The Penrhosian No. 76

No. 76 Summer 2021

Penrhos sporting excellence Go, Penrhos dragons!

Principal Kalea Haran My first year in review

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. 76 Summer 2021

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Principal Kalea Haran My first year in review

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General English students connect with alumni

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Penrhos sporting excellence Go, Penrhos dragons!

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Penrhos music plays out in the real world

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At the forefront of gifted education for girls

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Summer reflections — living with hope

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Junior School I.D.E.A.L.S showcase

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Boarding perspectives

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Hearts of lions Penrhos rowing 2021

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From the Penrhos Foundation President

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Penrhos farewells Dean of Academic Administration, Rob Taylor

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Foundation’s Helping Hand delivers with impact

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Fond farewells

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Photo gallery: Penrhos College events

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Penrhos celebrates NAIDOC Week

TEAM Editor Claire Halliday Contributors and photographers Kalea Haran, Paula Barrow, Rowan Courts, Caroline Jenkins, Sarah Woods, Grace Hirte Design Silke Zaknich, Lee Bing Tan

My first year

in review Kalea Haran Principal

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year ago I wrote my first article for the Penrhosian, speaking about my philosophy of education from Singapore. I wrote about how I see learning as an adventure and school as a place where students should be happy and open, supported and with a sense of belonging. I spoke about my ideals and my belief in Penrhos - all this before I had officially started.

the joy and the comradery, and to experience how the love and support of our whole community in such celebration was absolutely inspirational. And then the colour, so much colour (I am a fan of colour, as I’m sure many of you are aware!) and so many gorgeous flowers for our beautiful leavers. It was such a wonderful event that I am already looking forward to next year, and to celebrating it with the Penrhos community for years to come.

So, after joining Penrhos, was it how I expected?

Firstly, I can say that I have joined a beautiful community and met many wonderful people over the last 12 months. I sensed from the beginning, and I now know first-hand, that Penrhos is a place where lifelong friendships are made. For me, I already feel part of a strong community that will look out for me, as it looks out for all Penrhosians.

Penrhos is a place where you make real connections. You feel you belong to, and are part of a community, that reflects similar values and expectations. You can choose to join activities and experiences that strengthen your connections – whether that is the Alumni Committee for Old Girls, the Penrhosian Club for alumni, former staff, parents and friends, or one of our many Parent Support Groups. There is truly something for everyone here, and all are welcome.

Penrhos’ rich tapestry of festivals and traditions also serves to strengthen our sense of connection. I have been simply awestruck on so many occasions, although my highlight to date is definitely Flower Day; everyone had told me how amazing it was, I had seen the photos and videos… but to stand in the Margaret Way Courtyard as the girls ran in was nothing short of breath-taking and spectacular. To feel

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Penrhos is such an active place. I love that our students are so very engaged in their learning, making the most of a whole host of fantastic opportunities. Because Penrhos tangibly adopts and applies the whole person paradigm of personal growth in mind, heart, body and spirit, our students learning experience is truly holistic. We nurture the development of confidence, curiosity and resilience in experiences ranging from musical performance and drama productions, through to participation in Science Club, the Maths Mentor and Outdoor Education Programs.

Incredibly, Penrhos runs over 60 co-curricular activities so many opportunities to connect with others, develop a passion, and discover new talents or interests!

I have found the staff at Penrhos to be professional, knowledgeable and caring. They ensure that every student is respected and encouraged to be the best possible version of themselves. Every single day this year, I have observed Penrhos staff working tirelessly to share their passion and love of learning. As I walk the grounds and corridors of Penrhos, I see students - our young women - who are confident, curious and excited about their learning and about the world they live in. They are engaged in all the College has to offer, extending and stretching in every direction as they strive to achieve their personal bests.

WELCOME FROM THE PRINCIPAL

What truly stands out to me about Penrhos is connectedness.

However many other wonderful aspects there may be (and there are!) I still keep coming back to this. Our shared commitment, kindness and caring are simply beyond compare.

So, is Penrhos as I expected? Yes. We encourage our students to demonstrate strong character; to challenge themselves and harness opportunity for the better; to stand up for themselves, for others and for what is right. We nurture our girls with love and support as they establish their foundations for learning; then we grow their confidence, resilience and mental toughness in personalised learning journeys, as we together tread the path towards graduating with the skills required to pursue both academic and life goals.

However, what truly stands out to me about Penrhos is connectedness. However many other wonderful aspects there may be (and there are!) I still keep coming back to this. Our shared commitment, kindness and caring are simply beyond compare.

In considering Penrhos at the end of my first year as Principal, I can say that what defines Penrhos might be encapsulated in the following:

Real connections – across community, staff, students, families and friends Real experiences – opportunities inside and out of the classroom Real women – each student is unique and authentic, focused on both achieving her own personal excellence and on giving towards the greater good.

This, for me, is what makes Penrhos so special.

Thank you all for welcoming me to the Penrhos community.

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Go, Penrhos dragons!

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uilding on our already outstanding cocurricular offer, we are very excited and proud to announce the launch of two new sporting programs for late 2021 and early 2022.

Our new Athlete Development Program (ADP), coming in 2022, is designed to identify and develop potential and aspiring athletes as well as to stretch each individual to achieve their personal best. Initially scheduled to launch for our Year 7s (inclusive) and 8s (optional), the ADP will extend to other year groups over the next two years, providing students with personalised sporting journeys and opportunities to achieve personal excellence.

The Penrhos ADP focuses on students’ achievements and aspirations across their Secondary School journey. It will enhance the IGSSA Sporting Program, with support infrastructure including education and training in life habits, working with assigned mentors and establishing connections in sporting partnerships.

Students will complete modules in a range of associated areas such as Training Principles, Injury Management & Prevention and Sports Psychology. Fitness, strength, training, conditioning and recovery will all form vital components of the Program, with focus on relevant areas being stepped up around specific IGSSA competitions.

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Just as athletes are encouraged to physically ready themselves, mental strength is also a significant component in the preparation of training for athletic success.

