General Achievement Test (GAT) rescheduled to Thursday, 29 July 2021
The Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (VCAA) have made the decision to conduct the GAT on Thursday, 29 July 2021 from 10.00a.m. – 1.15p.m.
The General Achievement Test is a test of general knowledge and skills in these broad areas:

• written communication
• mathematics, science and technology
• humanities, the arts and social sciences.

All students enrolled in one or more VCE or scored VCE VET Unit 3 and 4 sequences must sit the GAT. No special study is required. The GAT is used to moderate both internal school student results and external examinations. It is also used in situations where a student whose examination performance is affected by illness, accident or personal trauma can apply for a Derived Examination Score. All applications are assessed by a trained, external panel.

If an application is approved, a student’s GAT scores will be used in the calculation of the Derived Examination Score.

At the beginning of next term, the VCAA will provide specific advice on the health and safety requirements for conducting the GAT, in line with the health advice at that time.

Reports
Teachers have been busily preparing summary reports for Semester 1 and these will be available through MyPenola on Monday, 5 July. An SMS will be sent out to parents when these reports are available for parents to view. These reports are the culmination of a whole semester’s efforts in learning, assessments, and exams. It summarises a great deal of work completed by students. Please take the time to read the reports carefully as it contains a summary of the percentages for each assessment task received throughout the year. This feedback is an important part of the learning process and should encourage healthy reflection and discussion between students and parents.

Years 7 & 8 STEAM PBL Week
This week has seen the continuation of our STEAM PBL Week with the focus upon students involved in projects that utilize the 21^st Century skills that are so critical both now and into the future. It is through these 21^st Century skills that our young adults will find the power to be globally competitive in a worldwide workforce and find the ability to face career challenges in an ever-changing world of technology.

These fundamental skills are gained through experience and involve learning skills, literacy skills and life skills. Learning skills teaches students about the mental processes required to adapt and improve upon a modern work environment. Literacy skills focus on how students can discern facts, publishing outlets, and the technology behind them. There’s a strong focus on determining trustworthy sources and factual information to separate it from the misinformation that floods the internet. Life skills take a look at intangible elements of a student’s everyday life. These intangibles focus on both personal and professional qualities.

Let’s take a look at the Learning skills which include:

• Collaboration – Working with others
• Communication – Talking, writing, listening to others
• Creativity – Thinking outside the box
• Critical Thinking – Finding solutions to problems

The Foundation for Young Australians have conducted research which indicates that current 15-year old’s will have 15 jobs over 7 careers over the course of their working life. They suggest that we need to be prepared for a lifetime of careers rather than the career of a lifetime. Hopefully this week will assist our students in developing the skills for these future careers and success in their future work life.

Year 12 English Oral Presentations
The Year 12 English Oral Presentations are scheduled for the second week of Term Three, on Friday 23, July and will proceed for the entirety of the day.

The Year 12 English students will have the opportunity to showcase their Oral Presentation to their Year 12 English teacher, a second moderator along with 4 of their peers from their respective English class. Students are only required to attend school for their allocated presentation time and thus, this will be a Remote Online Learning and Teaching day for Year 12 VCE students.

The timetable and all correspondence will be shared with all students and staff during the first week of Term Three. However, in accordance with school policy, students are expected to wear full College uniform and adhere to all Covid-19 preventative measures, whereby students are wearing masks appropriately and social distancing.

On this day, we ask that VCE students are only onsite when their Oral Presentation is scheduled and return home upon completion to continue with Remote Online Learning.

End of Term
Students will be dismissed on Friday 25, June at 3.06p.m. Classes for Term 3 resume at 8.40am on Monday 12, July.

I hope that the holiday period provides some respite from the normal busyness of life and that students and staff return refreshed for the new term.

Let us give thanks to God for the many blessings and gifts of the second term and the first semester.

Thank you, Lord, for the blessings you have bestowed on my life. You have provided me with more than I could ever have imagined. You have surrounded me with people who always look out for me. You have given me family and friends who bless me every day with kind words and actions. They lift me up in ways that keep my eyes focused on you and make my spirit soar.

Also, thank you, Lord, for keeping me safe. You protect me from those things that seem to haunt others. You help me make better choices and provide me with advisors to help me with life’s difficult decisions. You speak to me in so many ways so that I always know you are here.

