No. 73
Farewell from Meg Reflections on decades of learning, culminating in COVID-19
Winter 2020
Penrhos Full Circle An initiative for parents and caregivers by Penrhos Psychologists
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. 73
Winter 2020
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A fond farewell from the Principal
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The Penrhos Passport... where will your journey of discovery take you?
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From the Chair of Council
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The show must go on: My Fair Lady
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Language students conquer the world
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Classical composer from her early years
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Top of the class for teacher Nicci Johnson
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Vale: former Head of Junior School Jennifer Robertson
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Penrhos Full Circle: an initiative from Penrhos College Psychologists
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Winter reflections
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Penrhos combats loneliness for elderly
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Boarding perspectives
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Selfless students volunteer abroad
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From the Penrhos Foundation President
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Our Reconciliation Action Plan
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Photo gallery: Penrhos College events
COVER PHOTO
TEAM
Celebrating Meg Melville, sixth Principal of Penrhos College
Editor Maggie Marshall Contributors and Photographers Meg Melville, Paula Barrow, Caroline Jenkins, Rowan Courts Design Joanne Yong
A fond farewell from the Principal Meg Melville Principal
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really struggled at school, to see them taking their place in the world as confident young women is incredibly rewarding. To hear from, see or read about where our Alumni are now, gives me enormous pleasure.
I still remember Dr Vin Horner offering me the position and I also remember Colleen Costello telling me that I was employed because, being a graduate, I was cheap! Anyway, I proved to be a stayer and have many, many wonderful memories as a result.
In moving from Head of Senior School to Principal, one of the greatest rewards was the opportunity to be involved with the Junior School community. My daily walks through Junior School, chats with the girls and visits to classrooms have afforded many enlightening and “laugh out loud” moments. Trying to explain to an 8-year-old that I have been at Penrhos for 40 years, translated to her telling her mum that she couldn’t remember whether I had been at Penrhos for 40 or 400 years!
oming to the end of one’s career is definitely a time to pause for reflection. Since commencing at Penrhos College in August of 1979 as a teacher of Economics, I have been incredibly fortunate to have been afforded many opportunities for professional growth with roles as Head of Year, Head of Department, Head of Senior School and ultimately Principal, all at Penrhos. I didn’t need to leave Penrhos to seek out opportunities elsewhere.
The best memories all revolve around the people I have worked with over those years. Being at the College for such a long time, I have had the privilege of teaching girls whose daughters have since come through Penrhos! To be part of this generational change is really very special. Equally rewarding has been witnessing the journey of students beyond Penrhos in their career pathways and to see where they are now. Whether the girls were high achievers or
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Little girls do grow into big girls and it has been equally rewarding to witness this metamorphosis taking place. That journey can often be fraught with emotional highs and lows but again, seeing our 12s graduate as beautiful young women is an emotional experience each and every year. I have worked with fabulous staff, too. Penrhos staff are professional and caring people; if they are not, they
A fond farewell from the Principal
“The best memories all revolve around the people I have worked with over those years. Being at the College for such a long time, I have had the privilege of teaching girls whose daughters have since come through Penrhos. To be part of this generational change is really very special.”
generally realise they are not a good fit for Penrhos and move on. I have only had two bizarre encounters with staff, as Principal. One staff member shared with me that “I had robbed her of God” after I delivered a message at Chapel in the absence of our Chaplain. I could only apologise and explain that was not my intention. The other regaled me with all that was wrong with Penrhos and declared Penrhos to be “just a school on the wrong side of the river” which “no amount of blow-dried hair or Ferragamo shoes can change!” Fortunately, I do not take insults personally! Many of the staff I have worked with who have long since left Penrhos have remained dear friends and,3 for that, I am both grateful and fortunate. I have enjoyed the friendship and support for the College of countless parents and friends of Penrhos, too. We would not have accomplished all that we have, without that support. Forty years is a long time indeed; I have witnessed a great deal of change at Penrhos during that time, and in education more broadly. Not only has the physical appearance of the College changed, with the evolution of our Masterplan, to become one of the most spectacular Colleges in WA — our grounds, buildings and facilities are magnificent — but so too has the prevailing culture at Penrhos. We now place transparency and honesty at the forefront of all that we do. This has meant that, as a College, we have had to confront the wrongdoings of the past — be that with regard to the historical sexual abuse of students, to an apology to Indigenous students for the unhappy time they spent at the College in decades past. Sadly, we can’t change what
happened but, without due acknowledgement, we cannot move forward. We now openly embrace diversity at the College and hope that, irrespective of gender identification, race and religion, all girls at Penrhos feel welcome, safe and a sense of belonging, being comfortable in their own skins and valued for who they are. We were the first school to introduce trousers and shorts as a choice for our students as part of the uniform, a choice that has been widely taken up. Penrhos has proven to be innovative and adaptable in moving from the industrial model of learning to the digital age. This has required a paradigm shift in thinking and in pedagogy, and we have not been afraid to be challenged. COVID-19 certainly forced remote learning upon students and teachers in an unprecedented manner, and now we are focusing on how to capitalise on the opportunities that have presented as a result of this. We have carved a reputation as a leading school in STEM in WA and we are very excited about the opening of our Science Innovation Centre, in 2021. I once read that leadership is not about reflecting on past accomplishments but more about setting things up for the future. Whilst I have reflected on the past, I am very excited for the future of Penrhos too. We are all custodians in a time and place and can only hope that we leave that time and place having built upon what we inherited and strengthened it for the next phase of the journey. I have absolutely loved my time at Penrhos, the people and the place. No regrets; just a mind, heart, body and spirit bursting with the most wonderful memories. Thank you, Penrhos.