“The ADP program is different to anything else out there because it empowers students to grow their mental toughness – to strengthen performance in heart, body, spirit and mind in pursuit of personal bests,” says Principal Kalea Haran. “The philosophy of our ADP is to cater for individual athletes through personalised programs that are uniquely tailored to their specific training needs. Specialist staff will help to focus on strengths, to set life goals and to strive for personal excellence.”

The ADP program will run parallel to our existing Physical Education program, providing exceptional opportunities for students to explore the following in the context of sporting excellence: • Personal excellence • Pride and passion • Holistic development of the athlete • Character and sportsmanship • Emerging leadership • Improved athletic performance Head of Physical Education, Brad Ramsey says “it’s fantastic to have this program as part of our curriculum – it will focus on individual development across a range of sport specific modules – it’s quite a unique opportunity!”

Putting the W in the AFLW…

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ou may already be aware of our brand-new AFL-facilitated program with Perth Football Club Inc (PFC), which marks a new era in AFL for both the College and PFC. As part of this exclusive new partnership, Penrhos secondary students have the incredible opportunity to participate in PFC-coached training sessions under the coordination of Brady Grey, former Fremantle Dockers player and current West Coast AFLW assistant coach.

The new co-curricular initiative kicked off in Term 3 this year, with students joining PFC coached sessions in preparation for the IGSSA AFL competition for Year 7-10s in Term 4. The full program rolls out to Year 11–12 teams in 2022, along with Year 5 and 6 students who will be provided with similar opportunities in preparation for their transition to Secondary School.

“I am very keen to progress the idea of hosting broader community AFL clinics, to further establish Penrhos as a destination for all girls in the area with a passion for footy.”

Paul McCarthy, Dean of Co-curricular

Our new partnership with PFC was formally announced at the Perth Football Club Presidents Luncheon at the final game of the 2021 WAFL season. Club President Bob Shields announced that “Perth Football Club sees this as the first exciting step into its Women’s Football project with the target of entering a Rogers Cup (under 17s) team into the AFLW competition in 2023. We very much hope to see some of the Penrhos girls in that inaugural team.”

Almost 100 of our Year 6–11 students attended Mineral Resources Park, home of both Perth Football Club and the West Coast Eagles, for the first intro event with PFC - all the girls who took part in this first clinic received a 2022 PFC Junior membership and merchandise pack, including a bag, hat, football and other sponsor inclusions.

It is widely recognised that students who play competitive sports develop confidence, character, leadership, commitment and self-respect - they become skilled at setting goals and managing their time. Our students’ success in sport is due to their incredible commitment – now, through the Penrhos Athlete Development Program and the Perth Football Club facilitated AFL program, our girls are presented with still more opportunities to access the highest level of coaching, training, conditioning and support, to help position them for success both on and off the field.

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At the forefront of gifted education for girls Shannon Armitage and Nicole Johnson

Whilst Penrhos College aims to ensure every student has the opportunity to maximise her academic potential, we recognise that gifted students require specialised educational experiences to allow their unique gifts and talents to be nurtured and to flourish.

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ersonalised learning experiences are the foundation of everything we do here at Penrhos.

A key component is offering targeted learning opportunities for students who think and learn differently - our gifted students.

According to Gagné's Differentiated Model of Giftedness and Talent, the term ‘giftedness’ refers to natural abilities in at least one ability domain, to a degree that places an individual at least among the top 10% of his or her age peers (DMGT, 1999).

At Penrhos, we are proud of our reputation as one of Western Australia's most progressive and successful girls' schools. We continue to lead by providing a unique program which positions us firmly at the forefront of gifted girls’ education in the state.

Since launching in 2017 our MESH-Ex Program (formerly Elevate) has provided gifted learners with an

ability-grouped learning environment for their core subjects - Mathematics, English, Science and Humanities & Social Sciences - in line with best-practice research (Gagne, 2009). The MESH-Ex Program offers students a personalised journey which may include studying outside the curriculum, compacted courses, accelerated learning opportunities, cross-curricular and collaborative projects, and working with mentors.

Our aim is for each student to be fully engaged and involved in her learning – we want her to be excited to come to class and inspired to reach her potential. The MESH-Ex Program is underpinned by the concept of a Growth Mindset (Dweck, 2017) which is an individual’s belief that their talents can be developed through hard work, effective strategies and support from others. The first week of our Year 8 program is spent exploring what this means, considering the science around it and experimenting with what is truly required to grow: put simply, this means the ability to embrace challenge and persist in the face of setbacks!

Teachers in the MESH-Ex Program encourage academic risk-taking in a safe and supportive environment where students are pushed outside of their comfort zone and rewarded for trying new things rather than getting everything ‘correct’. Their weekly review meetings and engagement in ongoing professional learning informs a culture of constant evolution and the consistent implementation and development of evidenced-based strategies. Our professional learning is led by our three Secondary School staff who have completed their Masters in Gifted Education, with the

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involvement of teachers who share their experiences and what they have learned from them.

Using the Maker Model of differentiation (Maker, 1982) whereby modifications are made to the content, process, product or learning environment, students have a greater choice of learning environment, process, content and ways to display learning. Whilst this freedom and flexibility can initially feel unnatural and may be uncomfortable, students are encouraged to develop resilience which will make them successful in life beyond school.

Assessment tasks may look a little different to what students might typically expect - including pre-tests at the commencement of each new topic, which are designed to check what students already know and what they are capable of. Rarely do we use marks in the MESH-Ex Program - instead, students are provided with feedback in various ways - through coaching, conferencing and via their peers, in a model which reflects the experiences students may face in workplaces in the future. This assessment framework also reflects the Growth Mindset concept, which values individual growth rather than peer comparison.

Our personalised approach supports student wellbeing by addressing each individual’s concerns or needs perfectionism and anxiety, for example - through team collaboration around a safe, supportive classroom environment and with careful case management. “This program has made a tremendous impact to my daughter,

giving her the confidence to take a large step in life, in this case overcoming an academic challenge and socially fitting into a new group. This could not have been a success without the support from her mentoring teachers, who have gone out of their way to ensure her success in transitioning” says a parent of an accelerated Penrhos student. A similar sentiment was shared amongst Year 10 MESH-Ex Program students in a recent survey.

