Term two has proven to be a very busy time with lots of activities and opportunities for our students. I am delighted to share the events our junior students have been a part of this term.

School Tours
Our student leaders have had the opportunity to conduct school tours at the Glenroy campus. All the students involved have been impressive in the way they interacted with prospective parents and students. We encourage all students to participate if they are available to do so.

Melbourne Legacy ANZAC Commemoration Ceremony for Students.
The following PSC students attended the Shrine of Remembrance on Friday 19 April for an Anzac Commemoration Service Ceremony.

• Finn H 7H
• Glenn D 8E
• Marcus T 7D
• Alannah M 7E
• Luca D 8I
• Isabella Z 8I

The students were accompanied by Ms Mancuso our Head of Humanities. The ceremony was a tribute to our ex-service men and women who gave their lives or health in service of our country and how they are supported and commemorated by Melbourne Legacy. Our students were able to lay a wreath in memory of our ex-veterans during the ceremony.

SACCSS Gala Day
Congratulations to the Year 7/8 AFL Girls team who won the SACCSS Gala Day on Tuesday 28 May at Galvin Park in Werribee.

The girls won their three round robin games convincingly to progress to the Grand Final where they played Catholic Regional College St. Albans. It was another convincing win in the Grand Final, with the score being 68-0. Congratulations to Kiera H of 8G who was awarded best player on the field. We congratulate all the players who participated in the day.

Student Wellbeing Day Tuesday 4 June
We are having our annual student wellbeing day on Tuesday 4 June. Ms Rebecca Seel our coordinator of students has organised a day focused on wellbeing for our students and staff. Below is an outline of the day including speakers and workshops.

Students have been able to choose to participate in the workshops below for the afternoon session.

• Boardgames and Wellbeing walk.

• Wellbeing walk and Japanese paper dying and origami.

• Meditation and Music therapy.

• Art therapy and Minecraft masters.

• Mindfulness lego and sport.

• Paper crafting and yoga.

• Run and Mandalas.

• Resilience and Seeds of growth.

• Revved up.

Please ask you son/daughter about the day and the activities they have put their name down to attend. In our next newsletter I will share photos of the day.

Year 8 YLC Arrangements for the remainder of term two.
One of our Year 8 Coordinators Mr Andrew Romeo has taken paternity leave until the end of term two and the first week of term 3. In his absence the following staff members will take the role of YLC for Year 8 assisting Ms Sarah Afif:

• Mrs Mary Hibble – Monday
• Mrs Michelle Quiriconi – Tuesday
• Mrs Teresa Guglielmino - Thursday
• Mrs Rebecca Seel our Coordinator of Students – Wednesday and Friday.

All these teachers have been long standing staff members of Penola and are extremely confident in dealing with student wellbeing matters.

On a final note, as we draw to the end of semester one students are busy planning and completing final assessments for all their subjects. If you are worried about your son or daughter and their academic progress, please make sure to contact their subject teacher or homeroom teacher to discuss any concerns.

The next few weeks will be a busy time for our students:

• Year 9 students participating in City Experience Monday 3 June to Friday 7 June 7.
• Year 10 students completing exams from Friday 31 May to Friday 7 May followed by Work Experience 11 - 14 June.
• Year 11 students completing examinations from Thursday 6 June to Friday 14 June
  
• VCE VM students finalising Unit 1 requirements and Year 12 students completing Unit 3 assessments before semester end date 14 June.
  

More details about the above has been communicated to families via letters on Operoo and MyPenola. Please discuss these details with your child so they are prepared for these important events and tasks and they can communicate with you any nerves they may be experiencing . If you have any queries please do not hesitate to reach out to your child’s Homeroom Teacher.

Please note the following dates are student free days:

• King’s Birthday: Monday 10 June
  
• Report writing day: Monday 17 June
  
  

Lockers
Students are provided with a locker space to store their equipment, bag and personal belongings. It is expected all students have a school combination lock so that their locker can be locked at all times. Replacement locks are available to purchase at the Accounts office.

Student conduct in public
Penola Catholic College is a wonderful school and we are very proud of our students. Many of our students represent the College in a wonderful manner to and from school and whilst on excursions. We ask all students to please be mindful that the school’s code of conduct applies whenever students are in College uniform and on their way to and from school. We will work in cooperation with local shops, public transport and members of the public to follow up any reports of poor behaviour by students, while in uniform, and the consequences of poor behaviour will be serious. It is really sad to receive calls and emails about poor student behaviour when out in public. We really enjoy celebrating and commending students on the many positive reports we hear too.

