PCACS News - No 5 - 2023

Welcome to Week 10

As we come to the end of term, I must express how joyous it has been to enjoy a full Term of events uninterrupted by Covid restrictions. A huge thank you to our amazing staff who have organised excursions, incursions, showcases, parent evenings, camps, service learning opportunities and sporting events. Reflecting back over the term, some highlights have included the Year 12 Ball, swimming lessons, Year 5 Camp, Year 7 Camp, ACC Junior Basketball Championships, International Women’s Day, Swimming Carnivals, The Rite Journey Calling and Departure Ceremony, Have Sum Fun Maths Competition, KIC Art Awards, Penguin Island Field Trip, WA Shipwreck Museum, GRIP Leadership Conferences, Harmony Week, Inspiring Australian Students Forum, Synergy Schools Solar Car Challenge, Crazy Hair and Funky Sock day, World's Greatest Shave, ASC Combined Schools Week, Junior School Learner Strengths Day, Alcoa Bauxite Mine Field Trip, Anglicare Ambassadors Launch, KSSA Cricket Carnival, Bstreetsmart excursion and Henley Bush Reserve Walks along with our regular House activities, Chapels and Assemblies throughout the term. I’m sure everyone is looking forward to a well-deserved holiday!

ASC Schools Week

Congratulations to the PCACS students who participated in the ASC Schools Week Eucharist last Wednesday and the Combined Schools Concert at the Perth Concert Hall last Friday. All of our 15 Anglican Schools Commission Schools from across three states come together every second year to celebrate, although this has not been possible in recent years. The highlight is the event at the Perth Concert Hall where nearly 400 music students join for an intensive week to prepare for the concert. It is nothing short of miraculous the quality of the pieces put together in such a short period of time. Congratulations to our 30 music students ably led by Ms Alicia Walter.

PCACS Senior School Parent Information Evening

It was delightful to host over 30 families last week for information on the Senior School at PCACS. Head of Senior School, Mr Steve Wynhorst and Deputy Head of Senior School, Mrs Rachel Shotch gave an overview of what we offer followed by tours of the facilities. Further tours will be held throughout the year. Mr Cam Allen is also available to conduct a personalised tour. https://www.pcacs.wa.edu.au/enrolments/school-tours

KSSA Swimming

Yesterday a squad of 35 swimmers from Year 3 to 6 represented PCACS at the KSSA Interschool Swimming Carnival. Thank you to Mrs Rhiannon Chapman and everyone involved.

Easter Service

It is fitting to end the Term with an Easter Service, where we gather to reflect on the meaning of Easter. On Tuesday the Calista students gathered for their Easter Service. Today the Year 2 to 12 students gathered in the KLC where The Reverend Peter Laurence OAM, Chief Executive Officer of the ASC presided over a moving and thoughtful Easter Service.  

As the term draws to an end, I wish you all a joyous Easter and safe, restful holiday. For those of our families travelling, I wish you safe travels and we look forward to seeing you back next term.

God bless.

Ms Felicity House
PRINCIPAL

Wow, what an amazing Term!

Term 1 has brought many excellent experiences for Junior School students. There have been swimming lessons, carnivals, camp, excursions, Harmony Day, Learner Strengths Day, GRIP Leadership Conference, Flamingo Strings, Crazy Hair and Sock Day, ASC Eucharist, ASC Combined Concert, Easter chapel, and a bonnet parade. The list goes on!

The students have risen to the challenges presented to them, flourished as learners, and grown into positive contributors to our Junior School. The teachers have worked tirelessly to ensure that students have had quality learning experiences, both in and outside the classrooms. Thank you to all our teachers and students!

The Kindergarten to Year 6 Interim Reports have now been issued to provide families with a snapshot of their child’s participation and achievement in Term 1. I encourage families to talk positively about Term 1 and set achievable goals with their children for Term 2. There will be Parent Interview Evenings next term as follows:

• Kindergarten – Year 1 at Calista Campus, Tuesday 16 May 3.30pm – 7.30pm
• Year 2 – Year 6 at Wellard Campus, Tuesday 23 May 3.30pm - 7.30pm
• Pre Kindergarten – Please make direct contact with your child’s teacher to agree on a mutually convenient time.

