PENRHOS COLLEGE
JUNIOR
SCHOOL HANDBOOK 2025
Including Early Learning Centre
Welcome
Welcome to Penrhos College! We hope this Handbook will be helpful to you in outlining our philosophy and providing some simple, practical information about College operations.
Your daughter is now part of our vibrant, warm and friendly community – as is your whole family. We understand our relationship with each family is very important and that frequent and effective communication is the key to a positive schooling experience for all. Therefore, we will keep you informed of your daughter’s progress every step of the way. We will also celebrate success with you and ride out any bumps along her journey, together.
It is our mission in the Junior School is to equip our students with the skills and confidence they will need in Secondary School – and for finding their place in the world! We grow strong, independent young women, with positive mindsets, compassion for others and the motivation to make the world a better place for all.
Our pedagogy (how we teach) is progressive, with a focus on the essential skills and dispositions for life-long learning. Each student feels she belongs and knows she is loved; after all, childhood is not a race. We follow the lead of each child, moving at her pace to nurture a sense of wonder, curiosity and strength.
In 2025, Penrhos will be an authorised International Baccalaureate World School. This approach reinforces and strengthens our teaching and learning across the Junior School, including our Early Learning Centre. We provide each student with learning experiences that involve deep thinking, and that focus on character and collaboration as keys to success in all domains.
We value the voice of our students – the feelings and ideas they articulate can be thought-provoking and insightful, full of wonder and certainly full of fun. We are so proud that our Junior School motto – Love Grows Here – was developed from the response of a Year 2 student when asked what we do well at Penrhos. It represents the safe and caring culture we embody –love is at the very heart of our Junior School experience.
It is my great pleasure to welcome your family to ours.
Wayne Revitt Head of Junior School
OUR PHILOSOPHY
Our practices are grounded in the Alice Springs (Mparntwe) Education Declaration, as well as the principles of the national Early Years Learning Framework developed by the Australian Children’s Education and Care Quality Authority.
The Alice Springs (Mparntwe) Education Declaration, made in December 2019 by all Australian Education Ministers, provides the blueprint for educational philosophy for all Australian schools. It has two goals:
(1) An education system that promotes excellence and equity.
(2) That all young Australians become confident and creative individuals, successful lifelong learners and active and informed members of the community.
These goals are reflected in Penrhos’ pedagogy, in that our intentional teaching practices are balanced by a guided, inquiry-based approach to encourage learning through curiosity, wonder and collaboration. We provide stimulating experiences, promote personalised learning and enable our students to learn about – and engage with – the world.
We also work with families to develop the same language, the same goals and to work towards the same outcomes. Together, we provide the supportive life infrastructure that enables our girls to have fun and enjoy school, so that they enjoy their learning and do as well as they can. Our warm and trusting relationships with children and their families underpin the all-important sense of belonging, which enables children to most effectively engage in their learning environments and experiences.
We know that successful lifelong learners need to:
• Play an active role in their education
• Have essential skills in literacy and numeracy as the most important foundation for learning
• Be able to think deeply and critically
• Be creative in solving real world problems
• Be able to collaborate and be flexible in their thinking
• Be motivated to achieve their full potential and personal best.
Ours is an all-girls environment and we are committed to the benefits of single-sex education. Research shows the positive effects of single-sex schooling in numeracy and literacy testing, and in tertiary entrance scores. We can see that girls benefit from learning environments that are free from gender stereotyping; regarding the subjects they study, the activities they participate in and the interests (or later, careers) they choose to pursue. Penrhosians behave more competitively without social pressure from boys; they perform at higher levels in sport and physical education and become generally more confident and assertive in both their learning and personal environments.
Our College strategy is built upon five pillars:
CREATE SOAR BLAZE IMPACT and grounded in the following commitments:
NO CEILINGS MAKE YOUR OWN ADVENTURE FIND THE FUN BE A FORCE FOR GOOD
Penrhosians are proud to be community-focused individuals who act with integrity, have empathy for others, respect differences and are responsible global citizens.
OUR PROGRAM
Many exciting opportunities and experiences lie ahead for your daughter in our Junior School. We pride ourselves on offering activities that are designed to extend each student’s learning and development so that they may flourish, in every domain. While key skills in literacy and numeracy are naturally essential, we believe the happiness and wellbeing of our students is of equal importance. Our proactive, preventative approach to socio-emotional development and peer relationships helps to ensure a sense of security and belonging.
Our strong specialist, extension and support programs contribute to the provision of a balanced curriculum, designed to give each child the opportunity to develop to her full potential. We have extra teaching staff for Learning Enhancement and Gifted and Talented Education, as required.
Other specialist subjects include Art, Music, Drama, Physical Education, Library (including Digital Technology) and Languages (Japanese). Year 2 students benefit from our successful Strings Program; where each student learns either violin, viola or cello. This takes place weekly, in small groups under the supervision of our specialist Music teacher, with additional strings tutors provided by the College.
