From the Principal
Message from the Principal
Mrs Felicity Grima - Principal
End of Year Celebrations
In a year like no other, we will be celebrating the achievements of students, as well as the completion of important milestones in different ways in 2021. With regard to the restrictions and regulations in place for schools, all end of year events will be livestreamed and available to be viewed by families and the broader community.
Wednesday 1 December
2021/2022 College Leadership Investiture*
Year 10 Charity Ball, Crowne Plaza Windsor
Thursday 2 December
Year 6 Graduation*
Year 6 Celebration Dinner
Friday 3 December
College Christmas Chapel
Pre-K Graduation – completely online
Tuesday 7 December
Year 12 Graduation Service*
Year 12 Valedictory Dinner
Wednesday 8 December
K-6 Presentation Morning at 9am*
7-12 Presentation Afternoon at 1.30pm*
* Where events are for specific year groups only, two parents are invited to attend in person, but they must be fully vaccinated and show proof as they arrive.
We look forward to returning to face-to-face events with families in 2022.
John Lambert Awards
This week I have had the pleasure of presenting John Lambert Awards to students across Kindergarten to Year 12.
The award is presented to students who have accumulated points for effort and achievement in academia, sports, creative and performing arts, community service, citizenship and fellowship. We have implemented a change during 2020 and 2021. Instead of resetting to zero points at the start of each year, students continue to collect points until they receive the required number. It may take some students a year to achieve the award while others may take two or three.
Regardless of the time taken, receiving a John Lambert Award signals that a student is actively involved in the life of the College, represents the College well and displays effort and an attitude of service.
We were not able to have a ‘live’ presentation of these awards so we have taken a photo of each child receiving their award and these will be printed and given to families as a record of this excellent achievement. We congratulate all the students who have been presented with their John Lambert Award in Term 4.
Mrs Felicity Grima
Principal
Prayer and Praise
Enter his gates with thanksgiving
and his courts with praise;
give thanks to him and praise his name.
For the Lord is good and his love endures forever;
his faithfulness continues through all generations.
Psalm 100:4-5 NIV
Please pray for:
Our Year 12 students currently undertaking their HSC exams.
Members of the College community who are experiencing times of hardship and stress.
Those planning end of year events.
Praise God for:
The stunning grounds of the College and the amount of space we have.
Students who are inclusive and kind to others.
The opportunity to spend time as a College community honouring those who serve and those who have fallen on Remembrance Day.
Remembrance Day Service
Thursday 11 November 2021 marks 103 years since peace settled over the battlefields of WW1. As a community we want to pause and honour the sacrifices of the 63,000 Australians who gave their lives in that terrible war, and also the thousands of Aussies in the wars since who have laid down their lives to serve and defend our nation.
Given the significance of this day to many in our community, and the opportunity to reach them with the Gospel through celebrating Remembrance Day, a whole College service was live-streamed on Thursday, and we held our minute's silence at 11am.
We will remember them.
Mr David Janzen
College Chaplain
Teaching and Learning
Message from the Director of Teaching and Learning
Mr Mitchell Clarke - Director of Teaching and Learning
Isn’t it great to have students back on campus? Have you ever seen students (or parents and teachers, for that matter) so excited for their return to a school setting? I know I speak on behalf of all College staff when I say it is truly great to hear the voices, running footsteps and laughter of so many students at the College once again.
As the College’s Director of Teaching & Learning, I want to applaud our College community for the way in which we were all able to adapt and respond to the 2021 iteration of the COVID lockdown. As we are all aware, this effective closure of the College campus saw students, teachers and parents being asked to make significant sacrifices to ensure the continuity of learning.
Working from home, students were required to become more resourceful and active learners focused on completing learning activities to the best of their ability. This involved extending themselves to ask questions when they were uncertain, as well as seeking regular feedback to improve the quality of their work.
So too, did this process demonstrate the strength of our teachers, asked to adapt their teaching processes, master new technologies, find new ways to conduct teaching as well as continually promote the importance of student wellbeing.
Our courageous parents also bounced between the role of teacher and student, with many parents learning on the run, doing their best to support students with their online learning; an understandably daunting task for many parents.
I wanted to commend the sense of College spirit and resilience our students, teachers and parents have once again demonstrated, continuing to support and encourage each other during a difficult, but nonetheless triumphant season of the College.
In an uncertain world, I can not know what 2022 will bring; but I do know two things. The first, that whatever happens, our College community has already demonstrated an incredible ability to respond to whatever comes our way; and the second, that our heavenly Father still is and always will be in control.
Mr Mitchell Clarke
Director of Teaching and Learning
Stationery Lists 2022
Please be advised the 2022 stationery lists for Years 3-12 are are now available on the College website.