There are some staffing changes for Term 2. Mrs Tori Kelly finishes this term. We wish her all the best for the birth of her baby. Mrs Linda Hunt returns in Term 2 from her Long Service Leave. Mrs Marion Johnson and Mrs Clare Carroll will be on leave in Term 2. We wish them a wonderful break!  We welcome Mrs Kaylana Paramasivam and Mrs Alana Lawry who will commence in Pre Primary in Term 2.

Thank you to everyone for a wonderful first term of 2023. Have a safe and joyful school holiday.

Happy Easter and God bless!

Mrs Shirley Steel
HEAD OF JUNIOR SCHOOL

Voyager Applications – Year 7, 2024

In Week 1 of Term 2, the School will start the Voyager application process via the link on the front page of the School website. All existing Junior School Year 7 families and incoming enrolled families will receive a notification. The Voyager programme is a selective specialist Academic and Music Programme designed to provide unique opportunities for talented and academically advanced students. It is offered in Mathematics, Science, English, and Music.

Parent-Teacher interviews

Last week, the Teachers completed the Year 11 and 12 Parent-Teacher Interviews. For parents who did not make an appointment, I encourage you to email relevant teaching staff directly, and they can provide detailed feedback. Please also use SEQTA Engage to view your child’s results and feedback. The Year 7-10 Parent Teacher Interviews will be on Thursday 11 May (Week 3 of Term 2). A SEQTA communication will be sent to families in Week 1 explaining the booking process.

Kwinana Industries Council Partnership

PCACS has had three Year 10 students (George Old, Takunda Bere, Blake Brown) attend the Kwinana Industries Council iScience project this Term. This prestigious course aims to expose high academic achieving students to the career opportunities available in the science, maths and technology fields. In Term 2, we will send another four students to the iWomen project, focusing on apprenticeship and vocational pathways throughout the Kwinana Industry Council. The KIC partnership is one of the most important ways PCACS connects our students with career opportunities within the local industry.

Year 12 ATAR Student Interviews

Early next Term, the Universities will commence their early offer process. All ATAR Year 12 students will receive a meeting invitation to discuss the application process with me. Parents are welcome (but not required) to attend this meeting, and I encourage parents to begin discussing the various post-School pathways with their Year 12 children. There is no rush as early offer applications can be made throughout the year. I will commence interviews with Vocational students later in Term 2 to discuss TAFE, apprenticeships and traineeships.

ASC Combined Schools Concert

The ASC Combined Schools Concert last Friday evening was a wonderful event full of diverse and incredibly high-quality musical items. PCACS students shone throughout the event, and we had one of the largest representations of students from the 15 ASC Schools. Congratulations to the students involved and the staff who worked throughout last week at rehearsals to produce such a magnificent event.

Term 2 Uniform

For the first two weeks of Term 2, students are allowed to wear either the summer or winter uniform. This reflects the persistence of warm weather throughout April. From Monday 8 May (start of Week 3 Term 2), all students should be wearing only their winter uniform. 

I wish all families a restful Easter.

God Bless

Mr Steve Wynhorst
HEAD OF SENIOR SCHOOL

On Thursday 23 March, a team of Year 8 TIDES students represented PCACS at the first metropolitan heat of the Synergy Schools Solar Car Challenge. The process began several weeks earlier when all students in Year 8 TIDES were introduced to the solar car kits and began learning, through practical exploration, the basics of how solar panels operate, optimal conditions for operation, and further how to construct a working solar-powered and race-ready car.  