“The choice of teachers was really good, they were very engaging and supportive and willing to be flexible with our learning which meant we had a really high quality of education through the program.”

“I felt as though the MESH Ex program was a lot more inclusive of everyone and it made me comfortable to say what I thought. It extended me and taught me at a pace that was much more suited to me, as well as the style.”

“The best aspect of the class what being encouraged to view the world from a more critical perspective.”

“I liked the more philosophical and experimental approach to English and HASS subjects as I felt that I could extend myself and I was being challenged to think differently.”

“I liked the sense of community developed between students and teachers. It felt like a family.”

Penrhos staff in spotlight for gifted education In recognition of their incredible work, Nicole Johnson (Gifted Education Specialist) and Shannon Armitage (Assistant Dean of Teaching and Learning) were selected to share their experiences with gifted educators from around the world at the 2021 Virtual World Council for Gifted and Talented Children’s World Conference: Developing the Future of Gifted Education. Here, they shared their presentation ‘Creating and Sustaining a Gifted Education Program’ with more than 600 people from 55 countries.

Congratulations to Nicole and Shannon for being chosen to present at this highly-regarded conference and for their ongoing work, dedication and vision in the gifted education space. We look forward to seeing the exciting pathways that our gifted students will take in their senior secondary school years and beyond the College.

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Junior School I.D.E.A.L.S showcase Paul McCarthy Dean of Co-Curricular

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n 2020, with the support of the Penrhos College Foundation, Penrhos joined Round Square - an international network of 200 like-minded schools in 50 countries with a shared commitment to character education and experiential learning. Based around six themes known as I.D.E.A.L.S - International Understanding, Democracy, Environmental Stewardship, Adventure, Leadership and Service the Round Square approach inspires every child to embrace their capacity for achievement and excellence, recognising that learning is most effective when it is practical, cross-cultural and collaborative.

In Term 3 2021 students in Years 1 – 6 participated in our first annual Junior School I.D.E.A.L.S day.

Commencing in the Rixon Theatre, the girls were virtually addressed by Ben George, the Round Square Schools Support Director for the Australasia and East Asia Region, who introduced Round Square and shared the meaning behind the I.D.E.A.L.S; using the analogy of a sports team, Ben described the network as “a team of schools that work together to achieve different sorts of goals.”

A whole host of experiential learning followed including adventure, collaboration and service, and spanning all six I.D.E.A.L.S across different Year Groups. Students in Year 1 found out about the culture, 10

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tastes, flavours and sights of Tonga, whilst Year 2 spent time exploring sacred sites in Kings Park and creating cultural themed artwork; Year 3 created bee and bird houses in the Science Innovation Centre which are now scattered around our campus and Year 4 got thoroughly wet and muddy on commando manoeuvres; Year 5 created their very own original theatre based on female leader role models and Year 6 served the local community by making lunches and planting trees in South Perth. The day was certainly one of fun and engagement, illustrating the Round Square ethos of linking learning to practical, cross-cultural and collaborative experiences.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Penrhos Co-curricular Committee - Linda Rich, Chaplain Claire Pickering, Sam Corbett, Jess O’Donnell, Renee Poetschka, Hannah Fay and Head of Junior School, Wayne Revitt - for their hard work and energy in creating and leading this stimulating learning experience for our Junior School.

We are already very excited to start planning for the next Junior School I.D.E.A.L.S day in 2022 – whilst activities may change, the Year Group I.D.E.A.L.S will remain constant, ensuring that all Junior School learners will be introduced to each of the Round Square I.D.E.A.L.S.

Kaleidescope shines for grandparents and special friends day This year, for the first time, our Junior School grandparents and special friends were treated to a beautiful morning on campus.

Families took a tour of their granddaughters’ classrooms, enjoyed a lovely morning tea and had the opportunity to watch the sneak preview of the spectacular Junior School Kaleidoscope production.

Students whose grandparents were unable to attend had the opportunity to ‘adopt’ a grandparent - our wonderful Penrhosian Club members who were most willing to step in where needed and truly enjoyed the day as honorary grandmothers.

Thank you to everyone who joined us and to all our teachers, who helped organise and prepare for such a special event. The day received so much positive feedback and allowed grandparents to take a look into the learning experience of each child – we look forward to hosting this event again next year!

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Hearts of lions

Penrhos rowing 2021 Keith Reynolds Rowing Coordinator

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enrhos Rowing started the 2021 season well aware that we had the smallest rowing squad of all the IGSSA schools. With a squad of just 72, we may have appeared quite diminutive in comparison to those numbering up to 120 – but, what we lacked in numbers, we made up for with mental toughness and hearts of lions.

Our Eaton Rowing Camp in Term 1 was an amazing experience – this was where our rowers started to get to know each other and the squad’s bond began to become established. Eaton is a beautiful part of the world and camp life set the scene for our crews, coaches and Friends of Rowing (Parent Support Group) to develop skills and strategies – from rowing and training to coaching and catering, everyone involved worked really hard.

Our first eight-crew set their sights on being up on the podium at the end of the season - they challenged themselves to be the hardest-working crew and to leave nothing out on the water. During the weekend camp, rowers undertook intensive training in racing techniques and also participated in a hard land session, yoga and a race on the final day, returning with sore muscles and blisters from what was an incredible team-building experience.

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During the season, we also had two smaller nonresidential camps to help fine-tune crews for the first regatta and Head of the River. With our smaller squad, we were only eligible to enter 20 of the 30 races on offer at each regatta - so our bigger goal was to work hard for and do our best at Head of the River.

