The second article for Throwback Thursdays sheds light on Jake Meney, who started at PCS in Kindergarten, and is now a Zookeeper.

Whilst other kids read Pokémon and played on the Xbox, Jake  was subscribing to Reptile magazines and watching videos on them. He studied reptiles from the age of five, and had many interesting scaly pets. In Year 3, Jake received an award for catching a Redback Spider in the playground and the award stated ‘Considering the safety of others’, but as his Mum said, he probably just wanted it as a pet. Steve Irwin was a major influence on Jake at a young age, and if he was going fancy dress, then he would be dressed as Steve. His goal at school was to become a herpetologist and work with venom.

In high school, Jake took every opportunity to do work experience at the Australian Reptile Park and this led to him getting a job there as a Reptile and Spider Keeper. When Jake had his license, the school called on him to come and help with a brown snake spotted in the Junior School area. He caught it and released it in the wild. Jake currently runs the educational shows at the Australian Reptile Park in the Central Coast as the crocodile handler.

During Term 1, our Enrichment group focus was Art. We had some students from K-Year 4 involved in some special Art classes as well as  Art and Craft activities in the Junior School Library at lunchtimes. 

Our Year 1 and 2 Boost Art students explored the details we see in nature. We used a variety of different art materials to draw flowers in detail, and each student discovered which medium was their favourite. Watercolour pencils were a favourite but charcoal wasn’t!  We then used craft glue and chalk pastels to do an artwork of a flower, focusing on blending different colours together. 

The Years 3 and 4 group looked at perspective and went outside to think about and draw what things would look like to an ant, or a bird.  What would grass look like to a tiny ant? What would the top of a tree look like to a bird looking down? We then drew a city from the point of view of an ant looking up at the tall buildings.

Throughout this year Kindergarten have become informed inquiring investigators.

During Term 1 in our Science unit ‘What’s Alive?’, the students examined how their senses can be used to investigate the world around them to make predictions and hypotheses. In order to understand how their senses can impact their understandings, the students engaged in a variety of activities that had them touch, taste, hear, see and smell a range of items. This helped to highlight how utilising their senses in combination can develop and enhance their investigative skills. Taste was definitely one that the students enjoyed the most, especially the marshmallows.

As Term 2 has begun and Kindy have started working on our next Science unit ‘What’s It Made Of?’, those investigation skills have been really put into practice. They have been exploring the school to determine the vast array of materials that the school is made up of and investigating why certain materials are used in different parts of the school.

We hope all our PCS mums and grandmums had a wonderful Mother's Day this year. Our Mother's Day stalls hopefully provided those of you with children in Preschool to Year 6 with a gift picked out just for you! We know that our students had a great time carefully selecting something special for their mums.

Thank you to everyone who attended our Mother's Day High Tea. We hope you enjoyed the entertainment (courtesy of Prep, Year 1 and Year 3) and were able to catch up with old (and make some new) friends. Jenny Mahoney's talk was an encouragement to all of us - and some attendees were the recipients of some beautiful lucky door prizes! Our aim each year is to bless our mums and grandmums with special food, and an atmosphere of thankfulness for all that you do - so whether you were in attendance or not, thank you!

A HUGE thank you to all the staff and volunteers who worked hard on wrapping gifts for the stall, operating the stall, planning and organising logistics for the High Tea, decorating the room, and preparing the lovely food.

Year 10 students and parents/guardians are invited to our Year 11 Information Night on Tuesday 28 May 2019 (7.00 pm to 9.00 pm). It will be held in the Auditorium and Cafeteria of Penrith Christian School (1 Simeon Road, Orchard Hills). This event is open to both current and prospective students.

The aim of this event is to provide specific details concerning options available for the HSC, including the exciting VET (Vocational Education and Training) courses on offer. The night will also cover other aspects of 'life at PCS' including Missions trips, leadership and scholarships.

Attendees will be given a subject guide and have opportunity to speak with Faculty representatives to find out more detailed information about specific subjects. Staff will also be available to answer any questions you have, over an informal supper.

As the election approaches, while we will have a diverse range of opinions and priorities, we must also consider the protection of our fundamental values and beliefs regarding religious freedoms.

Please CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD a brochure forwarded to us from Christian Schools Australia, on behalf of ValuEd Voices in Christian Education, for your consideration. 

You can also follow ValuEd Voices on Facebook.

This term Year 5 are studying Global Connections in Literacy. To start our unit off we took a little journey to see where some everyday items are made. We had to look up the packaging and then draw a line from Australia to where each item had been made, then we discussed what information our findings gave us. Here are some things it got us thinking about:

‘We only had one item made in Australia.’

Amy-lee Prince

All students from Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 will be undertaking the NAPLAN tests this term.  Students will be completing four online tests in Reading, Writing, Conventions of Language, and Numeracy.  The testing period begins on Tuesday 14 May and concludes on Friday 24 May.

PLEASE CLICK here for brochure for more information.

Mr Steve Grice

We are holding an information evening for our January 2020 Missions Trip to Uganda, Africa. If you would like more information, or if you have already put in an application form, you are welcome to attend. Topics for the evening will include information on the trip, culture, fundraising activities, teacher experience in Uganda and other countries, Divine Junior School and planned itinerary.

