Mrs Ljubica Mansell - Deputy Principal (Primary)

Dear Families

Welcome to Term 2. It has been a positive start to the term, and it has been wonderful seeing all the students and hearing all about their holiday adventures.

Welcome to Term 2 Letter
Each teacher has sent home a ‘Welcome to Term 2 Letter’ that includes an overview of the learning across the Key Learning Areas, information about home learning expectations, key dates for the term as well as other items that are specific to the grade. This letter contains helpful information to assist with planning for Term 2. Please contact your child’s core class teacher if you have not received this letter.

Primary School Leaders Civic Reception
On Wednesday evening, I had the privilege of attending the Penrith City Council’s Primary School Leaders Civic Reception to watch our Primary Captains Spencer Witten and Sarah Broad, along with many other Penrith City primary school leaders, receive an award from the Major Councillor Tricia Hitchen. The Mayor reminded the students about the importance of their role and the difference they could make in the community. Students were encouraged to reach to the mayor with any ideas of how to make our great city, better.

Spencer and Sarah have plans to take this encouragement back to their team and we are excited to see the ideas that are created.

Opportunities
We are excited to have a range of additional opportunities for students to be involved and recognised in Term 2 that include building stronger and wider connections with our community through service within the Intergenerational Program, through our sporting opportunities and throughout service within the wider school community. This also brings an additional way students to be recognised for their service and commitment to our wider community with a special award better known as the Aussie of the month Award.

Term 2 will also see our student leaders being further developed in a range of programs that include service to their school community, training both in and out of the school and opportunities to engage their peers in day to day activities.

Detailed information will be sent to parents throughout the term. 

Mother’s Day Chapel, Open Classrooms and Mother’s Day Stall
We warmly invite our mothers to our Mother’s Day Chapel and Open Classrooms on Friday 12 May from 9am.

Families would have received information about the celebration in an email this week as well as via the parent app. 

Our Parents and Friends Association will be running the Mother’s Day stall on Wednesday 10 May and Thursday 11 May. Donations can be made by placing the gifts into the Gift Box located in the College Reception. More information is located on the note sent to families at the conclusion of Term 1.

I would like to wish you a wonderful week ahead and I look forward to sharing more about our Primary School in upcoming editions of The Vine.

Warm regards and God Bless,
Mrs Ljubica Mansell
Deputy Principal (Primary)

On Friday 2 June, we will be holding our Jump-Off Day for Jump Rope for Heart. This is a fundraiser that we hold every two years. The money raised will go to the Heart Foundation to help fight heart disease. In addition, 10% of the money our College raises will be returned to the College to boost our P.E. and Health budget. Your child may also be eligible for a prize as a thank you for his/her fundraising efforts.

Primary students will be able to log in to https://www.jumprope.org.au/fundraisers/penrithanglicancollege and register on the Heart Foundation website to pledge donations. They can ask relatives and friends to sponsor them to help raise money for this very worthwhile cause. Please make sure that you write your child’s First Name, Surname and also the name of their class when registering. This will make it easier for us to distribute the correct prizes to the correct students once the prizes have been sent to us. Students will be given the fundraising forms to take home.

Thank you for your support in joining us in the fight against heart disease and registering your child for Jump Rope for Heart. By participating in Jump Rope for Heart, your child will greatly help the Heart Foundation raise vital funds as well as assist us in spreading the message that physical activity & exercise are vital to promoting heart health.

During Term 1, students from Year 6 travelled to Canberra as a part of our investigation into democracy in Australia. Students were given opportunities to participate in a variety of educational programs with a focus on Australia’s history, culture, heritage, and democracy. It was an action-packed visit! This year, the students enjoyed visiting locations like Parliament House, the War Memorial, the Electoral Office, and many other exciting venues. A highlight of camp was our visit to Questacon at night! Our Year 6 Canberra Camp is always a highlight of the year where students can learn a lot but also grow closer as a cohort.

