The Penrhosian No.66

Summer 2016 100003641

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Inspiring girls: Unleashing the translating vision into action

Red Dragon

The symbol of the red dragon is a very powerful one indeed, the symbol that has now become highly identifiable with Penrhos College. The dragon we have adopted is, of course, the Welsh dragon, as seen on the national flag of Wales. You may be interested to know how this powerful symbol came to be incorporated into our crest.

In 1962, Mrs Margaret Way, the then Principal of MLC South Perth, began searching for a suitable name for the newly acquired college, to distinguish it from MLC Claremont.

Permission for the name change was granted by the Methodist Church, at their 64th Conference, held in October 1963.

The search for a new name then began in earnest. Mrs Way conceived the idea that perhaps her college could be named after another all girls’ Methodist college that existed elsewhere. Mr Watson, a visiting English minister to the college at that time, commented that his wife had been educated at a much-loved college called Penrhos College, in Colwyn Bay, a northern coastal town in Wales. Penrhos College Wales had been founded in 1880, by the Wesleyan minister Rev’d Payne, who firmly believed that girls would thrive in an all-girl environment, receiving an education that nurtured the mind, heart, body and spirit. Mrs Way believed that this would provide a wonderful model on which to base the newly formed college. So, Penrhos Methodist Ladies’ College, South Perth, came into being on 12 December 1963.

Bravery implies courage and strength, the willingness to step outside one’s comfort zone and take a calculated risk, selfless endeavours.

Intelligence is multi-faceted: intellectual, social and emotional.

It implies the ability to problem-solve, to be astute in decision-making, to understand the implications and consequences of those decisions.

Ambition speaks to the desire to continually improve, to test the boundaries of potential, to strive for personal best, to strive for the highest.

These qualities are just as relevant and important in the 21st Century as they were in the 9th Century, as qualities that we hope to instill in each of our students.

A new flag was designed bearing the new name. It was not until 1967 that Penrhos College took on her independent identity and adopted the new crest, the one we still wear proudly today. To acknowledge the sister school relationship that had developed with Penrhos College Wales, the crest incorporated the red Welsh dragon diagonally opposite the black swan, the symbol of Western Australia. The Christian cross forms the centrepiece of the crest. The MLC Latin motto, Per Ardua Ad Alta was translated to Strive for the Highest, emphasising that one must strive for her highest possible level in every aspect of development: intellectual, social, physical and spiritual. The Penrhos crest was complete.

So, back to the red dragon. The red dragon appears many times in the history of Wales, dating back from ancient times, to the legendary King Arthur in the 9th Century, to the Battle of Bosworth Field between the Welsh Henry Tudor, later to become Henry VII and the English Richard III, in the 15th Century. The red dragon was seen to have imposing strength and symbolised bravery, intelligence and ambition.

It is no surprise, therefore, that the red dragon was a very popular choice of symbol to be incorporated into our new school uniform. It is powerful and instantly recognisable as Penrhos College, especially when we get together for our IGSSA competitions.

As you read through this summer edition of the Penrhosian, you will see the ways in which our students across Junior and Secondary schools have demonstrated their bravery, intelligence and ambition to embody the ‘Red Dragon’.

As we approach the summer break, I would like to acknowledge the College Council and the staff of Penrhos College, together with those magnificent volunteers from the Parent Support Groups, who work tirelessly to bring out the absolute best in our Penrhos girls.

I wish you all a relaxing holiday.

Meg Melville PRINCIPAL

CONTENTS Why an all girls’ school?

Year 12 Celebrations West Coast Fever stars visit All Heart - Jump Rope for Heart Students bookmark Book Week Collaborative Library space takes Aussie outback to India Students ace fitness test Swan River dolphin calf shares special link with Year 1s Sustainable September Parent Picnics in the Junior School Junior School girls talk to the animals IGSSA Athletics / Junior School Interhouse Athletics Volleyballers serve to success IGSSA Dance 2016 Europe Music Tour Passport Series - Destination Music!

STEM achievements Visual arts Languages Pipe Organ Commissioning NAIDOC Assembly Hannah Kent visits Penrhos College Curtin Pups lighten the load Creepy, kooky clan a hit in school production Naomi Edmunds inspires girls to take up a challenge Boarders’ Netball Staff Community Service High flyers ELEVATE to new heights Sir Charles Court Young Leadership Program Auxiliary Spring Luncheon / Founders Day 2017 Scholarship winners Margaret Way Alumni Scholarship From the Foundation President Father Daughter Dinner From the Alumni President Penrhos Alumni Endeavour Award Mother Daughter Dinner Alumni Events in 2017 Reunions Out and About Alumni Stories Vale: Joann Godwin From the Archives Thank you and Farewells

Editor Melissa Mairata

Jason Kidd Rob Frith

Proofreading Judy Fildes

Contributors & Photographers Natalie Nazzari Joanne Yong Meg Melville

Design Joanne Yong

Print & Distribution Scott Print

Cover photo Joanne Yong

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Why an all girls’ school?

Recently, Barker College on Sydney’s north shore and Guildford Grammar School in Western Australia, announced plans to extend their co-ed program into all year levels. This is becoming more common as schools look for ways to secure enrolments in an increasingly competitive environment.

In a Sydney Morning Herald1 article discussing the transition of Barker College to fully co-ed, it was suggested that single-sex schooling was a product of a bygone era with no relevance in a ‘modern world’.

In relation to an all girls’ education, research clearly discredits this assumption.

Australian research2 shows that there are positive effects of single-sex schooling in Australia in relation to numeracy and literacy testing (NAPLAN) and tertiary entrance scores and that girls in girls’ schools achieve significantly stronger academic results than any other group.

Without the competition from boys, girls are free to pursue academic excellence in an environment free from gender stereotypes in the subjects they study, the activities they participate in and the careers they ultimately pursue. A quick read through this issue of

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The Penrhosian magazine demonstrates this in action showcasing our girls’ outstanding achievements in STEM, sport, and the performing arts.

What the research shows • Girls feel empowered and free to take risks • Girls’ schools buck the trend in STEM • Girls’ schools build self confidence • A girl occupies every leadership role in a girls’ school • Girls’ schools reflect how girls learn • Girls participate and perform at higher levels in sport and Physical Education

The Alliance of Girls’ Schools Australasia says,

“Girls attending girls’ schools are more confident and assertive in single-sex environments.

Research demonstrates that girls feel empowered to behave in more competitive ways without the presence of boys.”

Further, research from Iceland3,4 – which consistently tops the ranking of the world’s nations with the smallest gender gap – has introduced all girls’ pre-schools which are empowering girls through advocating strength, courage and a strong voice.

Penrhos College will remain true to its singlesex heritage and promote the ‘Red Dragon’ which encapsulates strength, intelligence and ambition – characteristics we continue to instil in our girls.

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Sydney private school Barker College goes fully co-ed after 126 years (www.smh.com.au/ national/education/sydney-private-school-barkercollege-goes-coed-after-126-years-20161103gshrkp.html) Positive effects of single-sex education (www.agsa.org.au/why-a-girls-school-theresearch/positive-effects-of-single-sexeducation/) Why Iceland is the best place in the world to be a woman (www.agsa.org.au/news/ iceland-best-place-world-woman/) Alliance of Girls Schools Australasia Research Library (www.agsa.org.au/research/)

Year 12 Celebrations For our graduating students and their families, the final week of Year 12 is a very special one at Penrhos. Emotions run high with a mix of joy, sadness and nostalgia throughout the week.

There is much laughter, a few tears and plenty of opportunities to celebrate what it means to be a Penrhosian. From P Day to Boarders’ Dinner, Student Leadership Handover, Valedictory Chapel and Dinner, Flower Day and Final Assembly, the College is in a celebratory mood.

As with all our leaving classes, the Class of 2016 will be remembered by their Chapel and Time Capsule plaques. Chapel plaques are placed on the wall outside the Chapel and record a quote selected by the Year 12 cohort. This year, a quote from rapper, singer and songwriter, Drake resonated with the Class of 2016: “One of the greatest challenges in life is being yourself in a world that’s trying to make you like everyone else.” Drake As girls mature, there can be a lot of pressure from the outside world as it tries to influence who they are. It’s definitely a challenge to have a strong sense of self, especially in an age dominated by 24-hour live media.

At Penrhos, we believe our girls have a strong sense of self. Our graduates are equipped to live in alignment with their values and beliefs, establish their own identity and find focus and direction in life, whatever their talents or interests. This is embodied in what we are now referring to as the ‘Red Dragon’, and this is what defines a Penrhosian and our graduates. This strong sense of self was demonstrated throughout the week of Year 12 celebrations through different choices of costumes at P Day, the unique ways the Year 12s reinvent their school uniforms and through speeches, awards and performances at the more formal celebrations.

In addition to the plaque outside the Chapel, a second plaque is placed in the Margaret Way Courtyard, along with the graduating classes’ time capsule which is buried containing letters the girls have written to themselves, to be opened at their 10-year reunion. This year’s Margaret Way Courtyard plaque reads: “How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard.” Winnie the Pooh Here we share with you how the Class of 2016 said goodbye to their years at Penrhos College.

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West Coast Fever stars visit A group of Penrhos College students shot, pivoted, passed and defended their way to success when two star netballers surprised students by running a netball clinic on campus.

West Coast Fever defender Courtney Bruce and midcourter Verity Simmons surprised Penrhos College Junior School students participating in the Sporting Schools after-school sport program during Term 3.

Junior School Physical Education Coordinator Mr Kenrick Armitage said the budding Penrhos netballers had the opportunity to run through drills, play a few games and get to know the netball stars.

“The girls got to take some photos, ask questions and get an insight into what life is like as a professional netball player,” Mr Armitage said.

Sporting Schools is a $100 million Australian Government initiative aimed at getting children committed to a lifelong love of sport.

ALL HEART Penrhos College Junior School students recently skipped their way to fun and fitness while raising money for a good cause.

The girls have raised more than $55,000 for the Heart Foundation through the Jump Rope for Heart program over the past three years, including $18,000 this year alone. This makes Penrhos College the top fundraiser in the State.

the importance of raising money for the Heart Foundation.

“It’s a real credit to the girls for their hard work and drive - it makes us really proud and I know the Heart Foundation is really thankful for what we have committed over the past three years,” Mr Armitage said.

All money raised goes towards funding lifesaving heart research, and work to improve heart disease prevention and care for all Australians.

Students from Year 3 to Year 6 had fun participating in a jump-off competition on September 22, where they got the chance to show off some new skills and get creative designing different skipping routines.

Junior School Physical Education coordinator Mr Kenrick Armitage said the girls really embraced fundraising and

For more information, visit www.heartfoundation.org.au/jumprope-for-heart

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Students bookmark Book Week Students across Penrhos College bookmarked Book Week earlier this year with several events aimed at celebrating the unique talents of Australian authors and illustrators.

In its 71st year, this year the national event, organised by the Childrens Book Council of Australia, encompassed the theme “Australia! Story Country” and ran from 20 to 26 August.

On Tuesday, 23 August, two groups of Year 6 students participated in the annual Reader’s Cup Challenge at Methodist Ladies’ College.

As part of the challenge, students read all the shortlisted books from the ‘younger reader’ and ‘picture book’ categories for the Book of the Year Awards. The girls then answered questions on each of the categories along with representatives from 10 other Independent Primary School Heads of Australia schools.

On Thursday, 25 August, about 60 Penrhos College community members enjoyed dedicated reading time in the Junior and Secondary School libraries as part of a Parents Night In – Reading Hour event.

