The Penrhosian No. 78

Penrhos College acknowledges the Whadjuk people of the Noongar Nation as the Traditional Custodians of the land on which we work, learn and live; and we extend this acknowledgment to the Traditional Custodians of the communities across Australia that are home to Penrhos boarding families.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander sovereignty has never been ceded and we acknowledge that this always was, and always will be Aboriginal land. We are privileged to learn on this Country, and from the oldest continuous living cultures in the world.

Penrhos College values and respects the unique perspectives and knowledges of all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples within our community, and we pay our respects to Elders past and present. In the spirit of reconciliation, Penrhos College acknowledges the role of education in moving forward whilst always remembering and learning from our shared histories.

From

Kalea Haran Principal

the Principal

When I commenced as Principal of Penrhos College in 2021, there was much to be proud of. Our vision – to inspire girls to become extraordinary women – has been a noble, and yet ‘real’ goal, and has been a key part of the success and wonderful community our school had been built upon.

With our impressive alumni including leading scientists, Olympians, managing directors, actors and humanitarians, a strong precedent has been set, with a hard act to follow.

However, with a changing world context, and everincreasing demands on our adults and young women, it was time to reflect, and reassess.

The imperative was simple:

To understand what we needed to do to build a school of the future.

To do this, we had to look both outside and within – at what the world, and our key stakeholders, will need from us, as well as at our existing strengths and how to build on them.

We needed to develop a compelling vision and purpose.

We needed to understand how we could bring that vision to life, in real, tangible terms.

And we needed to bring our community along the journey and seek their input.

With support from some fantastic experts, we engaged the Penrhos community – from Council, our fantastic staff, students and parents to do just that.

What we heard both delighted and sometimes surprised us; and showed us while we have long been on the right track, that there was an opportunity to build on our success by evolving our strategy.

Our students told us they felt they had unlimited opportunities and feel like they can do anything. They told us they loved and valued the community that had been built, and felt respected, cared for and included; a true part of the Penrhos ‘team’.

Our staff told us their goals included acting as coaches and mentors and supporting our students to become positive rebels. They emphasized the value of courage, curiosity, mastery and confidence, grounded in social responsibility. We heard their vision for the future included supporting our girls to set the world on firewith no ceilings; only sky.

When understanding the differences between what they see Penrhos is today, and what they want Penrhos to be in the future, all the elements were there –inclusive, progressive, and innovative – they just need to be amplified.

Our parents told us they were proud of the diverse opportunities and sense of community Penrhos provides their daughters. They spoke of our warm and nurturing environment, that simultaneously provides girls with opportunities to develop and grow and challenges them across their learning and personal development.

It was clear that while academic achievement and co-curricular activities are still as important as ever, our community is seeking a rounded education for our students. Contemporary research into education reinforces this. What counts as effective education now goes beyond academic achievement, and includes a commitment to developing students’ ethical values, selfesteem, their ability to self-direct their own learning and personal development.

In amongst this reflection and planning, we’ve had a wonderful year. While COVID has continued to challenge us, we hope we have come through this challenging and uncertain time more connected than ever.

I’m looking forward to a fantastic 2023, where you will learn more about our new strategic direction, and what it means to our community, in practice, in a tangible way.

COURAGE STARTS HERE

Students often find great amusement in asking me to include words or phrases that they, GenZ like to use, words like ‘slay’ or ‘bussin’ or my favourite, ‘it’s a vibe’. Of course, I indulge them, and I am never sure whether it is my GenX self, or my Irish accent, that makes it funnier than it should be. If I am honest, most of the time I need to Google the reference to understand what it is I am saying. When I googled the word ‘vibe’ or the phrase ‘it’s a vibe’, implying the mood of a place, situation, person, etc. and the way that they/it makes you feel, I couldn’t help but relate, especially as I reflect on my first year at Penrhos College.

Of course, us Boomers, GenX and Millennials can relate to the history of ‘vibe’. The 1960s brought us the notion of ‘vibrations’ in the 1966 Beach Boys song “Good Vibrations”. Although the current cultural moment of the vibe is inextricably linked to TikTok, where qualifying something with a vibe really means describing something with positive moments of connection.

To put all of this in context, a vibe is more toned down than a buzz, but more pervasive than an ambience! Being familiar to a ‘vibe’ involves being part of a shared

A year in review

Victoria Kelleher Head of Secondary School

reality, a shared environment. A vibe, in a situation where all elements align positively, creates a feeling of connection to one’s environment, a sense of belonging. Penrhos, and the people who make up our community; our students, our staff, and our families, all contribute to our sense of belonging to the College, and our sense of belonging is key to our positive relationship to this environment.

Over the past year, I have seen how Penrhos offers our girls multiple pathways to promote wellbeing, elevates a focus on personal challenge and growth, and creates opportunities for adventure, contributing to our connection to our environment.

So, how important is the environment? And, more importantly for this discussion, how important is the school environment and the complex system of relationships that exist within this environment. Rather than ground my argument on the research of Vygotsky, Bandura, or Bronfenbrenner, who all theorised the environment is explicitly or implicitly considered as a crucial process in human development, I have decided to base my analysis on a goldfish instead.

Goldfish, scientifically known as Carassius Auratus, are an interesting species. When put in a small bowl, a goldfish stays small, growing to about 2 to 3 inches at best. However, goldfish will naturally grow to a large size when they are put in the right conditions. These conditions include plenty of pond or tank space, good water quality, warm water temperatures, and access to nutritious food. When put in the right conditions, goldfish can grow up to 18 inches, almost six times their average size.

How does this happen?

Goldfish are what scientists call “indeterminate growers” which means they have an infinite capacity for growth. When properly cared for and placed in the right environment, they have the capacity to continue growing until they die and get flushed down the toilet. The goldfish grows according to the environment it finds itself in. Humans are much the same. If we operate in a safe environment without risk or competition, we only evolve to be as big as a little goldfish.

And what a missed opportunity that would be because we are endowed with a similar ability to experience continuous growth throughout our lives. Physically, most humans stop growing sometime during their adolescent years (usually between 15-20 years old), but our ability to learn, adapt, and acquire new skills is indefinite.

If we take on new challenges, explore new opportunities, engage with smarter people, a bit like a goldfish going into a bigger pond, we naturally expand and live a bigger life.

Nelson Mandela said, “There is no passion to be found, playing small and settling for a life that’s less than the one you’re capable of living.” This past year, I have experienced an environment where our girls are encouraged to make bold choices and step outside of their comfort zone. A place that challenges them to rise to the occasion of their potential and celebrates and supports them along the way. Somewhere that gives our girls all that they need to become the best version of themselves. Where, just like goldfish, they have been properly cared for in the right environment.

My first year at Penrhos College has come and gone and there have been far too many highlights for me to list here. I will say, I consider my role as Head of Secondary School to be a privilege and, this year, Penrhos has given me a wonderful opportunity to grow and learn in the right environment. When I reflect on my first year at Penrhos College, and the wonderful environment I get to be part of, the only phrase that encompasses the positive experiences and connections that I have seen, and more importantly, that I feel is, ‘Penrhos is a vibe!’

International Baccalaureate in the Junior School

Wayne Revitt Head of Junior School

The Penrhos Junior School is now a Candidate School for the International Baccalaureate Organisation (IBO) Primary Years Program (PYP).

Why, you might ask? We want your children to find the fun in learning, to make their own adventure and be a force for good in the wider world. Importantly, there are no ceilings with our approach – and I hope the following background on the IB PYP helps you understand how we will facilitate this for your daughter(s), with a new framework for teaching and learning.

As a candidate school, this means we will commence the authorisation process administered by the IBO; then we are able to call ourselves an IB World School and can officially deliver the IB Primary Years Program. This process can take anything up to two years and results in a high-quality program for families.

The new Penrhos Strategic Plan, soon to be released to the whole school community, is well aligned with the philosophy of the IB. In fact, the combination of the IB, the Penrhos Round Square Program and the College Strategic Plan form a strong, well rounded and progressive education for our students.

The International Baccalaureate Organisation aims to develop inquiring, knowledgeable and caring young people who help to create a better and more peaceful world through intercultural understanding and respect. To this end the IBO works with schools, governments and international organisations to develop challenging programs of international education and rigorous assessment. These programs encourage students across the world to become active, compassionate and lifelong learners who understand that other people, with their differences, can also be right.

