PCACS News - No 20 - 2022

Here we are at the end of the 2022 School Year.

What a roller coaster ride! We began the year under strict COVID rules, emerging to complete a full calendar of events in Terms 2, 3 and 4. We celebrated our 15th Anniversary in style, opened the Grace Chapel and The Hub, now named Moortang Mia. The School grew both in student numbers and in buildings. Now we end the year with a great sense of accomplishment.

In the past few weeks, we have celebrated all the events and rituals that mark the end of the year. Junior and Senior School Awards, the ELC Nativity Plays, Year 1 and 6 Transition Assemblies, Carols on the Green, as we end a rewarding 15th Anniversary year.

Official Naming Ceremony ‘Moortang Mia’

After what seemed like a relatively short build time, the Hub was completed at the end of Term 3. The original undercover area and library were transformed into a space with light, flow and functionality by a clever and thoughtful extension and refurbishment. The only thing left to do was to find an appropriate name. The name Moortang Mia was chosen in consultation with Ms Donna Oxenham, member of our School Council, who reached out to Noongar Elder, Mr Barry McGuire. Moortang Mia translates to ‘place of family’ and ‘community coming together’. This well describes the place in our School where we find the amazing new PCACS Café, spacious Auditorium for drama and performances, the TIDES room, IT Office, Maths Office, beautiful outdoor seating areas and a generous collaborative area upstairs for study, research and reading. Thank you to the P&F for providing the wooden outdoor furniture for the covered areas. The students love getting their recess and lunch from the café, enjoying the new areas and going upstairs to read at lunchtime. The official ceremony was held on November 21. The Right Reverend Kate Wilmot dedicated Moortang Mia, with the Welcome to Country and smoking ceremony by Noongar Elder Mr Barry Winmar. Our School Patron, the Most Reverend Dr Peter Carnley AC, ASC CEO, Reverend Peter Laurence OAM, Chair of Council, Mr Philip Goldsworthy, Mayor Carol Adams OAM, Architect Mr Steven Mueller and President of the P&F Mr Matt Rowse were amongst the guests.  

“How significant that we opened Moortang Mia in our 15th Anniversary year. A place of community and connection. A welcoming and inspiring place to gather, play, act, dance, learn, share refreshments and enjoy each other’s company.  Together with the Grace Chapel, these buildings have transformed daily life at PCACS.” 
Ms House

Carols on the Green

Set on the oval, in front of the beautiful Grace Chapel, hundreds turned out for our Carols on the Green service, providing a joyous celebration of Christmas and the end of the year. The students took to the stage, sharing the Christmas story through readings and performances. An enormous amount of work goes on behind the scenes to make this event happen, so I extend my thanks to everyone involved with a special mention to Mrs Lucy Roberts, Mr Ryan Thornicroft, Mrs Rebecca Weddikkara, Miss Danielle Jones and the music tutors for preparing the students for the performances. Thank you to the P&F for organising the food trucks and to everyone who supported this event including our fundraiser for the Anglicare Christmas Appeal. The Honourable Reece Whitby MLA donated a scooter as a raffle prize. Congratulations to Matt Sazon in Year 3 for winning the scooter. 

Awards Presentations and Scholarships

Celebrating academic excellence, citizenship, endeavour, cultural and sporting achievements, learner strengths and the representation of our School values, the Junior School and Senior School Awards provided fitting tributes to the academic year. Thank you to Mrs Shirley Steel and Mr Steve Wynhorst, Mr Ross Dods and the Directors for finalising the award winners and holding these events to celebrate the end of the academic year. Well done to all the 2022 award recipients. 

Congratulations to:

Principal’s Award – Claudia Howatson
ATAR Academic Dux of School – Jaxon Anthony
WACE/VET Dux of School - Bridie Jones

Bridie’s results are so outstanding, she has been shortlisted for The VET Beazley Medal. Keep your eyes on The West to see if Bridie is chosen as the State’s most outstanding overall performer in Vocational Education and Training. Good luck, Bridie.

Our Head Girl, Daniella Mukwada has been recognised for her remarkable artistic talent. Daniella’s Year 12 final artwork titled “Love Bombing” was chosen by the panelists for The Western Australian Pulse 2023 Exhibition, opening at the Art Gallery of Western Australia in 2023. The Pulse exhibition displays only the finest artwork from Year 12 and features the work of young people who will influence, empower and shape the world we live in. Congratulations to Daniella. 

