No. 71 Winter 2019
Indigenous Immersion Expedition A two-way learning experience with local children in the Northern Territory
Science Innovation Centre A space to spark innovation, exploration and discovery
We respectfully acknowledge the Whadjuk people of the Noongar nation as the traditional owners of the land on which we stand and pay our respects to elders past, present and future. Together, we acknowledge the contributions of Aboriginal Australians and nonAboriginal Australians to the education of all children and people in this country we all live in and share together – Australia.
Contents
No. 71
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Welcome from the Principal
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2019 Rowing season marks 30 years
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Year 10s experience a day of the FIFO life
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Penrhos launch cultural engagement program in the top end
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Innovative Schools Consortium Scholars’ program
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Winter reflections
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Year 7 Forensic Science Day
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Penrhos raises almost $30k in head shave for Cancer Council
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Shifting practice with Solution Fluency — Kindergarten
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Boarding perspectives
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Grand upgrade in a new grand piano
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From the Foundation President
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Penrhos awarded top Junior School fitness program in Australia
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The new Science Innovation Centre: Our vision
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Penrhos hosts IGSSA WA Cross-Country Carnival
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Photo gallery: Penrhos College events
COVER PHOTO
TEAM
Ebony Ballard (2022) and Maya Curtis (2019) in the new Penrhos trousers — photo by Joanne Yong
Editor Maggie Marshall
Winter 2019
Contributors and Photographers Meg Melville, Paula Barrow, Caroline Jenkins, Shannon Brunalli Design Joanne Yong
Welcome from the Principal Meg Melville Principal
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his is an interesting time to be involved in education. Our challenge is to provide relevant and engaging learning experiences to the students we are working with, against a backdrop of significant change — the pace and scale of which is unprecedented. Traditional models of leadership, organisational structures, business and client relationships are all being challenged to adapt and evolve, and education is no different, though traditionally quite slow in adapting to change. We can be caught up in focusing on all the reasons why change can’t happen instead of all the reasons why it should or indeed must, happen. Probably one of the greatest shifts in the way we work with our students is in student agency — the level of autonomy and power the student experiences in her learning environment; giving the student a voice in how she best learns across all aspects of her learning environment or in the Penrhos context across mind, heart, body and spirit. Agency empowers students to take responsibility for their learning, creating independent thinkers who will be far better equipped to adapt to change.
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If we are doing our job well at Penrhos, then we should be enabling student agency; empowering our students to have a voice, to speak out and feel safe to, so that discussion forums and feedback can inform decision-making. When a group of students came forward in 2018 to ask about the possibility of trousers being introduced into our uniform, it would have been easy to ask why? Instead, we chose to ask why not? Little did we know when we introduced trousers for our Years 4 to 12 students, that it would create such interest from the media! It seemed such a simple and logical thing to do, following that request from students. We did not make this change to be the first all-girls, private school to do so and, in fact, we were surprised when this became apparent. Although the trousers are not for everyone — and that is absolutely fine — the take-up by our students has been fantastic. We see it as a wonderful example of students voicing their opinions and exercising their choice; it is clear from the response of our students
Welcome from the Principal
“Agency empowers students to take responsibility for their learning, creating independent thinkers who will be far better equipped to adapt to change.”
that females do enjoy wearing trousers and that gender should not dictate girls must wear skirts and dresses. We are so proud of the girls’ ability to express their opinions and be strong enough to exercise their choice — a great example of student agency. Being strong and courageous, making a stand, persevering in the face of opposition and managing setbacks alongside successes are all part of learning in progress. I love the cover of this edition of the Penrhosian. It reminds me of that wonderful quote by Eleanor Roosevelt, “When you have decided what you believe, what you feel must be done, have the courage to stand alone and be counted”.
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Year 10s experience a day of the FIFO life As part of our Girls in Engineering Outreach Program with UWA, a group of our bright Year 10s visited a Rio Tinto mine site in Newman to gain real-life insight into what a future career in a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) related area might look like. Three girls from Penrhos College — Aleta Houden, Tayla Sedgwick and Sophie McPhail — departed to Newman in the Pilbara with a group that included students from Shenton College, Duncraig Senior High School and an Indigenous leadership program called Girls Academy. They were led through the Hope Downs 4 mine site by a team of female mentors from Rio Tinto. “The Greater Hope Downs 4 site visit helps illustrate the need for students to think beyond the conventional, towards career choices of which they may have been previously unaware – an inside look can help illustrate how STEM studies can equip students for a particular future career path. “These young women are the leaders of tomorrow,” explained Kathryn Serjeantson, Drill & Blast Superintendent “it’s important we do whatever we can to support more female interest in STEM areas and related careers in WA”. Students toured the camp to see what FIFO life was really like, before heading to site to learn about Rio Tinto’s state-of-the-art project, AutoHaul, for the independent operation of iron ore trains in the Pilbara region of Western Australia. After seeing the software behind the automation, the group visited the mechanical workshop and an active mining pit to see the massive autonomous haul trucks in action.