And Lord, I am so grateful for keeping those around me safe and loved. I hope that you provide me with the ability and sense to show them every day how much they matter. I hope that you give me the ability to give to them the same kindness they have provided to me.

I am extremely grateful for all of your blessings in my life, Lord. I pray that you remind me of just how blessed I am and that you never allow me to forget to show my gratitude in prayer and returned acts of kindness.

Thank you, Lord.

In your name, Amen.

Our last two weeks of Term have been busy with many students and staff completing assessment tasks before moving over to Semester 2 classes last week. This all too place after the Melbourne snap lockdown but we are very fortunate that the students at the Junior Campus are resilient and continued to complete their work and adapt to the restrictions.

Science Technology Engineering Art Maths (STEAM) Week
We have had a very successful STEAM week at the Junior Campus. Students have been involved in many different types of activities where they have extend their knowledge and learnt new skills. In visiting the classrooms the students were all engaged in their tasks, with a real passion for learning. I hope the students have enjoyed the week and seen the educational benefits STEAM brings.

I hope all students have a relaxing break.

The end of this week signals the end of a disruptive term due to lockdowns and the changes to some of our calendared activities. Despite this, it was a hugely successful term given how well we coped with the enforced changes and adjustments to the calendar. Particularly pleasing is how well we have been able to accustom ourselves to the shifting conditions by which we work and learn; and the story of our successes this term is a testimony to our hard work.

Enforced adjustments to the college calendar
Despite the set back of not being able to run with the full Year 9 City Experience program, what was able to be achieved as an online experience was terrific. Year 9 Level Coordinators, Ms Lucarelli and Ms Tully provided a virtual program that was hugely engaging and educative and a program which the students enjoyed. Sitting through some of the online student presentations last Wednesday, I was proud of their commitment to the program and the knowledge they demonstrated about the history, population, and dynamics of their city.

The Year 10 Work Experience program was also hampered by the pandemic and therefore was not able to take place in the designated week during Term 2. However, we are hopeful that it will be possible to have a Year 10 Work Experience week sometime in late Term 3. Despite the COVID set-backs, and the enforced lockdown, the learning and teaching program continued as best as we could make it and the Year 10 exams were successfully conducted online.

Semester One Reports
The Semester One Reports are being written at this stage and they will be available for parents to access online via MyPenola in the second week of the holidays. These reports tend to be good indicators of your child’s progress in respective subjects, but also reveal information about their levels of engagement in the learning process. Given the difficulties of the past year, with disruptions to the normal patterns of education, ensuring that proper levels of engagement to school are in place is critical for a successful year. The Parent Teacher Student Partnership Meetings originally scheduled for the first week of Term 3 have been pushed back to Thursday 12 August. I wish all students every success and a favourable report.

Term 3
Term 3 offers new challenges. It tends to be a busy term with a range of events and activities for all students. One of the areas that will feature heavily on the college calendar will be related to program choices for 2022. Students will be taken through a range of important processes and information sessions to ensure that programs and subjects selected for next year fit within their career aspirations. More details will be available to parents through Newsletter entries and letters on Operoo in the coming weeks.

I will be taking some leave during Term 3 and will be replaced for my period of absence by Ms Liviana Daniele. Ms Daniele is currently one of the Year 11 Coordinators but will assuming the Head of Campus role for the duration of the term. I wish her well for this new challenge.

Best wishes to all for Term 3

Year 12 Reflection Day 2

Last Monday, 21 June, we held the 2^nd of our Year 12 Reflection Days. This was a whole day event in which all Year 12 students were in attendance. Throughout the day, the students were given the opportunity to continue the exploration of our theme, "Launching into the Deep. This involved listening to testimonials regarding personal faith journeys and reflecting upon their priorities moving forward for the remainder of the year and beyond. They also participated in a “Theology of the Body” presentation by Steve and Annie Lawrence which was a prelude to their forthcoming Term 3 unit in Year 12 Religious Education. The feedback provided by students and staff has been extremely positive and indicated that it was a very rewarding day for all students involved.