Student beanie
A Penola Catholic College beanie is now available for purchase at Academy Uniforms. Congratulations to our student leaders for their work on this initiative. Please note this is the only permitted beanie students can wear with College uniform.

Student health
As the winter weather approaches, levels of illness can increase. If your child is unwell we ask that they do not come to school.

It is strongly recommended that students who test positive for Covid-19 should stay home and isolate for five days. Students should not attend school after five days if still symptomatic.

End of Semester reflection
There have been many highlights and engaging learning experiences over the first semester. Our students have showcased their talents in many areas including sport, performing arts, and in their various subject areas. There have been opportunities for our students to deepen their faith through Reflection Day’s, Mass, liturgy and lunchtime reflection. As a community we have come together for the College Athletics carnival and Mother’s Day breakfast. Thank you to families for your support. I encourage all students to reflect on what has worked well this semester and what could be even better next semester to support them to achieve their personal best.

Welcome to the Faith and Mission update for Term 2. The College is alive and well with all things associated with St Mary of the Cross’s vision for a spiritual dimension within the school community. We have taken on many opportunities to gather in praise, worship and in the sacred space of Catholic tradition since our return from the Term 1 school holidays. As a snapshot, we gathered as a College to commemorate Anzac Day. Many hands assisted in what resulted in a beautiful recognition of the sacrifice of the many people that lost their lives that we may enjoy our freedom. It was a solemn gathering at both Senior and Junior campuses. A wreath was laid at the flag in “Mary’s Garden”. This was then taken to the Glenroy RSL.

Not too long after, we celebrated our Mothers and the key women in our lives through the Mother’s Day Mass that Fr Tony Cox presided over early on Friday 10 May. We had a healthy turnout for the celebration of the Eucharist which was followed by a Mother’s Day breakfast for families in the Assembly and Sport Hall. It was amazing and gratifying to see the mothers, grandmothers and key women enjoy breakfast of the champions along with their children. Many thanks to Angela Xidias, Melissa Fry and the many staff that helped out at this very large event.

Along with our studies, we have consistently offered a sacred space for our students and staff to gather for prayer, praise and worship. The Catholic school is a place of proclamation of the Word of God and evangelisation. We have enjoyed a steady stream of students and staff who have participated in a range of activities in their lunchtimes to foster their faith journeys. Many thanks to our Youth minister, Marc Salazar who has worked tirelessly to support the growth of this group. Topics that we have covered include gathering to pray the Stations of the Light (Via Lucis), Learning about Our Lady, Mary during the month of May and praying the rosary weekly on Tuesdays and Fridays in the College chapel. On Mondays, we have gathered informally in Mannes House to discuss all things Catholic and feast days such as Pentecost and Trinity Sunday. Marc Salazar has been doing key ministry within the junior campus, building up a regular group of students in games, food and catechesis.

Professional Development opportunities have been offered for our staff, one alongside the students as we dove into learning about Mary and her role in the Church. This week an online Professional Development opportunity was offered to staff new to Catholic Education about the role of the teacher in the Catholic school.

Our Year 11’s participated in a Reflection Day on Wednesday 29 May. Thanks to the efforts of Mr Gerard Knobel and Melissa Fry, they made contact with numerous outreach organisations that require volunteers during Term 3. Up to 10 organisations came to Penola and pitched their agency to the Year 11’s who will select an agency to complete their Christian service duty in term 3. These volunteering experiences will benefit the organisation and their respective clientele as well as the students intrinsically and academically. As well as the Christian Services agencies, Youth Mission Team Australia spent a day with the Year 11’s to talk about Social Justice and the dignity of the human person. We participated in some powerful praise and worship as we contemplated our roles within God’s world.

In conclusion, we look forward to gathering as a community at the Glenroy chapel on Friday 7 June at 8am to celebrate Mass together. Staff, students and families are invited to this Mass, which we hope will be a regular part of the College calendar. Many thanks to Fr Tony for his time in agreeing to celebrate the Mass. Furthermore, Year 8 students will have a Reflection Day experience in June. The Operoo forms have been sent out. The Year 12 cohort will have Part 2 of their Reflection Day along the theme of “Launch into the Deep” . We look forward to gathering with staff and students on the 24 June for this day of reflection.

