PENRHOS COLLEGE
PARENT SUPPORT GROUPS HANDBOOK 2025
INTRODUCTION
We have many groups within our flourishing community that continue to contribute to its success, including current students, staff and parents; Old Girls (alumni) and past staff and parents; plus all of the wider families and friends within our network. What defines the success of our community is the strong connections and partnerships that we continue to build – together.
One such partnership is that of the Penrhos College Foundation which is proud to support the commitment and dedication of our Parent Support Groups to create a brighter future for our College and students.
Our excellent reputation and outstanding facilities owe much to the benevolent financial support and voluntary work of our current and past committed community members.
Parent Support Groups sit at the very centre of our thriving community and play an invaluable role in enhancing the Penrhos experience for both students and parents. Their success is dependent on the commitment and enthusiasm of individuals who generously volunteer their time, talents and energy.
We are extremely fortunate to host the following Parent Support Groups in 2025:
• Friends of Drama and Dance (FoDD)
• Friends of Music (FoM)
• Friends of Penrhos (FoP)
• Friends of Rowing (FoR)
• Friends of Sport (FoS)
• Menrhos
• Parent Year Representatives (PYR)
Our Parent Support Groups work closely with our Marketing and Communications team and the Penrhos College Foundation on a range of events, initiatives and activities throughout each school year.
We are sincerely grateful for the ongoing contribution of our parents and friends; they are the heart of our enduring community and a constant source of inspiration for us all.
PENRHOS STAFF
Community Engagement Coordinator
Caroline Jenkins 08 9368 9539 jenkic@penrhos.wa.edu.au
Events Coordinator
Steve Wick 08 9368 9569 functions@penrhos.wa.edu.au
Rixon Theatre Bookings
Ryan Sedgwick 08 9368 9573 pacman@penrhos.wa.edu.au
Security and Parking
Sean Won 08 9368 9668 security@penrhos.wa.edu.au
Accounts team accounts@penrhos.wa.edu.au
The Accounts team can assist with invoices, budgets and general accounts queries.
PENRHOS GROUPS
Penrhos College Alumni Committee alumni@penrhos.wa.edu.au
Penrhos College Foundation penrhosfoundation@penrhos.wa.edu.au
Penrhosian Club jenkic@penrhos.wa.edu.au
USEFUL CONTACTS
PARENT SUPPORT GROUPS
Friends of Drama and Dance (FoDD) fodd-secretary@penrhos.wa.edu.au
Friends of Music (FoM) friendsofmusic@penrhos.wa.edu.au
Friends of Penrhos (FoP) fop-secretary@penrhos.wa.edu.au
Friends of Rowing (FoR) for-secretary@penrhos.wa.edu.au
Friends of Sport (FoS) fos-secretary@penrhos.wa.edu.au
Menrhos menrhos-secretary@penrhos.wa.edu.au
Expressions of interest for Parent Year Representatives are sought in Term 4 and announced at the beginning of each calendar year.
PENRHOS COLLEGE FOUNDATION
FRIENDS OF DRAMA AND DANCE (FoDD)
The Penrhos College Foundation was established in 1987 to secure the future of Penrhos College and support the school’s strategic initiatives in education and opportunity to benefit current and future generations of students.
The Foundation is both a fundraiser and a funder; your confirming fee contributes to a core fund that safeguards the future financial sustainability of the College as well as supporting your daughter’s co-curricular interests.
The Foundation is proud to support our Alumni and Parent Support Groups through a number of grants each year, which are used for a variety of purposes including the purchase of musical instruments, rowing equipment and other initiatives.
In supporting your daughter’s journey at Penrhos College, you will not only experience the warmth and camaraderie of our extraordinary community, but also make a valued contribution to the success and opportunities provided by our College.
The FoDD Committee, mainly made up of parent volunteers, focuses on enhancing our students’ performing arts experiences.
The committee works together in a supportive, inclusive and creative way to help create opportunities where students can:
• Explore their passions in a creative environment
• Experiment with individual expression
• Discover new skills outside of the classroom
• Connect with other year groups to foster unity
• Achieve a sense of accomplishment through live performances
Through their engagement, volunteers:
• Connect with other parents and families
• Promote meaningful community connections
• Contribute to an environment that fosters limitless opportunities
• Enjoy contributing to College events and initiatives
• Treasure journeying alongside their daughter at Penrhos
Email fodd-secretary@penrhos.wa.edu.au for more information.
FRIENDS OF MUSIC (FoM)
Friends of Music aims to create opportunities for parents and teachers to foster the enjoyment and promotion of Music. FoM members assist with ticketing, providing and serving refreshments, fundraising and more at the many Music events at the College including:
• Junior School and Secondary School Eisteddfods
• New parent music information evenings
• Music Gala Night
• Jazz at the Llew Woodford
• Secondary School Music Recital
• Junior School Concerts
Each year FoM recognises students’ contributions to Music at the College by providing certificates and pins to graduating Year 6 musicians and gifts for Year 12 leavers. They also contribute to the purchase of instruments and other equipment for the Music Department. In 2024, Friends of Music have provided funds for a set of guitars to be purchased by the College.
