Welcome back to all students and families to term 3. I hope you all had a restful break! It has been great to see our students back on campus.

We wish all students and staff participating in the College production all the very best. Term 3 is a busy term with co-curricular and real life learning experiences. Students will be participating in course advice and assemblies to assist with the subject selection for 2024 and future pathway choices. As mentioned in my last newsletter article, all students should strive to attend school every day. This will support students feeling prepared for upcoming learning tasks and also ensure they do not miss vital information for subject selection.

Year 12 English Orals
A reminder to year 12 VCE students and their families that this Friday 21^st July the Year 12 VCE English orals will take place during the school day. Year 12 VCE Students are only required at school for the duration of their oral presentation. The remainder of the day should be utilised as an important study day, allowing year 12 VCE students to carry out valuable independent revision.

Year 10 Ball September 15
This week Year 10 families will receive information about the Year 10 Ball. The Ball is a long standing College event and a highlight of many Penola students secondary school experience. The Ball will take place on the evening of Friday September 15 at Manor on High Receptions. Year 10 students will be learning several ballroom dances in their PE classes and those participating in the Ball will also have after school classes. Families will receive further details through a hard copy letter and on Operoo.

Josephite Exchange August 17 and 18
Another exciting opportunity for Year 10 students this term is the Josephite Exchange. The Josephite Exchange takes place between Penola Catholic College and Mount Carmel College South Australia each year. Both schools follow the Josephite tradition of St Mary Mackillop. It is a fantastic experience for students to compete in a range of different sports against another school over two days and to form networks and friendships with like-minded people form another state and city.This year the program will be hosted by Penola Catholic College on Thursday 17 and Friday 18 August. Participating students will not attend their normal scheduled classes on these days as they will be competing in the daily competition. On the evening of August 17 a compulsory mass and dinner will be held at the Broadmeadows campus for all student and staff participants. The final selected squad of students will compete for the Annual Josephite Shield. Sports involved include but are not limited to Australian Rules Football, Soccer, Netball, Volleyball and Basketball. Interested students will receive further information for families to consider.

Uniform reminders
A reminder to all students and families our College uniform expectations. Our College planner and website state our uniform expectations which can assist students to make informed choices.

• Students can wear summer or winter uniform throughout the year however the blazer is compulsory to wear to and from school in term 2 and 3. We are now experiencing quite cold winter weather. Students are encouraged to choose winter or summer uniform based on weather conditions. Adding non permitted items to the summer uniform due to feeling cold is not an acceptable excuse.
• Only one piercing is permitted in each ear lobe. Any additional piercing must be a clear insert only. A new non clear insert piercing that cannot be removed is not an acceptable excuse for breaching this College expectation. Additional items of jewellery will be confiscated until end of term.
• A number 1 hair cut is the lowest permitted hair cut. All students must be clean shaven.
• Natural hair colours only are permitted with no stark contrast.
• Nail polish on the natural nail is permitted. False/acrylic nails are not permitted.
• Students are not permitted to wear non College pants/shirts/jumpers with their PE uniform. Families will be called to drop off to school correct summer or winter uniform for the student to change into. If there is an issue preventing a student to wear correct uniform items for PE they are to please wear their full College summer or winter uniform, change for their practical class, then change back into College summer or winter uniform.

Resources for families
Hume City Council provides online resources for families about a range of topics and resources to support young people.

People Services

Something to ponder!
“I believe in God, not in a Catholic God. There is no Catholic God, there is God and I believe in Jesus Christ, his incarnation, Jesus is my teacher… but God, is the light and the Creator” (Pope Francis, 2013)

Acting Deputy Principal- Faith & Mission.
By way of introduction, my name is Gerard Knobel and I am delighted to inform you I have been appointed as the Acting Deputy Principal of Faith and Mission here at Penola for Semester 2 of 2023. I look forward to bringing joy to all through the various events and ministries of the Faith and Mission team!

Congratulations to Fr Tony
As a College Community we congratulate our College Chaplin, Fr Tony Cox on his recent appointment by Archbishop Peter Comensoli to the position of Chaplain to Stella Maris Seafarers Centre which will see him serve as the Chaplain to the Port of Melbourne. Fr. Tony has ‘unofficially’ been involved in this role for a number of years. We wish Fr. Tony well in this ministry and in his continued ministry to us here at the College.