On Friday, 26 August, characters from much-loved books came to life with students getting into character for the popular Book Week Parade.

Some girls dressed up as characters from Alice in Wonderland, Hermione Granger from J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series, Katniss Everdeen from The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins, Little

Red Riding Hood, princesses and gumnut babies from Snugglepot and Cuddlepie.

On 1 September, Kindy to Year 3 students attended an incursion presented

by Perform Educational Musicals. The show included storytelling, drama, dance and song and was set around a billabong and the central character of a bunyip.

The actors worked with three picture books shortlisted in this year’s Children’s Book Council of Australia Book of the Year Awards including Perfect, Mr Huff and Suri’s Wall.

To top off the celebrations, the Library hosted Western Australian author/illustrator Kylie Howarth who has written and illustrated picture books, Chip and Fish Jam. In her presentation to the Pre-Primary and Year 2 classes Howarth read, drew, played the trumpet and ukulele and directed the girls as they created her characters Chip, the seagull and Toot, the fish.

She demonstrated a variety of techniques for pattern-making in illustration, including using corrugated cardboard and bubble wrap.

Each class then wrote a group report on the author visit which reinforced their understanding and appreciation.

Junior School Teacher Librarian Gianna Richards said: “We hope the students enjoyed being involved and realise the importance of Australian authors, illustrators and just reading for pleasure.”

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Collaborative Library space takes Aussie outback to India Penrhos College Year 3 students have been busy establishing global connections and working relations with students more than 7,000km away thanks to state-of-the-art technology.

On Thursday, 3 November, Year 3 Red participated in a videolink with a class at Mt Litera Zee school in Amritsar following a relationship that was established with the school last year.

In 2015, the book Wonder by R.J. Palacio was discussed during a collaborative book club session with students in India and Penrhos College Year 5 students.

The successful and positive learning experience spurred the Year 3s to repeat the experience this year, this time sharing their knowledge of Mem Fox’s book Koala Lou. Junior School Teacher Librarian Mrs Elizabeth Allen said the girls were excited to share their newfound knowledge of native Australian animals by preparing and presenting a Readers’ Theatre.

“We organised an incursion from local company West Oz Wildlife to contribute to the presentation. They brought in a live koala, Yarra, and a live dingo pup, Yappa,” she said.

“The girls formulated and asked questions of the keepers about the two animals. Discussions included aspects such as habitat, diet,

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behaviours, adaptations to survive in the wild and interesting features.

“An opportunity was then provided for the Indian children to ask questions of the keepers. Following the video link the girls had the opportunity to get up close and personal by patting the animals and having some photos taken.”

Teacher Librarian Mrs Suzanne Pearse, who originally established the partnership with the help of the West Australian Professional Library Network, said students from Mt Litera Zee school were “delighted” with the experience.

“We are eagerly awaiting their reciprocal lesson on the Indian Tiger and Sacred Crow,” she said.

Students ace fitness test Junior School students at Penrhos College have achieved top results in the Sports Challenge Australia fitness testing program - placing in the top one percent of primary schools tested in Australia and first in private schools in the State.

The Junior School significantly improved by 2.4 percent in the fitness area in 2016, with girls tested on seven different elements of fitness including strength, flexibility, endurance, balance and coordination.

The fitness testing was undertaken in response to research by the University of

Western Australia – the biggest of its kind in the world – which showed an alarming decline in the skills, fitness and flexibility of children aged six to 12 since the early 1980s.

The testing was coordinated by Sports Challenge Australia chief executive Dr Garry Tester.

Established in 1992, Sports Challenge Australia is a non-profit, public benevolent organisation.

It delivers programs designed to enhance life skills such as positive communication,

leadership, conflict and anger management, reasoned risk taking, healthy lifestyle, wellness and time management skills.

Junior School Physical Education coordinator Mr Kenrick Armitage said the fantastic results were a credit to the students and would lead to positive benefits inside and outside of the classroom.

“Being healthy and active creates an allround person which fits strongly with the Penrhos values of mind, body, heart and spirit,” Mr Armitage said.

Swan River dolphin calf shares special link with Year 1s A new dolphin calf who calls the Swan River home has been given a fitting name thanks to our creative Year 1 students who won a competition to name the mammal.

Junior School Teacher Miss Fleur Cagnana said the Year 1 class thought Echo was an appropriate name because everyone was intrigued by the dolphin’s use of echolocation to find its prey. Miss Cagnana said the River Guardians dolphin naming competition coincided with their ‘animals’ unit, where the class had fun learning about different creatures – including dolphins.

“We found out a lot about a dolphin’s classification, features, dynamics and habitat, and wrote special reports using this information,” she said.

“We also learnt what we can do to help to protect dolphins living in the Swan River and were very interested to share this information with others. We are so happy to belong to a community that is able to contribute to the ownership and care of the beautiful dolphins that reside in the waters in our city.”

The class brainstormed several names in class and then voted on their five favourites to enter into the competition. Miss Cagnana said the class was thrilled to have won the competition and were excited to be presented with a framed photo of Echo and her mother by Linley Brown from the Department of Parks and Wildlife.

“The girls were all very excited to pass on the exciting information to their families and were looking forward to heading to the Swan River to try and spot Echo frolicking in the waters,” she said.

“We thought it was a lovely honour to have named one of the beautiful dolphin calves in the Swan River.”

Our Year 1 students participated in several educational opportunities to coincide with the naming of the newest Swan River dolphin calf including these creative What Am I? poems: What Am I? I am a slippery mammal with a dorsal fin and a smiling beak.

I live in a wet habitat where the water temperature is warm.

I like to leap out of the water and I do tricks, like spins.

By Zara Barry What Am I? I am a leaping, diving and clever mammal.

I have a dorsal fin and I also have blubber which is fat.

I live in a place where it is wet and where you can swim.

I can make a big splash when I play in the water.

By Olivia McIntyre Summer 2016

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SUSTAINABLE SEPTEMBER The ninth month saw Penrhos College Junior School concentrate on waste, how it can be reduced and how to dispose of it correctly.

As part of the Uniting Church Sustainable September initiative students were encouraged to develop personal responsibility for the waste they produce.

With waste audits conducted in the Junior School revealing a significant amount of waste comprised of food that was barely touched or not eaten at all, students were asked to support the notion ‘all that should be left behind are our footprints’.

With this in mind, students were asked to take home, every day for the month of September, all the waste they produced at recess and lunch.

This allowed family members to see what was, and was not being eaten and aimed to generate discussion around the amount of food that was being packed, students’ food likes and dislikes, and how the waste generated should be disposed of.

Junior School Cross Curriculum leader Ms Kerry Jenke said Penrhos College was working towards zero waste and that a positive outcome from the exercise was a waste station being established in the Junior School.

“This waste station replaces 20 bins that we originally had at the beginning of the 2016 school year,” she said.

“The waste station enables us to separate our waste into organic waste, waste which needs to go to landfill, and plastic and paper for recycling.

SUSTAINABLE LUNCH WRAP Did you know that every year the average Australian family produces enough rubbish to fill a threebedroom house from floor to ceiling?

That equates to about 18 million tonnes of waste produced each year, according to Clean Up Australia Ltd. Penrhos College staff and students are doing their part to reduce waste and become sustainable by using ecofriendly lunch and snack wraps.

Junior School students were kindly gifted sustainable lunch wraps by the Penrhos Foundation to encourage and support families and students to bring waste-free lunches. Thank you to the Penrhos Foundation for the generous donation and helping Penrhos College become a waste free school.

“The process of educating students how to do this properly is our next challenge.”

Parent Picnics in the Junior School Parent Picnics were a popular introduction to the Penrhos College Junior School in 2016 providing a perfect opportunity for busy parents and grandparents to pop in for lunch.

As part of the Parent Picnics, family members were welcomed onto campus to enjoy a bite to eat and find out how everyone’s day was going on an informal basis.

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Head of Junior School Ms Trish Somers said the Parent Picnics were a resounding success, with some godparents even coming to say hello.

“The girls were very excited and many of the fathers and mothers who work and find it difficult to take off a lot of time for events, found it easy and accessible to pop over at lunch time and share lunch with their daughters,” Ms Somers said.

“Although our first day was completely unwelcoming in terms of weather, the warm welcome of the girls made up for it, and the following picnic, which was on the first day of Spring, was indeed lovely with picnic blankets out and parents at play with their girls. We will continue this into the future as we build a strong and vibrant Junior School Community.”

The Rixon Theatre at Penrhos College came alive with song and dance midOctober for a sensational production performed by Year 3 to 6 students as part of the biennial Artsfest.

About 250 young ladies took to the stage on 14 to 15 September to perform Doctor Dolittle JR in front of a live audience. The highly anticipated event on the Juniors School calendar was based on the Doctor Dolittle stories by Hugh Lofting, and the 20th Century Fox film.

Junior School Drama Coordinator Mrs Vanessa Jensen said all students involved worked hard over a term to learn lyrics, melodies, choralograpy and blocking, and find their character and put it all together.

“It was big and colourful and energetic and the girls’ joy at performing shone through in every scene,” she said.

“The audience loved it, the evening performance was almost sold out and many families came to both the matinee and evening performances.”

Mrs Jensen said Artsfest provided a valid context, and opportunity for students to further develop and demonstrate all the skills they had learnt in their respective Performing Arts lessons (Dance, Drama and Music).

“The lights, the costumes, the songs, the dance moves, the applause… it is very exciting, especially when blessed, as our Penrhos students are, with such a magnificent theatre in which to perform,” she said.

Artsfest follows a long tradition of performance, with the first performance held in 1952 with Mrs Margaret Way’s first production entitled ‘Tudor Extravaganza’. Since last year, the whole school performance has been broken into an annual production, but alternates between Artsfest in the ‘even’ years, involving girls from Years 3-6, and with Kaleidoscope in the ‘odd’ years, comprising girls from Kindergarten to Year 2.

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Athletics team continues a strong track record Penrhos College once again excelled in track and field events to take out the Champion School Trophy for 2016 at the Secondary School Independent Girls’ Sports’ Association (IGSSA) Athletics carnival which was held at the WA Athletics Stadium in September.

Penrhos has won Champion School 23 times out of the last 24 years which is an outstanding achievement and testament to the dedication of the athletics team and athletics coaches Mr Bryce Teo and Mr Norbert Fandry.

Penrhos finished with a total of 1117 points, ahead of Santa Maria (1065.5) and St Hilda’s and St Mary’s (both with 1055 points).

Penrhos once again took out the Liz Davenport Field Trophy as the overall Field winner, as well as scoring the highest number of points overall in Years 11-12, Year 10 and Year 8.

Junior School Interhouse Athletics Carnival Great sportsmanship, inspiring war cries and commendable team work were the real winners of Penrhos College’s 2016 Interhouse Athletics Carnival.

On 14 October, students from Years 2 to 6 had fun competing in several track and field events and earning points for their House.

The day included a rotation of novelty and track events which saw Sparta announced as the overall winner, adding to their success at both the cross country and swimming carnivals.

Junior School Physical Education coordinator Mr Kenrick Armitage said the carnival provided a great opportunity for students to show off their House spirit and have fun participating.

“There was some great team work and support which made for a really fantastic atmosphere down on the oval with lots of cheering and lots of fun,” Mr Armitage said.