Our teaching and learning programs will incorporate both the WA curriculum (School Curriculum and Standards Authority) and the International Baccalaureate. Recognised around the world, an IB education is valued in an increasingly global context. With a focus on each student as a whole person, the IB PYP addresses not only academic development; but also social, emotional and physical growth of our students.

An IB education has a focus on the awareness of different cultural perspectives. It considers what the global impact could be if schools successfully develop leaders who understand that other people, with their differences, can also be right; and how that might positively benefit a world where conflict regularly emerges from cultural, religious, economic, and political differences.

The Primary Years Program

The PYP is designed for students aged from three to 12. It focuses on encouraging children to be interested and motivated in their own learning by helping them to investigate subjects that they have a natural curiosity about. Students are encouraged to make connections between disparate sources of information and increase their understanding of how the world works.

This inquiry-based approach enables pupils to build on their existing knowledge, with an emphasis on learning how to learn. The PYP curriculum is designed to ensure that children continue with a strong grounding in the traditional basics of literacy and numeracy, while placing emphasis on communication skills, problem-solving skills, teamwork, and the ability to apply learning to new situations.

For Penrhos, implementing the Primary Years Program won’t change our strong evidence-based literacy and numeracy (single subject) programs. We believe that explicit instruction is important and ongoing assessment of literacy and numeracy development is paramount in providing an excellent education. We will continue to communicate the progress of your daughter(s) with our regular formal and informal assessment and reporting schedule.

PYP learners know how to take ownership of their learning, collaborate with others and deepen understanding. They become self-regulated learners who can act on constructive feedback and explore their wonderings about people and events. With six transdisciplinary themes, students strengthen their learning through conceptual understandings, building knowledge and skills between subject areas.

IB learners are:

• encouraged to think critically and solve complex problems

• drive their own learning

• more culturally aware through the development of a second language

• able to engage with people in an increasingly globalised and rapidly changing world.

The IB PYP is committed to the development of students according to the IB learner profile. The profile aims to develop learners who are:

• Inquirers

• Knowledgeable

• Thinkers

• Communicators

• Principled

• Open-minded

• Caring

• Risk-takers

• Balanced

• Reflective

Six transdisciplinary themes

All units of inquiry come under the following six transdisciplinary themes of global significance. These themes enable our staff to teach the relevant subjects; for example health, science, technology or humanities - in the one unit of inquiry.

This approach is more authentic, enables the interests and the curiosity of our students to be honoured and is simply good practice. This is also not unusual for our staff – many of our year groups are already adopting an inquiry approach.

The PYP provides a comprehensive framework for this, moving forward. The PYP themes:

Who we are

Where we are in place and time

How we express ourselves How the world works How we organise ourselves Sharing the planet

These themes are mapped against the Western Australian Curriculum to ensure curriculum content prescribed by the Department of Education is covered. We believe the PYP allows us to do this in a richer, more vibrant way, that places your child at the centre of their learning.

As we implement these themes at Penrhos, you will see these clearly displayed in classrooms, so we are all aware of the learning taking place in each year group. You may well have some expertise in a particular unit of inquiry; if so, please connect with your class teacher. As a Penrhos parent, you are an integral part of our learning community.

The IB PYP and Wellbeing

A study by the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) for the International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO) found that students in the IB Primary Years Programme (IB PYP) demonstrated consistently higher levels of wellbeing than those educated outside the program.

The IB commissioned ACER to investigate the impact of the IB PYP analysed data from PYP and similar non-PYP schools. 56 PYP schools around Australia contributed data. The report concluded that the higher levels of wellbeing displayed by PYP students compared with their non-PYP peers conferred an advantage equivalent to around three months of additional development.

We will provide seminars for our families on the IB PYP in 2023. I hope that by providing you with the information above, you have further insight into the benefit of the IB PYP. We will continue to work together and provide you with ongoing updates into next year and beyond.

The future looks bright!

Farewell to Dr Lloyd Dawe

Penrhos College has been fortunate to have had leading Australian educator, Dr Lloyd Dawe, as our visiting Mathematician in Residence since 2014. Dr Dawe has a PhD in Mathematics from Cambridge University, as well as a MEd, BSc and Dip Ed. Travelling from Sydney to be with us, Dr Dawe has spent two weeks at Penrhos each year since 2014 (until COVID-19 when he connected with us online), staying on campus in Anglesey House as he works with students and staff to share his deep knowledge and love of Mathematics.

With an inspirational ability to bring real world mathematical problems to life, Dr Dawe shows students new ways to approach solving problems. With the skills to make complex mathematics look easy and accessible, our students enjoyed working with him on a range of practical activities, such as making and using sundials to calculate the latitude of Perth via trigonometry.

Dr Dawe also worked with staff to prepare and run classroom activities for all secondary students, to challenge and extend the girls beyond the school curriculum. Students from the Maths Mentor Program were always keen to also attend his notoriously early before-school master-classes.

To mark the special occasion of Dr Dawe’s retirement from Penrhos College, many past and present students have shared their fond memories and words.

I feel incredibly lucky to have had Dr Dawe play a core role in my maths journey throughout Secondary School. It takes a phenomenal teacher to get Year 10s and 11s out of bed and into a Library before sunrise in winter; and consistent attendance alone shows just how unique and enjoyable learning from him was. His wealth of knowledge, creative teaching strategies and endless patience prepared our teams over multiple years for the World Mathematics Team Championships- to which we are all endlessly grateful for.

Bianca Masters (2020)

Dr Dawe has an infectious enthusiasm for maths which he instils in his students. He has such a kind and caring nature when teaching and takes pleasure in watching us grow and achieve our goals in maths. When working with his students, Dr Dawe breaks down complex maths problems into more understandable steps which helps make the learning process easier and more enjoyable.

I was fortunate enough to receive the Dr Dawe Encouragement Award at the 2021 MathsNight@ Penrhos in which I received an informative and interesting book with some very kind and inspirational words from Dr Dawe reminding me that “maths is so often a natural part of my appreciation for beauty”.

Dr Dawe has been a huge part of the Penrhos College Maths Mentor Program and although we are sad to no longer work with him, we are forever grateful for the knowledge and insight he has offered us.

Dakota Kiss (2024)

I still remember the feeling of awe and excitement in the room during Dr Dawe’s first visit to Penrhos almost 10 years ago now. It is truly a special gift to be able to inspire a group of young minds (especially about maths!). I know Dr Dawe will be missed at Penrhos and wish him well in retirement.

Sweta Samanta (2016)

Before finishing his time at Penrhos College, Dr Dawe has provided a kind message to the College:

“It gives me great pleasure to write in response to the expressions of thanks from the staff and students of Penrhos College. The period 2014 -2019 (my last visit and a wonderful birthday party!) was long enough to meet some of you personally over several years. To see you grow in knowledge, understanding and maturity with each succeeding year was a joy.

Maths Night is an annual treat to see what so many of you have achieved. Not the least this year, it is always a special time for me too. I choose a book from my library I have read and valued for many years, to honour and encourage just one girl, while knowing there are dozens more who deserve one too.

The Alumni on the panel this year were again amazing examples of the impact of what “striving for the highest” at Penrhos means. To see you giving back your expertise and knowledge to support the potential of younger girls is so satisfying to staff and the community.

I can honestly tell you that your enthusiasm and hard work match any I have shared with students in other states and indeed other schools around the world. I know what getting up early in winter to get yourself to a Dr Dawe workshop before school means!

For the girls I have taught who are now alumni, it has also been a pleasure to admire your progress or graduation from university degrees, and to see you engaged in successful careers. The creativity which began in class and developed in Maths Mentor problem solving has carried over into the world of work.

From a very grateful Visiting Mathematician, I wish you all a very happy Christmas, and an exciting and successful new year as you complete your journey to “the peak of the moor”. I even have a Welsh name too mind!

With special thanks to Mr Chandler, Ms Rowden, Mr Birrell, Mrs Melville, and Ms Haran, and kind regards to parents, especially those of you I met each year, mathematics staff and students.”

Dr Lloyd Dawe

Farewell to key staff

Jane Clark

As an alum, a parent of three wonderful young women who attended Penrhos College and as a valued staff member of 23 and a half years, Jane, it is time to say goodbye.

Your quiet, softly spoken demeanor is actually a front for a fiercely determined professional who cares deeply about the students in her care. Jane, you are always prepared to advocate strongly for those students who are often unable to do so for themselves, for whom many others have given up on. You have challenged us to look outside the box particularly when typical strategies to support a student and her family are not gaining traction.

