PCACS News - No 1 - 2023

There is a delightful energy around the School as everyone settles into the 2023 School year. As the year begins, we welcome 227 new students to our School, including families who have relocated from interstate and overseas. We welcome new students in every Year group from Pre-Kindergarten, right through to Year 12. When our School opened in 2007, there were 128 students and 17 staff. 16 years on and we start this year with 1232 students and 153 staff. Much has changed over these past seven years. We have a flourishing early learning campus at Calista, new course offerings, programmes such as Voyager, TIDES, Compass, The Rite Journey and the Basketball Academy, and new buildings, Moortang Mia and the Grace Chapel. We have a focus on aspiration, engagement and rich learning opportunities, based on a personal best philosophy, personal accountability and strong pastoral care. This year we will develop a new Strategic Plan and Master Plan to forge our direction for the next five years and beyond. I look forward to sharing these later in the year.

At my Principal’s Welcome and Leadership Assembly, I challenged the students to be the best version of themselves and to use our personal best philosophy to set their sights on being ‘the best person they can be’. The occasion saw the installation of the student leaders into their roles as leaders in Year 6 and Year 12. The Commissioning of our Junior School Captains and the School Prefects was a significant moment in the life of our School as the students made an oath to the school to lead with integrity, honour and distinction. This week we announced the Peer Support Leaders and soon the Student Councillors will be selected. Growing the leaders of the future is evident in many parts of the School. We wish them well in their leadership journey.

Congratulations to our Graduating Class of 2022

Congratulations to our Graduating class of 2022. Bridie Jones achieved the VET Certificate of Excellence (Hospitality, Tourism and Events) as one of the top achievers in the State. 2022 Dux of School, Jaxon Anthony achieved an ATAR score of 99.25. Head Boy, Izacc Dahdal achieved 99.0 and a Certificate of Distinction. An impressive 19.35% of our ATAR students were in the Top 10% of the State. More details of the Year 12 Results can be found in the Senior School section of this Newsletter.

Year 12 Ball

On Friday 3 February, The Victory Lounge at Optus Stadium provided a spectacular setting for the Year 12 Ball. Thanks to Mrs Natascha Clark and Mrs Cara Barrett, the venue was transformed into a stunning Hollywood theme. A glorious night of dining and dancing, the Ball proved to be a magnificent tribute to their final year of school, captured with formal photos as well as fun photos in the photo booth. The Optus Stadium staff were exceedingly complimentary of our students, saying they were a joy to host. They are a credit to themselves, their families and our School. Thank you to Year 12 Coordinator, Mrs Natascha Clark and her team for organising a wonderful evening for our Year 12 students.

Staff News

We welcome some new staff to our PCACS community.

Deputy Head of Senior School – Mrs Rachel Shotch
Director of Early Learning/Calista Campus – Ms Jane London
Year 4 Teacher – Mrs Carly Hazell
Year 5 Teacher – Mr Stuart Learmouth
Health and PE Learning Area Coordinator - Mr Simon Bell
Basketball Academy Coordinator and PE Teacher – Mr Josh Wallace
Design Technologies Teacher– Miss Vanessa Krollig
Science Teacher – Mrs Katrina Lawrence
English Teacher – Mrs Abigail McKenzie
Art Teacher - Ms Jara Gillick-Lewis
Educators - Mrs Claudia McKinlay, Miss Jaysell Tapnio and Mrs Natalie Richardson
Wellard Reception - Ms Lisa Henrisson

We welcome back

Mrs Tamsin Taylor and Mrs Kath Nichols from Long Service Leave
Mrs Sam Lucic and Ms Alicia Walter from Parental Leave

Promotional Roles

Congratulations to the following staff for taking on new promotional roles this year.

Deputy Head of Junior School - Mrs Donna Farmer
Junior School Learning Community Coordinators:
Miss Emma-Lee Jackson (Pre-K to Year 1)
Miss Tori D’Ulisse (Year 2/3)
Mrs Lynne Hart (Year 4, 5, 6)
Junior School Student Leadership Coordinator - Ms Danielle Butler
Junior School Learning Engagement Coordinator - Mrs Hollie Dunn
Learning Area Coordinator English - Ms Annie Miller
Digital Technologies Coordinator - Mrs Joanne Rust
Vocational Education and Training (VET) Coordinator - Miss Amy Normoyle

Other Staff News

We wish Mrs Sally Newell all the best as she steps away from her role as Education Assistant to spend more time with her family. We thank Sally for her 13 years of dedication to PCACS and look forward to seeing her back in a relief capacity.