Music Department
Peripatetic Music Lessons
Private lessons can resume onsite at the College now for Piano, Drums, Violin, Cello & Guitar.
Strict Covid regulations will be adhered to.
Parents can contact the music tutors directly to arrange times. For more information contact Mrs Karen Jones (Music Assistant) at k.jones@pac.nsw.edu.au
Year 5 Art
Well done to the Year 5 students whose designs for the Blue Mountains Gazette ‘Design an Ad’ competition were sent off for judging this week. Students were given the task of designing an ad for a Blue Mountains business which incorporated elements of what the business does as well as information for customers.
Goodluck to Year 5 students Sophie Jack, Sienna Aguilar, Lilijana Cavka, Navneet Kajal, Noah Peikos, Finley Gange, Adelaide Grima and Ava Borger on the judging of the competition.
Mrs Katie Dunn
Visual Arts Teacher
Compassion Child Sponsorship
REMINDER: Our one and only Compassion competition for this term is being held during Week 7 (15-19 November 2021)!
Every day during Week 7, students will be able to place gold coins in their grade-labelled transparent containers.
- K-2 containers will be in the area in which they play before school each morning.
- Years 3-6 containers will be on the stage in the assembly area.
Each day students will be able to watch their coin levels rise in their containers.
No Compassion donations were able to be given in Term 3 for our sponsor children and this is our only competition this term.
Let’s make it count and and help our sponsor children as best we can!
Mrs Sue Munce
Compassion Child Co-ordinator
Ingrid Maria Santana De Oliveira
Ingrid lives with her mother who is seldom employed. She is 11 years old and lives in Brazil.
Ingrid likes to play with her doll and also play with a hoop. She is in Year 4 and her favourite subject is Art.
Ingrid is sponsored by the current Year 5. She replaced Year 5’s previous sponsor child Shawon whose family situation changed and they no longer needed sponsorship, praise God!
The changemaker trainer of teachers in Haiti - Marc
“Growing up, my parents struggled to provide for the family, and having the school fees paid on a regular basis was a big deal. I was supposed to be a cultivator, but Compassion has turned me into an educator. I was a hopeless person, but thanks to Compassion I have hope and a future. I want to use my skills to train teachers to provide good quality education to students.” Compassion International
This is yet another success story from the pages of people like us who invest financially, emotionally and prayerfully in the lives of people who are far less fortunate than us. It shows that for the cost of a soft drink or a chocolate or a coffee, we create huge opportunities for children in poverty!
Mrs Sue Munce
Primary Compassion Co-ordinator
Library
Books are the perfect Christmas gift!
Our Book Club guru Mrs Brown has had a few questions about how to purchase books as gifts from the latest Scholastic catalogue. Here’s a quick guide!
Check out Issue 7 and get your Christmas shopping sorted!
Scholastic Book Club is a great way to support the College Library as well – your purchase earns us points to spend on new library books for our wonderful students!
KOALA Awards 2021
Last week saw the announcement of the 2021 Kid’s Own Australian Literature Awards (KOALA), nominated and voted for by Australian kids. We are members of this non-profit organisation as Friends of KOALA, another way to encourage our students to love reading. Congratulations to the 2021 Winners!
Years 7-9 Sick Bay by Nova Weetman
Older readers 130 Storey Treehouse by Andy Griffiths and Terry Denton
Younger readers Weirdo 14 Vote Weirdo by Anh Do and Jules Faber
Picture book Do Not Open This Book Ever by Andy Lee and Heath McKenzie
Graphic Novels for Everyone
The humble graphic novel has seen a huge resurgence in popularity and we have many titles in the library covering all genres.
Brand new graphic novels in G library include Artemis Fowl books 1, 2 and 3; Babysitter’s Club; Carmen Sandiego (from the Netflix series); Roald Dahl’s the Witches; Les Miserables; Animorphs 1 and 2; Raina Telgemeier’s popular titles and more.
The Primary library has the latest Dog Man, Bad Guys, Weirdo and many others.
College Library Staff
Secondary School
Celebrating World Teacher's Day 2021
On 29 October, the school celebrated World Teacher’s Day. This day was devoted to recognising and celebrating the incredible contributions the teachers and staff of Penrith Anglican College have made to the school community. It was also a day for students to have the chance to express their thanks and gratitude to their teachers.
The student leadership team of 2021-2022 was assigned with their first task of organising World Teacher’s Day. Throughout the first week back on campus, the team completed a variety of tasks leading up to the special day. For Primary School, a video was made of students sharing what they loved most about their teachers. Students also had the opportunity to colour in a pair of glasses shaped like apples, which have long been used as a symbol of education. The student leadership team also went around to each learning department in Secondary School and took photos with the teachers wearing sunglasses. A video for Secondary School was made using these photos along with a few clips of our mentor representatives expressing their thanks. The Secondary School also had a chance to write their own personalised letter to their favourite teacher, which the student leadership team sorted and handed out to the teachers on World Teacher’s Day with music in the background and sunglasses on.
