The Penrhosian No. 72

No. 72 Summer 2019

Why a girls’ school from day one?

Benefits of single sex education from the early years

Summer reflections Growing the meaning of ‘Spirit’ at Penrhos

We respectfully acknowledge the Whadjuk people of the Noongar nation as the traditional owners of the land on which we stand and pay our respects to elders past, present and future. Together, we acknowledge the contributions of Aboriginal Australians and nonAboriginal Australians to the education of all children and people in this country we all live in and share together – Australia.

Contents

No. 72 Summer 2019

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Welcome from the Principal

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2019 Europe Music Tour

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Why a girls’ school from day one?

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School production: Matilda the Musical

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Year 6 Drama ask ­— What is an extraordinary woman?

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Penrhos’ first podcast

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Farewell to Head of Junior School Trish Somers

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Koolangka Walken mural (Children’s Rainbow)

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Farewell to two longserving members of staff

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Summer reflections — ­ Growing the meaning of ‘Spirit’ at Penrhos

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Maths Mentors — peer mentoring inspires success

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Boarding perspectives

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Alumni stars return to coach / Grassroots volleyball program sets up pros

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From the Penrhos Foundation President

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USA Sports Leadership Tour

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Photo gallery: Penrhos College events

COVER PHOTO

TEAM

Ella Trueman (2025), Kayla Thompson (2026) and Sheila Savill (2027) from the Penrhos College Junior School — photo by Joanne Yong

Editor Maggie Marshall Contributors and Photographers Meg Melville, Paula Barrow, Caroline Jenkins, Rowan Courts Design Joanne Yong

Welcome from the Principal Meg Melville Principal

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bear a huge responsibility to get these early learning experiences ‘just right’ for their students. If ever one needs a lift in spirits, a visit to the ELC to see our girls at work and play will do the trick.

That learning journey, for many of our girls, commences in the Early Learning Centre. They come to us full of curiosity, innocence, wonderment and a strong desire to please. We know that the young girl is already forming attitudes, beliefs and behaviours based on her learning experiences at home with her family, and at school from her interactions with her peers and her teachers. Experiences shape a child’s academic, social and emotional learning, be this through structured and unstructured play, intentional teaching, whole class, small group or one-on-one learning. Establishing where the child is up to in her learning, and building on this, is how we establish strong foundations for her future education. I have the highest regard for our Early Learning Centre teachers, specialists and educational assistants, as they

Our current ELC students belong to Generation Alpha, the term coined by Mark McCrindle as those born between 2010 (the word of the year in 2010 was ‘App’ and Instagram and iPad were launched) and 2024. Characterised as learners who are highly visual collaborators and communicators, they love to learn by doing. Far from being passive learners, they love to share ideas and put their creativity to good use in problem-solving. They also love an audience! Our early years educators recognise their shared traits and, by embedding the learning philosophy of Lee Watanabe Crockett’s ‘Essential Fluencies’ into our early learning programs, we deliver very strong evidence of this deep-thinking learning, practical problem-solving and, unsurprisingly, high levels of student engagement. I never cease to be amazed by what our young learners are capable of, when immersed in a strong culture of learning across mind, heart, body and spirit. Probably the thing I love most about what I see in their learning as a result of this, is their optimism.

he two most important days in the life of the Penrhos student are the day she commences at Penrhos and the day she graduates from Penrhos. In October each year, we farewell our Year 12 Leavers at Flower Day and a week later in November, we welcome our new students to Penrhos on Orientation Day and so the cycle of learning, growing and discovery continues.

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Welcome from the Principal

“Experiences shape a child’s academic, social and emotional learning, be this through structured and unstructured play, intentional teaching, whole class, small group or one-on-one learning.”

This new approach to learning has gained real traction in Junior School, not only in the ELC but right through to Year 6. We are now exploring a continuation in Year 7, as a core element of our Strategic Directions 2019 – 2023. This has provided a real challenge for our teaching staff in how they approach student learning, yet we know that riding this new wave is absolutely critical if we are to provide relevant and engaging experiences for our Gen Alpha students as they move through their formal education into their world of work.

The top 10 skills for 2020, identified by the World Economic Forum, Future of Jobs Report, include: 1. Complex problem-solving 2. Critical thinking 3. Creativity 4. People management 5. Coordination with others 6. Emotional intelligence 7. Judgement decision-making 8. Service orientation 9. Negotiation 10. Cognitive flexibility We have known for some time now that, whether we are working with our ELC learners or our Year 12s and all groups in between, we need to frame their learning experiences differently in order to most effectively engage and challenge our students; we need to frame them in a way that will take these essential skills and allow them to grow with the phases of schooling and as

part of each individual’s learning journey. Put another way, only by providing different contexts that grow in complexity to engage the learner at her individual point of relevance and allow for the transferability of these skills in this world of constant change, will we foster curiosity and optimism in our learners.

As I mentioned, our Strategic Directions 2019 – 2023 have been framed with all of this in mind. I hope you will take the time to read our Annual Report to gain an insight into the direction our College is taking. In the meantime, please enjoy reading this summer edition of the Penrhosian. I think you will agree that 2019 has been another stellar year at Penrhos.

My sincere thanks to all in Team Penrhos who make our College such an inspirational place to work and play. I would like to make a special mention of Amanda Yaksich, who will stand down as President of Alumni Committee after 10 years of guiding the Alumni Committee with great wisdom and a spirit of generosity.

I would also like to pay tribute to Tony Connors, who retires from the role of Foundation President after two years. Tony too, has guided Foundation with great wisdom and experience, particularly during the capital-raising campaign in 2019 for our new Science Innovation Centre. As a College Council Member, he has also brought invaluable experience to the Infrastructure Committee.

I wish you all a restful and happy festive season.

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Why a girls’ school from day one?

Parents often face conflicting advice when deciding whether to send their child to a single-sex or co-educational school in the early years. There remains a widely-held belief that single-sex schooling is better for girls and that co-education is better for boys – but, realistically, every child’s needs are different.

At Penrhos, we advocate for an all girls’ education from the earliest age, for a wide array of reasons. Read on to hear what mother Carole Adams and Kaelan Adams in Year 6 think.

“In searching for a school for my daughter Kaelan, I worked with a long wish list,” says Carole.

• Academic performance was a primary focus • We used to live across the road from Penrhos, so location was important to me • I worried that a single-sex education would not provide enough social interaction for Kaelan, who is an only child • I wanted to ensure a socially stimulating learning environment from the earliest age, especially in the absence of sibling interaction at home Kaelan started her education in a co-ed environment at a local state primary school with a very good reputation; however, I continued to review her progress and I constantly researched options to make sure I’d made the best decision.

As part of my research, I spoke to a neighbour with boy/girl twins, who had moved them both from coed into single sex learning environments when they moved up into Secondary School. My neighbour’s decision was made on the basis that her son was in the shadow of her much more outgoing daughter in their shared environment and she wanted to give them both the chance to shine separately.

My neighbour’s son came out of his shell socially at school as he grew older and more confident, once separated from his twin sister. However, an additional and unforeseen benefit was that their daughter also excelled academically in her new environment and went on to become Dux. She wouldn’t have done as well if she had continued in a co-ed environment — she was starting to imagine it was un-cool for girls to be smart — this kind of perspective quickly became irrelevant in a single sex environment.