When we came away from the big day on Saturday, 26 June, our squad had punched well above its weight. Our mighty first eight-crew came in third, with the courageous Year 9s proving a force in their year group. The freshies (freshman rowers) of our squad all rowed magnificently. Five incredible wins at Head of the River put us into second spot on number of wins alone and a further five places brought more glory for the Penrhos squad. We were serious contenders in all the races we competed in – our rowers put in a brilliant performance, which truly reflected their team spirit and hard work.

As we now start to wind up 2021, we extend our best wishes to our recent Year 12 leavers and Old Girls trying out for next year’s Australian Rowing Championships (known as the Nationals) – Samantha Shillington, Monique Rossi, Tanika Webb and Rebecca Pretorius. Congratulations also to Samantha and Monique who were both chosen for the WA Institute of Sport Pathways 8+, which is selected from all schoolgirl rowers.

The upcoming 2022 season is looking very exciting with our squad list once again on the increase - and we are still looking for more girls who would like to join the Penrhos Rowing family.

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Penrhos College farewells Rob Taylor

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t the close of Term 4 2021, we farewelled Dean of Academic Administration and longserving staff member, Rob Taylor, after 21 extraordinary years of service. Inspiring, determined and humorous to the very end, Rob has been extremely well-regarded for his vision, his thought leadership and his commitment to driving continuous positive change throughout his time at Penrhos.

Rob’s service to the College began in 2000; during the course of his Penrhos journey he has worn a range of different hats, as he has steered not only the academic direction of the College, but also pastoral care and co-curricular agendas through his roles as Deputy Head of Senior School, Dean of Academic Administration and Acting Principal prior to Kalea Haran’s arrival.

We sincerely thank and recognise Rob for his dedication and passion, knowledge and guidance, in what has been his incredible contribution to Penrhos College’s outstanding academic success.

"Rob’s Penrhos journey began in 2000, when he and fouryear-old daughter, Georgia commenced at the College.

Rob took on the role of Deputy Head of the Secondary School and Georgia entered Pre-Primary. Rob brought with him experience, knowledge and a real desire to help each student achieve her personal best. He has been inspirational and innovative in every role he has undertaken. His love of learning and thirst for knowledge have seen him introduce new ideas and practices into the Secondary School. He happily shares papers and research that he comes across with his colleagues if he believes this will assist them in their area of management. He shies away from the limelight, content more with seeing others shine, particularly the students he works closely with. Rob has, and will always be, an advocate for equal opportunity for all students.

Penrhos will always hold a special place in his heart. He has loved his time at the College and has so many wonderful memories. If you were to ask him how he would sum up how he feels about Penrhos, he would say ‘a family affair’."

Michelle Taylor “It has been an absolute pleasure to work with Rob for his 21 years at Penrhos. His focus on providing the best possible learning outcomes for our students has never wavered. He has consistently placed students at the centre of everything and I will remember him best for constantly asking the question - “If not for the students, why are we here?”

Rob’s knowledge and understanding of the complexity of all areas of Academic Administration was beyond compare – moreover, he would always explain his analysis in a way that could be understood by all Rob was widely respected and admired by staff, students and parents. He is an innate problem-solver, who brings a sharp intellect and the ability to appreciate alternative perspectives to his leadership. His work ethic is also truly amazing!

As a colleague, Rob had the most wonderful sense of humour which brought light relief to many a challenging situation. A most trustworthy, reliable, humble and compassionate individual, both professionally and personally, Rob Taylor is an honourable gentleman and his legacy will be indelibly printed into the very being of Penrhos College.”

Meg Melville

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"‘Young Scott’, was the greeting of choice from Mr Rob every morning - often delivered with either folded arms or from his chair, leaning back with a pencil in one hand, for sketching out his next line of thinking. Initially I did not understand this thinking, but over time I came to understand Rob and why he did what he did. It was for the girls of Penrhos! His mind was always busy thinking about how he could influence change for improvement.

Although this came primarily from his mind, I know that it also very much came from the heart.

Rob, you will always be a top bloke - one who I absolutely respect. I wish you all the best for your next phase of life, you deserve it!

P.S My desk is covered in scrap paper, with many pencils and an electronic pencil sharpener - I also now talk with my with arms folded, who would have thought!”

Scott McDonnell “The end of an era! It seems like a very long time ago that we were both appointed to Penrhos on 1 January 2000.

Although we shared the same start date, I remember we probably actually first met two weeks later when we were gathered in the Library with all the other new appointees to listen to Graham Rixon’s ‘Welcome to Penrhos’ talk.

Neither of us could have imagined how our jobs would evolve over the years - nor could we have anticipated the quality of friendship, trust, loyalty and professionalism that grew out of the Learning Enhancement Team. It was as part of that team that I learned, enjoyed and respected your determination to get the very best outcomes for the most needy students in the College.

As a team, we were united by your leadership - all employing our individual strengths to provide the best opportunities we could for each student to achieve success.

Rob, you were ahead of your time in your leadership model. The atmosphere was relaxed, the coffee was welcomed and the work was achieved.

Enjoy the freedom of retirement and say YES to every opportunity that’s offered, especially if it has to do with golf. Best wishes for a happy future.”

“It has been my absolute pleasure to work with someone who is the epitome of the consummate professional.

Rob’s knowledge in our area is unsurpassed, yet he still will pop in to see what I think, which makes you feel valued. He has an extremely dry sense of humour, which sometimes leaves you wondering if he is kidding, or not?

Rob is fantastic with the students, who are his first priority. He leaves no stone unturned in finding solutions to timetable clashes, finding the right person to help with a specific problem, or any other issues a student may have.

Rob, you will be missed.”

Christina Re “Rob has been a rock over his long years of service at Penrhos. From his early days, when his young daughter Georgia would skip into his office at the end of her day in Junior School and his eyes would light up, to last year when he stepped into the role of Acting Principal (I wouldn't say his eyes lit up quite so brightly then!).

In his very first week of Acting Principal he appeared at the door during Form and, when I asked if he wanted to speak to the class, he said no and that he was just passing by. He walked around and had a chat to some of the girls, who were obviously happy that he had dropped in.

I know the girls appreciated Rob’s informal visits.