You have the capacity to find the best in all students no matter how challenging their behaviour or complex their lives may be. Were you to pen your memoirs of your time at Penrhos many would think it a work of fiction given the situations that you found yourself in.

Your legacy lives on around us, in the students with whom you have worked and supported - we see how functional and active they are in society. You have sat in dark places with girls and their families and provided to them a support that they could rely on. You are that person that others can’t help but open up to, sometimes with things that they have never been able to talk about, with anyone, before. Only those girls will know the impact that you have had on their lives and for this they will never forget you.

Your care extends to staff and parents. You are the person we go to for advice and counsel and you never let us down. You provide us with the strategies and the words and the confidence to approach life and its challenges. We all wish we could channel a little ‘Jane’ into our professional and personal lives.

Your professional knowledge is both broad and deep and you are highly respected by staff. Decisions are never made without thorough consideration, planning and consultation. As a group, and as individuals, we have learned so much from you. Our understandings of the complexities facing young people today and the strategies to manage these; the importance and value of working with others in a team to achieve shared goals;

the importance of patience in dealing with those who are impatient; what empathy truly looks like; that humility not self-aggrandisement is the most important quality to have; that all students have potential and deserve an equal opportunity to achieve this and that above all, this is worth fighting for.

Your contribution to the pastoral care programs, practices and processes has been phenomenal. You are understated in your knowledge, intelligence, and impact. You were the instigator and initial driver of community service and service tours at Penrhos, you have led ‘Big Sister’ and trained our ‘Big Sisters’ and you have made a significant contribution to the development, evaluation and refinement of pastoral curriculum, frameworks and policies.

You have touched the lives of so many and played such a pivot role in the story of countless Penrhosians, Jane, students, staff and parents. You have been our heart in shining armour. Always ready to brave the difficult, the volatile, the emotional situations, always ready to show the hand of friendship, always ready to show kindness, and compassion to others, and never, ever prepared to give up on those that need the greatest care.

Jane, today, we thank you for your outstanding loyalty and service, and wish you all the very best in life post Penrhos. There is a wedding on the horizon, more family time and family dinners on the menu, a menagerie of pets to care for and some pilates moves to fine tune.

Michelle Taylor

David Ballantyne

David Ballantyne started at the College 26 years ago in 1996. From his very first production everyone knew he would become an integral part of Penrhos College. His fun and energetic ways of teaching drama enthralled students, with many going on to pursue a career in the field of performing arts.

David never once repeated a production over his 26 years, until his final production earlier this year, where he once again directed The Wizard of Oz, the first production he directed at the College. Using pieces of the original set from 1996 he took his audience back to his first production. It was a fantastic way to finish his career in the performing arts and we wish David all the very best for his post-Penrhos life.

Bal! Where do I start? Well... Bal IS the drama at Penrhos! His kindness, caring soul, dedication and jokes/burns is what makes drama at the College so special. Whether its during class, production, or Dramafest, Bal makes it a happy, enjoyable place to be. Growing up doing Drama at Penrhos I always looked up to Bal. Seeing how kind he was to everyone, his positive mindset and how he treated the students with such respect made me excited to get to know him, and what a pleasure it has been. He truly cares so deeply for all his students. Bal is always there to offer advice, support (and snacks!) when you need it most. Some of my best memories at the College have taken place in Drama and Dance. If you have had the opportunity to have Bal as a teacher, work with him in production or had a chat with him, you are extremely lucky to have met such a wonderful teacher and person. Bal, you will be missed more than you will ever know! You will always be a part of Penrhos, the Drama department and a core part of my Penrhos journey.

Sophie Trainer, Class of 2022

Most of my favourite memories of Bal revolve around him simply making a cheeky comment or joke, in class or during production rehearsals, which would have everyone in a fit of laughter. He’s extremely iconic around Penrhos and we will miss how well coordinated his outfits always are, all the way down to his matching funny socks.

Erin Whitehead, Class of 2022

My favourite memory of Bal would have to be my time spent with him in the College’s annual productions. Bal is a force to be reckoned with. He is funny, witty, kind and incredibly wise. I was lucky enough to be cast as Scarecrow in the Wizard of Oz this year, and this experience was elevated by the time shared with Bal and other cast members. He worked so very hard to make sure we performed at our best and helped us to capture the true essence of our characters. I can’t thank him enough for his constant feedback, kindness and unwavering support.

Macy Curtis, Year 11

Mardi Shaw

Mardi Shaw first started at Penrhos College as a student, graduating in 1978. She then returned the College as a parent to Xanthe Shaw (2010) and Persephone Shaw (2013). Both of Mardi’s daughters were very involved in performing arts during their time at the College. Mardi then started at Penrhos as the Costume Coordinator in 2007, where she began creating all the beautiful costumes for the College productions. Mardi has always had an eye for creating extravagant, yet practical costumes for the girls to perform in. The girls loved visiting Mardi’s magical shed where girls could explore all the costumes Mardi has created. Her iconic line of “take your costume off the hanger, leave the hanger on the rack!” will be missed! We wish Mardi all the best for her retirement life.

Mardi’s excitement and pure joy when all the costumes come together is a facial expression that no one can ever forget. The sheer pride that overwhelms the room during production when everything comes together; the costumes, lighting, set, singing, dancing and acting, would always make Mardi beam with happiness.

Alex Cearns, Class of 2022

This is about the lady with those incredible shoes, those outstanding earrings, and of course, the biggest heart you’ll ever come across. The lady who will adopt you into her heart, feed you, listen to you, and love you like you are her own child. The lady whose stories could fill more pages than the entire Harry Potter series. This is about Mardi.Can everyone reading this just take a second to imagine the past 16 productions without costumes, the past 16 Dramafests, Dance Fests, Variety Nights, Dance Showcases and more. This is Penrhos without Mardi.

Amelia Hayes, Class of 2022

Reconciliation Action Plan Launch

Kalea Haran Principal

Over two years ago, Penrhos College began the journey to creating a Reconciliation Action Plan.

This journey involved our entire community, from students, staff, parents and traditional custodians of the land in which we live – over 40 people in all attended meetings and together, created our Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP), that has a clear vision. A vision I trust our community will embrace.

Penrhos’ vision is to build strong inter-cultural knowledge within our community to understand and acknowledge the history, impact and relevance of the past and current experiences of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

Penrhos College is proudly a diverse and inclusive community.

By listening to the many different voices in our community, we aim to develop a shared understanding, genuine empathy and respect for past, present and future peoples.

By giving time for truth telling, we will grow our knowledge and build awareness to strengthen our community and our understanding of Australia’s true history. This will ensure that we all feel safe and respected in sharing our stories and promote a space for healing.

What I love about Penrhos, is we will always speak out against prejudice and ignorance - it is part of who we are.

Our vision, and our goal, through this RAP is to develop a strong sense of belonging, cultural identity, pride and aspirations for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander members of the Penrhos community.

It is about embracing an inclusive learning environmentwhere we will nurture and create positive change.

United, we set a path towards a future where reconciliation is a lived reality and not simply an idea.

Our Reconciliation Action Plan is to become a part of the core of who we are at Penrhos College.

Moving forward, I trust we will all embrace its intent as we make a commitment to learn, unlearn and relearn to achieve our reconciliation goals.

I sincerely thank the Reconciliation Action Committee for all their support and advice throughout this journey - the RAP is something we can all be proud to be a part of.

To read a copy of our Reconciliation Action Plan, or to learn more please head to www.penrhos.wa.edu.au/RAP

Penrhos College would like to thank Talicia Griffin (Year 12) for her outstanding artwork contribution, pictured above.

A sign of reconciliation

During 2021, Principal Kalea Haran launched a competition to re-design the space outside her office, to create a warm and welcoming environment, instead of the overcrowded jungle there at the time. After much deliberation, the panel chose the student Reconciliation Committee’s application for a ‘Reconciliation Garden’. The garden also features special additions from other finalists including bird baths and friendship benches.

With assistance from the Penrhos College Foundations ‘Helping Hand’ fund, in consultation with the students, the grounds team took to work on the garden.

Our Reconciliation Garden is now filled with native plants; and is designed with connection and community in mind, it provides seating for friendship groups and a pathway connecting the school. Its central feature is a Balga tree, symbolising a spiritual connection as a guardian of people and place.

