In Focus - Vol 6 - Edition 8 - 24 August 2018

Book Week

Book week is a time to contemplate the significance of reading in our lives. Reading for pleasure is a wonderful pastime to encourage within your family. Children gain a great deal from the reading, apart from the important literacy skills they learn, reading books takes the reader on an adventure. Reading creates a zone for escapism, boosting mood, promoting stillness, concentration and relaxation. The sheer joy of exercising the imagination promotes creativity. This week at PCACS we have celebrated Book Week through a variety of joyous activities including hosting visiting authors Raewyn Caisley and Wendy Binks and culminating in the fabulous spectacle of the Book Week Parade.

Book Week Parade Pics Here!

Science Week

Last week the Science Department wowed us with rockets, fire, static electricity and explosions. Staff and student led Science displays were a highlight of the week as we viewed the world from the perspective of a scientist.

Senior School Athletics 

The spirit of competition was alive and well last week at the Senior School Athletics Carnival. Not only did we witness record breaking performances and fiercely fought challenges, there was also an inspiring spirit of participation and support for others. Congratulations to all our Champions and Runners Up and all those who have been chosen for the ACC team. Congratulations to Moody for winning the House trophy. Please view the Sports News in this newsletter for details of the results.

Parents and Friends

Maggie Dent is being hosted by our Parents and Friends again this September, in the week after Fathers' Day, with the Dads Only: Top Tips for Being a Terrific Dad. This event is designed for the father figures, so I encourage as many of our dads, uncles, grandfathers and other father figures to attend. Maggie has highly practical information which she delivers in an informative and humorous way. More details are in the P&F section of this newsletter.

Ms Felicity House
PRINCIPAL

Science Week

The Junior School enjoyed participating in a range of activities for Science Week. Along with the exciting displays provided by the Senior School, the Years 2 and 3 classes had a visit from the Water Corporation, where they explored the effects of stormwater pollution on our local ecosystems. Classes also held their own experimental fun, with vanishing eggshells, heat conductors, and space models.

Chess Tournament

The Junior School Chess Tournament is well under way, with the competition heating up, as we get closer to the finals. We have had a range of students from Years 3-6 enter in the tournament, and many have continued to participate in fun matches, including teacher verse student games. Week 6 will see the semi finals with Kanchana Nawarathna, Chudy Isidienu, Ethan Brownsdon and Tyler Layman playing it out for a place in the finals. Congratulations to all students who have participated in the tournament, I hope to see you in Term 4.

Study Tour Students

The Junior School is currently hosting 7 Chinese Study Tour students. The students are spending their time at PCACS in Years 3, 4 and 5 classes, and are participating in daily lessons and activities.  Hosting the students allow us to share our school with families from abroad, and provide a rich learning experience for our students as they are exposed to Chinese culture. Let’s embrace this opportunity, and make our special guests feel welcome. 

Mrs Alysha McDonald 
COORDINATOR OF UPPER JUNIOR

Futures Parent Information Night Year 7 students 2019 & 2020

The ‘journey’ at PCACS for future Year 7 students at the Parent Information Night last week was a great success.  Snippets relating to Pastoral Care, Awards, lockers, communication lines and navigating around the School were presented to students and their parents.  The learning process from start to finish was presented and this led to some information about SEQTA, the School portal as a comprehensive communication resource.  We concluded the evening with some Q & A and the feedback from parents and students was very positive.

We thank you all for your attendance and we look forward to welcoming all Year 7 students and their parents to Senior School in 2019.

Year 12 Parent Information Night – Tuesday 28 August 2018

An information night will be held in the Administration Seminar Room commencing 6.00pm and concluding 7.00pm on Tuesday, 28 August.  An information letter has been emailed to you outlining the significant items to be discussed.  Year 12 is a shortened year and does require all students to be committed to their studies to achieve their personal best.

I look forward to seeing you all at this school event.

Year 12 TISC and TAFE Applications

All Year 12 students have been given information regarding the following:

• Direct Entry University applications (TISC)
• Application to TAFE 2019
• Scholarships
• Year 12 Parts I and II Information Handbook on SCSA’s website.  Please note the information regarding ATAR External Examinations is featured in Part II.
• External Examinations (ATAR) will be held at PCACS and their Personal Examination Timetables will be available via SCSA.  The School will also give students a hard copy.

All Year 12 students should be discussing their applications for Post School Options to meet the September deadlines for all applications.