“I really enjoyed being on the bus with my friends where we could talk and play games as we travelled throughout Canberra.” Sienna Ovington

“A highlight for me was going to Parliament House and seeing the politicians arguing over what they wanted changed in Australia.” Torah Kelly

“Questacon was fun going because we could move around with our friends learning all about Science. It was especially fun going down the slide.” Spencer Witten

“The War Memorial was great because we could reflect on the past and see all of the names of the people that fought in war for us.” Sarah Broad

The Australian Government recognises the importance of all young Australians being able to visit the national capital as part of their Civics and Citizenship education. The Australian Government is contributing funding of $30 per student under the Parliament and Civics Education Rebate program towards those costs. The rebate is paid directly to the school upon completion of the excursion. 

Congratulations to Maddison Carter (Year 3), who recently qualified for Evolution Dance Nationals to be held in Queensland later this year.

Her achievements include:

• 1st for Broadway jazz 
• 2nd for jazz 
• 2nd for contemporary 
• 3rd for lyrical

Maddison also received the 2nd highest score overall in the Junior division with her Broadway Jazz!

Members of the Concert Band and Senior Choir had a fantastic opportunity to take part in the Orange and Dubbo Music Tour this year.  Originally planned for Term 1, the music tour was postponed until 26 - 28 April due to the extreme weather conditions in the Orange and Dubbo areas in the month of March. 

Day One saw the team leave College grounds early in the morning to travel to Orange for a performance at Macquarie Anglican Grammar School before checking into Dubbo Western Plains Zoo for a BBQ dinner, a night walking tour and overnight stay. 

The students were up extra early the next day to pack luggage and equipment, join in a morning walking tour of the zoo before enjoying some free time to explore the whole zoo on bikes. St John's Catholic Primary School in Dubbo was their next destination that afternoon before continuing onwards to participate in a workshop at the Orange Regional Conservatorium that evening. A much needed night of rest was spent at Ridgecrest Christian Christian Education and Convention Centre. 

The packing and unpacking of equipment continued onto the third and final day of the tour. On the return journey, students performed at Orange Anglican Grammar School and Kelso High School in Bathurst.

The music tour was an wonderful experience for students to collaborate, build their musical skills and appreciation of music, as well as for the College to establish relationships with other schools. We thank God for his providence and a safe and enjoyable trip.  We also acknowledge the hard work put in by the College staff to make this trip possible: Mr Nick Lane, Mr David Thurlow, Mrs Irene Samuels, Mrs Karen Allen, Mrs Narelle Robertson, and Mr Jon Wright.

We look forward to sharing with you more photos and student reflections on this tour in future editions of The Vine.

The College is participating in the National Adolescent Vaccination Program. This is a free vaccination program offered to students in Year 7 and Year 10.

All students in Year 7 are offered vaccines for diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis (dTpa) and human papillomavirus (HPV). Please note that the HPV vaccine now is now only given in a single dose.

All students in Year 10 are offered the meningococcal ACWY vaccine.

The 2023 National Adolescent Vaccination Schedule is as follows:

Monday 15 May - Year 7 HPV

Monday 14 August - Year 10 Meningococcal ACWY

Monday 20 November - Year 7 DTPa

REMINDER: Parents or guardians must complete the online consent form giving permission for your child to receive the routine vaccinations at school. Vaccinations will only be provided if consent has been received. For instructions on how to complete the online consent form, please refer to the letter sent to Year 7 and Year 10 families on 31 March 2023.

Year 10 will be continuing their fundraising efforts with a drinks stand at the Secondary Cross Country Carnival on Tuesday during Periods 3 and 4.

• There will be bottles of still water for $2 and cans of lightly sparkling flavoured water for $3.
• Badges with the house-coloured logos on them will be sold for $2 each, to wear in support of each student's house.

Both cash and EFTPOS will be accepted.

All proceeds will go towards Rare Cancers Australia. 

The weather was perfect for running at the Primary Cross Country Carnival. Every student ran exceptionally well, showing remarkable grit and determination as they navigated the course. Congratulations to all the students for competing in this challenging race and completing it with a smile on their faces and a Zooper Dooper in hand!