My neighbour also felt the smaller class sizes in private school really helped her daughter. While her twins were in a co-ed public school, their education was compromised because the teacher had to spread her time too thinly across a large class, in which there were some disruptive students.

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In the Early Learning Centre at Penrhos, we ensure our students receive personalised learning by fixing our class sizes at around 20 per cent smaller than those of our local public schools.

When Kaelan moved to Penrhos, I experienced a change in my daughter that was amazing — she quickly began to excel and flourished from Year 1 onwards.

Although a number of my friends had expressed their opinion that Kaelan was very bright, I didn’t really know what to look out for and no one from the state school identified her strengths or said anything to me about her capabilities.

As soon as she started at Penrhos, Kaelan’s reading quickly progressed from level 5 to beyond level 30. Staff and parents asked me whether she was receiving extra tuition as she was so advanced; Maths quickly became her strength and her teacher was soon providing different books and extra equations to challenge Kaelan further in class.

The Penrhos teaching staff assessed my daughter to a tee; they identified her strengths and areas for development straight away and summarised her character immediately. I was blown away by how well they understood my child and her learning needs in such a short space of time.

Penrhos College is committed to the benefits of a single-sex education, through which girls are encouraged and inspired to achieve their personal best in the classroom, when performing on stage or competing on the sporting field from the early years.

I really couldn’t have anticipated what Kaelan might show interest in or become passionate about, so drama was a huge surprise. I know Penrhos always makes

a point of highlighting the Rixon Theatre, but at the point of choosing a school I was only focusing on the academic side. Now I am absolutely convinced of the value of a learning culture that stretches beyond that.

Kaelan loves assembly performances, Artsfest and Dramafest — performing has helped her to develop in so many ways. Not only did she have the confidence to put herself forward for a Year 6 leadership role as Junior School Sports Captain, but this extra responsibility then really helped prepare her for the transition into Secondary School.

All-girls schools provide an environment that fosters more than just academic achievement, their focus is on long-lasting skills, motivation and life success — from deeper involvement in leadership roles and a stronger sense of self-worth, to paths that lead girls onto higher education and careers in the science and technology (STEM) industries. Alliance of Girls’ Schools Australasia (AGSA) The AGSA claims that girls’ attention spans are better in a single-sex environment – they demonstrate longer concentration and become more productive in a calmer learning environment.

Girls also benefit from single-sex environments where there are no expectations that they should fulfil traditional gender stereotypes in the subjects they study, the activities they participate in or the careers they pursue. Notably, Penrhos became the first private girls’ school in Western Australia to introduce trousers as an option to the school uniform from Year 4, in response to student petition.

“The curriculum for the early years promotes a sense of identity and well-being, allowing the development of confident and involved learners, which is all achieved at a greater standard in an all-girl learning environment from the start”, says Principal Meg Melville.

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Year 6 Drama ask — What is an extraordinary woman?

Penrhos’ Junior School fosters a future-focused learning culture, in which students are engaged in exploring and solving real-world problems. Global Digital Citizen Foundation founder Lee Watanabe Crockett’s ‘Shifts in Practice’ enables teachers to progress from a content-driven process to an approach that is based on learner-centred inquiry.

In this initiative, Year 6 Drama students took charge of their learning, using one of six fluencies — the Creativity Fluency — as a guide, to help them develop a range of truly inspirational performances about female role models they considered to be extraordinary.

Creativity Fluency is the process by which artistic skills add meaning through design, art and storytelling. In this instance, the purpose of this project was to give students control of their learning while developing strong collaboration, communication and creativity skills. Drama teacher, Mrs Vanessa Jensen, purposefully remained removed from the process, although she was on hand as a facilitator to guide her students’ learning as required.

Student learners were responsible for planning their own use of time, assigning tasks and roles within the group, writing scripts and rehearsing; this was a major shift of practice in their experience of Drama.

Designing quality questions is a fundamental part of inquiry learning and these are referred to as Essential Questions, used to inspire student investigation. Essential Questions must provide clear opportunities for students’ extension and enrichment while meeting curricular needs. For this project, the girls drew on the school’s tag line Inspiring girls to become extraordinary women to form their Essential Question as they considered the meaning of both ‘inspiring’ and ‘extraordinary’.

The process of Creativity Fluency provided the structure for groups to follow and develop their performances. It is easiest to understand as defined by the five ‘I’s.

identify

What are you being challenged to create?

inspire

What could be used for inspiration?

interpolate

How will you use this inspiration?

imagine

What is your imaginative solution?

inspect

What is great? It could be even better if...

“ Students were well aware that creating an original dramatic piece can be challenging, but it was wonderfully rewarding when it all came together using the Creativity Fluency process.”

Lucy Jenkins, Drama Captain 2019

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During the Identify stage, learners identified their parameters: • three minutes long (+/- 30 seconds) • original and learned (no scripts on stage) • presented in a creative and innovative way • all members of the group to contribute equally • demonstrate strong vocal, physical, focus and staging skills During the Inspire stage, learners identified some truly inspirational women in history for their focus including Agatha Christie, Angelina Arora, Anne Frank, Bethany Hamilton, Cathy Freeman, Daisy Pearce, Greta Thunberg, Helen Keller, Li Ting Ting, Marie Curie, Melinda Gates, Olivia Newton-John and Turia Pitt.

The Interpolate stage challenged learners to think about how they could use their inspiration. They selected the major events and impact their chosen inspirational women had been involved in, then set out to dramatise them.

During the Imagine stage, learners developed and finetuned their performances. In some, teams replicated the events and experiences of their chosen people. Others shared impersonations. Some students chose props to add impact to their performance; for example, the Helen Keller performers wore eye masks to illustrate the fact that she was blind. Students choreographed the entire performance including lighting, sound and images to enhance mood and effect.

The night of the performance was truly inspirational.

The Rixon Theatre was filled with proud parents as the almost completely student-led project culminated in a series of highly professional, extraordinary performances for all to enjoy.

Following the final performance, and leading into the final stage of the process, learners were encouraged to Inspect their creations with the original criteria in mind.

They viewed video recordings of their performances and identified those aspects they considered to have been most successful and those areas they might seek to improve for next time.

Parents are invited to hear from educator Lee Watanabe Crockett from the Global Digital Citizen Foundation as our keynote speaker on Wednesday, 29 January 2020, brought to you by P&F. Head to the website calendar for more details: penrhos.wa.edu.au/events

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Farewell to Head of Junior School Trish Somers

by Meg Melville Trish Somers will finish her time with us at the close of the 2019 school year. I can say with great confidence that there isn’t, and never will be, another Trish Somers. Much-loved by all in Junior School, in the College community more broadly and certainly professionally in educational circles in WA, Trish’s recent 2019 Awards are testament to her outstanding profile: the ACEL WA Certificate of Excellence in Educational Leadership and the Principals’ Australia Research Foundation, John Laing Award, Leadership in Professional Development.

