VCE Building Progress
If you have been to the Senior Campus in recent weeks, you will have noticed considerable progress with our new VCE Building. This building will provide 18 classrooms, Careers Area, Year 12 Common Room, and staff areas as well as a gathering space for 300 students. I have placed below recent photographs showing where the building is currently at and another image of what it should look like when finished.

Final Parent Teacher Student Partnership Meetings
The final round of Parent Teacher Student Partnership Meetings will take place on Thursday 6 October via Microsoft Teams. I hope that you will find these informative and that teaching staff are able to highlight the areas where your child is doing well as well as areas for future improvement. This opportunity, scheduled at this time especially for students, reflects the key stage in the academic year for students. We hope the evening will provide an opportunity for dialogue for families that enables there to be every opportunity for success for our students between now and the end of their academic year. The interviews will run from 3.00pm. and conclude at 6.30pm.

NAPLAN Results
As most teachers of Years 7 & 9 students would be aware, students received a printout of their NAPLAN results this week. Whilst they are only a snapshot of each student’s level of achievement and an indication of how they have performed at a particular point in time, they do provide us, as a school, with valuable comparisons against the State and National performance. One of the best measures for our school is to look at the growth from Years 7 – 9 as it gives an indication as to whether we are progressing at the same rate as the rest of the state. State results are not available as yet, but we will provide this information as soon as it becomes available. Individual student results were mailed home to parents on Tuesday 6 September.

Year 12 Trial Exams
Year 12 Trial exams will take place in the second week of the upcoming school holidays for our VCE students. They will take place on Monday 26 September to Thursday 29 September and they are compulsory for all Year 12 VCE students completing a scored VCE. The timetable has been published and can be found on either the Year 12 page on MyPenola or the VCE page on MyPenola. These exams give students an indication as to their strengths and weaknesses and can assist in shaping their revision in the weeks leading up to the exams in late October.

I have listed below the schedule for Year 12 Trial Exams that will be conducted in the second week of the holidays.

School Review Final report
Our school review was held on 13 & 14 July which will form the basis of our School Improvement Plan for 2023-2026. The following Strengths and Opportunities were identified by the reviewers, and I have included their 3 recommendations for our School Improvement Plan:

Strengths

• Strong and consistent communication of the Catholic identity of the college including the Principal’s welcome message on the college website, commitment to the college RE program, iconography and sacred spaces throughout the two campuses.
• Development and implementation of the Wellbeing Framework, which has been informed by research on a range of programs to meet the identified needs of the Penola College community and the values of the Josephite charism.
• A focus on meeting the needs of a diverse student population, and developing the whole person, through provision of a broad range of post-compulsory pathways, and extensive co-curricular offerings on both campuses.
• A college leadership structure that enables effective communication between campuses and operational areas, and a commitment to strategically focus on the future development of the college.

Opportunities for improvement

• Increasing the visibility to staff of the purposeful scaffolding of previous learning and wellbeing initiatives, in order to engage staff in the college’s strategic improvement agenda.
• Ensuring the consistent implementation of agreed approaches to student behaviour management.
• Maximising the benefits of enhanced data systems, by sustaining the development of teacher capacity to use data to effectively plan for student learning and wellbeing, including challenge and extension.
• Developing processes to engage parents and incorporate their feedback into school policies and practices.

Recommendations
As Penola College engages in the process of strategic thinking and planning, manifesting in the development of its School Improvement Plan for the next four years, the reviewers recommends that the college:

Ensures a strategic approach to whole school improvement by

• Using a range of qualitative and quantitative data to identify needs and monitor progress
• Developing a professional learning plan that incorporates structures and processes for continuous improvement and accountability through targeted professional learning, regular feedback to teachers, peer observations and coaching
• Closely monitoring how CPTS are being used to develop collaborative practices and how effectively these practices are being employed in classrooms.
• Building a leadership development program

Builds teachers’ instructional capacity by

• Strengthening teachers’ skills in understanding and interpreting multiple forms of data
• Using formative assessment to identify and respond to each student’s point of need
• Ensuring student data, including ECSI data, and student feedback to teachers, is utilised in all learning areas.

Improves student wellbeing and engagement in learning by:

• Fostering practices that encourage active student participation in their learning and
• authentic student voice, including goal setting, monitoring their own learning, metacognition and reflective practices
• Ensuring leadership development processes encourage and support increased diversity of student leadership
• Embedding a consistent whole college community approach to the Penola College Wellbeing Framework to support positive student behaviour
• Increasing parental engagement in the learning partnership.

Year 7 Enrolments 2024
A reminder to all of our existing families that Year 7 enrolments for 2024 closed on Friday 19 August. A number of families applied after the close of enrolment last year and it makes it very difficult to accurately plan for the following year, so I ask that you submit your enrolment as soon as possible. Often families assume that we know that there is a younger sibling, but I would be very disappointed if one of our existing families missed out on an enrolment due to not submitting their enrolment in a timely manner.