This required them to understand, in practical terms, the relationship between the position of the sun and the orientation of the solar panel, the effect of alignment between the sun and solar panel on voltage output, the relationships between RPM, gearing rations, wheel diameter, torque in relation to velocity and acceleration. All students then worked in groups to design a 3D body and chassis for a vehicle.  Completed designs will be printed and assembled for display later in the year. Every student was offered the opportunity to nominate for a position in the team for the Synergy Schools Solar Car Challenge - they were asked to nominate and pitch why they would be a valuable member of the team. They also knew they would need to sacrifice some lunchtimes to practice and build their proficiency in assembling and testing the car, and practicing race starts. Four students took the challenge and made their case for inclusion.  Over the weeks leading to the first heat Vansh Agarwal, Matai Scott, Eric Patel, and Angelita Madruga-Hogarth were regularly found in the TIDES room in Moortang Mia at lunchtime. The team had to be able to take the kit, check all components, construct it, and optimise it for prevailing conditions within a 40-minute window. Lunchtime was exactly suited to this. Each team member became proficient with the build and they also constructed some sections of the racetrack to test the start and tracking of the car. On race day at Lumen Christi College, the team was able to watch and learn from the Year 6 heats and refine their strategy to meet the challenge on the day.  When the build time was finished they had a car that was strong and fast. When the races began PCACS demonstrated that their build was ideally suited to race conditions and they won nine (9) races across three (3) rounds. They were the only team on the day to win every race outright.

On April 4, the team will participate in the finals event at Murdoch University where they will compete for the annual trophy and personal prizes of more than $100 each.

FINALS UPDATE

The team presented at Murdoch University for the state finals.  The conditions were far more challenging as they had a showdown with all the other winning teams from heats around the state.

The weather provided a lot of uncertainty due to cloud cover and wind.  Every team had to make difficult design choices anticipating the conditions they'd face at race time.

Team PCACS had a very competitive vehicle design but were one point off racing in the grand final round. Congratulations to the team - who will be called upon to mentor and coach teams in Years 6 and 8 in 2024.

Mr Kim Flintoff
TIDES COORDINATOR

Below is a list of some of the sports we have on offer for Senior School students in Term 2. For more information please contact Simon Bell in the Health and Physical Education department.

ACC Swimming All Stars Team 2023

A big congratulations to Caleb Whyte (Year 12) who has been announced in the 2023 ACC Swimming All-Stars team. Caleb earns his place in the team for his efforts in the Boys Under 19 50m Breaststroke (classification SB7), and the Boys Under 19 50m Backstroke (classification S7). Caleb will be presented with his certificate and All-Stars pin in Term 2.

Mr Simon Bell
LEARNING AREA COORDINATOR: HEALTH AND PHYSICAL EDUCATION

The World's Greatest Shave event took place on Friday 24 March and it was a huge success. Ten brave students and two determined teachers put their hair on the line to raise $12,387 for the Leukemia Foundation. This is an incredible achievement and we are so proud of our students and staff for their dedication and hard work.

We would like to extend a huge thank you to Alana Lawry, a PCACS parent, and Lloyd Hudson, from Robbie's Barbershop, who generously volunteered their time to help cut the participants' hair. Their support was invaluable and greatly appreciated by everyone involved.

The day was not just about shaving heads; we also collected over $1,300 from gold coin donations and the sale of funky socks and Canteen bandanas. These additional fundraising efforts were a great success and a welcoming donation to Canteen. 

We would also like to thank all of the staff and students who dressed up and celebrated the day across both campuses. Your enthusiasm and support were infectious and helped to create a fantastic atmosphere throughout the event.

In the end, the true winners of Crazy Hair and Funky Sock Day are the two charities that will benefit from the funds raised. The Leukemia Foundation and Canteen are both incredibly deserving causes, and we are proud to support them in any way we can.

Once again, a huge congratulations to everyone involved in making this event such a success. We can't wait to see what we can achieve next year!

Mrs Katie Frampton
SERVICE LEARNING COORDINATOR

Year 3 students love learning about the world around them! Recently they have investigated ‘heat’ during science lessons to discover how heat is produced, transferred, and changes the state of matter. Year 3 students have learned about radiation, convection, conduction, and insulators while participating in a series of science experiments.

Their ‘heat’ topic culminated in toasting marshmallows over a campfire and visiting Henley Reserve to examine flammable undergrowth and learn about bushfire prevention. This has been an exciting, informative, and ‘HOT’ topic for Year 3! 

