PCACS News - No 17 - 2022

Beautiful spring weather has been the backdrop to a delightful start to Term 4. The Hub building is now in action on both floors with the Book Fair making the most of the new spaces. The TIDES room is alive with activity, the Café is in full swing and library staff have been busy setting up the reading room and research areas upstairs. The IT Help Desk is also in full operation. Meanwhile, another milestone for the Grace Chapel with the Valedictory Eucharist for the Class of 2022 being held on Tuesday evening. The Anglican Parish of Kwinana holds services in Grace Chapel on Wednesday morning in the Chapel of All Saints, located just off to the left of the foyer and the Sunday Services are held in the Grace Chapel every Sunday. Both Services are held at 9.00am and everyone is welcome to attend. Should you like more information, please contact Richard Baldwin (Priest's Warden) on 9439 1926 or 0407 445 939.

A number of events have been held in these first weeks of the Term. The Year 11s braved a cold and blustery night for their Year 11 River Cruise last Monday night before heading off on their Year 11 Camp. The Year 7s competed at ACC Lightning Carnival. Music students went to Frederick Irwin Anglican School for the Middle School Band Day whilst a group of Year 5s and 6s went to the SciTech Challenge Week. The Year 2s and 12s enjoyed time together for the final time by going to the Kwinana Adventure Park for their Buddy Day. What a start to Term 4!

The Class of 2022

The time has come for the Year 12s to venture beyond our gates. To honour their time at PCACS, we held a moving Valedictory Assembly where the staff and students paid tribute to the Year 12s. The Year 6 students sang ‘Thank you for Being a Friend’ and the Year 2 students presented each Year 12 with a candle and a personalised letter for their Valedictory pack. The Head Boy and Head Girl spoke on behalf of the Year 12s. At the end, the younger students formed a guard of honour. This glorious PCACS tradition is truly uplifting to watch. As the Year 12s pass, the younger students cheer and wave to the ‘big kids’, finally gathering at the cross at the front of the school. We followed on that evening with our Valedictory Eucharist and Dinner. Thank you to The Right Reverend Kate Wilmot for leading our Eucharist Service in the beautiful Grace Chapel. A huge congratulations to Mr Adam Lakey and Mrs Rebecca Weddikkara for organising a series of farewells for the Year 12s culminating in the Valedictory Dinner for over 200 guests in the KLC. 

I would like to take this opportunity to wish the Class of 2022 all the best for the future.  I have no doubt they will leave PCACS with strong values and bright futures ahead of them. They will be missed. 

P&F

Thank you to the 2022 Committee for all their hard work this year. After a significantly interrupted 2020, 2021 and Term 1, it has been wonderful to get back to the business of friend raising and the continued support of School events and projects is appreciated. From hosting the canteens at the Athletics Carnivals, BBQ Breakfast for Year 9 The Rite Journey Challenge Day, to providing the much loved outdoor play equipment at Calista and the new timber furniture outside the Hub. Our school community is greatly enhanced by the work of the P&F.

I thank Mr Matt Rowse for leading the P&F over the past few years. Matt has held the roles of President and prior Vice President of the P&F. Thank you also to Mrs Sharon Rowse for representing the P&F on the PCACS School Council. Their dedication, passion and expertise has been unwavering, and I am immensely grateful for their support and for the support of the whole P&F.

At the September AGM, the new 2023 Committee was elected. I wish the 2022 Committee all the best as they prepare to hand over to the 2023 Committee. Congratulations to the incoming P&F President and Office Bearers. I look forward to working with the 2023 Committee:

President -  Maree Owen                  Vice Presidents - Nicola Neale and Mary Tennent

Treasurer - Cameron Gibson             Secretary - Jennifer Medbury

Committee - Claire Cardew

We have committee positions vacant. Please consider joining the P&F Committee for 2023. All the work of the P&F directly benefits the PCACS students and focuses on friend raising. If you are interested or would like more information, please contact my office on principal@pcacs.wa.edu.au or the P&F at pf@pcacs.wa.edu.au

