Our F1 in Schools Team Ascension made it safely to Abu Dhabi, arriving early last Thursday morning. The engineers had worked non-stop over 24 hours preparing the race cars, after a setback earlier in the week - it was a huge effort!

On the weekend, Ascension were one of the first teams to register for the World Finals. Both cars were just over 50 g which was great. It is amazing to see so many countries at the one location competing in this prestigious event.

The weekend also saw the official opening of the World Finals for F1 in Schools, and the team built their Pit Display in one of the hotel rooms before transporting it 600 m to the Du Forum. It is great to have so many parents here to help carry this very large pit display! The students had two hours to rebuild the Pit Display to completion against 54 other teams from around the World. Each Pit Display build had an individual judge watching. Team Ascension completed their Pit Display and it looks fantastic. The team took up the whole two hours making, sure everything was spot on.

On Thursday 14 November, we were very pleased to host renowned speaker, Melinda Tankard Reist, for our final Parent Seminar of 2019. Melinda’s presentation ‘Too Much Too Young: the sexualisation of children and what we can do about it’ was hard hitting, shocking and extremely valuable for parents with children of all ages. Parents were shown the reality of what our children are viewing and learning, both online and in all forms of media. In addition to increasing awareness, Melinda also provided parents with ways to enact change (see end of article for suggested links).

It was especially useful for parents of our Year 10 girls, and our Year 6 and 7 students, as these students also had the opportunity to hear from Melinda at various sessions throughout the same day. We are hopeful that the sessions have sparked some meaningful conversations in your house!

We were really pleased to see that a number of parents who attended the Parent Seminar were not PCS families. Here’s what some of them had to say:

Congratulations to Emily Dal Santo, Penrith Christian School’s first Gold Duke of Edinburgh recipient. The Gold Awardees were presented to the Governor last week at St Stephens Church in Sydney, followed by a morning tea at Government House.

Emily completed the Milford Track as her Gold Test Expedition and is a very dedicated member of the Rural Fire Service. Her Physical Recreation activities were Touch Football and Oz Tag. Emily is an outstanding representative for PCS and the Duke of Ed Award. Amazing Emily - well done!!

Our Year 10 students have been involved in a Service Learning program for the last few weeks, designed by the Senior Staff to take them on a journey of researching issues in our area that affect young people and trying to find solutions, as well as serving the local community.

We believe that each student can make a difference and step by step, make the world a better place. The students chose the issues they felt passionate about and this year they are: Addiction, Animal Welfare, Mental Health, Children’s Cancer, Domestic Violence and Human Trafficking.

They have been researching the issues, looking at the statistics, choosing a scientific aspect, looking at causes and solutions, using words of hope to create gifts to sell, and doing community service. In Week 6, teams put on a community lunch for people in crisis in the area, packed bags for WestCare, to bless those in refuges due to domestic violence, and visited Westmead Children’s Hospital to take gift bags and Christmas cheer to sick children.

This year, Year 4 have grown in their friendship with God and others. We have had Ps Matt Rau come and visit us regularly throughout the year to encourage us in how to be a good friend. This week his focus was on how we communicate using ‘I’ statements instead of ‘you’.  Following this, Year 4 were asked what they could do to be a better friend and to find a Bible verse that would encourage them to be a friend like Jesus. Here are some of their thoughts and Bible verses.

Angelina Huxley - I can put others first by letting them choose the game, giving options and helping them feel better. John 14:15 If you love me, you will do as I command.

Ethan Scott - I can give my friends a chance by being kind, listening and focusing on them. Philippians 4:13 I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

Alicia Weir -  Friendship is very important and you shouldn’t just think about yourself. Proverbs 27:17 You use steel to sharpen steel and one friend sharpens another.

The following article is recommended to you by Talitha Treasure, our Junior School Counsellor:

Self-regulation is something everyone continually works on whether or not we are cognizant of it. We all encounter trying circumstances that test our limits from time to time. If we are able to recognize when we are becoming less regulated, we are able to do something about it to manage our feelings and get ourselves to a healthy place.  This comes naturally for some, but for others it is a skill that needs to be taught and practiced. This is the goal of The Zones of Regulation (or Zones for short). ​

WHAT ARE THE ZONES?