Prayer and Pre-commissioning of Penola’s World Youth Day Pilgrims
On Friday 14 July during a blessing and pre-commissioning service led by Fr. Tony was held for the 16 students and 3 staff members, Donna Mihos, Emma Tabone Andre Miiko, Kelly G, Alannah G, Siala M, Leah M, Georgina D, Nelena F, Sarah S, Grace J, Alessia F, Chloe K, Tara O, Giselle C, Chloe, B Rajshree K, Caryl S and Mariah R who are departing for World Youth Day in Lisbon, Portugal on the 28 and 29 of July with other students from schools and parishes from the Archdiocese of Melbourne.

Students were presented with the Penola Pilgrim Candle which they took to a Commissioning Mass celebrated by Archbishop Comensoli at St Patrick’s Cathedral on Sunday 16 July. In addition, our pilgrims were presented with a College flag and an Australian flag to carry with them and display throughout the event. College badges and a range of Australian pins to exchange with other pilgrims from around the world were also presented. May we keep our World Youth Day pilgrims in our prayers over the coming weeks.

Fundraising for Amoonguna Alice Springs at College Production
Year 10 students undertaking Leadership, Ministry and Formation studies in Religious Education participated in fundraising at the College production for their immersion experience to Alice Springs in early December where they will spend a week in the Amoonguna Aboriginal community. Thanks to students and families who purchased items in support of this experience that students are preparing for. We also like to thank The Turco Family for their donations towards the raffle.

Year 11 Reflection Day
On Tuesday July 8 Year 11 students participated in their Reflection Day which presents an opportunity to consider influences on their life and explore ways to engage in Social Justice initiatives. Two young guest presenters, Gen Bryant (musician) and Rose Rofaeel (Founder of not for profits organisation Christmas on The Streets (COTS) shared their experiences with students and how their faith influenced them in their respective ministries of music and supporting the homeless in Melbourne’s CBD. Later in the semester Year 11 students will engage with COTS to support the Homeless in Melbourne’s CBD.

JJAMM WEEK: Monday 31 July to Friday August 4.
Staff and student have been busy preparing for the annual events of JJAMM week and our College Feast Day. JJAMM is an acronym for Joseph, Julian and Mary MacKillop and during JJAMM week each year level will engage in an allocated fundraising activity on a specific day. Funds raised will be donated to various charity organisations. For further details please view the Feast Day Page on MyPenola via the link.

St. Mary MacKillop Feast Day: Tuesday 8 August.
Our Feast Day is the most important day in our calendar year because it commemorates the memorial of St Mary of the Cross MacKillop, our patron saint and upon who’s charism, we have built our College values, mission and philosophy. Our connection to Mary extends back to the St Joseph’s Babies’ Home which was built here on our College site in 1901, when the then Archbishop of Melbourne, Thomas Carr, called on the Sisters of St Joseph’s Mother General, Mary MacKillop to assist in establishing a “sheltering home for unfortunate mothers and their young babies”.

Each Feast Day we pay tribute to the wonderful life of St Mary MacKillop and the Sisters of St Joseph. As a College Community we will celebrate with Mass, followed by various fund raising activities, rides and enjoying various foods on sale at the College throughout the day. Funds raised will be donated to various local and international charities.

This year the College will once again hold an Open School experiences for prospective families and primary school students from 3:30pm to 5pm during which time there will be various rides, food and activities available for prospective students to enjoy.

For more information about our College Feast Day including rides, food stalls, food items and costs, please see the Feast Day Page on MyPenola at the link

“Trust in God”

Mr. Gerard Knobel
Acting Deputy Principal Faith & Mission

In preparation for next month’s College Feast Day, the year seven students viewed the Trisha Starrs Production on Friday, titled “Sister Mary of the Cross.”

St Mary MacKillop dedicated her life to the creation of an independent order of nuns free to serve and educate the poor throughout Australia and New Zealand.

The play unveils Mary MacKillop’s determination - political, practical, and spiritual - to fulfil her dream, collaborating with Father Woods, building a school in Penola, battling for independence, her excommunication, the glorious blessing of the Pope and despite a number of obstacles, the foundation of The Sisters of Saint Joseph.