Student Leaders

At PCACS we inspire leadership in many ways. This week our Year 7 and 8 students were honoured to visit Parliament House for a tour and lunch. They were guests of The Honourable Reece Whitby MLA, however, due to parliamentary business, we were hosted by The Honourable Stephen Pratt MLC Member for South Metropolitan Region. Prior to being elected, he worked as an Electoral Officer in Roger Cook’s Kwinana Office. He was very intrigued by the questions and aspirations of our Student Councillors, including dreams of law, architecture and international study. Our Year 11 Student Councillors will attend a leadership day next week with The Archbishop and will be joined by leaders from Anglican Schools across WA. 

On Thursday 27 October, we will announce our 2023 Prefects and Junior School Captains. Good luck to all the candidates. The assembly will be held in the KLC commencing at 8:45am. Parents are welcome to attend.

2023 Enrolments

With significant interest in enrolments for 2023, I encourage families to ensure enrolment forms for siblings have been submitted. Also, if you know any families who are interested in enrolment for 2023 or beyond, please encourage them to come for a personalised tour. Junior School parents are always welcome to book a tour to see the Senior School and to discuss the engaging and purposeful subject selections and courses on offer. 

God bless.

Ms Felicity House
PRINCIPAL

2023 Basketball Academy

There are a small number of places still available for the PCACS Basketball Academy in Years 7-10 commencing in 2023. 

The Academy handbook with further information about the programme can be found on the school website.

All families with children enrolled in the Academy will receive a confirmation letter next week. Later this Term, we will arrange for all Academy students to be measured for their training top which will be available for purchase at the Uniform Shop at the start of 2023.

Valedictory Message

During the Valedictory assembly this week I invited the Year 12 students to live with intent using the poem ‘The Invitation ‘ by Oriah Mountain Dreamer as a point of reflection. 

This poem offers an invitation to every single one of us to "show up" in the universe. It reminds us that we do not serve the universe by being small. Rather, we serve the universe by making the most out of our lives.

I suggested to the Year 12s that this does not mean becoming rich and famous or being the most handsome or the prettiest or having the biggest social media profile. Rather it means living your life, no matter where it takes you, with an intent – an intent to fill your heart and mind with experience and to build character – one that is full of grace and truth.

Easy to say and wish for, but how do you actually live such a life? Well, the simple trick is finding the beauty in your everyday life, in the people you see day in and day out, the family that you have, the friendships that are constant, the little moments such as a family dinner, a weekend ritual, or just that special little moment of saying ‘good night’ to the person that you love. If you do these little things often and you do them well – you are 95% on your way to living a life of intent. All the other big occasions that we seem to think are more important, well they just become the cherry on the cake.

So that was my ‘invitation’ to the Year 12s – an invitation to live with intention and embrace deeply their God-given gift of the years before them and not to settle for anything less.

Year 12 ATAR Examinations

Year 12 ATAR students are welcome to study at the school either in the Hub or the Loft. They just need to sign in and out of the School at reception. The written ATAR exams commence in Week 4, Monday 31 October. Students must bring their personalised exam timetable and photo ID. If a student is ill or an event occurs that means they cannot attend the examination, families must contact the School immediately. Information about the Sickness and Misadventure Application that is then completed for the School Curriculum and Standards Authority has been provided to students.

I wish all the Year 12 ATAR students all the very best for these final exams. 

Senior School Awards

A reminder that all Year 12s return to School for the Senior School Awards presentation on Thursday 1 December. Further information will be sent to families regarding the requirements for this event.

God bless.

Mr Steve Wynhorst
HEAD OF SENIOR SCHOOL

Welcome to Term 4!

Term 4 has started well. There are many exciting events ahead, as outlined in the Key Dates recently emailed to families. A particularly special event in Term 4 is the Valedictory Assembly where the Year 2 students present a farewell gift to their Year 12 buddies. The Valedictory Assembly was held this week and it was truly heartwarming and emotional for students and staff alike. 