During October 2022, Lytoni Cheinmora (2022) began her work on a large mural in the Reconciliation Garden, representative of her connection to Country, as a Karajarri and Yawuru woman from Broome. The design includes references to the landscape, fauna and the dreamtime snake which resides in the river near Kalumburu.

The place of this artwork as a feature in the garden, reminds us that members of our community each have their own connections to stories, cultures and places outside of Penrhos, which contribute to the richness of our school culture and are opportunities for us to all learn from each other.

With the help of the younger Ngala Maya students and some of the Year 11s and 12s, Lytoni’s artwork was translated into a brightly coloured design, created especially for this location.

One of the aims in our new Reconciliation Action Plan is to visibly demonstrate respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures in the physical environment of our school. We understand we can make our respect visible in the learning environment through the incorporation of meaningful, relevant and culturally appropriate art, artefacts and symbolism which reinforce our work toward reconciliation, making our intentions and actions clear to our students, families and the broader community. The Reconciliation Garden is one of the first steps in this direction.

We would like to thank all the staff and students for their hard work and creativity in bringing this project to life!

Music at Penrhos

Jane Alderson

Director of Music

This year we had another challenging start to the year with COVID-19 causing interruptions to school programs, traditions, performances and activities. We started our rehearsal program for the year adapting to split venues and rehearsing outdoors. Despite the challenges, the girls have continued to shine and impress the College with their dedication and commitment, maintaining an outstanding performance tradition at a number of significant events including the St George’s Cathedral Recitals, Jazz at the Llew Woodford and the recent WA School Music Festivals.

Our senior ensembles gave excellent performances in the recent WA School Concert Band and Orchestra Festivals, with the String Orchestra and Camerata Strings both receiving awards of Outstanding in their divisions. Not only did Camerata Strings receive an outstanding award for their performance, but this was

also the first year that they were entered into the Festival in Premier Division and we couldn’t be more proud of them. Basie Band and Coltrane Jazz also gave excellent performances as part of the WA Schools Jazz Festival and provided a fabulous night of entertainment with Vox at the recent Jazz at the Llew Woodford. Kate Jeffery was recognised on bass at the Jazz Festival with a Certificate of Excellence for her performance with Coltrane Jazz and stepping into the breach for Basie Band at the last minute when their bass player went down with COVID-19.

A highlight for Music this year was the opportunity to perform in the premier Western Australian performance of Eumeralla.

“With a fusion of Western classical tradition and First Nations culture, Eumeralla soars with resilience and reconciliation.”

Penrhos was invited by composer Dr Deborah Cheetham AO (Yorta Yorta) in 2021 to perform in Eumeralla, a war requiem for peace, presented by West Australian Symphony Orchestra. Cancelled due to COVID-19, the performance was rescheduled for September 2022. Conducted by Benjamin Northey, the work also featured Ms Cheetham as soloist (soprano) alongside;

• Linda Barcan, mezzo soprano

• Don Bemrose, baritone (Gungarri)

• Dhungala Children’s Choir

• WASO Chorus

Premiered in 2019 by Melbourne Symphony Orchestra and sung in dialects of the Gunditjmara people of southwestern Victoria, this work combines poetry, three choirs, orchestra and the platform of the Requiem Mass.

The Penrhos College Chorus, an auditioned ensemble consisting of girls in Years 8-10, was formed in response to the invitation to perform Eumeralla. The Chorus rehearsed over 18 months, in addition to their involvement in other College-based vocal and instrumental ensembles to culminate in the longawaited performance in the first week of the Term 3 holidays. The girls relished the unique and exceptional opportunity to perform a groundbreaking new Australian composition, both musically in navigating a complex score and linguistically in the chance to learn and sing in Language, particularly the dialects of the Gunditjmara people of southwestern Victoria.

The opportunity to work with Dr Cheetham AO provided not only inspiration, but a greater appreciation for the work and its background. Through her generous and heartfelt sharing of the historical and community context alongside the setting of the composition, Dr Cheetham enabled and encouraged a greater insight into the significance of this project, and our involvement within it.

Penrhos College would like to acknowledge the honour that we feel to be given the opportunity to perform in such prestigious company, and our appreciation for being part of such a momentous and significant work.

We have already begun our venture into reigniting the collaborative partnership between Wesley College and Penrhos College, and this year have launched the combined Penrhos/Wesley Chorale.

Their first performance was held at Chaplain Paul’s Commissioning Service with the Irish Blessing, and the students recently performed a moving rendition of Lully Lulla at the inaugural Wesley Carols.

Alexandra Rhys-Jones, one of our Year 11 students has provided a personal account of her involvement in the choir this year:

The combined Penrhos/Wesley Chamber Choir has been unnamed since its debut, however the members and staff involved speak for themselves. Mr Van Reyk is an extraordinary Choir Director. He fixes our problems instantly as they arise and ensures we are equipped for our performances. While being a somewhat strict teacher, he is extremely understanding and caring and is also one of the nicest I know! Mrs Alderson isf the gem of our choir. Her smile and joy lights up the room as she waltzes in as cheery as one can be. She is super, almost too patient for us and is the most understanding teacher I know of.

And the members themselves, what a fabulous choir. I am honoured to be a part of this group of strong men and women. We had around 3-5 rehearsals before each performance, and they were all done to perfection and memorized (except for when we started a song in an entirely different key which arguably was a better key.) We all sing together in perfect harmony and with such support it is one of my highlights every Wednesday evening.

I can’t wait to see what is in store for these fabulous singers next year and I’ll end on this: you don’t need a name for a choir to make it fabulous. We are living proof of that.

The Penrhos College Music Department are also delighted to announce that Erica Wong, our top Music student for 2022 was offered the Delano Scholarship by UWA Music following an excellent audition on violin. Erica is the second Penrhos student to be offered this prestigious scholarship, following Monique Rossi who graduated as our top music student in 2021.

The purpose of these scholarships is to assist and encourage gifted music students to undertake instrumental performance units in any major offered by the Conservatorium of Music in a priority area of the Conservatorium of Music’s performance activities.

We are looking forward to a less interrupted and challenging year next year, with several events already lined up and in planning, including Music Camp, Visiting Artist and further collaborative projects with Wesley College.

A year in review

Paul Whitfield Chaplain

Having attended a co-educational High School and worked at one previously, I wasn’t sure what to expect when I first started at Penrhos College. I was encouraged to watch the movie ‘Mean Girls’ if I wanted to understand teenagers and, to be honest, it made me a little afraid.

‘Mean Girls’ follows the journey of Cady Heron, who moves from the wilds of Africa to the even wilder environment of North Shore High School in Illinois, in the United States. Here students compete to establish themselves in the most popular cliques and then fight to rise to the top. I began wondering if this would be the culture, I would find at Penrhos College?

Sitting in my first School Assembly, my fears were quickly put to rest. School Captain, Charlotte Gibbons took to the mic and interviewed the 2022 Student Council about their portfolios and passions. When quizzed about her favourite song, Chapel Captain Amber Du Plessis agonised over the difficult choice between Shine Jesus Shine and the School Benediction. Charlotte’s interest was genuine, and it started to dawn on me that Penrhos was a very different place to North Shore High.

Being a newcomer to these parts, I can’t pretend to know how we got to such a healthy place. What I can offer is some observations of how I think Penrhos has stayed this way. Most important are the students themselves – I’ve attended two camps this year, first with the Year 10s at Wooleen and then with the Year 9s at Waroona. Wooleen wasn’t easy. The group carried all their own equipment and hiked for seven nights straight. Students got tired and I saw firsthand the dangers of speaking when you’re “hangry” but when the pressure was on, they still showed compassion, kindness and stuck together.

Whenever things get stressful at Penrhos a quick chat with one of our Early Learning Centre students will brighten your day. Their welcome is unconditional, and enthusiasm is contagious. What is unusual about Penrhos College is that this is consistent across the entire College.

When the Head of Junior School tours the campus with prospective families he invites any students to share what they think of the School (and doesn’t need to give them lines to say). When I invite students to share their thoughts in Chapel, I can give them the microphone and I am confident that they will use it for good rather than evil. The kindness and respect students consistently show has a ripple effect. It is normal to be enthusiastic and acceptable to stand out from the crowd.

How do the staff help in this? Again, I can’t pretend to be an expert, but a couple of things have struck me in particular. It seems staff are quick to praise students for showing kindness to each other. For every time I’ve seen staff call on students to change their behaviour, I’ve also seen staff ‘catching students being good’ and praising them publicly for the positive things they’ve done. I’ve also observed how hard staff work at making students the star of every show. In a busy College, that’s not always easy and certainly something I’d like to grow in personally.