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Congratulations to the following girls for their fantastic achievement: YEAR 5 2nd Runner up Ella Buckby (18 points) Runner up Charlottle Best (15 points) Champion Girl Sophia Millar (8 points)

YEAR 6 2nd Runner up Amelie Broadbent (18 points) Runner up Meg Richardson (14 points) Champion Girl Ella Schabort (6 points)

HOUSE RESULTS First Second Sparta Athens

Third Troy

Fourth Rome

Volleyballers serve to success Penrhos is continuing to make a name for itself as the school of choice for volleyball players. The volleyball program at Penrhos is very strong, extending students from the IGSSA tournament in Term 1, to competing in the WA Volleyball Schools Cup in Term 3 and culminating in the national schools tournament in Melbourne in December.

Three teams have been preparing to compete at the Australian Volleyball Schools Cup in Melbourne. The girls have been training since July and performed competitively in practice games in preparation for their trip.

The competition in Melbourne will see them compete against 500 schools from around Australia over six days.

The coaching program is outstanding, and students are playing with local volleyball clubs outside of the College to continue improving their skills and game play. There is even a Junior School Volleyball Club for interested girls in Years 5 and 6 to be involved.

Health and Physical Education/Outdoor Education Teacher, Mr Michael Ruggiero said: “The girls have been brilliant with their commitment to volleyball training all year as well as still representing the College in IGSSA. The girls and the coaches look forward to the tournament each year as it’s as much of a challenge as it is fun.”

Ten girls from Years 8 to 11 represented Western Australia across various age groups at the Australian Junior Volleyball Championships in September – the most from any school in Western Australia. They were; Sarah Burton, Layla Beardman, Tessa Collard, Sophie Alchin, Annie McGrail, Tessa Browne, Kyla Sanchez, Freya Beattie, Jessica Burton and Chloe Harvey.

Year 10 student Samantha Dodd said: “I love playing volleyball because it’s such a great team sport with everyone working together during every point.

Melbourne is such a fun trip and to represent the College on a national stage is pretty special and we look forward to it every year.”

IGSSA Dance The IGSSA Dance Festival is a celebration of Dance and involves groups of dancers from each of the IGSSA schools.

Dance Teacher and Acting Dance Coordinator, Mrs Vanessa Best said: “The program is designed to celebrate Dance and showcase some of the work that schools have been doing throughout the year.”

Penrhos College presented two pieces, ‘Light it up!’ and ‘Infinite’.

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2016 Europe Music Tour 2016 has been a hugely successful year for Penrhos College musicians. In July, the Chorale and String Orchestra travelled to Europe to compete at the 2016 Summa Cum Laude International Music Festival in Vienna, where they were provided with opportunities to perform at some of the world’s most outstanding concert venues including the Musikverein – the home of the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, and the MuTh – home of the Vienna Boys’ Choir.

Student Catherine Maltman said that the Music Tour was a lifechanging experience.

“It was so rewarding to be performing in some of the world’s most prestigious and renowned venues,” she said.

The Penrhos College Chorale and String Orchestra achieved highly commendable results with the Chorale gaining first place in the Treble Choirs Category with an ‘Outstanding’ rating and the String Orchestra placing third with an ‘Excellent rating’.

As a result of their success, the Chorale was invited to perform at the sold-out Summa Cum Laude Festival Winner’s Concert at the Vienna Konzerthaus.

Following the Festival, students attended workshops with music faculty staff at the University of Vienna.

In addition to their performances in Vienna, both ensembles, plus other choirs from the Festival, performed at the beautiful Smetana Hall in Prague.

Upon leaving Prague, the tour group headed for Salzburg. An impromptu vocal performance took place in Austria at the magnificent Baroque Benedictine Chapel of Melk Abbey, which sits majestically high on a bluff overlooking the Danube River.

This was followed by a rather unique performance on the top of a mountain, almost two kilometres above sea level, at the St Johann Alpenford Ski Resort.

From Austria, the group made their way to Munich. Here, the String Orchestra was fortunate to experience a combined performance with the Munich State Youth Orchestra, the Odeon Youth Symphony Orchestra at the Sophiensaale Munchen.

The final leg of the tour itinerary saw the girls make their way to Paris to perform on the main stage at Disneyland theme park followed by time to enjoy the fun of Disneyland’s rides and amusements.

The 2016 Music Tour follows successful international performance tours to Wales, Washington DC, Los Angeles and the famous Carnegie Hall in New York City.

Year 11 student, Jessica Evensen said: “The Music Tour wasn’t just one amazing experience. It was a series of small once-in-alifetime experiences that we were able to share in the company of friends; performing together, sightseeing together, laughing together. Although I may travel to these places again, nothing will ever be quite like the experience that was Music Tour.”

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Passport Series – Destination Music!

A massive choral event featuring all choral students from Junior School and Secondary school – as well as students from Wesley and Aquinas Colleges – was a highlight of this year’s music calendar.

The concert, Destination Music, held at Winthrop Hall at the University of Western Australia in June, was the culmination of a week of intensive masterclasses and choral clinics by Penrhos College 2016 Artist in Residence – Dr Christian Grases from the University of Southern California.

The night marked world premiere of his new work commissioned

by Penrhos College, ‘Not to Us’ which was performed by the Penrhos Chorale on the 2016 Europe Tour.

After working with Dr Grases on the 2013 and 2014 Penrhos Music Tours to the United States, Director of Music, Mr Paul McCarthy, approached Dr Grases to compose a work for the Penrhos Chorale, which we could in turn dedicate to the Benedictine Community of New Norcia, with which Penrhos College has a long, deep and valued association.

After approaching Dom Chris Power, who provided Dr Grases with some biblical texts central to the mission of the Benedictine Community of New Norcia, he settled on two passages of scripture – Psalm 115:1 and 1 Corinthians 15:10, both of which are located in the Prologue of the Rule of St. Benedict.

Those two passages are:

‘Not to us Lord, Not to Us, but to your name be the glory, because of your love and faithfulness.’ and,

But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them — yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me.

These two passages formed the inspiration for this new work.

Dr Grases is currently assistant professor in the department of choral and sacred music at the University of Southern California.

He has participated in numerous festivals, workshops, and events as a guest conductor, clinician, adjudicator and conducting pedagogue in North and South America, Europe and Asia.

While in residence at Penrhos, Dr Grases facilitated a Conducting Masterclass for secondary music teachers, in conjunction with the Australian Society for Music Education, which focused on developing choral conducting techniques whilst keeping students energised, focused and musically challenged. In addition, music teachers from around Perth were invited to observe Dr Grases in rehearsal, working with our students in preparation for the Winthrop Hall concert.

Those who attended the event at Winthrop Hall were amazed by the stunning performances of the various groups, including the Penrhos Sotto Voce Choir, Jazz Voice Choir, Chamber Voices, Chorale, Junior Chamber Chorale and Junior Voices.

The evening concluded with the Australian premiere of Dr Grases’ own multi-movement work, ‘Gloria’, performed by combined secondary choral students from Penrhos, Aquinas and Wesley Colleges.

Director of Music, Mr Paul McCarthy said, “The Visiting Artist in Residence program at Penrhos College is designed to provide enriching, rewarding and inspirational music experiences for all of our music students. The opportunity to involve our students in both the choral composition and performance process with Dr Grases was a real educational opportunity for our choral students, and complimented our fantastic Jazz Visiting Artist opportunity in 2015 with the renowned Jazz Trumpeter, James Morrison. Final planning is underway for the upcoming announcement of the 2017 Penrhos College Visiting Artists in Residence, and it is sure to again be one of the highlights of the College performance calendar.”

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MathsNight@Penrhos celebrates STEM programs This year’s MathsNight@Penrhos was a celebration of all the opportunities offered to students at the College in Mathematics and other STEM subjects.

Now in its eighth year, the night recognises high achievers in STEM through the presentation of certificates, Pi badges and awards.

The Dr Glenda Parkin Mathematician of the Year Award was once again won by Krishnamenaka (Menu) Gamage who won the award last year. The Harry Perkins Award for Most Outstanding Contribution to the Maths Mentor Program was awarded to Rebecca Walmsley (Year 12) and Dr Lloyd Dawe’s Encouragement Award went to Elizabeth Arthur (Year 10). Dr Dawe, who is based in Sydney, is a regular visitor to the College as part of our Visiting Mathematician Program.

Throughout 2016, Penrhos students have eagerly engaged in a myriad of co-curricular programs in STEM as well as having embraced opportunities presented in the curriculum. Highlights from the 2016 academic year included our Future Problem Solvers attending the National Finals in Melbourne and the FPS International Conference in the USA; robotics success at the First Robotics Competition in Sydney and First Robotics World Championships in St Louis, Missouri; equal second place by our teams in the Next Tech Girls Superheroes 2016; a win in League of Legends; awards for Engineers in Schools Presentations; and success in winning a Have Sum Fun competition for the first time with Gabrielle Thompson coming third in Western Australia in the Junior Maths Olympiad.

The College is proud to be recognised as a leader in STEM in Western Australia with Penrhos College Junior School and Secondary School both announced as Finalists for the Governor’s School STEM Award 2016; and, also as a recipient of the Mathematics Association of Western Australia, Maths Active School Silver Award.

Titration Stakes Three teams of Penrhos College Chemistry students participated in the Royal Australian Chemical Institute (RACI) Titration Stakes at Curtin University during June.

The RACI titration competitions are designed to encourage those students who enjoy Chemistry, particularly its

practical side, to develop their skills and to reward those who attain a high level of proficiency. Each team of three performs a simple acid-base titration exercise.

Penrhos College competed against 87 teams from schools across the state, with Tess Clafton, Poulami Kelkar and Keira Petty placing first in the State.

Top Problem Solvers put their thinking skills to the test Penrhos College students have once again excelled at Future Problem Solving (FPS) this year.

Gifted and Talented Integrator Mrs Nicci Johnson said, “FPS is an international educational program for students, focusing on the development of critical, creative and futuristic thinking skills. It challenges students to apply their minds to some of the significant issues facing the world of today and the future.”

Ten Penrhos College teams competed this year to attempt to gain an invitation to the National Finals in Melbourne (qualifying in the top 10-15 percent around Australia) with six teams successful. One team, comprised of Morgan Farley, Emily Mckay, Stella McLaughlin and Bridget Godfrey placed third in the Senior Division and has been invited to attend the International Conference in Wisconsin in 2017.

In addition, four girls entered the Scenario Writing section of the competition; a section that Nicci said, “has been dominated by eastern states’ schools for as long as I can remember.” Anna

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Healy (Year 9) placed first in the Middle Division and Megan Petty (Year 11) placed second in the Senior Division, which was an outstanding effort by these two girls. Anna’s essay will represent Australia at the International Conference in Wisconsin next year.

The College’s success in FPS, however, didn’t stop there. Si-Chee Koh, Morgan May, Leanne Brady and Anna Healy travelled to Michigan in the USA in early June this year to compete. The team placed 9th overall in the Middle Division which comprised the top 70 teams from around the world – a tremendous effort!

ChooseMaths choose Penrhos teacher as the best maths mentor in Australia Penrhos College Mathematics teacher Mr Peter Chandler was recognised by the Australian Mathematical Sciences Institute (AMSI) as a leader in his field at a national Awards in Melbourne. As the winner of the ChooseMaths Teacher Award for mentoring girls in Mathematics, Mr Chandler won $10,000 in prize money to further develop his skills plus $10,000 to support Mathematics programs at the College.

Mr Chandler said, “The real success of our unique Maths Mentoring Program has been the enthusiasm of so many girls who love Maths and drive the program. We have two outstanding Maths Mentor Captains who have suggested innovative ways we can spend the $10,000 prize money.”