Many thanks to all members of the Faith and Mission Team for the many hours spent in preparing and organising the event. I also thank Mr Caldow, Mr Pisani, all the Year 12 RE teachers and Year Level Co-ordinators, for their support and willingness to participate on the day. Finally, I would like to thank all the Year 12 students for their courage, positivity and respect for the presenters and each other throughout the entire day. They really are to be commended.

Languages Week Competition
As part of Penola’s celebration of Languages, the Language Week Competition showcased the creativity of our students and their love of Languages!

For the competition, students could create a wide range of pieces, their only boundary being their own imagination. This was reflected in the entries we received, ranging from impressionist artworks and vocal performances to dishes reflecting the deep heritage of the student. We were blown away by the sheer level of effort put into each and every creative piece and the talents of our students. In addition to the entry, students wrote insightful written explanations of their piece, outlining the background of their entry and their experience in its creation.

The following entries portrayed an astonishing level of detail and showcase our students’ enthusiasm for languages.

French: The Impressionist painting by Maryam Zuhair (based on a Monet painting) expressed an astounding level of detail. The highlights, contrasts and shadows in the painting were incredible! Aathra Dawoud’s recital, L’Éternité, presented an immaculate level of pronunciation. The rhythm of the recital coupled with the poem’s brevity was powerful. Abigail Martlew’s ingenuity in the replication of the Eiffel tower was extraordinary, and Maddison Rosa’s macarons looked very authentic and too good to eat!

Italian: The vocal performance by Remonda Kakoz was breath taking! The musicality of the performance and her vocal skills were extremely captivating. Isla Rousakis, The Creation of Adam, is truly a work of art! The level of detail expressed in the contrast and embellishments was remarkable. Bennedetta Varrasso’s culinary creation reflected her own heritage, this dish was unforgettable, truly representing the Penola Catholic College community. Mona Lisa, by Sienna Gioupas was outstanding. The shadows and the detail present in depicting the flow of the hair was amazing, and Saneet Kumar’s model of the Colosseum with its link to the present day was spectacular.

Japanese: Jenica Ghayyoori’s surreal digital drawing beautifully presented a collage of Japanese culture. The manipulation of tones and shade created a visually pleasing work of art. Ella Fakhri’s imaginative piece was eye catching. The levels of varying brightness purposefully placed throughout the digital artwork was marvellous.

Congratulations to the winners the Language Week competition and to all participants!

I would like to add my congratulations to the winners of the competition for their portrayal of an aspect of one of our Languages at Penola.

In addition, my heartfelt thanks go out to Jayan Duwal Shrestha for taking the initiative to create and run this competition. In his meetings with me, Jayan showed leadership, a true love of languages and a desire to encourage others by their participation in this competition. Well done Jayan!

Lastly, a huge thank you to the staff (Ms Treloar, Ms Shkembi) and the PSC students at both campuses who assisted Jayan and I in the judging of the competition. As Jayan said, we were positively amazed by the quality of the entries and the talents of the Penola students.

Below are some of the entries for the whole community to enjoy.
Mrs Favrin (Head of Languages, Broadmeadows)

FRENCH - BROADMEADOWS

1^st Prize – French Impressionist Painting (Monet) – Maryam Zuhair, Year 9

I recreated an artwork by the impressionist artist, Claude Monet, which is entitled “Sunrise” painted in 1872. The French impressionism movement happened in the 1800s. This is a painting that shows the sunrise scene over the harbour of Le Havre, in northern France’s Normandy region, and it depicts a hazy background and a mix of cool colours, that give a feeling of an early morning near the port. I chose to recreate this artwork because I wanted to represent the language that I am learning at school and because it is a famous and remarkable painting. It was also a chance for me to show my talent and skills in painting. I took my time reflecting on how the artist approached his technique, and I tried to get the shades of colours that he used by mixing different colours of acrylic paints that I have at home. Maryam

2^nd Prize – French – Recitation of poem L’Éternité (Arthur Rimbaud)
Athraa Dawoud, Year 12

ITALIAN - BROADMEADOWS

1^st prize – Italian – Tiziano Ferro song performed by
Remonda Kakoz – Year 12

This entry stems from the very first movie I watched in Italian, where I discovered Sere Nere by Tiziano Ferro. The song’s tune and climatic nature instantly drew me in and so I could not help but propose the song for this competition. With some dedication, I quickly learnt the lyrics and managed to mirror the original to produce a cover. This would not have been possible without my dad’s assistance as he specialises in sound production and therefore, he was able to, despite the difficulties, put together the track. A major takeaway from this experience – singing in English is difficult, but singing in an entirely different language is a whole other story! Remonda

