I am pleased to write to you about our recent NAPLAN results. This year we have seen some improvement in our NAPLAN averages as a result of some intentional intervention over the last few years.
As you may be aware, the School has implemented a 5-Year Strategic Plan (available on our website). We are currently completing the fourth year of implementing this Plan.
In 2017, Mr Philip, our Head of Informatic Pedagogy, presented a detailed analysis of our NAPLAN results over a 10-year period, identifying key areas for targeted intervention. From this, our Senior Executive staff developed a Numeracy and Literacy improvement plan.
At the recent Pacific 2019 Conference, in conjunction with the Naval Shipbuilding College, PCS students from our F1 in Schools team, Ascension, met the Minister for Defence, The Hon Melissa Price MP. The students also had the opportunity for a tour of major navel companies from around the world.
[Meet the Ascension team HERE in an introduction video that has been sent to London in preparation for the World Final in Abu Dhabi]
REA partners with the Department of Defence through the Schools Pathways Program to support an increase in the pool of STEM-educated students and to inform Australia’s youth about employment opportunities and pathways into the defence industry, including in the National Naval Shipbuilding Enterprise.
Hi PCS Community - I have begun my role as Principal here at the School and I am super excited to join you all!
Taking the wheel after the amazing Mr Nevill is a big task, but I am very thankful to God for his abundant grace and blessings and I am very privileged to have been given the honour of being the next Principal of Penrith Christian School.
For the past five years I have been Deputy Principal at Medowie Christian School in Port Stephens, and although I am sad to leave the beautiful beaches and semi-rural setting that I have known as home, I am returning to the city where I have spent most of my life.
You are invited to a PCS Parent Seminar, Too Much Too Young: the sexualisation of children and what we can do about it, presented by Melinda Tankard Reist. This parents only event is open to PCS families and anyone in our local community. Please invite friends and family to attend.
Penrith Christian School uniforms can be purchased from our onsite Uniform Shop. The shop is run by the School’s uniform supplier, Ranier Design Group.
We are celebrating all our grandparents (and grandfriends) by extending an invitation to visit your grandchildren at PCS on Friday 25 October. You are welcome to join us for any/all of the following:
EARLY CHILDHOOD, MIDDLE SCHOOL (Years 5-8) and SENIOR SCHOOL (Years 9-12)9.30 am - Open Classrooms 11.00 am - VIP Morning Tea (under Canteen COLA)
JUNIOR SCHOOL (Kindy-Year 4)8.30 am - Morning Assembly in Quad 8.35 am - Open Classrooms and Grandparent Interviews on the ‘Olden Days’10.10 am - Special Chapel Service in Sports Centre (All Welcome)11.00 am - VIP Morning Tea (under Canteen COLA)
All students from Penrith Christian School in our Junior School had been busily warming up their vocals and treading the boards as they presented a Musical Variety Show. Our aim was to bring an array of musical items that have come from Musicals and famous bands that took the audience on a journey through the musical ages. There were songs from the 1920s to numbers that were at the top of the charts in the 1950s, to songs that have been performed by 21st Century artists.
As each student learnt about Musicals and were immersed in all things creative, one of the children asked what is a Variety Show and the answer that was given helped Junior School to understand this performance they were embarking upon. A Variety Show was likened to a box of chocolates with many different varieties inside, some flavoured, some crunchy, some oozing with caramel, some filled with zing.
Our Year 4 students did a marvellous job as official MCs informing the audience about the historical context of each musical item with interesting facts.
The Annual Year 8 Drama Olympics was held on Monday 16 September. This is the 13th year PCS has run this competition, with all Year 8 students participating.
There were a total of 15 teams. After four knockout rounds, first place was awarded to 5 Shots, with Backstreet Spice as runners up. Ooga Booga Boogas won the prize for the best dressed team (pictured).
Last Thursday, students from Year 10 who are interested in medical careers, visited the Nepean Clinical School. They listened to cutting edge research from prominent doctors and professors, had a hands-on experience of using ultrasound and a heart monitoring machine, then went on a tour of Nepean Hospital.
This is what they had to say:
It was great to explore a medical career such as paediatrics. I hope to be a paediatrician after attending university. I enjoyed visiting the neonatal ward at Nepean Hospital. Kyla Martin
Year 5 had a lovely time going down and visiting Prep last week! The Prep class had been working on a unit all about things that go. They showed us their cars which had been kindly made by the DT Department, for them to decorate! We talked all about ramps and tested out some ideas. It was a hive of activity and the students had a wonderful time!
Danielle BlightYear 5 Teacher, Years 5 and 6 Wellbeing Mentor
Emotional awareness and self-regulation is an essential skill in building resilience. It is the ability to identify emotional experiences and to control emotional responses to external events.