“Peter has engaged, challenged, and mentored girls to help them reach their full mathematical potential,” Mrs Melville said.

Maths Mentor Captain, Rose Belford said one of the ideas being considered was a project called ‘Girls Choose Maths’ which would provide an opportunity for girls from other schools to see where Maths can lead them.

“He has spearheaded initiatives such as a successful Maths extension program, MathsMentorProgram@Penrhos, partnership activities with Harry Perkin’s Institute of Medical Research, national and international enrichment linkages, and an annual Mathematics celebration,” she said.

Penrhos College Principal Mrs Meg Melville said the Award recognised the impact Peter’s passion for Maths had made on the Penrhos College community.

Maths Mentor Captain, Rebecca Walmsley said, “Mr Chandler has made the world his classroom and demonstrated that Maths is truly more than just numbers.”

Congratulations to two Year 11 students, Alice Wang who was one of seven students selected from WA to attend the National Mathematics Summer School in Canberra and to Amelia Davies-Waddell who was selected for the National Youth Science Forum, also in Canberra.

MORE STEM SUCCESS FOR PENRHOS COLLEGE A talented group of Year 9 Penrhos College girls have a big reason to smile after achieving outstanding results in the Curtin University Engineers In Schools Project Presentation and Awards night.

After working tirelessly on their project over Terms 2 and 3, three teams had the opportunity to give a presentation, and display their engineering prototype and info-poster in a trade fair on 3 November.

Weerakoon and Monica Gregory, with the girls winning the award for the best presentation for their project ‘Landslides in Laos’.

Si-Chee Koh also achieved excellent results winning the award for the best project report. She was supported by Morgan May and Anna Healy who assisted with research on ‘Refugee Tents in Jordan’.

The task that formed the project involved the girls examining a problem faced by a developing country and coming up with a solution to better their situation – all within a $10,000 budget.

The Engineers In Schools Project was run through the Maths Mentor program, which aims to provide a challenging and engaging enrichment program for Senior School students with mathematical aptitude in a technology-fuelled school setting.

It was a great team effort by Stephanie Schwab, Jemma Schofield, Harini

Dean of Professional Learning Development and Growth/Numeracy

Support Teacher (Years 10 to 12), Mr David Hunter, congratulated the three teams on their success and thanked Penrhos College staff for their ongoing commitment to students.

“All the girls involved produced amazing work and did a standout performance against the competing schools,” Mr Hunter said.

“A big shout out also to all departments that have taught these girls and in particular, the English, Humanities and Social Sciences and Library departments that have done a superb job of developing superior research, oral and written skills in the girls.”

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Girls enjoy new creative arts space The College Art Department and Secondary School students are enjoying working and learning in the beautiful new Creative Arts and Design Centre (CADC).

Black Swan Prize for Portraiture

The purpose-built centre provides our students with access to state-of-the art facilities in which to inspire their interests in textiles, art, design and technology.

The space has been well utilised since opening in April this year, so please enjoy reading about some of the artistic pursuits that have been occurring within the CADC’s walls.

Artist: Cara Burton, Subject: Self portrait, Title: Jars, Year 11 Penrhos College

Year 11 Visual Arts ATAR student Cara Burton was a finalist in the 2016 Black Swan Prize for Portraiture, Youth Exhibition Original Works.

Cara’s self portrait “Jars” was selected following a record number of entries in both the adult and youth competitions.

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Atwell Youth Awards Penrhos College Art students received accolades at the 2016 Atwell Youth Awards, with Year 12 students Tameka Riches taking out Winner Atwell Youth Award Team Prize for her Lino Print “Life is a Cup of Tea”; Alix Crow winning the May Mason Award for Wearable Art with “Asking For It” and Alex Parker being awarded Curator’s Pick in Exhibition for her mixed media piece “Calling the Shots”.

Tameka Riches “Life is a Cup of Tea”

In addition, Year 11 student Simone Woolfitt received Highly Commended in the Year 11 Category, Year 8 student Amber Dixon received Highly Commended in the Year 8 Category and Year 8 student Lily Klvana-Hooper was awarded Highly Commended for the May Mayson Award for Textiles/Wearable Art. Head of Art Mrs Beverley Bell said the College was a strong supporter of the

Alix Crowe “Asking For It”

awards, which are now in their 14th year, and the school had enjoyed an excellent level of success over the years.

“The competition provides our talented Art students with an opportunity to showcase their work to a wider audience.

We like to support Atwell House as they appreciate work created by youth as part of the school curriculum. They are also very supportive of up and coming artists.”

Alex Parker “Calling the Shots”

Penrhos flies the flag for the City of South Perth at WALGA week If you were driving up the Terrace near Bennett Street in the City during July, you may have spotted the City of South Perth’s banner proudly flying as part of WALGA (Western Australian Local Government Association) Week. The banner (pictured below) was hand-drawn and designed by some very talented Year 10 students – Abby Marshall, Genevieve Matthews, Jade Batt, Kelsea Cail, Sian Mabarrack and Samantha Pilbrow.

The College was invited to design the City of South Perth’s banner and was undertaken as a co-curricular activity which provided the students with an authentic 21st Century learning experience; responding to an open ended brief, managing deadlines, meeting approvals from the City of South Perth and the City of Perth, liaising with a graphic designer to convert the design to be suitable for digital printing and finally the girls getting to see the truly fantastic finished result.

The girls conceived the ‘Spirit of South Perth’ in response to this year’s WALGA Week theme of ‘Local Impact’. The young girl’s hair is comprised of hand-drawn flowers, all indigenous to South Perth and she wears an early map of the area, linking the spirit to the history and environment of the neighbourhood.

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Languages Week Penrhos College celebrated a vast array of languages, traditions and cultures that make up the College community during Languages Week.

The engaging week was used to showcase and promote different languages and help students understand how they have helped shape Australian culture.

Junior School students marked the week by making Spanish paella and Italian bruschetta, watching foreign children’s films and participating in international ball games such as bocce and soccer. Students also tested their knowledge with language quizzes, made a fun Mexican Pinata and played board games including Chinese Checkers, Uno and Yahtzee.

Accomplished piano accordionist Ms Nikki Dagostino performed traditional Italian music and taught students basic steps in a Tarantella Dance as part of a school incursion. A gelato van visit capped off the week with staff and students being able to request a gelato in Italian.

Italian Teacher (K-6) Signora Anna Satti said the week could be summed up by

famous Italian film director Federico Fellini: “A different language is a different vision of life.”

“I hope the students took the time to pause and reflect on the wonderful diverse range of nationalities, their languages and traditions that make life richer in Australia, allowing us to learn more about our own Australian culture in the process,” she said.

In Secondary School, the week was coordinated by Academic and Cultural Captains Sweta Samanta and Anneka Gee and their committee, in consultation with the Language Department. The Penrhos Café got on board selling Italian, French, Japanese, Chinese and Mexican foods.

Forms also participated in quizzes, language challenges and origami paper folding while staff and students got competitive in chopstick and ‘guess the mysterious food and drink’ challenges during lunch.

For the big finale, students dressed up in a costume representing a different culture.

Head of Languages / Teacher of Japanese Mr Scott Haddrell said the Language teachers were very passionate about sharing another country’s culture, customs and language with College students, staff and community members.

“The big picture… in a world where countries and people are ever more dependent upon one another to supply goods and services, solve political disputes, and ensure international security, understanding other cultures and languages is paramount,” he said.

Comment from Gia Mairata, Junior School Languages Captain: What were some of your favourite things you did to mark Languages Week?

Some of my favourite things we did to mark Languages Week were dressing up from a culture of our choice and having the gelato van visit.

What did you learn about different languages during the week?

I learnt that different cultures dress and speak differently and that Italians love to celebrate everything.

Penrhos Perfect at Languages

French poetry achievement

For two weeks in June, Language students in Years 6 to 12 participated in the on-line Language Perfect World Championships.

Penrhos College students have a way with words with our Year 7 and 8 students achieving outstanding success in a poetry competition.

In our school category, which is based on the number of students studying a language at the school, Penrhos was ranked 1st overall in WA; 1st in French; 1st in Japanese; and 2nd in Italian.

Out of 300 students who auditioned in the State for the French Poem Recitation Competition, Penrhos College finished an impressive first, second and third in the Year 7 division and an equally exceptional third in the Year 8 category.

Overall, Penrhos was ranked 3rd in Western Australia out of 114 schools; 16th in Australia out of 761 schools; and 31st in the world out of 1,111 schools!

Congratulations to the following students for their terrific achievement: Year 7 Division 1st – Sophie Harvey-Lissienko 2nd – Chloe Porter 3rd – Kaitlin Otley Year 8 Division 3rd – Rebecca Hampson Thank you to Sue Hampson and Louise Bloomfield-Gibbs for their tireless support and guidance of the girls.

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Pipe Organ Commissioning The Penrhos community would like to extend a sincere thank you to Mr Dudley Bastian who has generously gifted his WRAGG Pipe Organ to the College.

Mr Bastian was the first Penrhos College Director of Music (1974-1987) and is remembered by many past staff, students and parents.

Upon gifting the organ to the College, is was moved from Mr Bastian’s home in Mt Lawley to the upper level of the College Chapel.

The organ was built in 1905 by Edward Wragg, in the United Kingdom for St Anne’s Congregational Church in Nottingham.

It was removed in 1969 to storage in London by Mr Bastian and imported to WA from Nottingham in 1972.

Principal, Mrs Meg Melville said: “We are delighted to accept this very generous and gracious offer by Dudley and his family and are excited about the prospect of incorporating the pipe organ into our music program and more broadly, Chapel celebrations and recitals.”

NAIDOC Assembly NAIDOC was an important date on the College calendar with the school community coming together to celebrate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture, history and achievements.

“The girls spoke about where their families are from, followed by their introduction of Noongar elder Mr Walter Maguire who conducted the Welcome to Country,” she said.

NAIDOC stands for National Aborigines and Islanders Day Observance Committee and its origins can be traced to the emergence of Aboriginal groups in the 1920s.

The Year 7 cohort learnt a song in Noongar language with the support of Miss Catherine Clarnette.

On Tuesday, 30 August the Secondary School held an assembly to recognise the contributions Indigenous Australians make to our country and society.

Aboriginal Liaison Officer Ms Danielle Glucina said it was wonderful to see the Penrhos Indigenous students from Years 7 to 12 sharing their culture and knowledge with Penrhos staff and students.

“Learning to perform Gina William’s Wanjoo (welcome) song was an exciting challenge and the girls’ performance was fantastic,” Ms Glucina said.

“The Boodjar Bindi Dancers from Guildford Grammar School performed and explained the significance of a number of traditional dances to illustrate aspects of their culture through dance.

“Chaplain Claire gave the Fire Blessing, which we understand has been used as a prayer in Aboriginal communities over many, many years. Fire is a sign of the Holy Spirit and creates togetherness and belonging, purifies, strengthens identity and brings many gifts.”

The theme for NAIDOC Week 2016 was Songlines: The living narrative of our nation. Sacred Songlines are part of the Aboriginal Dreamtime stories.

For Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, the Dreamtime describes a time when the earth, people and animals were created by our ancestral spiritual beings.

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Hannah Kent visits Penrhos College The College was honoured to host award-winning author, Hannah Kent to launch her new book “The Good People” in October, in partnership with Dymocks Garden City.