Many thanks

Mr Vince Iannuzzi
Deputy Principal Faith and Mission

In 1922 Archeologists discovered the 3,000 year old tomb of the boy King Tutankhamen near Luxor, Egypt. Inside was a fabulous treasure and also some grains of wheat for the Pharoah on his journey to the afterworld. Legend has it that these grains were planted and had sprouted. Botanists scoff, yet this wheat is supposedly sold today under the brand name Kamut, the Egyptian word for wheat.

Pentecost is the fulfillment of Jesus' promise that after His Ascension the Father would send the Holy Spirit. His assurance is filled with hope, like the grains of wheat placed in the Egyptian tomb 1,000 years before Jesus.

The harvest from the Holy Spirit has sprouted inside millions of lives through each generation. Some people (many these days scoff) yet this faith is alive today, and guaranteed to yield a great harvest of faith.

It is interesting in the fact that the original Church was acquainted with the Holy Spirit not just on Pentecost, but as a regular part of its' religious experience.

It is nothing like this for you and I. For many or most of us, we were told about the Holy Spirit in Religion Class...at school and at Church...that we had been baptised in the Holy Spirit and that we had been confirmed by the Holy Spirit. But unfortunately, for so many these days, these are possibly the last times many people have heard about God's Spirit...and unfortunately for numerous people...even thought about it!

We live in an age of predictable technology, planned programmes, mass media, the ever-increasing influence of IT and now AI. There seems little room for a spontaneous Spirit! Our physical cosmos is a closed system that accepts nothing from outside. Our secular world is now an inter-connected system in which everything causes or is caused by some other thing.

If we want to avoid a world devoid of God's Spirit, we will have to get a new idea of the world and the way God's Spirit operates. The real world, for instance, is not self-explanatory. While it is enclosed within itself, it is at the same time enclosed within God's presence. The physical world may be impervious to external physical causality but it is not impenetrable to outside spiritual influence. God is not exactly outside the world. God is not related to the world in the same way that other things are related. God is not North of the Divide or South of the Border! God is not a segment of reality or a part of the process. Rather, God includes and encompasses all the reality according to God's own particular way of acting...in other words, God operates in our world as a spontaneous, free incalculable Spirit and His Spirit is utterly worldly. So, if we want to experience the Spirit, we have to meet the Spirit where He operates...in the original freedom and unpredictability of spiritual activity in our world.

When we follow our conscience, the Spirit is working in us. When we succeed in getting out of ourselves to touch others, the Spirit empowers us. When we experience a simple joy, we are in the Spirit. When we accept pain and death as a gift from God, the Spirit is there. God's Spirit is undetectable from the world because it is the very life force of the world and we have to be conscious of the fact that the influence of God's Spirit is inseparable from earthly influence because the Spirit is what enables the world to function according to its own laws.

God's Spirit is the Spirit of our hope, of our joy, of our freedom, of our confidence, of our unity and of our peace. Yet, we are afraid of God's Spirit because we lack confidence in the unknown future. We fend off the Spirit because we would rather maintain our personal quirks than be dissolved in a common cause. Like ourselves, the Church also fears the impact of God's Spirit. Conservatives are afraid that the free Spirit will lead them too far from traditional, comfortable patterns and the Progressives are afraid that the Spirit will not confirm all their needs to be relevant. Both groups find it hard to live with the unpredictability of the Spirit yet the Spirit blows where it will...so those who know more than God will do so at their own peril.

In short, it is certainly better to open up our closed lives to the breath of the Spirit and live. 'Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and enkindle within them the fire of your Love'.

Catholic schools in Victoria are places of welcome and safety for students and their families. Children have the right to be safe and protected, including at school. As parents/carers/guardians of students in Catholic schools, it is important you feel confident that your child is safe and well in the care of their school. There is no tolerance for child abuse in our schools.

School leadership teams regularly review and strengthen their child safe practices, and work with staff and parents/carers/guardians to build and maintain a culture in which children’s safety is embedded in everyday thinking and practice. This requires respect, understanding and compassion for others as an integral part of all that we do.

All schools have a duty of care to ensure children are learning, not only in safe physical and online environments, but within a community where deliberate steps are taken to protect children from physical, sexual, emotional and psychological abuse and neglect.