Grade Prep enrolments in our Catholic Feeder Primary schools
One of the strengths that we have as a regional Catholic secondary school is the great relationship that we have with our feeder Primary Parish schools. We meet each term just to discuss what is happening in each of our respective schools. At our meeting last week, a number of my colleague Principals indicated that prep enrolments for 2023 had been slow and I said that I would place a reminder in our Newsletter as we share the same families. I have listed below the contact details for each of our Catholic Primary Schools:

• Corpus Christi Primary School Glenroy – 03 9306 3062
• Holy Child Primary School Dallas – 03 9309 1620
• School of the Good Shepherd, Gladstone Park 03 9338 7686
• St Carlo Borromeo, Greenvale 03 9333 2572
• St Dominic’s Primary School, Broadmeadows 03 9309 4146
• St Fidelis Primary School, Pascoe Vale 03 9383 3600
• St Francis de Sales Primary School, Oak Park 03 9306 9444
• St Matthews Primary School, Fawkner North 03 9359 5423
• St Marks Primary School, Fawkner 03 8335 4100
• St Thomas More Primary School, Hadfield 03 9312 8200
• St Therese Primary School, Essendon 03 9374 6100
• St Monicas Primary School, Moonee Ponds 03 9375 1132

On The Twenty First Anniversary of 9/11
We remember, God of history and remembrance, we remember. We remember when the towers fell and the lives were lost; we remember the dust and the smoke, the despair, and the grief. We remember that sense of vulnerability and shock. We remember the numbness that overwhelmed us as we watched our screens for hours and hours, waiting for an explanation and understanding that never came. We remember.

We remember, God of hope and presence, we remember. We remember the heroes, those who rushed to help, who guided the wounded down innumerable flights of stairs, who rose to overwhelm those who held death in their hands. We remember the hours and the days of binding wounds and healing hurts, giving comfort, drying tears. We remember words of support and compassion from nations far and wide. We remember.

We remember in part because we see the ripples of that tragic day continue to impact our world twenty-one years later. We grieve with allies today as our allies grieved with us twenty-one years ago. And together we wonder if there will ever be an end . . . to violence, to war, to hatred, to death. We remember and we grieve our world’s inability to learn the things that lead to peace.

We call to you now in our remembrance, God of justice and of peace. Give us a will to truly pray that your kingdom may come on earth as it is in heaven. Amen and Amen.

On this day of solemn remembrance:
May we honour the lives that were lost in this tragic act.
May we give thanks for those who served and saved, rendered aid and assistance.
May we give comfort to those who live with loss.
May we seek justice and peace where it is within our ability,
and rely on you when the ability escapes us.

On this day of solemn remembrance:
May we build what has been torn down.
May we mend what has been broken.
May live your love when hate seems to reign.
May we bear witness to the cause of peace.

Melbourne Archdiocese of Catholic Schools School Improvement Survey (MACSISS)
Families have been recently sent a link from ORIMA research to conduct the MACSISS. This survey is conducted annually and is an opportunity for Penola staff, families and students to provide feedback on our school environment. The deadline to complete this survey is this Friday 16 September and so if you have not already done so could families please take the time to complete this task. We look forward to receiving your feedback that will assist the school in developing our annual action plans.

Term 4 Uniform
During Terms 1 and 4 the blazer is an optional garment unless students have a full school assembly or Mass. Students are also permitted to wear either the summer or winter uniform but are not allowed to mix and match between the two.

Academic Intervention
The Academic Intervention Program is designed to assist students that did not complete a number of assessment tasks across multiple subjects. Students who are currently completing the academic intervention program will have their progress reviewed for Term 4. Those students who have demonstrated an improvement in their studies will not be required to attend for Term 4. Those students continuing or new to the program for Term 4 will be sent an email and operoo for permission to remain on the Glenroy Campus on a Wednesday till 4pm.

Enjoy the September break

We have had a busy end to Term 3 on the Senior Campus with many individual achievements and successes. Our Year 9 students have participated in Source to Sea bike rides, there has been outstanding individual and team performances in Sport, a variety of excursions and recent success by our Textiles students at the “Stitch Don’t Ditch” competition.

The end of term is a period to reflect on what went well with your child. Encourage them to identify:

• a lesson or unit of work that went well
• an achievement or growth
• a co-curricular activity they were involved with
• an excursion/incursion/learning activity they really enjoyed

Parent Teacher Student Partnership Meetings
A reminder that there is Parent Teacher Student Partnership meetings scheduled for Thursday 6 October from 3pm to 6:30pm. This will take place online through TEAMS. I encourage all families to make appointments to speak to teachers with their student to share together the learning progress.

Year 12 studies
Our Year 12 students are entering their final stage of their secondary school journey. Students are encouraged to check the year 12 page on MyPenola regularly for important updates and key information about celebration activities and examinations. VCAL students are to please ensure they are discussing with their subject teachers work requirements still to complete. VCE students completing examinations are expected to attend the compulsory practice exams occurring during week 2 of the school holidays. Failure to attend the practice examinations without a valid reason i.e. medical certificate may result in loss of celebration privileges. A range of activities to farewell our Year 12 students and celebrate their achievements and contributions will take place in Term 4.

Year 10 Ball
The Year 10 Ball takes place on Friday 21 October at Melrose Receptions and our Year 10 students are currently participating in ballroom dancing classes. After the past two years of not being able to offer the Ball it is exciting to see this long standing tradition return to the College calendar. Thanks very much to the Year 10 Coordinators Ms Emily Hastie and Mr Steve Woodburn for their organisation to date with the support of our Health and PE Department, the Year 10 Team and Accounts staff. Year 10 students and parents wishing to attend the ball are asked to please make their payment to secure tickets. I am very much looking forward to seeing our students and families on the night.