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From the Chair of Council Peta Sanderson (1987) Chair of Council
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his edition of the Penrhosian celebrates Meg Melville’s extraordinary contribution to Penrhos College over four decades. Meg Melville, sixth Principal of the College, farewells the Penrhos community on 3 July 2020 and it is with mixed emotions that I write, on behalf of College Council and the broader Penrhos community, to acknowledge and thank Meg for her dedicated service and inspirational leadership over such an extended period of time. Meg’s report (which features on page 4) tells a story not only of her own engagement with the College, but also of a School which has grown, evolved, adapted to changing times and never ceases to strive to ensure our girls are ready for the challenges of the future. It also tells a story of Meg’s deep commitment to Penrhos, its students, staff and mission, as well as to honesty and transparency. While it is certainly the case that many people — not least of all staff, students and parents — have contributed in extraordinary and multiple ways to the past and current successes and achievements of the College, Meg’s leadership has been instrumental to so many of the physical and cultural attributes that
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now shape the identity of Penrhos. Notable amongst these is the recognition of the College for long-term academic excellence and to STEM education. As our community would know, the new Science Innovation Centre will be opening in 2021. The development of this significant building and learning space has been championed by Meg and will allow the College to build on its already outstanding reputation for STEM education in future. Meg’s leadership has also been instrumental to the extension and development of the Colwyn Centre (2012), the refurbishment of the Library and the Rixon Theatre (2015), and the building of the Creative Arts and Design Centre (2016). These facilities, along with the upcoming opening of the Science Innovation Centre in 2021, are central to the College’s identity and our ability to provide an excellent and safe learning environment for all our girls, regardless of their strengths and interests. The wider College community, including alumni, were invited earlier this semester to recall and share their memories of Meg over her 40 years of service. I share here my own recollections, which form but a small component of a Memory Book which will be gifted
Welcome to interim Principal Rob Taylor
to Meg as she farewells the College at the end of this Term. Perhaps, in some way, my own memories will mirror those of others who have intersected with the College over the past decades.
“It is impossible to imagine my family’s intergenerational relationship with Penrhos College without Meg Melville being uppermost in mind. From Social Studies classes in the 1980s, when we couldn’t help but talk about Mrs Melville’s ‘perfect’ hair and fashion sense, to my own daughter’s journey at the College when she has only known the inspirational, steadfast and empathetic leadership of Mrs Melville as Principal. I am now greatly privileged, as Chair of Council, to walk alongside Meg in her service to Penrhos and the extraordinary women of tomorrow. Thank you for your legacy, Meg.” The wider Meg Melville story is much greater than experiences recalled by just one person and it is the entirety of Meg’s extraordinary contribution and service to Penrhos over 40 years that we recognise at this time. On behalf of the Penrhos College Community, I thank you here also for your legacy Meg. We sincerely wish you every happiness and success in the future.
We are pleased to formally acknowledge Dean of Academic Administration, Rob Taylor, as our interim Principal for Semester 2. Rob has been at the College for 20 years and has always been a great support to Meg Melville. His expansive knowledge and experience of Penrhos will no doubt prove to be invaluable, as we prepare for the arrival of our incoming Principal Kalea Haran in 2021.
“There will be many opportunities — and probably a few challenges — for the College over the next six months. Following on from the outstanding work of Meg Melville will no doubt be a challenge in itself!” said Rob. “Progressing the important projects that form part of our Strategic Directions, especially the implementation of an educational management system, will occupy much of our time through Semester 2 — these projects will be of great long-term benefit to the College.”
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Language students conquer the world by Scott Haddrell Head of Languages Penrhos College Language students brought great honour to the College this year, thanks to their global success in the 2020 Education Perfect (EP) Languages Championship. More than 1.1 million questions later, the annual EP Languages Championship culminated in our best results yet, in the history of this international, week-long online competition. Through the Championship’s online platform, students listen to or read questions in another language and respond in either their chosen language or in English. There are numerous language categories, for both students and their school to enter. Traditionally, Penrhos College has achieved excellent results, being the number one school in WA overall, as well as placing in the top three for each language offered (French/Italian/Japanese) for the past nine years. This year, being number one in WA alone wasn’t satisfying enough for our Language students — they not only took on the rest of Australia, but also the world! With the impact of COVID-19 and schools’ shift to online learning, a greater number of schools and students than ever enrolled in this year’s competition. Although Penrhos had fewer Language students than many ‘super schools’ (some of which have more than 1,000 Language students), our team of 389 girls achieved results that will be difficult to match in future years. Despite a frantic and nerve-racking comeback by an ACT ‘super school’ on the very last day of the competition, Penrhos Language students stepped up to the challenge and eventually defeated even the fiercest opposition to achieve number one school in the 251-500 Language students’ category in the world, as well as number three school overall in the world — our best result to date!
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Penrhos’ achievements 251-500 language students’ category 1st Overall globally – out of 462 schools 1st Overall in Australia – out of 332 schools Open category 3rd Overall globally – out of 2,155 schools 3rd Overall in Australia – out of 1,454 schools 1st Overall in WA – out of 211 schools Language achievements 1st for Japanese in WA – out of 154 schools 2nd for French in WA – out of 146 schools 3rd for Italian in WA – out of 151 schools Open category 3rd for Japanese in Australia – out of 1,040 schools 7th for French in Australia – out of 1,072 schools 8th for Italian in Australia – out 952 schools Student achievements 191 students achieved an Award (out of 389 students) 8 students achieved an Elite Award (>10,000 points) • Aleta Houden (Year 11 – Japanese) • Dora Wan (Year 11 – Japanese) • Rebecca Rudianto (Year 10 – Japanese – top Penrhos College student) • Kimberly Oey (Year 10 – Japanese) • Audrey Raess (Year 10 – Japanese) • Eleanor Jones (Year 9 – Japanese) • Jasmine Alderson (Year 9 – Japanese) • Liyanka Cutinha (Year 9 – Japanese) Well done, Language students! Your dedication, commitment and passion for languages is inspirational. Thank you to Madame Sue Hampson, Madame Jane Bechard, Professor Marisa Ravi and Professor Antonella Smethurst of the Language Department also, for your incredible support of the girls during the competition. 2021… look out, here we come!