Mrs Shirley Steel
HEAD OF JUNIOR SCHOOL

The Anglican Schools Commission has a vibrant and varied musical community spread across 14 schools and 3 States. Every two years, the ASC Combined Schools Concert brings together our musical community to perform at one of Australia’s best venues, the Perth Concert Hall, directed by leading Australian conductors.

Over 30 Peter Carnley ACS musicians from Years 5-12 were selected to perform in this year’s concert in 5 ensembles: String Orchestra, Orchestra, Concert Band, Choir and Select Choir. Students began learning their repertoire at school in their ensemble rehearsals, before moving into an intensive rehearsal week at St Mark’s Anglican Community School where they worked with students across the ASC schools. They then spent two days in the Perth Concert Hall as we transferred all their new knowledge to the PCH stage. The concert was an outstanding success with our students playing an important role in each ensemble.

It was such a privilege to spend this time with our students as they developed and explored their love of playing music with like-minded peers within the Anglican Schools Commission. Our students pushed themselves outside of their comfort zone, exploring a variety of music genres and styles, meeting each challenge with positivity and persistence, and embracing the opportunity to learn and improve.

All students should be congratulated on the huge amount of work they put into preparing for this concert, and for the professional manner in which they represented our school. Thank you also to the parents and families of these musicians for encouraging and supporting our musicians, as well as driving them to and from the many rehearsals.

The next ASC Combined Schools concert will be held in 2025. If you would like to be involved, now is the time to start preparing. Learn an instrument, join an ensemble and start your musical journey now! No matter what your musical tastes are, the ASC Combined Schools concert has an ensemble or band for you. For more information, please contact the PCACS Music Department.

Mrs Alicia Walter
MUSIC TEACHER

Throughout Term 1, in Physical Education classes the Year 6 students have been learning about cricket. The game was broken down into simple concepts such as to defend their wicket, how to score a run and how to accelerate the scoring as well as learning the fundamental cricket skills of batting and bowling. All concepts were taught through small games allowing the opportunity to maximise student enjoyment and participation. This programme culminated in selected students representing PCACS at the KSSA Interschool T20 Blast Cricket Carnival. The girls team grew with confidence with each match and managed to win two games. The boys team experienced two nail-biting loses of 1 run and 4 runs and won all their remaining matches. I would like to congratulate the following students for not only their excellent cricket skills but also their sportsmanship and behaviour on the day.

I would also like to thank Ms Sonia Lo for her assistance on the day and for providing encouragement to the girls’ team throughout the carnival.

Mrs Rhiannon Chapman
JUNIOR SCHOOL PHYSICAL EDUCATION AND COCURRICULAR COORDINATOR

It was a wonderful week for both the Calista and Wellard campuses as students eagerly participated in the Easter hunts organised by the Service Learning students. We were thrilled to see so many busy bunnies searching for eggs and solving riddles with great enthusiasm.

We want to extend a special thank you to Mrs Danielle Butler for organising the Calista hunt this year. Her efforts ensured that the Year 6 students were able to help the younger students navigate their way around the Calista campus in search of numbered eggs. It was heartening to see the older students take on a leadership role and help their younger peers in such a fun activity.

Additionally, the Youth Making a Difference (YMAD) students organised an Easter Egg Hunt on the Wellard campus this week. This activity engaged both Senior and Junior students, who scouted around the campus, solving riddles and searching for beautifully decorated Easter eggs. We were impressed by the effort and creativity put into this exciting activity.

Congratulations to the winners of the Easter Hamper Raffle and thank you to everyone who participated in the fundraiser. All money raised from the purchase of raffle tickets will be donated to Anglicare WA, a charity that supports those in need in our community.

Once again, we want to wish everyone a safe and relaxing Easter break. We hope that this holiday season brings joy, happiness, and time spent with loved ones.