Governor’s Prayer Breakfast WA 2018

I had the privilege of accompanying four Year 10 students to the 26^th Annual Governor’s Prayer Breakfast at Crown Towers Burswood.  Reece Chapman, Cooper Graydon, Rhys Sims and Jasmine Evans were amongst 1250 invited guests who were very fortunate to hear The Honourable Kim Beazley, AC Governor of Western Australia welcome us all and who commented on the genuine goodwill and respect between all who attended, regardless of their divergent denominations and faiths.  The Governor General spoke about the many challenges we all faced in our communities – complex issues such as homelessness, domestic violence, addictions, poverty, loneliness and the list goes on.  He encouraged us all to work together to bring healing to our city and state.

The Governor General introduced the keynote speaker, Dr John Dickson who, as an accomplished author, historian, speaker, media presenter and pastor continually wrestled with the meaning of life but whose resounding message of living a life based on Christian faith was an inspiration to us all.  Dr Dickson and the Governor General left the audience with a clear message for us all:  “Never get in the way of anyone experiencing the Cross”.

The Governor’s Prayer Breakfast is a reverent event when we can come together to be reminded of our calling to be ambassadors to model Christian living and to reach out to those in our community who need our help.

Reece, Cooper, Rhys and Jasmine were very proud to represent the School at this event and they all gained much from their experience.

Science Week a great success!

Whiz, bang, crackle and many pops together with some intriguing displays added to the success of Science Week at PCACS.  The Science staff certainly captured the wonder and awe of the world around us and raised a curiosity in so many of the students (and the staff).  A great adventure for us all thanks to Mr Robert Carman and his staff.

Athletics Carnival

Perfect weather and the spirit of the student competitors made for a successful Senior School Interhouse Athletics Carnival last Friday.  The array of House colours and the competitive quest by all students was outstanding.  Thanks to Mr Roh Weddikkara and his staff for their organisation and preparing students for this successful School event.  Parents who came along to cheer and to enjoy the atmosphere were also treated to a great sporting spectacle.

Online Literacy and Numeracy Assessments Round 2 (OLNA)

Writing:  Tuesday 28 August 9:30am
Reading:  Wednesday 29 August 8:55am
Numeracy:  Friday 31 August 8:55am

Students have their own OLNA access to practise at home and during scheduled times at school.  A reminder that OLNA is a requirement for the Western Australian Certificate of Education (WACE).

Parents are welcome to contact the School for further information.

God Bless

Ms Judith Stringer
HEAD OF SENIOR SCHOOL

Work will begin next Tuesday 28 August 2018 (weather permitting) on upgrading the main vehicle and pedestrian entry gates, offering improved security for students, parents and staff.  The work involves automation of both gates, timed access control and the provision of CCTV at the gate.

The work will require the closure of the entry to the school at the Wellard Rd/Meares Rd roundabout between the hours of 9.30am to 2.30pm next Tuesday 28 August and Wednesday 29 August 2018.  Additional closures may also be required, but these will be kept to a minimum.

If entry to the Campus is required between the hours mentioned above, entry can be gained using the most Westerly gate to the school off Wellard Road, adjacent to the Uniform Shop.  Entering and exiting the Parent car park will be by this Westerly gate during the hours mentioned above.   Please take care when using this access road as only one vehicle may utilise the road at a time, it is single lane only.

Thank you for your understanding of this small inconvenience necessary for the safety of those workers performing the works.

Mr Noel Reid
FACILITIES MANAGER 

Uniform Shop hours for Tuesday 11 September:

OPEN  
8.00am – 8.30am
10.00am – 4.00pm

The Shop will be closed from 8.30am – 10.00am

NB:  Students will wear the Summer Uniform in Term 4.

September holidays opening times will be posted next week.

After weeks of heavy rain we were delighted to have a beautiful sunny day for the 2018 Senior School Interhouse Athletics Carnival on Friday of Week 5.  Students came dressed in their House colours and the Year 12’s came in a “Mario Kart” themed dress to add to the carnival atmosphere. 

The day was filled with excitement as students ran, jumped, threw and cheered for their house.  We had quite a few records broken showcasing the outstanding athletes we have here at PCACS.

It was great to see so many students giving it their all and trying their hardest to earn points, they showed great commitment as well as great sportsmanship, congratulating and applauding each other for their performances.

I was particularly impressed with the number of students who gave up their time early before the carnival to help set up and stayed late to help pack up, we are lucky to have such wonderful students at this School.