Wishing all students and their families a safe and happy break! I look forward to a fabulous Term 4.

It’s been a very busy few weeks for Faith and Mission, with one event just rolling into another…

Fathers’ Day Mass
On Friday 2 September, we continued our tradition of celebrating Fathers’ Day with a beautiful Mass celebrated, quite fittingly, in St Joseph’s Chapel. St Joseph was Jesus’ earthly father figure and therefore, guardian, protector, provider and role model to Jesus throughout his early life. It was great to see some of our Fathers present in the chapel for Mass with their sons and daughters, along with those who celebrated from home via our livestream. The Mass was a wonderful prelude to our Fathers’ Day Breakfast and I am sure was a great way to kick start the Fathers’ Day weekend for all dads.

Year 12 Reflection Day 3
On Monday 5 September, we held the third of our four Year 12 Reflection Day Sessions. It was a great opportunity for the students to reflect over the year to date and consider how their faith has played a supporting role throughout the challenges of VCE and VCAL and to know that their faith offers them a source of strength as they edge closer to launching out into the deep beyond the protection of the school gates.

Year 11 Christian Service – C.O.T.S.
Over the past month, all Year 11 Religious Education students have participated in their Christian Service excursion. This excursion tied beautifully together their current unit of study and Assessment Task based on Catholic Social Teachings with their Year level Charity (for whom they fundraised during JJAMM Week). The activity involved, each class travelling to the city in the late afternoon to join with Christmas on the Streets (C.O.T.S.) to meet and chat with some of the homeless people of Melbourne. The experience was an extremely rewarding one and offered our students an opportunity to gain greater understanding and empathy for the homeless. Our students quite rightly learnt from the activity that these people are “homeless but not hopeless” and are deserving of respect and a sense of dignity, despite their circumstances.

M22
Recently, our Ministry Band, M22, have been involved in a tour of some of the local Primary schools and Parishes. The students have been wonderful witnesses of faith to the younger students, which is quite a courageous act when we consider that for the majority of people, faith is often kept quite private and rarely shared openly with others. It has been fantastic to see the beautiful manner in which they have spoken with the students and of course, performed on each occasion. They not only have been great ambassadors for our College but essentially for the Catholic Church and the recontextualisation of our faith. They played at the morning Mass on the Feast of the Assumption for the Primary school and Parish of the Good Shepherd. They were so well received by the parish community that they have been invited back later in the year to perform at their Parish Fete. They also performed at the Holy Child Primary School’s Assembly, at St Dominic’s Primary School Assembly and finally at St Thomas More’s Assembly. M22 were definitely a hit at all four parishes.

M22 are releasing their debut single, “Footsteps” this Friday evening. “Footsteps” was written about St Mary of the Cross MacKillop as a true model of discipleship and in whose “Footsteps” we should follow. Our M22 initiative, sparked by the students and then developed under the guidance of Dennis Alberto, is another example as to how, we at Penola, offer various opportunities for formation of faith through a variety of opportunities and avenues; an area within our School Improvement Plan that we pursue growth constantly.

Be sure to check out the new single, “Footsteps” on Friday night via the M22 YouTube Channel.

We are so proud of our Students we took part in the Stitch Don't Ditch competition. They all did so well, with Penola walking away with an abundance of awards.

Competition entrant Lucia N details her experience;
Being transported on a bus to Manor Lakes’ Central Shopping centre to receive my prize for my entry in the Stitch It Don’t Ditch It competition was not something that I ever expected to happen in my life—but off we went onto the bus, excited chattering amongst the finalists as we were driven down to receive our prizes. The teachers were scurrying about, fixing up last minute stitches that had come undone, and preparing us for the day. I don’t think anything could have prepared me for what was about to come, next.

We excitedly made our way into the Manor Lakes central shopping centre, watching as all the other finalists came into the area. We marveled at the stylish outfits on display in the middle of the shopping centre, and snuck a peek at the shiny trophies glistening on the table. I experienced my first interview about the event, which was an intriguing experience. Soon after, the mayor and the facilitator Heather Marcus of the Stitch It Don’t Ditch It competition came into the area and began announcing the winners. When my name was announced, I walked over nervously, but began to relax as I remembered that everyone was cheering for all of our achievements. I collected my trophy and my prize with a bright smile, and I realised then that my efforts were something to be truly proud of.

Lucia N (10C)

Congratulations to the following students on their achievements;

Secondary Colleges Up-cycling Years 11/12

• 1^st Simil M
• 2^nd Daniela O
• 3^rd Allegra V

Secondary Colleges Recycled Years 11/12

• 1^st Allegra V
• 3^rd Carla G

Secondary Colleges Recycled Years 9/10

• 1^st Daniela O
• 2^nd Jasmine K
• 3^rd Lucia N

School Cup – Most Winning Entries

• Penola Catholic College

Over the past 5 months one of our Year 10 students has embarked on a Science Leadership Journey. Amy applied for and was given a scholarship to attend the Zoo’s Victoria Youth Leadership program. On Friday 16 September, Amy will complete her graduation ceremony and we wish her the best of luck with her leadership ambitions.

Please read about Amy’s experience below.