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“The humongous loaders and excavators were incredible to see up close and in operation. The people working on site were so friendly and eager to tell us all about their work — I learned so much about an industry that is so important to Western Australia’s economy” said Aleta Houden. Students also had the chance to hear from a range of mentors across the industry, including mining engineers, mechatronics engineers, facilities managers, drill and blast operators, emergency services staff and environmental advisors. “With multiple locations to visit, diverse work spaces to explore and inspirational people to meet, the visit was a true eye-opener for students and I’m sure they are now much better informed on the opportunities for women in mining,” said Tayla Sedgwick. Rio Tinto has been the foundation sponsor for UWA’s Girls in Engineering program since 2012 as part of its commitment to promoting female participation in STEM and to supporting female representation and success in the future workforce. “This was an incredible opportunity for these young women to experience engineering outside of the classroom,” said Girls in Engineering Outreach Coordinator Madeline Hermawan.
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Students and organisers from Rio Tinto at a Hope Downs 4 mine site Talking to an engineer at the Mobile Equipment Maintenance (MEM) Workshop Standing in front of an excavator in the MEM Workshop
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Painting a canvas to leave in the Hope Downs 4 Village Discussing the different departments and roles on site Learning about the technology behind autonomous excavators Hearing about the emergency services at Hope Downs 4 mine site
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Innovative Schools Consortium Scholars’ program We are thrilled to announce that a group of Penrhos students will be part of the inaugural Innovative Schools Consortium at Curtin University, set to commence in Semester 2 of 2019. This new initiative seeks to build stronger teaching and learning ties between Penrhos College and Curtin University, whilst constructing an additional pathway for high ability students to further their academic growth. Through this pilot program the Consortium will offer chosen students the opportunity to gain an insight into the world of higher education, and to earn useable university credits at the same time. Currently, there are 12 schools in total taking part in the program. Eligible students were able to choose from 14 units across the Faculties of Law, Health Science, Humanities, Science, Engineering and Business. Upon the completion of a lengthy application process, the following Penrhos students were granted free sponsored places by Curtin University.
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‘Human Structure and Function’: Keely Lindquist, Kate Marquis and Katherine Qiu. ‘Foundations of Biostatistics and Epidemiology’: Alyssa Gottardo, Harriet Jones and Goly Tarom. ‘Fundamentals of Management’: Gabrielle Della Franca and Heidi Ning Leow. ‘Accounting – The Language of Business’: Priya Bhasin and Lauretta Lee. ‘Planetary Science’: Amelia Linaker and Dora Wan. ‘Introduction to Astronomy’: Cecilia Clennell. We are immensely proud of these girls’ achievements and we know they will rise to the challenge of engaging in higher education beyond their years. We look forward to learning more about their progress and experience in the university environment, also to working closely with Curtin on further opportunities for our students to realise their full academic potential.
Year 7 Forensic Science Day This Semester, our Year 7 students became super sleuth investigators for ‘Forensic Science Day.’ Forensic Science is an ever-expanding area of focus both in terms of technological advancement and the number of students demonstrating an interest in pursuing relevant STEM-related careers. Forensic Science is a really engaging context in which to encourage problem-solving and critical thinking. On this basis, Penrhos worked in collaboration with Curtin University and Education Interactive to host this fun, engaging event in the lab.
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Education Interactive brings fun educational Forensic Science Workshops to schools across Australia, the UK and Ireland. Crime scenes were brought to life with a trail of spooky clues for students to then carry out a series of forensic experiments and learn how the principles of Chemistry, Physics and Biology can be applied to help to solve crimes. By conducting a variety of experiments the girls analysed results relating to fingerprinting, chromatography and blood typing. The day culminated in a series of maths puzzles to conquer an escape room scenario.
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Our ‘Forensic Science Day’ was very much a co-ordinated effort by our Maths and Science Departments and provided the Year 7s with an inspirational experience supported by the STEM outreach team from Curtin University. 1 2 3 4 5
The crime scene evidence provided Students working together to complete the escape room puzzle Students using ‘Blood typing’ skills to complete an activity Analysing crime scene evidence Analysing digital evidence to solve the murder mystery
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Shifting practice with Solution Fluency – Kindergarten Penrhos College has earned international acclaim in its quest to shift learning practise and improve student engagement under the consultation of Global Digital Citizen Foundation founder Lee WatanabeCrockett, the creative force behind some of the most exciting transformations in education today.
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External consultant Lee Watanabe-Crockett is guiding the Junior School towards a future focused learning culture with a focus on studentcentred learning, where students are engaged in exploring and solving real-world problems through an inquiry-based approach. Through a series of case studies outlining the work in our classrooms, we will bring to life for you how Lee Watanabe-Crockett’s six Essential Fluencies are being achieved.
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The essential question: how best can we help animals to survive? Our Kindergarten class has been combining their natural interest in animals with design thinking model ‘Solution Fluency’ (Lee Watanabe-Crockett) as follows: Define – what is the problem that needs to be solved? Discover – what do we know and need to know about the problem? Dream – what amazing and wild ideas can we think of to solve the problem? Design – can you plan and create an effective solution? Deliver – implement and/or present your solution to others Debrief – what worked well and what would make it even better?
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Originating from curriculum requirements revolving around endangered animals and the needs of living things, our girls were first challenged to address the question ‘how best can we help animals to survive?’
The visit to King’s Park led our girls to many conclusions and, as part of the Dream phase, they will begin to brainstorm a range of possibilities as they now develop their solutions.
This immediately established an emotional connection, which is central to high-level learner engagement and the first stage in Solution Fluency, where learners identify a real-world problem that means something to them. Designing quality questions is a fundamental skill in inquiry learning, as part of the Discover stage — learners were then challenged to pose questions to guide research into possible solutions.