2^nd prize – Italian – The Creation of Adam (Michelangelo)– IslaRousakis, Year 9

In my entry, I have painted The Creation of Adam. I found great interest in Michelangelo’s work and I wanted a great challenge when it came to entering this competition. I also wanted to test my art ability. To paint this, it took me from 30 to 90 minutes per day for about 10 days. I used a canvas and was able to make many colours only using the three primary colors, and I had to be very careful as I was using a very small brush. This painting included a lot of detail and before I could paint, I needed to trace what I was going to do with a pencil.

3^rd prize – Italian – La prova del Cuoco (Masterchef) – Benedetta Varrasso, Year 9

My project is a PowerPoint of one of my favourite recpes that my nonna has made many times in Italy. I have recorded the ingredients and utensils needed and I have also recorded the steps needed to make this recipe. My own pictures are included. Benedetta

JAPANESE – BROADMEADOWS

1st prize – Japanese – Digital Drawing – Jenica Ghayyoori, Year 10
I made a Japanese surreal digital drawing. In most of my drawings, I usually draw the first things that I think of, which inspired me to do a surreal drawing of the first thing I thought about for Japanese culture and traditions. My drawing was done on my tablet using an app called IbisPaint X.Jenica

FRENCH – GLENROY

1^st Prize – French - Eiffel Tower Model – Abigail Martlew, Year 7

I have made the Eiffel Tower. I made it mainly out of cardboard, wood and glue. It was much harder than I thought but I still managed to do it with a little help. The Eiffel Tower is a very special landmark in Paris. Its build started on 28 January 1887, and it was completed on 31^st March 1889. The Eiffel Tower was built to be one of the main attractions of Paris. It was designed by 4 people, amongst them the main architect, Gustave Eiffel, after whom it was named. Abigail

2^nd Prize – Video making macarons – Maddison Rosa, Year 7
I made white chocolate and raspberry macarons. I made them because macarons are a popular French biscuit and are iconic to their culture. They are also very nice and have a wide range of possible flavours and colours to choose from. I made these by firstly going to a French bakery and trying some different flavours, from this I decided to make my favourite which was raspberry and white chocolate. I found a recipe and then I spent a day filming and carefully making each one. Once they were all made, I decorated a box to show what I had made and what culture they had come from. It was a great experience making them. Maddy

ITALIAN - GLENROY

1^st Prize – Italian – Mona Lisa sketch – Sienna Gioupas, year 7

I drew a replica of the Mona Lisa, because I am passionate about my art. I am enjoying my current study which is Italian, so I wanted to expand my knowledge about famous art in Italy. I created my project on an A3 piece of paper, I then proceeded to use images from the internet to help me draw the Mona Lisa. Sienna

2nd Prize – Italian – model of Colosseum – Saneet Kumar, Year 7

I made a model of the Roman Colosseum from modelling clay, because I think the Colosseum is cool and it has a very interesting history. It was used to watch events such as gladiator fights or animal hunts or even mock battles. To make it I got some modelling clay and shaped it into arches to form the wall, and then I painted it beige with brown paths leading to the insides of the arena and green paint for the grassy areas. In the middle of the colosseum, I added 2 plastic dinosaurs fighting to represent the brave gladiators that fought in the arena. I also added some cars to represent how it is a popular tourist destination, but now it is not doing so well due to the Covid-19 pandemic, so I added traffic signs to signify that! Saneet

JAPANESE – GLENROY

1^st Prize – Japanese – Digital Drawing – Ella Fakhri, year

I drew this project because I really enjoy art and drawing because it is my only hobby and talent. I made my drawing by first drawing it on paper, then taking a photo from my iPad. I imported the image on a program called IbisPaintX. I traced the artwork with the pencil brush with different colours. I then fine lined it with the ink brush. I started colouring using the colour wheel, used a space image for the background and added glow and sparkles to complete it.
The character is Ganyu, from Genshin Impact, a game created by Mihoyo. Ella

NEWS FROM VCAA
VCAA has announced significant forthcoming changes to the Senior Secondary Certificate beginning in 2023.Please read the information provided by VCAA below.