Grandparents’ Day

The students are getting excited about welcoming their Grandparents and special friends to Grandparents’ Day on Tuesday 25 October.  The schedule is as follows.

Calista Campus (Kindergarten to Year 1)

8:45am:  Assembly in the Auditorium – Kindergarten will perform a song
9.20am:  Morning tea for grandparents and visitors will be provided by the Parents and Friends Association
9.30am – 10:00am:  Open Classrooms

Wellard Campus (Year 2 to Year 6)

10.45am:  Morning tea will be provided by the Parents and Friends Association
11:15am:  Assembly in the Keith Lindbeck Centre. 2M will perform an item
12:00pm – 12.30pm:  Open Classrooms

World Teachers’ Day

World Teachers’ Day is officially celebrated across Australia next week on Friday 28 October. This year the slogan is ‘Hats off to teachers this World Teachers’ Day!’  I am in awe of our teachers at PCACS who show resilience during challenging times and dedication to all the students in their care. I take my ‘hat off’ to teachers! Well done teachers – you are amazing! Please join me in congratulating our teachers in any way you choose. Further information can be found here: https://worldteachersday.edu.a...

First Aid

First Aid training can save lives! Junior School students at both campuses participated in First Aid training over the past two weeks. This was a wonderful opportunity for the students to learn and role-play skills and strategies for the event of an accident or emergency.

I wish everyone a wonderful, safe fortnight ahead. God bless!

Mrs Shirley Steel
HEAD OF JUNIOR SCHOOL

A friendly reminder that fees for Term 4 2022 are due by Friday 28 October 2022 unless you are on an Approved Direct Debit. If you have not made payment already, please ensure that it is received by this date. Please use your family code and surname as shown on your latest statement.

If you have any queries please email finance@pcacs.wa.edu.au

Mrs Karen Redman
ASSISTANT BUSINESS MANAGER

The Annual Interhouse Music Eisteddfod will be taking place in Week 4 of Term 4.

Junior Eisteddfod (Kindergarten – Year 6) Wednesday 2 November
Senior Eisteddfod (Year 7 – 12) Thursday 3 November 

An Eisteddfod is a wonderful performance opportunity for students to not only showcase their musical talent but also receive valuable feedback regarding their performance from a guest adjudicator. All students who are currently partaking in instrumental or vocal lessons, (either through the Schools Music Tuition Programme or privately outside of school hours) are encouraged to take part in this event. 

Students will be organised into categories of ability and instrumentation. Certificates, Excellence Awards and Trophies for 1st place will be awarded at the end of each section. House Points will be awarded to all participants with extra points awarded to Excellence Award winners and 1st place winners. All House Points will be counted and the House group with the most points will win the Music Eisteddfod Shield for 2022.

Please speak to a member of the Music team or email music@pcacs.wa.edu.au for an entry form.

Mrs Lucy Roberts
JUNIOR SCHOOL MUSIC AND PERFORMING ARTS COORDINATOR

On Friday 14 October, students from the Year 7 - 9 Voyager Specialist Instrumental Programme attended the ASC Middle School Band Day, hosted by Frederick Irwin Anglican School in Mandurah. They sightread their way through the day, joining together with other ASC Concert Bands to learn new repertoire and discover the joy of performing in a large group ensemble.

The students also rehearsed pieces for the ASC Combined Schools Concert which will take place in Term 1 at the Perth Concert Hall. 

The day was a rewarding experience, enjoyed by all and has sparked new enthusiasm and energy for our young musicians as they head towards the end of the year in the Voyager Programme.

Mrs Lucy Roberts
JUNIOR SCHOOL MUSIC AND PERFORMING ARTS COORDINATOR

This week a selected group of Year 9 students were trained up in the art of coffee making. Two barista instructors from Five Senses Coffee came to our school to give a presentation on where coffee beans come from, followed by a practical on how to make coffee shots. Students also learnt how to make different types of milk coffees. 

Some baristas had never tried coffee before so it was fun to watch their expressions as they tried the new tastes. All of them were treated with a hot chocolate at the end of training. 