Easter Hunt Winners
Pranay Nair Year 5
Indy Murphy and Lucy Merritt Year 4

Easter Hamper Winners from Raffle
Amt Medbury Year 2
Fin Bremner Year 2
Luckah Simmonds KG
Penny Rowland PP
Nayarah Ward KG

Katie Frampton
SERVICE LEARNING COORDINATOR

The Junior Swimming Carnival was held in Week 6 for Years 2-6 students. It was a day that provided all students with the opportunity to swim or participate in a water-based activity no matter their ability. It was wonderful to have the Year 2 students join for the very first time and to welcome back parents to our Swimming Carnival after our covid restricted carnival in 2022.

Congratulations to the following swimmers who achieved champion medals on the day. After the completion of all heats for that event swimmers are ranked from fastest to slowest and points are given to swimmers based on those rankings. The students with the highest total of points at the completion of the carnival are awarded medals.

 I would like to pass on my congratulations to Lindbeck House for winning their first Junior School Swimming Carnival. Final points are as follows:

1^st Place Lindbeck  648

2^nd Place Murray  628

3^rd Place Moody 587

4^th Place Laurence 580

Mrs Rhiannon Chapman
JUNIOR SCHOOL PHYSICAL EDUCATION AND COCURRICULAR COORDINATOR

On Thursday 27 April, all Years 2-12 students will be taking part in an ANZAC service at PCACS. If your child is part of a uniform organisation (i.e. cadets, cubs, scouts, guides etc.) they are invited to wear this uniform on Thursday 27 April with permission from their organisation.

They may bring their school uniform to change into after the ANZAC Service if they wish, or they are welcome to wear their organisational uniform all day.

Parents and Friends are welcome to attend this service at 8.45am in the Keith Lindbeck Centre.

 Any questions please contact the school.

Kind regards

Mr Adam Halliday
HEAD OF OPERATIONS

The Parish of Kwinana will be holding the following services in Grace Chapel over this holy week;

• Friday 7 April, Good Friday Service of Reflection:  9.00am
• Sunday 9 April, Easter Sunday Service: 9.00am

A warm welcome to the PCACS community to join the Parish in this season of rebirth and hope.

Parish of Kwinana

On Wednesday 5 April, all Year 10 students attended the 2023 RAC Bstreetsmart event. Over 10,000 students and staff attended the annual event, which was held at RAC Stadium. The event aims to reduce the fatality and injury rates of young West Australian people by promoting safe behaviour as drivers, riders and passengers and informing students on how to reduce risk-taking behaviour. Additionally, the event demonstrates the consequences of distracted driving, speeding and drink and drug driving.

RAC Bstreetsmart features a crash scene re-enactment attended by the emergency services, just as it would occur at a real crash site. The students also had the opportunity to listen to speakers who have been directly impacted by road trauma and talk with emergency services personnel.

This was a fantastic excursion which I’m sure our Year 10 students will certainly remember.   

Miss Lynne Rouda
YEAR 10 COORDINATOR

The Junior School Captains and Senior School Student Council joined the other ASC Schools from Western Australia and the eastern states to engage in Eucharist at St George’s Cathedral with The Most Reverend Kay Goldsworthy AO, The Anglican Archbishop of Perth.  Schools Week is a vibrant biennial celebration of Anglican identity, expressed through worship, music and performance.  It was an honour for the students to be involved in such an event in the awe-inspiring building.

Congratulations to Isla Hamersley who recently competed in the 2023 Pony Club WA State Tetrathlon Championships. Isla competed against 20 other girls aged 8-10. Isla had to swim 100m, run 1km, shoot a laser pistol 7m and then compete in a round of show jumping, including 18 jumps plus open/close a gate mounted and also dismount and remount through a slip rail. Isla placed 7th overall. Awards are given to the top 6 riders so she only just missed out. This is an outstanding achievement. Islas score also contributed towards a team of 4 girls. Out of 14 teams, their team placed 5th. Congratulations Isla!   

Ricky Grace will be running a Basketball Holiday Camp at the Keith Lindbeck Centre during the upcoming School holidays. Peter Carnley ACS students will receive a discount using the following code: PC20