For the past 2 years, our teachers have had to show incredible resilience, leadership, and adaptability throughout the Covid pandemic. Teachers have adapted their learning environments, supported their students and school community, and continued to share their knowledge and wisdom with their students. World Teacher’s Day was an opportunity for students thank their teachers and staff for all they have done and for the impact they have had on their lives. Penrith Anglican College is looking to continue celebrating World Teacher’s Day in the years ahead.
Hannah Stanford
College Captain 2021-2022
Secondary Learning Enrichment
Australian Geography Competition 2021
At the beginning of the year, 18 students from across Years 7-10 participated in the Australian Geography Competition. Students tested their geographical skills and knowledge with the most outstanding results listed below:
- High Distinction: Christopher Oliver (Year 7), Liam Ruan (Year 7).
- Distinction: Colby Carroll (Year 8), Ava Kobus (Year 9), Ava Toland (Year 9), Tanisha Aggarwal (Year 10).
- Credit: Adam Badesha (Year 7), Mira Hallani (Year 7), Aahana Saha (Year 8), Ashley Jackson (Year 10), Francesca Pereira (Year 10).
Australian History Competition 2021
The Australian History Competition was cancelled for 2020 due to the COVID-19 situation, so it was good fortune that Penrith Anglican College were able to participate in the competition in Term 2 this year, before COVID-19 moved our learning off campus again. 18 students from Years 7-10 tested their historical knowledge and skills in a 45 minute competition with the most outstanding results listed below:
High Distinction: Edison Noakes (Year 8), Francesca Pereira (Year 10).
Distinction: Daniella Muscat (Year 7), Christopher Oliver (Year 7), Aryan Patial (Year 7), Elizabeth Godwin (Year 8), Toby Gange (Year 9), Ava Kobus (Year 9), Erin O’Shannessy (Year 9), Aneeq Mahmood (Year 10).
Credit: Jack McGarity (Year 7), Liam Ruan (Year 7), Brianna Campbell (Year 8), Aahana Saha (Year 8), Timothy Batcheldor (Year 9).
Congratulations to all students who participated in these competitions this year.
Mrs Kathryn Clarke
Secondary Gifted & Talented Co-ordinator
Year 9 Food Technology
ear 9 Food Tech students got creative designing and decorating cakes for their Celebration Cakes Unit, learning a variety of skills including making buttercream, piping, drip icing and other decorative techniques. They look amazing...and delicious!
Year 10 Work Experience
Year 10 students have the opportunity to participate in a week-long work experience placement each year. Due to the fluid nature of Covid restrictions during Term 3, the decision was made to cancel the Work Experience Program. However, students who had already organised a placement, and whose employers were still happy to supervise them, were given the chance to participate. Here are just a few of the students' experiences:
During Work Experience, I visited All 4 Kids Preschool where I spent my week interacting with the kids. Some of the activities I took part in was teaching the kids Christmas dances for their concert and assisting them with using scissors to cut paper. Overall, it was a great experience, and the kids were amazing. - Isabelle Luscombe
On work experience, I went to a music studio and guitar workshop. Here I worked on repairing guitars through fixing actions, doing neck resets, changing strings, spray painting a guitar body, restoring guitars, fixing strap plugs, changing frets and much more. In the studio I learnt to mix and master songs, working with the EQ, compression, audio affects as well as recording onto tracks. I also got the chance to meet with Don Bartley, who has been mastering albums for many years, working on albums such as Sgt Pepper, Abbey Road, Whispering Jack as well as albums by ABBA, Cold Chisel, Johnny Diesel and many more. It was a very fun week that I will always remember and the skills I learnt I will be able to use in my future work life as well as with my own music. - Sam Lucas
For me, work experience was definitely a one-of-a-kind experience. Not only did it give me a chance to experience what working in a law office was like, but it gave me a taste of 8:30am to 5pm days. I got to help archive files and print and shred documents. I also got to walk around the city, running errands for solicitors. Overall work experience really helped me in my decision for my future and I would gladly go again. - Francesca Pereira
Year 10 English - Slam Poetry
Recently 10W students studied the slam poetry of Indigenous poet and playwright, Stephen Oliver. Students analysed his message, the effectiveness of his language choices and the impact of his performance. Students were then tasked with composing their own slam poems on an issue of their choice and performing their compositions in a class slam poetry competition. It was encouraging to see students reflect on issues close to them, experiment with words and rhythm, and share their work with their peers.
Miss Lauren Kenny
Head of English
Here are some examples:
Summertime in Australia
What happened to summer in Australia?