Top of the class for teacher Nicci Johnson Penrhos is proud of its award-winning teachers and their commitment to continuous upskilling, as lifelong learners. At the end of 2019, Penrhos teacher Nicole Johnson was named on the University of New South Wales (UNSW) Arts & Social Sciences Dean’s List, in recognition of her academic performance. Dean’s List recipients are postgraduates who are in the top 5% of the cohort. This is Nicole’s story. Throughout my teaching career, I have always been interested in catering for students with special needs. I was a learning enhancement teacher in the Junior School in 2006 when I was approached to begin my studies in gifted education, and I have been passionate about helping intellectually gifted students reach their potential ever since. In 2008 I completed the Certificate of Gifted Education through UNSW, but at the time there was no option of continuing my postgraduate studies at UNSW as an external student. However, when I later attended the World Conference for Gifted and Talented Children in Sydney in 2017, I discovered that UNSW had launched a Masters of Gifted Education which could be completed through online studies. UNSW is one of only a few universities in Australia which offers a Masters of Gifted Education and their research in gifted education is respected around the world. The course material I studied included research articles authored and published by UNSW academics, which is highly relevant to the students we have at Penrhos College.
Applying the latest research in the field of gifted education has allowed Penrhos to develop the MESHEX Program and put into practice the knowledge we have gained through our combined further studies. MESH-EX is a unique teaching and learning program which caters for the specific needs of gifted girls in Mathematics, English, Science and Humanities and Social Sciences. For example, my final research project for my UNSW Master’s course examined the impact of grades on anxiety in gifted children; this provided the Penrhos team with valuable feedback on our practice of focusing on personal growth rather than marks in assessments. It is exciting to be a member of a team of teachers at Penrhos College who are committed to improving outcomes for our high ability students, through the MESH-EX Program. A number of our MESH-EX teachers are pursuing postgraduate studies in gifted education, including Claire Stone and Shannon Armitage who are currently completing their Masters of Gifted Education through UNSW. There is no doubt that our teachers’ ongoing learning enhances the Penrhos learning experience and the programs offered to all students.
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An initiative from Penrhos College Psychologists by Tracy Hart Psychologist, Penrhos Full Circle Raising children and young adults has never been more complex. Our girls have full and sometimes hectic daily schedules, ready access to an online ‘village’ and they often experience intense and 24/7 connected friendships. So how do we best support our girls of all ages, and the adults that care for them, in building the capacities to navigate the complexities of life in the 2020s and then beyond? Schools have always had an important role to play in developing the social and emotional skills that enhance resilience. Like all schools, Penrhos offers ‘inward’ looking programs that teach skills and provide opportunities for skill development. To complement this, we have a supportive community and opportunities to connect with the school and to each other. But we want to do more. We know that partnering with parents is so crucial in providing security, consistency and a shared language to support our girls. And so the idea of a more ‘outward’ looking service was born – connecting with our caregivers to offer best practice psychological skills and understandings, to support our girls as they grow and develop, in an ever-changing landscape. COVID-19 has provided an interesting platform to launch Full Circle. We have all — adults and girls alike — had an opportunity to focus on our wellbeing and no doubt discovered capacities in ourselves, our families and communities that we didn’t know we had. Some of us have experienced anxiety and sadness, perhaps grief. Many of our girls and families experienced a loss of contact with family and a sadness at the sudden disconnect from activities that have brought so much joy
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Artwork by Little Sketchy
and meaning to daily life. Many families have reflected on the strengths of their frameworks for coping. In many ways COVID-19 has highlighted the strengths and capacities that our community already has. I have spent some time talking with our families about what might be helpful to them from Penrhos Full Circle. These conversations have consolidated our ideas: that parents want connection and conversation, with the school and with each other; they are concerned about online access to the global village; they are keen to enhance their skills in order to support their daughters in a world that 2020 brings. I want to sincerely thank all the caregivers who have given of their time so generously to help us to understand what would be helpful to you. Many parents and caregivers have taken advantage of the online resources prepared specifically for our community — including frameworks for conversations about mental health, emotions and friendships. Many parents have asked for ideas around managing internet use and social media, and we will be offering seminars with our Pastoral and Information Technology teams in this regard. We will be offering workshops to support our early learning parents in developing emotional regulation and responding to challenging behaviours. Supporting our parents of pre-teens and young teens to navigate complex years will also be a focus for Term 3. Our Full Circle Psychologists look forward to establishing a suite of offerings for our community, to support the pastoral care roadmap for our girls from Kindergarten to Year 12.
Penrhos combats loneliness for elderly Three of our Year 12 students — Renee Rudianto, Menu Gamage and Jasmine Farghaly — have been busy tackling the problem of social isolation amongst the elderly, as a way of giving back to the community. The girls have been making voicerecordings of Collier Park Retirement Village residents reminiscing about their childhood, hobbies, family, past careers and key milestones so their life stories can be compiled into professionally produced audio files, as a gift for participants and their families to keep. Renee, Menu and Jasmine make up the Senior Division Community Problem-Solving team in which students identify real problems and implement real solutions in a community — be that problem local, state, national, or even global. Before COVID-19, they were invited as national finalists to Brisbane for the chance to present their project to the national judges, a competition run by Future Problem-Solving Program Australia — a wonderful opportunity presented through Penrhos’ extensive co-curricular offering. The problem-solving team identified social isolation amongst the elderly as the problem they wished to tackle,
particularly because it can also have further detrimental effects on health. They brainstormed and asked ‘how might we increase opportunities for older people in our local area to interact with the younger generation, so they are less likely to experience loneliness?’ According to the 2016 Australian Census, one in six people aged 65 and older live alone, which contributes to health problems, disability issues, sensory impairment and mental health issues. During the project, the girls not only listened to residents’ stories, but they also genuinely invested their time in building lasting relationships. In return, the residents were thrilled to bake delicious biscuits for our students, to show their appreciation each time they visited. Meetings involved the girls interviewing and recording the oral histories of four residents, with the aim of stimulating the cognitive functions of the elderly participants. They edited the recordings into audio files to help preserve the memories through technology. The residents were very touched by the recordings and asked for more copies to give to their families, to
ensure their stories were heard and remembered. In forging these relationships, our students also inspired the Retirement Penpals Initiative as a further lasting community service activity for the Penrhos community to take part in. During this difficult time of COVID-19, it is especially important to ramp up our good citizenship — particularly to help the most vulnerable members of our community. Following a call to their peer students to put pen to paper and write to our elderly neighbours, we were inundated with students wanting to connect with letters of love, hope, support and goodwill. As you can imagine, it’s been a lonely time for many residents in the village as their families haven’t been allowed to visit, and many don’t have the technology or aptitude for FaceTime, Zoom or House Party! We are so proud of our girls’ efforts, which have been most gratefully received and acknowledged with messages of thanks. The girls presented the audio files as gifts at a very emotional meeting at Collier Park Retirement Village recently.