Schools have to meet legal requirements for the care, safety and welfare of students. Schools are also required to meet the updated Victorian Child Safe Standards, as outlined in Ministerial Order No. 1359. These updated standards came into effect on 1 July 2022. Our staff have a legal requirement to report a reasonable belief of child physical or sexual abuse to child protection authorities.

Information about the Victorian Child Safe Standards in Catholic schools, see https://vcea.catholic.edu.au/child-safety.

(Adapted from https://www.macs.vic.edu.au/Our-Schools/Choosing-a-School/Catholic-Secondary-School/Health-Wellbeing-Safety.aspx)

SACCSS Year 10 Boys Soccer
Coach: Mr De Angelis

Over Term 1, the Year 10 Boys Soccer Team participated in 5 matches, 1 Semifinal and a Grand Final to be crowned the 2024 Year 10 Boys Champions!

The season started with a training session every Monday afternoon, the Year 10 Boys showed up in numbers to further improve their tactics and skills throughout the season. They applied their focus on Round 1 where we faced MacKillop College (away) where we unfortunately lost 4-3 in the final minutes of the game.

We shifted our focus to Round 2, where the boys wanted to bounce back and show their worth and their strength in the competition. A 6-0 win saw the Penola boys win at home against Salesian where we saw Maxym L score a Hatrick for the team. This led to the boys coming together to finish the season 2-1-2, finalising our spot in 4th place to face MacKillop in the Semifinal.

The Semifinal saw the boys go to Werribee to face the 1st place MacKillop in what was going to be a competitive contest. We strike with the first goal adding the pressure on early, to then see ourselves all drawn up at half time. With a lovely outside the box shot from Eric C saw the boys be victors and head into the Grand final against Thomas Carr who finished 2nd on the Table.

The Grand final, what a game it was! Penola leading the whole way until a final minute equaliser by Thomas Carr in the dying seconds. The game went to extra time where Abdalahad Y had Thomas Carr’s best player locked down, then a furious strike by Alex S sent the boys to the final whistle victorious.

The boys should be very proud of their efforts all through the season and now can enjoy hanging up their medals in their trophy cabinets.

A special mention to the boys who captained the team this season, Nicholas E, Domenic S, Elia Warda, Owen B and Mattias A.

A big thank you to the all the students that showed their resilience, dedication and sportsmanship throughout the season as well.

Go the Pen! #Premiers

SACCSS: Year 10 Girls Soccer
Coach: Mr Montesano

Over the span of Term 1, Penola’s Year 10 girls’ soccer team participated in 2 home and away games and a semi-final. Our first game was against Mackillop in Werribee. Our girls fought to the end but unfortunately, it wasn’t enough to overcome a powerful outfit. We ended losing the game 4-3 in stoppage time.

Our second game was against top of the table Antonine College, the top team proved too strong with a dominant performance against our girls’.

Despite not winning a game, we were in the Semi-Final against Salesian. With several girls’ out sick for our semi-final, we were left with 10 players in total for our big game. Despite this, our girls played with a smile on their face and with the ultimate professionalism. We lost the game 7-0 but were commended on our sportswoman ship and attitude.

A big thanks to all the girls who played a part in what was a successful season, a special mention to Maddison R and Jacinta P who captained the team through the season.

Till next year!!

ACCSS Year 10 Boys basketball (B Team)  
Coach: Mr Phelan 

Over 7 weeks of Term 1, 13 Year 10 boys have represented Penola Catholic College in the Year 10 Boys basketball team. With 2 teams selected, opportunities were given to some players who may not otherwise have represented the College in the Premier League competition.

The season opened with games against CRC (Caroline Springs and then North Keilor) with the team winning comfortably.

Home Games against Caroline Chisholm Catholic College saw the team escape with a draw and so we entered the finals on top and undefeated.

The semi-final saw a convincing win against CRC and we headed into the Grand Final against CCCC – the only team who challenged us during the season. While we lead for most of the game, a late run saw CCCC hit the front late in the third quarter and we were unable to peg them back, eventually going down by 9 points.

With 13 players in the squad, three boys missed out each week and those players willingly scored and supported their teammates – proving that the team ethos was alive and well.

The team should be congratulated for a great season, quality play and sportsmanship across the season and for the fantastic way they represented the College.