Emotional Awareness:
being resilient is not about keeping things inside, but expressing how you feel and moving forward
expressing and understanding your own emotions is a key ingredient to resilience
If your child has outgrown last season’s swimwear, or you would like to purchase PCS branded swimwear for the first time, we have a few items in stock available for purchase as follows:
On Thursday 5 September, a team of nine Year 8 students travelled to Batemans Bay as part of our annual mission trip to serve the local community. The team partnered with Rob and Cheryl Burton (former PCS staff member) who pastor Batemans Bay Baptist Church. Through the Burtons, we were able to be connected and serve other ministries in the area including Cross Central Church.
The team of students led youth group nights, performed worship music, participated in a working bee at the Baptist Church, led a Sunday church service and joined in at Batemans Bay High School scripture lunch group.
Moreover, students had the opportunity to share their testimony and speak before others which was beautiful to see.
Thank you to our Junior School students and families who have already supported our annual ‘Coins for Missions’ fundraiser. Your children have been encouraged to do extra jobs at home and bring in the coins they earn to support our sister school, Divine Junior School in Uganda. ‘Coins for Missions’ will continue to run until the end of Term 3.
As a fun way to finish the last three days of Term 3, Zooper Doopers will be on sale at first half of lunch in Junior School ($1 small, $2 large), and cans of soft drink in Middle School ($2 per can).
Our inaugural Junior School Music Variety Performance is happening on Wednesday 18 September 2019.
Come and enjoy musical performances where Junior School showcase their creative art skills. There will be song, costumes, dance, acting - stars will be born! Bring your family and friends, pack the venue and be a part of lasting memories as we rock PCS. Refreshments will be available for purchase during Interval. All welcome!
On Tuesday night 3 September, the café became a cool jazz club with Year 9s Jazzin’ on a Tuesday Concert. Performing to a full house, with mood lighting and snacks and drinks, they entertained the crowd with a history of Jazz.
The journey went from the early 1900s with Negro Spirituals, to Ragtime and Swing and then through the decades to modern Jazz composed in this decade. There were Jazz standards such as 'Black Coffee, 'Autumn Leaves' and 'What a Wonderful World', as well as experimental Jazz on the bass with 'Portrait of Tracey', and the exciting theme from Star Wars, 'Cantina Band'. One group even covered Beyonce’s 'Halo' in a Jazz style.
The evening started and ended with a very cool Funk Band headed up by Adam Sharaf on keys. Year 9, we can’t wait to see what you can do over the next few years!
Thank you to our Junior School students and families who have already supported our annual ‘Coins for Missions’ fundraiser. Your children have been encouraged to do extra jobs at home and bring in the coins they earn to support our sister school, Divine Junior School in Uganda.
Through the generosity of the students we have been able to provide Divine Junior School with much needed resources, including; student Bibles, teacher training, a much needed water tank and a photocopier. This year, we are hoping to raise enough money to provide the school with some of the following needed items: laptops, school resources, paint and a music keyboard.
Your coins are changing lives Junior School- thank you!
Well done Junior School on being so amazing at bringing nude fruits and veggies for Crunch and Sip every Wednesday.
Our next goal is to make recess and lunch as waste free as possible. In Year 2 this week we have been discussing how we can reduce the packaging of recess foods. We have been using reusable containers to put fruit, chips or snacks in.
Also, if you have 10c recycleable signs on your plastic bottles or cans at home and you would like to send them to school, our Blue Vinnies recycle bins will not only help Vinnies but PCS too!
Saturday 31 August saw the culmination of five weeks of creative work by fourteen ambitious students from across Years 4, 5 and 6. Forming two teams, these fourteen students accepted the challenge of participating in the Tournament of Minds, a new experience for each of them.
Tournament of Minds is a problem solving program for teams of students from both primary and secondary years. Tournament's aim is to enhance the potential of our youth by developing diverse skills, enterprise, time management, and the discipline to work collaboratively within a challenging and competitive environment. They are required to solve demanding, open-ended challenges from one of the following disciplines: The Arts, STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics), Language and Social Sciences.
Probably the most difficult aspect of participating in the Tournament of Minds is that the chosen challenge must be completed by the students within the team only, with no outside assistance. A close second on the difficulty scale was the need for each team to be able to work as a cohesive unit. Teamwork is not an easy thing to develop when thrown together with people from other classes and other Year groups. After a bit of a rough start, both of these teams came together really well.
Year 4 students and parents are warmly invited to our Transition to Middle School evening on Tuesday 24 September 2019 (6.00 pm - 7.30 pm in the iCentre).
This event provides an opportunity to:
find out the differences between Junior and Middle School at PCS
learn about Year 5 timetables, diaries and other day-to-day changes