The production engaged the students in understanding who we will be celebrating and why, whilst also exploring how St Mary MacKillop’s legacy lives on through so many to this day.

Donna Mihos
Head of Religious Education- Glenroy

After countless after-school, weekend, and school holiday rehearsals, our students finally presented the College Production to our school community last week. Congratulations to our incredible students for all they have brought to this process over the past 9 months. It has been an amazing journey!

On behalf of the Cast, Backstage Crew and Production Team, I would like to thank everyone who assisted with the production – from staff who ran rehearsals, created costumes and sets, assisted with hair and make-up, backstage, canteen and supervision through to families who drove students to and from production rehearsals and performances. Thanks also to everyone who attended our performances and supported our students. We truly hope you enjoyed our production as much as we enjoyed putting the whole show together.

Mrs Ramona Arney
Head of Performing Arts/Instrumental Music Coordinator

Victorian Bar Student Achievement Award.

Year 11 Legal Studies.
The Victorian Bar Association along with Hume City Council awards two students of Legal studies an award for their achievement and dedication to the study of Legal Studies.

The selection criteria is based on the performance of the student during their Year 11 academic year.

The Achievement Award is a youth recognition award for both academic achievement in Legal Studies and is sponsored by the Victorian Bar Foundation and Hume City Council.

The Award recognises students who have achieved academic excellence in their Legal Studies and encourages them to continue in the field.

The Encouragement Award is to recognise students who have demonstrated ongoing commitment in Legal Studies.

The criteria for both awards includes:

• The student must have achieved the highest score / grade in Legal Studies Units 1 & 2 and be completing Legal Studies Units 3 & 4 in the year the prize is awarded.
• The student must demonstrate consistent academic excellence.
• The student must demonstrate positive values including: respect, collaboration and a willingness to engage with, listen and seek to understand the needs and expectations of others.

This award provides the recipients an opportunity to complete work experience at the Victorian Bar Association during their school holidays. This gives the students a better insight into the duties and expectations of becoming a lawyer.

As every year, this year the competition was very tight to determine the recipient of the academic achievement award and the encouragement award.

Congratulations to Claire A who received the Academic Achievement award.

Congratulations to Chloe B who received the Encouragement award.

On behalf of the Humanities department and the Year 11 and 12 Legal Studies teachers, we offer Congratulations to the recipients and Good luck to all our students who are currently studying Legal Studies at Years 11 &12.

To our Year 11 Legal Studies students, work hard and strive to be nominated for this award as it will open many doors and opportunities for you.

Chrisoula Argyropoulos
Head of Humanities

Last Friday, 21 July our Year 12 VM students had their grand inaugural on running their very own café called: ‘Thank VM IT’s Friday.’ Special thanks to Anastasia H, Andrea C, Chloe D, Mark P and Elise C for attending school very early to assist with preparation and serving coffees and toasties. I would also like to thank Mona Harsan and Margret Banks for their assistance and support of the students in running the café. A big thank you to the College, Mr Dullard, Janine Ireland and Jenny Vinten in the Accounts who provided this opportunity for the students and managed the financial arrangements. It was a successful morning with many sales of variety of different coffees and toasties. We look forward to running the VM café again on Friday 4 August from 8:00am – 8:30am. Please come along and show your support and purchase a coffee ($3), toastie ($3) or combo (coffee and toastie $5). We would love to serve you.

Family Partnership Meetings
Term 3 Family Partnership Meetings are scheduled for August 10 via TEAMs (Glenroy and Broadmeadows. Parents please ensure that you have made your bookings when the parent portal opens on August 2. Good communication between home and school supports student achievement.

Naplan
Year 7 and Year 9 students have now received their individual Naplan reports. These were posted home last week. Please ensure that you retain this important document and discuss the results with your child. As you may have noticed the Naplan reports have changed from previous years.

Reading a NAPLAN individual student report
The front page of the student report provides general information about the tests and an explanation of how to read the report.

The second and third pages show the student’s result in each assessment area. The results are classified into one of 4 proficiency levels: Exceeding, Strong, Developing and Needs additional support.