All the best for a wonderful Term 1.

God bless.

Ms Felicity House
PRINCIPAL

It has been wonderful to commence the year without any Covid-related adjustments! The students have settled back into the School routine and the very large Year 7 student group has impressed the School community with their cohesion and calmness as they begin their Senior School journey.

A series of important Senior School events have already taken place. The Year 12s received their Leadership badges, and the School Prefects and House Captains were inducted into their roles last week. The School Ball was held last Friday at the Victory Lounge of Optus Stadium and was a fantastic Hollywood-themed event. Thank you to Mrs Natascha Clark, the Year 12 Coordinator, for organising such a great evening. The Year 12 students were elegant and sophisticated in both dress and conduct – I wish I had that maturity when I was their age!

I would like to welcome Mrs Rachel Shotch into the role of Deputy Head of Senior School. Rachel is an experienced and dynamic educational leader, and she is a wonderful addition to our School. Rachel’s main role is responsibility for the teaching and learning programme in the Senior School. She spoke at the Assembly on Thursday about the importance of a growth mindset in supporting each student’s learning progress. Welcome, Rachel.

The Co Curricular programme has been re-invigorated with a greater number and diversity of before School, lunchtime and after School activities. Please encourage your child to get involved in one or more of these activities as they complement the curriculum and stimulate new ways and types of learning.

Teachers are finalising the upload to SEQTA of all Course and Assessment outlines this week. Parents will be able to access information on each subject/course within both SEQTA and the Class Notebook (OneNote). This may look different for each subject, and I encourage parents to talk with their children about how their digital devices are being used to enhance their learning.

As always, please email your child’s teachers or the Year Coordinator directly if you have any questions regarding their progress.

Year 12 Achievements in 2022

It gives me great pleasure to share with you some of the outstanding achievements of our 2022 Year 12 students.

ATAR Students

Jaxon Anthony (Dux) achieved an ATAR of 99.25

Izacc Dahdal (Head Boy) achieved 99.00.

This means both boys were in the top 1% of students in the State.

Four more students achieved an ATAR above 90 which places them in the top 10% of the State: Jonathan Beringer – Deputy Head Boy (95.70), Cathy Liu (94.95), Jeel Patel (94.70) and Daniella Mukwada – Head Girl (92.30).

Overall, PCACS had 19.35% of ATAR students produce results in the State’s TOP 10%!

13 students in total achieved results above 80 which means 42% of PCACS students scored in the State’s TOP 20%!

Izacc Dahdal also was rewarded with a Certificate of Distinction meaning he achieved an A grade level in his subjects across Years 11 and 12!

Jaxon Anthony, William Austin, Caitlyn Barkla, Jonathan Beringer, Saxon Lennane-Dowling, Cathy Liu, Daniella Mukwada, Jeel Patel, and Jigneshvar Ramasamy were all awarded a Certificate of Merit meaning they achieved very high results in the majority of their subjects.

Congratulations to all our ATAR students! You should be incredibly proud of your efforts. Many achieved their personal best and flourished when challenged with a difficult academic programme.

Academic subjects that produced very high median scores included Maths Specialist, Maths Methods, Chemistry, Physics, and Economics.

Many Year 12 students had taken advantage of the University early offer programme (including General students) and are starting their courses at the end of this month. Best wishes as they start their University studies.

Vocational Education and Training

The students completing the General and VET pathways also achieved outstanding results. In particular, Bridie Jones was awarded a VET Certificate of Excellence (Tourism, Hospitality and Events). Bridie thrived in the VET pathway and as part of her TAFE studies during 2022, was selected to represent WA in the national Hospitality awards. Well done Bridie and we wish you all the best as you begin a career in the ADF.