FoM is open to all Junior and Secondary School parents/guardians who are interested in music, particularly those whose daughters play an instrument, sing or are studying Music as a subject.
Email fom-secretary@penrhos.wa.edu.au for more information.
FRIENDS OF PENRHOS (FoP)
Friends of Penrhos is a relatively new parent support group born of the shared vision and resulting amalgamation of the Penrhos College P&F and Auxiliary, both with a long history of providing support and opportunities to the Penrhos community. Friends of Penrhos aims to continue and build on their aim to foster connections, host events and develop initiatives to bring the community together in support of our College and our students.
Friends of Penrhos are proud to host and support the following College events and traditions:
• ELC and Junior School Discos
• Spring Lunch
• Valedictory events
• Community Christmas event
• Combined Penrhos/Wesley parent sundowners which run concurrently with cohort socials
Email jenkic@penrhos.wa.edu.au for more information.
FRIENDS OF ROWING (FoR)
Friends of Rowing work closely with the Head of Rowing to support the rowing squad by organising events, fundraising and providing hands-on-support. Parents/caregivers of all rowers are warmly welcomed as members of the close-knit Penrhos rowing community.
There are a wide variety of opportunities to lend a hand and contribute towards the success of Penrhos Rowing and FoR, and we encourage you to get involved.
Email for-secretary@penrhos.wa.edu.au for more information on how you can help or join us at an upcoming meeting to learn more.
FRIENDS OF SPORT (FoS)
Friends of Sport is the newest of our Parent Support Groups and currently in its first year of operation.
FoS supports many sporting activities across the College, including Interhouse Swimming, Athletics and Cross Country Carnivals.
Despite it being classified a Parent Support Group, FoS also welcomes alumni whose experiences and stories following graduation can inspire and elevate current students.
For alumni, FoS provides the opportunity to reconnect with Penrhos and engage with student athletes, share your insights as a guest speaker or be featured in our sports news stories. Their involvement can help foster a robust sporting spirit and support our teams in achieving new heights.
Email fos-secretary@penrhos.wa.edu.au for more information and details of upcoming meeting and opportunities.
MENRHOS
Menrhos is a Parent Support Group made up of Penrhos dads and father figures. School years are a precious time for growth and development, and our father figures play a crucial role in helping their daughters successfully navigate the many challenges they are likely to face during their formative years. Menrhos aims to create opportunities for dads to spend quality time with their daughters through uplifting and challenging activities, as well as providing an environment for dads to network and find fellowship.
Menrhos supports both Junior and Secondary School families by creating a community that fosters dad-daughter relationships, generates interactive family engagement, and promotes dad-to-dad interaction for wellness and friendship support. Menrhos achieves this by supporting the College in organising social events and initiatives, including:
• Menrhos guest speaker events
• Hosting monthly Menrhos dads dinner catchups at local venues
• Secondary School Go Kart Challenge
• Dad and Daughter Camps (Years 5 and 7)
• Family Fun Day at Adventure World and Family Mini-Golf Night
• Dads Salami Making Master Class
Email menrhos-secretary@penrhos.wa.edu.au if you wish to get involved or receive updates via the Menrhos WhatsApp community.
PARENT YEAR REPRESENTATIVES (PYR)
Parent Year Representatives act as a liaison between the College and other parents – they share school news, help promote opportunities for parent networking, organise social activities, and spread the word about College events and initiatives, to make everyone feel involved.
Families are invited to opt in to the Parent Contact List for their daughter’s cohort to receive a copy of additional communications from the PYR about social events and College announcements.
Families are also invited to join the cohort’s closed Facebook group as an additional way of keeping informed about cohort social activities and College events. PYRs are the administrators and moderators of the Facebook group – part of their role is to share information and ensure it is a friendly and social platform that helps parents feel connected.
Acting as a Parent Year Representative is not meant to be an onerous task. We hope volunteers find it a simple and rewarding way of getting to know other parents.
Main responsibilities include:
• Helping our incoming families feel welcome
• Supporting opportunities for families in the cohort to connect both on and off campus at College events, coffee catch ups, parent dinners and family activities
• Providing a link between the parent group and the College
• Administrating and moderating the cohort’s closed Facebook Group
The Marketing and Communications team works with Parent Year Representatives each year to guide them to the most appropriate platforms for promoting events. We look forward to meeting you all at our Parent Year Representative morning tea held each year in Term 1.
JOINING A PARENT SUPPORT GROUP
The Community Engagement Coordinator will be able to assist with any questions about getting involved with any of our Parent Support Groups, including members’ contact details and dates of upcoming meetings.
Email Caroline Jenkins at jenkic@penrhos.wa.edu.au.