Hannah Kent is the co-founder of Australian literary journal Kill Your Darlings. In 2011, she won the inaugural Writer Australia Unpublished Manuscript Award for her debut novel, Burial Rites, the story of Agnes Magnusdottir, the last person to be executed in Iceland. Since its publication in 2013, Burial Rites has been translated into nearly 30 languages and has received numerous awards and nominations.

The launch was held in the Penrhos Library and featured Hannah in conversation with journalist, business owner and State Director of the Australian Writers’ Centre, Alecia Hancock.

The event attracted around 80 guests, who gained an insight into Hannah’s creative process as well as the inspiration for “The Good People” which was taken from a true story.

The visit was the latest in the highly successful series of author events that have been held at the College in conjunction with Dymocks Garden City. These events have seen several high profile authors visit Penrhos, including Kate Grenville, Annabel Crabb, Jessica Rowe and Andy Griffith.

Proceeds from ticket sales to all events are donated to a variety of charitable organisations.

Curtin Pups lighten the load To help relieve the pressure our Year 12 girls were facing coming up to the end of the year, and to encourage them to stay positive as they approached exams, they were treated to a surprise visit from some adorable puppies.

The pups were a welcome distraction for the students whose faces lit up as they took a break from their studies to interact with the puppies.

An initiative of Curtin University, Curtin PUPS (People Under Pressure at School) is an innovative partnership between Curtin Uni and SAFE Perth which is a notfor-profit organisation dedicated to the rescue, care, rehabilitation and rehoming of homeless and abandoned pets in Western Australia.

Inviting the Curtin PUPS program to the College was an initiative of the Year 12

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Wellness Committee whose aim is to create innovative activities to promote student wellbeing and resilience.

Current Curtin University Student Ambassadors spoke to Year 12 girls about relaxation and mindfulness and provided some stress management tips. The pups were a surprise addition during the session.

School Counsellor Ms Jane Clarke said:

“The pups were there to emphasise the importance of mindfulness in managing Year 12 stress it’s hard not to be in the moment when holding a puppy!”

George the Curtin Therapy Dog was also in attendance for the session and we were lucky enough to have George come and visit some of our Year 12 mock exams. His soothing presence helped our girls during the most difficult time of the exams – the nervous wait outside the exam room!

The gorgeous SAFE puppies are all up for adoption and we encourage our Penrhos community to support the SAFE organisation in finding good homes for their puppies.

For more information, please visit www.safeperth.com.au.

Creepy, kooky clan a hit in school production Buh-da-da-dum (snap snap) Buh-da-da-dum (snap snap) Buh-da-dadum, Buh-da-da-dum, Buh-da-da-dum (snap snap)!

This well-recognised overture to the cult television series The Addams Family had audiences clapping and snapping along at this year’s College production – The Addams Family: A New Musical.

When Wednesday Addams proclaims her love for Lucas Beineke, a young man from a ‘normal’ family, it disrupts the weird balance in the Addams household where black is the last word in fashion and knife throwing is the perfect children’s past time.

Inspired by the gleefully macabre cartoons by Charles Addams, the musical brings to life the quirky collection of Addams Family characters and their ancestors in a singing and dancing spectacular.

Director and Head of Drama Mr David Ballantyne said he wanted to stage the musical at the College after seeing another school production which he enjoyed more than the professional performances he had seen in New York and Sydney.

“Most musicals are best done professionally, but in the Addams Family the characters are so wacky and quirky that kids seem to manage them more easily than adults.”

Mr Ballantyne went on to say that, although the musical is full of the dark humour that characterised Charles Addams’ cartoons in The New Yorker magazine in the 1930s, at its core, the show had a good message about acceptance and celebrating people’s differences and individuality.

The Addams Family: A New Musical played to sell-out shows over three days at the College during July.

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NAOMI EDMUNDS INSPIRES GIRLS TO TAKE UP A CHALLENGE She is a senior Mathematics teacher, the only woman to have completed every Busselton Ironman since its inception and can now boast conquering the pinnacle race for any Ironman triathlete.

Active Penrhos College teacher Miss Naomi Edmunds took up triathlon 24 years ago after returning from the United Kingdom. In 1992 she completed her first triathlon in Fremantle, which spurred her to participate in adventure races, the Avon Descent and all 12 of the Ironman Western Australia races.

At the December 2004 Ironman Australia’s inaugural event she placed fourth and just missed out on a ticket in the desired Hawai’i – Kona Ironman World Championships. Since that day, and after meeting inspirational older American triathlete Sister Madonna Buder, she has been determined to ‘get to Kona’.

That day came on 8 October this year.

The former triathlon coach was one of more than 2000 athletes to embark on the “hot, windy and hard” Kona course.

She pushed through a 3.8km endurance ocean swim, a 180km cycle ride through lava fields and a 42.2km marathon run, some in darkness.

“The last 200 plus metres of the race and, in particular, the finish shoot were amazing. So many people lined streets and the finish shoot, high-fiving and cheering as I passed by,” Miss Edmunds said.

“To hear that ‘you are an ironman’ called as I crossed the line was awesome.

“What a wonderful experience, and one I relive almost every day. I have finally realised my ultimate dream – I have competed and completed the Ironman World Championship in Kona.”

BOARDERS’ NETBALL

Courtesy of the Community Newspaper Group

Miss Edmunds said she was unsure of what challenge she would attempt next, but has not ruled out returning to Kona and enduring the 226km race again.

She also admitted that it had been a long road to realising her goal, but encouraged others to dare to dream.

“More importantly, you must do everything you can possibly do to fulfil your dreams,” Miss Edmunds said.

“Set yourself challenges, and work towards conquering these challenges.

Never listen to the ‘naysayers’, and push through any pain.”

Staff Community Service The first day back this term saw the entire staff of the College – Junior School, Secondary School and Operational Services – undertake a community service activity where teams of staff went to different locations around Como and South Perth to pick up rubbish and debris from our local parks and foreshore.

Netball is a popular winter sport among our Boarders with many teams taking part in the Saturday competition at Fremantle Netball Association. Boarders’ Netball is co-ordinated

by Mrs Judith Pilatti and supported by the Penrhos College Foundation which proudly supplies the girls uniforms through the Foundation Support Group Grant Scheme.

This year, four teams played in their division grand finals with the following results: JC 6 defeated Rossmoyne 35-25 JA7 defeated Willetton 42-25 17/U Div 9 lost to Kardinya 35-29 17/U Div 6 defeated Winthrop 34-29 Year 9 boarder Angela Baxter said: “Boarders’ netball was something I’d been looking forward to even before I started my schooling at Penrhos as I had heard about it from others. It is a great opportunity to get to know some of the boarders in different year groups, as well as staying fit and having fun. This year my team won the grand final after being undefeated for the entire season. We are already looking forward to next season!”

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In just over an hour, staff managed to collect an astonishing 245kgs of rubbish. The theme of the staff Chapel Service prior to this activity was “Stewardship of Creation”, so we were all able to translate our thoughts and prayers into action in a really productive way.

This was a truly enjoyable collegial activity on a beautiful spring day.

HIGH FLYERS ELEVATE TO NEW HEIGHTS A program designed to create flexibility, expanding and deepening the understanding of high potential learners “to create pathways for their future” is set to enhance the teaching and learning program available for high potential secondary students.

The ELEVATE program aims to explore innovative strategies to support and challenge high potential learners to gain more than just the content and skills outlined in the Western Australian Curriculum. They will have the opportunity to develop their 21st Century skills through greater personalisation of teaching and learning strategies.

After a rigorous application process, Penrhos was selected as one of only 15 schools to participate in the ELEVATE Community of Practice.

Led by the Association of Independent Schools in New South Wales, in conjunction with the United Kingdom Innovations Unit, the program benefits from the expertise of renowned international educational experts. Dean of Teaching and Learning Nicole Blyth said ELEVATE would run as an exploratory program in 2017 for high potential Year 8 learners in the Mathematics, English, Science and Humanities and Social Science (MESH) subjects.

Ms Blyth said it was about considering international research and case studies deemed as promising practices and determining

how they support the Penrhos College philosophy of the whole person paradigm of heart, mind, body, spirit.

“Ultimately, we want to look at how we cater for our high potential learners. We know they have great ability, but how do we make sure they all achieve their personal best? For different students this will mean different things in different subjects” she said.

“It’s about exploring the possibilities, ensuring students are engaged and motivated by their learning and that they are not limited by the mandated curriculum.”

In 2017, the team comprising Mrs Shannon Armitage, Mr Brenton Marlow, Miss Sandra Rowden and Ms Linda Taylor will use what they learn and their experience as learning area specialists to compact and modify existing Year 8 programs to personalise the delivery of curriculum for high ability learners.

Appropriate challenges will be provided through alternative projects and assessments which set the bar high to inspire girls to achieve their maximum academic potential.

SIR CHARLES COURT YOUNG LEADERSHIP PROGRAM Penrhos Year 10 student Elizabeth Arthur was one of 30 students from around the State selected to participate in a four-day leadership program aimed at developing youth to become “game changers” of tomorrow.

in the future, they were all higher thinkers and I made some really good friendships.

The Sir Charles Court Young Leaders Program is based on the shared principles of Sir Charles Court and former Prime Minister John Curtin, being vision, community service and leadership. Year 10 students who showed academic aptitude, leadership potential and a desire to help the community were encouraged to be nominated and apply for the program.

What were some of the challenges?

I get intimidated by a lot of people because sometimes I don’t have belief in myself, but I got along really well with everyone and by the end of it I could tell that I had made some really good friends for life.

During the four-day camp, students participated in several challenging activities aimed at building confidence and developing leadership skills.

What did you take away from the experience?

I’ve definitely grown as a person. It taught me to be more confident in myself; it was a very enlightening experience.

Q&A with Elizabeth Arthur, who represented Penrhos College at the Sir Charles Court Young Leaders Program during the April school holidays: What did you get up to over the four days?

It didn’t feel like you were in a conference but you were learning leadership skills along the way while participating in different activities. I learnt about working cohesively, peer mentoring, cultural integration, and different values and beliefs.

What advice do you have for others wanting to participate in the program?

If you get nominated, give it a shot because it was the best four days of my life. If you want to be a leader, first have confidence in yourself and give everything a shot.

What were some of the highlights?

I really enjoyed being able to hang out with people who have a similar mindset. They were all wanting to be leaders

What are your hopes for the future?

I’m still working it out but I definitely want to make a difference. It changed my life in an amazingly positive way. It changed my perspective of the world. It taught me that you can be that person that changes other people’s lives rather than accepting the path given to you.

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Auxiliary Spring Luncheon

THEME: SUPPORTING WOMEN’S HEALTH

This year’s Auxiliary Spring Luncheon was held on Friday, 9 September at the Royal Perth Golf Club.

Photographs courtesy of Anthea K Photography.

CELEBRATING

Penrhos College was proud to once again host the annual Founders’ Day on Tuesday, 9 August 2016.

This day of celebration commemorates the date the Methodist Trustees passed a resolution to purchase St Anne’s Girls School in South Perth, thus founding MLC South Perth. The day’s festivities included a Chapel Service, student assembly and performances, College tour and light lunch.

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CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR 2017 SCHOLARSHIP WINNERS COUNCIL ACADEMIC SCHOLARSHIPS Nancy Thomas Scholarship Nancy Thomas was a member of the College Council for 21 years and was a founding member of the Penrhosian Club, aimed at fostering friendships between Penrhos mothers, past and present.