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Selfless students volunteer abroad Opportunities to travel are an important part of the learning experience for our secondary students, in terms of understanding the context in which they live and are empowered as active global citizens. In a student-led biennial community service tour, three groups of Year 10 and 11 students participated in months of fundraising through the lead up to their 24-day tour across Laos and Cambodia in December 2019. While on tour, the girls learned valuable lessons as they travelled. They planned their own meals, accommodation and transport; they also managed the daily team budget, with only minimal guidance from teachers if necessary. “The adventure and uniqueness of this trip was shaped around the self-discovery of every individual student. Leadership, selflessness, kindness and teamwork were just some of the characteristics that were challenged within each girl,” said Penrhos Captain, Mignon du Plessis. Each group had the unique and rewarding chance to experience the day-to-day life of a local village community in either Cambodia or Laos. The girls felt humbled to have the opportunity to dedicate their mind,
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heart, body and spirit to a worthy community-based project, in which they helped build new classrooms and boarding dormitories. The girls’ work was physically demanding as they were required to dig more than 40 holes in hot, humid weather for three days. In doing so, the girls felt they became connected to the local community, in which they also had the chance to interact with children of a similar age and to teach them English. The trip was physically and emotionally challenging — together, the girls battled through the heat, homesickness, tears, and illness. Mentally, one of the toughest days was when the students visited the Killing Fields and S21, the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum in Cambodia, to learn how more than a million people were brutally killed by the Khmer Rouge regime from 1975-1979. But the positives always outweighed the challenges. Visiting an elephant sanctuary was a collective highlight, for which the girls made stuffed banana treats to feed the elephants. It was fascinating to learn these giant creatures cry just like humans do when they are sad, and that they make noises like dogs when they are happy!
Our Reconciliation Action Plan We are excited to announce our commitment to developing a formal Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) to foster higher levels of knowledge and pride in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories, cultures and contributions, for the benefit of our whole community. We are inviting expressions of interest from anyone who might like to be part of our RAP development and implementation journey. Our RAP will be centred around our Core Shared Values of Synergy, Respect, Integrity, Growth, Knowledge and Empathy. Through our RAP, we will commit to strengthening relevant relationships, respect and opportunities in the classroom, around the College and with the community. Other highpoints included swimming in the crystal clear Kuang Si waterfall, exploring local markets and tasting local delicacies, visiting pepper and silk farms, riding around in tuk-tuks and touring a floating local village. Although everyone had their personal hardships and challenges to face, which came to the fore as they trekked for more than 30km across the Cambodian jungle, the shared support of the whole team pushed the girls to the finish line. When it was finally time to depart Bangkok to head back to Perth after 24 days, the girls were sad to be leaving. The group consider this a once-in-alifetime experience, through which they had grown both as individuals and a group. The girls wished that all students could have such an incredible opportunity to travel off the beaten track as a teenager, to learn more about the world and about themselves. “We are all so grateful that we had the opportunity to go on a trip like this no words can describe how truly amazing the experience was,” said Tanika Webb.
Developing our Action Plan is a long-term commitment that will require ongoing consideration and collaborative effort. Within our community, there is unique knowledge and valuable experience that we would love to see reflected in our plan. Therefore, we seek your support to ensure our RAP creates meaningful and sustainable change. Our community of student’s who identify as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander has steadily grown since 2017, when we formalised our partnership with Madalah – a not-for-profit organisation that offers Secondary and Tertiary education scholarships for Indigenous students from remote and regional communities. If you would like to be involved with the development and ongoing implementation of our Action Plan, including being part of the RAP Working Group, please contact our Aboriginal Liaison Officer Jess O’Donnell at ODonnJ@penrhos.wa.edu.au. To learn more about the RAP development process, you may also like to visit www.narragunnawali.org.au.
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The Penrhos Passport… where will your journey of discovery take you? by Paul McCarthy Dean of Co-Curricular
“There is more to us than we know. If we can be made to see it, perhaps for the rest of our lives we will be unwilling to settle for less.” Kurt Hahn, German Philosopher, Educator and Round Square Founder What a simultaneously exciting and daunting challenge we have before us – to prepare students for life and work in a rapidly changing environment, for jobs and for technologies, some of which have not even been created yet.1 We need to do this whilst supporting students in developing the strong social and emotional foundation skills they need to thrive in a highly dynamic labour market and rapidly changing world. 2
Now think about our students in the context of current research projections – for example, it is anticipated that 40% of jobs today will not exist in 10 years; Dubai has committed that 25% of its transport will be automated by 2030”3; “China is opening one new university per week”4; and an IBM Marketing cloud report asserts that “90% of the data in the world was produced in the last two years”5 and that figure was provided in 2016!