Throughout the year I have been participating in Zoos Victoria’s Youth Leadership program. It is a group of 30, Year 9 and 10 science students from across the state developing tangible and usable science skills while growing as a leader in a group environment. We learn from Zoos Victoria mentors and industry leaders and are supported to undertake a science research project that will help inform a future wildlife conservation campaign run by the team at Zoos Victoria.

We began the program with a visit to Melbourne Zoo. I met with the conservation campaigns team, who explained our role in helping to collect research for a potential new campaign about soft plastics litter and marine animals. We also discussed the differences between power, authority, and leadership and competed in a race around the zoo, collecting clues and working together to solve puzzles. Finally, we finished the day with a talk about animal experiences, animal welfare and Zoos Victoria policies on these issues by meeting with education coordinators and the star tortoises.

I have participated in 8 days so far and some of my highlight experiences have been:

• Visiting Healesville Sanctuary and going on a nature walk with Murrindindi, a Wurundjeri Elder, who shared some of his history and culture through powerful his powerful life stories and activities
• Collecting data about the biodiversity of shells found along the beach at St Kilda Pier for a citizen science project
• Visiting Degraves recycling facility in Melbourne’s inner city to see how local businesses and Council work together to reduce the food waste of local cafes and restaurants
• Explored the waterways at Werribee Open Range Zoo and their importance to humans and wildlife with the Werribee River Keepers by analysing water samples
• Discovered ethograms and practiced on meerkats, kookaburras, curlews, and baboons
• Went on a behind the scenes experience with the elephants, laying out enrichment in their exhibit and watching them enjoy it
• Learnt about science leadership and decision making by chatting with Dr Jenny Gray, the CEO of Zoos Victoria
• Learnt about the importance of volunteering from the volunteer manager at Zoos Victoria.

I am so grateful for this experience, as I have had the opportunity to meet with so many amazing industry experts and learn about not only science and conservation but their life experiences and the journey they took to be where they are today. I have also made some incredible lifelong friends and met many young adults that have the same passions as me.

I would like to thank Ms Attard for being my mentor teacher throughout the program. Thank you for not only helping me to receive a scholarship to the program and distributing surveys but always being there to help, support and encourage me. I have a graduation lunch on the last day of term and I can’t wait to share the knowledge I have learnt throughout the program with the Penola community

Amy H (10C)

NAPLAN
As you are aware, Year 7 and 9 students completed NAPLAN Online testing for the first time in May. Students were assessed in Reading, Writing, Conventions of Language and Numeracy. The numeracy assessment measured student achievement across number and algebra, measurement and geometry and statistics and probability. Year 7 and 9 students have now received their NAPLAN Student Report as these were mailed home to parents last week.

• Year 7 student reports show bands 4–9. The national minimum standard is band 5.
• Year 9 student reports show bands 5–10. The national minimum standard is band 6.

As outlined by Acara:

How does NAPLAN help my school?

NAPLAN is the only national assessment that Australian children undertake. NAPLAN helps:

• teachers to better identify students who need greater challenges or extra support
• schools to identify strengths and areas of need in teaching programs
• schools to set goals in literacy and numeracy
• school systems to review programs and support offered to schools
• the community to see average school results on the My School website.

NAPLAN also complements other school assessments and provides nationally comparable data to help governments evaluate how education programs are working and whether students are meeting important literacy and numeracy standards.

Parents please note, the 9-day NAPLAN test window for 2023 is scheduled for Wednesday March 15- Monday March 27.

This year at the Broadmeadows Campus, students had the opportunity to enter a Public Speaking Competition.

Students were required to select a topic, plan and prepare a speech and present it to a panel of judges (including teachers and students).

Some of the topics that were presented included:

• We should we not ban offensive art.
• We should not subsidize smokers' healthcare treatments.
• the compulsory voting age should be lowered to 16.
• We should close all zoos.

Below are the results for the Competition:

• 1st: Cinar C (11I)
• 2nd: Carlos B(10E)
• 3rd (tie): Angus D (12G) and Nikitha K (11F)

Congratulations to the above students and all the students who participated. A sincere thank you to Mrs Alberto and Leah M (11J) for organising and overseeing the competition.

Are you at the Glenroy Campus and looking for something to do on Wednesdays at lunch? Why not come and join Science Club. Expand your Science knowledge while making new friends. The focus of Term 4 is "Robotics and Coding" We can't wait to see you there.

When / Where
Wednesday at lunchtime at the Glenroy Campus in CAM003.

The Penola Music Department has celebrated another successful ‘musical’ term. Over the last fortnight we held two wonderful music concerts – Unit 4 VCE Music Night and Rock Band Night!

Unit 4 VCE Music Night
On Thursday 1 September our Year 12 VCE Music Performance students performed their Unit 4 programs in the lead up to their end-of-year external performance examinations. For some of our Year 12 students, this concert was the culmination of six years of music performances at Penola. VCE Music Night was a great concert and a wonderful celebration of our Year 12 Music students. We wish our Year 12 VCE Music Performance students all the very best with their upcoming VCE music examination recitals.

Rock Band Night
After a two-year hiatus of live performances, we finally held our very own Rock Band Night featuring six Penola Rock Bands across all year levels, as well as various soloists throughout the night. Our soloists and rock bands put on an incredible and entertaining showcase, supported by an amazing lights show. Congratulations to all our soloists and rock bands for a truly wonderful night of rock music and a big thank you to our Rock Band Leaders – Mr Ben Stivala and Mr Matthew Erickson for preparing our students in the lead up to this annual event.