Hai Leow, Year 7 (Wesley College) Raquel Quyn, Year 7 (Regent College) Olivia Penney, Year 7 (Melville Primary School) Harry Sorensen Scholarship Harry W Sorensen (AO, MBA, HonD Tech (Curtin), FCPA, FAIM) was a member of the Penrhos MLC Council from its foundation in 1969 until 1984. He was also Chairman of the Finance Committee for a number of years.

Rebecca Rudianto, Year 7 (Penrhos College) Tayla Sedgwick, Year 8 (Penrhos College) Emily Wallace, Year 8 (Penrhos College) Rev Raymond Perry Scholarship Reverend Ray Perry was a member of the Penrhos College Council from 1977 until 1987, when it was decided that councilors could only serve a maximum of ten years. He was integral in the establishment and construction of the College Chapel.

Nerissa Looi, Year 10 (Penrhos College) WH “Harry” Potter Scholarship In 1951 as a member of the MLC Council and the Methodist Education Committee, WH Potter was involved in the decision that saw MLC purchase St Anne’s, the only girls school south of the river.

This school, located on Angelo Street, became MLC South Perth and later Penrhos College. WH Potter was a founding Penrhos MLC Council member from 1969 until 1982.

Cecilia Clennell, Year 7 (Kalamunda Christian School)

MARGARET WAY ALUMNI SCHOLARSHIP Margaret Way was the founding Principal of the College. The Alumni Margaret Way Scholarship is awarded by the Penrhos College Alumni to the daughter or granddaughter of a financial Alumni member.

Millie Hirte, Year 7 (Penrhos College) MIND HEART BODY SPIRIT SCHOLARSHIP Abby Parker, Year 9 (John Curtin College of the Arts) Georgette Kruger, Year 9 (Peter Carnley Anglican Community School) MICHAEL BOUD ISOLATED CHILDREN’S SCHOLARSHIP – BOARDING SCHOLARSHIP Lawyer Michael Boud was very passionate about Penrhos and contributed in many ways and at all levels. Michael Boud was a member of the College Council from 1976 until 1998. He held the Deputy Chair role and was also Chair of the Planning Committee.

He was the inaugural Foundation Chairman in 1988 and a Board member until 1993. In addition, he was Chairman of Bequests from 1989 until 1992.

Grace Dunkeld, Year 7 (Lake King Primary School)

2018 SCHOLARSHIPS OPEN We are pleased to announce that scholarship applications for Council and Music Scholarships for 2018 entry are now open.

Please visit our website to apply: www.penrhos.wa.edu.au.

Margaret Way Alumni Scholarship Having immersed herself in the Penrhos culture - inside and outside of the classroom - Year 6 student Millie Hirte was thrilled to receive the Margaret Way Alumni Scholarship.

The scholarship was introduced in 2010 for students entering Year 7, who are daughters or granddaughters of financial Alumni members. It is awarded for the remainder of the recipient’s secondary education at Penrhos College and covers 25 per cent of the annual tuition fee.

Millie has strong ties to the College, having started in Kindy and followed in the footsteps of both her grandparents.

The bubbly 12-year-old said the teachers had been very supportive and she had made some lifelong friends.

“My mum went to Penrhos and she actually won the scholarship. Millie’s other nanna was the captain of the school so we’ve had a really long, strong association with the College, plus it’s a real celebration of that relationship,” Mrs Hirte said.

“For us, Penrhos is a really beautiful community and I think when you come to Penrhos, it’s not just about the education it’s about everything else.

“I’ve done lots of sport stuff - I’m doing volleyball at the moment and I have a basketball thing I do out of school with all my friends, and I love art,” Millie said.

“It’s about being part of almost a little family, really, and Millie has beautiful friends and I’m now friends with their parents. You feel like you are part of a real community, so from my point-of-view I would encourage others to be a part of that community.”

Millie’s mum, Debbie Hirte, said the family had a real sense of history with Penrhos.

Penrhos College Alumni are encouraged to apply for the Margaret Way Scholarship

if their daughters are sitting the Year 7 scholarship for entry in 2018. This scholarship is awarded on academic merit and selection based on the individual’s academic testing.

Applications are expected to close on 10 March 2017.

For more information, please visit www.penrhos.wa.edu.au/scholarships.

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FROM THE FOUNDATION PRESIDENT

2016 was again a busy and challenging year.

Board member, Greg Beard has been meeting with Chairs of other Foundation Boards throughout the year which has provided a wonderful forum for the sharing of ideas.

The Foundation confirmed two bursaries and the Michael Boud Isolated Children’s Scholarship for 2017. The Michael Boud Scholarship is awarded every two years and covers 50 percent Boarding and 50 percent Tuition for the recipient.

Foundation bursaries and scholarships provide opportunities to foster the development of girls who may not otherwise have an opportunity to attend the College.

Board membership I would like to take this opportunity to thank Tracie Cielak for the many years she has served on the Foundation Board. Her passion for Penrhos Community is infectious and Tracie has been a vital member of the Board. Tracie has decided not to continue in 2017.

I would also like to thank Raj Kurup, who joined the Board in 2013 and provided three years of service to the Foundation Board.

2016 Board Members: • Sondra Anderson (President) • Greg Beard (Vice President) • Tracie Cielak • Camilla Holt • Raj Kurup • Tom Esze • David Wallace • Sally Audeyev • Tony Connors Representatives from the College who sit on the Foundation Board: • Meg Melville (Principal) • Melissa Mairata (Acting Marketing & Development Manager) • Ailish Breheny (Acting Director Finance & Administration) • Karen Ambrose (Board Secretary) Involving Fathers in our community The Year 12 Father Daughter dinner is always a fun night for the Year 12 girls and their fathers. The dinner, which is held

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on campus and is sponsored by the Foundation, was attended

by Meg Melville and Tracie Cielak. Feedback from the girls and dads who attended was that it was once again a great success.

Foundation supporting our Support Groups In 2016, the Foundation supported the following Parent Support Groups through our Grant scheme • Rowing Support Group • Boarders’ Netball Foundation Constitution Amendments A full review of the Foundation Constitution has taken place throughout 2016 and I would like to thank all Board members for their efforts, but I would particularly like to thank Sally Audeyev and Tony Connors who have spent many long hours ensuring we have a very functional and modern constitution moving forward.

Looking ahead In 2017, the Penrhos Foundation will embark on new opportunities for all our community to be involved in. We want to ensure that you all have the option to give back in a way that is meaningful to you – from building projects to bursaries or providing the best long term education for our girls.

There has never been a better time to invest in young women. We know through investment we can help foster the development of women who will give back to our community in the future.

Thank you I would like to thank my fellow Board members and Representatives from the College for their contribution and efforts throughout the year. All have given significantly of their personal and business time and I value their expertise.

The festive season is already upon us and on behalf of the Penrhos Foundation, may I extend the warmest of wishes to you and your family for a safe and happy Christmas.

Sondra Anderson FOUNDATION PRESIDENT

Father Daughter Dinner Supported by the Penrhos College Foundation

The Father Daughter Dinner is proudly supported by the Penrhos College Foundation and is a night for our Year 12s to celebrate the special relationship they have with their dads. Held at the end of exams, it is a chance for the girls to let their hair down and dance the night away. The dads are usually the first on the dance floor and generally don’t leave until the last song of the evening – with this year being no exception.

Guests once again enjoyed a great evening of fun, friendship and photos and one inventive dad arranged a life-sized cardboard cutout of himself to accompany his daughter when he was unable to attend due to a last minute family commitment which took him out of the country!

HAVE YOU LEFT YOUR MARK? There are still opportunities for you to be part of the Rixon Theatre refurbishment and the remaining seats are available to sponsor for $500 per seat.

• All seats will be fitted with an engraved plaque with your chosen wording to acknowledge your support.

• All donors are recognised on the honour board and enjoy special benefits including early access ticket booking to College productions.

• To submit your Expression of Interest, please visit www.penrhos.wa.edu.au or call the Marketing & Community Relations office on (08) 9368 9517.

The Penrhos College Foundation sincerely thanks the following donors for their generous support in sponsoring a seat in the Rixon Theatre, since the previous edition of The Penrhosian.

D M Strahan K Longden J Dunkeld F & T Romeo The George Jones Family Foundation

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FROM THE ALUMNI PRESIDENT The past 12 months have been an exciting, rewarding and successful time for the Penrhos Alumni.

We started the year with our annual networking event, Shakers and Stirrers, which was held at the Windsor Hotel.

This popular event is held in conjunction with Wesley Old Boys and it was fantastic to see a record number of Alumni attending.

In May, we were thrilled to host our annual High Tea, which provided a lovely opportunity for parents and Alumni to come together over a cup of tea.

June saw us hosting the much-loved Mother Daughter dinner on campus for the first time with the Llew Woodford Function Centre transformed into a magical display of flowers and fairy lights.

We received positive feedback about hosting the event on campus and look forward to many more enjoyable Mother Daughter dinners to come.

Founders Day in August was another successful event that provided a perfect opportunity for past students, staff, parents and friends to get reacquainted with the College campus.

I would like to personally thank the Alumni members who gave up their time to help out at various functions throughout the year – it was greatly appreciated.

Finally, I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Alumni Committee, Principal Meg Melville, Alumni and Community Relations Coordinator Emma Cornwall and Marketing and Community Relations Manager Rochelle Zaknich for all their help and support throughout the year.

I would like to offer a warm welcome to Natalie Nazzari and Melissa Mairata who have joined Penrhos College while Emma and Rochelle are on parental leave.

We look forward to an exciting 2017.

Amanda Yaksich ALUMNI PRESIDENT

PENRHOS ALUMNI ENDEAVOUR AWARD The popular Penrhos ritual of ‘leaving well’, with peers giving flowers to the graduating class is heightened each year with the tradition of presenting the Alumni Endeavour Award on Flower Day. As part of the Year 12 Flower Day Assembly, Penrhos Alumni President Amanda Yaksich was honoured to present this year’s Penrhos Alumni Endeavour Award to Alice Lewis.

The Award provides financial support to a Year 12 student who would like

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the opportunity to achieve something extraordinary for others.

While at university next year, Alice hopes to set up a new program where fellow students and staff can easily donate daily self-care items to local women’s refuges that house women who have been victims of domestic violence.

Alice hopes to eventually bring others in to grow her program, and to explore fundraising opportunities that might see the donation of large funds or items to refuges.

Mother Daughter Dinner Supported by the Penrhos College Alumni (Inc)

Every year the Penrhos College Alumni is honoured to be represented at the Year 12 Mother Daughter Dinner. Members of the Alumni welcome the Year 12s to the Alumni community and gift each girl a sterling silver dragon charm and scroll as a keepsake of their days at Penrhos. The Year 12s respond by presenting their mothers with a yellow rose as a ‘thank you’ for their support over the years.

This year, for the first time, the Mother Daughter Dinner was held on campus in the Llew Woodford Function Centre. The function centre looked absolutely beautiful with pastel fresh roses adorning the tables, providing a feminine theme to the evening.

Following a three-course dinner the girls and their mothers hit the dance floor and danced the night away.

ALUMNI EVENTS IN 2017 PENRHOS COLLEGE FOUNDERS’ DAY

Tuesday, 8 August 2017 at 11am College Chapel, Penrhos College Past students, staff and friends of Penrhos are welcome.

This is a free event.

