PENRHOS COLLEGE
PARENT SUPPORT GROUPS HANDBOOK 2024
Parent Support Groups Handbook 2024 | Penrhos College
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CONTENTS Introduction
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Contact list
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Parent Support Groups
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Parent Year Representatives
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Joining a Parent Support Group
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Other Penrhos groups
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Testimonials
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Parent Support Groups Handbook 2024 | Penrhos College
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INTRODUCTION Our flourishing Penrhos community is defined not only by the many groups that make up our College community — current students and Old Girls, current and past staff and parents, wider families and friends — but also by the strong connections and partnerships we continue to build together.
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.
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We are extremely fortunate to host the following diverse range of Parent Support Groups: • Friends of Drama and Dance (FoDD) • Friends of Music (FoM) • Friends of Rowing (FoR) • Friends of Penrhos (FoP) • Menrhos • Parent Year Representatives (PYR) Our Parent Support Groups work closely with our Marketing and Communication Office and the Penrhos College Foundation on a range of events, initiatives and activities across the year. Members of the Marketing and Communication and Foundation teams are available to offer help and advice, and to partner with both, recognised groups and volunteers, who willingly help to support the College in a myriad of different ways. We are sincerely grateful for the ongoing contribution of our parents and friends, you are the heart of our enduring community and a constant source of inspiration for us all.
USEFUL CONTACTS Community Engagement Coordinator Caroline Jenkins 9368 9539 or jenkic@penrhos.wa.edu.au
Security and Parking Sean Won 9368 9668 or security@penrhos.wa.edu.au
Events Coordinator Steve Wick 9368 9569 or functions@penrhos.wa.edu.au
The Accounts team accounts@penrhos.wa.edu.au The Accounts team can assist with invoices, budgets and general accounts queries.
Rixon Theatre Bookings Ryan Sedgwick 9368 9573 or pacman@penrhos.wa.edu.au
PARENT SUPPORT GROUP CONTACT LIST Penrhos College Alumni (Inc.) alumni@penrhos.wa.edu.au
Friends of Rowing (FoR) friendsofrowing@penrhos.wa.edu.au
Penrhos College Foundation feedback@penrhos.wa.edu.au
Menrhos menrhos@penrhos.wa.edu.au
Friends of Penrhos (FoP) friendsofpenrhos@penrhos.wa.edu.au
Penrhosian Club feedback@penrhos.wa.edu.au
Friends of Drama and Dance (FoDD) friendsofdramaanddance@penrhos.wa.edu.au Friends of Music (FoM) friendsofmusic@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.
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Friends of Drama and Dance (FoDD)
Friends of Music (FoM)
The FoDD Committee is made up primarily of parent volunteers who are committed to providing support to Dance & Drama events at the College, by way of fundraising and physical support.
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
The volunteer group aims to create and support opportunities where students can: • Explore their passions in a creative environment • Experiment with settings that foster individual expression • Discover and delve into new skills outside of the classroom • Forge opportunities that include other year groups and actively promote togetherness • Develop a deep sense of achievement through the delivery of performances to a live audience Through their engagement, volunteers: • Connect with other parents and families through shared interests • Promote positive and meaningful community connections • Contribute to an environment that fosters limitless opportunities • Enjoy their valued involvement in College events and initiatives • Treasure the opportunity to journey alongside their daughter during their time at Penrhos We love to welcome new members to our group. Please contact presidentfodd@gmail. com for more information and details of our upcoming meetings.
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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 2018, FoM provided funds for a new grand piano to be purchased for the College.
More recently FoM has assisted with the repair of the College harpsichord and the purchase of ¼ size double basses for Junior School musicians. 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. For more information, please contact friendsofmusic@penrhos.wa.edu.au.
Friends of Rowing (FoR)
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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.
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Please email rowing@penrhos.wa.edu.au for more information on how you can help or join us at an upcoming meeting to learn more.
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.
Menrhos Menrhos is the only Parent Support Group made up exclusively of Penrhos dads and father figures. Menrhos aims to create opportunities for dads to spend quality time with their daughters. School years are such a precious time and dads have an important role to play in helping their daughters to successfully navigate the many challenges they will face through these formative years. Menrhos also aims to raise funds for the College to ensure it is always at the cutting edge and can continue to offer the very best learning experience to current and future generations of Penrhosians. Menrhos support the College by volunteering at College events and through social events and initiatives including: • Menrhos guest speaker events • Hosting monthly Menrhos dads’ dinner nights at local venues
Dad and daughter events such as the Menrhos Go Kart Challenge Dads and daughter camps (Year 5 - 7) Family events such as the Menrhos Family Fun Day at Adventure World and the Menrhos Family Mini Golf Competition
Add your name to the Menrhos mailing list by contacting menrhos@penrhos.wa.edu.au
Friends of Penrhos (FoP)
Friends of Penrhos are proud to host and support the following College events and traditions: • Easter Family Picnic • Junior School Disco • Spring Lunch • Valedictory events • Penrhos Picnic and Pictures • Community Christmas event • Combined Penrhos/Wesley parent sundowners which run concurrently with cohort socials Please email jenkic@penrhos.wa.edu.au for more information.
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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.
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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 Joining a Parent Support Group
Parent contact lists
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. Please contact Caroline Jenkins at jenkic@ penrhos.wa.edu.au
Parent Contact Lists are to 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.
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. A full version of the College’s Social Media Policy can be accessed via Compass.
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.
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OTHER PENRHOS GROUPS Penrhos College Alumni (Inc.) The Penrhos College Alumni Inc. aims to perpetuate school and community spirit PENRHOS COLLEGE among our 10,000+ ALUMNI INC. 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 of 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 • Funding and coordinating the Penrhos College Business Directory • Funding the Alumni Mentoring Network The Alumni Committee also proudly hosts and supports many popular events and initiatives across the College calendar — class reunions, mentoring, Founders’ Day celebrations, the Year 12 Mother Daughter 8
Dinner as well as social and networking events including the annual Penrhos and Wesley alumni Shakers & Stirrers event and the College Production matinee. 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. Please contact alumni@penrhos.wa.edu.au for more information.
Penrhosian Club The Penrhosian Club allows mothers and grandmothers of former students, PENRHOSIAN CLUB along with alumni and past staff, to continue their connection with Penrhos College. It’s a wonderful way to retain friendships made over the years and make new ones. Founded in 1977, Penrhosian Club members connect at events and catchups throughout the year and share a close association with the Wesleyana Club. If you would like to learn more about the Penrhosian Club, please email jenkic@penrhos.wa.edu.au or call 08 9368 9539.
TESTIMONIALS “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
“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
“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
“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
“It’s fantastic to be a part of a community that celebrates and supports creative passions just as much as the tradional ‘STEM’ subjects.’ There is a terrific bunch of people involved and we have a lot of fun.” Friends of Drama and Dance parent
“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. Every one 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
“I joined Friends of Penrhos to meet people and support the College in community service.” Friends of Penrhos parent
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