THE INTERNATIONAL BACCALAUREATE PRIMARY YEARS PROGRAM
In 2025, Penrhos will be an authorised International Baccalaureate (IB) World School, approved to officially deliver the Primary Years Program (PYP). Recognised around the world, the IB addresses academic development with the social, emotional and physical growth of our students.
The IB PYP is designed for students from three to 12 years old. It focuses on encouraging children to be interested and motivated in their own learning by helping them to investigate subjects for which they have natural curiosity. Implementation of the PYP has reinforced our evidence-based literacy and numeracy programs, which underpin everything we do in the classroom. We believe explicit instruction is important and ongoing assessment of literacy and numeracy development is paramount in providing an excellent education.
From Year 3 to Year 6, the PYP is balanced by our inquiry-based units of learning and intentional play, through which our students are encouraged to explore, discover and learn with curiosity, wonder and social interaction. We understand that all children have different strengths, challenges and interests. At times, specific literacy and numeracy intervention may be required to boost developmental growth.
EARLY LEARNING CENTRE
Our Early Learning Centre (ELC) comprises students in Pre-Kindergarten to Year 2.
We are committed to excellence in the education and care of all students at Penrhos. Research clearly and consistently indicates that the first years of a child’s life are a critical period for her learning and development –the base on which to establish a strong foundation and build competence in all aspects of her development. High-quality education and care set a positive trajectory for every child on their journey from early learning to graduation. At the core of our curriculum framework is the belief that having fun and enjoying school is a prerequisite for learning. In fact, one of our College commitments is to ‘find the fun’.
Most importantly, we provide a safe and secure base for each child. We develop warm and trusting relationships with our students and their families from the outset. It is this sense of belonging that enables students to engage fully in learning experiences and develop strong character traits. Our balanced curriculum incorporates play-based learning and intentional teaching to address the requirements of the Australian national Early Years Learning Framework and the State Curriculum and Standards Authority.
One of the key distinctions of Penrhos’ pedagogy (how we teach) is that we understand and respect each child’s sense of time, so their individual choices can be made in a calm and unhurried environment – at their own pace. We appreciate that knowledge is acquired gradually and consolidated through many learning opportunities and meaningful experiences. Therefore, our inquiry process is facilitated through planning and research, hypothesis and experimentation so that our investigations are extended by following the child’s lead. We listen – and then we listen some more!
At Penrhos, our girls are active collaborators in their own learning from day one. We are committed to developing and deepening your daughter’s understanding of the world and her place in it. She will learn to empathise with and respect others as she builds friendships and expresses her ideas – all while becoming aware of her own and others’ emotions and feelings.
What do we offer in the Penrhos early years?
• Time – to just ‘be’ in the moment
• A genuine sense of love, community and belonging
• The Early Years Learning Framework embedded into all practices and principles
• Evidence-based literacy and numeracy programs
• Classroom teachers who actively involve families in their daughter’s learning journey
• Annual tracking and reporting on each student’s progress in literacy and numeracy
• Dedicated Learning Enhancement teachers, who work in partnership with classroom teachers
• Camaraderie – girls who support each other
• A safe, secure and caring culture
• High expectations and a firm belief in every girl’s ability to succeed
• A holistic approach to learning, focused on physical, personal, social, emotional and spiritual wellbeing, as well as the cognitive aspects of learning.
THE IMPORTANCE OF PLAY
According to the Early Years Learning Framework, playbased learning can be defined as ‘a context for learning through which children organise and make sense of their social worlds, as they engage actively with people, objects and representations.’ Essentially, children learn best in play-based environments because play helps process learning in all areas of physical, social, emotional and cognitive development.
Through play, children can discover new concepts, use new language and explore emotions in a safe way; they are actively engaged and intrinsically motivated to discover, solve problems and explore the world around them.
It is our role to scaffold learning by stimulating and extending each play experience for the girls; therefore, our teachers seek out and identify areas of curiosity in the ELC environment to initiate interest in specific play and develop those further learning opportunities that are so crucial for healthy and strong childhood development.
EARLY LEARNING PHILOSOPHY
In the Early Learning Centre, we believe in actively creating an environment that is based on reciprocal and genuine partnerships between all members of our community. A place that builds, is inclusive of, and sustains relationships throughout the transition between the early childhood years of development.
Belonging and developing identity sit at the heart of our journey as we foster connections, view development holistically and value each opportunity that being present brings. Our slow acquisition of knowledge and focus on curiosity, wonder and discovery ensures that our minds are always inquiring about the world around us and reflect our shared understanding that learning is a journey; a process.
Transitioning to, from and within the early years
Families are welcomed with supportive, visible transitions that promote a sense of safety and security to, from and within the ELC. We perceive transitions for children to be pathways to later successful outcomes – particularly towards learning – and we support children to accept transitions with confidence, becoming comfortable with the process of change.