The number and variety of VET qualifications achieved by our Year 12 students are listed below:

Certificate III Business: 29
Certificate II Business: 9
Certificate II Outdoor Recreation: 13
Certificate II Music: 9
Certificate II Visual Art: 6
Certificate II Community Service: 5
Certificate II Electrotechnology: 5
Certificate III Fitness: 2
Certificate III Aviation (Cabin Crew): 1
Certificate III Tourism: 1
Certificate II Hospitality: 1
Certificate III Education Support: 1
Certificate IV Education Support: 1
Certificate II Plumbing: 1
Certificate II Animal Studies: 1

Endorsed Courses

Many students also achieved success in a variety of Endorsed courses that also count towards the achievement of the Western Australian Certificate of Education:

Duke of Edinburgh Gold – 3 students
Duke of Edinburgh Silver – 6 students
Duke of Edinburgh Bronze – 1 student
KIC iProjects – 5 students
Workplace Learning – 2 students
Murdoch Uni Headstart and TLC – 11 students
Education Support Course – 1 student

These results, regardless of the pathway followed by our students reflect effort, resilience and determination. It is so pleasing to see so many students seize the opportunity their families have provided for them in attending our School and it is rewarding for the School staff to watch young people flourish and establish a firm foundation for success in their lives.

God bless

Mr Steve Wynhorst
HEAD OF SENIOR SCHOOL

Smooth Start to 2023

I thank everyone for a wonderful start to Term 1! The Junior School students are settling very well into their classes and are set for a great year ahead. It is especially pleasing to witness our new students forming friendships, both at Calista and Wellard. Well done students, families and staff for a great start to 2023!

Junior School Leadership Team

We have an amazing team of educators working across all year levels and learning areas who are supported by the Junior School Leadership Team. Here is a list of the key leadership roles so you know who to go to if you have queries beyond your child’s teacher.

Mrs Shirley Steel – Head of Junior School, Calista and Wellard Campuses
Mrs Donna Farmer – Deputy Head of Junior School, Wellard Campus
Ms Jane London – Director of Early Learning/Calista Campus
Mrs Nicky Jones – Learning Engagement Coordinator, Calista Campus – works on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday
Mrs Hollie Dunn - Learning Engagement Coordinator, Wellard Campus – works Monday – Thursday
Ms Emma-Lee Jackson – Pre Kindergarten to Year 1 Learning Community Coordinator
Miss ToriD’Ulisse – Year 2 and Year 3 Learning Community Coordinator
Mrs Lynne Hart – Year 4 to Year 6 Learning Community Coordinator
Mrs Lucy Roberts - Music and Performing Arts Coordinator, Calista and Wellard Campuses
Mrs Rhiannon Chapman – Physical Education and Cocurricular Coordinator
Ms Danielle Butler – Student Leadership Coordinator

Parent Information Evenings

It was fantastic seeing the Calista families who attended the Parent Information Evening on Wednesday 8 February. I would like to remind Wellard families that the Year 2–6 Parent Information Evening on Wednesday 16 February commences in the Keith Lindbeck Centre at 4.30pm. Year level presentations will follow a general information session. I hope to see many families there.

Wellard Kiss and Drop – Traffic Flow and Safety

The Kiss and Drop is a fabulous way to drop and collect your child safely at Wellard campus. The traffic can become congested so please be mindful to keep driving along and not to use the Kiss and Drop slip-road for parking. We do have marked parking bays if you would like to park and wait for your child. Please use the crosswalk. Thank you for your patience during the busyness of the first weeks of school.

Note: Supervision in the mornings commences at 8.00am so for safety reasons please avoid dropping your Junior School child before 8.00am.

Calista Parking and Safety

Please exercise extreme caution on the nearby roads and in the carpark at Calista Campus. You are welcome to use the Kwinana Adventure Park and Tennis Club carparks to avoid congestion in our school carpark. I ask in the interests of safety, that you avoid driving over the footpath or parking on the verge

Swimming Lessons

Years 2, 3, 5 and 6 have enjoyed swimming lessons this past fortnight. The next two weeks see the Pre Primary, Year 1 and Year 4 students participate in their swimming lessons.

Please see your child’s teacher if you are missing any items such as towels or swim goggles because we do end up with lost property after swimming lessons.