SHAKERS AND STIRRERS NETWORKING EVENING Friday, 10 February 2017 The Windsor Hotel

PENRHOS ALUMNI HIGH TEA

Friday, 19 May 2017 at 1pm Llew Woodford Function Centre, Penrhos College

COMBINED INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS’ TENNIS DAY

CLASS OF 2015 LEAVERS REUNION Date TBC

CLASS OF 2007 10 YEAR REUNION Date TBC

CLASS OF 1997 20 YEAR REUNION Date TBC

CLASS OF 1987 30 YEAR REUNION Date TBC

CLASS OF 1977 40 YEAR REUNION Date TBC

Thursday, 30 March 2017 at 8.45am Reabold Tennis Club, Floreat

CLASS OF 1967 50 YEAR REUNION

Penrhos College is excited to host the annual Combined Independent Schools’ Tennis Day this year. The College is searching for Alumni over the age of 40 to take to the court for a friendly round robin tennis tournament and also volunteers to help out on the day.

Official invites are sent by email six weeks prior to the reunion.

Please ensure the College has your current details. Please contact the Alumni and Community Relations Coordinator via alumni@penrhos.wa.edu.au or (08) 9368 9539 to update your details or for any reunion enquiries.

Date TBC

For more information or to get involved, please email Ailsa at ailsa44@bigpond.net.au or call 0417 982 055.

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10

Class of 2006 10 Year Reunion Saturday, 5 November 2016 Hopscotch Bar Close to 70 people attended a fun-filled evening at Hopscotch Bar in South Perth to celebrate a decade since graduating from Penrhos College. The Class of 2006 firstly met up at the College Campus to explore the grounds and take note of what has changed and what they still remember from their schooling days. The new Creative Arts and Design Centre was met with excitement while the close-knit group reminisced about time

Tiffany Hoad, Chloerissa Eadie, Stephanie Griffiths (Jones)

40

Ruth Kerr-Shepphard (Itzstein), Louise McLaughlin

spent inside and outside of the classroom. Letters they wrote to themselves 10 years ago, that have been buried in a time capsule in the Margaret Way Courtyard ever since, were also handed back. It was a great opportunity for the class of 2006 to share old memories and make new ones. The Penrhos Alumni wishes to thank Kate Oosterhoff for helping to organise the event.

Elizabeth Woollard, Geetanjali Arora, Lauren Tully

Sin Yi Chan, Kate Oosterhof

Victoria Bushby (Winterbourn), Stephanie Waterson, Sarah Day, Ellen Mitchell, Amy Wilson

Angela Jeffery (Vanzetti), Georgia Gray (Michael), Kara Dohle

Class of 1976 40 Year Reunion Saturday, 12 November 2016 Royal Perth Golf Club To mark 40 years since hanging up their school uniform and putting away the school books, the graduating Class of 1976 met up for a fun evening with old friends. About 30 girls gathered at the Royal Perth Golf Club to catch up, celebrate

and reminisce about good times over great food and fine wine. The Penrhosian Alumni thanks Amanda Yaksich, Jenny Fleming and Heather Rodoreda for volunteering to help organise the event.

Elizabeth Owens (Mills), Jenny Fleming (Mercer)

Philippa Schupp (Digby), Sally-Anne James (Forbes), Susan Armstrong (Gunnell)

Susan Ffoulkes, Coral Ralph (Lewis), Trisha Offereins (Evans)

Nola Wells (Grosvenor), Lise Summers, Susan Iles (Mickle)

Heather Rodoreda (Brede), Amanda Yaksich (Watson), Vicki Hallion (Watts)

Libby Davidson (Whitter), Rosslyn McLernon (Rinaldi), Valerie Softly, Lynda Armstrong (Gay)

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Class of 1986 30 Year Reunion Saturday, 19 November 2016 Colwyn Centre, Penrhos College The 30 Year Reunion was bursting with highlights from a fun photo booth, to icebreaker games and a sentimental performance by pianist and 1986 School Captain Jennifer Blyth, who flew in from America for the celebration.

Attended by close to 60 Old Girls, the afternoon started with a walk down memory lane as the 1986 graduates toured the College grounds.

After an official welcome, attendees were then treated to an emotional and special dedication by Jennifer in the Chapel.

Marianne Arthur (Marsh), Susan Porter, Elizabeth McCann (Delaney), Louise Hartwig (Siddall), Meg Elsbury (Davies), Lisa Ryder (Rayment), Kylie Hodgkinson (Martin), Kate Fewster (Philpott)

Since graduating from Penrhos, Jennifer has performed in 23 states throughout the United States, and internationally she has appeared as a concerto soloist and recitalist in Russia, South Africa, Canada, England, France, Iceland, Germany, Spain, Italy and Australia.

It was a real privilege to have Jennifer perform in front of her old school mates, three decades since graduating from the College. The Penrhos Alumni would also like to acknowledge the efforts of Alison Egan and Carolyn Edmiston who helped organise the successful event.

Jennifer Blyth

Mandy Ryman (Cox), Sharyn Arndt (Green), Candace Prior (Littleton)

Genevieve Stynes, Meg Melville

Fiona Liew (Chiew), Helen Martin-Smith (Martin), Fiona Richardson (Payne)

Emma Maxfield, Sarah Birchmore (Booth), Mandy Ryman (Cox)

Alison Cappelletti (Egan), Claire Burton

Roxanne Coleman, Anjie Brook (Cole), Gemma Lemieux (Barratt), Shana James

Lisa Pampling (Wilson), Marianne Arthur (Marsh), Elizabeth Arnold, Emma Devon (Craig) and Michelle Taylor (Felear)

Rica Seeto, Natalie Bennet-Bremner, Janet March (Hawkins), Helen Martin-Smith (Martin), Fiona Liew (Chiew) and Amanda Perkins (Greig)

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Ros Brennan 2004 is a freelance arts writer, marketer and publicist based in Sydney. For the past eight years, Ros has worked in arts marketing in various guises, including Sydney’s National Art School, the 56th Venice Biennale of Art, Artsource in Western Australia and the Perth International Arts Festival.

Her writing features in various publications, most recently as the Art Insider for Buro 247 and Art Reviewer for ArtsHub. Emma Whitsed 2007 married Andrew Wright on 13 August 2016 at The Vines Resort & Country Club. Verity Whitsed 2012 and Jess Wright 2005 were bridesmaids.

PROFESSIONAL PENRHOS PHOTOGRAPHERS

There is a strong Penrhos presence at the Australian Institute of Professional Photography (AIPP), the professional body that provides accreditation for the profession of photography in Australia. This year Kirsten Graham 2000 from Compose Photography has been elected for the 2nd year in a row as the WA Council president of the AIPP and Amber Scobie 1995 from Amber Scobie Photography have been elected as a WA council member. The two run separate successful photography businesses and have found themselves working together on the WA council.

‘FABULOUS AND 50’ FUN

The graduating class of 1983 celebrated being ‘Fabulous and 50’ on Thursday, 13 October at The Nick. The evening was marked with 80s music, lots of laughter, reminiscing and a good time had by all. Thank you to event organisers Dani McKenna (Annear), Sally Richardson, Elizabeth De Marte (Perron), Lauren Major (Hartley) and Nat Dawson (Easther).

After five years together, Isabelle Rivette 2010 and Christopher Shade (Wesley College 2010) were married on 10 June earlier this year. Their wedding ceremony was held at St Thomas More Catholic Church in Margaret River. They celebrated afterwards with their dearest friends and loved ones at Vasse Felix Winery. Isabelle is currently working at Penrhos as a member of the Music staff.

Jo-Ann Hanley (Dinnie), Cathy Baker and Olwyn Maddock

Caroline Dinnie, Gemma Edwards-Smith (Edwards), Sally Richardson, Elise Parker (Jones) and Kirsten Evenson

Danielle McKenna (Annear), Elizabeth Perron (De Marte) and Lauren Major (Hartley)

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Penrhos ‘tool kit’ key to success Sixteen years of hard work, travel and a passion to succeed has paid off for one driven Penrhos graduate who has achieved success in India and beyond.

Mother-of-four and 1979 graduate Kendra O’Mullane (Smith) has spent close to two decades in business beginning her career as a sole distributor of a unique fibrebased cleaning technology.

In 2000 she established training institute Omullane Centre for Learning and Development, training staff in hospitality services.

She also simultaneously set up Omullane Management Solutions, which is based on the business concept of providing trained employees to take care of the several different verticals of building management.

16 years later, Mrs O’Mullane is proud to admit that she has close to 3000 staff working for her in several cities around India.

Mrs O’Mullane was driven to make her own mark in business after watching and helping her father succeed at GA Perry Plumbing.

But, she said it was not until her son, Kieran, experienced bad asthma and eczema that she discovered friendly cleaning technologies, and a business venture.

After visiting the South Asian country in 1997 and falling in love with its people, she decided to take a giant leap of faith and relocate to India.

“I was mesmerised by the fact that in spite of their circumstances, the people in India would come to work with huge smiles on their faces, their uniform absolutely pristine and their dedication to work was never-ending,” she said.

Mrs O’Mullane, who recently graced the cover of You and I magazine in India, said she was equipped to succeed in business because of the “tool kit” she gathered while attending Penrhos College.

She said the greatest lesson she learnt while at Penrhos was to make sure that whatever you did, you did it right.

She also said the key to success was being resilient in the face of adversity.

“When you find your ideas being rejected, then listen to what your peers are saying,” Mrs O’Mullane said.

“Sometimes, we think we know all the answers, but the solutions quite often are in what people are telling you.

“When you feel that you can’t do anything more – dig deep.

“When you find yourself going down the wrong path – regroup, take a deep breath and listen to people.”

Amanda Webster pens second book Coming from a medical family, Penrhos Old Girl Amanda Webster admits she got side-tracked into becoming a doctor despite always having a passion for the written word.

people, a great respect for Indigenous culture and a desire to contribute to a better deal for Indigenous people, then I will be a very happy woman,” Ms Webster said.

A book launch celebration was held on Thursday, 6 October at the Cottesloe Beach Hotel.

Photo by Justine Gordon

It was not until the 1976 graduate had something she “needed” to write about that she decided to act on her initial passion and began typing. The story she felt compelled to tell was that of her son and his battle with anorexia.

Several weekend and online writing courses later, and eventually a graduate degree in creative writing helped Ms Webster perfect her passion. The Boy Who Loved Apples was published on July 2, 2012.

She has just penned her second book, A Tear in the Soul, with her inspiration coming from her Kalgoorlie childhood and the friendships she formed with Aboriginal children from local mission Kurrawang. Taking about five and a half years to complete, it is a story of personal reconciliation in a time of cultural ignorance.

“If readers come away from my book with a little more understanding of the impact of colonisation on Indigenous

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Photo by Rodney Stratton

It was attended by Ms Webster, along with Noongar elder Greg Ugle and Wongi woman Bronwyn Newland - both of whom were an integral part of the book’s process.

Ms Webster, who has fond memories of studying English Literature with teacher Mrs Ferrell, said her experience at Penrhos College contributed to her getting to where she is today. She encourages budding writers to turn off social media for a while each day, open a book and read.

“Any book. All kinds of books. And start to write; even if it’s only for ten minutes a day…” Ms Webster said.

“For some budding writers, going straight into an Arts degree at university will be the right move; for others like me, writing is something that develops from lived experience.”

Cheers to wine finalist Mother of two and 1995 Penrhos College graduate Kim Tyrer did not expect to be a finalist in the 2016 Australian Women in Wine Awards when she sent off the application – but she’s glad she did.

The chief executive and winemaker of Galafrey Wines has been busy juggling motherhood and running the Mount Barker based business, and to great success.

She was named as one of four finalists who has made a mark in the Owner/Operator of the Year category in the prestigious Australian Women in Wine Awards.