The students at Penrhos are responsible for their own behaviour and are a credit to themselves. But they’re also a credit to the wider community. Parents and grandparents play a huge role in communicating a love of learning and shape their kids’ values in a way no one else can. Parenting is one of life’s biggest challenges but is also the most important job.

The culture at Penrhos is something worth celebrating and certainly worth working hard to maintain.

Christmas reflection

Australians spend tens of billions of dollars each Christmas, which averages out to more than a $1,000 per person. When you start to add up the cost of gifts, food, drinks, outings, decorations and perhaps even travel it’s easy to see how. The temptation to spend big and worry about the consequences later is strong. In 2019, the Kempinski Hotel in Spain displayed a $15 million Christmas tree decorated with diamonds and in 2013 a Finnish florist created a $5 million wreath. Compared to these expenses, our Christmases might seem modest.

After all, isn’t Christmas meant to celebrate the birth of a king? The word ‘Christ’ means king and a ‘mass’ is a commemoration. Isn’t there something appropriate about remembering Jesus’ birth with the best things in creation? But before we spend big, we might pause to remember the events surrounding Jesus’ birth as recorded in his biography written by Luke:

In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was Governor of Syria.) and everyone went to their own town to register.

So, Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.

There were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.

But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Saviour has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

Luke 2:1-12 (NIV)

Reading this account, two things stand out – the modesty of Jesus’ accommodation and who God chose to be his guests. A manger was an animal feeding trough. I’m sure they took the food scraps out first and lined it with straw, but it wasn’t a glamorous place to put your baby. It was such an unusual place to house an infant that the angels describe it as a ‘sign’, something that would catch the attention of his guests. The guest list is also remarkable. Shepherds were considered unclean and were outcasts in polite society in Jesus’ day. They weren’t allowed to enter the temple in Jerusalem and their testimony wasn’t considered valid in court. But it is shepherds that God invites to view the newborn king and they’re the ones who spread the report that a saviour has been born.

So, if your Christmas this year is relatively humble, perhaps remember the circumstances of Jesus’ birth. But if, like most Australians, you pull out all the stops do it because of good news that brings great joy –a saviour has been born, who is the Messiah, the Lord.

A boarding parents’ perspective

Annette Thomas (1992) Mother of Evelyn Thomas (Year 9 boarder)

The exciting yet daunting journey to send our daughter to Boarding School started before she was even born. For us, living in a small country town with just a Primary School meant we needed to think about how we would educate our children in their teenage years, before we had even had them. We were both fortunate to have been boarders ourselves (I was a Penrhosian) and we knew there were a myriad of benefits that awaited our children at Boarding School that were not just educational. Although it is challenging to realise that you only have 11 years to parent your child full time before they need to leave home, it makes you aware of how fast that time goes.

Evelyn was a voracious reader in Primary School and enjoyed Enid Blyton and other similar books that depicted Boarding Schools with French lessons and midnight feasts. When we talked about going away to High School in Perth, I don’t think she pictured the modern buildings and Boarding House at Penrhos. During Evelyn’s final year of Primary School, after touring the College and completing the entrance tests, I think it became real for her and she was eager to start Year 7, imagining all the fabulous opportunities.

As an avid fan of knitting, crochet and fabric craft, the tour of the Creative Arts and Design Centre was eye opening. When we walked up the stairs and saw the fabric creations lining the walls, I could see Evelyn was thinking “This is where I belong”. An extended impromptu tour of an art room to see what students were currently working on was wonderful. I could appreciate it from her point of view now, Evelyn had probably never imagined a room lined with sewing machines, a food lab still smelling of recently baked goodies or a classroom dedicated to teaching Italian. There seemed to be everything; netball courts, a sparkling swimming pool, a gym, a huge and enticing library and I think she was amazed.

Evelyn was enthusiastic and it made the journey from Primary to Secondary School all the more exciting for us to. The planning and the packing were approached with gusto and I kept wondering, “Is this too good to be true? Will it all fall apart later when we leave her?”. True to form, Evelyn settled in well with a great group of Year 7s, some of whom were also the first in their families to be a boarder, while others were old hands who had seen their siblings packing and unpacking for years. The Year 7 parents were a great support, with an organiser who set

us all up in a chat group so we could keep in touch (which was terrific during COVID-19). The first few years are now a blur of new friends, new subjects, new sports and wonderful staff.

Evelyn made friends with day students, and they welcomed her into their homes to do simple things like bake cookies, have a swim or play with the family dog. We have appreciated the support from other day and boarding parents which has enabled Evelyn to train for and play football outside of school, which she is passionate about. It has also meant the odd shopping trip, beach swim and mini break from the Boarding House.

Evelyn recently told us that as a Year 9 she had reached ‘Half-Way Day’ (halfway to graduating from Year 12!) and it seems to have gone very fast. At the moment she is on a much-anticipated Outdoor Education Camp involving lots of snorkelling, while we are here at home, busy with harvest awaiting the animated phone call that will fill us in on the adventure. In a fortnight Evelyn will be packing up her artfully decorated room and boxing up her pot plants to come home. She and her brother (a Year 7) will ensure that the car is packed to bursting,

perhaps even needing the roof rack and our youngest (aged ten) will be anticipating their return with excitement. There is always a period of getting back into balance as a family, but we are used to the ebb and flow now as they leave and return to us.

As daunting and challenging as the journey can sometimes be as you parent your child from a distance with periodic visits and school holiday breaks, there are also moments of great joy. We have watched our daughter blossom, becoming more independent, more mature and striving to do her best in everything she puts her mind to. Evelyn has made wonderful friends, is taught by passionate teachers and cared for by considerate staff, while enjoying the wonderful camaraderie that is Penrhos College.

Life as a boarder: Tanna

Tanna Bellotti Boarding House Captain (2023)

Why did your parents decide to send you to Penrhos?

After researching a number of schools Penrhos College fitted all of the expectations for my future development, with a culturally diverse and inclusive environment.

Penrhos had a great Indigenous group called Ngala Maya which immediately caught my attention as I wanted to grow my connection to others and country.

Bellotti

How did you feel when you first came to Penrhos?

At first, I was nervous as I was moving away from my family and from my small country town to the big city but the warm, welcoming nature of the school and everyone in it made me feel at home straight away.

Something that supported me greatly was the buddy system in the Boarding House, my buddy helped me navigate all the things that boarding at Penrhos College brings.

What did you find most challenging or difficult in your first few weeks?

What I found most difficult was being away from my family since we are such a close-knit family. But soon after settling in I realised I had found a second home and family who helped and encouraged me to become independent and strive for the highest.

How often do you travel home to Carnarvon to spend time with your family?

I travel back to Carnarvon on nearly every mid-term break and holiday but find with my independence and new relationships I spend time with other Penrhos families building new connections and exploring opportunities that the city has to offer.

Does your family come to visit you here at the Boarding House?

With the ease which the Boarding House accommodates for families to visit, my family takes every opportunity they can to come visit me.

What are the benefits of being a boarding student at Penrhos?

Some benefits of being a boarding student at Penrhos is the independence granted as you progress through each year allowing for personal development and wiser decision making.

Another benefit is the strong friendships and connections that are encouraged in the kind environment by other peers and Penrhos staff.

What has your highlight been while Boarding at Penrhos?

One of the many great highlights I have achieved while Boarding at Penrhos is being a member of the Boarding House netball team which were lucky enough to win the 2022 Netball Grand Final.

As a MADALAH scholarship student, Penrhos embraces the many cultural, social and leadership events that MADALAH offers, which had really allowed for the transition through boarding to be easier.

What are your plans for Boarding House Captain next year?

My plans as Boarding House Captain for 2023 is to maintain and develop the inclusive and friendly environment of the Boarding House, I would love to guide and nurture the new families and students as they begin their pathway through the Penrhos boarding journey.

From the Penrhos Foundation President

Gee Foundation President

Meet the Board 2022 Board members

Chris Gee President

Sally Audeyev Vice President

Alistair Baron Secretary

Kay Kelly Treasurer

Bruce Broadbent

Helen Jones

Kay Lee

Molly Delaney

Simon Woods

Representatives from the College who sit on the Foundation Board:

Kalea Haran Principal Stephen Cooper Director, Finance and Administration

Pip Lapelms Director, Marketing and Communications

Jaimi Rumbold Development Coordinator

Karen Ambrose Minutes Secretary

This year, our much anticipated 70th anniversary year has been a special one, despite being one of the most Covid-affected years we’ve had so far. Mask mandates, capacity restrictions, and isolation requirements meant we needed to pivot and adjust, but certainly didn’t affect our strong Penrhos spirit, nor the commitment of the Penrhos Foundation to continuing to support the Penrhos community, and make plans for the future.