‘So, what will our future world look like for graduating students … what skills and dispositions will they need, to lead fulfilling and productive, contributing lives?’
This is the new world we need to prepare for.
Our Pre-Kindergarten class will graduate in 2034. To get some perspective on the pace of change we can expect between now and then, let’s consider what we have now that didn’t exist 40 years ago — the internet, email, phones without cords, Sat Nav, Spotify, Google, Chicken McNuggets(!), disposable contact lenses, LEGO that moves, online shopping, Uber and Facebook, to name but a few.
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Our Penrhos co-curricular purpose statement is “Students continuously explore interests and embrace opportunities for challenge and extension, that contribute to their own awareness and personal growth, and that positively impact the surrounding social, cultural, environmental and global context.” I am excited to share news of a whole-school cocurricular initiative, designed to help achieve
our school purpose to “inspire girls to become extraordinary women”. We are seeking to attain membership of the Round Square international collective of nearly 220 schools in 50 countries, bound together by a very particular values-based approach to education, centred on the importance of student agency and voice in each personal learning journey. Values-based education deals with qualities and attitudes, personality and strength of character (resilience); Round Square inspires and draws out every child’s capacity for achievement, recognising that learning is most effective when it is practical, crosscultural and collaborative. Round Square experiences are designed and based on the I.D.E.A.L.S – Internationalism, Democracy, Environmentalism, Adventure, Leadership and Service. Whether via online interactions, or face-toface in cultural or service opportunities, regionally or (ultimately) internationally, our students will engage in real-world learning and periods of reflection as part of
this global initiative. We will align our Pre-K–Year12 co-curricular activities in service learning, chaplaincy, cultural and Indigenous immersion, Duke of Edinburgh Award and associated sporting, creative, artistic and academic programs. Opportunities for challenge and extension will abound for both Junior and Secondary School students, as we leverage our Round Square membership to frame and extend our cultural awareness, understandings and engagement opportunities — through the key areas of Global Exchange, Tours and Service — each personalised to the individual. I look forward to sharing news of our progress across the coming months. Kools, M. And Stoll L. (2016) , “What makes a School a Learning Organisation?”, OECD Education Working Papers, No. 137, OECD Publishing Paris, 12
1
Kools, M and Stoll L. (2016), 12
2
https://www.wired.com/beyond-the-beyond/2019/01/ dubai-world-challenge-self-driving-transport/
3
https://www.bbc.com/news/business-35776555
4
https://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/291358/90of-todays-data-created-in-two-years.html
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“The show must go on!” A Penrhosian is someone who demonstrates resilience — and what character trait could be more relevant in 2020? Waking up to cancellations has become the new norm over recent months, thanks to COVID-19 — but not for the Penrhos Drama, Dance and Music students who remained focused on their preparation for the annual College Production. Head of Drama, David Ballantyne, was steadfast in his firm belief that ‘the show must go on!’ … and Broadway musical My Fair Lady will indeed proudly grace the Rixon Theatre stage this July, against all odds!
current Year 9 Wesley boys, two Wesley Old Boys, three boys from Hale School, and two from All Saints College.
Set in 1912 post-Edwardian London, Lerner and Loewe’s award-winning story of a cockney flower girl transformed into an elegant lady is widely considered one of the greatest musicals of all time. “We were all optimistic; however, the reality was that we may never perform due to COVID — or that we would have to perform at a later date, with restricted viewing,” says David. “The biggest challenge was the ongoing uncertainty.”
With an expectation of extra-large feather hats, costume designer Mardi Shaw was up for the challenge of period costumes and accessories from the 1900s. The Elizas alone have six costumes changes throughout the show!
Natasha Clegg (Year 12) and Sophie Harvey-Lissienko (Year 11) are double-cast in the lead role, Eliza Doolittle, with extra guests in supporting roles including several
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David reports that rehearsals are progressing well and the team is on track to deliver the first performance on 30 July. “You can hopefully expect a production that has not been affected by the pandemic, as well as several song and dance numbers which are joyous and colourful. ‘I could have danced all night’ is probably Eliza’s best-known number,” shared David, from behind the scenes of a recent rehearsal.
If WA remains COVID free — as we very much hope it will! — then a ‘full house’ is anticipated, even though Penrhos is required to hold off making tickets available to the community until 10 days out — the release date will be Monday, 20 July via penrhos.wa.edu.au/ myfairlady and the performance will be staged across three nights – Thursday 30 July, Friday 31 July and Saturday 1 August 2020.
Classical composer from her early years Every so often, a student demonstrates an extraordinary passion for music in her early years. When Ellie Malonzo was given a pink ukulele as a child, she tucked it under her chin, grabbed a chopstick and played it like a violin — it was clear to her parents that they needed to enrol her into Penrhos’ music program right away! Ellie quickly demonstrated her talent for the violin, which enhanced her love for music so much that she began composing her own music — aged just five years old. “One night I was lying in bed and I heard a melody in my head, so I wrote it down. It (composing) went from there. I see it as a puzzle — hundreds of ideas not fitting together and then suddenly you realise how it all fits,” says Ellie. Ellie’s parents knew her love of music composition was worth exploring further and, in 2016, she was given the opportunity to expand her skill-set under the guidance and mentorship of Penrhos College alum and professional musician, Holly Broadbent (2015). “I was approached by Ellie’s mother to teach Ellie when she was aged
just six years old. I was apprehensive about whether someone so young would be able to take on composition, but Ellie was full of ideas from the outset and brought the entire solo line of her first violin concerto to me on her first lesson,” explains Holly. Working with her mentor, Ellie went on to complete the whole first movement of her first violin concerto, a piece that she also performed at the 2018 Junior School Interhouse Music Eisteddfod.
Ellie was delighted to be invited to attend The WA Young Artists Chamber Music Program (WAYACHAMP) and the Compose! Program in 2019. The WAYACHAMP program offers string and piano students aged 10–17 opportunities to collaborate with other like-minded students and professionals in a celebration of chamber music.