When Janine Scholes and I were the Careers team and Rob also taught Career Ed, he would make a point of dropping into our office, ostensibly to discuss all things Careers. We both liked the fact that he took time out of his busy day to connect with us.

Rob has always worked to enable every student to follow an academic path that will enable the best options for her future - that meant he needed to do some timetabling gymnastics! In all these years, I have never seen Rob lose his cool – he always maintains such a calm manner, even in the face of issues that may appear insurmountable.

Above all else, Rob is a man of integrity and he deserves for his golf handicap to drop to its lowest ever!”

Lyn Cooper

Pauline Leach

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Farewell to four long-serving members of staff

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n addition to Rob Taylor, we also farewell some of our longest-serving members of staff in Kate Gillam, Nicole Johnson, Sue Hampson and Sharon Creed who collectively share 103 years of service at Penrhos College.

These significant women have supported literally thousands of students and their families throughout their Penrhos learning journeys, with outstanding care and commitment. We thank each one of our long-serving staff leavers for their remarkable dedication and exemplary service.

Kate Gillam Words by Michelle Taylor, Dean of Pastoral Care Kate is a shining example of our Penrhos College values in action. For 34 years, she has demonstrated loyalty and collegiality to her contemporaries, and has been inclusive and supportive of all students. Kate has been a leading example in every area she has worked in, focused on increasing her knowledge and improving practice, always with the student at the centre of every decision made and action taken. The numerous leadership positions held by Kate (Head of Home Economics, Head of Food and Textiles, Acting Head of Middle School, Assistant Dean of Pastoral Care) are testament to her outstanding work ethic, skills and knowledge, together with her insights and expertise around the emotional, social and academic needs of the students in her care.

Kate’s legacy to Pastoral Care will live well beyond 2021. She has been a significant contributor to the development of pastoral and wellbeing programs and curriculum. Her work around supporting student transition and new student orientation has provided the foundations for the girls to flourish. The day-to-day care she has provided to students, parents and staff has left them well placed to manage and cope with whatever comes their way. Kate has been an integral member of the Pastoral Care Team, and we thank her from the bottom of our hearts. She will be greatly missed.

Nicole (Nicci) Johnson Words by Shannon Armitage, Assistant Dean of Teaching and Learning Nicci leaves an incredible legacy, after 23 years of service to the Penrhos College community in both the Junior and Secondary Schools. Her commitment to ensuring that all students are provided with learning opportunities that challenge them has seen Nicci work with colleague Peter Chandler to develop what we know today as the highly regarded Maths Mentor Program. Nicci has also been pivotal in the development and leadership of the Gifted Education Program in the Secondary School, including the unique and inspirational MESH-Ex Program. She has established many co-curricular offerings and competitions at the College including World Scholars Cup, Da Vinci Decathlon and Tournament of the Minds, and has coached students to international success in Future Problem Solving. Nicci has developed long-lasting relationships and has truly shaped the lives of many young women. She is always positive, enthusiastic, inspirational, compassionate and lots of fun - as a colleague, many of us turn to Nicci on the hard days and she never fails to turn us around. For this, and for so much more, Nicci will be sincerely missed. We wish her all the best in her retirement.

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Sue Hampson Words by Scott Haddrell, Head of Languages Sue has been an integral part of the Language Department for 23 years. Nicknamed ‘the best French Teacher in WA’, her reputation precedes her. Sue has continually inspired students of French to achieve incredible success and accolades for the College through WACE, Alliance Française High-School Examinations, and the French Poetry Competition.

Sue is always the ultimate professional, but she can also be the life of the party. She has never been afraid to kick off her heels (literally!) and get down amongst it all - including invading the Margaret Way Courtyard to perform ‘Nutbush City Limits’.

Sue will be dearly missed by our students, the wider community, the College, Language Department and - most of all - by me.

Sue, you are an absolute gem.

Sharon Creed Words by Claire FitzSimons, Secondary Administration Manager “I’m just the cleaner,” Sharon would say. How wrong could she be! Originally employed by Lyn and Harry, who held the Penrhos cleaning contract at the time, Sharon joined her three sisters - Anne, Ellen and Gail, otherwise known as ‘the McCloy sisters’ - in 1997 as a casual contract cleaner. Sharon was quickly adopted as part of the Penrhos family and went on to become ‘the tea-room lady’, tending to the needs of staff hosting events, until mid-2007.

Sharon’s talents extended far beyond the staff-room - she subsequently added another string to her bow, when her role expanded to assisting Secondary School staff with their printing needs. As Print Room requirements increased, Sharon’s responsibilities grew too and she became the Print Room Clerk, responsible for all the internal College printing needs. For the last nine years, Sharon has managed our evolving printer models and has managed to ‘master’ them all; even when our printers played up at the worst possible time, the cool and calm ‘Queen of the Print Room’ could be counted on to hold fast, find a solution and restore order.

To many of us, Sharon is not just a work colleague, she is a confidante and a valued friend. Quiet and unassuming, efficient and accommodating, anything asked of Sharon would seem to materialise in seconds and those last-minute forgotten jobs were never too much trouble for her.

We wish Sharon many blessings as she and her husband, Kevin spend their future years between their house in Perth and their property in Beverley, enjoying time with their three children and grandchildren.

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Penrhos celebrates NAIDOC Week A week of NAIDOC celebrations connected our students, staff and parents to this year’s theme of ‘Heal Country’ as we continue to raise awareness of the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

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tudents and staff participated in a range of themed activities across campus, including a community canvas design to symbolise unity, a Ngala Maya stall - Ngala Maya means ‘Our Place’ in Noongar and the unified name given to our Aboriginal students, the highly anticipated Ngala Maya vs Wesley Moorditj Mob netball game and an exciting live performance by the South Summit Band. The highlight of the week was a special Assembly to kick off the celebrations, organised by the Student Reconciliation Committee and Jess O’Donnell, our Aboriginal Liaison Officer.