Documenting and learning
We believe in capturing the story and process of learning and sharing this with all in our community; acknowledging the internal dialogue, voices and thoughts of children with others who are invested in the learning journey.
A shared experience
We understand that each family’s story is unique. Our understanding and acceptance of traditions, cultures and linguistics backgrounds work harmoniously to ensure a strong sense of identity and that trust is built.
Our relationships
Reciprocal (close, caring and consistent) relationships form the basis of our connections with each other and we acknowledge that this happens between educators, children and their peers. This continuous interaction and responsiveness demonstrates secure attachments and is the cornerstone that underpins our pedagogy.
Our environment
Our environment affords our community many opportunities and is a living reflection of our ‘image of children.’ With times for solitude, discovery and reflection, we value the process of thinking. As learning is a journey – a process that naturally occurs through play – we honour the natural world, equally spending time indoors and outdoors.
Play-based learning
We believe in rich, authentic play and its power to shape and develop young minds when driven by student agency. Educators intentionally interact in a variety of roles with children, encouraging them to be confident communicators – extending their capacity to critically think and use creativity and imagination to build new understandings about their world.
EARLY YEARS LEARNING FRAMEWORK
Developed by the Australian Children’s Education and Care Quality Authority, the national Early Years Learning Framework is a view of children’s lives as characterised by Belonging, Being and Becoming
Our role at Penrhos is to build on the foundations laid by our parents, so that our students may continue to grow in love, security and happiness. Together, we will collaborate on her learning journey to ensure she has every support in achieving her personal best.
Penrhos offers a wide range of co-curricular experiences to complement an excellent academic program. However, the sense of Penrhos place and belonging that your daughter will experience will stay with her long after she has graduated into our alumni networks. It is the camaraderie with friends, the impact of dedicated teachers and the connections with community that most powerfully underpin lifelong wellbeing and success.
We honour and acknowledge the sense of joy, curiosity and wonder expressed by each child. We are ever conscious and mindful of the need to enjoy each day, to celebrate little milestones and to follow the lead of your daughter wherever possible. Childhood is not a race; by respecting the agency of each individual girl, we work collaboratively to foster a sense of autonomy and resilience, taking each day at each child’s own pace.
During the Junior School Years, your daughter will make significant advances in all domains – cognitive, socioemotional and physical. Our role is to nurture the whole child across the Penrhos ‘whole person paradigm’ of mind, heart, body and spirit so they will have the strength and resilience to deal with life’s challenges and the capacity to make a positive difference in the world.
WELLBEING
Working in partnership with families, we need to be aware of the complex issues faced by our girls and provide the life skills required for each to find her own individual sense of purpose, happiness and success.
Personal wellbeing and effective relationships underpin every girl’s success and achievements, so each student’s ability to strive for her highest is supported by a strong pastoral care framework.
Relationships are at the heart of our Wellbeing Framework, CONNECT. The foundations of CONNECT lie in positive and social psychology and our pastoral curriculum is designed around our CONNECT themes (relationships, emotions, health, engagement, meaning, accomplishments). Our curriculum provides experiences and opportunities and teaches explicit skills and strategies to support each student’s wellbeing.
Our psychologists support our students with their physical and mental health, and general wellbeing. They work closely with parents, students and members of our Pastoral Care and Learning Enhancement teams to support students who may have individual pastoral or educational needs.
OUR ROLE AS EDUCATORS
We acknowledge the importance of our role as educators in promoting the emotional development of all our students. Our proactive, preventative approach to student wellbeing is grounded in the core social and emotional learning competencies according to CASEL (Collaborative for Academic, Social and Emotional Learning) and the central tenets of Positive Psychology. These quality, evidence-based programs equip our students with the skills to identify emotions, regulate emotions and solve social problems – proving highly successful in countering any challenging behaviours. We are so proud of our warm, inclusive and caring environment.
We understand the trajectory of girls, where each program and strategy is carefully matched to the developmental needs of our students. In the early years, the Kimochis program and the PATHS (Promoting Alternative Thinking Strategies) programs complement our Keeping Safe Protective Behaviours lessons and other aspects of socio-emotional learning that are embedded in our curriculum.
We understand how vital it is to nurture our young students with respect and kindness. These caring, positive relationships are so important for building healthy brain architecture; ultimately creating a strong foundation for future learning, behaviour and mental health.
ACADEMIC DEVELOPMENT AND ASSESSMENT
We have a comprehensive regimen to extend the learning of all students and track academic development. Most importantly, academic progress is communicated to all parents at every step of the learning journey.
Our specialist academic extension and support programs contribute to the provision of a balanced curriculum. We understand that all children have different strengths and challenges and that at times, specific literacy and numeracy intervention may be required. Our specialist teaching staff for Learning Enhancement and Gifted and Talented Education will provide support as required.