As an educator, Trish is greatly respected, cultured, intelligent, articulate, incredibly inclusive and a vibrant catalyst for change. She sets standards for excellence and accountability, considers her students and staff as individuals and values what they each bring to the College. Trish unfailingly sees the absolute best in people. As a leader, she brings great wisdom, humility, fairness and compassion to whatever task is in hand. As a person, she also has a wicked sense of humour!

Trish came to Penrhos in 2011 and she has genuinely transformed the culture of our Junior School –it’s an

exceptionally happy place to work, learn and play. As a member of the College Leadership Group, Trish has contributed significantly to the strategic directions of the College, across all the domains of mind, heart, body and spirit. She is focused, pragmatic, compassionate and kind. Trish embodies all our core shared values and is the most fabulous role model for girls and women.

A better friend and colleague, you will not find.

As always, we like to give our girls a voice and this is what a selection of our Pre-Primary students had to say about their beloved Ms Somers: “She does lots of things that fill me with happiness.”

Alvira “She does very nice writing.” Alanis “She gently runs sometimes, going to work.” Zara “She has great lips and I love the stuff she puts on them.” Sura “She is the only one I know with purple hair and I love it.” Pippa

Farewell to two long-serving members of staff This year we farewell two of our longest serving administrative staff, Julie Shaw and Edna Searle.

Collectively, Julie and Edna have served the College brilliantly for just under 50 years!

Julie commenced at Penrhos in 1993 and has focused her skills in ICT and Strategic Planning.

Her capabilities across strategy, risk, compliance and information technology are outstanding. Julie possesses the ability to think analytically and with

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great clarity. Julie has successfully overseen the College Re-registration for successive, unconditional and maximum periods of time. Julie’s corporate memory is second to none. After 27 years, Julie will now be able to spend her time pursuing her love of reading and travel and time with her family and friends.

Edna commenced at Penrhos in 1998 and holds possibly the most important role in the College from the staff perspective-Payroll Officer. Edna’s attention to detail

“Ms Somers is caring and speaks very loudly so other people can hear her.” Dhiya “She is a genius.” Kendra “I love the way she moves and I will miss her.” Rose “She does very kind acts of kindness for people that live in Penrhos.” Charlotte “She is very pretty and I love her.” Liv

“She has a great walk.” Liliana “I love her red, curly hair.” Tiffany “We are really going to miss her when she leaves.”

Hannah So, best wishes dear Trish. We will miss the colour, laughter, happiness, positivity and optimism that you bring into the lives of those you meet. May God bless you and keep you.

is exceptional and given the number of permutations and combinations to staff payroll each fortnight, Edna is invaluable in her role. Edna is incredibly knowledgeable on all matters from industrial law to taxation and is the go-to person for staff. Edna’s corporate knowledge will be greatly missed. Edna has also been a tireless supporter of the Performing Arts at Penrhos and has accompanied many a Drama Tour interstate and overseas. After 21 years, Edna leaves us and we wish her much happiness and success on the next phase of her professional journey.

B E L O W Edna Searle and Julie Shaw

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Maths Mentors — ­ peer mentoring inspires success Penrhos celebrates its best year in Maths Mentor yet, with a stellar performance from our budding mathematicians. Led by our passionate program coordinator Peter Chandler, who prefers to focus the spotlight on his students when crediting the success of the Maths Mentor program he champions at Penrhos.

So, what is Maths Mentor? Well, the name says it all; this student-driven program attributes its success to the culture of mentoring which is well-established among Penrhos students. University Maths Mentors (who are mostly our returning alumni), Year 12 Maths Mentor Captains, Year 11 Maths Mentor students and supportive staff members all work together to tutor and encourage our younger, up and coming Maths stars.

“ If you’re in Maths Mentor, you’re good at Maths, and you’re allowed to say it!”

University Maths Mentor Gillian Rackham (2016) Each year, more than 80 girls in Secondary School with a passion for Mathematics have the unique opportunity to sign up for a rigorous course (designed by the Australian Mathematics Trust) to develop better problem-solving and critical thinking skills with

the support of our mentor networks and in line with our emphasis on 21st century learning.

Mentors tell us they appreciate the opportunity to be part of a support network, along with other passionate emerging mathematicians. They appreciate that peerto-peer mentoring is essential, to ensure the increased participation of girls in advanced levels of Maths and the inspiration of a new generation of ‘STEMinists’.

Roughly 50 students regularly attend the Maths Mentor program each Monday night after school.

The group works together to effectively share knowledge, collectively challenging formulas and solving near-impossible equations over raisin toast and Milo.

2019 has delivered the best results for Penrhos in Mathematics competitions yet, thanks to the Maths Mentor program.

Around 200,000 students from all over Australia took part in the Australian Mathematics Competition in August. Over the last 20 years, only five girls from Penrhos have won prizes – but, in 2019, two Penrhos students were recognised. Athalya Chandra (Year 8) and Nahyun Kim (Year 10) were awarded prizes, with Heidi Leow (Year 10) just one mark away.

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Penrhos featured prominently at the Australian Maths Trust Awards at Curtin University in October, which not only recognised our students but also our inspiring staff. The 2019 AMT Inspiring Teacher Award Runner Up went to Sandra Rowden, Head of Penrhos Maths Department, and the 2019 AMT Inspiring Student Award to Year 11 student, Nikki Bakhtazad.

Peter Chandler believes the success of the Maths Mentor program can be attributed to student led initiatives which result in higher student engagement. He considers the best results are achieved when the girls are encouraged to work in teams to share meaning and find solutions; to solve difficult equations and apply the most complex theories and formulas in the most rewarding ways.

90% of students who do the Maths Mentor program go on to study a STEM-based course after school.

“The way the girls complement each other when mentoring the younger students is remarkable. Some are passionate and excitable; their minds work so quickly.

Others translate teachers’ explanations into easy ‘Year 7 talk’, so the younger girls can learn in a way that is most relevant to them,” says Peter.

Year 11 students Renee Rudianto and Menu Gamage have been selected to attend National Mathematics Summer School (NMSS) in Canberra in January. Each year, only seven Western Australians are invited to do so.

Event organiser Dr Paul Brown was suitably impressed at such significant state representation from Penrhos.

Nine inspired students returned from the World Mathematics Team Championship in Korea in December, where they competed against students from countries across the globe, including China, Taiwan, Korea, Bulgaria, Vietnam and the USA. Congratulations to student Athalya Chandra (Year 8) for her silver medal (first ever silver for Penrhos!) and to students Banisha Sekhon (Year 8), Rebecca Rudianto (Year 9) and Anika Liu (Year 7) for their bronze medals.

“ I love the Maths Mentor program because you aren’t tested, it’s just Maths for fun.” Hannah Stanley, Year 9 1 2 3 4 5 6

Onstage at the 2019 MathsNight@Penrhos presentation University Maths Mentors Rose Belford (2016), Charlotte Groom, Mai Hoang and Penrhos teacher Heather Wotherspoon Dr Dawe’s Encouragement Award presented to Sophie Jensen, pictured with University Maths Mentor Rose Belford (2016) Award recipients at the Australian Maths Trust Awards ceremony at Curtin University Renee Rudianto and Menu Gamage with Dr Paul Brown announced to attend the National Mathematics Summer School in Canberra Dr Glenda Parkin Mathematician of the Year award presented by former Maths Mentor Cassandra Ma (2015) to Nahyun Kim

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Alumni stars return to coach A lifelong passion for volleyball continues at Penrhos thanks to our strong alumni community.