Looking toward 2023

Next year PCACS will continue to grow, with a wonderful group of over 140 students in Year 7. This means we will have 5 classes of Year 7s for the first time. As far as buildings are concerned, 2023 will be a year of consolidation as we settle into the academic year with full use of Moortang Mia and Grace Chapel. It will be time to develop a new Strategic Plan together with a new Campus Master Plan. Envisioning the next 5 years is an exciting prospect and provides an opportunity to dream and reimagine aspects of our school. 2023 will see the introduction of the new Specialist Basketball programme. Our Voyager programme for our brightest and most talented students will extend from Year 7 right through to Year 10 in 2023. More information about these programmes can be found on our website.  

2023 Fee Schedule 

The School Council are mindful of the financial pressures faced by families. The fee schedule for 2023 reflects modest changes and the full details can be found here. Fee Statements will be sent to families in January with a number of payment options including weekly, fortnightly, monthly, quarterly or a one off annual payment.

Staff farewells

As the year draws to a close we say goodbye to Mr Ross Dods, Mr Roh Weddikkara, Mrs Donna Bowdler, Mrs Luis Giles, Mrs Natalie Spears, Miss Michelle Nguyen, Mrs Loren Hitchins, Mrs Kerry Swetman and Mrs Emily Mills. A special congratulations to Mr Ross Dods, Deputy Head of Senior School who moves to the role of Principal at Blue Gum Montessori School. We thank these staff for the contribution they have made to PCACS and wish them well in their future endeavours.

Safe holidays 

I take this opportunity to wish you and your family a joyous festive season, a blessed and wonderful Christmas, and a safe new year. I hope you take the time to enjoy the summer, catch up with family and friends, and recharge ready for 2023.

God Bless

Ms Felicity House
PRINCIPAL

A Year Well Travelled!

Congratulations to everyone for an outstanding school year! 2022 has been full of exciting learning and we continued growing from strength to strength. Thank you for everyone’s involvement and contributions across the year that made Junior School a special place to learn, grow and socialise.

Soon it will be the school holidays, so I wish everyone a well-earned break and look forward to seeing you back at school on Tuesday 31 January. I also look forward to welcoming many new students to Junior School in the New Year. Our current PCACS students will have lots of new students to welcome and befriend. 

End of Year Celebrations

These last few weeks have seen some very exciting events. 

The Year 2 Strings Concert was sensational. I was thrilled to see the students confidently perform for their parents and their Year 2 peers. Congratulations to those students involved and I am pleased to hear that many are choosing to continue learning their string instrument in 2023. 

The Nativity performances at Calista were festive and fun! Thank you to the families for providing the gorgeous costumes and to all the Calista staff for preparing the students for the big day. A special thank you goes to Mrs Lucy Roberts and Mrs Kimberley Taaffe who expertly led the production. 

The Pre Kindergarten Christmas Concert was an interactive showcase of our Music programme for our youngest PCACS students. Well done, Mrs Lucy Roberts for making this such a joyful and interactive experience for our Pre Kindergarten students and their families. A very proud moment for everyone involved. See the wonderful photos here.

The Awards Presentation was a wonderful event. All students participated respectfully throughout the ceremony. All award recipients are congratulated for their exceptional achievements across the year. Both Junior School choirs, the string ensemble and the dance troupe provided outstanding entertainment. Thank you to families for attending and supporting this event. A photogallery can be accessed via the link provided, please contact the school if you have trouble accessing the link as you may require a password: https://petercarnleyanglicancommunityschool.pixieset.com/juniorschoolawardspresentation/ 

The Year 1 and Year 6 students were acknowledged at their respective Transition Assemblies and are wished all the very best as they transition towards the next phase of their school journey. Both events were beautiful celebrations. I feel very grateful to be part of the journey of these amazing Year 1 and Year 6 students. The Year 6 students enjoyed a fun-filled day of rock climbing and water play, right after their Transition Assembly. Great excitement! 

For Carols on the Green, the Junior School students did a fabulous job leading our community in singing Christmas. Congratulations to the teaching staff who performed on stage too. The was plenty of Christmas cheer. 