Significant work has gone on behind the scenes for the Foundation this year, with a focus on building a long-term plan for the future, which capitalises on our existing efforts and that will support the College’s future ambitions under the new strategic plan. With additional resources being put in place to support our goals, I look forward to a year of growth for the Foundation and our activities next year.

There are some exciting and significant aspirations for the College going forward and is important for the success of the College that we all work together to support the College for the benefit of all current and future students.

The Foundation has been thrilled to see the cooperation and collaboration across all areas of the College and its community through the process of developing Penrhos’ new strategic direction. We have continued to work closely with College Leadership and the College Council to provide support the future growth of the College, and we believe the new strategy is a fantastic evolution that will further support the College in setting our students up for a future with no limits.

Chris

Penrhos has a fantastic community, and culture of support. We are rich in resources – including students, staff, parents, alumni, and past community members – with an enormous contribution from all sides. I am confident this fantastic work will continue, and with the new strategic plan, I see our opportunity in the coming year is to continue to build and bring the community together for the benefit of the College and all of our community.

In line with the Foundation’s virtuous circle of giving, this year we have grown the Penrhos College Foundation’s Helping Hand initiative, where students and staff are encouraged to submit ideas for funding.

The Helping Hand initiative is in addition to our existing support for Parent Support Groups and the Foundation’s ongoing support for Penrhos’ Round Square membership which commenced in 2020.

We also once again ran a successful Tuition Fees Raffle, where the Gower family won $20,000 towards upcoming tuition fees. Read the full story on the next page.

In 2022, the Foundation was pleased to support the new fundraising initiative and annual tradition for Year 12 boarders, the Boarding House Flock of Birds. This year, and moving forward, Year 12 families will have the opportunity to gift a bird to their Year 12 boarders, symbolising spreading their wings into life after Penrhos College, whilst leaving their legacy within the corridors of the Boarding House for all the girls to come in the future. All money raised through the fundraising initiative will be invested back in the Boarding House by the Foundation for programs and initiatives the following year.

It is a privilege to have served the College in the capacity of President of the Penrhos College Foundation for the last year. As I learn more about our wonderful community and the opportunities for Foundation support, we are firmly committed to encouraging and growing more alumni and community engagement as part of our work.

I would like to thank all my fellow board members, who generously give their time and expertise each year. In particular, I would like to acknowledge staff members who departed Penrhos this year, Paula Barrow and Sarah Woods, for their hard work and support and wish them success in their new roles.

A special thank you to the members of the Investment Committee for their continued work and communication with the Foundation’s Investment Adviser over a challenging year for investment markets. The Committee have continued to secure a long-term and disciplined approach, to manage the Foundation’s funds for the benefit of our current and future students.

I would additionally like to pass on my thanks to everyone beyond the Foundation Board for their support in 2022 – particularly to College staff, members of Council, members of the Alumni Committee, the many Parent Support Group representatives and to our generous donors.

I wish everyone a happy, safe and restful holiday break, and look forward to returning with a renewed vigour in 2023.

Thanks to our donors

The Penrhos College Foundation sincerely thanks the following donors, who have generously given to the College since June 2022.

T. Anderson

Beulah Wines

Boston Brewery Co. M & P. Cattle

T & D. Cutts

H. Dowzall

C & S. Faulkner

Fremantle Football Club M. Goonewardene

A. Gunawan

S. Hampson C. Hannah

M & J. Hitchins

Iconic Medispa D & G. Izzard R. Kempton K. Lee

Penrhosian Club K. Pilatti

Queen Status B. Rumford S. Strange L. Uppill R. Uppill

And the winner is...

Meet our 2023 Tuition Fees Raffle winner

What a wonderful surprise to end the year for the Gower family! Erin Gower held the lucky winning ticket for the 2023 Tuition Fees Raffle and will receive $20,000 credit towards her daughter’s tuition fees for 2023.

Erin said she was in shock when Foundation Board Member, Alistair Baron, called her on the night of the live draw at the annual Thank You Sundowner on Friday, 11 November.

“I was definitely not expecting to get the phone call but as soon as I heard the words ‘Good Evening Erin, it’s Alistair Baron from Penrhos’ my heart started racing and I had a rush of excitement, relief and disbelief all at the same time,” said Erin.

“Having won the tuition means one less thing to worry about for a little while. This will be a massive help for our family and a bit of relief knowing the winnings are going towards my daughter’s time at Penrhos”.

Erin urged everyone to give the raffle a go.

“I would definitely encourage people to have a go at the Raffle. It is not every day you get the chance to win a prize that can do so much for your family. I only got one ticket thinking there was

appreciate everything the school has done and provided for our daughter during her first year at Penrhos. She is absolutely loving everything about Penrhos from her teachers, the classes she has and the

“We really

Community of giving

Since 1952, Penrhos College has been supported by its community, showing care for each other and the wider society. In the past the College ran the ‘For others’ program where students would start initiatives, fundraise, help and support the local community. This giving spirit still runs strong within Penrhos and has been growing throughout the younger girls.

Penrhos supports many key initiatives each year, including the Amanda Young Fair, the World’s Greatest Shave, the Christmas giving appeal, and continues to see new ideas start each year.

This year Penrhos held a Purple Bra Day event, in support of Breast Cancer Care WA – led by Year 9 student, Matilda Barrett.

Breast Cancer Care WA is an organisation that provides nursing care, counselling, financial support and practical resources for people in Western Australia facing breast cancer. The organisation is close to the heart for Matilda as they helped her family during her mother’s breast cancer diagnosis.

Purple Bra Day is an event that shows support for the organisation and it’s goals, while also spreading community awareness and of course raising much needed funds for the charity. On Purple Bra Day students wore purple accessories to help spread awareness and gave a gold coin donations. The Margaret Way Courtyard was also adorned with fabulous purple decorations, streamers and a giant purple bra.

The day was a huge success – the initial goal was to raise $5,000 for Breast Cancer Care WA, however the Penrhos community dug deep and raised over $6,000 for the cause. Well done to all involved!

Zoe McAlpine, CEO of Breast Cancer Care WA sent a message to Matilda after seeing her initial email in March 2021 asking for ways she can give back to the community that supported her through the tough times. While waiting for confirmation of approval and a date to be set for Penrhos College to run Purple Bra Day, Matilda spent her time sewing drain bags for clients in active care and wrote personalised notes of inspiration for their clients. Zoe said “I’m so grateful to Matilda, Penrhos College and everyone involved in the Purple Bra Day fundraising –your incredible efforts will make a difference for so many WA families dealing with breast cancer.”

Matilda has shone in our community as a passionate and community minded person who wants to make the world a better place. Given her incredible efforts across all community service aspects, Matilda was also awarded the Junior Volunteer of the Year Award by the City of South Perth.

This award was given to Matilda for her noteworthy involvement in the local community, the significant impact she has made to community life, and her inspiring efforts in enhancing the local environment.

We are incredibly proud of Matilda and the work she has done in making a true difference in our community.

Photo gallery: Penrhos College events

Photo gallery: Penrhos College events

Norbert Fandry Life after Penrhos College

Grant A Kobeelyan treasure

Extraordinary Women

Sonia

Extraordinary Women… and a few good men

Biannual magazine for the Penrhos alumni community In recognition of the members of our alumni who studied with us as boys (1952–early 1980s)

Contents

3 From the President of the Alumni Committee 8 Out and about

4 From the Old Kobeelyans' Association President

Sonia Grant: A Kobeelyan treasure 5

Life after Penrhos: Norbert Fandry

Class Reunions recap

Save the date: community events

COVER PHOTO Kobeelya, Katanning Painting by Norbert Fandry

From the President of the Alumni Committee

Helen Carr Alumni Committee President

The Penrhos Alumni Committee has enjoyed an exciting, rewarding, and successful year, keeping our alumni community well-connected through a busy calendar of 2022 events.