Our mentoring culture certainly inspires some amazing role models, both at Penrhos College and in the wider volleyball community — through coaching opportunities in state competitions, local club tournaments and introductory volleyball programs for Volleyball WA. Penrhos alum and rising star Tessa Browne (2018) recently won both Indoor & Beach Junior Female Player of the Year at the 2019 VWA Volley Awards.

Tessa is returning to the West Australian Women’s Steel for her second season with WA’s top women’s volleyball team. But it’s her connections with the grassroots volleyball program at Penrhos College that brings her, and many more alumni who share her passion, back to the College to inspire and mentor our young volleyballers.

Samantha Dodd (2018) returns to coach the Junior School Volleyball program and three more awardwinning alumni will be coaching the Penrhos teams to play in the Australian Volleyball Schools Cup this December – Kate Pickerill (2017), Jess Burton (2018) and Kyla Sanchez (2018) have all won gold medals for Penrhos in this competition in past years. Kyla Sanchez is also an official Volleyball WA sport ambassador, which we like to think is a clear indication of the high regard in which the wider volleyball community holds Penrhos’ alumni.

Alumni team with Penrhos girls in the Australian Volleyball League In the Australian Volleyball League (AVL), current students Elizabeth Alchin Year 9, Sarah Burton Year 11 and Sophie Alchin Year 11 will play alongside their alumni team-mates Jess Burton (2018) and Tessa Browne (2018) in the West Australian Women’s Steel team. This league is the highest level of Australian volleyball, with girls traveling interstate to compete against the best open age players in the country.

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“I am very grateful for the opportunity to learn from the more experienced players in the squad and I know I am benefitting from being exposed to the behindthe-scenes training of athletes at this level. It’s great playing with and learning from familiar Penrhos faces like Tessa and Jess. They have inspired me to give back to volleyball, to coach younger girls at the College and share what I have learned with upcoming players,” says Year 11 Sophie Alchin.

International student experiences — Penrhos in the green and gold Strong performances in the Australian Junior Volleyball Championships paved the way for Penrhos girls to represent Australia in various international competitions in 2019.

1. Sophie Alchin Year 11 represented Australia in the Junior Women’s Asian Championships in Thailand in April and is again traveling back to Thailand with the Australian team this November.

2. Sarah Burton Year 11 and Tessa Browne (2018) travelled to Europe as part of an Australian squad playing against other European under 19 teams and clubs in July.

3. Ella Schabort, Elizabeth Alchin and Cassie Dodd played in the Trans Tasmin series against New Zealand in October.

It is inspiring to see our current students represent Australia in the green and gold at these international events, even better to know they are being mentored by our very own Penrhos alumni.

Grassroots volleyball program sets up pros Learn how volleyball is the new crown jewel in our extensive co-curricular program, thanks to our passionate staff.

In the mid-2000s the resurgence of Penrhos volleyball was driven by staff members Scott Haddrell and Renee Poetschka. From 2014, Michael Ruggiero, Kenrick Armitage, Brad Ramsay and Ashe Strachan have been passionately developing the volleyball program which is catapulting Penrhosians into national and international leagues.

The Penrhos program Our grassroots volleyball program is available to Years 5–12; it focuses on team spirit and support, on the love of playing in a team, either socially or competitively, whether representing school, state or country. Volleyball is offered in PE lessons, Junior School co-curricular and IGSSA cocurricular.

2019 interschool IGSSA tournament: Penrhos walks away with three pennant wins from our 7/8A, 9/10A, and Senior A team.

Consequently, Penrhos can proudly claim the top Year 8 team and the second-best Year 9 team in the state and, for the first time ever, Penrhos overcame Rossmoyne Senior High School in the Open Girls Honours final to be crowned the best senior girls’ team in WA — a huge accomplishment, given Rossmoyne’s competitive volleyball scholarship program.

“Results like this — at the highest level of state High School volleyball — demonstrate the success of the Penrhos volleyball program and the return on the hard work and passion of our girls, coaches and staff,” said coach Michael Ruggiero.

Exposure to national level The Australian Volleyball Schools cup is the largest school-based sporting event in the southern hemisphere, bringing together over 5,000 students from 500 different high schools across the country.

With the help of a supportive alumni network, we can offer our top teams the wonderful experience of competing at this high calibre tournament.

2018 Penrhos wins gold medals in Year 8 Honours & Year 9, Year 10 and Year 12 Division “We are incredibly proud of the Penrhos volleyball community — from Junior to Secondary School and beyond. We wish the best of luck to the girls in the upcoming Australian Volleyball Schools Cup on the Gold Coast this December.” said Physical Education teacher Michael Ruggiero.

“Penrhos volleyball teaches our girls leadership, teamwork, resilience and most importantly a passion for the game and their team. These are the keystones of our program,” said Junior School Co-Curricular Coordinator, Kenrick Armitage.

The Volleyball WA Schools Cup is the largest tournament in Western Australia for high school students and Penrhos entered teams from Year 6 to 12.

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USA Sports Leadership Tour 21 Penrhos IGSSA sporting representatives from Years 9-11 spent two weeks visiting four cities across America this year, as part of the 2019 USA Sports Leadership Tour. The active group participated in learning modules at leading West Coast Universities, volunteered at the Orange County Foodbank, went to Disneyland, rocked out at a Jonas Brothers concert and explored other exciting landmarks.

The trip was action-packed and not for the faint-hearted. We hear Year 10 student Sophie Meyerkort’s highlights.

Experiencing American college life

The phenomenon of American College sports is difficult to grasp unless you have experienced it firsthand. It was a real eye opener for the girls to really appreciate what’s involved in the journey to becoming a professional athlete, as students compete for college scholarships, based on both their athletic and academic ability.

The Penrhos squad visited six different universities including University of San Francisco (USF), Stanford

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University, University of California Los Angeles (UCLA), Chapman University, University of San Diego and Saint Mary’s College.

“It was amazing to see the grand sporting facilities and to be immersed in the rich school spirit that is developed from collegiate sports. We were given exclusive access to learning modules and presentations with key staff at each college. We saw their playing fields, met their students and watched various sporting teams train,” said Sophie.

“It was impressive to meet the large team of people dedicated to supporting and developing each athlete at University of San Francisco. We spoke with the Head Strength and Conditioning Coach, Head Nutritionist, Academic Coordinators and Head Physio; all play their part in building the college’s professional athletes.”

Penrhos Volleyball Coach Kenrick Armitage was especially interested to learn the career story of Stanford Women’s Beach Volleyball Assistant Coach, Louise Bowden, who is an Australian Olympian now working as a full-time coach.

The group also gained insight into the more commercial side of universities’ contribution to the professional world of college sports. Particularly, the Events

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Manager at University of San Diego gave an incredible overview of the business, marketing and large-scale production of games that attract in the region of 100,000 people to American Football Stadiums.