Congratulations to the following students who qualified for the upcoming NASSA Cross-Country Carnival:

Methuja Amarasena, Pippa Aris, Arnav Aujla, Ellyse Bayada, Koen Bayada, Darcy Bernuetz, Emma Beshay, Rueben Bleasdale, Archie Bond, Mia Borger, Sarah Broad, Noah Brooks, Maddison Carter, Jeremy Clark, Bailey Clifford, Ethan Cullen, Grace Cullen, James Darcy, Layla Davidson, William Edwards, Harper Egglestone, Mia Egglestone, Ella Fox, Beau Gerace, Charlotte Green, Nathaniel Grima, Levi Holden, Airlie Howard, Loki Howard, Sophie Howland, Spencer Hutton, Joshua Kim, Jacob Kurniadi, Joel Lamplough, Ace Lee, Isaac Leung, Piper Luscombe, Lucas Marland, Alice Marshall, Chelsea Membreno, Amarissa Middleton-Swart, Matthew Morphett, Audrey Morris, Edward Morris, Eva Nercessian, Grace Nicholls, Benjamin Niya, Evie Orwin, Sienna Ovington, Mitchell Pap, Ariana Peikos, Caleb Ritchie, Max Rolles, Bianca Rossetto, Sophia Rouggos, Dhwaneil Sharma, Milly Sturt, Ruby Sutcliffe, Zara Swadling, Chloe Turner, Chloe Vella, Jack Whelan, Sabella Whelan and Jacob Williams.

At the end of last term a handful of Year 5 and  6 students travelled to Sydney Olympic Park to participate at the NASSA Primary Netball Gala Day. The girls played with exceptional enthusiasm and achieved a commendable 4th place. Thank you to Year 11 students Annie Oliver and Ava Toland, who came along to umpire. Congratulations to Sarah Broad and Grace Nicholls for making it to the possible and probable round, and to Ava Toland and and Annie Oliver for being selected to umpire at the CIS Primary Netball Championships.

NASSA Primary Netball team: Sarah Broad, Hannah Crawley, Olivia Holden, Kelsey Maurer, Amarissa Middleton-Swart, Grace Nicholls, Imogen Ovington, Sienna Ovington, Bianca Rossetto and Sabella Whelan.

In 2023, our Year 7 cohort will be involved in a new program during Tuesday Sport, incorporating:

• Introduction to Gym Training; and
• Swim School

As part of the mandatory Stage 4 PDHPE curriculum, students are required to participate in a variety of swimming activities and rescue skills. This forms part of the Movement Skill and Performance module. Students will engage in a 3-4 week program, provided by Nepean Aquatic Centre, that seeks to develop skills in swimming ability, stroke correction, timed tows, water rescues along with a range of water games and activities.

To encourage enjoyment in physical activity, PAC is partnering with Fit4All Gym, who will run a variety of activities over a 3-4 week program introducing students to gym training. This will incorporate aspects such as use of cardio equipment, use of body weight-based training equipment and circuit training.

Please note that this program is a mandatory component of PAC’s curriculum, and not an opt-in program.

Students will be broken into two groups for Term 2, based on their swimming ability. Students who can swim less than 50 metres or are non-swimmers will be in Group One; students who can competently swim 50 metres or further, or are engaged in a swim squad, will be in Group Two.

Group One will attend Swim School in Weeks 3-6 and Introduction to Gym Training in Weeks 8-10 and Group Two will attend Introduction to Gym Training in Weeks 3-6 and Swim School in Weeks 8-10. Week 7, Tuesday, 6th June is our Athletics Carnival, which provides the break in this Year 7 program.

REMINDER: In order to effectively plan for students’ groups, please complete the 2023 Year 7 Swim School Survey. The link for the survey was emailed to families on 26 April 2023. This survey needs to be completed by Monday 1 May, 3:25pm. Any students whose families who do not complete the survey by this date will be placed in Group One.

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.

At the end of last term, we trialled a new system in the carpark with ‘one way’ traffic in two lanes and a new Secondary student drop off and pick up area. 

For Term 2 there are some small amendments we are making to try and improve this system, but a general reminder that, if possible, families with Secondary students should seek to use the drop off and pick up area and avoid parking in a car spot.

We are also asking some of our staff to park in different areas and extending the Secondary pick-up area to try and create three lanes in the one way traffic from Gate 1. We will trial this for two weeks and see if it helps the afternoon flow of traffic. There will be staff and signs noting the arrangements in the carpark. We greatly appreciate your understanding and support as we continue to ensure the carpark is safe and allowing people access to the site.