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To help provide context, the class went on an excursion to King’s Park where the girls discovered that the Carnaby’s Black Cockatoo is under threat. 8
“I think Penrhos needs more banksias, it’s not fair for the cockatoos.” – Rella “We need hollow logs for them to use as a nest.” – Katyayani
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“We went to King’s Park to compare what we have there, so we can see if the environment at Penrhos has all the needs for the Black Cockatoo.” – Audrey “I feel so sad for them because they should have everything they need to help them live.” – Sophia “At King’s Park, the cockatoo had lots of food like banksia and gumnuts.” – Aanya “King’s Park had all the things the Black Cockatoo needs like food, water and shelter.” – Emmy “We went into groups and investigated what animals had been there, we found some poo that meant a bunny had been there.” – Audrey
“We need some more fresh water for them.” – Yiyi
So far, this project has progressed through the first three stages of Solution Fluency; Define, Discover and Dream. In the next stages, learners will begin to Design their own solutions. We look forward to further observing the rich learning process that occurs as the Kindergarten class develops solutions to address their essential question ‘How best can we help animals to survive?’ 1&2 Students exploring the natural playscapes and habitat of the Carnaby’s black cockatoos at Kings Park 3 Students on the Kings Park excursion exploring the cockatoos’ habitat from up high on the serpent bridge. 4 Kings Park educator informing students how the cockatoos make the Kings Park environment their home 5 Carmichael’s Journey — a book the students referenced frequently throughout our learning journey to understand the perspective of the cockatoos 6 Kings Park educator informing students how to best care for the cockatoos 7 Our brainstorm in our ‘Dream’ phase of what we can do next to help the Carnaby’s black cockatoos 8 Our floorbook; this documents our journey and learning
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Grand upgrade in a new grand piano We reflect on our rich musical history as the Penrhos ‘Friends of Music’ Parent Support Group dedicates a new grand piano to the College. 1 2 3. 4.
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8 August 1975: Dudley Bastian persuaded the College to buy our first Grand Piano – Ronisch The lid of the Ronisch goes into the then School Hall (that is, the current Junior School Hall) Parent Support Group, Friends of Music gather around the new grand piano in the Rixon Theatre in 2019 Resident piano accompanist Gladys Chua plays
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The very first grand piano purchased by the College was installed in 1975 by Dudley Bastian, our first Director of Music. The original grand piano was housed in the Junior School Hall and set Penrhos on an aspirational path to achieve exquisite musical standards over the next 40 years. In 1983, a Music Support Committee was formed to raise funds for the music program. In 1986, this Committee became the Parent Support Group we know today as Friends of Music (FoM). The Music Department and FoM recognised the need for a new grand piano about 10 years ago. When Paul McCarthy commenced as Director of Music in 2009, the matter was formally raised during budget deliberations.
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However, it was not until 2012 — when Suzanne Gardiner was President of FoM — that the Group budgeted to set aside $2,000 annually for 10 years to raise funds for a replacement. “For the next six years, funds were raised through Dinners of Note, raffles and bake sales at College events,” said current FoM President Claire Rossi. “In late 2018, FoM was finally able to go ahead and purchase the new grand piano. It was exciting to be able to contribute to such a beautiful and significant symbol of the College music program and to realise the efforts of past and present FoM committee members, who had worked hard over the years to raise the funds for it,” continued Claire.
“Musicians at all levels focus on technique, sound production and expression, working to achieve a variety of tonal colours in the overall stylistic and musical interpretation of a piece. Playing such a beautiful instrument allows for and enhances all these factors and makes for a far more satisfying and richer musical experience,” says Gladys Chua, Penrhos’ resident piano accompanist. The continuation of fundraising endeavours by Friends of Music will mean that quality instruments can be made available to all students for future performances, to ensure a continuation of the high standard of musical excellence that Penrhos is renowned for.
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Penrhos College awarded top Junior School fitness program in Australia
Penrhos College Junior School was proud to be winner of the inaugural Best Physical Health Program for primary aged children across Australia in 2018. The award was made by Sports Challenge Australia, an evidence-based organisation with a national sample size of more than 55,000 students’ fitness and skill levels, normalised to an IQ scale. Penrhos topped the scale with a fitness score of 126; the score required for an ‘adequate’ level of fitness is 85. Junior School Physical Education Coordinator Kenrick Armitage said “the benefits of being able to track progress, set goals and design a personalised physical education program has enabled individualised learning, specific to each girls’ needs”. Kenrick Armitage went on to say that staff implemented little tweaks to the program to improve on specific areas while making sure the girls have fun. “This is our fourth year of testing, and it has become apparent that the areas we really need to develop are flexibility and upper body strength,” said Armitage “our programs have therefore been adjusted so that we spend more time on flexibility-enhancing stretches, before and after physical activity, as well as various ways to get the girls weight-bearing on their hands, to increase upper body strength and muscular endurance.” The top five national scores were: 126.14 Penrhos College, 125.6 Asham Junior School in NSW, 121.6 Floreat Primary School, 118.45 Guildford Primary School and 100.2 by Melville Primary School.
A B O V E : Photo by David Baylis — Community News
Sports Challenge Australia Chief Executive Garry Tester said the climate and outdoor lifestyle in WA reflected the fact that four of the top five schools were West Australian. Tester went on to share his view that “private schools are a little bit better off than the government schools, because only one in nine primary schools has a trained Phys Ed teacher.” To be considered the fittest Junior School in the country is an outstanding achievement and testament to the hard work of our amazing students, inspiring staff and the carefully crafted Junior School Physical Education program.