Our assessment regimen includes formal diagnostic assessments, formative assessment (to determine previous knowledge and enable feedback) and standardised tests where students are measured against State/National norms. Summative assessments are important; however, formative assessments have a greater impact in real time to shape effective learning. This may include anecdotal feedback, checklists, rubrics and praise for effort and understanding.
Formal assessments:
• Speech Pathology and Occupational Therapy Screening (Kindergarten and Pre-Primary)
• On-Entry Literacy and Numeracy Assessment (Pre-Primary, Year 1 and Year 2)
• Year 1 to Year 6 ACER Progressive Achievement Tests (PAT)
• Year 3 to Year 6 ACER General Ability Tests (AGAT)
• Year 3 and Year 5 NAPLAN
• Year 1 to Year 6 Brightpath Writing Assessment
ACADEMIC REPORTING
You will be kept informed of your daughter’s progress through our Learning Management System, Compass. There are also planned opportunities for feedback:
Term 1 Parent Information Night takes place on the first Wednesday of the school year. Key messages from the College leaders take place in the Chapel, followed by a visit by parents to their daughter’s classroom for more specific information from the class teacher.
Parent Teacher Meetings – you are welcome to contact your class teacher to arrange a meeting at the start of the year, should you have any specific information you wish to share. Your daughter’s teacher will also arrange to meet with you towards the end of Term 1 to discuss the results of On-Entry, ACER and other informal assessments, to review progress and to set goals. If you require a further meeting with a member of our learning enhancement staff, please contact the Deputy Head of Junior School.
Term 2 Formal Report – students from Pre-Primary to Year 6 will receive a written report, including grades assigned against State curriculum benchmarks and indications of effort, plus personal and social development.
Term 3 Inquiry Journeys – at the end of Term 3, parents are invited to each classroom to be led by your daughter through her many accomplishments over the year. This will include all manners of work, in a variety of formats. This enables students to take ownership for their learning along with the responsibility of sharing it with her family.
Term 4 Written Reports – this is the final summative assessment for the year, in a similar format to the Term 2 Report. Students in Kindergarten and Pre-Kindergarten will also receive a formal report, based on the Kindergarten Guidelines and the principles of the Early Years Learning Framework.
ACADEMIC SUPPORT AND ENHANCEMENT
Our Learning Enhancement Specialist teachers, as well as our Mathematics Extension teacher and Gifted and Talented Coordinator are available to provide extension to ensure every student has the opportunity to achieve her personal best and reach her full potential.
Our classroom teachers will identify when specific intervention is required for additional support in development and growth. In these instances, we work directly with families to determine the best approach for their child.
Our Gifted and Talented students are individually casemanaged and access a number of academic competitions, internal and external to the College. If requirements are met, students will be accelerated within subjects and year groups. Providing experiences to extend the thinking of our students is central to our educational philosophy.
MUSIC PROGRAM
Our Music Program is incorporated into the curriculum from Kindergarten.
In Year 2, all students participate in our Strings Program, where they choose one of four instruments to join in weekly, small group lessons with our peripatetic music tutors during class Music time. Instruments are allocated based on several factors, including the number of instruments available to learn, and the individual preference of the student and their physical suitability.
String instruments: violin, viola, cello or double bass.
In Year 5, our Band Program operates much the same as the Strings Program in that students choose a brass instrument to join in weekly, small group lessons with our peripatetic music tutors during class Music time. They will also be involved in the Year 5 Symphonic Band. To ensure they are allocated the most appropriate instrument, students will be assessed on their aural skills and be checked for physical suitability. We also ask students to rank their top five instruments in order of choice, all of which is taken into consideration when allocating the right instrument to each child.
Brass instruments: flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, alto saxophone, trumpet, French horn, trombone, bass guitar or percussion.
• Instruments, accessories and method books are provided at no additional cost.
• Where students are already engaged in ongoing lessons in one of the instruments offered, they will learn the same instrument as part of our program.
• Students who continue with their string instrument beyond Year 2 will be allowed to continue this study rather than commencing a new instrument in Year 5.
The Junior School has a number of ensembles that take place before and after school. More than half our students play an instrument, with individual lessons available through our College Music Department.
ENSEMBLES
MUSIC
OUTSIDE THE CLASSROOM
CO-CURRICULAR EXPERIENCES
We offer many co-curricular opportunities before and after school for students in Pre-Primary to Year 6, with most taking place from 3.30pm to 4.30pm. Swimming lessons are also available in our Olympic-sized pool, before and after school. The Junior School cocurricular program is extensive and refreshes each Term.