Students will be placed with senior baristas in a shift each over the next few weeks where they will continue their training. In the latter half of the term, when the Year 11 students leave, these Year 9 students will take on most of the responsibility of the van alongside the Year 10 barista students. Next year they will be put into a shift with their friends and be expected to make coffees independently. 

The funniest thing about today was due to a fault on my side, Ryan Rawlinson had his certificate made out to Ryan Reynolds. This was hilarious among them all and Ryan now thinks he will keep the actor’s name. Oh dear! This is a fantastic bunch and I am sure we can all look forward to some tasty drinks in the near future. Congratulations George, Ryan, Ben, Ethan, Cassie, Jordan, Elissa, Chloe, Tianna and Takunda. 

Remember if you want to pre purchase your child a Carnley’s Cuppas card for $20 or $10 please either pay through School Stream or pay me directly in the Coffee van in the mornings. 

Mrs Melanie Hunt
DUKE OF EDINBURGH COORIDNATOR

This Saturday is the City of Rockingham's Castaway Sculpture Awards, which celebrates artistic innovation and environmental awareness. Castaways is an annual outdoor sculptural exhibition showcasing artworks created from repurposed materials. 

This year, PCACS have a submission, which a group of students with Mrs Janine Lee and Mr Cameron Allen have been working on for over a term, every Monday during Co-Curricular time.

The Exhibition commences this Saturday 22 October at the Rockingham foreshore and features an array of professional artists, including a number of School entries.

You can view the catalogue here, with PCACS' submission on Page 38. Take a trip down to the foreshore this weekend with your family, and check out our students' sculptural creation as well as the many talented artists involved.

Mrs Janine Lee and Mr Cameron Allen
ART TEACHERS

Please note: this is not for the students who use the private PCACS Bus Service.

Water Corporation WA School Think Tank Challenge Finals

On Friday 21 October a team of Year 9 TIDES students will take their more fully developed and researched Water and Sustainability solution to Water Corporation headquarters in Leederville to pitch their idea to the CEO of the Water Corporation, and the Minister for Water, Mr David Kelly. We wish them well for this exciting opportunity to make a real difference in managing and maintaining Western Australia’s precious and very limited water supply.  Stay tuned for how they perform!

TEENS IN BUSINESS AWARDS 2022

On Tuesday 25 October two members of the PCACS community will be making a pitch across Australia during Sparkfest as Finalists in the Teens in Business Awards 2022 – good luck to Year 10 Christopher Argentino for his nomination as Intrapreneur of the Year!

The Teens in Business Awards is a joint initiative between Young Change Agents and BOP Industries, the 2022 Teens in Business Awards celebrates and amplifies the creativity, passion, and interests of young people as they try to create positive change in their communities. The awards acknowledge young people and give them a platform to expand their impact.

To come and support us or watch the pitches, register to attend the event here: https://events.humanitix.com/2022-teens-in-business-awards-sparkfest

 This term TIDES students will be participating in these programs: 

• $20 Boss program (Open to Years 7 and 8)
• Ciena Solutions Challenge (Open to Years 7 – 10)
• #BossYourFuture (Open to Years 9 and 10)
• Future of Travel Youth Design Challenge (Year 8 team – Air Nav)

https://20boss.com

$20 Boss is a free program that supports young people to create a product or service using $20. Teachers get access to toolkits and resources to facilitate $20 Boss in their school and students receive $20* to invest in their ideas and bring them to life. Since first launching in 2015, the $20 Boss program has positively influenced thousands of young people and has equipped them with the skills, tools, and mindset necessary to succeed in a rapidly changing world. We’ll be aiming to hold Market Day in the Hub at PCACS during Week 8.

https://www.cienachallenge.org/

A global design challenge inviting students and teachers to design solutions to real problems and take action to build a better world. Join the Challenge and empower students to reimagine a world that is more peaceful, just, and sustainable.

https://bossyourfuture.com.au/

This program has been designed by industry leaders (in the entrepreneurial and corporate world) specifically for High School students. It will give your students the entrepreneurial mindset to create and launch impactful business ideas within corporate enterprises or a future business of their own.

