Gym - Kindergarten to Year 2 Presentation
- 11:00am in the Gym - Year 3 to Year 6 Presentation
- 1:30pm in the Lighthouse Theatre - Year 7 to Year 12 Presentation
- Last Day of School for students

Key Assets Australia is a Foster Care Agency with offices in Botany, Blacktown, and Wallsend. If you would like to learn more about foster care and how you can be involved, follow the Link for more details.

Lower Mountains Anglican Church warmly welcomes you to join their Christmas events.
Please see below for details.

Emu Plains Anglican Church warmly invites you to join their Annual Christmas Eve Christmas Carrols.

Carols start at 6:30pm
Emu Plains Anglican Church: 26 Short St, Emu Plains
epac.org.au 

We want all children and young people who attend Penrith Anglican College to feel and be safe. We are committed to providing a child safe and child friendly environment, where children and young people are safe and feel safe and are able to participate in decisions that affect their lives.

We have a zero tolerance for child abuse and are committed to doing what we can to keep students safe from harm.

The College regards its child safety responsibilities with the utmost importance and is committed to providing the resources required to ensure compliance with all relevant child protection laws and regulations and maintaining a child safe culture. Each member of the College community has a responsibility to understand the important and specific role that they play individually and collectively to ensure that the wellbeing and safety of students is at the forefront of all that they do and every decision that they make.

Child Safe Policy: Download

If you have any questions or concerns with regards to a Child Safety matter, please email Felicity Grima, Principal via [email protected].

Please see the attached image for the extended trading hours for the Uniform Shop.