Examples include:
• Dance
• Da Vinci Academic Decathlon
• Engineer Quest
• Future Problem Solving
• Homework Club
• Junior Voices Choir
• Lego Club
• Maker Space Construction
• Maths Mentor
• Minecraft Club
• Music ensembles – Strings, Percussion, Wind
• Running Club
• Speakers Challenge (Public Speaking) Club
• Speech and Drama
• Sport – AFL, Athletics, Cricket, Tennis, Volleyball
• Rock Band
After school, students are supervised by our staff until their co-curricular club begins.
DRAGON EXPLORERS
We build resilience and have lots of fun at Penrhos. In the early years, we provide a variety of stimulating incursions and excursions. In Year 2, we build great excitement as our students experience their first ‘overseas tour’; a day trip to Rottnest! Then in Year 4, we introduce the first (overnight) outdoor educationbased camp, which extends to two nights at the Swan Valley Adventure Centre in Year 5.
Towards the end of Year 6, all students travel to Canberra, with an itinerary that includes the Australian Museum of Democracy, the High Court, the Electoral Education Centre, Parliament House, the Australian War Memorial, the National Museum, Questacon and the Australian Institute of Sport. The Year 6 Canberra Tour has become a rite of passage for our students in their final year of Junior School and rounds out their syllabus on Australian democracy, history and art. The opportunity to visit Canberra is a rich educational experience. This is a tour designed to build resilience and character; to extend our students to become more independent and be proud of their achievement in travelling interstate with their friends and teachers.
Every two years, we offer Year 5 and Year 6 students a tour to Japan, to put their second language skills to good use and experience a different culture. The Japan Tour is a wonderful experience for all involved and we are proud to offer this experience at Penrhos.
These experiences are based on the concept of experiential learning; an engaged learning process whereby students ‘learn by doing’ and reflect on the process. This includes opportunities for students to engage intellectually, creatively, emotionally, socially or physically. By taking our students outside their comfort zone, we can create a safe level of ‘good stress’ to build resilience and character. Our approach is considered and promotes student agency by listening to them, building on their ideas and acknowledging their opinions.
DAILY SCHEDULE
Pre-Kindergarten
Pre-Primary
Year 1
Kindergarten 8.20am 8.40am 3pm 3.10pm 8.15am 8.30am
Year 2
Year 3
Year 4
Year 5
Year 6
Mondays and Wednesdays 10.10-10.35am Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays 10.30-11am
Mondays and Wednesdays 1.05-1.35pm Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays 12.50-1.25pm 3.15pm
OUTSIDE SCHOOL HOURS CARE
Before-school care – Dragon X Penrhos will continue to offer Dragon X before school, free of charge to our families. Dragon X is facilitated by Penrhos and operates in the Junior School Library. To register, please contact Junior School Reception on 08 9368 9555 or email jsadmin@penrhos.wa.edu.au
• Available from: 7.15am until the school day begins
• Available to: Kindergarten to Year 6 students
New in 2025:
• After-school care – Stay and Play (OSHClub)
From Term 1 in 2025, OSHClub will facilitate our after-school care program at Penrhos. OSHClub have been providing industry-leading outside school hours care for Western Australian families since 2009.
• Holiday program – HolidayHQ
OSHClub will also provide a holiday program at Penrhos, starting from Term 1 in 2025.
More information will be provided to families about the benefits of OSHClub via Compass, including bookings and cancellations and the ability to claim Child Care Subsidy dependent on income.
Please be aware there is no staff supervision in the Courtyard prior to 8am for Years 2 to 6, nor before 8.15am in the Early Learning Centre. Students who arrive prior to these times and do not attend Dragon X are not covered by the Duty of Care provided by the College. The same applies to those students who remain on campus after 3.40pm.
STUDENT DROP-OFF AND PICK-UP
YEAR GROUP
Pre-Kindergarten 8.20am
ELC building via Access Road entrance (access from Gate B – Morrison Street)
ELC building via Access Road entrance (access from Gate B – Morrison Street) 8.15am Kindergarten
Pre-Primary Year 1 Year 2 8.15am
Year 3 Year 4 Year 5 Year 6 8.15am
YEAR GROUP
Pre-Kindergarten 3pm
Kiss & Drive via Main Administration (access from Gate A – Morrison Street)
Kiss & Drive via Access Road (access from Gate B – Morrison Street)
ELC building via Access Road entrance (access from Gate B – Morrison Street)
ELC building via Access Road entrance (access from Gate B – Morrison Street) 3.10pm Kindergarten
Pre-Primary Year 1 Year 2 3.15pm
Year 3 Year 4 Year 5 3.15pm
Kiss & Drive via Main Administration (access from Gate A – Morrison Street)
Kiss & Drive via Access Road (access from Gate B – Morrison Street) 3.15pm Year 6
Fandry Centre (access from Gate C – Murray Street)
If you will not always be able to collect your daughter, you must submit hard-copy signed advice stating the names of other adults who are permitted to pick up on your behalf. This information is collected at the beginning of each school year and it is the responsibility of each parent to update their list of authorised adults, should changes occur throughout the year.