The much-loved Mother-Daughter Dinner is always a highlight of the Year 12 calendar and this year’s event was a truly memorable evening for our 2022 Leavers and their mums. Beaumonde on the Point was ablaze with dresses of all colours, flowers and twinkling lights, as we welcomed the Year 12 girls into our alumni community.

In June, we greeted so many of you to our annual Shakers and Stirrers networking get-together, held in conjunction with the Wesley Old Boys at the Windsor Hotel. We look forward to another great night with old friends on Friday, 31 March 2023. Please keep an eye on social media for further details and be sure to RSVP. We are planning on making it the biggest and the best!

An Alumni Soiree on the opening night of the College Production gave Old Girls an opportunity to enjoy a pre-show drink and mingle with familiar faces before enjoying The Wizard of Oz. The production was truly amazing; our current students are so talented.

In September, we presented the daughters of our alumni who are attending Penrhos with a special badge to wear on their blazer, to symbolise the students’ multigenerational relationship with the College at a special presentation attended by their families. Founders’ Day was a wonderful event celebrating the College’s 70th Anniversary. The day included the 60 and 70-year reunions, a chapel service, commemorative assembly and delicious luncheon.

We have held many wonderful reunion events through the latter half of the year. The Classes of 2013, 2003,

1993, 1983 and 1973 will celebrate their 10 Year Reunions in 2023, and the Class of 2021 will come together for their 18-month Leavers’ Reunion.

Congratulations to recent graduate Brooke Nield, who was recipient of the Meg Melville Alumni Endeavour Award in 2022. This Alumni- funded award provides financial support to a Year 12 student who aspires to do something extraordinary for others. Brooke’s project ‘Images of Sandakan’ involves using her skills in design and photography to produce a photobook to continue to commemorate those lost and educate future generations on the Sandakan Death Camp. Specifically, Brooke will be focusing on her home community in Boyup Brook assisting both the loyal high school and RSL. We look forward to hearing more on the outcomes of this thoughtful endeavour.

2023 heralds the launch of our greatly anticipated Mentoring Program. We are looking for 50 mentors to guide and advise our alumni in their careers. The program will allow digital connection among members of the alumni for the purpose of expanding or commencing their careers. I am particularly passionate about this project, as I feel it is an important step forward for our Alumni Committee. It recognises the modern woman and forges our support of our alum to transition within or into the work force. We are eagerly anticipating your interest.

I would like to say what an honour and privilege it has been to lead the Alumni Committee over the last 4 years. We have a wonderful and diverse group of committee members, and all positions of office filled for 2023 already. We always welcome new members, so if you have been thinking of joining come along to our next meeting on Tuesday, 7 February 2023 at 6.30pm in the Colwyn Centre.

From the Old Kobeelyans' Association President

Jill Clarke Old Kobeelyans' Association President

This year the Old Kobeelyans’ Association were proud to be celebrating our Centenary. Kobeelya’s 100th Anniversary and Reunion held on Saturday, 10 September and Sunday, 11 September provided many opportunities to honour the founding of Kobeelya back in 1922.

Around 150 former students, staff, parents and friends gathered to enjoy the sunny spring weather to celebrate, reconnect and share many memories together. On behalf of the Old Kobeelyans’ Association, I would like to thank Principal Kalea Haran, Community Engagement Coordinator Caroline Jenkins and Archivist Merilyn Orchard for travelling to Katanning to join us for the weekend.

Inclement weather did not dampen or halt the Kobeelya Garden Party which was held on Monday, 10 October

at Penrhos College. This special event was held in honour of Kobeelya’s Centenary year to acknowledge the history and friendship between the two schools. The renaming of the Boarders’ Lawn to the Kobeelya Lawn and the unveiling of the garden arch and seat was a very special occasion in our Kobeelya story. It was lovely to see former and current Penrhos staff chatting with Kobeelyans. On behalf of all those connected to Kobeelya, I thank Penrhos for honouring our school name in this way and acknowledging us as part of your rich history. I look forward to the opportunities to hold events in this space in the future.

I enjoyed attending Flower Day including the Year 12 Awards at Penrhos College, to witness the Kobeelya book awards being presented and meet the winners. As we watched the girls file into their seats on the Rixon Theatre stage, we joked that the whole of Kobeelya would have fitted in this area!

With the centenary year almost behind us, I am sure we are all looking forward to a quieter 2023!

A Kobeelyan treasure

Merilyn Orchard Archivist

Regarded as one of those living treasures amongst the Kobeelya community, I recently had the privilege of spending a morning with Sonia Grant, reminiscing about her time at Kobeelya. We were so pleased that Sonia was able to attend the Penrhos College Garden Party in celebration of Kobeelya’s Centenary where we renamed the Boarders Lawn to the Kobeelya Lawn.

Sonia attended Kobeelya from 1935 - 1940 and commenced as a boarder when she was just 10 years old. Her family managed a well-known fabric and dress shopPearlman’s West End - in Perth, Sonia recalls her mother wanting her daughters to attend boarding school, as she did in London, and after a recommendation came from a family friend of a WA country boarding school with horses, the decision was made.

Commencing during primary school, Sonia remembers her time at Kobeelya with great fondness and humor - even the difficult times. Sonia required plaster casts on both her legs for the first 18 months and faced a challenging time with her mobility throughout her time at school. The horses at the school were a helpful mode of transportation for Sonia, taking her to school events and picnic lunches around Katanning. Regular trips back up to Perth were required to change the plaster on her cast, however, this proved challenging to arrange during the war with petrol being rationed. Having that extra layer of plaster on her legs was rather tricky during the heat of summer, so Sonia would tip perfume down her casts to ensure that the other students wouldn’t have to endure any odours.

Sonia recalls being a boarder in Burbidge House meant that the sliding down the staircase became a regular part of boarding life, as she livedin the upper dormitories

with up to 10 girls in each room. Shopping day was on a Saturday morning where students were required to wear their brown school uniform into town and on Sundays when students attended Chapel, they wore a white silk dress in summer and a black velvet dress in winter. Sonia enjoyed playing basketball and golf at the local nine-hole Katanning golf course, and to earn one of her Girl Guide badges, Sonia would practice making her friends beds in the dormitory.

Sonia’s love for music was well nurtured at Kobeelya. She recalls sitting with her friends listening to classical music every Sunday evening in the Principal Hilda Strugnell’s study. As Sonia wasn’t able to participate in many sporting activities, she was given the opportunity to spend that time in the music rooms practicing her piano. Sonia eventually went on to sing in school choirs and perform in musical theater and took her love for music into a career with ABC Radio in Perth and Melbourne, becoming a music programmer.

Sonia told me her love of the food that was served at school, especially porridge for breakfast with dark brown sugar and clotted cream is one of her best memories of Kobeelya. In those days the main meal was lunch, with dinner being salad with cold meats. On those hot summer days, students were given cold grapes for morning tea.

Sonia has continued to stay connected with the Kobeelya community and the friends she made at school, becoming involved in the Pleiades Club, and even visiting Penrhos College in the 1980s for meetings.

On her final thoughts of her time at Kobeelya:

“The school was good to me; I enjoyed my time at Kobeelya, but my mother was pleased to have me home.”

Life after Penrhos

Norbert Fandry

It is now seven years since I retired from Penrhos College at the end of 2015. Prior to retirement, Penrhos had been my life for 27 years. It had been a wonderful 27 years with so many highlights, so many outstanding students and athletes who had been under my care, and also so many great staff to work with. I was also extremely lucky to share many of the years with my wife (14 years) and two daughters, Sarah and Kate at Penrhos.

At first retirement was somewhat of a shock. Especially as I had previously set off for Penrhos 5 days a week at 6am for training either swimming, cross country or athletics throughout the year, holidays included. However, in retirement, planning holidays took over as did my own fitness long walks with Kerry, who had also retired at the same time.

We travelled extensively both interstate and overseas, managing at least 2 trips per year prior to COVID-19. Without going into detail, we had some fabulous trips to Japan, France, Italy, Germany, Britain and the highlight for me was South America. Of course, Australian interstate trips were also featured.

Our 4 grandsons (aged 5 to 10) have also occupied a great deal of time and brought pleasure to our lives in retirement. We see them often and attend school assemblies and their many sporting pursuits.

At all times, I was very conscious of getting some great photos which would make excellent subjects for a painting.

I also continue my role as Chairman of the Amanda Young Foundation and am heavily involved with many of the activities associated with the Foundation.

For many years I have been a keen gardener and have had a vegetable plot at the Community Garden associated with the Hollywood Bowling Club where I am the Treasurer and a volunteer.