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Penrhos hosts IGSSA WA Cross-Country Carnival A beautifully warm and sunny day was ordered and delivered for the Penrhos-hosted Cross-Country event held in Floreat on 21 June 2019. The event was a great success, the result of which can be attributed to the professionalism of everyone at Penrhos College. Congratulations to St Hilda’s, who won the IGSSA WA Cross-Country Champion School title for 2019. It was a very close carnival with MLC moving up a position from last year to finish in 2nd place, PLC climbing up the ranks to take out 3rd position and Penrhos finishing 7th overall.
group cohort, you can clearly see the consistent and rapid level of squad improvement over the past four years. Thank you to our Dean of Co-Curricular Paul McCarthy and Cross-Country Coordinator Zoe Lampard, to Ryan Sedgwick and all our coaches for their commitment in helping inspire the girls to achieve their personal best.
Results per year
For the preceding six months, our fantastic team of runners demonstrated their commitment to training sessions both around Penrhos and through Kings Park led by 2019 Captains Felicity Lindquist, Jemma Schofield and Lauren Archer. At Penrhos, our students are empowered to achieve their personal best and it has been very exciting to track our runners’ remarkable personal progress and development year-on-year in this context. Whether you look at our year group improvement or follow the year
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Year 8
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Year 9 Year 10 Year 11/12
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Year 8 girls warming up Ready, set, go!
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2019 Rowing season marks 30 years With a cry of “We’re small but we’re mighty!”, Penrhos Rowing punched well above its weight both on and off the water at the 2019 Independent Girls’ Schools’ Sports Association (IGSSA) of Western Australia Head of the River extravaganza on 29 June 2019.
Wendy was a driving force as the first Penrhos Rowing Coordinator, designer and facilitator of the Canning Bridge Boat Shed construction project in 1992 and the brains behind the annual Manure Drive fundraiser which is now also in its 30th year. Wendy’s significance to schoolgirl rowing in WA is acknowledged on the IGSSA Head of the River Trophy for Championship School which bears her name and is one of only three trophies presented annually at the IGSSA WA Championship carnival.
More than 550 athletes from six schools competed in the 31 championship events and the squad of 80 Penrhos rowers, led by Rowing Coordinator Keith Reynolds, achieved personal best race times across the board. The racing highlight of the day was the Year 10 A Quad romping home in first place with a huge five second margin, with a further four Penrhos crews taking out a top three finishing position, including our Senior Rowers in the 2nd VIII.
On dry land at the Head of the River event, the Friends of Rowing Group showcased the Penrhos rowing community to the 7,000 strong crowd. Backed by the sounds of the Penrhos Jazz Band, spectators enjoyed a carnival atmosphere with food tents, fresh produce from regional WA and baked goods, a pop-up café with extended seating for 80, plus an event merchandise shop.
Head of the River is the most prestigious event on the IGSSA Calendar and this year Penrhos had the great honour of playing host school in its 30th year. This was especially significant for Parent Support Group, the Friends of Rowing, as Penrhos parent Wendy Zuideveld not only founded the parent support group but set up the entire IGSSA rowing competition in 1989.
Friends of Rowing invested more than a year of planning in hosting this event and we were supported on the day by a volunteer roster of 65 parents, plus students and staff — including a wonderfully dedicated crew of
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teachers who come to all our regattas, support our fundraisers and join us on camps.
the Astrofest event and our major annual fundraiser, the Manure Drive.
The annual Head of the River Presentation Dinner on the evening of the regatta finally provided the opportunity for the rowing community to turn their focus inwards and onto themselves. Hosted by Rowing Captains Becky Pretorius and Jaslyn Sidhu, rowers and parents were this year joined by special guests Lorraine and Barry Young who presented the Amanda Young Memorial Award to Year 12 Rowing Boarding Captain Kate Munns for her commitment, sportsmanship and leadership.
With funding support from both the College and the Penrhos College Foundation, Friends of Rowing works hard to ensure we have a modern and well-equipped fleet of boats. In May we christened the Georgia Baker Quad in honour of the Australian representative rowers and 2005 School Captain and Captain of Boats. Funds from this year’s Manure Drive have been used to purchase a new VIII+, which will hit the water in season 2020.