The annual NAIDOC Assembly began with the construction of an ephemeral Aboriginal art sand mural on the Rixon Theatre stage and included live performances, karaoke and cultural music. The sand mural was designed by students Lytoni Cheinmora and Chiara Miller-Sabbioni, depicting the ‘Wagyl’ (rainbow serpent) and Derbarl Yerrigan (the Swan River) to symbolise this year’s NAIDOC theme of ‘Heal Country’.

A meeting place in the centre of the mural represented the Penrhos community and the significance of our meeting together on Whadjuk boodjar (country).

This was the first time our Ngala Maya students had performed their traditional dance together – it was a wonderful experience for the girls, which was shared by the whole school community. We are proud of and grateful to both our Ngala Maya girls and our Reconciliation Committee, who worked tirelessly to create such an amazing celebratory week of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures for the Penrhos community to experience.

Drama production: Shrek the Musical Penrhos College has a proud history of presenting outstanding drama and dance productions to the wider community – our 2021 spectacular was, yet again, a fantastic co-curricular highlight.

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ased on the 2001 DreamWorks Animation film Shrek, along with elements from its sequels and William Steig's 1990 book Shrek, this year’s production of Shrek the Musical was a heart-warming performance about a lovable ogre who resides in an ugly swamp and is determined to save his home from the tyrant Lord Farquaad. The story proudly celebrates individuality, diversity and challenges conventional notions of beauty.

The original Broadway production, featuring music

by Jeanine Tesori and lyrics by David Lindsay-Abaire, opened in December 2008 and closed after a 13-month run. The musical premiered in Australia at the Sydney Lyric Theatre in early 2020, but unfortunately the pandemic brought the season to an unexpected halt.

Penrhos students were delighted to have the opportunity to perform in this spectacular production in our stateof-the-art Rixon Theatre, under the direction and guidance of an incredibly dedicated Performing Arts team including David Ballantyne, Vanessa Best, Jamie Rutherford, Jaime Illichmann, Mardi Shaw, Ryan Sedgwick, Jackson Griggs and Jamie Evans. Lighting up the stage with their positive energy and evident love of performing was our diverse group of 90 cast, crew and orchestra members ranging from Year 7 — 12. The cast also included several current students and Old Boys from Wesley and Aquinas Colleges, as well as students from Murdoch University.

Head of Department, David Ballantyne notes ‘It was a challenge to maintain continuity in the 2021 climate, with all the COVID restrictions compromising some of

our rehearsals. However, the energy of the cast remained positive and their commitment to achieving their very best dominated the reduced rehearsal period. It was a fun show, with colourful costumes, upbeat songs and a great message for both young and old.’

The fun-filled evening of entertainment gave students the opportunity to excel in both performance and production roles, culminating in a high-quality event that was enjoyed across the Penrhos College community.

Local Como resident Glenice told us “I am still quite unable to get the show out of my mind, we so enjoyed the story and the amazing talent of everyone on stage!

The costumes were great and the backup of the orchestra was fabulous”.

Audiences were so impressed by the performance that the College received numerous letters of praise and thanks. “The acting, singing, costumes and stage settings were absolutely incredible and of such an amazingly high and professional standard. The orchestra also performed to sheer perfection. Basically, just wow!” wrote another Como resident.

The Penrhos annual production is an experience that participating cast and crew members treasure for ever, where great memories are made and lasting friendships are formed. It is also an event that audiences make a point of booking to see year after year, including Penrhos community member Audrey who says “This was on par with the best musicals I have seen in London. My friends and I were overwhelmed by the production, the costumes and the very talented cast. Thank you so much.

We are certainly looking forward to next year.”

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Year 12 General English students

Bridging the years: memoir writing connects Penrhos students with members of our alumni

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he Penrhos community includes a diverse group of women with a wealth of knowledge and experience. Cultivating a meaningful connection with members of our alumni, while also developing specific oral and written communications skills, our Year 12 General English students embarked on a meaningful and rewarding memoir writing project this year under the direction of English teacher Marissa Godwin.

Memoir writing, also known as legacy writing, is the art of identifying those events which are of the most profound significance to an individual and bringing it to life on the page so that future generations can intimately experience it.

With the support of the College Foundation through a Helping Hand grant, Marissa Godwin along with Penrhos Community Engagement Coordinator, Caroline Jenkins facilitated this incredible opportunity for our Year 12 General English students to connect with Penrhos Old Girls on a regular basis throughout the year. Each student created a detailed memoir based upon interviews with their alumni partner while fully exploring the craft of writing in this genre.

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Through the project, the girls were exposed to the lives of women in different eras and socio-historical contexts in an authentic manner. They nurtured their connections, developed their questioning and conversation skills and took pride in creating a voice for their alumni partners who all had a story to tell.

“The whole process has been wonderful in so many ways for our daughter,” says Tracey, parent of a participating Year 12 student. “From meeting and interviewing a lady she really admires, to forming a wonderful friendship and bond - to producing an excellent piece of writing that has seen her achieve the highest mark of her entire Secondary School life.”

The bond formed between student and Old Girl was rewarding in equal measure. “It was a great pleasure to share the memoir project with my Year 12 writer. I am filled with admiration for her love of nature, and sense of adventure, tempered with a practical mind and a maturity beyond her years,” writes the alumni partner of Tracey’s daughter.

Though a new initiative this year, the memoir project is one that has demonstrated the power of connection through storytelling, a simple yet invaluable way to enrich the lives of our students and provide a platform to share the lives of our alumni for their families and grandchildren to come.

Caring for our community Renee Poetschka Service Learning Coordinator

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aring for others is at the heart of our Penrhos community. Given the many challenges presented by the current COVID-19 pandemic, it has been uplifting to see such a show of solidarity exhibited through volunteering by our students.

teams across Junior and Secondary schools as well as the Boarding House. Whilst in the wider community our students volunteered at local sporting clubs, charity organisations, Perth festivals, church groups and various other community organisations.

With the chance to learn experientially through the many service opportunities available, our students have been able to discover where their passions lie whilst undertaking community service projects. These experiences have further aided them to make informed choices about their future and career paths, whilst also instilling a lifelong interest in giving back.