“I loved seeing Stanford’s locker rooms, USF’s fake grass baseball field, Chapman’s awesome NFL team training in their impressive school stadium and Saint Mary’s buff athletic cross-country runners. We also sat in the UCLA women’s basketball film room to hear their Head Coach give an amazing motivational address about athletics, perseverance, sporting successes and of course failures. This was an amazing part of the trip that felt like the set of a movie,” said Sophie.

Bike ride over the Golden Gate Bridge The trip didn’t go without bespoke athletic challenges.

“We are an active bunch, so we decided to attempt the 30km bike ride over the Golden Gate Bridge, to Sausalito and back. Steep hills are a major feature of San Francisco’s unique geography (daunting mountains in our eyes), but we managed to ride to glory with only Mr Armitage slowing us down to stop and take selfies every 200 metres! I am proud to say that, instead of opting to take the ferry back, I persisted and rode the 16km back to base… and I survived! I couldn’t have done it without the encouragement of all the wonderful staff members including P Mac (Paul McCarthy) and Armi (Kenrick Armitage).”

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AFL clinic The Penrhos girls held an Australian Rules Football clinic at Beckman High School to teach the Americans the basic skills of AFL, such as kicking and handballing.

“We bonded with students from a local softball team who were of similar age to us by comparing cultural differences including Aussie slang.”

Volunteering at a foodbank In true Penrhos community service spirit, the group spent a morning volunteering at the Orange County Foodbank in Anaheim. “We were put to work packing food into boxes for those less fortunate. As a competitive bunch of athletes, we just had to beat the last school’s record, which was roughly 600 boxes ­— three hours of hard work later, we had managed to pack 646 food boxes for those in need. It was a humbling experience.”

“We had some unreal experiences and came away with some unforgettable memories. I am so grateful that I was able to take part in such a unique student experience, made available to me thanks to my participation in IGSSA sports and the extensive Penrhos Co-Curricular Program,” finished Sophie Meyerkort.

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Visiting the sporting facilities at University of San Diego The long bike ride over the hills of San Francisco and the Golden Gate Bridge Outside the Chula Vista Elite Athlete Training centre in California – for U.S. Olympians and Paralympians An Ice hockey game between Anaheim Ducks and Arizona Coyotes The girls at Stanford University’s Sports Museum, Home of Champions

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2019 Europe Music Tour The Penrhos College Orchestra and Chorale took to the international stage at the 2019 Summa Cum Laude International Youth Music Festival.

Orchestra performed in the celebration category, and Chorale competed in the Treble Choirs category, finishing in a proud third place.

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Chorale performing at the MuTh Concert Hall in Vienna Orchestra workshop with Mr Vojtech Jouza in Prague Presentation of Summa Cum Laude ‘Special Award’ at Vienna Kozerthaus On the steps of the Vienna Rathaus Orchestra performing at the MuTh Concert Hall in Vienna

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Held in Vienna, Austria in July, this global music competition for choirs, bands and orchestras ran over five days and featured 32 ensembles from more than 13 countries. WA schools excelled in their performance, with the Trinity College Senior Chorale coming first and Mercedes College Select Choir placing second.

Some 48 music students from Penrhos took part in the tour, Chorale preparing an impressive repertoire of ten pieces, including Arvo Part’s Peace Upon You, Jerusalem and Orchestra performing various works, including Elliot Del Borgo’s Aboriginal Rituals.

Penrhos choir conductor Ms Catherine Clarnette was invited to present in the festival’s education program and was honoured with a Special Award for conductors of the future, having participated in the festival as a student and then returning as a conductor with Penrhos in 2016 and 2019.

This distinct music tour not only offered Penrhos girls a wonderful opportunity to represent our College on the international stage, but also to grow as musicians, learn from renowned music clinicians and visit many spectacular places rich in musical history.

The European adventure took two years of preparation and hundreds of hours of rehearsals. Our students visited five countries over 19 days, and performed in Salzburg, Prague, Ljubljana, Venice and Milan, in worldclass venues such as the Musikverein, MuTh Concert Hall, Smetana Hall and Salzburg Cathedral.

“The tour was a brilliant opportunity for our students to engage in the real world of music. The girls worked very hard to prepare and perform repertoire intended for professional ensembles. They were commended on their mature, well-balanced and clear sound, and we are immensely proud of their efforts and exceptional representation of the College in Europe,” says Penrhos conductor Catherine Clarnette.

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School production: Matilda the Musical Our students brought a classic children’s story to life on stage this year, when Penrhos College presented Matilda the Musical as its annual production.

Inspired by the beloved book by Roald Dahl, Matilda the Musical is a multi-award-winning musical adapted

by Dennis Kelly with original songs by Perth’s own Tim Minchin.

The show made its debut in London’s West End before going onto Broadway. Penrhos is very fortunate to have been able to stage this wonderful musical, as the rights have only just been made available to amateurs in Australia this year.

The lead role of Matilda was shared by Year 6 students Erin Hawkins and Tessa Secombe. The cast included more than 45 of our students from Year 6 to 12, along with several current students and Old Boys from Aquinas, Wesley, Christchurch and Murdoch University.

“It was a fun change to be working with so many of the younger students this year, who bring a different energy to the rehearsal process. We were really impressed with their focus as well as the dedication of the older girls who were great mentors to these emerging actors”, said Penrhos Dance teacher Mrs Vanessa Best.

The Penrhos Production is now well-established at a high professional standard and there is always much interest across the surrounding community. Matilda the Musical continued the tradition of great success, with six sell-out shows and a total audience of almost 4,000.

There were two matinees held exclusively for children from six local primary schools, and residents from 15 local retirement villages, all of whom are now on waitlists for 2020 tickets.

We also welcomed donors and members of our alumni community for a special pre-show event for the first time this year, prior to the opening night performance – we intend to grow this event next year and beyond.

“Matilda the Musical was an absolute stand-out success!

It truly was an inspirational student experience. Our talented students excelled onstage, backstage and in the orchestra pit,” said Principal Meg Melville. “We are already looking forward to next year, when I am pleased to announce that our Production will be one of my own personal favourites, My Fair Lady.”

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Penrhos’ first podcast

by Amanda Stewart Head of Library

2019 was an exciting year for the Library at Penrhos with the development of the Penrhos Podcast Team. For anyone who doesn’t know, podcasts are pieces of audio content that are published online; they are an increasingly popular medium for entertainment, information and study.

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The why Recent listening reports show that 83% of Australians are now aware of podcasts, as ondemand audiences grow. From a teaching and learning perspective, podcasting is a highly motivating and purposeful opportunity through which to engage students in developing truly transferable 21st century learning skills — collaboration, self-regulation, ICT, knowledge construction, and skilful communication are all required to create an effective podcast.

The how We found there was enormous interest amongst our student community — they wanted to create their own podcasts to share with their peers.

Students had already explored the medium of the podcast in Applied Information Technology, an ATAR course for Year 11s and 12s. Very quickly, the positions we had available were filled by Lauren Rothnie, Juliana Gouveia, Iyanu Adebayo, Isabelle Wilson, Riti Kanna and Cecilia Clennell.

The who The first podcast we undertook was with popular WA author of young adult fiction, A.J. Betts.