Senior secondary certificate reform
Victoria is transforming the delivery of senior secondary education with the introduction of a single senior secondary certificate that will offer greater access to quality vocational and applied learning pathways for all students. The senior secondary education reforms aim to provide access to education and training that is relevant, engaging and that delivers in-demand skills for the future world of work, ensuring that students can access education that leads to employment.

Next year students will still be able to enrol in either the Victorian Certificate of Applied Learning (VCAL) or the Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE). The following year, in 2023, VCAL students will be enrolled in the new VCE Vocational Specialisation or the new foundation pathways certificate which will be introduced to replace Foundation VCAL.

The VCE Vocational Specialisation will be recognised internationally, be valued by employers and will build on the strengths of VCAL including providing:

• flexible timetables that allow students to study at school, TAFE and work
• opportunities to experience real-life workplaces
• subjects that will build students skills and prepare them for life after school
• greater access to high quality VET learning, either in school, a neighboring school or a local TAFE

The new certificates are part of a suite of 38 reforms recommended in the Review into Vocational and Applied Learning Pathways in Senior Secondary Schooling (the Firth Review) to lift the quality and perception of vocational education and help more students access high-quality applied learning programs.

Course selection in 2022
We are supporting all students in their course selections for 2022 and are providing the following advice and information to students considering a VCAL pathway.

If students are studying VCAL in 2022 they will transfer into the VCE Vocational Specialisation with credit for completed VCAL subjects in 2023. In 2023, students will continue to study Senior VCAL subjects in the new certificate as part of the implementation process. At the end of 2023, these students will be awarded the VCE Vocational Specialisation if they meet the requirements.

Students who are studying Foundation VCAL over multiple years, including in 2022, will transfer into a new foundation pathways certificate in 2023 with credit for completed subjects. These students will study the new foundation subjects and graduate with the foundation pathways certificate.

This approach provides assurance and clarity to current Year 10 students some of whom will be among the first cohort to receive a VCE Vocational Specialisation certificate in 2023.

The following diagram sets out the senior secondary pathways for students commencing the VCE or VCAL in 2022.

* Note: Students can also move between certificates
If you would like to talk further about these changes please contact, VCAL co-ordinator Daniel Cotaggio dcottagio@penola.vic.edu.au

Finally, please be sure to attend our forthcoming information evenings for more information regarding pathways and subject selection.

• VCAL Information Night (for students entering Year 10, 11 or 12) July 20
• Career Expo and Senior Programs Evening July 27

Broadmeadows Accounts & Reception Office
OPEN
Monday to Friday
9am to 3pm

Glenroy Campus
CLOSED

Please note Term 3 commences on Monday 12th July for all students.

Eligibility Dates:

For concession cardholders CSEF eligibility will be subject to the parent/legal guardian’s concession card being successfully validated with Centrelink on the first day Term 3 2021

12^th July 2021.

How to submit a CSEF Application in 2021

If you have applied for the CSEF in a previous year, you do not need to complete an application form in 2021. Unless there has been a change in your family circumstances, the school will apply for the CSEF on your behalf.

You will ONLY need to submit an application form in 2021 if any of the following changes have occurred:

• New student enrolments: Your child has changed schools in 2021 or you did not apply at the same school.
• Changed family circumstances, such as: a change of custody, change of name, concession card number or new siblings commencing at the school in 2021.
• Applications for newly arrived refugee and Asylum Students remain open till end of Term 4.

CSEF Flyer Attachments: English, Arabic and Vietnamese

https://www.education.vic.gov.au/PAL/csef-financial-assistance-information-parents.docx

https://www.education.vic.gov.au/PAL/csef-flyer-arabic.pdf

https://www.education.vic.gov.au/PAL/csef-flyer-vietnamese.pdf

CSEF Application Form Attachment

https://www.education.vic.gov.au/PAL/csef-application-form.docx

Penola Saints Netball

FC Strathmore Split

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Tennis Hot Shots Kids Classes

Yellow Lady Bugs - Autistic Girls and Teens- Mental Health and Safety Seminar