The dinner was also a great chance for rowers to trade in their zoot suits for evening wear to formally celebrate the full rowing season, which runs for nearly nine months of the year. Friends of Rowing has one of the busiest calendar’s on campus; we run camps to Melbourne and Eaton; coordinate rowers’ uniforms and supporters’ merchandise; host Pasta Night social events and run a significant fundraising program including, number plate sales, a food stall at
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Anticipation builds before the race for Rowing Captain Becky Protorius Penrhos Phys Ed staff support the girls at Head of the River The Freshman A team Christening of the new quad with alum Georgia Baker (2005) Winning team: 10A Quad The First Eight Friends of Rowing managed an incredible range of food stalls First Eight on the water
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Penrhos launch cultural engagement program in the top end The Indigenous Immersion Expedition is part of the latest cultural engagement initiative at Penrhos College. For the first time this year, students were given the opportunity to apply and be selected for this fully immersive experience to promote intercultural understanding, shared learning and to foster meaningful relationships in a remote community. Dean of Co-curricular Paul McCarthy shares his story. In June 2019, a group of Penrhos girls travelled to a remote Indigenous community in the Northern Territory for eight days, where they learned with and from the local community about our nation’s rich heritage. Most of our time was spent with students in schools — our live-in immersion at Barunga, two days at Clyde Fenton Primary School, and early morning sports training sessions with the girls from Katherine High School’s Stars Foundation provided unique opportunities for two-way learning. Later we were based out of Charles Darwin University in Katherine. Our Year 9 and 10 students were welcomed like family into the remote community of Barunga (located five hours south of Darwin), with a population of approximately 300 people and the local K-12 school of around 100 students. I loved watching our girls participating in shared reading programs with younger students, who were clearly engrossed in spending time with us; also observing the obvious care, passion and gentleness
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of our girls as they modelled how to care for young babies in the Families as First Teachers program. We were all equally challenged as students shared skills in both English and Kriol languages to brainstorm a bilingual hospitality business plan. Fantastic discussions took place, as Barungan students learned the meaning of ‘rowing’ and explained to Penrhos students how to outrun a wild buffalo when chased around the school oval at 40km/hour (the answer, by the way, is to either chuck a hard-left U-turn, as it hurts the neck of the buffalo to swing its horns that way, or find a tree to climb!) My highlight was when Principal Samuel Sailor had to close the school at 1pm, due to the one water main in the community breaking down and leaving the school without water. Rather than the students wanting to go home, the entire Year 7-12 class asked if we would stay on and join them in a game of basketball. What ensued was an incredibly fun mixed-teams game of highly willing, always energetic, often inspirational, sometimes clumsy and every now and then embarrassing game of
“I was reminded of a quote from author and civil rights activist Maya Angelou “We are more alike, my friends, than we are unalike”, as I watched our girls share their family heritage, surname and passions with Barunga students who in turn shared their skin name, clan name and hobbies.” Paul McCarthy
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“Cultural differences should not separate us from each other, but rather cultural diversity brings a collective strength that can benefit all of humanity.” Robert Alan Aurthur – American screenwriter basketball. Teams of five didn’t matter (we had about 30 playing), rules were optional, and scores weren’t counted as the game was about more than winning. Umpires weren’t necessary as there were no arguments, and age, gender, ability and race were irrelevant — we were all friends and there was a place on the team for whoever wanted to play. After nearly three long hours of non-stop basketball, the game ended and everyone from Barunga and Penrhos came together, hugged and shook hands. I thought this very special occasion was going to end there, but no — the Barunga kids joined us for dinner at 7pm, stayed for dessert at 10pm and then came back again on Saturday morning for breakfast! Whilst this was no holiday — rather, a real challenge to the everyday reality for all travelers — there were also fantastic opportunities for us to explore regional and cultural highlights in the Northern Territory.
As part of our trip, we had the good fortune to visit the Cutta Cutta Caves, to learn to paint in Dalabon style, to cruise the Nitmiluk Gorge, and to swim together in the naturally heated creeks of Bitter Springs, Katherine Springs and Edith Falls. Many friendships were formed, and I am very moved to know that interactions have continued between Barunga and Penrhos students since our return. I personally treasure some special memories of my own interactions with local kids Cyril, Dal Santo, Jakob, Kitty, Latalia, Meisha, Oskar, Robert, Setta and Shanton. Our students were challenged; at times, they had to confront personal fears and inhibitions; they had to shop and cook for themselves, and regulate their own sleep and preparations, all without their phones and digital connections. There was little option but to talk and reflect with each other — and what a blessing that was! The group enjoyed a rare opportunity to meaningfully communicate and debate in a way that our busy lives often do not allow.
I want to send my sincere thanks to Jess O’Donnell and Craig Davies for being part of our leadership team for this expedition, and to each of our travelling students for their maturity, willingness to engage authentically, to unlearn and relearn… and to do it all in good humour. Above all, I want to thank our wonderful girls — well done to Alice Hurst, Abbey Coad, Claudia Crotty, Jesutofe Malomo, Kate Haney, Paige Schlink, Priya Bhasin, Paige Zweck, Soraya Peterson, Sophie HarveyLissienko, Sophie McPhail and Tahlia Stone.
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Abbey in the ‘Families as First Teachers’ classroom 2. Barunga students show Claudia and Priya their artwork 3. Recess with primary classes at Barunga School 4. Year 9 and 10 students were welcomed like family into the remote Indigenous community of Barunga 5. Penrhos students leaving Barunga with many fond memories 6. Playtime in the Early Learning Centre at Barunga School 7. Local students collaborative artwork 8. Penrhos students join a mathematics lesson outside 9. Wattle seed eaten as native bushfood 10. Paige and Alice being interviewed by pupils from Clyde Fenton Primary School
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Winter reflections by Rev Claire Pickering Chaplain In 1963, President John F. Kennedy said: “Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future.” Such a profound observation — change is certain and our attitude to change matters. Change is always happening in the world and in our lives - every minute, every hour and every day. We witness pervasive changes — in national and international politics, markets, business, law, digital technology, media, social values and the environment. We encounter personal changes — in our health, relationships, households, finances, schools, workplaces and local communities. Change is inevitable. And our attitude has weight, when we witness change in the world and encounter change in our lives. If we are overcome with fear and defer to evasion; if we emphasise the negatives and dwell on the cost; if we yearn for and venerate the past; or if we blindly maintain the status-quo, we allow for obstacles, barriers and stagnation and we diminish the space to progress and devise the future. An opportunity for growth and fulfilment arises from the will and courage to face, consider and embrace change. “When patterns are broken, new worlds emerge.” (Tuli Kupferberg).