From the start of Term 2 2023, the new location of the Uniform Shop will be in the M Block, next to TheirCare, our before and after school care provider.

Term Time Opening Hours: 

• Tuesday 8 - 11am
• Wednesday 12 - 5pm
• Friday 8 - 11am

Please note the College changeover to full Winter Uniform will be after Mother’s Day, Monday 15 May 2023. Prior to this date, students may wear either full Summer or full Winter uniform, but not a combination of both. Please ensure your child has their blazer (Secondary School) and/or bomber jacket (Primary School) ready for this change over and these are to be worn to and from school.

Uniform Requirements can be found here.

Families are advised to read the Opal Card Parent Information Newsletter - May 2023 which contains important information and links regarding school student travel.

We are so excited to be preparing for our annual Book Parade now that Term 2 has arrived! We hope everyone has used the holidays to come up with some wonderful costume ideas for 2023.

Book Parade focus is the wonder of books so please come dressed as your favourite book character and join in the fun.

Our Parade will begin at 9am on Wednesday 24 May.

Below are some photos of staff dressed as groups of book characters in 2022, from Madeleine, Winnie the Pooh and The Day the Crayons Quit. We can’t wait to see what our amazing Primary staff will come up with this year!

Mr Anthony Kelshaw - Director of Students 7-9

Challenge // Explore // Prepare
Classroom learning is the bread and butter of schools. At Penrith Anglican College we spend a significant amount of time creating high quality teaching and learning opportunities for students during the school day, but not all learning happens in a classroom. Experiential learning is an important part of a wholistic education. Excursion, incursions, performances, camps, author visits and a myriad of other experiences all support learning in the classroom.

CEP is an important and valued part of learning at the College. We invest significant financial, staff and time resources in developing camp-based learning across the school because of the opportunities for growth that students can have when they are challenged, and have the opportunity to explore and take the time to be prepared.

The very nature of a camp experience challenges students in different ways. The physical, social, emotional, cognitive, and spiritual challenges of camp inevitably require students to question how they view themselves. With an underpinning of “challenge by choice”, CEP offers students to the opportunity to develop in these domains as much or as little as they are willing to engage. The notion of growth through challenge is paradoxical in a society that seeks comfort above all else. Equipping our students to overcome and grow through the adversity that they will experience in life, is an important aim of the CEP program.

Exploration through the CEP program enables students to understand the world around them. Students undertake their camps in a range of different environments, developing knowledge and experiences in areas that they may not be exposed to through their families. The wonder of the world around them and the Christian discovery discussion attached to the CEP program presents a glimpse of a creator God and challenges students to consider the origins of life. Exploration and learning are intrinsically linked and the CEP program opens up opportunities for this learning to take place in surroundings that is not bound by four walls.

Preparation is an important part of learning regardless of where it takes place. There is a heightened need to be prepared when undertaking learning in a new and unfamiliar environment. I love the Scouts moto of “Be Prepared”. It speaks of an intentionality in life where we are not just push around as a victim of our own circumstance, but we are prepared. Much of the Collage Learning Culture (CLC) is seeking to prepare our students so they can tackle an unknown future. The CEP program supports this by exposing students to challenges and new environments to explore so that they have an opportunity to see how well they are prepared.

I would encourage all families to see the value in the CEP program for the development of our young people. School is a unique time in life where opportunities like this are dished up to students and all they must do is reach out and grab it. I like to challenge students to think through what it would look like if they chose to undertake a CEP type of experience later in life when they have jobs and families. The time, effort and financial cost would be significant/prohibitive. Now is the time to make the most of these opportunities when all students need to do is come with a growth mindset and a willingness to learn in new and unfamiliar settings.

Year 9 are currently in the preparation phase of their CEP program to Kangaroo Valley next week where they will explore the unique flora of the Illawarra escarpment, be challenged by a day's worth of canoeing and hiking. During the program they will grapple with the role that our creator God plays in the world we enjoy. 

Mr Anthony Kelshaw
Director of Students 7-9