“Although we felt a bit intimidated, we were put at ease by her relaxed manner. She talked about her writing process and her new duology, a two-part science fiction series. It was so intriguing that we all ended up going to the book launch of A.J. Betts’ second novel Rogue,” said the Podcast Team.

traction — some podcasts achieved more than 150 hits across our internal channels.

Our podcasters even ran a live lunchtime podcast during 2019 Book Week, in which teachers and Year 12 students talked about the importance of reading along with their favourite childhood books.

Podcasts have now been introduced in Science, Physical Education, English and HASS as a platform on which for students to present their understanding of topics ­— for example, our Year 10 Science students will be making podcasts to teach quirky Science facts to Junior School students.

The mechanics The Podcast Team uses the Rodecaster podcast production desktop studio in the Library. Students and staff can book a time to use this, and the Penrhos Podcast team can also be booked for tech support. The Rodecaster unit gives a very professional feel, as well as great quality audio.

The Penrhos Library ­— 21st century learning space The Library is at the forefront of technology — staff are well-placed to assist students and teachers in using the equipment, as well as advising on areas such as protocol for naming, search terms, intellectual property and copyright, and internal and external publishing options such as Clickview, the Library catalogue, the College Portal, etc.

The second podcast featured Year 11 teachers ‘selling’ their subject to Year 10s. This had great

Follow ‘Penrhos Podcast’ channel, now live on Spotify!

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Koolangka Walken mural (Children’s Rainbow) Following on from her Artist in Residency placement with our Secondary School art students, Ballardong Noongar artist Esther McDowell (Yabini Kickett) shared her passion for Indigenous drawings by creating an eight-metre-long mural, in conjunction with our community, as a statement of the school’s commitment to embedding Aboriginal perspectives from the early years.

Esther McDowell is a Noongar woman with ties to Ballardong, Nyaki-Nyaki, Wadjuk and Bibbulmun clan groups. Her work focuses on portraiture, endemic plant and fungal species to Bibbulmun country and stories from her family.

The mural is the product of a collaborative project with participants from the whole College community.

Students with Aboriginal heritage and their families were invited to contribute their handprints to the central circles to represent their significant family connection.

Each student from Pre-Kindy to Year 11 had the opportunity to contribute their fingerprint to the mural in the connecting sections to represent the importance of healthy water and interconnectedness within a landscape, people and society.

The Early Learning Centre was chosen to be the mural’s site as it represents both the metaphorical and physical ‘beginning’ of our school and the Penrhos learning journey. It is a visual reminder to our staff, students and community of our commitment to reconciliation and continued learning. Esther says the mural design is bright and simple for the young age group that it surrounds.

All participating students and staff practiced colours, numbers and greetings in Noongar language and had the opportunity to discuss the meaning behind the artwork.

The platform for building community relationships was truly unique and highly valued, with primary and secondary students and staff working together on this very special shared project.

The mural design incorporates all of these themes, representing a strong connection to country as well as the Noongar language. Esther has spent time with Penrhos students explaining the significance of the plants she has chosen to feature, as the mural will be a future teaching resource in the Early Learning Centre.

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Esther was a 2017 participant in the Wesfarmers National Indigenous Arts Leadership program in Canberra. Her artwork is incorporated in the new Perth Airport rebranding visuals and she most recently undertook a residency at the Art Gallery of WA in 2019.

Penrhos is honoured to host and feature this meaningful and collaborative piece of work.

Summer reflections – Growing the meaning of ‘Spirit’ at Penrhos

by Rev Claire Pickering Chaplain The concept of the Whole Person Paradigm underpins our educational philosophy. This encapsulates our recognition and appreciation that the successful growth of each individual is focused in four key areas of development – in mind, in heart, in body and in spirit.

At Penrhos, we appreciate the lifelong value of engaging and nurturing these complementary dimensions, through diverse educational opportunities and experiences both inside and outside of the classroom.

Last year, with this understanding, I revisited the definition of ‘Spirit’ to explore its relevance. The definition reads: “As a Uniting Church school, Penrhos College is committed to enabling every girl to experience growth in her spiritual journey.

Regular age-appropriate Christian worship services, as well as religious education, exploration of world religions and experience of spiritual practices are an integral part of each girl’s education, so that she will develop into adulthood with an understanding of the Christian faith and other faiths and traditions.”

In initial research, I found that traditionally spirituality meant ‘relationship with God’, shaped by faith formation (worship, instruction, study and ritual) within a religious belief system.

As such, spirit and religion were

synonymous. However, over time, spirit and religion were differentiated, and in modern times spirituality is more personal, experiential and broad (beliefs and values, practices and meaningmaking). This is a significant shift. In our society, whilst a religion or faith community may still shape a person’s spirituality, it is the individual who chooses, not the religion or faith community that prescribes.

I then invited Secondary School students to participate in an anonymous Spirit Survey to better understand their perspectives and engagement with spirit. The survey comprised 14 questions, covering meaning and happiness in life, involvement in religion or church, and what you believe. Within the student population: Eight world religions are represented (42%), with almost one third identifying as Christian (31%). Over half identify belief in God (33%) or in a spirit, higher power or life force (27%), and one fifth don’t know (20%). Other beliefs were also identified, including miracles (46%), heaven (45%), angels or spirits (41%) and reincarnation (35%).

For personal peace and happiness, time with friends and family (87%), listening to music (77%), exercising or sport (58%), watching television or movies (51%), being close to nature (49%) and being creative

(46%) are most important. And the most important societal issues are world peace (66%), equality (66%), the environment (48%), and poverty / homelessness (43%).

Although it seems that spirituality is expressed in these decisions, beliefs, values and societal concerns, only one quarter identify as spiritual or interested in spirituality (26%), and almost three quarters do not identify as spiritual (44%) or don’t know (30%). Here, I realised that most students are not connecting with the definition of spirit because they are living a modern spirituality.

Based on this research and survey, this year I revised the definition of ‘Spirit’, in collaboration with other staff. The definition now reads: “Spirit is a lived experience and a personal quest for meaning, belonging, purpose and contribution.” This recognises that each student’s spiritual discovery and identity is personal and ongoing, and that this encompasses the search for meaning (beliefs), belonging (connection), purpose (direction) and contribution (impact).

From here, it is important to consistently communicate this definition and rationale, and intentionally foster spirituality by providing diverse experiences, spaces for exploration and inquiry, and opportunities for each individual to express their ‘Spirit’.

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A boarding parent’s perspective

by Veronica McPhail Mother of Sophie McPhail (Year 10 boarder) It’s been nearly two years since we dropped our daughter off to start her boarding life at Penrhos College.

From the very first time we walked through the doors of the Penrhos College Boarding House, we all felt a sense of ease. We were immediately greeted by a warm welcome from Ms Hay, Mrs Callaway and the house mothers, and we knew this was a place that Sophie could call her second home.

The Boarding House offers the girls facilities beyond our expectations. The individual rooms decorated by each girl gives them each a personal sanctuary, while the bustling common rooms boast a fully equipped kitchen, pool tables, and an outdoor area for each year level to enjoy together. The staff at the Boarding House and College go above and beyond to ensure that our girls’ lives as boarders will be an experience they will look back on with very fond memories.