On Friday 17 May, Year 11 and 12 students attended the Top Design Excursion. This event offered them an excellent opportunity to explore innovative and exemplary works in design, gaining inspiration and insights that could benefit their own creative projects and future studies. The excursion was both educational and inspiring, providing a hands-on learning experience outside the traditional classroom setting.

Rock & Roll is alive and well at the Hume Cadenza
I had the absolute pleasure of attending the Hume Cadenza on Thursday evening, 15 May. The night hosted 8 different school coming together to showcase their talents. Penola had 3 bands participating in the event: Instant Echidna, Bloodache and Black Tsunami. The students did a fantastic job of representing the college and put on an epic performance. Congratulations to all the students involved and a big thank you to our instrumental teachers, Ben Stivala & Matt Ericsson for getting the students ready for the performance.

Instant Echidna

• Luca B
• Archie F
• Thomas K

Bloodache

• Merinia C
• Billy K
• Ethan C

Black Tsunami

• Lachlan H
• Sienna G
• Ella D
  
• Patrick P
• Michael W

On 6 May, my Year 11 band, Clump, and a Year 9 band, Instant Echidna went to GM Sound Studios in Campbellfield to spend a day recording a song in a live studio. Instant Echidna recorded an original song first, while we went after them recording a cover of ‘Carry on Wayward Son.’ Although it was a bit stressful trying to record without making any mistakes, the process was an overall enjoyable experience. Recording music for the first time will be a memory I’ll never forget.
Lachlan H

Airport and Milan
After 16 hours of flying, we eventually landed in Doha at about 11:30pm and stayed there until about 2:30. We still had another 6-hour flight to get to Milan. While we were in Doha we were free to walk around and look inside of all the shops that we wanted to. There were big name brands such as Prada and Gucci, as well as little cafes such as the Oreo café where the whole menu Is Oreo products mixed into drinks. Even though there was not much to do in the airport apart from shop, we had a good time together.

We landed in Milan at about 7am. There was a bus there immediately waiting for us, the bus took us to the hotel where we left all our luggage while we went out to go and see the sights. After a tram ride we came across the biggest church in Milan ‘Il Duomo. Il Duomo is a massive cathedral built over 700 years ago. To the left of the Duomo was a massive arch way with tons of massive brand shops inside. We were given free time to walk around the city and go wherever we wanted. We ate at restaurants every night for dinner and the food was amazing. We went down to soccer pitch that held famous soccer players such as Messi and Ronaldo’s boots and uniform. We eventually packed up and went on a 3-hour bus ride down to Siena.

Siena
Throughout the Sister School Exchange, we managed to spend lots of time with the Italian students of our age and how their typical school day is like. It was extremely interesting to know that they enjoy absolute freedom with the clothes they wear as there isn't a uniform policy. In addition, we spent some time in the afternoons visiting the main parts of Siena such as the Duomo which was a memorable experience since we got to climb it! Towards the end of the exchange, we were invited to a party which included all other Italians of our age in Siena and we enjoyed our night out while making lots of new friends. Personally, I enjoyed Siena the most as it had the Italian lifestyle which I had imagined while also making lifelong relationships.

Yarra Valley Chocolaterie Excursion
Year 12 Business Management Classes

The excursion to the Yarra Valley Chocolaterie on Monday 13 May was an experience of pure indulgence and delight. The highlight of the excursion was the chocolate tasting. Sampling an array of chocolates, was a true delight. Each bite revealed a symphony of flavours, from rich and creamy to sweet and tangy, leaving all of the students craving more. It was a joy to savour the unique characteristics of each chocolate and appreciate the craftsmanship that went into its creation. However, we were also there to gather information to help us successfully complete our SAC on Operations Management. We drew connections to concepts we had covered in class, such as production processes, supply chain management, and quality control. Additionally, learning about the chocolaterie's sustainable practices and ethical sourcing strategies provided insights into corporate social responsibility.

Overall, the excursion served as a tangible example of how theory translates into practice, enriching our understanding of business concepts and inspiring me to explore potential career paths in the industry.

Ishika G 12J

School Student Broadband Initiative

2024 NRL 9s Tag

Westmeadows Indigenous and Community Garden Gathering Table

Raising resilient, healthy children and young people in Hume

Go Girls Soccer Program at Keilor Park SC

Mary MacKillop Today Auction and Fundraising Dinner

Community Sentiment Survey

Caritas Australia 60th Anniversary Celebrations