When: Thursday 9 May 2019

Where: iCentre

Time: 7.00 pm – 8.00 pm

The Penrith Valley Sports Foundation has awarded Isaac Cavanagh the Junior Sportsperson Award for the month of February for his development and skill in Ice Hockey. Isaac, in Year 8, plays for the Flyers Ice Hockey Club in Penrith and has been playing for five years now as a goal tender for his team. 

Earlier this year, he travelled with the Australian team as the goal tender for the International Peewee Ice Hockey Tournament in Quebec Canada.

Congratulations on your achievements Isaac.

I have recently started a segment on Instagram called ‘Throwback Thursdays’ where I feature ex-PCS students. The first one was Eden Trevitt who kindly agreed to write her story below. CLICK HERE to follow Senior School Instagram.

‘I got into Macquarie University through the Global Leadership Program, and completed my Bachelor of Science - Psychology degree in 2017.

I then attended Bond University on the Gold Coast where I completed my Honours Year. This was a real challenge as I lived on campus by myself for nine months. I learnt so much about myself, however, and it made me really value my family and loved ones.

We are very proud to announce that Year 11 student, Katie Dal Santo, has been selected as a Trekker for the 2019 RSL & Services Clubs Kokoda Youth Leadership Challenge. Katie is only one of two students selected from our region to walk the Kokoda Track and is the third student from PCS (others being Dayvis Heyne and Callum Meney) to be selected for this trek.

Katie has been an active member of the Orchard Hills Rural Fire Brigade since age 12, has completed her Bronze and Silver level through the Duke of Edinburgh Award and is currently working on her Gold. Katie has also competed in the Fire Fighters Climb in structural gear with air tank weighing up to 20 kg to climb the stairs of the Sydney Tower Eye to raise funds and awareness for Motor Neurone Disease.

Congratulations Katie. We wish you all the best for your trek in October.

I was recently told some exciting news by Mrs Garratt about the incredible rise in the reading ability of one of the Year 4 students. Jack, who I’m told loves reading and spends a good deal of time every day doing so, has starting to reap the life-long benefits of his choice of recreation. Well done Jack!!

The benefits of reading are widely recognised, however, I thought that I would share with you an image that highlights many of the rewards that come from reading for pleasure.

As a librarian, yes it is true that I enjoy reading, but this has not always been the case. It is easy to allow distractions to rob you of the joys of reading. I used to also fall into the trap of thinking that I must finish a book if I start it. Sometimes the book that you choose isn’t that interesting to you. But, it is always worth trying again.

In an earlier communication to our community from our Principal, please be advised that any families wishing to have a Homestay guest must now have a Working with Children Check.  (PLEASE CLICK HERE FOR PDF)

We are seeking families to host a Japanese student from Monday 29 July to Monday 5 August 2019. These students are aged 16-17 years old and speak some English.  

What you need to provide:

We are about to commence construction of the New Junior School! This is exciting news. The final outcome (refer to the Site Plan) will be amazing, and construction involves significant changes and improvements to traffic flow arrangements, as well as the new building and surrounds.

The Site Plan shows the final arrangement so that you will get a picture of where we are heading. Ultimately, of course, we will have access through a new roundabout from Frogmore Road into the School property (not indicated on the Plan).

IN THE MEANTIME, we are introducing some TEMPORARY arrangements, which will be quite challenging – especially for the afternoon pick-up.

You are invited to a PCS Parent Seminar, 'Power of Parenting: Disarming Bullying', presented by Brett Murray (Make Bullying History). We are delighted to welcome back Brett Murray to present on the topic of Bullying. Brett’s passionate and highly informed presentation is a MUST for all parents and we encourage you to make this seminar a priority to attend.

Tuesday 4 June 2019

7.00 pm

$5 entry

Our Mother’s Day Stalls are an opportunity for PCS to bless our school community and for students to choose a special gift for their mums. If your child would like to purchase a Mother’s Day gift, please send in $5.00 on the day of the Stall with each Preschool to Year 6 child. We ask that students bring a carry bag so they can buy their Mother’s Day present at the Stall and then take their chosen gift home.

KINDERGARTEN TO YEAR 6

Friday 10 May 2019 from 9.00 am

Our traditional Mother’s Day Stall for Kindergarten to Year 6 students

During one of the Bounce Back lessons that I was teaching this term we looked at managing conflict in relationships. This sounds like a pretty grown-up concept to be talking about to young children, yet it’s something that many of them negotiate at some time in the playground with their friends, or during group work in class.

One of the suggestions about what to do was:

Remember that your goal is to remain friends. This thought can put things in a different perspective. It could also alter the way we speak and behave.

Is winning an argument with a friend over a relatively minor thing worth losing a friendship? Our students are going to be together as a Year group for a significant part of their young lives.

PCS is pleased to announce the introduction of a Caddens and Jordan Springs morning private pick up bus service for our school families, commencing Tuesday 30 April 2019.

CLICK HERE to download the new bus application that includes both the AM and PM services - this form will be emailed to all families early next week. It is also available for download via our website. 

Any students wishing to use the AM bus service must fill in the updated application form, giving consent for PCS to transport them to school and return to Sharon Tuft by Friday 12 April 2019 (as she’ll be on long service leave from April 26 until June 4 2019).

Only about 5% of NSW children eat enough vegetables. And the statistics are similar for adults. To help our community do better, our school is participating in Vegetable Week & The Big Vegie Crunch.

To encourage our school families to eat more vegetables we will be sending home hints and tips.

Up the veg at your place by…being a vegie role model!