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raising a teenage girl for the first time and navigating an array of issues that we know would be far more difficult if it wasn’t for the terrific support our daughter receives from the boarding staff. We will be for ever grateful to them all!

The amazing array of extra-curricular activities that boarders can take part in provides them with the opportunity to meet new girls, rise to new challenges, push themselves outside of their comfort zones and find themselves as individuals. From rowing, choir, boarders’ netball, athletics, boarders’ socials and drama productions, there really is something to suit everyone.

Whilst at home, Sophie has three brothers, at the Boarding House she likes to think of herself as a big sister to the younger girls and she has an open-door policy if they ever need a shoulder to cry on, a listening ear or just a hug.

The Boarding House environment is truly supportive of creating life-long friendships and Sophie has a group of sisters she would never have otherwise had.

The main dining room has an exceptional view and the wide variety and quality of the food is just wonderful.

I am happy to admit that it sometimes outshines what our daughter gets at home! It’s also a pleasure to see the special treatment the girls receive on their birthdays, when special treats are prepared, and celebrations range from friends’ surprises and hugs from the house mothers to high fives from Mrs Hay and Mrs Callaway.

Sophie’s love for Penrhos extends far beyond the doors of the Boarding House. Not only does she have the support, encouragement and guidance of all her teachers, but she feels secure in the knowledge that she can speak with the pastoral care staff at any time. Above all else, Sophie appreciates the inspiration that Principal Meg Melville gives to every girl.

Like most things in life, boarding comes with its challenges too. However, we are comfortable in the knowledge that the pastoral care the girls are given at the Boarding House is exceptional. Even though we are only a phone call away, it is the extended support of the Penrhos College staff and the staff in the Health Centre that allows us to sleep more peacefully at night.

Whist Sophie will admit there are days on which she’d love to be a day girl, because she misses home so much, we wouldn’t change the Penrhos boarding experience for anything. We absolutely believe it gives girls the opportunity to grow, to become more resilient, to experience new things and create bonds that will last for ever.

The Boarding House provides discipline (just like at home), structure, love and guidance whenever needed.

Having raised three boys, we are now experiencing

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Girls at the annual Welcome Sundowner Personal momentums of Sophie’s individual room in the Boarding House Brother Adam, Sophie and father Samuel McPhail 2019 Head of the River Rowing Regatta

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Why did your parents decide to send you to Penrhos?

My family were already frequent visitors to Penrhos, regularly coming to take out my cousin Sally who also boarded here. I always felt welcome to hang around at the Boarding House, so by the time we were looking at boarding options for me, we were sold on Penrhos. My dad was an Aquinas boarder, and my brother followed his footsteps.

Having him so close by was very convenient for pick up & drop off, weekend catch ups and seeing him when the opportunity to do rec activities with Aquinas would arise.

How did you feel when you first came to Penrhos? What did you find most challenging or difficult in your first few weeks?

The first few terms of boarding were challenging for me. It was hard to be away from my family and pets at such a young age, and I missed the comfort and familiarity of home.

Coming from a small town where the school had only 28 students in one classroom, with no homework or assessments, meant the change was overwhelming at first. The House Mothers and the older girls in the Boarding House were so supportive and encouraging to all the new Year 7 girls though, and they really helped us through the transition.

In the early days, when a bout of homesickness had me sobbing on

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Life as a boarder Brooke Kenny Year 11 boarder and 2020 Troy captain

the phone to Dad, he would say, “Brooke, you will be fine — it’s just like camp!”. My response was always “who goes on a six-yearlong camp?!” But now I am nearly finished Year 11 and I can reflect on all the amazing experiences I’ve had, I can admit that Dad was right – I’ve had a blast.

How often do you travel home to Badgingarra to spend time with your family? Does your family come to visit you here at the Boarding House?

I am extremely fortunate to live only 2 ½ hours away from Perth, so I can regularly return home for the weekend to enjoy family time.

‘Rubicon’, our family farm, will always be home for me. I love the rural life and hopefully will end up back out in the country after completing my studies. Our farm was founded and cleared by my granddad, before being handed down to my father, and I am sure my brother will take over one day (we joke that he already thinks he runs it!). Having my grandparents, family and workers’ families living on the farm really makes it feel like a big operation and I am so proud to be a part of it.

When I am home, I love to spend time riding my horses and I’m heavily into equestrian activities.

I love to take sunset rides around the farm on warm summer’s nights

wearing shorts and a t-shirt before sharing a BBQ dinner on the veranda with my family. It’s also great to spend time with friends from home during the holidays — camping at each other’s places or catching up with families at the ‘Badgy Pub’. Leaving home again after holidays can be hard, but I am so lucky that, although my parents are very busy on the farm, they are close enough and willing to organise ways to get me home for the weekend.

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

Penrhos allows me so many educational and sporting opportunities that I simply wouldn’t get back at home. With no hockey club in Badgingarra, we used to travel 45 minutes twice a week, so I could play. Being at Penrhos has enabled me to join a hockey team and other sporting clubs where I train multiple times a week. I also love playing an IGSSA sport each term and having the opportunity to try out sports like softball and water polo for the first time.

I can’t deny it, one of the best perks of living on campus (in our own individual rooms) is that you haven’t far to travel, so you don’t need to wake up for school until the last minute!

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Outlook onto Brooke’s property ‘Rubicon’ located in Badgingarra Kenny family photo Every sheep farm needs its sheep dogs Keen horse rider Brooke competing on a cross country course

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From the Penrhos Foundation President

by Tony Connors Foundation President Meet the Board 2019 Board members • Tony Connors President, stepping down • Sondra Anderson Vice President • Ailsa Allen • Sally Audeyev Secretary • Alistair Baron • Chris Gee President 2020 • Helen Jones • David Wallace, stepping down • Simon Woods

Representatives from the College who sit on the Foundation Board: • Meg Melville Principal • Stephen Cooper Director Finance & Administration • Paula Barrow Director Marketing & Development • Tanya Brooks Interim Development Coordinator

2019 has been a great year for us.

Capital campaign Following the successful soft-launch of our fundraising campaign for the new Science Innovation Centre at the end of last year, through which we raised an impressive $325,000 (65% of an overall minimum target of $500,000), we moved into the more public phase of our campaign in the latter part of 2019 and this will continue until the end of 2020 when the new building is scheduled for completion.

Thanks to the commitment and determination of Foundation Member and current parent Sally Audeyev, and the generosity of the parents of girls in Years 4 and 6, we received an amazing $5,000 from each year group to secure dedicated plaques in the giant Periodic Table which will feature in the new Science Innovation Centre for the lifetime of the new building. Year 6 girls took ownership of the selection process and chose the element Curium in keeping with their year theme ‘stay curious’; and Year 4 has chosen Niobium.

Naturally, we are hopeful that other cohorts will follow suit in the new year, and anyone who is interested is

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encouraged to contact Tanya Brooks in the Development Office on 08 9368 9711. Although Tanya can offer advice, guidance and support, the cohort projects are very much owned by the parents of the cohorts and their daughters – so please be advised that it takes a significant effort to achieve results in the fundraising space (which is more than rewarded when that effort pays off, as Sally will tell us).