Term 4 – Upcoming Performances

• Under the Stars – Wednesday 9 November. Tickets on sale soon.

Mrs Ramona Arney
Head of Performing Arts/Instrumental Music Coordinator

Penola Catholic College recognises and encourages students who strive for excellence in a wide range of disciplines. The College believes it important that students develop:

• skills of creativity
• a spirit of enquiry
• self discipline
• critical awareness
• a sense of community
• skills in leadership
• a desire for academic excellence
• be a Real Life Learner

Penola Catholic College endeavours to support students through the implementation of a Scholarship Program. The Scholarship Program recognises and acknowledges students that take responsibility for, and are proactive in the development of their own learning.

We are thrilled to be able to announce the provision of a number of scholarships for 2023. The scholarships are of $400 each and are categorised as Academic, Co-Curricular Involvement, Community Spirit and Personal Endeavour.

Students interested in applying for a scholarship are invited to complete an application form. Forms will be available my.penola.

All applications must be submitted no later than Friday 7 October. The Scholarship Selection Committee will then short list and interview suitable applicants. Recipients of scholarships will be acknowledged at the College Awards Night.

Please Note: Recipients of 2022 Scholarships are not eligible to apply this year, but may apply again next year.

Students may only apply for one category of scholarship.

College Captains Report from Angus and Jordan:

Transfer of Leadership Assembly
The Transfer of Leadership Assembly marks the end for the outgoing Leadership Team and the start of the journey for the incoming Leadership Team for the following academic year as the 2023 Student Leadership Team commences in Term 4. The 2022 Transfer of Leadership Assembly took place on Friday 9 September in the ASH with entire College Community present. We MC'ed the first half of the Assembly, prior to handing over the mantle to our new 2023 College Captains, Siala and Leah who MC'ed the second half of the Assembly. Our Assembly coincided with Mental Health Week and R U Ok Day. In line with these events, we began our Assembly presenting the meaning and significance that these dates have in our Calendar each Year, and what activities that the Student Leadership Team had run throughout the week. Year 12 Student, Norma B completed the Acknowledgement of Country and lit the Indigenous Candle as a symbol representing this Acknowledgement. Jordan then sung the National Anthem.

Following this and after Mr. Caldow had delivered his Principal’s Address to the College Community, we had reached the point in the Assembly whereby the formal transition of the College Captains and Portfolio Captains took place. Below is a table that summarises the Transition of 2022 to 2023 College and Portfolio Captains. Staff Involved in the transition process were Deputy Principal of Teaching and Learning, Ms Treloar for the Captain of Academic Excellence portfolio, Head of Sport, Mr Griffin for the Captains of Sport portfolio, Sustainability Coordinator, Mr Bell-Warren for the Captain of Sustainability portfolio, Head of Performing Arts and Instrumental Music Coordinator at the Broadmeadows Campus, Mrs Arney for the Captain of Performing Arts portfolio, Deputy Principal of Faith and Mission, Mr Dullard for the Captains of Christian Service portfolio and Student Leadership Coordinator, Miss Perkin for the College Captains and Vice Captains. Each of the Portfolios have Symbols pertaining to the Roles in which the 2022 Captains processed through the ASH and handed the Symbol over to the 2023 Captains. A huge Congratulations to all involved in the process, to the 2022 Captains, what an amazing journey it has been, we have all worked so well together, achieved some awesome things and most importantly had heaps of fun along the way! To the 2023 Captains, the very best of luck, everyone is behind you guys, super proud of you all, your going to be amazing at your roles and we look forward to seeing a hearing about the many magnificent things you will achieve during the time in your roles!

Our 2023 College Captains and Portfolio Captains made their statement of commitment to the College Community and following this Siala, and Leah presented their College Captain Acceptance Speeches. 2023 Captain of Sustainability, Amy then presented her Leadership Experiences with Zoo’s Victoria. The Senior Concert Band then performed Shut Up and Dance for everyone! 2022 Captains of Sport, Joulia and Tara completed their Sports Presentations where they recognised the victorious Year 7 Premier League Boys Volleyball Team, Junior Girls Athletics Team, SACCSS Athletics Individual Champions to the College Community and Hannah A and Kelly G presented the 2022 Josephite Exchange Report to conclude the Sports Presentations. The Victorian Bar Student Achievement Awards were then presented, Shenoli F, Olivia P and Cameron M presented their Canberra Trip Report and to conclude the Assembly the 2022 Mary Mackillop Day Charity Presentations.

Handover and Thank You
To conclude our final College Captains Report for the Newsletter, we would like to personally thank Mr. Caldow and all Members of College Executive for the amazing opportunity that we have been provided with over the past Year. As well as the College Community for all of their support throughout over the past year! We have learned so many new things, gained experience and developed skills in a wide array of areas. This year has come with its challenges, yet we have been able to overcome and learn from every one of them. Being able to make a change in our college community has been extremely rewarding and we have enjoyed every moment of it. Moving forward, we would like to Welcome the 2023 College Captains, Siala M and Leah M. The two are an extremely dedicated and hardworking pair who have displayed impressive Leadership potential, they will be a perfect match to take on the mantle of College Captains. We cannot wait to hear of the many wonderful things that they achieve during their time as College Captains.