PCACS has been selected as one of the 100 most innovative schools in Australia and invited to participate in the BossYourFuture Scholarship Program for 2022. I encourage parents to download the brochure for the program that outlines the learning outcomes and the rewards and benefits that students can access.

https://youngchangeagents.com/challenges/future-travel-youth-design-challenge

The Future of Travel Youth Design Challenge is a free online design thinking challenge that empowers youth to consider how they can impact travel, tourism and cultural experiences. It empowers youth to identify problems, reframe them as opportunities, develop a solution and create a prototype. Youth will also be able to enter the challenge and be in the draw to win prizes to help them develop their ideas further.

TIDES PORTAL

Parents and guardians are encouraged to ask their students working in the TIDES program to show them the TIDES PORTAL that was developed last term to support the continued expansion of the program.

This portal is created in addition to the SEQTA and TEAMS spaces to make it easier for students (and staff) to find what they need in relation to TIDES. Students are still expected to check SEQTA, TEAMS, and OUTLOOK (email) regularly for guidance on work and assessment requirements. Year 7 students should also continue to use OneDrive or One Note to maintain the collaborative documents and files they create. Years 8-10 are reminded to use Planner and associated resources to aggregate their work and keep a record of project management.

Mr Kim Flintoff
LEARNING AREA COORDINATOR - TIDES

Did you know that Australia is home to many native edible plant species? In Week one the Year 1 students learned about some of these plants during an incursion with Tucker Bush. The children were able to smell and plant their very own Bush Tucker garden at the Calista campus. They also learned about the Noongar seasons. It was an opportunity for students to get outside, practise teamwork and get their hands dirty, whilst learning about planting and our indigenous culture. 

Mrs Sharon Prater
TEACHER

At the end of last term the Year Three classes visited the Naragebup Environmental Centre in Rockingham to learn about sustainability. When we arrived, we split into our groups and then moved to our workshops. During these workshops, we learnt how to build worm farms and what they are useful for. We also went to see the chickens and hand-fed them. Students were able to choose from a variety of foodstuffs, and it was encouraging to see how they chose from different food groups to give the chickens a "healthy eating plate" which we have been learning about in Health. During the day we also took part in making our own compost and learnt about the composting process and what we can use compost for. We took part in a recycling relay where we had to sort the rubbish into the correct bins depending on what it was. 

Before we left to return to school, we also got to visit the reptiles and see some turtles that the Centre is helping to rehabilitate. We got to see the axolotls that Mrs Aneta Ward in Senior School donated to the centre. The centre ran a competition to name the axolotls and they are named Spectre, Moonlight and I can't remember the other name. Some of us got to build bug hotels too. It was a wonderful day and we all had so much fun!

Mrs Natalie Spears
TEACHER

On Wednesday 19 October, 8 students from Years 5 and 6 were invited to go to SciTech to participate in the Challenge Day. The theme this year was Space and the day was designed to put the students’ critical thinking and collaboration skills to the test. We had two teams that day – suitably named Team Galaxy and Team PCACS Stars and throughout the day they were involved in a series of engaging activities linked to Mathematics, Geology, Space and Engineering. Our particular favourite rotation was creating a safe way for an astronaut to enter back into the atmosphere. 

There were some very interesting and creative designs using just newspaper, string, popsticks and tape. It was a fantastic day and the students who were Conor Sheen, Olivia Merritt, Addison Gluyas and Julian Martinez-Pfaar from Year 6 as well as Jude Artemis, Logan Bell, Aashi Sharma and Tavian Holdsworth from Year 5 were phenomenal students who displayed excellent team skills as well as a particular passion and high level of knowledge in Science. I’m sure the Year 5 students who attended this year will already be considering attending the event next year!