Mrs Wanda Bresa has been busily painting an artwork designed by a compilation of student designs to create a giant Snakes and Ladders game. Well done to the students and thank you to Mrs Bresa for bringing the artwork to life!

Swimming Lessons 2023, Weeks 1 – 4 of Term 1

Swimming lessons commence at the beginning of Term 1 so please ensure you have returned the permission forms ASAP if you haven’t already done so. Years 2, 3, 5 and 6 will have their lessons in Weeks 1 and 2. Pre Primary, Year 1 and Year 4 will have their lessons in Weeks 3 and 4 of Term 1.

Booklists for 2023

The Booklists for 2023 were issued recently. Please check your emails and SEQTA Engage for your child’s Booklist.

End of Year Reports

Kindergarten to Year 6 reports will be available on SEQTA, in the afternoon of Monday 12 December. When reading your child’s report and discussing it with them, I encourage you to focus your conversation around work habits and personal growth. Setting some realistic goals for the New Year is also a productive exercise.

Pre Kindergarten children will be bringing home their Evidence of Learning Folder which will showcase their learning journey in Pre Kindergarten. I am sure they will be very proud to show their families what they have been learning.

Staffing News!

At the end of term we farewell Mrs Donna Bowdler, Mrs Natalie Spears, Mrs Luis Giles and Mrs Emily Mills. I thank them all very much for their wonderful contributions to our school community and particularly for the care they put into the classes they taught this year. They are wished all the very best for the new endeavours ahead of them.

Miss Lana Ceklic commences a period of Leave for 2023, when she will get married and experience travel and life overseas. I wish Miss Ceklic safe adventures!  She will be missed greatly next year while she is away on Leave.

There will be some new staff commencing in Junior School in 2023. I look forward to introducing them in the New Year. There is an exciting year ahead!

I thank all members of PCACS for a wonderful year. For families looking for holiday ideas, this website has a great range of activities for children of all ages https://theparentswebsite.com.au/super-list-great-ideas-kids-home/

God bless and Merry Christmas!

Mrs Shirley Steel
HEAD OF JUNIOR SCHOOL

Senior School Presentation of Awards

The Senior School community gathered to celebrate the 2022 school year last Thursday. Thank you to all the parents and loved ones who attended this event.

This year has been very special for the Senior School. We have hosted a major STEM Conference, students have won several prestigious innovation challenges and the School is establishing an outstanding reputation as a centre for service learning and helping those in need beyond our gates. We have opened fantastic new places of learning (Moortang Mia) and worship (Grace Chapel) to cater to a growing student population.

Many students, not just those who received awards, have worked to achieve their personal best in various fields of endeavour – Academic, Sport, the Arts and Citizenship. These students are seizing the opportunities available to them to live a fully engaged life.

As the School year draws to a close, I would like to thank and recognise two staff members who have played very significant roles in the growth and development of the School and who strived each day to also achieve their personal best in their professional roles.

Mr Roh Weddikkara, Learning Area Coordinator for Health and Physical Education has been the driving force behind our rich sporting programmes. His humour, dedication and professionalism mean he is an outstanding leader of staff and students. I wish him the very best as he moves on to a new challenge as Director of Sports at Seton Catholic College.

Mr Ross Dods, Deputy Head of Senior School, has been instrumental in the implementation of new programmes that underpin our success as a place of learning. His measured, calm and caring approach to all staff and students and his ability to think strategically and be creative operationally is outstanding. Ross is a wonderful educational leader and I wish him well as he takes on the challenge of Principal at Bluegum Montessori School.

Senior School Reports Years 7–11

The 2022 Semester 2 reports for Years 7–11 will be available on SEQTA, in the afternoon of Monday 12 December. We encourage all parents/carers and their children to discuss their final report and to put some time aside during the summer holiday period to set goals for 2023. Keep them realistic and achievable and evaluate them regularly. 

Subject Enrolments Year 9-12 in 2023

Students in Years 9, 10, 11 and 12 in 2023 have received subject and elective enrolment confirmations. Booklists have already been released to all families for the 2023 school year.  

Please contact the School’s Administration Office if you have any queries about your child’s 2022 report and/or the 2023 booklist purchases.

Student Commencement in 2023

All families will receive a letter from their child’s Year Coordinator in mid-January with details regarding the commencement of the 2023 School year. All Year 7 students commence on Monday 30 January and all other students commence on Tuesday 31 January.