Captain of Performing Arts Report from Nelana:
Hi All! It's the Captain of Performing Arts again!

This Thursday I held a dance workshop with 10 students and myself where I taught a dance to the song Finesse. I want to congratulate everyone that came and enjoyed letting loose through movement during mindfulness week. I also want to say a big thank you for participating. I know that dance is an outlet for me when I'm overthinking homework or need some stress release so to share it with a group of my friends and new faces is truly gifting!

Last Friday, we also had our rock band performances across both campuses. I had the privilege of helping MC along with music teacher Matt whilst admiring the talent we have at Penola. Some songs included Mr. Brightside - the Killers, Easy Lover - Phil Collins and Beat It - Michael Jackson. The stage lighting matched the occasion perfectly with the red flashing lights and blue hues embodying a real rock concert atmosphere. If you didn't come, I'll let you know you missed a night full of rockstars, break away dance moves and smashing guitars.... However, there is still the Under the Stars performance that you will be able to grab tickets for soon, so keep an eye out for it.

Rock band photos are available in the Music article.

Captains of Sport Report from Joulia and Tara:

Year 9 Premier League
Semi Finals for the Year 9 Premier League Season took place on Wednesday 31 August, a fabulous effort by all involved! Below is the list of Results and the Most Valuable Player from each team as well as the Match Reports from each of the Semi Finals:

Boys Basketball Semi Final from Mr. De Angelis
The Year 9 boys fought hard in their semi-final loss to the eventual grand final winners CRC Caroline Springs. Unfortunately, a slow start to the match saw our boys fall behind by around 15 points at halftime. From there we saw an amazing mature performance where our team kept their head up and continued to play with excitement and fun. As a team, we had a range of scorers throughout the match along with plenty of players showing skills with their assists and rebounding abilities. What’s been the most exciting factor about this season is the improvement from every single person from round 1 to the semi-final. Our ball movement, triple threat acquisition and looking after each other as a team were just a joy to watch.

A massive congratulations to the Year 9 boys for making it to the semi-final, you should all be very proud of how far you’ve come.

Girls Basketball Semi Final from Mrs Jones and Ms. Bonavia
The Year 9 Premier League Girls Basketball team played a thrilling Semi Final against CRC North Keilor. The last time these two teams met Penola lost by 4 points so we knew it was going to once again be a close match. With Sienna R out with an injury the team knew they would need to work together and that they did. Charlotte P, known for her outstanding rebounding got to work straight away on the offensive and defensive boards whilst Sienna F the 3 point specialist was hard for the defense to stop. Ella S and Claire O consistently played their best and filled in wherever the team needed. Princess L has a stellar offensive game, keeping Penola in touch at the breaks. Leah S who has consistently been a high performer throughout the season kept Penola competitive throughout the match whilst Gurleen K kept up the team work and communication on the court. In the final minutes CRC snuck way and held on to their 5 point lead. Penola is to be commended for their outstanding team work and sportsmanship throughout the season and the team is already looking forward to next year.

Girls Soccer Semi Final from Miss. Singarella
The girls soccer team secured a place in the Grand Final following their exceptional win over Emmanuel College in the Semi Final last Wednesday, an intense game which ended in a 2 - 1 victory. Andrella T (also MVP) scored the first goal in the last 10 minutes of the first half, and not long after a second goal scored by Rosemary T. Although the only goal conceded was an unlucky umpiring call, the whole team played their best second half defensively to secure the win. I am so proud of all the year 9 girls in our soccer team and can’t wait for our Grand Final this week!

Girls Volleyball Semi Final from Rhianna N 9G
On 31 August, the Year 9 Girls Volleyball Team went up against Caroline Springs for semi finals. It was an amazing game as the scores were 3-0 we won smashing them. Everybody did well as they contributed as a team by using great communication skills to keep the ball up and going to play some insane rallies. Some special mentions I would like to address is Mariam M because her serves were really good and won us 8-12points in a row just on serves and same for Kate M she set out great serves towards the opposing team and winning the last set. Chloe B and Savinah M for great commitment towards the ball as they were diving and sliding across the floors trying their very hardest to keep the ball up in the air. All did well and have many special skills they are particularly amazing in. That day was extremely fun and memorable for all the girls.

Grand Finals for the Year 9 Premier League Season took place on Wednesday 7 September, a huge Congratulations and Well Done to all involved! Below are the Match Reports from each of the Grand Finals:

Girls Soccer Grand Final from Miss Singarella
The Year 9 Girls Soccer Team played an outstanding game against the undefeated St Monica’s in the Premier League Grand Final. Our champion goal keeper Alyssia played a vital role in the game & had a major impact on the number of goals that were conceded. The girls soccer team had a fantastic season which earnt them a spot in the grand final, special credit to each team member for always demonstrating good sportsmanship throughout the season!

Girls Volleyball Grand Final from Mrs Doan
On 7 September, the Year 9 girls Volleyball Team played CRC North Keilor in the Volleyball Grand Final. It was a very tough and close game, and unfortunately CRC North Keilor came away with the win 3 sets to 1 set. This year was the first year the girls had played together as a team and during every match they tried their hardest, showed excellent sportsmanship and encouraged each other to be the best they could be. Special mention must go to Rhianna N who was an amazing captain as well as being a fantastic support to all the girls. I am so proud of every student on the team, and I cannot wait to see what 2023 and beyond brings for them.