This year we added two new programs to the line-up of community service initiatives started by previous students, which are now continued by our current cohorts - Living Child by Ava Lindegger and the Birthing Kit Foundation started by Isabella Crees (winner of the Meg Melville Alumni Endeavour Award 2020).

Community service is an essential way for students to explore their interests, demonstrate what they believe in and, in some cases, define a possible career path. It develops an increased sense of social responsibility and gives students a global view of society and a ‘heart’ for giving back whilst helping others. Through our many different initiatives, our students have developed selfesteem, gained confidence, learned new skills, formed positive relationships and made social connections.

In 2021, our Secondary School students continued to assist Junior School girls at various sporting carnivals, discos, and music eisteddfods, in addition to Dramafest, Shrek the Musical, movie nights, rowing fundraisers, Valedictory events and school tours. The Pen Pals Project with Collier Park Retirement Village also continued, where wonderful friendships were formed between residents and students.

Our older students provided their expertise at various homework clubs and in coaching sport and debating

My thanks go to all those staff, parents and community members who have given their time to either support or attend activities with our students, and to provide them with opportunities to learn the value of service to others.

Our Community Service Captain, Alice Hurst has been an amazing role model to younger students and an encouraging leader in the way of service. Community Service Representatives - thank you for advocating to your year groups and investing time in promoting service to your peers. Thank you also to Kristy Banner, who has worked tirelessly with our Year 7 - 8 students to provide opportunities to use their talents and encouraging them to undertake service. We are very fortunate at Penrhos to also have Kathy Bailey and Anneliese Hopkins, our administrative assistants who make the Community Service office a wonderfully inviting place to work.

To our Penrhos students – without you, many activities and events would not run. You are the heart, body, mind, and spirit of Penrhos, and I enjoy working with each and every one of you.

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Penrhos music plays out in the real world 2021 was an exciting year for music at Penrhos, as the College took out a raft of musical accolades and marked up a number of alumni success stories!

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ach year, the Music department presents a vibrant program of concerts, eisteddfods and events to showcase our emerging musical talent. As part of our comprehensive K-12 music program, Penrhos students attend high quality workshops and musical performances, participate in performance ensembles, school concerts and services, together with community functions, external festivals and competitions.

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Our aim is to provide opportunities for everyone to grow as musicians, to gain experience on stage and in concert, and to learn from both leading Australian and international industry professionals.

We have had another busy and successful year in the Music Department, and the girls have continued to maintain an outstanding performance tradition at a number of significant events, including the St George’s Cathedral Recital series and the Visiting Artist concert with Michelle Leonard in the beautiful St Patricks Basilica in Fremantle.

Michelle Leonard (OAM) is the founding Artistic Director and conductor of the Leichhardt Espresso Chorus and its chamber choir Ristretto, and the Artistic Director of the Moorambilla Voices Regional Children’s Choirs. The Visiting Artist program, a collaborative program shared with Wesley and Aquinas Colleges is an annual highlight on the Music calendar, and this year’s performance saw the combined choirs performing a selection of pieces by Australian composers based on a reimagining of pieces from Handel’s Messiah.

As a result of our collaboration with Michelle, we were also privileged to perform the WA premiere of a new and exciting work by Victorian composer Kevin Barker, Salt Spirits, inspired by Lake Ballard at our recent Music Gala concert. Featuring choir, strings, prepared piano, vibraphone and soprano saxophone, it was certainly a highlight, and a wonderful experience for the girls.

Our Wind Orchestra and String Orchestra both received awards of Outstanding at the recent WA Schools Band and Orchestra festivals, Basie Band and Coltrane Jazz

also giving excellent performances as part of the WA Schools Jazz Festival. Our Basie Band and Coltrane Jazz performed in two exceptional performances in the amazing Edith Spiegeltent at WAAPA as part of the Western Australian Schools’ Jazz Festival. Jazz at the Ellington became Jazz at the Llew Woodford due to Covid-19 restrictions, with the usual exciting program of classics, favourites and standards from the Golden Age of Jazz performed by our Basie and Coltrane jazz bands and joined by our Vox choir.

2021 has been a year of incredible individual achievement by Penrhos Music students - including Julia Shipman (Year 8), who won first prize in the WA Flute Competition (under 13 category) and Poppy Savage (also Year 8), who was invited to attend the Australian Music Examinations Board (AMEB) Senior Awards Presentation Ceremony at the Octagon Theatre. The AMEB Award is a program in which Music, and Speech and Drama candidates can combine AMEB examinations with performances and service activities within their schools and/or communities to achieve either a Bronze, Silver or Gold award. Poppy was recognised with the first AMEB Gold award to be presented to a Penrhos student and went on to successfully audition for a place in the Victorian College of the Arts School in Melbourne and is relocating in January to concentrate on specialist violin training.

Serving as a great inspiration to the next upcoming generation of musicians at Penrhos, many of our alumni have gone on to study at national and international institutions of musical excellence, they have performed in major orchestras and have

pursued careers as soloists and conductors around the world. Nicola Boud (1994) for example, Penrhos alum and music graduate from The University of Western Australia, was appointed Professor of Historical Clarinet at the prestigious Conservatoire de Paris earlier this year, where she is believed to be the first female to hold this position in the institution’s 226-year history.

Closer to home, Jen Winley (1995) was recently appointed by the West Australian Symphony Orchestra as Assistant Conductor for 2022. Jen completed a Bachelor of Music Performance in Percussion at the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts, graduating top of her class in 1999, before going on to work as percussionist with the Melbourne, Adelaide, Tasmanian and West Australian symphony orchestras, as well as with the Orchestra Victoria and Academy of Melbourne. There is no doubt that Jen is now one of Western Australia’s brightest rising stars in the conducting world.

Penrhos is proud to be a leader in WA music education, with a reputation for excellent performance standards. We look forward to presenting a diverse and engaging range of events in 2022, including Eumeralla, a war requiem for peace presented by West Australian Symphony Orchestra. With a fusion of Western classical tradition and First Nations culture, Eumeralla soars with resilience and reconciliation.