Her love for composing and playing music on both the violin and the oboe was certainly impressive.
Ellie is also the youngest violinist in the prestigious WA Youth Orchestra Philharmonic, Western Australia’s Youth Orchestra’s second most senior ensemble, where she holds her own with students more than 10 years her senior. In 2020, Ellie was invited to play and tour through Germany with the Helsinki Youth Orchestra but, due to the global pandemic, she was unable to travel for this exciting opportunity.
Since then, Ellie has continued working with Holly to complete four more movements of her violin concerto and has started work on her fifth composition.
“Music is a universal language. I believe it is a rare gift to be able to convey your feelings through art and be sure that everyone will understand,” said Ellie.
“Ellie immediately expressed an interest in composing music in baroque and classical styles. I think it’s important to help her flourish in the styles that she loves most,” says Holly.
Eager to explore her musical talents further, Ellie has recently started tuition on the organ with her mentor Holly. “It is really easy to learn more than one instrument, when music is what you live for,” gushed Ellie.
Ellie continued to progress quickly as a violinist and stretched herself by learning to play the oboe as her second instrument in the Year 4 Band Program.
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VALE — FORMER HEAD OF JUNIOR SCHOOL
Jennifer Robertson by Valrie Mayger President, Penrhosian Club and Former Vice Principal, Penrhos College (1988 - 2001) Jennifer was one of the most positive and cheerful people I have ever had the privilege to know. She could find something positive in any situation and very often found something to laugh about as well. I first met Jennifer when I joined the staff of Penrhos College in 1988. From the very beginning, I was moved by her respect and loyalty to her staff and to her students. If a situation arose, she would ‘go out to bat for them’ no matter what and she would always deal with any issue in her own way. Jennifer was a brilliant teacher and her former students will remember her very fondly and with the same respect that she gave them. She took the time to get to know each of her girls; she had an extraordinary ability to remember each one, even many years later — recalling names and other details and sharing memories when their paths crossed again. Jennifer continued to live her love of teaching after retirement in 1993. Together with husband Norman, she became a member of Revise, an organisation that provides retired teachers with the opportunity to visit Outback Stations to assist families with the education of their children. Jennifer and Norman were a popular ‘double-act’ in the outback. While Jennifer was teaching, Norman would be busy around the station, helping with
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those little jobs that never seemed to get done. Families loved having Jennifer and Norman stay with them and very often asked them to extend their visit. Between her outback visits, Jennifer was a much-loved and valued member of the Penrhosian Club, a dedicated group of past parents and staff. As Secretary, her Minutes were legendary and the highlight of our meetings. Penrhosians will remember the trouble Jennifer went to each year to produce quizzes for our Christmas Luncheon and the fun we had trying to answer the questions. A true life-long learner, Jennifer was genuinely interested in every guest speaker and any subject discussed at our meetings. Her intelligent and searching questions always succeeded in drawing much more information from them, making it all the more enjoyable for everyone. Jennifer was also a most entertaining and amusing guest speaker herself, especially when sharing stories of her outback exploits and tales from her overseas trips. Jennifer played such an important part in so many lives and will be missed by many — from the very young to the older members of the Penrhos community. We will remember her wonderfully positive personality, her ability to make us laugh and her compassion for others. Our thoughts and prayers are with daughters Annie (1980) and Kate (1982), extended family and friends.
A prayer for these times God of life,
Winter reflections — a much-needed Prayer Wall during uncertain times by Rev Claire Pickering Chaplain The onset and rapid escalation of the COVID-19 pandemic in Australia, and around the world, led to widespread changes and restrictions for workplaces, industry, social gatherings, recreation and households. For many, this unprecedented and changeable situation led to a heightened sense of worry, fear, isolation, anxiety and panic. In challenging, troubling and uncertain times like these, it is crucial that we come together as a community in love and peace, however we can, and remember that we belong to each other and that we are stronger together. From 23–27 March, as a school community we came together in spirit — Junior School and Secondary School students and staff — and we created a ‘Prayer Wall’ in the Chapel. Across the week, in classrooms and in the Chapel, students and staff were invited to write a prayer, to share their thoughts or hopes, or even draw a picture — whatever was meaningful and helpful for them at the time. Each day, contributions were gathered and posted on the front wall.
Across the week, students and staff shared so many inspiring prayers and hopes, and beautiful artwork. Together, we prayed for others — for family and friends, for doctors and nurses, for the sick and their loved ones, for a treatment or vaccine, for businesses and workers, for leaders and governments, and for places around the world. And we shared our hopes and dreams — for peace and positivity, for health and safety, for patience while we wait, for more gratitude, for love and kindness to spread, and that God would watch over us all. Prayer can help us voice — to ourselves, to others, to God, to the universe — our deepest concerns and highest hopes amidst the circumstances we face. And once voiced, we may find greater calm, clarity and resolve to persevere and prevail. “Sometimes the purpose of prayer is to get us out of circumstances but, more often than not, the purpose of prayer is to get us through them. We need to ask God to give us the grace to sustain, the strength to stand firm, and the willpower to keep on keeping on.” (Mark Batterson, Draw the Circle). There is power and purpose in prayer.