Mrs Hollie Dunn
JUNIOR SCHOOL CURRICULUM COORDINATOR

Year 7 Lightning Carnival 

On Monday 17 October the Year 7’s attended the Year 7 Lightning Carnival in Floreat. This year the school sent 11 teams to compete in this participation-based carnival across sports including AFL, soccer, basketball, netball, and ultimate frisbee. The day was long, and our students worked hard throughout the event to ensure we performed at our best. It was great to see our students compete in the spirit of fair play and inclusivity, and represent our school with pride. A big thank you to the staff who attended the day and to the select group of Year 10 students who volunteered their time to attend the event as referees, coaches, and helpers.

RKAS Term 4

Tryouts for the Term 4 RKAS teams took place in Week 1, and I would like to thank all the students who attended. The team selections have now been finalised and the first game commenced this week against Kolbe Catholic College. You can keep up to date with all the action including fixtures, ladders, and results by downloading the ACCWA app.

ACC Junior Basketball Championships

Please note that ACC has made the decision to cancel the Junior Basketball Championships in 2022. As a result, PCACS will no longer be entering a team for this event.

Mr Roh Weddikkara
LEARNING AREA COORDINATOR - HEALTH AND PHYSICAL EDUCATION

How proud was I to have the following Year 12 students receive their Gold Duke of Edinburgh’s Awards this year: 

Darcy Perkins
Bryce Morton
Brock Knibbs

These three young boys signed up to start their Gold Awards at the end of Year 10 in 2020. Through the last two years, the three of them accomplished great things and developed into amazing young men through their activities. I have watched them mucking around, whilst they were meant to be logging their hours; but when it came to the punch, the three of them pulled through, demonstrating an ability to organize their lives that made me proud. 

Darcy organised to go on a Zero to Hero camp. He caught the bus by himself to Nanga Bush camp and spent a week with unknown students learning about mental health issues. Darcy was invited back to go on a second camp as one of the leaders and did this during the last holidays. 

Bryce went on the Leeuwin sailing ship, flying from Perth to Dampier on his own, staying in a motel and presenting himself for duty at the docks with others for a week of sailing from Dampier, out to sea and back to Dampier. Bryce was invited back to be a leader also.

Brock was different and spent a week up in Toodyay, working on a farm for a lady he had never met before. He put in a huge amount of effort, was completely out of his comfort zone, being a city boy, and had to stop all his usual work activities in order to do this. 

All three boys were exceptionally nervous before completing these activities. All three loved their experiences and want to go back. 

These activities were only one section of the five that all three had to work through!

I am honoured to have spent the last two years getting to actually know these three students and helping them to reach the finish line of their Gold Awards. This culminated in the Gold Duke of Edinburgh’s Awards ceremony at Government House during the holidays where Ms Felicity House, the Principal and I were present to observe the boys receive their awards. Unfortunately, Brock was away but will still receive his certificate at the end of the year prize giving at PCACS. 

Congratulations Darcy, Bryce and Brock. 

Mrs Melanie Hunt
THE DUKE OF EDINBURGH COORDINATOR

With the finals for the 2022 Big Ball Bash competition approaching, all tutors are turning up the heat to secure their spot as one of the top two teams.  

Who will be facing head to head in the finale? 

To be continued… 

Ms Lynne Rouda
YEAR 9 COORDINATOR

Our wonderful Drama teacher Ms Danielle Jones rode 200km for the Maca Cancer 200 Ride for Research Charity last weekend. So far she has raised nearly $6000 and as a team they have raised $133,000 what an amazing effort!

If you would still like to donate you can through: https://www.cancer200.org.au/fundraisers/daniellejones/cancer-200-2022

The Anglican Parish of Kwinana Welcomes You

The Anglican Parish of Kwinana is now settled into our new home of the Grace Chapel and is holding regular services at the chapel commencing at 9.00am on Sunday and Wednesday mornings.

The Parish extends a warm welcome to the PCACS community and invites you to come and join our services.

Enquiries to Richard Baldwin (Priest's Warden) on 9439 1926 or 0407 445 939.

Kind regards
Anglican Parish of Kwinana