The Boost Extension and Enrichment department has been very busy in Term 2 and the beginning of this term.

In Term 2 the Boost Science students sat the ICAS Science Competition and I am very excited to say the students from Year 2 to Year 10 did extremely well in this competition. Last term we also had an exciting visit in school from Fizzics Education looking at Mini Beasts.

This term has started off with two competitions, the ICAS English Competition and the Australian Maths Competition for a number of students. Thank you to all of the students who have participated in these competitions. We look forward to getting these results.

Last term our school community, at a special presentation, was touched by speaker Andrew Kelly from Jeans for Genes Day. Our School had already planned to fundraise for this event, however, over the weeks we have heard more from Linke Nel, one of our Kindergarten students, who is a national ambassador for the 25th Anniversary Jeans for Genes Day. Linke has had her health battles and wanted to share her story with Australia, promoting gold coin donations for Scientists to find cures to childhood diseases. You can donate to Linke's Jeans for Genes Day page here: http://www.jeansforgenes.org.au/fundraiser/linke-nel 

All of Junior School, plus Middle and Senior School leaders, attended the presentation and our School began gearing up for our Jeans for Genes fundraiser which was held last Friday 3 August. All staff and students from Early Childhood to Year 12 joined in wearing their jeans to school while understanding that every little bit of support helps to make a BIG difference. The Bible teaches us this life changing principle that we need to:

“Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.”

There are (more) exciting times ahead again this term in the iCentre. On a creative front, Year 3 are continuing their excellent writing using Storybird. Over the course of the term, we will be beginning to download, print and bind these terrific stories once our editing is complete. Year 4 have just begun to use Storybird also which has been very exciting to see. My initial observations of their writing has been very encouraging. We have been talking about the amazing God-given gift that the imagination is, to which the students have been tapping into.

Term 3 also sees Book Week and the MASSIVE Book Day happening. I am most excited about all that this entails. Mrs Thompson over the years worked very hard to make this a wonderful experience for all students, a legacy to which the iCentre staff and myself are looking to continue. I will even be dressing up!! My first PCS Book Day will be one I’m sure to remember. Book Day is set for Wednesday 5 September, with the Book Fair running in the iCentre from Thursday 30 August through to Wednesday 5 September.

Term 3 also sees the conclusion of the Premier’s Reading Challenge. I have seen great enthusiasm among the Junior School students, which has been most exciting, to the point where students are commenting on my choice of story to be read to the class whenever it doesn’t possess the famous PRC red sticker. I congratulate all students on how well they have engaged in the PRC this year.

Year 2 is learning about money and would love to start a class shop to practise using money to buy things. Please send in any Coles Mini Shop items with your children, or drop them off at Student Reception, to help the students learn about money.

All items will be placed into a Junior School Maths resource box for our entire school to utilise as required.

Thank you in advance.

DADS!! Bring your kids to school on Friday 31 August 2018, between 7.30 am and 8.30 am, and grab some Father’s Day breakfast to go!

Grab a FREE EGG & BACON ROLL and a bottle of water when you drive through Express Drop Off.

Those who walk their kids to the front gates will also receive an Egg & Bacon Roll and are welcome to hang around for a coffee in the Cafe.

Penrith Christian School is launching Penrith Creative Academy in Term 3, 2018. We are currently seeking expressions of interest from parents with children who may be keen musicians/performers.

Due to the overwhelming interest we have had for the Academy, we have been able to open up more class times. The following vacancies currently exist. Please email your interest to academy@pcs.nsw.edu.au or 0425 369 838 ASAP as spots are filling up fast.

VACANCIES as at 17/7/2018 (all classes are Tuesday afternoons)

At the beginning of this term, our Studies of Religion class visited the Jewish Museum and the Synagogue to learn about Judaism and its relevance in today’s society.

We met with a Rabbi at the Synagogue who went through the order of their services and showed us the Torah.

After the Synagogue, we visited the Jewish Museum which documents and displays some of the history of the Jewish people in Australia. 

Penrith Christian School is looking to begin a Creative Academy in Term 3, 2018.  We are currently seeking expressions of interest from parents with children who may be keen musicians/performers.

If you are interested in your child joining the Penrith Creative Academy, please email Sally at academy@pcs.nsw.edu.au with your preferred instrument choice or contact 0449 765 276 to register your interest.

CLICK HERE for letter emailed recently to parents

On Thursday 21 June, Year 11 and 12 Legal Studies and Economic classes visited both the NSW Supreme Court and the NSW Parliament House. 

In the Supreme Court, we each sat in on two cases. For me, the first case involved two lawyers debating whether or not a man would face a trial by jury or by judge. We were lucky enough to have the Judge of the case explain the details of the case to us throughout the proceedings.

The second case I sat in on was a significant case involving three large pharmaceutical companies and the Commonwealth Government. Though this case was highly confusing, and included a substantial amount of complex legal concepts, a barrister representing one the companies very generously took the time during the lunch adjournment to explain the case to us.

This last semester, Year 5 students have certainly settled down into a routine in Middle School and we are all thoroughly enjoying our time together as we reflect back on what we’ve learned and where we’ve been.

We visited Mr Pickworth’s Farm to feed the animals, drench sheep, go on tractor rides, throw boomerangs, eat a yummy sausage sizzle and generally enjoy being outdoors learning about farming and what happens on a farm daily. A lot of hard work is what happens.