“I was apprehensive about applying as I am not very good at writing award applications and it was based on the last 12-24 months,” she said.

“I have just had my second child so much of my time has been shared between home and business, therefore felt I probably wasn’t working at full capacity.

“But I am happy that I did apply - it was quite interesting how much I’d actually achieved in the last two years despite balancing it with a baby.”

Ms Tyrer entered into the family-owned business in 2003 at the age of 25 after her father’s death. Faced with a few hurdles and overcoming a steep learning curve, Ms Tyrer said she was proud that she had managed to build on the strong and wellrespected Galafrey brand. “(I hope) to develop my skills as a winemaker and build our business to the next level both as brand quality and increase production and sales,” she said.

Photo by Jeff Atkinson

As for others who are hoping to succeed in a career they have chosen, the passionate mother and chief executive has some encouraging advice.

“Know who you really are and what you want. Be confident. Make strong decisions.

Don’t make excuses - solve problems.

Don’t let fear stop you. And Just do it!” she said.

Amy Atwell makes waves in Hawaii She picked up a basketball when she was just seven years old and immediately fell in love with the fast-paced game. 2015 Penrhos College leaver Amy Atwell has been playing basketball for about 11 years and over that time has added several slam dunk successes to her name. She has represented WA several times, competing in the under-16s through to the under-20s national championships each year.

has been sidelined with a torn anterior cruciate ligament, but is looking forward to taking to the court with the University of Hawaii Rainbow Wahine Basketball team next season.

Amy said she loved the game because it was never straight forward.

“As far as living in Hawaii, it has taken a bit of adapting, in particular the humidity and time management, but other than that it has been an amazing experience thus far and a dream come true.”

“It requires so many different skill sets, which I found really enjoyable - the fact that there is always something I can be working on and perfecting, it definitely doesn’t get boring,” she said.

The talented forward is also making waves in Hawaii after earning a division one scholarship to the University of Hawaii.

Since moving to the United States, Amy

“When I get the chance to I can only imagine it will be like nothing I have ever experienced before and will definitely wear the uniform with pride,” she said.

After graduating from university Atwell hopes to come back to Australia and play in the Women’s National Basketball League. She also has her sights set on wearing green and gold, representing Australia in some capacity.

Miss Teen Galaxy Australia inspires Year 12 graduate Jenayah Elliott was encouraged to join the Miss Teen Galaxy Australia Pageant while trying on dresses for the school ball at a local dress shop.

What progressed from that chance meeting was nothing short of inspiring.

the Galaxy International Pageant in Florida this year. The pageant aims to provide a personal development opportunity for women from all nations and challenges them to do their part to make a better tomorrow.

The 17-year-old successfully progressed from State to National finals and became the first Aboriginal entrant to compete in

Jenayah’s strong work ethic enabled her to manage the demands of her Year 12 academic studies together with

Courtesy of the Community Newspaper Group

her fundraising and community work commitments, and many public speaking engagements. Congratulations to Jenayah for helping shape and inspire the future leaders of tomorrow.

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Vale

Joann Godwin 1969 – 2016 (Class of 1986)

The Penrhos College Alumni extends deepest sympathies to the family and friends of Joann Godwin, whose death has been made known to the College.

Many in the Class of 1986 would not have had the opportunity (or fortune) to get to know Jo Godwin.

Jo was one of the ‘originals’—the handful of girls in the Class of ‘86 who had come all the way through from Pre-Primary.

She was more Penrhos than any of us. She wasn’t an only child but she grew up like one, which meant little Jo fully embraced the opportunity to get herself a half-a-dozen surrogate sisters.

That was never more evident than when we recently got together to memorialise our friend. We each had bundles of photos of us as a group, of course—a crazy mix of ankleboots, op-shop grunge, architectural fringes, and Frankie Says Relax sweatshirts—but what struck us was that each of us also had photos of just ourselves with Jo. Like you do with BFFs. Except she seemed to fulfil that BFF role for all of us. All at the same time.

Sisters in Green, of course.

I guess she just had a lot of love to give.

In primary school, our gang was inseparable. Early starts to construct the most spectacular pine-needle cubby-houses big enough to fit us all. We’d spend lunch and both recesses in there—playing Uno or knucklebones, practising recorder— unless we were lured out by an Elastics challenge or a rare vacancy on the monkey bars.

That get-together was a painful mix of euphoria and sorrow.

Outside of school, Jo led us on the kind of neighbourhood adventures that parents go grey over. Yet we all survived.

And Jo survived heaps more than your average kid.

At the transition from primary to senior school—when most of us were just beginning to find ourselves—Jo had already lost more than anyone around her. And that loss just kept on rolling in as she grew up. By the time she was sitting Year 12 exams, Jo had lost everyone who loved her. But she faced it with the same resilience that got her through the academic and social rigours of high-school.

The other thing that got her through…?

British New Wave.

And pastels. We owe a lot to pastels. The silkier the better.

The eighties was generous to a group of ill-fitting girls and their intense teenage passions. No-one could do intense quite like Jo—her infatuation for Simon Le Bon and Dave Gahan.

The cute boy d’jour. Craig, the gardener. Whatever she was into in the moment, she gave herself to completely. But while the rest of us lurched from craze to craze, or phase to phase, Jo seemed capable of giving all of herself to multiple things at once. Or multiple people.

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Together, we remembered weekends at Jo’s house— spectacularly positioned immediately over the road from Kardinya roller-skating rink—and Snowballs with random boys she wasn’t supposed to be going near. Parties she wasn’t supposed to be attending. Cigarettes she wasn’t supposed to be smoking. We remembered parking out the front of HJ’s like the eighties tragics we so thoroughly were, post-wave punk thumping from state-of-the-art sound systems. Glass-collecting at Angels Nightclub which beat the heck out of packing groceries at Coles and which funded our extravagant teenage lifestyles!

And through all of it, Jo was like a swan… gliding gracefully through life.

Of course, life isn’t always graceful back and Jo endured some phenomenally tough changes in hers. Some of those changes saw our little group of sisters-in-green drift in very different directions and far apart for a long time. Even apart from us, Jo continued to throw herself headlong into each phase of the life she then led.

Right up ‘til the day she ran flat out of life.

It’s hard to know if Jo would have come to the Class of ’86 reunion this year—she never was very good at standing still even for a few hours, but we’ve arranged a memorial plaque to be erected in her memory here at Penrhos, in this place that she spent her entire youth. This place that was her roots. This place that was virtually her family.

And when we look at it, we will remember… our Jo. Written by Nikki Beynon

The editor of The Penrhosian wishes to highlight the following correction from issue 65. Page 36 – Amanda Shelsher was a 1988 Leaver, not 1989 Leaver, as stated in the article South Perth History Resonates.

FROM THE ARCHIVES

GROWTH AND A NEW IDENTITY A turning point in the history of Penrhos College was the decision to change from Methodist Ladies College South Perth to Penrhos Methodist Ladies College in 1963. Mrs Margaret Way, Principal, explains that it was needed “not only to establish our identity more positively but to avoid unfortunate misunderstandings.1” A new identity began to be formed with a revised school crest designed and presented in 19742 to incorporate the four legged Welsh red dragon to symbolise the link to Penrhos in Wales.

The inclusion of the red dragon in the Welsh flag was officially adopted in 1959, however, the red dragon has been associated with Wales for centuries before this date. It is claimed that the use of the dragon as a symbol dates to the Romans conquer of Britain after AD43 where the dragon was one of the prominent symbols of the Roman military. In its association with Wales, the symbol of the red dragon has come to mean a ‘never say die’ attitude and strength in the defense of its own identity3.

For Penrhos College the figure of the dragon is associated with being the guardian of virtue and denotes leadership, heroism and princely qualities.

Striving for the Highest – Penrhos College 1952 – 2002 (Author: Maxine Laurie) Penrhos – Her Heritage (Author: Susan Clarke) 3 Welsh Flag – Flag of Wales Y Ddraig Goch (http://welshflag.org) 1 2

Farewell to Barbara van Bronswijk The College recently said farewell to longserving archivist Mrs Barbara van Bronswijk.

Barbara joined the College in 1995 from the University of Western Australia where she was working at the time. In her early days as archivist, Barbara was responsible primarily for the College’s collection of artefacts and memorabilia. In fact the College Archives were in their early stages of development

with very few records held and no real system for listing and sorting records.

she has also worked as the College archivist for many years.

Over time, there has been a significant change in the Archivist’s role with the focus now primarily on the centralisation of records management.

The catalyst for change was largely due to increased accountability as a result of Privacy Legislation. With a large, mobile staff there was a need to centralise the College’s records management.

Barbara is looking forward to retaining her connection with Penrhos through the Penrhosian Club and the friendships she has made through the wider College community.

Barbara remains very active in the archive community in Perth and will also remain at Wesley College where

The College is pleased to welcome Ms Merilyn Orchard as the new archivist at Penrhos. Merilyn is well-known to the College Community as the Human Resources Coordinator. Merilyn will continue to work part-time in HR and part-time in Archives.

THANK YOU AND FAREWELLS Glenn Miller Mr Glenn Miller has been employed at the College for approximately 26 years in the areas of cleaning and maintenance. He initially commenced his association working with a private contracting company and was then employed directly by Penrhos in 2005. Glenn has been a popular member of staff and with his wife Joan, who retired earlier in the year, are great supporters of Penrhos music and drama and so we are sure we will continue to see them both at future performances.

Linley Bidesi HASS teacher, Mrs Linley Bidesi, commenced employment in the Junior School at Penrhos in 1982 and later taught in Middle School, then Secondary School.

Linley has been an active member of staff during her time at the College and often accompanied students on the French tour. Penrhos farewells Linley after 34 years of service.

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2017 TOUR DATES

KINDY PLACES FOR 2017

You have read all about the wonderful achievements of our students and the opportunities on offer at Penrhos College, now join us for a tour of our beautiful campus. We invite prospective families and students to join us for a Tour Event in 2017. You will have the opportunity to meet Principal, Meg Melville, senior staff, students and tour the College campus.

Following the successful introduction of double streaming into our Junior School in 2016, we are now accepting enrolments for a second Kindy class for 2017.

Please join us on one of the dates below: Tuesday, 14 March Tuesday, 2 May Wednesday, 2 August Thursday, 26 October

We offer a diversity of opportunities that will engage, challenge and excite young minds through programs such as our Nature Playground, Loose Parts Program and stimulating early learning environment.

For further information or to tour the Early Learning Centre (ELC) please contact our Enrolments Manager, Mrs Susie Gill on (08) 9368 9508 or via email at enrol@penrhos.wa.edu.au.

Bookings can be made via www.penrhos.wa.edu.au. For more information, please contact the Enrolment Manager, Mrs Susie Gill on (08) 9368 9508 or email enrol@penrhos.wa.edu.au.

Susie will happily answer any questions you may have about our early learning programs and show you and your daughter the ELC facilities.

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Join the ‘Penrhos College Alumni Inc’ or ‘Menrhos’ group at www.linkedin.com

FEEDBACK If you have any feedback on this edition of The Penrhosian or wish to submit photos or story ideas, please email feedback@penrhos.wa.edu.au.

6 Morrison Street, Como Western Australia 6152 | Locked Bag 690, Como Western Australia 6952 Tel: 08 9368 9500 Fax: 08 9368 9677 Email: enrol@penrhos.wa.edu.au www.penrhos.wa.edu.au A School of the Uniting Church in Australia ABN 33 834 165 805 CRICOS CODE 00444E