Painting is something I started well before retirement but only did spasmodically, mostly during brief holidays in our holiday villa in Augusta. It all started about 20 years ago when Kerry gave me some watercolour paints and brushes for my birthday. She had heard me say often when we visited art galleries in Australia and overseas that “painting can’t be all that hard if many artists do it and galleries are full of art”. I had never tried painting previously and just picked it up by trial and error. So I am just self- taught.

I found a love for painting watercolour landscapes. Nearly all of my paintings are of photos I’ve taken on various trips within Australia and overseas. But over time I have done several commission paintings which have included buildings, boats and specific scenes.

Recently I held a solo exhibition where 42 of my paintings were displayed and auctioned. The main purpose of the exhibition was to raise funds for the Amanda Young Foundation as well as exhibit my work to family, friends and the wider community.

I was thrilled with the turnout at the exhibition, held at the Hollywood Bowling Club on a Friday evening. The large crowd included many past Penrhos students and parents. It was a wonderful night and nearly all paintings were sold. The success of the evening was very humbling and well beyond expectation.

This year Penrhos College approached me with the offer to create two commissioned pieces, one to celebrate the 70th Anniversary of Penrhos College, and another in celebration of Kobeelya College’s Centenary.

I am truly honoured to not only have these pieces featured at the College, but also on the cover of this edition of the Penrhosian Magazine.

Out and about

Kellie Jane Pritchard (1980) has recently returned home to Perth and started a new position at the South West WA Drought Resilience Adoption and Innovation Hub. Previously, Kellie spent some time in Bali after completing her Master of Sustainable Development at Murdoch; she was awarded the Sustainable Development prize for her research into crowd funding governance for small NGOs.

Jaclynne Truschel (1969) is part of a not-for-profit group called ‘Secret Women’s Business’. The singing group aim to use their music to create an inspiring performance that illustrates how singing and being with a supportive group can be a great healer, both physically and mentally.

Deborah Hirte (Strapp, 1990) recently launched her new business REACH ADHD Coaching and Consultancy. After teaching at Wesley College for over 29 years, Debbie moved into the Academic Extension and Intervention space, which became an area of passion. It was during this time that she recognised a need to support students and families who have received a diagnosis and to understand their unique brains. She undertook further study through an internationally recognised program based in New York. Debbie is excited to work with families to help demystify ADHD and to harness their strengths.

Congratulations to Jessica Rumble (2002) for the birth of first daughter Mackenzie Rose Ripper in September 2021. Jessica recently launched her own business; The Rumble Collective, a nutrition and strength coaching service for women.

The Marketing & Development Office invites alumni to contribute to The Penrhosian magazine by emailing news items to alumni@penrhos.wa.edu.au

We publish alumni submissions in good faith, in the spirit of sharing and celebrating good news.

Emily Nind (1996) has recently published a children’s book aimed at educating young kids about bullying. After being a teacher for almost 20 years Emily hopes her book titled ‘Bird Poop in my Eye’ will support in the education surrounding bullying.

Annagh Cielak (2014) was recently admitted as a lawyer of the New South Wales Supreme Court. Annagh moved to Sydney in 2016 and is currently working in the music industry as a lawyer for a record label.

The ‘Penrhos Pasties’ book club first gathered in May, 1994 at the home of former Head of Junior School, Jennifer Robertson. The group was born of a shared love of reading and has served as a wonderful way for friends to remain connected. Current members include Amanda Dryborough (Music), Kerry Richards (Science), Jan Phillips (Pre-Primary) Sue Clarke (Social Studies), Margaret Smith (Art) and Chloe Mauger (Library). Former Year 1 teacher Mary Noack Skinner now lives in Albany but continues to contribute via email.

Dee Orvalho (1962) says her varied life is owed to her studies at school. “My love of English, Languages and Art opened doors to three different careers which have enabled me to travel the world and live in five foreign countries. I’ve gained life experience which probably would not have been possible, in my opinion, had I not attended MLC South Perth, a small school which might have lacked the facilities of larger colleges, but made up for such a lot via the possibilities for success it offered me with regard to sports, languages and art, for which I will always be grateful!”

Reunions

Class of 2002

20 Year Reunion Friday, 22 July 2022

Twenty years on, the Class of 2002 took a walk down memory lane as they toured the campus to see all of the changes that have taken place since their graduation – including the magnificent Creative Arts and Design Centre and the newly developed Meg Melville Science Innovation Centre. Gathering in the Colwyn Centre afterwards to reconnect with their fellow classmates, it was fantastic to see so many Old Girls come together to celebrate this significant milestone! The chat and laughter didn’t stop as everyone shared exciting stories and caught up on each other’s latest news.

Class of 1992

30 Year Reunion Friday, 12 August 2022

The Class of 1992 began their reunion by having a tour of the College and taking a step back in time to the hallways they used to walk, as well as exploring new parts of the campus. The night then moved into the Colwyn Centre, where the celebrations were continued. Much time was spent reminiscing over their years at the College and everyone enjoyed catching up with old friends. It was a wonderful evening enjoyed by all who attended.

Class of 2020

18 Month Reunion Friday, 2 September 2022

Our Class of 2020 finally made it to their Leavers’ Reunion after delays due to COVID-19. Hosted at The Windsor in South Perth, our 2020 alumni spent the night sharing stories of their new lives after Penrhos, reminiscing on their favourite times at the College, and reuniting with their old friends.

Class of 1972 50 Year Reunion Tuesday, 6 September 2022

We were delighted to host our Class of 1972 alumni back on campus in September for their 50 Year Reunion. The event was hosted on Penrhos College Founders’ Day, including a Chapel service, School Assembly, followed by a lovely lunch held in the Llew Woodford Function Centre. Many happy memories were shared as the ladies enjoyed reminiscing about their days at Penrhos College and how times have changed!

Class of 1962 60 Year Reunion Tuesday, 6 September 2022

Hosting our second ever 60 Year Reunion, we were delighted to welcome the Class of 1962 back to campus. The ladies enjoyed the usual Founders’ Day celebrations, followed by a social lunch as they compared memories of their learning environments with the incredible facilities of today’s Penrhos College. Those who joined us brought along school memorabilia and photo albums, collected over their time at the College – each provided a wonderful insight into the rich Penrhos College history.

Class of 1982 40 Year Reunion Saturday, 19 November 2022

The Class of 1982 recently gathered to celebrate their 40 Year Reunion at a sit-down dinner held at the Royal Perth Golf Club. There was a fantastic turnout, and a memorable night was had by all. Special thanks to Colette Nalder (Lange) and Bridget Ferrante (Egan) for all of their efforts to ensure the evening was such a success.

Throughout the second half of 2022 we have enjoyed the wonderful company of the many alumni who have attended their milestone reunions at the College.

Community events 2023

Wagin Woolorama Friday, 10 March and Saturday, 11 March

Mingenew Mid-West Expo Wednesday, 9 August and Thursday, 10 August

Dowerin Field Days Wednesday, 30 August and Thursday, 31 August

Newdegate Field Days Wednesday, 6 September and Thursday, 7 September

More dates and locations to be released.

Tour events

Twilight Tour

Thursday, 16 February | 4pm – 5.30pm

Junior School Open Morning Wednesday, 29 March | 9am – 10.30am

Tour Morning Tuesday, 16 May | 9am – 10.30am

Experience Day Tuesday, 25 July | 8.45am – 3pm

Tour Morning Wednesday, 13 September | 9am – 10.30am

Twilight Tour Thursday, 9 November | 4pm – 5.30pm

A Night in White Saturday, 25 February

International Women’s Day Wednesday, 8 March

Shakers and Stirrers Friday, 31 March

Events Field Days Reunions

Founders’ Day Tuesday, 5 September Alumni Soiree at opening night of the College Production Thursday, 27 July

Class of 2021 | Leavers’ reunion Friday, 10 March

Class of 2013 | 10-year reunion Friday, 1 September

Class of 2003 | 20-year reunion Friday, 8 September

Class of 1993 | 30-year reunion Saturday, 16 September

Class of 1983 | 40-year reunion Friday, 15 September

Class of 1973 | 50-year reunion Tuesday, 5 September

Class of 1963 | 60-year reunion Tuesday, 5 September

We would also love to invite past alumni from these reunion year groups to assist in the co-ordination of the 2023 Reunions. For those interested, please email Caroline Jenkins at alumni@penrhos.wa.edu.au