GENERAL INFORMATION
The following general information may be useful. Please contact our Admin team with any queries – we are always more than happy to help!
ABSENTEES
Our Education Management System, Compass, will enable you to record student absences. You will be provided with Compass login details on enrolment. Alternatively, please email jsadmin@penrhos.wa.edu.au prior to 8am on the day of a student’s absence, or phone the Junior School Reception on 9368 9555.
If your daughter is absent for longer than one day, you must register her absence on each separate day. Please ensure that all late arrivals, sign in/outs, appointments and music lessons are recorded at the Junior School Reception.
Any changes to address, phone number, medical conditions and emergency contacts should please be submitted via My Family Details, available through the Penrhos Portal.
An extended leave of absence requires a written and personally signed request to the Head of Junior School, Wayne Revitt, via Junior School Administration.
ALLERGY AWARENESS
Penrhos College is allergy aware and a ‘nut free zone’, which means NO NUTS or food items containing nuts can be brought for recess or lunch, or for the provision of any treats e.g. birthdays and class parties. Students are discouraged from sharing food items, recess snacks and lunches. We ask families to assist by not sending ‘food to share’ in school lunch boxes, so we are better able to provide a safer environment for students with food allergies.
ASSEMBLIES
Assemblies (for Pre-Primary to Year 6) are held on Friday mornings in the Rixon Theatre, as per the calendar. Awards are given at assemblies and you will be notified if your daughter is to be an award recipient. We also hold an End of Term Assembly, along with the Year 6 Graduation, on the last day of the school year. Our assemblies are very much a time for gratitude and celebration – you and your immediate family members are warmly invited to join us.
BIRTHDAYS
We love to celebrate birthdays! You are welcome to bring in food items for the class on your daughter’s special day.
Children with allergies are asked to supply some small items at the beginning of each year, so they are not left out if they are unable to eat the birthday treat provided (these will be kept in a staff drawer or freezer). Lollipops on sticks are not suitable for safety reasons.
Please note that birthday party invitations are not to be given out at school. This is a strict Junior School policy to avoid disappointment for those who do not receive one. Please contact your class Parent Representatives for parent email information if required.
Birthday ribbons are presented at the Junior School Chapel Service to students who have a birthday falling on the Monday of the Chapel Service through to the following Sunday. Students who are absent will be presented with their birthday ribbons in class by the Head of Junior School at the first available opportunity.
BOOK LISTS
The College will source and provide all stationery and text-book items, as required for each year level. Parents do not need to order or source any stationery or other items. This reduces waste, makes life easier for our parents and encourages sharing amongst students.
BUS SERVICES
Students using the bus service are required to walk unsupervised to the Thelma Street bus stop – this area (including the crosswalk) is supervised by duty staff. Junior School students are not permitted to use the Morrison Street bus shelters.
CANTEEN
The College provides a canteen service for students in Pre-Primary to Year 6. The canteen has competitive pricing with a focus on healthy choices and a changing seasonal menu. For more information on lunch orders, please contact jsadmin@penrhos.wa.edu.au
CHAPEL
Our Chapel services in the Junior School are held on Monday mornings at 8.40am for Pre-Primary to Year 6 students. Parents are welcome to attend, with families seated upstairs. Our Chapel service is a wonderful way to start the week and to share in the Christian values of our community. The entire Year 5 cohort forms our Chapel Choir.
In Term 3, our Kindergarten students begin Chapel services on Tuesday mornings at 9am in their ELC classrooms. From Term 4, Kindergarten students join the Monday morning Chapel services with the Junior School students.
CHILD SAFETY
The College is committed to safeguarding and promoting the safety, welfare and wellbeing of children and young people – all staff, volunteers and visitors are expected to share this commitment.
All children and young people who come to Penrhos have a right to feel and be safe. We are committed to providing a child-safe and child-friendly environment, where children and young people feel they can actively participate in decisions that affect their lives. We have zero tolerance for child abuse and other harm; we are committed to acting in our students’ best interests and keeping them safe from harm. Our environment is friendly and welcoming to all children and young people, and our child safety protocols are designed to reflect the National Principles for Child Safe Organisations.
We actively seek to include students in decisions that affect them. We ensure students know about their rights to safety, information and participation. We recognise the importance of friendships and support from peers. We actively seek to understand what makes students feel safe within the College environment and we regularly communicate with students about what they can do if they feel unsafe.
In the Junior School, our psychologist oversees our Keeping Safe (Protective Behaviours) and Wellbeing curriculum, in keeping with our commitment to the safety and wellbeing of our students as paramount. We believe in a proactive, preventative approach – we develop the skills required to identify, regulate and discuss emotions, so that each child may communicate about their personal safety and safeguard the wellbeing of others. For more information, you are most welcome to arrange a time to meet with our psychologist, via jsadmin@penrhos.wa.edu.au
GENERAL INFORMATION
DIARIES
As it is not always possible to make personal contact with each individual parent, the diary provides an important medium for daily communication. Parents are encouraged to use the diary for this purpose. Your daughter will record all homework activities, important dates for events, reminders and a reading record in her diary. Classroom teachers review and sign student diaries regularly.