We kicked off our Middle School Pastoral Care event with some huge blow up rides in the Sports Centre and lots of bouncing, running and jumping!!

In Junior School Biblical Studies, we are currently studying a unit named ‘Jesus asks people to join His team’. The memory verse for this unit is, ‘Jesus said, I am the light of the world! Follow me, and you won’t be walking in the dark. You will have the light that gives life’.  John 8:12

Our world sometimes seems like a dark and frightening place to be (just watch the evening news); so it’s wonderful to be able to give our children hope. We have been reading stories from the New Testament to learn about friendships that Jesus had with Matthew, Mary, Martha and Lazarus through which He demonstrated unconditional and compassionate love. Jesus said He came for those who need Him, we don’t have to be perfect to have a relationship with Him. He can become our ‘best friend’, a friend who is always there and who can help light our way through life.

In one of my recent lessons we were discussing who we can call upon when we need help. The obvious answers were teachers if we are at school, mums and dads when we are at home. We also talked about who else is in our worlds who can help us and it’s lovely to hear the children list off a network of family and friends that they feel they can trust and rely on. However, sometimes we can’t be there for our children when they need us or we may not know how to help them. This is when we remember how great our God is.  He is a light for our path and hope for our future.

Each day in our Prep program, the children engage in a music program that is designed to teach children musical concepts, expose them to a variety of musical genres and inspire a love of singing, movement and all things rhythmic. In addition to this, music is a big part of our day and how we transition our children from activity to activity as well as between spaces.

During one of our music times, the children in our 3 day Prep Program expressed their desire to perform on a‘real stage’. These ideas led to the creation of our Musical Showcase and the children’s desire to perform for their parents and families.

Over the course of a few weeks, the performance took shape and the children worked hard on their routines and polished their performance. Our songs ranged from the Beatles to The Sound of Music and even included a song co-written by one of our educators Mrs Faitele and the Prep 3 day class themselves. Costumes and instruments were designed and made by the children, and encouraged the use of recycled materials.

We invite all staff and students, from Preschool to Year 12, to participate in Penrith Christian School’s Jeans for Genes Day on Friday 3 August, 2018.

A GOLD COIN DONATION is requested from all students who choose to wear jeans on this day.

DRESS CODE:

Penrith Christian School is pleased to host an important seminar for parents on Monday 13 August 2018, titled RESILIENT FAMILIES ONLINE: embracing the positive aspects of technology while minimising the risks, presented by Collett Smart

This night, for parents only, is open to PCS families and anyone in our local community.

WHEN: Monday 13 August 2018

In Year 8 Geography, students are working on ‘How to collect data from a Survey’, which they have found challenging and interesting.

Their tasks were in depth and included:

Creating a survey or questionnaire on ‘Place’ (Why residents live at their current location)

Accessing Survey Monkey to get direction on ‘how to create a good survey’

There have been many sporting achievements and sporting activities during Term 2. The following are some highlights:

Congratulations to Matilda Telfer and Tyler-Eve Mair (both from Year 6) who were selected in the NSW Combined Independent Schools Primary Girls Touch Team to compete at the NSWPSSA State Touch Football Championships to be held at Cronulla in August.

Congratulations to Clay Blight of Year 5 who was named a Shadow Player in the NSWCIS Primary Rugby League Team. Clay is hoping to be called up to the CIS Team to compete at the NSWPSSA Open State Rugby League Championships in Week 9 of Term 2.

Year 8 are coming to the end of their STEM projects (Science Technology Engineering Mathematics). Finishing touches are being made to uniforms and cars. Mathematical probability and statistics are being used to predict the best car on Race Day. Our cars are revving up and getting ready to race. Students will be preparing a Team Display, complete with student made canapes to share.

We warmly invite parents and guests to attend this Race Day Event:

Date: Friday 6 July 2018

Time: 11.30 am – 1.00 pm

In her own time, Shabeena from Year 4, made a persuasive poster about ‘Putting your rubbish in the bin.’ She had the opportunity to share this at Junior School Morning assembly and she is to be congratulated for her initiative and speaking out with such confidence. Mrs Woods has displayed her poster around Junior School classrooms and the playground. Well done Shabeena on making a difference in our school.

PUT YOUR RUBBISH IN THE BIN!!

Put your rubbish in the bin. Help the landscape.

Think about it….

One of the great joys of my job is sharing the love of stories with the younger students within our school. Eagerly, students from Preschool through to Year 4 arrive to hear, and more excitedly, share and participate in stories. As such, it is not uncommon for the iCentre staff to notice rather bare looking tubs from the K-2 Premier’s reading Challenge picture book section.

However further to this, I have been so excited to see how the students in Years 2, 3 and 4 have embraced our library time activities. For the majority of this term, Year 3 have been creating their own picture books using Storybird, a fantastic online resource that allows the students to create professional looking story books. Some of the story lines so far have been very impressive, with no shortage of humour coming through.

With Year 4, we have just begun having conversations about how we can create interesting stories, also using Storybird. I am looking forward to delving into this next term with these amazingly imaginative students.

It is Head Lice season - please be on the look-out. If you find that your child/ren have Head Lice please refer to the following information:

The following guidelines from the James Cook University will assist parent/s or guardian/s in the treatment and prevention of Head Lice.

Many Head Lice infestations cause no symptoms, and probably less than half cause itch, so you have to LOOK to find out if your child/children has Head Lice. Do not rely on itching and scratching.