Reflection in the Mirror Dana Tate You came into my life and weakened me so that, through you, I could become strong. You challenged me beyond my own thoughts and limitations, because I had become as complacent as clay. Then you shaped, stretched and moulded me, and I groaned from the growth of the bones that had not been used in a long time, if ever. I hated the change. I resisted the growth and cried shamelessly as I banged on doors that were once open, but were now shut! I collapsed in a heap of pain and shivered from fear of the unknown. Suddenly, a door among all the closed doors opened and a bright light shone out of it. As I tentatively walked over to it and then through it, I was immediately engulfed in fire. As I walked through the flames, I was liquidated, reshaped and refined; still I continued to walk, unscathed by the hot flames that licked at my soul and flesh. And, when I emerged, the door shut and I was in an empty room with a mirror. I walked over to the mirror and stared into it and there stood… me… but not me. A stronger, wiser, better, improved version of… me. Suddenly, the empty room became full of many doors and, this time, they were all open. I looked back at the reflection in the mirror and peered closely at my face. The hell I had been through in the transformation didn’t even leave a trace. Instead, the woman who stared back at me was full of confidence, strength and grace. I glanced at the many opened doors behind me, glanced back into the mirror at the reflection before me, and smiled.
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Penrhos raises almost $30k in head shave for Cancer Council
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Year 12 student, Zoe Dick, motivated 14 of her Secondary School peers to shave or colour their hair this year in support of the Cancer Council. The group raised $29,746 in our annual Do It For Cancer campaign — the School’s greatest total since Penrhos first became involved with the fundraiser in 2003. Zoe, who shed a tear as hairdressers cut off her hair in front of a crowd of supporting students and staff in the Margaret Way Courtyard on 18 March 2019, said she knew she wanted to do something significant for the cause when she was just 13 years old.
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“When one of my friends was diagnosed (in 2015), I decided I wanted to grow my hair out and shave it off in support of him.” Head of Year 12, Sean Ebert, bleached his hair white for the cause. He explained the School’s involvement in Do It For Cancer began in 2003 when much-loved English teacher Cathy Bradstreet sadly died from breast cancer aged just 51 and a number of staff and students shaved their heads to show their support.
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Sean Ebert, who has been teaching for 29 years, said students today have a greater social conscience than ever before, which prompts them to support more causes. “I think this generation of kids feels more empowered - they are proud to fulfil the role of active citizens,” he said, “and this is, of course, very much a part of the Penrhos philosophy.” One in two Australians will be diagnosed with cancer in their lifetime. Penrhos is firmly committed to supporting cancer research and fundraising to help provide vital services for those who are suffering from the disease, and their families.
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Zoe holds her locks in her hand The girls support each other throughout 14 girls shaved or cut their hair in 2019 A proud moment for all the girls Those who kept their hair created crazy hair styles instead
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A boarding parent’s perspective by Lara Lord
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Mother of Ellie (Year 11 boarder) and Tess (Year 8 boarder)
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In some ways it doesn’t seem so long ago that I said goodbye to our second eldest child, as we left our little Year 7 in the Penrhos Boarding House for the first time. Now she is in Year 11, and our youngest child (now in Year 8) has joined her.
Last year, the Year 7 boarding mums invited the Year 7 day parents for morning tea and a tour of the boarding house - it was a great opportunity to meet and show day parents our girls’ home away from home. This year, we decided to go even bigger and we invited all Penrhos parents to a Boarding and Day Parent Morning Tea on Thursday, 30 May — we held a mini market at the same time to showcase the ‘country’ of which we are so proud, and all the good things that come from it.
It’s not a natural thing to leave your children at boarding school, but we somehow get into the swing of it. We know our girls are well looked after by lovely, caring and understanding staff when they are not with us — we are so grateful to everyone in Penrhos boarding. The gorgeous light-filled boarding house is certainly an inviting and comfortable ‘home away from home’ and having your own room from day one is just exceptional. My girls have said many times how great it is to have their own space to chill out in when they need to. And I must just say one word about the food too — it’s excellent! Boarding parents have plenty of practice ‘parenting from a distance’. Our girls’ phone calls home are a chance for them to offload, vent, seek advice and positivity… and then they’re off to catch up with friends or do what they need to do — meanwhile Mum usually needs a yoga session to help her recover! Sometimes being away from home means the girls must work things out and learn for themselves, which is a good life lesson. One of the best things for me about having my girls boarding is the parents you meet and the lovely friendships you make. We’ve met some great people from all over the state, as have our girls; all the members of our amazing boarding community are so supportive of each other.