DRAGON QUEST
The Dragon Quest is a comprehensive reward system that recognises strength of character for students from Year 1. As students progress up each level, they will receive a positive letter home from the Head of Junior School, earn House points and receive Dragon Quest badges and bag tags. At Gold Level, students are able to enjoy lunch with the Principal! The Dragon Quest is designed to reward students who simply do right by others; those who are caring, humble and resilient in the face of adversity.
The Dragon Quest acknowledges those students who are instrumental in creating and consolidating a warm and positive school culture. We want our Penrhos students to be members of a community who act with integrity, have empathy for others, respect differences and are responsible global citizens. The Dragon Quest is clearly displayed in each classroom and symbolises our commitment to reward those students who display these character strengths.
DRESS CODE AND UNIFORM
Students wear the Penrhos uniform as outlined in the student diary and Uniform Handbook. Please clearly label all belongings, as there are many items in lost and found, which are all similar size. The children wear their green bucket school hats for outdoor play all year round; formal white hats are worn to and from school for students in Years 4 to 6. The green bucket hat remains in your child’s locker.
HOUSE ACTIVITIES
All students and staff are allocated to a House: ATHENS (GREEN)
ROME (RED)
SPARTA (YELLOW)
TROY (BLUE)
The House system is used for both sporting and cultural activities. Students whose family members are Penrhos alumni are usually placed in the same House as the related alumna. Regular opportunities will be provided for our students to interact with fellow House students of all ages, including Secondary students, on Pastoral Days.
INTERSCHOOL ACTIVITIES
Interschool activities are formally arranged through the Independent Primary School Heads Association (IPSHA) and the Junior Independent Girls Schools Sports Association (JIGSSA). Junior School students in Years 3 to 6 participate in a wide variety of events and activities, from sporting to cultural. Member schools take responsibility for arranging events for the benefit of all. Other activities with Independent Primary Schools are arranged on an informal basis.
KALEIDOSCOPE/ARTSFEST
Each year we alternate between an ELC (Kaleidoscope) and Year 3 to Year 6 (ArtsFest) Performing Arts production. This will involve a night-time performance in the Rixon Theatre and a matinee performance as a highlight on our Grandparents and Special Friends Day. All students take part and share in a wonderful celebration of the arts. Our Drama Specialist and Music Coordinator work together to create this special Penrhos experience.
LOCKERS
All Year 1 to Year 6 students are assigned a locker for storage of bags during the school day. For security reasons, they are not to be used for storage of student possessions overnight. The lockers are not to be decorated inside. Notebooks cannot be stored in the students’ lockers. All musical instruments are to be stored in the music lockers at the bottom of the internal stairs in the Junior School.
MEDICAL
If your daughter is unwell, please do not send her to school. Illnesses such as gastroenteritis, conjunctivitis, coughs and colds are highly contagious and can spread rapidly through a group of young children. We closely follow protocols set by the Health Department for the management of contagious diseases and will keep you informed of any action required. Anti-bacterial hand gel is available in all classrooms and further information about contagious diseases can be obtained from the Health Centre. The College Nurse will contact parents should any student fall ill at school or present when she is not well enough to attend.
For all students in the Junior School with medical conditions (e.g. anaphylaxis, asthma, epilepsy) an updated Allergy Action Plan, signed by a GP/Specialist, is required every year. Copies will be provided to relevant administration offices, the class teacher and the Health Centre. Relevant medication must also be provided. Should a student need to take medication during the day, please arrange this with the Health Centre. Junior School staff are not permitted to administer medications.
The Health Centre can be contacted on 08 9368 9505 or by email health@penrhos.wa.edu.au
MUSIC LESSONS (PERIPATETIC)
Many of our students enjoy learning a musical instrument or engaging in vocals lessons. We have excellent tutors, who will collect and return your daughter to her classroom if lessons are during the school day. All information regarding music lessons will be made available via Compass and in the Music Handbook.
If you have any queries, please contact the Music Administration Coordinator on 08 9368 9671 or email musica@penrhos.wa.edu.au. Please note students and parent/guardians must notify peripatetic music teachers of any potential diary conflicts with music lessons, at least 48 hours in advance, to allow adequate time for lesson re-scheduling.
NATIVITY AND CHRISTMAS CONCERT
During the last week of the school year, our community comes together to enjoy the ELC Nativity and Junior School Christmas Concert for a special afternoon celebration in the Rixon Theatre.