Last term, Year 10 Science students completed the Validation of Assessment for Learning and Individual Development (VALID) Exam. This is a state-wide exam with over 20,000 students participating.

PCS students scored well above state average and statistically similar school group (SSSG) average in every section of the exam. Band 6 is the highest Band and our Year 10 group has 54 students.

Highlights include:

Last week Dominic Nitsos received the Victor Chang Award for outstanding achievement in Year 11 Science. Dominic is presently studying Physics, Chemistry and Biology at PCS. Coincidently, Dominic’s grandfather had a lifesaving heart operation performed by Victor Chang in the 1980’s.

Dominic will be given an opportunity to visit the Victor Chang Research Institute to learn first-hand about its research activities and the careers available in Science. He also has plans of applying to do work experience at the Institute. Dominic has been passionate about science from a young age and is a very worthwhile recipient of this Award.

The Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute plays a major role in the development and training of students in cardiovascular research at both the undergraduate (BSc Hons) and graduate (PhD, MD, MSc) level through its affiliation with the University of NSW as well as through interactions with other Australian and international universities.

Around 300 Year 10 girls from nine different schools across Western Sydney gathered at St Marys Band Club for Girls Rising 2019. Coordinated by Penrith Christian School, Girls Rising is an exciting, informative and inspiring day for Year 10 girls, from public and private/independent schools, in Penrith and surrounding areas. It aims to build strength in both mind and character, emboldening girls to reach their potential.

Melinda Tankard Reist started off our day speaking to the girls about the pressures of the media and sexual exploitation of women. She empowered them to stand up against this pressure. There was complete silence and girls were glued to their seats taking in the message that Melinda was presenting for almost two hours.

2016 Rio Olympic Gold Medallist Chloe Esposito spoke about pushing forward and how hard work can get you rewarded.  She brought her gold medal and passed it around for the students to touch and take photos which was a hit for everyone!!

What an amazing performance by the young Year 8 students from our F1 in Schools (Development Class) team, UNITY, at the recent NSW State Final. Taking on students in Year 9, they won Best Portfolio and the Best Reaction time. Emmanuel was fantastic at the reaction racing and also took the team to the final two in the Knockout competition. Emmanuel was only beaten by four hundredths of a second.

Winning the NSW State Final means Team UNITY have an automatic entrance into the Australian National Final in Melbourne next year.

'Our logo was designed to replicate the Aboriginal symbol of a kangaroo taking flight to emphasise our catchphrase and convey we are moving forward. The logo also has a similar shape to an arrow, depicting moving in one direction and Soaring Together.’ - Vaughan Todd

Wow, we can’t believe we are already half-way through our last term of being in Year 3!! Our term started off with a lovely visit from some of our grandparents. We learnt about their life and what it was like for them growing up. We also got to create some pretty awesome mini grandparents rocking out with a guitar.

In Creative Arts, students have been busy exploring different aspects of Australia and have been creating dioramas to portray Australia. We are impressed by their imaginations and their engagement in this activity. They are looking AMAZING! Students have designed and created waterfalls, camp fires, Ayers Rock, the Harbour Bridge and the Australian Outback. They scurried around the school searching for authentic resources to use and then brought in some objects from home. They have been busy painting and gluing to turn their cardboard boxes into works of art.

We have enjoyed running Grade Chapels. We have been learning about the Fruits of the Spirit and about how God has a plan for our lives. Each class rehearsed and performed a song for their peers and participated in leading us through prayer and Bible reading.

The ANCQ (Australian National Chemistry Quiz) is truly an international competition with papers translated into seven different languages. The Quiz attracts students throughout Australia and 23 other countries, including India, Germany and China.

Congratulations Mark and Sean in Year 9 who obtained Distinctions; Josiah from Year 9, as well as Riley and Madeline in Year 11 who received Credits.

Denise Bailey

Join us for a special concert, featuring performances by PCS Concert Band, PCS Intermediate Band, Middle School Choir, and more.

WHEN: Thursday 28 November 2019

TIME: 11.30 am - 12.45 pm

WHERE: PCS Auditorium

On a warm Spring evening there was excitement in the air and lights started to sparkle while the tinkering of strings rang out. Chatter could be heard and mics called out, then the boxes and trays of goodies came with the mannequins and easels as the dusk sky fell.