One of the highlights of the year was our thank you soiree for donors in November. This was a well-attended event which included a ‘last-chance’ tour of our existing Science facilities, and a presentation from two members of our Year 6 cohort on why they selected the element Curium for their plaque. I don’t think there was a dry eye in the house, when the girls finished; their story was a testament to the wonderful way in which our community has embraced the Science Innovation Centre fundraising campaign and how it is being brought to life in all kinds of creative ways.

I am delighted to report that, through a range of gifts and inspiring community initiatives, we raised a further $100,000 in the latter part of the year, which takes our running total to $425,000.

I look forward to more as the story continues to unfold through 2020, particularly around the Foundation’s first ever Gala Fundraising Ball which is scheduled for Saturday, 15 August. We expect and anticipate that this will be an annual flagship event in the College calendar from now on – 200 tickets will go on sale at $220 in the new year, so watch out for further information and save the date.

Alumni engagement The College Development Office is working with key members of our alumni body to leverage the generosity of our 9,500 members in terms of both advocacy and giving across the capital campaign. Notably, Amanda Yaksich (who steps down as President of the Alumni Committee this year after a proud 10 years in service) will champion

a key fundraising project in support of the Science Innovation Centre with her exciting ‘alumni look-out’ initiative, supported by Foundation Member and Alumni Committee member Ailsa Allen and others – read more on pages 6-7 of Extraordinary Women.

Board membership The Board remained in steady state for the second part of the year, although there will be two significant departures at the end of this year.

As I leave the position of President and actually end my current association with Penrhos, which is a sad occasion for me, I am very buoyed by the fact that the person taking on the role will not only continue the work we’ve done, but will also strive for even greater things. Chris Gee is an immensely capable and engaging man whose energy, drive and commitment will benefit Penrhos greatly both in the near and longer-term future. Chris has been a great support to me in my time on the Foundation and he will be a fantastic leader. I thank him for his support and wish him well for the future.

David Wallace also leaves the Foundation this year.

David has been a highly effective and engaged Board member, particularly his skills have been well-utilised in a finance and investment advisory capacity. David recently headed up a directional change in our investments, steering the tender and selection process professionally and effectively to the immediate benefit of the Foundation’s portfolio. Outside financial and investment items, David has always been a highly engaged and committed Board member who has provided excellent input and counsel in a measured and effective way.

His regular voice of reason, strong commitment to fundraising and drive for the development of the culture of giving within the Penrhos community will be sorely missed. I will also miss his integrity and sense of humour.

I cannot thank David enough for his contribution to the Foundation and to the wider Penrhos community; also, for his friendship. I wish him the very best for the future.

We still seek a high profile, high net-worth individual to join our number either as a member of the Board or as a Patron – such individuals are exceptionally wellnetworked and provide a great draw for events. Please contact Karen Ambrose at ambrok@penrhos.wa.edu.au if you know anyone who fits the bill and who would be interested in finding out more.

Thanks to our donors The Penrhos College Foundation sincerely thanks the following donors, who have generously given to the

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College since the last issue of the Penrhosian in July 2019.

L Avern D and C Adams S and K Anderson Audeyev and Marsh Families T Brooks G Cacho L Cann M and M Chan D Christophersen R Crabtree J and M Cunnington J Daborn L Daniels I and A Delroy N Delroy P Egan and S Kohary C Ellison and T Tinsley M and D Fowler Y Fraser C and L Grant J and E Gunawan C Greenhalgh G Hajigabriel M Harwood C Hennessy G Hill and D Fenn M and J Hitchins M and R Holland D and F Huxtable C Irvin A Jalleh A Jeffery C Jenkins H and E Kato A Kelly M and K Kelly R King J and S Knight N Lambasa and R Crabtree C Leong and K Tam P and E Manios K Martens

R Martin and W Mitchinson S McCarthy D and C Milne L Muir H Nguyen and R Savill Y Nishii D Palmer and B Trotter D and D Parker D Parker M Pass Penrhos College Alumni G Peterson K Pilatti J Reinmuth and J Brown RJDO Fund Pty Ltd P and L Rowe P Russell L and S Rutherford A and S Ryan A Remigio L Santis A and M Saker A & S Senior L and P San Martin M Secombe P and T Shipman K Siddall S Singh and B Schofield C and P Slyth D and A Stammers K and B Sumich J Tanner K and P Thomson P and H Trueman H Van den Broeck W and C Ware R and A Windsor M Windust S and K Woods H Xu and A Ismail B Yuan and J Sun R and L Zammit

Our donors have given generously to a range of Foundation initiatives since July, most significantly the Science Innovation Centre. We gratefully acknowledge all contributions and we also wish to recognise those donors who have expressed their wish to remain anonymous.

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We are committed to ensuring everyone has the option to give back in a way that is individually meaningful, and we remain ever grateful to our generous community for its ongoing support.

When I took up the position of Foundation President two years ago, ‘giving’ wasn’t well-established at Penrhos although we were aware that other similar schools were reaping the rewards of their fundraising activities. So, we considered making ‘the ask’ somewhat tentatively; we carefully researched and tested our activity at every step, and I am delighted that we have been rewarded with the steadily increasing support of our passionate, committed and generous community. Following our November thank you event, we received an email from a family who wanted to thank us for the opportunity to donate – the parent told us that, because she and her husband were so busy, to make a financial gift to the College was the only way they could show their appreciation. On the basis of feedback like this, I can only hope we are getting it right and that I leave a strong basis on which for my successor Chris Gee to continue to build.

The Penrhos learning philosophy is designed to ensure that our students thrive in an ever-changing and more challenging world.

To remain at the forefront of girls’ education, we need leadingedge programs, outstanding staff and first-class resources. It has been incredibly inspiring and rewarding for me to have played my small role in growing the culture of giving at Penrhos and, as I bid my farewells, I watch the passion for fundraising gather momentum across our community with immense pride and satisfaction. I hand over to current parent and Foundation Member Chris Gee, who I know shares my vision for the future and who will be focused on finding new ways to progressively engage the College community in Foundation projects in what should always be a circular process of giving and receiving.

And thanks to all those who support us It only remains for me to thank my fellow Board members and Representatives from the College, for the last time, for their wonderful contribution and efforts. All give significantly of their time; I value their expertise and I will miss them greatly.

I’d especially like to thank Sondra Anderson as my immediate predecessor and my Vice President for her immense work and support, that set such a great platform for the current Board and I to build on.

Finally, I would also like to thank Mrs Meg Melville for her support and commitment not only to the Foundation but also to the College as a whole. Her impact has been extraordinary, her legacy will be outstanding, and I wish her all the very best for her life after Penrhos which I understand will commence at some stage next year.

It has been an honour to serve as Foundation President.

Photo gallery: Penrhos College events

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Alumni family badge presentation Remembrance Day ceremony Year 7 Menrhos Camp at Forest Edge campsite Secondary School Photography and Media exhibition Year 12 Mother Daughter Dinner Year 12 Father Daughter Dinner

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Photo gallery: Penrhos College events

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1-3 Founders Day 4-6 Year 6 Graduation Dinner 7-10 Flower Day

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1-4 Auxiliary Spring Lunch 5-6 Volunteer Sundowner 7 Year 10 camp at Wooleen station

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