From the Principal

From the Principal

Kalea Haran - Principal

The year is 1952 - globally, we see King George VI sadly pass away and be succeeded by his twenty-seven-year-old daughter, now our Queen Elizabeth II. The iconic musical film 'Singin' In The Rain' premiers in New York and the world's first passenger jet is produced in the UK.

In Australia, the Prime minister is Robert Menzies. A little behind other Commonwealth countries, we still don’t have televisions yet. Significantly, this is also the year Penrhos College was born in Angelo Street, South Perth, Western Australia! As an infant, it was named MLC South Perth, to be christened Penrhos in 1963.

In the year we were born, Mrs Margaret Way - an accountant - sat with the new College Council as they discussed the school they were to open and the challenge they faced in finding someone to take on the role of first Penrhos Principal. Mrs Way later described the moment her inner voice spoke to her ‘well, you could… come on, you could speak up… you could do something.’ She took a deep breath, rose to her feet, and put herself forward - through her bravery in standing up and speaking out, she became Penrhos’ first Principal.

Mrs Way demonstrated her courage and conviction by stepping forward when no one else did, and she went on to progress the Council’s shared vision for the new College with confidence and determination despite very limited means at the time.

Throughout her tenure, Mrs Way demonstrated the school’s motto, ‘Per Ardua Ad Alta’ (‘Strive for the Heights’) – she initiated the Penrhos spirit which so strongly thrives today, and she set the standard for our future. The characteristics Mrs Way showed in the 1950s are as relevant today as ever, and I am committed to dedicate my best endeavours in continuing her legacy.

My vision, as seventh Principal, is to steward a College environment in which our students believe they can create a future without boundaries. In the same way that Mrs Way did not adhere to the convention or tradition of her time - she was willing to take on a challenge and embrace a new adventure - I will continue to challenge the status quo and stretch boundaries to ensure the best possible opportunities for our graduates.

As Queen Elizabeth II celebrates her platinum jubilee, our 70th platinum year is the perfect time for us to proudly reflect on who we are and what we stand for as a College; to sincerely thank the Penrhos community for all we have collectively achieved over the last seven decades; and to look forward to a future in which we continue to be a force for positive change in girls’ education.

2022 started unexpectedly. We should have kicked off the year with huge 70th celebration gatherings, parties and events. However, we were instead forced to wait patiently as we negotiated the implications of COVID-19. Thankfully, our community’s resilience and perseverance allowed us to adapt, maintain and even grow our strong sense of belonging as we reinvented in new and unprecedented ways.

At the same time, we have been working hard on developing our new strategic plan, which is now ready to launch for 2023. I am sincerely grateful to all those students, staff, parents, alumni and Council members who have dedicated their time to contribute. Strategic planning, in our 70th year, is significant; we think about what makes Penrhos, well Penrhos; we ask ourselves what our strengths are, what we can build on and what makes us unique. We ask ourselves where we want to be in the next three years.

The strength that continually shines through for me is ‘belonging’ - the way in which our community supports each other, celebrates tradition and values the lifelong and enduring connections that are made here. Also, I never fail to be impressed with the adventurous Penrhosian spirit, our sense of fun and our commitment to do good in the world. We nurture these attributes through growing curiosity and joy, through developing a real sense of happiness, warmth and optimism in both learning and community spirit; I am eternally inspired by Penrhosians’ support for one another and in the way they unite to help others.

I look forward to the rest of 2022 in our 70th year of celebration and joy. I thank our community - past and present - for making Penrhos the fantastic College it is today, and I look forward to moving confidently into the next chapter of our amazing story.