The band started to play and the people made their way down to the annual TAS and CAPA PCS Showcase Evening. Skills galore, hours diligently spent, colours a-splash and planes flying, it was all happening at the Showcase Evening. The F1 team was there and the canapés filtered through as the people persuaded hydraulic arms and fancy dress masks at the PCS Showcase Evening. The dresses sparkled and the bands changed beat, while contemplating visitors studied the myriad of art that lined the walls of the annual PCS Showcase Evening.

Thank you to those who came, thank you to those who served and thank you, well done and a round of applause to all the very gifted students who displayed their work and efforts from across the year!!

Year 2 have enjoyed our Science unit this term called ‘All Mixed Up’. We have predicted, observed and learnt all about creating mixtures. These mixtures could be found in the kitchen, in a science lab or even in movies made by special effects people. We have mixed paint in art and created and named our own paint colours and even enjoyed a touch of chromatography by separating the colours in black ink. Our vocabulary has grown as we created non Newtonian fluids, looked at density towers and some students have even made mixtures at home to bring in to share with our classes.

Our favourite lesson so far has been the question of what happens when oil, water and detergent are mixed together? This is the life lesson we learnt:

Some people are easy to mix with 

You become who you hang around; be a good friend and change each other for the better 

This semester, Year 1 has been exploring 'Features of Places' in Geography lessons. We learnt about natural, constructed and managed features, researching different types of places and what they contained.

We had a Field Trip to our local Jamison Park to identify features of the park and how it is used by people in our local area. The students were able to develop their mapping skills and used iPads to photograph particular features of the park. They identified natural features like trees, grass and rocks as well as constructed features such as play equipment, picnic tables, netball courts and solar lights. Features such as soccer and cricket fields are considered managed features. We discussed how our local council is responsible for looking after the main features of the park, but we are all responsible for keeping it clean, tidy and nice to use.

Our excursion to Bicentennial Park at Homebush was also a highlight of this unit. We visited the Education Centre and saw some interesting animals, including Garrigan the blue tongue lizard. Students were engaged with their outdoor learning space, the Mangrove Classroom, and learnt about how mangroves are a special feature of the park. We walked the mangrove boardwalk and visited a dry forest, investigating the animals, plants and non-living features that could be found. We also got to dip for mini-beasts in the swamp water, identifying sea snails, blood worms, diving beetles and backswimmers.

In the first week of Term 4, seven of us (Imogen, Paige, Abbey, Ebony, Ben, Kurt, and I) travelled to Dubbo and Brewarrina for five days, led by Mr Handley and Minna from ImagineNations church for a Missions outreach.

While we were there we helped out the communities by doing things such as: making dinner, running chapel, running youth group, spending the day with the youth on the weekend, and our own Imogen and Kurt helped out playing music at church and youth. We all had new and exciting experiences while we were there, and everyone really encouraged each other in faith and fellowship. Over the course of the trip we all really bonded and became closer than we thought we would ever be.

As a Christian, the trip was really helpful for me in faith, as it allowed me to experience what helping out other people with Christian related things is like and I was highly encouraged by the commitment and faith of the people in a community with so little. We experienced new things such as some parts of Aboriginal culture, I got to introduce everyone to this amazing drink sparkling honey, and we pretty much lived on the road for most of the trip. The community in Brewarrina was so welcoming and gave us a building that we could all stay in and spent a lot of time with us.

Family and friends are invited to our 2019 Presentation Ceremonies, to celebrate the achievements and efforts of all our students. Please join us!

JUNIOR SCHOOL - Friday 6 December (12.30 pm to 2.30 pm)

MIDDLE SCHOOL - Wednesday 11 December (8.30 am to 10.30 am)

The PCS School community is warmly invited to come and meet our new Principal, Tracey Deal.

When: Tuesday 12 November 2019

Time: Afternoon Tea between 2.30 pm and 4.00 pm in the CaféSausage Sizzle between 5.00 pm and 7.00 pm under the Canteen COLA

Our inaugural Grandparents and Grandfriends Day was a HUGE success. We appreciated the opportunity to honour and celebrate the wonderful connection between the generations – those special relationships in our students’ world.

There was such a fabulous buzz in the atmosphere; ALL our visitors enjoyed their time ‘back at school’!

Following are some photos of our special morning together. PCS looks forward to hosting this event again in 2020.