25 minute read
6 Chair of Council From the
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!
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.”
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 current Year 9 Wesley boys, two Wesley Old Boys, three boys from Hale School, and two from All Saints College.
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.
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!
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 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.
Her love for composing and playing music on both the violin and the oboe was certainly impressive.
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.
“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. 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.
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.
“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.
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.
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 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.
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.
A prayer for these times
God of life,
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.
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 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!
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. 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
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.
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
From the Penrhos Foundation President
Chris Gee Foundation President
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
SIC campaign and to the College more broadly since the last issue of The Penrhosian in December 2019.
F & J Batres L & S Brockhurst M & P Cattle T & R Clayton E Cornwall K & C Craker M & P D’Cruze 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 A Kumar M & C Lai M & M Lai P Lai & Y Woon M & A Liebenberg E & B Lysle A Meiklejohn & M Malonzo 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 8 9
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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
