Co-Curricular
Music
Music Ensembles
Our music ensemble program is widely recognised for its exceptional quality and dedicated approach to musical education. Join us today and discover the joy of making music in a supportive and challenging environment.
The benefits of being part of a music ensemble are many. The development of skills in collaboration, working together with a common goal of producing excellent music, are central to the music ensemble program. The research connecting literacy/numeracy and academic success to music are irrefutable.
There are many opportunities for students from Years 3-12 to participate in an ensemble:
- Concert Band Program: Year 4 Band, Development Band, Concert Band
- Year 5 String Program
- Choirs – Crotchet Crew, Quaver Crew and Senior Choir
Please note, students who wish to participate in our Development Band and Concert Band program are required to fill out a digital form, ensuring a streamlined and efficient enrolment process. The link is below:
Instrumental Tutors
Specialist instrumental tutors also operate in the College and offer tuition in a variety of instruments. These lessons attract a fee, take place throughout the school day and provide a convenient way for students to learn an instrument without adding to busy family schedules outside of school hours. Students are expected to catch up on any work missed by attending these lessons and arrangements are made between parents and the tutor regarding timing. Instruments offered at the College include
- Piano
- Voice
- Violin / Cello
- Guitar / Bass
- Drums
- Woodwinds – flute, clarinet, saxophone
- Brass – trumpet, trombone, tuba, horn
For further information regarding the College’s Music program, please download a copy of the "Parents' Private Music Tuition Guidelines for Families" document below or contact the Music Department at [email protected]
If you would like to register your student to receive lessons from our instrumental tutors, please complete the "Music Tutor Expression of Interest Application" form below. Once submitted, our music tutors will contact you with their current availability.
Instrument Hire
We offer a range of musical instruments for hire to help you get started on your journey. Our instrument hire program is designed to provide students with everything they need to start making beautiful music, whether they're just starting out or looking to take their skills to the next level.
Some of the instruments available for hire at Penrith Anglican College include:
- Trumpet
- Trombone
- Clarinet
- Alto/Tenor Saxophone
- French Horn
- Violin
- Percussion Packs
- Other specialised brass and woodwind instruments are available
For enquiries, please complete the digital form.
Drama Club
This is a lunchtime group for Year 7 and 8 students to develop their knowledge and understanding of theatre. Students work together, learning performance skills through practical activities and participating in a number of different group work scenarios. This is an excellent introduction to Drama and a taste of what elective Drama can offer.
Musical Productions
The school (now bi-annual) musical has been a highlight on the calendar for Penrith Anglican College since the College’s opening and is an amazing opportunity for students of varying ages and gifts to work together to produce a high quality event.
A large number of students are involved in each production in all aspects of the musical and look forward to each new show. There are many opportunities to be involved, to learn new skills, and to explore and stretch what may be personally possible! Students not only have the chance to develop skills in singing, dancing and acting, but roles are available behind the scenes in costuming, staging and set design, props, lighting, and sound, or even orchestra.
Being involved with the musical allows students to collaborate across year groups, providing older students the opportunity to mentor younger students. Students have developed long lasting friendships as a result of involvement in the musical.
- Charlie & The Chocolate Factory – 2024
- High School Musical – 2022
- Pirates of Penzance – 2018
- Mary Poppins – 2017
- Beauty and the Beast – 2016
- Happily Ever After - 2014
- Calamity Jane - 2013
- Wizard of Oz – 2011
- Peter Pan – 2010
“I liked being able to become another person that I wouldn’t have the opportunity to otherwise.” – Jade Richards
“I enjoyed the ability to entertain people.” – Joshua Heins
Dance Company
An auditioned co-curricular Dance Company is a feature of the co-curricular performing arts program at PAC. This group meets weekly and performs at school events and the Independent Schools Dance Festival.
Lego Robotics
Each week students from in Year 7 & 8 have the opportunity to meet after school to build and program robots using the LEGO Mindstorms EV3 platform.
The Mindstorms platform has been developed by LEGO education to enable students to learn and boost confidence by linking play and learning. The system helps students experience and discover the world of technology and robotics while building their confidence and resilience to learn and adapt to changing situations as well as working as part of a team.
Our LEGO Robotics co-curricular activities give students the opportunity to learn programming, building and coding as well as skills such as teamwork and problem-solving.
Competitions involve navigating obstacles to solve challenges on a playing field with a chance to participate in the annual First Lego League tournament against teams from other schools.
Students also have fun in our Battle-Bots challenge which requires their robot to defeat an opponent’s robot by either dislodging its cargo or pushing it out of the playing field.
Cadets
Penrith Anglican College has an Australian Air Force Cadet (AAFC) squadron as part of the Australian Defence Force Cadets (ADFC) program. Part of the aim of the ADFC, which includes the AAFC is ‘to better equip young people for community life by fostering initiatives, leadership, discipline and loyalty through training programs which are also designed to stimulate an interest in a particular arm of the Defence Force.’ The activities undertaken by the cadets are varied, fun and instil life-long skills, such as leadership, community service and teamwork, all skills which prepare our students for a life of purpose.
Students from 13 to 18 years old can join the No 345 Penrith squadron, which is run on the College campus on Thursday evenings.
For further information students can contact the College or the 345 Squadron directly at [email protected].
Art Club
Building creativity is important at Penrith Anglican College. At our weekly Art Club, interested students from Year 7–11 can meet at lunch time to learn new art skills, work on current pieces, experiment with new media and meet other students with similar creative interests.
Debating
For Aristotle, the ability to speak persuasively, and to recognise how others did, formed the foundation of learning, public discourse and democracy. Penrith Anglican College offers students the opportunity to participate in the ancient tradition of rhetoric in a range of co-curricular debating and public speaking activities. These activities provide practical contexts for students who aim to develop their confidence, reasoning and critical thinking.
Secondary students have the opportunity to compete against other schools in a range of debating and public speaking competitions. These include those run by HICES, AIS, NSW Rostrum and Lions Club, running variously in face-to-face and remote online settings as well as the intra-school Year 8 Public Speaking Forum.