You are among and around us every day — in conversations and gestures, in laughter and tears, in the cool breeze and warm sun, in bird song and the rustling leaves… you are everywhere. You are among and around us at all times — on days that are carefree and joyous, and on days that are heavy and troubled… thank you for always being there, for always being with us. And you are certainly with us in difficult and uncertain times like these. We pray for those around the world who need help more than we do ourselves. We pray for: • those who are in need of care and healing • those who are committed to serving and supporting others • those who are isolated and vulnerable • those who are unemployed, whose businesses are closed and who are awaiting assistance • those who are worried about the future and fearful • those who are leading nations and communities, and who are guiding important decisions. We pray for all these people. Where we are, help us to see what we can offer in love and hope. Each day, give us clarity in our minds, strength in our work and discernment, rest as we sleep, and peace in the depths of our being. Amen. THE PENRHOSIAN
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Life as a boarder: Lucinda Egerton-Warburton by Lucinda Egerton-Warburton Year 12 boarder Why did your parents decide to send you to Penrhos? Penrhos was the school my parents’ minds were set on because my mum came here and my nan went to Kobeelya in Katanning, the old sister school of Penrhos. I could have opted to attend another school but, after reading all the brochures, my mind was also made up — I loved the uniform and the look of the boarding house and how happy everyone seemed. I even took the Penrhos magazines to school to show all my classmates and teachers, I couldn’t wait to start! 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 very excited and loved being at Penrhos and in the boarding house from my very first day. It’s not that I didn’t miss home, I just really enjoyed experiencing a new and very different environment, as well as the independence being at boarding school brings. The biggest challenge for me was keeping my room tidy! I was warned about it many times and I must admit that I still haven’t got much better! How often do you travel home to Kojonup to spend time with your family? Does your family
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visit you here at the boarding house? I travel home every mid-term break and in the school holidays; it’s a four-hour drive which goes very quickly — I just listen to music the whole way. My family visits when they have appointments in Perth, or when dad needs something for the farm. They also come up when my sister has her birthday or when there is an event at Penrhos. What are the benefits of being a boarding student at Penrhos? One of the best things about boarding is being part of the big boarding house family, you really get to know each other like sisters when you live together for so long. Another benefit is the amazing meals boarders get — not just for dinner, we also have delicious hot food for recess and lunch. As a master of sleeping in, the best thing about living in the boarding house is that I can sleep in very late — even on school days! Remote learning I went home a week before the boarding house closed, to reduce the risk of spreading COVID-19 for family members. While I did find it difficult to study at home without getting distracted by our four dogs, the horses and the TV, I enjoyed learning from books and being
a little more self- paced. I also loved being able to spend more time with my family and the animals. During remote learning, Mrs Hay challenged the boarders to build something from scraps in the shed and backyard. My dad, my sister Zara and I decided to make a fountain to put in our pond. We found old machinery parts, which we welded together to create a water flowing art piece — inspired by the double helix of a DNA strand. It took us four days to complete and it was a great fun project to do together while we were all at home. We were really proud of the end result. The boarding house was still closed at the start of Term 2, so I returned to Penrhos as a day girl and have been staying with the family of my very good friend Ella Muir. It has been fun to experience Penrhos as a day girl, but I missed the boarding house and my boarding family! Love you, Mrs Hay!
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A boarding parent’s perspective: Lisa Marquis by Lisa Marquis Alum (1992) and mother of Kate Marquis (Year 11 boarder) I often joke that I have green blood — I am a very proud Old Girl and Veteran, having attended Penrhos from Pre-Primary to Year 12. With two sisters also at the College, our family was part of the Penrhos community for nearly 20 years. The decision to send our daughter Kate away to school was an incredibly difficult one to make as a family, but also for me as the Associate Principal of a local secondary school. As a ‘Day Bug’, my experience of Penrhos boarding was limited to breakfast in the boarding house after swimming training and having boarder friends stay on weekends. At first, the thought of being 750km away from our daughter for weeks on end seemed unfathomable; would boarding change our relationship with Kate and her relationship with her little brother? Talking to friends with children at boarding school was reassuring, and really helped us prepare for those first few months. In stark contrast, Kate was on cloud nine; having toured the Penrhos campus and, with the uniform fitting complete, she was excited to begin her boarding school experience. Each new boarder is appointed a ‘Boarding Buddy’ to assist their transition; Ashley Young kept in contact over the summer holidays, reassuring the already enthusiastic Kate of the fun she would have at the Boarding House.
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Boarding Captain Montana Nicholls and her mum were there to welcome us when we arrived after the long drive from Esperance. After helping unpack the car and showing us where to take Kate’s things, I remember Montana’s mum giving my arm a reassuring squeeze. “It will be ok, mum,” she confidently told me. I realised then, we weren’t sending Kate away on her own — we were sending her to friends and a boarding family who, as the years have gone by, have proven time and again to be the very best substitute family we could ask for. While I still feel sad dropping Kate back to the Boarding House, I always know she is in great hands. Of course, Kate has moments when she is anxious about school, her friends and how she will manage to juggle all the activities she wants to do. We speak at least three times a day and, while some calls end in tears, or with me giving an unwelcome opinion, our relationship is strengthened by the fact that we are separated for long periods. When we do spend time together, we are both so appreciative that we make the most of every minute. I have watched Kate blossom over the years with great pride. Making decisions and sorting out problems independently has strengthened her character and increased her resilience. She’s made lifelong friends with girls and their families from all over the state, and in the tight-knit boarding community, I now have a widereaching network of amazing women who understand
“ I realised then, we weren’t sending Kate away on her own — we were sending her to friends and a boarding family who, as the years have gone by, have proven time and again to be the very best substitute family we could ask for.” the difficulties and challenges of having their daughters away at school. Living in Esperance, Kate rarely saw her Perth-based grandparents, aunties, uncles and cousins. Boarding at Penrhos has allowed her to spend so much time with our extended family, and I can rely on my mum and sisters to drop off forgotten items, deliver a big hug or a cheeky Diet Coke when Kate is stressed about assessments. They attend every concert and award ceremony, and my mum has Kate’s boarding friends over to stay for the weekend, just as she had mine. I thoroughly enjoyed having Kate home during the recent Boarding House closure, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Seeing her participate in the remote
learning program over Webex, it was clear that Kate’s educational needs were met, but it was the strong bonds of friendship and Penrhos’ continued focus on care and connection that helped Kate through. It’s the clear focus on pastoral care that I believe sets Penrhos apart from other schools. The care shown by Mrs Hay, Mrs Calloway, and Health Centre staff; the pastoral staff and teachers who have always made the distance between us seem so easy to navigate; all have made the last five years so much easier for us as a family, and better than we could have ever imagined. And, while I know Kate loves returning home to us and spending time at the beach with her Esperance friends, she is always excited to head back to her substitute family and friends at school and in the Boarding House.