May the true spirit of Christmas be with you during the festive season and may you enjoy this special family time together.

God Bless.

Mr Steve Wynhorst
HEAD OF SENIOR SCHOOL

Administration Office Hours

During the Christmas and New Year period School Administration will close from Thursday 22 December 2022 and will reopen on Monday 9 January 2023.  

Student Services Information

If your child has medication kept at Student Services please collect by 3.30pm Thursday 8 December, or between 12 – 21 December 2022. All student medications will need to be returned to the School by Monday 30 January 2023.    

If your child’s medical needs change during the holidays please email Student Services with this information before the first day of School especially if there is a need to introduce a new Medical Action Plan.

School Fees

Thank you to all families who have completed their school fee payments for the year. If you have not done so please ensure all fees are fully paid by December 16 or contact me to discuss other payment arrangements.  

As another year draws to a close, from the entire Administration Team we would like to thank everyone in the PCACS Community for your ongoing support and generosity to one another, and we wish you all a safe and happy Christmas. 

Mr Craig Spence
BUSINESS MANAGER

On Tuesday 22 November, the Year 9 students set off on their Rite Journey Camp, which took place at the Manjedal Activity Centre. After the Welcome Ceremony, students were presented with their first challenge: hiking to their campsite with all of their luggage. With some excellent teamwork, support, encouragement, perseverance, sweat and some tears, all the students made it safely to their campsite. The remainder of the week consisted of many fun activities such as a Giant Swing, Tunnels, Team Challenges, Raft Building, High Ropes and swims in the refreshing lake. 

The Rite Journey Camp presented students with many challenges. Some students were challenged physically, others were challenged emotionally and socially. Friendships and connections were strengthened and students were given the opportunity to reflect on some of the important issues discussed as a Rite Journey group over the course of the year.

On the final night of the camp, students entered ‘The Abyss’ solo experience. This final and crucial challenge required students to be separated from others by spending their final night alone in their tent. This experience encouraged students to absorb their environment, reflect on their week, the lessons they have learnt and the personal development they have experienced since February.

I am proud of all the Year 9 students for embracing the challenges on this camp and look forward to continuing to witness them navigate their journey to young adulthood. 

Ms Lynne Rouda
YEAR 9 COORDINATOR

Congratulations to Om Patel (Year 7) who represented PCACS and WA in the National U12s Cricket Championship in November.

The WA boy's team played exceptionally well and have managed to secure significant wins against the strongest teams like NSW and Victoria.

Want to return to work, or change careers? Want to work in a school?

There has never been a better time with WA unemployment at 3%.

Schools and other organisations are desperately hiring people for the following roles:

• Gardener, cleaner, administration, management, canteen, education assistants and many other roles.

Starting in January 2023, North Metropolitan TAFE are running a one-semester course on the skills required to be a successful candidate for employment in a school or elsewhere.  The course gives you an employment advantage that you can’t achieve elsewhere. If you have tried and failed, we will get you to where you want to go.

We have had huge success supporting people to find work, and the chances of gaining employment are strong.  This course is suitable for people new to the workforce, people looking to change career or looking for a return to work.

The course includes:

• •Training in skills specific to the role you are interested in e.g. IT skills, Office 365
• •Work experience in a school or other organisation
• •Help and support to find work
• •Help accessing further training as required e.g. Certificate III in Education Support
• •Development of your job application cover letter, resume and help with selection criteria
• •18+
• •Strong work ethic
• •Good oral and written communication
• •Must be able to read procedures, safety sheets and chemical bottles etc.
• •Must be able to send and receive emails
• •Successful completion of an entry interview
• •Working With Children Check and a Department of Education Clearance

Entry requirements:

Course details:

• Dates - Starts week 1 of term 1 and runs for up to 20 weeks
• Many students finish the course early because they find work
• Days - 3 days per week, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday during school hours
• Cost - Approximately $170 (subject to change) total course fee for full 20 weeks
• Location - North Metro TAFE Leederville and on work experience
• Qualification - GATE (Gaining Access to Training and Employment) Certificate I

To apply for this course, use the following website and select “GATE I Leederville”: https://tasonline.tafe.wa.edu.au

To ask questions please contact:

Chris Hodson - chris.hodson@nmtafe.wa.edu.au