Staff vs Students Futsal Matches
On Thursday 1 September multiple students from years 9-12 took a part in Staff vs Students Futsal matches during lunchtime in the ASH. In the first match the team consisted of Year 11s & 12s who played against the Staff members, the score was 2-2. The second match was Year 9s & 10s vs Staff scoring 2-0 respectively. Congratulations to the Students teams as they won 4-2 in total. These were fun and exciting matches as many students as well as teachers attended to watch. Thanks to all those who were involved in the planning and participating in this event.

SACCSS Senior Boys and Girls Basketball Match Reports from Mr. Woodburn and Mrs. Jones

Round 4 Senior Boys Basketball
The fourth Round of the SACCSS Senior Boys Basketball Season took place on Friday 2 September with Penola hosting St. Monica’s! A fabulous Friday Afternoon performance from the Boys coming away with the Win by 13 points, 55 to 42!

Round 5 Senior Boys Basketball
The final match of the home and away season turned out to be the toughest and most competitive for the SACCSS Senior Boys Basketball Team. A talented and well drilled MacKillop opposition proved to be able to contain several offensive spurts from the Penola boys, keeping the scores close to even throughout the entire match. Some absolute domination from AJ M and Mason M in the second half had Penola seeing victory in their eyes but a final quarter streak from MacKillop put a nail in the coffin. The final result saw Penola lose to MacKillop 62 – 59, eliminating any chance of Penola making a finals appearance. A massive thank you to all of the players involved in the season, who have come together as a team for many moments of brilliance and connection with one another.

Round 5 Senior Girls Basketball
The girls travelled to Kolbe Catholic College to take on the top of the ladder Kolbe girls team. The Penola girls worked hard throughout the game to counteract Kolbe’s height and exceptional 3 point shooting. This was the first time our team had any substitutes and we tried a number of tactics; however they were unsuccessful. Whilst we were beaten by Kolbe the girls demonstrated exceptional sportsmanship throughout the game and vowed to come back better with some game play to beat them in the Grand Final.

Senior Girls Basketball Grand Final from Mr. Griffin
Senior sport concluded on Tuesday 13 September with the Girls basketball team competing against Kolbe in the grand final. After the boys’ team missed out on qualifying for the decider on percentage, the girls had the opportunity to win the inaugural SACCSS Senior Girls Basketball competition, as this was the first year that teams competed for an entire season rather than a one-day tournament. PCC were quickly out of the blocks, scoring the first eight points of the match. Norma B’s passing was sublime to find Chloe E and Savannah B who were able to score some wonderful baskets. Kolbe fought back and by halftime had gained the ascendency. The second half was a very tight affair with lead changes occurring with almost every possession. Jade M, in her final game for the College, hit a huge 3 pointer and her rebounding work was phenomenal. Aimee F, Taliah O’C and Hannah A all worked tirelessly defensively coming up with some crucial stops on Kolbe’s very talented guards. The fourth quarter was very tense viewing as every possession counted for so much! With three minutes of play remaining and Penola holding a slender lead, PCC went up a few gears and scored on the next two possessions to put the game beyond doubt. After being defeated by Kolbe 66 – 23 in the last home and away round of the season, Penola recorded a stunning 8-point victory to capture the trophy! An unbelievable turn around and congratulations to every player and Mrs Jones on coaching the team. Final score; PCC 49 – Kolbe 41. MVP awarded by the referees: Savannah B and Players Peer of the match awarded by Kolbe players and coaching staff: Chloe E.

Year 8 Premier League
After the Bye in Round 1, the Season begins on Thursday 15 September for all Year 8 Premier League Teams with Cricket and Girls Netball Teams travelling to Sunbury to take on Salesian College for their Round 2 Fixtures. Boys and Girls Soccer Teams travelling to South Morang to take on Marymede for their Round 2 Fixtures. Boys and Girls Basketball and Boys and Girls Volleyball travelling to Greenvale to take on Kolbe Round 2 Fixtures. The very Best of Luck to all Teams as they look to start their 2022 campaigns with a Win!

Captain of Sustainability Report from Grace:

Wetlands Revitalization Session
Health and PE week went by in a flash and in a turn of unfortunate events, the wet weather prevented us from going through with our Wetlands Revitalization Session. Thankfully it was rescheduled for Monday 5 September and continued as planned. A small group of us gathered around the Wetlands Area at the start of Lunch, with our gardening gloves, some tools, and a couple bags for collection. The lunch went by quickly as we began with a short introduction to some of the native and invasive species in the area. Mr. Woodburn showed us how to whistle through a leaf and how to recognise some of the pesky weeds. We split off into two groups, one focusing on weeding and then other focusing on picking up litter. We switched after about 15 minutes and left at the end of lunch with a mountain of weeds and a bag full of rubbish.

Mental Health Week 2022 Reports:

Cooking Classes – Broadmeadows Campus from Vice Captain of Sport Tara
To mark the beginning of Mental Health Week, on Monday 5 and Tuesday 6 September 2 Cooking Classes were held during Lunchtime for Students in Years 9-12. During these Classes, Students participated in making Mini Pizzas with toppings of their choice, which was a great distraction from the busy Term 4 that is quickly approaching. Over the course of the two sessions, roughly 40 students got involved in this activity; came along with their friends and had a great time. We thank Ms Mann for hosting this event and to all the other teachers who assisted in supervising all students.