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From the Penrhos Foundation President Chris Gee Foundation President Meet the Board 2020 Board members • Chris Gee President • Sondra Anderson Vice President • Sally Audeyev Secretary • Ailsa Allen • Alistair Baron • Bruce Broadbent • Helen Jones • 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 Fundraising Coordinator • Emma Cornwall Development Coordinator • Karen Ambrose Board Secretary
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The first half of 2020 has been both interesting and challenging in equal measure — certainly, my induction as President wasn’t quite what I expected! Coronavirus As we prepared to kick-start a range of new initiatives for 2020, including the first ever Penrhos College Foundation Gala Ball, COVID-19 began to sweep the globe providing challenges for all and a rapid adjustment to plans for everyone. The Foundation continued to focus on supporting the College and the Penrhos community during this time. This resulted in a broadening of our efforts to assist the College with the provision of Hardship support. In addition to the Foundation’s existing Hardship Bursary, the Hardship Appeal was launched in June to provide a means for the Penrhos community to come together in support of impacted families. Capital campaign Following the growing success of our fundraising campaign for the new Science Innovation Centre (SIC) through 2019, we were naturally concerned that momentum would fall off. However, we are pleased to report that our community remains resilient and engaged — we have this Semester held a final fundraiser dinner with retiring Principal Meg
Melville, the Phosphorus and Nitrogen plaques on our giant feature Periodic Table were allocated to generous donors for $10,000 each, and we are working with Parent Year Representatives to reinvigorate our cohort campaign — for which funds were successfully raised last year to take plaques Niobium and Curium for 2019 cohorts 4 and Year 6 respectively. Our running total now sits at an impressive $450,000 which is just $50,000 short of our original $500,000 target and $150,000 shy of our revised stretch target (this new target having been passed on to me, along with the baton, by former President Tony Connors at the end of 2019). In this issue of the Penrhosian, you will also note that we are pleased to launch the Alumni Lookout Campaign, in collaboration with the Penrhos College Alumni Association — see page 9 of the Extraordinary Women section. The College Development Office and the Alumni Committee are looking for 250 alumni who would be willing to donate $300 to a special plaque on the wall of the SIC’s new rooftop garden, on which to have their name featured for the lifetime of the building. The concept is truly lovely — for the archetypal Penrhos alumni body to look out over the College and its students, present and future. If we
achieve our Lookout target of $75,000, this will take us much closer to our overall campaign stretch target and, in the process of engaging with our alumni on this project, we hope to also establish a fundraising base for advocacy amongst our wider alumni community. If you are an alum who is interested in becoming a founding member of this core alumni group and having your name featured on the new SIC roof garden Lookout, please email giving@penrhos.wa.edu.au. I am pleased to confirm the Gala Ball will be rescheduled for Saturday, 12 June 2021 and will become an annual flagship event in the College calendar. I look forward to more stories of successful community engagement as our journey continues through 2020 and beyond. Board membership The Board remained in relatively steady state for the first part of the year, with the addition of Bruce Broadbent. Bruce will be a valuable addition, given both his significant financial and investment experience and his strong desire to contribute to the Penrhos community. Thanks to our donors The Penrhos College Foundation sincerely thanks the following donors, who have generously given to the
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SIC campaign and to the College more broadly since the last issue of The Penrhosian in December 2019. F & J Batres
A Kumar
L & S Brockhurst
M & C Lai
M & P Cattle
M & M Lai
T & R Clayton
P Lai & Y Woon
E Cornwall
M & A Liebenberg
K & C Craker
E & B Lysle
M & P D’Cruze
A Meiklejohn & M Malonzo
R Dale & L Gobetti A Edward & N Ferguson M Feild & L Turner V & M Fitzgerald N Gan & S Lai C & A Gee C Godley N Gozali & D Pereira J Haak K Hayakawa & N John G & D Izzard Y Huan & Y Yu M John K Joshi & V Sridhar Indumathi A Khateri & R Forouzeshfar B Knowles & S Wolsey
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S McGarry-Thompson & M Thompson M & J Morris K Nilsson & R Wallace K & C Paine M & K Pass A & S Senior R Siddall G & G Spencer G Spiers S Strickland & J PerryStrickland K Tam & C Leong L & J Vegar A & A Walkom Anonymous x 10
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 our generous community for your ongoing support. The Penrhos learning philosophy is designed to ensure that our 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 first-class resources. The Board is focused on finding new ways to progressively engage the Penrhos community in Foundation projects for the long-term benefit of the College and for the benefit of current and future students. And thanks to all those who support us It only remains for me to thank my fellow Board members, and representatives from the College, for their wonderful contribution and efforts — particularly in the context of current and recent challenges. All give significantly of their time and I value their contributions greatly. Finally, I would also like to recognise, applaud and sincerely thank Meg Melville for her 10 years of magnificent leadership at Penrhos College. Her support and commitment for the Foundation, the Penrhos community and — most especially — for our girls has been immense, and her legacy will be outstanding. Along with my fellow Foundation members, I am delighted that our new centre of excellence is to be appropriately named in Meg’s honor — as the Meg Melville Science Innovation Centre.
Photo gallery: Penrhos College events
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Junior School Swimming Carnival Junior School Pyjama Day Rowers at the Welcome Sundowner Secondary School students participating in the World’s Greatest Shave Year 9 camp Year 12 students celebrating Halfway Day
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Junior School students demonstrating physical distancing Junior School students working on chalk messages during times of physical distancing 2020 leavers in their jumpers Year 12 Ball Year 11 Dance
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