SOCIAL MEDIA
All members of the College community –including staff, parents and students – have the right to participate in and benefit from the opportunities offered by the Penrhos College community. The College expects all community members to always behave positively and responsibly, to ensure that the image of the College is not negatively affected or brought into disrepute.
When using social media, the College and members of the College community are expected to ensure that they respect the rights and confidentiality of others, and to model the core shared values of the College; respect, integrity, empathy, knowledge, growth and synergy.
Please note that members of the College community must not post photographs of students taken at College events on social media without the parental consent of all students featured.
The Parent Year Group policy for social media use is posted in each Parent Year group’s Facebook group.
PARENT CONTACT LISTS
Parent Contact Lists assist with parent networking and communication. The Community Engagement Coordinator oversees and administers the Parent Contact List for each cohort or Support Group. Our privacy policy restricts the College from passing on families’ information. Like any email distribution list, an email recipient must ‘opt in’ to be included and may at any time ‘opt out’ if he/she no longer wants to be involved.
COLLECTION OF MONEY
While this can be a sensitive subject, it is important to set out clear guidelines to ensure everyone is aware of the process.
The College policy is as follows:
• It is not appropriate for Parent Year Representatives to request money from other parents
• Class collections for teacher/coach gifts may not be undertaken
While we acknowledge that families may wish to thank teachers/coaches at Christmas time or at the end of a season, the College encourages meaningful and modest gifts to be given by individual students. Expensive gifts and requests for money can make some families feel uncomfortable. We appreciate your understanding and cooperation – please don’t hesitate to contact the Community Engagement Coordinator to discuss further.
PENRHOS ALUMNI GROUPS
PENRHOS COLLEGE ALUMNI COMMITTEE
The Penrhos College Alumni Committee aims to perpetuate school and community spirit among our 10,000+ alumni members. Penrhos ‘Old Girls’ are based in more than 40 countries around the world – our evergrowing network means professional and personal links to each other and the College reach far and wide.
The Penrhos College Alumni Committee provides invaluable support to the College by:
• Funding and awarding the annual Meg Melville Alumni Endeavour Award –awarded to a Year 12 student
• Representing our alumni community on the College Council
• Providing financial support to The Penrhosian magazine
• Creating the Alumni Memorial Garden and maintaining the Book of Condolence
• Establishing the Alumni Lookout at the Meg Melville Science Innovation Centre, a dedicated space for past, current and future students to reflect on their time at Penrhos
The Alumni Committee also proudly hosts and supports many popular events and initiatives across the College calendar – class reunions, Founders’ Day celebrations, the Year 12 Mother Daughter Dinner as well as social and networking events including the annual Penrhos and Wesley alumni Shakers & Stirrers event and the College Production Soirée.
Our alumni members act as important role models for our current students, volunteering their time to act as mentors and providing career guidance and networking opportunities. We welcome all alumni to join us in the Colwyn Centre at an upcoming meeting.
Email alumni@penrhos.wa.edu.au for more information.
PENRHOS COLLEGE ALUMNI INC .
PENRHOSIAN CLUB
The Penrhosian Club allows mothers and grandmothers of former students, along with alumni and past staff, to continue their connection with Penrhos College. It’s a wonderful way to make new friendships, while also retaining those made over the years.
Founded in 1977, Penrhosian Club members connect at events and catchups throughout the year and share a close association with the Wesleyana Club.
Join us at the next catch up, or if you have any questions about the Penrhosian Club, please email jenkic@penrhos.wa.edu.au or call 08 9368 9539.
PENRHOSIAN CLUB
TESTIMONIALS
“I volunteered as a Parent Year Rep for an intake year because I think it’s important for new families to feel welcome and part of the community. Everyone benefits by supporting and encouraging connections between the parents in our year, and the girls love the social events we arrange that include them!”
Parent Year Representative parent
“Being involved in Friends of Penrhos is a wonderful way to meet other parents and share different interests and goals, while working towards making Penrhos College a positive and encouraging environment for our daughters.”
Friends of Penrhos parent
“Joining a parents’ group is a wonderful way to support and encourage your daughter in a great sport, to have input into the way things are run, to make a contribution to the Penrhos College community and have fun with the girls and other Rowing Support Group parents. The girls really value the efforts of the support group and that to us is the best reward.”
Friends of Rowing parent
“I joined FoDD because I wanted to become involved in something my girls enjoy. The staff at the College are so generous with their time and I feel it is important to support them. It’s also lovely to meet other parents who share similar interests.”
Friends of Drama and Dance parent
“I enjoy being part of Friends of Penrhos as it gives me a sense of enjoyment, of being able to contribute to the school community, and helping parents and students enjoy additional functions and support that would otherwise not be possible.”
Friends of Penrhos parent
“It’s fantastic to be a part of a community that celebrates and supports creative passions just as much as the traditional ‘STEM’ subjects.’ There is a terrific bunch of people involved and we have a lot of fun.”
Friends of Drama and Dance parent
“I joined Friends of Penrhos to meet people and support the College in community service.”
Friends of Penrhos parent