The report shows the student’s achievement against the national average for their year (shown as a black triangle) and the range of achievement for the middle 60% of students in their year level (shown as a light shaded rectangle). Reports in some states and territories also show the school average.

The final page of the report provides a brief summary of the skills typically demonstrated by students at each proficiency level. Longer descriptions of the skills typically demonstrated by a student at each proficiency level can be found at proficiency level descriptions.

In addition, you may view an explanatory video

At Penola Catholic College staff will be viewing results in order to determine how to best support our students in literacy and numeracy.

Subject Selection
The student transition process to next year level has begun. There is plenty of support and information provided to students so they can make informed decisions about their future pathways. Events such as Year Level assemblies, parent information night and the careers expo all occur this term. Parents and carers please ensure that you are discussing pathways and subjects for 2024 with your child. Students are working through this process during transition assemblies and pastoral lesson. In addition please read the comprehensive 2024 Curriculum Handbook as this document provides detailed pathway and subject descriptions. Students currently in Year 9 and 10 must submit their Planning Form by August 4. All documents are posted on MyPenola. Please check the current Year Level pages.

Pentridge prison excursion: The student’s experience
On Wednesday 19 July, the Year 11 legal studies classes visited the Old Pentridge Prison. We learnt about the establishment of the prison, and we were shown how it looked like when it was first built. During the time the prison was used, 11 people were executed, and 31 escaped but with only one managing not to be recaptured. We were told stories about some of the inmates and the last hanging that took place in Australia, Ronald Ryan. We were given an in-depth explanation of some of the escapes. We learnt about the harsh realities of the prisoners and the inhumane ways the prisoners were treated. H Division, which was the worst area to be placed as a prisoner, consisted of prisoners who committed crimes such as murders to bicycle thieves. Overall the experience was extremely interesting, eye opening and educational.

We welcome back our students and wish them every success as we immerse ourselves in learning in teaching in one of the busiest terms in the school year.

Last term our Year 12 Chemistry students attended an excursion to the Victorian Space Science Education Centre (see photos below) and completed analytical analysis which involved using state of the art laboratory equipment. This term our Year 12 Biology students will engage in their own investigations where they will complete protein analysis to look at the relatedness between different species of fish and therefore make predictions about their evolutionary pathways.

Careers week began on Monday with the expo being held on Tuesday. As usual our amazing lab tech’s set up an eye catching display which was aimed at both inspiring our students but also giving them a glimpse at the variety of careers that can be pursued when completing a Science pathway.

In Year 8, our students are advised to choose at least one Science in both Year 9 and 10. There are three Science subjects to choose from in Year 9 and a further 6 at Year 10. Each subject has a pathway into VCE.

Below is the suggested pathway’s that students can choose.

We ask that parents / caregivers sit assist their children in the process of choosing the appropriate pathway according to the child’s interests. It is important that we work together to assist your child in achieving the very best that they can, and it all begins with preparation, investigation and making goals for success.

Science Week 14 - 18 August
In a few weeks we will be celebrating Science week. The theme this year is ‘Innovation: Powering future industries’

We will be hosting daily activities across both campuses including quizzes, tech bracelet making, using Cricut machinery to make keyrings, AI meme competition and lunchtime games. As usual, our team will be out and about sporting our awesome T’shirts and celebrating all things Science!

If you would like to learn a little about how we are powering our future, check out the video which outlines how a team at Caltech are working on solar power that can be harvested in space and transmitted to Earth!

Happy Science Week to all

Leanne Attard and Rebecca Seel
Heads of learning – Broadmeadows and Glenroy

Dear Language students and families

Thank you so much for all your applications for the France, Italy and Japan trips 2024.

We are working tirelessly with our travel agents in Australia, France and Italy on our itineraries so that you can receive a quote as soon as possible. I will then organise another parent night when we will discuss the information and the details of the trips.

Fulvia Galigani
Head of Languages

Overseas Trips 2024

Boost Juice Employment Opportunities

Level Up 2023 Craigieburn

STEM Birds Coding Classes

Footscray Water Polo

Glenroy NH Parent & Guardian Carers Support Group

ATO School Leaver Program

Children and Families Career and Jobs Fair 2023

Brotherhood of St Laurence Financial Resources for Struggling Families