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Enjoying the Boarders’ Sundowner Crackling fires at home on the farm First day back after school holidays
With the generosity of our boarding families and extended community, the mini market quickly turned into a pretty decent sized farmers’ market, with lots of home-grown fresh fruits and vegetables, honey, flowers, plants, wine, craft and more. We even had pet lambs frolicking in the sun-filled boarding house courtyard, for lots of excited girls to play with. Thank you to everyone who attended and supported us that morning, especially to all the boarding families, staff and students for supplying goods, baking for the morning tea and helping set up on the day. The event created quite a buzz around the boarding house and I’m sure everyone involved enjoyed being part of this little venture — we certainly did. Our Head of Boarding, Michele Hay, is prioritising suggestions from the boarding girls with regard to how to spend the $2,000 raised — we can’t wait to hear what they decide to do. Now the holidays are here and we are all very excited. There’s so much on the ‘to do’ list for the girls coming home and our house will be full and ‘normal’ again; top of the list, of course, is to stock the pantry…
In our Boarding House…
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Boarders’ market at the Boarding and Day Parent Morning Tea Year 9 boarders ready for their social Year 12 boarders in their exclusive leavers’ jumpers Year 7 boarders dressed up for the Amanda Young Fair
Life as a boarder Year 12 student Renae Reid from Kelleberrin is our 2019 Captain of Boarding. After five years as a Penrhos boarder, Renae reflects on her first days in the Boarding House, as her last days draw near. Why did your parents decide to send you to Penrhos? My sister went to boarding school before me, so she was the one who really decided where I was going to go as I’d follow in her footsteps. My parents really loved the atmosphere at Penrhos, everyone was always so welcoming and always there to lend a hand or answer any questions we had. All the girls seemed really happy and the boarding house was bright and homely - that’s what really made their minds up to send us here to Penrhos. How did you feel when you first came to Penrhos? What did you find most challenging or difficult in your first few weeks? I was so excited about coming to Penrhos and my first day is now a blur - I don’t remember ever stopping, from meeting new people to trying new things, moving into
the boarding house - it was all so exhilarating! The most challenging thing at the beginning was trying to fit everything into each week! I wanted to try everything but obviously had to sacrifice some things for others. Other than that, I settled in easily. How often do you travel home to Kellerberrin to spend time with your family? Does your family come to visit you here at the Boarding House? I usually travel home once during the term for the mid-term break, and then I go home for the school holidays. My parents might come down to Perth three or four times a term to visit or to run errands in the city. This might not seem like much, but time flies when you’ve got so much on every day! It also makes me appreciate all the things I love about home and how lucky
A B O V E : Renae Reid (right), with fellow Year 12
boarder Darcie Schlink
I am to have the best of both worlds by being a boarder here at Penrhos. What are the benefits of being a boarding student at Penrhos? Being able to experience the city in a comfortable and welcoming environment. As a Year 7, I have only recently graduated primary school, which was pretty small with 150 kids. It was so amazing to be exposed to such a large community, in both the boarding house and the day school. I’m especially grateful for all the co-curricular opportunities that I have been able to participate in. And of course there are my amazing friendships with girls from all over the state, that I’m sure I’ll have for years to come.
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From the Foundation President by Tony Connors Foundation President
2019 has been a great year for us so far. Capital campaign We were excited to soft-launch our fundraising campaign for the new Science Innovation Centre at the end of last year, in close collaboration with Director of Marketing and Development Paula Barrow and Interim Development Coordinator Tanya Brooks (alumna and current parent). Based on an external feasibility study undertaken early in 2018, we held a series of targeted events with the objective of raising $325,000 (65% of an overall target of $500,000). I am delighted to report that, thanks to the generosity of our community, we have been successful in our goal! The public phase of this exciting campaign – to raise the remaining $175,000 - launches with this issue of the Penrhosian, so please read up on how you can get involved and help support on page 26. Alumni engagement The College Development Office is working with key members of our alumni body to leverage the generosity of our 9,500 members in terms of both advocacy and giving across the capital campaign. In this respect, we are especially delighted to welcome Ailsa Allen to the Foundation as of our June 2019 meeting; Ailsa replaces Camilla Holt in representing the Alumni Committee on our Board. We look forward to sharing more news of our progress in working with Ailsa and the Committee, as well as across the broader alumni community, in December. Annual giving In other news, our Annual Giving campaign was this year focused on raising money for the Foundation’s Hardship Fund, which was created earlier this year in response to the pressures of the current economic environment. Many similar schools already have funds in place to meet sudden needs. Remission is
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applied to address the kind of extreme circumstances which may threaten to compromise an established student’s final years of education at a time when she is already facing significant family difficulties. The campaign was targeted at our alumni and I am delighted to report that, thanks to the generosity of our Old Girls (as credited below), we have been successful in raising our most significant dollar amount via Annual Giving in the history of the College. D Ang H Burke B Coumbe D Hesterman McCarthy Family M Pass
K Pilatti A Remigio A Robertson P Turner J Whitaker
Menrhos The Foundation is delighted that long-standing Penrhos College Parents Support Group for dads — Menrhos — is now very much taking shape under new Chair and Foundation member, Simon Woods. I outlined in my last piece that the purpose of Menrhos is two-fold — the primary objective is to create great opportunities for dads to spend quality time with their daughters; secondly, Menrhos is seeking to raise funds for the College, to ensure we’re always at the cutting edge and can continue to offer the very best learning experience both for our daughters and for future generations. Planning is well underway for events both this year and next, so please look out for further details via Parent Year Reps and in the PCN. Any dads who are interested in signing up for Menrhos should please contact Simon directly by emailing simon@waib.com.au — particularly, interest would still be welcomed from Secondary School dads who remain under-represented.