Thanks to all the parents and supporters who came down, as well as our amazing teachers and student helpers for ensuring the day ran smoothly.  A big thanks to Clarissa Thomson and the P&F for their continued support with the canteen.  It was great to see so many volunteers from our community come together for this event.

At the end of the day it was Moody House who backed up their win from 2017 taking the honours in an outstanding display.

To view the video snapshot from the day, click HERE!

Congratulations to the following students who won Champion and Runner-Up medals and those who broke a School record:

ACC Athletics Carnival

A squad will be announced soon for the 2018 ‘F’ division ACC Interschool Athletics Carnival which will take place at the State Athletics Stadium on Tuesday 4 September.  Training times and notes will go out to all squad members once this is announced.

Mr Roh Weddikkara
SUBJECT COORDINATOR - HEALTH AND PHYSICAL EDUCATION

One Big Voice

Last Friday, 17 August, the Peter Carnley Children’s Choir travelled by train to Perth Arena to perform in the One Big Voice Concert.  The One Big Voice is a choral festival aimed at promoting a love of singing, friendship, and acceptance as well as developing relationships with other children who share a love of music. Through weekly rehearsals, the students had prepared 11 songs with choreography.  On the day, they joined with approximately 4000 students from over 40 Perth primary schools, to perform as a large choir singing popular songs including 'This is Me' from the Greatest Showman, 'Smile' by Uncle Kraker and 'Coming Home' by Sheppard. 

Year 6 students Jaycie Hooper and Imogen Gash also performed as soloists in the song Rain. Congratulations to all the students for the enormous amount of work they put into preparing for the concert, and for their outstanding behaviour on the day. 

The choir will perform a selection of these songs at the upcoming Music Concert during Arts Week in Week 10. 

Guys and Dolls Auditions

This week auditions were held for the 2019 PCACS Production, GUYS & DOLLS JR!

Set in 1920s New York, Guys and Dolls Jr is a musical romantic comedy involving the unlikeliest of Manhattan pairings: a high-rolling gambler and a puritanical missionary, a showgirl dreaming of the straight-and-narrow and a craps game manager who is anything but.  Guys and Dolls takes us from the bustle of Times Square to the dance clubs of Havana to the sewers of New York City as it demonstrates the great lengths to which a guy will go when he truly falls in love with a “doll.” 

Featuring some of Musical Theatres most memorable tunes, including the hilarious 'Adelaide’s Lament', the romantic 'I’ve Never Been in Love Before', the exuberant 'If I Were a Bell', and the classic 'Luck Be a Lady'.  This is a production not to be missed. 

Auditions were open to all PCACS students currently in Year 6 to Year 11.  We were very impressed by the high standard of performances.  Stay tuned for the cast list which will be announced in the coming weeks. 

‘R U OK Day’ is a national day of action dedicated to reminding everyone that we’ve all got what it takes to ask, “are you ok?” and support those struggling with their mental health and wellbeing.  The day is about inspiring people to start conversations that could potentially change a person’s life. 

Good mental health allows you to deal with the changes and challenges life throws at you.  It includes things like being able to work and study, deal with day-to-day life stress, feel connected to others, be involved in activities in your community and ‘bounce back’ when things go wrong.   Just like physical health, mental health takes regular effort. 

This year, ‘R U OK Day’ is being celebrated on Thursday 13 September.  All Senior school students will be participating in workshops and activities throughout the day with a strong focus on building skills and strategies to improve mental health.  Workshops and activities in the ‘R U OK DAY’ program include, ‘Armed for Life’ workshops, Mindfulness activities, Inflatable games, Yoga, Dance and a musical performance.

On the day, students are allowed to arrive and leave School in their full winter sports uniform and will also have the opportunity to purchase food and drinks from a range of food vans.  The food vans will include Boost Juice and some other snack options; however, students won’t be able to purchase their lunch from the food vans.  Students can either bring their lunch or buy lunch from the school canteen on the day.

The inaugural PCACS Senior School R U OK Day was an enjoyable day for those involved last year and 2018 promises to be an even bigger and better celebration of wellbeing within our community.

This Saturday, students from Years 4, 5 and 6 will be taking part in the Tournament of Minds Regional Finals at ECU Joondalup. During Term 3, they have been working on a challenge by researching, planning, preparing and rehearsing a performance to demonstrate their solution to a problem. Best of luck to the following students:

YEAR 4: Adilynne Leaf

YEAR 5: Olivia Walters, Phoebe Trent, George Old, Tony Papas, Nashwa Saalem

YEAR 6: Andrea Chin, Maia Kavanagh-Shorter, Tyler Layman, Ethan Brownsdon, Kanachana Nawarathna, Chudy Isidienu, Jaycie Hooper, Yeushabelle Caquilala

The Year 3s showed off their journalism skills, by asking our School Principal, Ms Felicity House a series of questions about her life. The students are learning about writing a biography and will base their Q&A session with Ms House as their subject matter.  