GENERAL INFORMATION
MOBILE PHONES
Students may carry a mobile phone, providing they observe the following conditions:
• Mobile phones are to be turned off and unmonitored during the school day
• All contact between students and parents/guardians should be made formally and in line with protocols via Junior School Reception
• Mobile phones are brought to school at the students’ own risk.
Individual students may choose to carry a mobile phone to and from school for medical, pastoral, safety or emergency reasons.
As soon as a student enters College grounds, her mobile phone must be switched off, put away and then stored and locked in her locker for the duration of the school day.
An individual student may be given permission to carry her mobile phone on her during the day for wellbeing and/or medical reasons at the discretion of the Head of Junior School, Dean of Students or Head of Secondary School.
Parents are asked to support this policy by not contacting their daughter on her mobile phone during the school day. All communications are to go through Junior School or Secondary School Reception or a member of staff. If a student needs to contact a family member, she may use the phone in Junior School Reception. If a student uses her phone to contact her parent directly, we ask parents to remind her of the correct procedure to follow.
Other Devices
Other devices include smart watches, AirPods, headsets, ear buds, earphones or any other device that can connect to a mobile phone.
Smart watches may be worn but students are expected to have their watch turned to aeroplane mode as soon as they enter College grounds. For all school-based assessments, students are required to remove their smart watch and place it on the teacher/supervisor’s desk when entering the room.
Headphones connected to a student’s College-provided computer may be used in class under teacher direction. Students are not to wear headphones (including AirPods and ear buds) when walking around campus or between classes. Individual students may be given permission to wear headphones for medical and/or pastoral reasons at the discretion of the Head of Junior School.
Co-Curricular
For all co-curricular activities, mobile phones and devices must be switched off, stored safely and not used without the express permission of the teacher in charge.
Library – after hours
Phones are to be kept on silent and remain in school bags. If a student wishes to make a call, she must request to use the library phone.
School socials, camps and other events
No mobile phones are to be taken on camps, to socials or other school events.
Misuse of mobile phones or devices
Any student who breaches the policy outlined above will have her mobile phone or device confiscated and held at Junior School Reception. A parent/caregiver will be required to collect it. Repeated breaches will result in consequences consistent with those detailed in our Behaviour Management Policy.
PARENT/TEACHER MEETINGS
The ongoing relationship between our families and staff is very important. You are welcome to arrange to meet with your class teacher at any time of the year; the same applies to specialist teachers and any other teacher who works with your daughter.
Please arrange to meet with the Head or Deputy Head of Junior School, should you have any further queries. Often a ‘face to face’ meeting is more effective in establishing supportive and productive relations. Our aim is ultimately to work with you, in partnership, for the benefit of your daughter.
PERSONAL ITEMS
Please avoid bringing personal toys or items to school, as far as is possible, since any loss or accidental damage can be very distressing. If your daughter brings a toy or object to school as part of their news telling, this will be kept safe by the class teacher until news time and returned at the end of the school day.
SUNSMART
Please send a labelled water bottle with your child each day to keep in the classroom, particularly during the hot weather.
Having an easily accessible bottle allows the girls to drink plenty of water throughout the day without having to leave the classroom. The girls can refill their bottles during their break times.
Please note your daughter must wear a hat whenever outside. Green bucket hats are to be kept at school in your daughter’s locker during the week. Please also ensure sunscreen application prior to school each morning. Sunscreen is additionally located in each classroom for additional applications throughout the day, as required.
Penrhos encourages all staff, students and their families to be aware of the dangers of skin cancer and to take preventative measures whether at school, travelling to and from school, or in situations away from school.
USEFUL CONTACTS
Junior School Administration
08 9368 9555 jsadmin@penrhos.wa.edu.au
• Absentees
• Psychologist
• Canteen
• Before-school care – Dragon X
• After-school care
Health Centre 08 9368 9505 health@penrhos.wa.edu.au
Enrolments
08 9368 9668 enrol@penrhos.wa.edu.au
Main Administration
08 9368 9500
Wayne Revitt –Head of
Junior School
via Tiffany Criddle – Executive Assistant 08 9368 9695 criddt@penrhos.wa.edu.au
Music Administration Coordinator 08 9368 9671 musica@penrhos.wa.edu.au
• Music lessons (peripatetic)
Any questions?
This Handbook is designed to provide general answers to the most commonly asked questions.
Throughout the school year, the majority of information will be communicated with you via Compass. This is a digital school management system – accessible through all devices including laptops, PCs, smart phones and tablets – that connects the school community with valuable resources via a single platform. If you require assistance with Compass, please call IT Support on 08 9368 9567 or email itsupport@penrhos.wa.edu.au
Our College website, the Seesaw App (for Early Learning), Penrhos social media platforms and periodic publications (including The Penrhosian and SAGA) will help you to stay abreast of a wealth of information throughout the year.
Please contact our friendly and helpful Admin team with any further queries.
COURAGE STARTS HERE.