Board membership The Board remained in almost steady state for the first six months of the year; the only change was in welcoming Ailsa Allen as newly appointed Foundation member representing the Alumni Committee. We still seek a high profile, high net-worth individual to join our number either as a member of the Board or as a Patron — such individuals are exceptionally wellnetworked and provide a great draw for events. Please contact me if you know anyone who fits the bill and who would be interested in finding out more. Have you left your mark? There are still opportunities for you to have your name feature on a seat in the impressive Rixon Theatre. • All seats are fitted with an engraved plaque with the chosen wording of the sponsor • All sponsors are recognised on the honour board and enjoy special benefits, including early access ticket booking to College productions • To find out more, please contact Development Coordinator Tanya Brooks by emailing giving@penrhos.wa.edu.au Thanks to our donors The Penrhos College Foundation sincerely thanks the following donors, who have generously given to the Science Innovation Centre campaign through the initial ‘quiet’ phase. Alumni Committee D and S Audeyev T Cielak A Connors M and T Conroy M Cowser and G Lim Cudby Family M Delroy A and C Gee Goonewardene Family The Hunt Family Y Jehan and R Kanwal
L and H Karelis K and M Kelly Menrhos R Murphy J Parker I and C Parker The Raston Family R and T Ryan P Sanderson C and F Schwab C and B Troy R and L Uppill
The Penrhos College Foundation offers gracious thanks to the following donors, who have generously given to the College since the last edition of The Penrhosian. S Cheung L and K Richards Looking ahead As we enter the second half of this very exciting year, the Penrhos College Foundation will continue to gather
momentum and to explore and invest in a range of new opportunities. We are already developing plans for a first College Gala Ball for August 2020, which will suitably mark the culmination of our public capital campaign for the Science Innovation Centre and will signpost a new highlight in our annual fundraising calendar. I look forward to providing more details on this when I write to you again in December. We are committed to ensuring everyone has the option to give back in a way that is individually meaningful, and we remain ever-grateful to you, our generous community, for your ongoing support. The Penrhos learning philosophy is designed to ensure students thrive in an ever-changing and more challenging world. To remain at the forefront of girls’ education, we need leading-edge programs, outstanding staff and firstclass resources. Central to our vision for the future are our plans for the new Science Innovation Centre - with your help, we will continue to grow the culture of giving which is now gathering momentum across our community to ensure we remain pioneers of ever-higher standards in a rapidly changing educational environment. Our focus for the next 18 months is to raise the funds we need to establish our outstanding new Science Innovation Centre in celebration of our continued success and achievement in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) and to ensure we are best-positioned to prepare our girls most effectively for the workforce of the future. And thanks to all those who support us I would like to thank my fellow Board members and Representatives from the College for their contribution and efforts. All give significantly of their personal and business time and I value their expertise.
Meet the Board 2019 Board members • Tony Connors President • Sondra Anderson Vice-President • Sally Audeyev Board Secretary • Alistair Baron • Christopher Gee • Helen Jones • David Wallace • Simon Woods
Representatives from the College who sit on the Foundation Board: • Meg Melville Principal • Stephen Cooper Director Finance & Administration • Paula Barrow Director Marketing & Development • Tanya Brooks Interim Development Coordinator
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The build for our new Science and Innovation Centre will commence at the end of this year and we expect to complete it before the 2021 academic year commences. Throughout the build period, students will primarily be relocated to the newly refurbished Anglesey Centre and cutting-edge CADC. In our new four-storey Centre, leading-edge laboratories and flexible learning spaces will promote spontaneous collaboration and innovation across scientific disciplines, encouraging every student to strive for the highest and to achieve their personal bests in pursuit of knowledge and exploration. A living and learning incubator; curiosity and creativity will combine and ignite in this new space to spark innovation, exploration and discovery. A bright, light, inspirational and welcoming environment with special features — including solar panels to provide green energy, and an outside rooftop garden - our exciting new facility is designed to capitalise on the sun’s light and energy all year round. We are seeking to partner with our community and raise upwards of $500,000 in philanthropic support to enable us to build and equip this landmark testament to STEM education for our students, our community and future generations. We have already achieved our
first stage target of $325,000 in major donations, which leaves a further $175,000 for us to raise through our wider community. Making a gift to the Penrhos College Science and Innovation Centre Capital Campaign is an opportunity for you to help influence, shape and celebrate our inspirational learning environment and to promote Penrhos as a leading light in STEM education for girls in Western Australia. Whether you choose to sponsor a lab or building space, to name a plaque on our feature Periodic Table at the heart of the new Centre, or simply to give what you can to help, we are sincerely grateful to you for your wonderful commitment and generosity. Without your support for the College and the Foundation, we would not be able to achieve nearly as much as we do. Every dollar really does matter To find out more about how you can get involved, please visit penrhos.wa.edu.au/sic or contact Development Coordinator Tanya Brooks on 08 9368 9711 or giving@penrhos.wa.edu.au. 1 2 3
Science Innovation Centre (architect’s rendering) Group presentation space (architect’s rendering) Multi-use laboratory (architect’s rendering)
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Photo gallery: Penrhos College events
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2018 Principal’s List award recipients Students looking glamorous before the Year 12 Ball Boarders and their parents at the Boarding Parents’ Sundowner Welcome Sundowner — the Penrhos community celebrates the start of the school year
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Students having fun with their parents at the Junior School Parent Picnic Dress-up day for the Amanda Young Fair Dancers perform at the Easter Service Year 7s welcome their guests at Grandparents and Friends’ Day Boarding parents presenting their homemade spread at the Boarding and Day Parent Morning Tea
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