Mindful Painting Session – Broadmeadows Campus from College Captain Jordan
Continuing with the theme of Mental Health Week, on Tuesday 6 September, one of the Art Classrooms was opened up at lunchtime for students to participate in a mindful colouring session. The lunchtime activity was aimed at promoting the therapeutic benefits of art and other calming hobbies, each student could select a template which they could then paint in as they wished. Alternatively, there where pre-painted pages which students could design an image to. The lunchtime was extremely fun for all the students and there was a great turn up, especially amongst the year 11’s and 12’s, this hopefully aided in providing the with a much-needed break from their studies so that they could go back to class feeling refreshed and ready to learn.

10,000 Steps a Day Challenge – Both Campuses from College Captain Angus
A challenge in which I had set for the College Community was to complete 10,000 Steps a Day, over the week! It was an excellent way, to enjoy some time outdoors, have some fun, catch up with Friends and get some Exercise in! A huge thank you to all participants of the Challenge with heaps of fun had by all throughout! Huge Congratulations and Well Done to our 2023 College Captain, Leah M who was the Winner of the Uber Eats Voucher!

Tournament Of Minds was an overall unique experience. It’s like Drama, Science, English, Math and Art all mixed into one big play that you have to perform, except there is no fear of failing, because you can’t fail. We spent a lot of time preparing for the day and working on the challenge in the short time frame of 20 days that we were given. We worked quite well as a team, everyone had a part of the project that they were working on, and it was wonderful to see it all finally come together towards the end. I was in charge of construction of our gold platform, as I had a lot of experience with motorized LEGO. On the day everyone managed to arrive in time for our performance (just), and our little play that we had spent so much effort on turned out alright. It wasn’t perfect, but nothing ever is; the projector didn’t work, so it was lucky that we weren’t relying on it, and we messed up a few lines here and there, and I spun the module the wrong way one time, but other than that it went perfectly fine. There was also the spontaneous challenge and we formed a solution to that problem cooperatively. If you are passionate about something, it really doesn’t matter, you could really love science, or computers, or robots, or drama, or anything, and you wish for a unique experience, I’m sure there will be something in it for you in Tournament of The Minds.
Lucas P (8B)

Two teams from Penola Catholic College travelled to Latrobe University on August 21st to compete in the STEM division of the Tournament of Minds competition. Two teams were given the assignment of conducting research on gold and its historical significance. We had to create characters, settings, clothes, props, and more to go along with the information we had gathered. Both groups approached this task in quite different ways. My group built a moving platform out of cardboard that was painted black with a Lego motor that spun thanks to an app that controlled the motor. On top, we hot glued a 300 gram gold nugget that was constructed out of gold paper. An Egyptian necklace, an Incan cup, and other gold relics were among the many gold objects we created. Our presenters dressed as their own personas while acting out various scenarios in costumes. We honed our acting skills and reviewed our scripts several times before the presenting day. We forgot a few lines and scenes during the performance, but it wasn't too bad in the end. After we were done, we were asked to complete our Spontaneous challenge in another area. We were given an issue, an objective, and a list of requirements for this task. We hardly had any time to think of solutions to this problem. We had to present the judges with three options and explain why we selected them. We only had time to discuss two ideas before the time ran out, but we swiftly improvised and came up with another proposal on the fly to present to the judges. Overall, TOM and the different obstacles it presented to us were enjoyable to me. I like being able to share my opinions and hear those of others. If given a chance to do this again, I would definitely be happy to accept.
Artemis Rezaei Mirghaed (8I)

Christmas celebrates the Birth of Christ, the symbol of hope in our world. It is a time of giving to others without expectation of receiving something in return. Bring hope and happiness to those less fortunate in our community by donating non-perishable (unopened packaging, within best before date and has ingredient/allergen listing) items to our school appeal. Donations will be accepted starting Term 4 at the Glenroy Campus. Looking forward to your support and generosity.

Items most needed

• Canned fruit, vegetable, fish, soups
• Sauces and seasonings
• UHT milk and juices
• Coffee, tea and spreads
• Rice, pasta and noodles
• Cereals
• Shampoo, conditioner, soap, deodorants
• Dental floss, toothpaste and toothbrushes
• Tissues and toilet paper
• Feminine Hygiene products

Mrs Quiriconi and Mrs Bruzzese

The Victoria Police Applicant Attraction Team are hosting an information session on the Police Officer role in Craigieburn on Tuesday 4 October 2022.

Event: Craigieburn Police Recruitment Information Session
Location: Hume Global Learning Centre, 75-95 Central Park Ave, Craigieburn
Date: Tuesday 4 October, 2022
Time: 6:00pm – 7:30pm

Please join us on an information session to learn about the Police role, the recruitment process, training at the Academy and hear from some local members about their journey with Victoria Police.

To register visit www.police.vic.gov.au/police-information-sessions

To find out more about the role of a Police Officer, visit www.police.vic.gov.au/careers

Payment of Term 4 School Fees are due by Friday 7 October.

Kindly arrange your payment by this date. To discuss your account please contact Lisa Crosbie on 99089041 or email schoolfees@penola.vic.edu.au

Thank you.

Westmeadows Cricket Club

Young Endeavour Youth Scheme

Merri-Bek Netball Association

Saver Plus Information Session