The vibe so much more different and better
No time for cold
Don’t need the sweater weather
The music boomed loud
And the people so stoked
We can finally be in the time we love most
A lifetime ago this was the case
Now we are stuck inside waiting for an update for another type of case
The news on constantly with nothing else to show
But the daily covid numbers that continues to grow
And the summer before was nothing of a treat
Fires cut through towns like butchers hacking at meat
The sky brown with no sun in sight
The classic Aussie would say “Nah she’ll be right”
But not this time, this time was different
Not everyone was out in thongs and singlets
Packing up homes and leaving nothing behind
But the place that filled so many memories inside
The fires brought out the fighters
And those firies pulled all-nighters
Risking it all for greater good
As soon as those brave men and women could
The people complaining about the years 19’ and 20’
With the years prior filled with fun in plenty
If they knew what was to come, they would not say
They want to wish those years away
This summer surely will be different? Right?
At the end of the tunnel there should be light?
As far as we know this summer could be the best one yet
Or could this summer unveil a whole new type of threat
By Spencer Hinchliffe
----------
In a world of hate and without love
Many lack the ability to rise above
We do have love and we do have hate
But if we do nothing it will be up for debate
We need to think of something other than ourselves
Or we are nothing but a virus in human shells
Killing the world
Slowly
Surely
Without a stop in sight
If we don’t stop it will disappear one night
Out of sight out of mind if we think like this
We might live in a peaceful bliss
But the point we will miss
We will die by our own hand
And from this earth we will be band
Without hope
Without faith
Without a chance to change our destiny
But if we stop now and rethink our choices
Then we might be free from our bad fate
But only if we choose to love instead of hate
By Cooper Lees
----------
It's been years, and we're still going
Releasing poison without most of the world knowing
It all started with fossil fuels
Dead animals for energy? What a deal!
Then begun the death of trees
How much more energy could be squeezed?
Before the world's wellbeing would begin to seize?
Plants dying
Animals dying
Ocean dying
And speaking about stopping? We aren't even trying
Environment dying
Coral dying
People, however, are surviving
For now, we are undying
We are believing all of these false claims
Saying that nothing has changed, that it is all the same
But we're moving into the future, so who knows?
Will the threat on our world continue to grow?
By Ethan Kambar
----------
I’m in third grade
Sitting on my bed, staring out the window
At the moon
At the full moon
I hear my parents argue
In their room
They try and hush their voices but
I can hear them talking and
Every once in a while
Their voices rise
But are quickly shushed by the other
the front door slams silent at once
The endless cycle about to begin
I’m at mum’s
I’m at dad’s
“Sorry I can’t, I’m at mum’s”
The normality gone in a blink
So much going on and so
Much time to think
Could I be the reason for this
disastrous thing?
Tears fill my eyes
And I brush them away angrily as they spill over
Angry that I have to cry
I mean,
the divorce happened three years ago now!
Maybe I just needed air
Just needed air and space
To get away from everyone
The air
It reminds me of life
How easily life can change
How one instant everything can be ok
And then the next.
Everything’s upside down
To this day
I am faced with the question
By Hayley Metcalfe
Community Notices
Toys 'n' Tucker Appeal
TOYS ‘n’ TUCKER 2021
Last day for donations is Monday 29 November.
The College is proudly continuing its long involvement in Anglicare’s Toys’n’Tucker Appeal and we would love your help!
Anglicare has need of both NEW Christmas gifts for children up to teenagers and small items of food, especially Christmas items.
Suggestions for Gifts include:
Sporting equipment, games, books, toiletries especially for teenage boys and GIFT CARDS. Please do not wrap the gifts, parents are given wrapping paper to do this.
Food items need to be small packets not bulk packs as they are too large to fit into the gift boxes.
Christmas items such as puddings, long-life custard, nuts, nibbles, crackers, juice, sweets and canned hams are especially welcome.
Staples such as pasta,rice, tea, coffee and jams are needed as are rolls of gift wrap and sticky tape.
Where:
Pre K to Year 6 – please give to your Core Class teacher.
Years 7 – 12 – please give to your Mentor Group teacher.
Opal Card Applications for School Travel 2022 Are Open
Students who need a School Opal card or travel pass for 2022 can apply now. A new application will need to be submitted if they are applying for a school travel pass for the first time, or if they are requesting an additional travel entitlement as a result of a new shared parental responsibility situation.
Please see the attached letter from Transport NSW for more details.
P & F Gingerbread House Fundraiser
Please see the attached notice containing details for the P & F Gingerbread House Fundraiser.
Community Business Directory
The latest version of our Community Business Directory is now available for download.
The Community Business Directory acts as a link for business and families to support each other. This initiative has been 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.