All student’s that are identified as requiring teaching and learning adjustments in the Senior School have an associated Individual Learning Plan or Individual Education Plan developed for them. The Semester 1 plans have been reviewed and rolled over into Semester 2 with no change, unless parents have been specifically notified.

If any parents wish to add, delete or discuss any of their child’s individual outcomes or strategies from Semester One, please contact your Year Coordinator or Inclusive Education team: kjones@pcacs.wa.edu.au.

Thank you. 

Hello Parents and Friends,

A little over half way through Term 3 already…the year is certainly flying past!  Term 3 is very busy for events and the P&F have already started off by running the canteen at the Senior Sports Carnival.  It was wonderful to see all the students in their faction colours either giving it their all or supporting their team mates.  The P&F looks forward to seeing all the junior school students participate at their carnival in a few weeks.  Parents, please don’t forget to send along donations for us to sell at the canteen, but please note we cannot accept hot food as there is no longer heating facilities in the canteen.  Anything sweet or savoury would be very much appreciated.

Donations can be dropped off at Student Services between 8am and 8.30am.  We would prefer that you donate items in a disposable container, but if that’s not possible, please ensure that all containers which need to be returned are clearly labelled with your child’s name and class.  We are also looking for volunteers to help out in the canteen, so if you can spare even and hour on either day, please email us at pacaspf@gmail.com.

Tickets for the Dads Camp Out are now available.  We have a limited number of sites remaining so make sure to get in fast to secure your site.  This year we will be camping out on Friday 31 August 2018.  Families are invited to come along dressed in their favourite footy gear and pitch a tent on the oval at Wellard Campus. Tickets are just $20 per family which includes dinner and breakfast.  We will have plenty of activities and games happening on the night.  Families are welcome to bring along snacks and drinks for the tent as well as a ball to kick around if they wish.  Tickets can be purchased online only at www.trybooking.com\XKUA from 8am Wednesday 15 August until sold out.

We are also very excited to announce that Maggie Dent will be returning this year for a special Dads only event.  Maggie will use her ability to “talk bloke” and share her top tips for being a terrific dad.  The seminar will take place in the Auditorium at the Calista campus from 6.30pm on Thursday 6 September.  Tickets are on sale now for just $10 and available from www.trybooking.com/XMAP . We will also be serving light refreshments prior to the event and Maggie will have books available for sale on the night as well.  Please note, this is a DADS ONLY event.

And last but not least, a new date for the quiz night has now been set for Saturday 20 October 2018. New flyers will be coming home shortly and tickets will go on sale in the next few weeks.  We will have table tickets available but we will also have single tickets available for those who would prefer.  More information and ticket sales will commence soon but in the meantime, be sure to book your babysitters and start forming your teams now.

Looking forward to seeing you all at an event soon.

Ms Clarissa Thomson
PRESIDENT

On Wednesday 8 August, Peter Carnley ACS students participated in the WA Ultimate Frisbee Championships. PCACS had teams in two divisions;  a Year 7-9 Boys team and a Year 10-12 Mixed team. The Year 7-9 Boys, captained by Roberto Louw,  played a round robin between Morley SHS, Shenton College A, B and C, while the mixed squad captained by Aiden Galbraith played a two pool system with a total of nine teams. The Year 10-12 team were placed in Pool B and faced extremely strong competition in the form of Mary Mackillop, Shenton College and Guildford Grammar School.

After the pool matches were completed, the Year 10-12 mixed team, having given their best effort, missed out making the finals, and were able to enjoy a well-deserved break. The Year 7-9 Boys team got off to a great start and looked to be cruising to a first  PCACS Ultimate Frisbee Championship, unfortunately playing in the final game, the opposition  were too strong and managed to snatch the win. Congratulations to our Year 10-12 mixed team as they were winners of the Spirit Award, voted by schools as being the best and fairest.

Overall, a great display from both teams proving that they can be competitive in this tournament, considering it was the first time PCACS fielded teams in this competition. A big thank you goes to Ms Kierin Janes for all her help, the students who attended training and represented the school in the best way possible.

Mr Aleksandar Radulovic
TEACHER