Scheduled for September 2022 (after being cancelled this year due to Covid), Eumeralla will continue to showcase the amazing work of our talented and dedicated students, and is set to be a Music calendar highlight not to be missed.

Poppy Savage (Year 8)

Nicola Boud (1994)

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Summer reflections — living with hope Rev Claire Pickering Chaplain

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t has been said that “[Human beings] can live about forty days without food, about three days without water, about eight minutes without air, but only for one second without hope.” Hope is a good thing, a profound and powerful part of who we are and essential to our existence.

is hope that motivates us, leads us to learn and grow, helps us persevere and connects us.

Hope can be defined as both desire and anticipation.

When we hope, we desire something – we want, dream and strive. When we hope, we anticipate it happening – we foresee, believe and await. According to Psychology Today: “To hope for something is to desire that thing, and to believe, rightly or wrongly, that the probability of it happening, though less than one, is greater than nought.”

The story of Simeon and Anna (in Luke 2:22-40) is about hope, an extraordinary, generational hope that, one day, God was going to send a saviour – God’s own Son, who would show them God’s love and make a way for all people to know and have a relationship with God. Simeon and Anna had been dreaming and believing this would happen for their entire lifetime.

In other words, we hope for a specific thing to happen, a situation to change or an experience to improve. This hope may be vast and immovable, or sometimes less certain and shaky. But ultimately, it

Here is their story, adapted from Women of the Bible,

by Ann Spangler and Jean E. Syswerda. May this part of the Christmas story uplift and inspire you to hope.

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What are you hoping for in your own life, in the lives of loved ones, for our school community, or for our world?

ong ago Solomon had built the first temple in Jerusalem, an elaborate, white limestone structure, inlaid with gold. Zerubbabel built the second temple when the Jews returned from their captivity in Babylon. Herod the Great built the third temple in Jerusalem, where Simeon and Anna worshipped.

One day, as Anna walked through the Court of the Gentiles, a small bird darted past her, flew into the Women’s Court and then into the Court of Israel.

Anna blinked as she watched the beating wings, swerve into the sunlight and vanish. She wondered into which privileged corner of the temple the little bird had disappeared.

This temple had four successive courts, each one more exclusive than the one before it. The outer court was known as the Court of the Gentiles, the only place where non-Jews were allowed. The inner court was divided into the Women’s Court and the Court of Israel. Jewish women and men could enter the Women’s Court, but only Jewish men were allowed into the Court of Israel. Next, the Court of the Priests surrounded the Most Holy Place and was only accessible to the priesthood.

Anna was 84 years old, and for at least 60 years she had been a widow. When her husband died, Anna relinquished a normal lifestyle and chose to spend her days and nights worshipping God in the temple.

Every day, she spent hours in the Women’s Court praying and fasting. Whilst the customs of the time restricted the physical location of her worship, it did not strangle her love for God or diminish her hope in the ancient promises of God – promises of a saviour.

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In the court, Anna bowed her head and began to recite a familiar Psalm – How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord Almighty! My soul yearns for the courts of the Lord; my heart and flesh cry out for the living God. Even the sparrow has found a home and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may have her young – a place near your altar, Lord Almighty, my King and my God (Psalm 84:1-3).

Suddenly a voice interrupted her prayer. She looked up and saw old Simeon holding a baby to his breast, saying words that instantly stirred and thrilled her heart: “Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you may now dismiss your servant in peace. For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all people – a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel.”

spilled from her lips and her heart felt buoyant.

She knew this baby was the promised one, God’s own Son – Jesus.

He would scatter the darkness, and bring righteousness and deliverance for all people, for all time. She – Anna – a widow and a prophet from the tribe of Asher, had witnessed the very presence of the Holy One. Now she too felt like a sparrow soaring freely in the temple, her deepest hope fulfilled. God was breaking down the walls and revealing himself to all who hungered for his presence. That day, this child transformed the Women’s Court into the holiest place of all.

Anna watched as the child’s parents listened, amazed by the man’s words. She wondered, could it be true, the enduring hope of generations revealed, here? As Simeon handed the infant back to his mother, Anna approached. She placed an arm gently around the young mother’s shoulders and gazed down at the sleeping infant. Words of thanksgiving immediately

Farewell from Rev Claire Pickering I have been incredibly fortunate to be the Chaplain at Penrhos since Term 2 2016. Over the years, I have learned and grown so much, have had wonderful experiences, and have had the chance to meet and work alongside so many talented and amazing students, staff and community members across Junior School, Secondary School and Operational Services. It really has been an honour and a joy. Thank you for the opportunity, for all the respect, kindness, care and encouragement that I have received, and for the many ways in which all of you have made my time here so special, meaningful and unforgettable. I wish everyone well for the future – I pray that God’s blessing will follow you, and that your lives will be filled with wonder, love and hope. A final blessing…

May God’s blessings follow you as you journey along the way.

May you walk safely along the pathways of your dreams.

May God’s gentle hands guide the decisions you make and the passions you follow.

May your hearts and lives always nurture and reflect love and truth.

And may hope be a light within you that you carry into each new day. Amen.

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A boarding parent’s perspective – Sue Hawkey Mother of Grace Hawkey (Year 12 boarder)

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ow, what a fantastic journey! Sadly, we have come to the end of our boarding years at Penrhos College. Our daughter, Grace Hawkey has just finished Year 12 after completing four action-filled years of boarding. And what a finale it has been!!

As a good friend of mine said recently “When it comes to school formalities, Penrhos do it right” and I can say proudly after these four years – they certainly do! The final few weeks at Penrhos was filled with tradition and celebrations that will be forever cherished, especially Flower Day and the Valedictory Dinner.

Home for us is in on a farmlet in Esperance, where we run a small engine / motorcycle dealership. It was always our dream for Grace to board in Perth whilst completing Secondary School, and Penrhos College was our first choice. We applied for a Mind, Body and Spirit Bursary and were delighted to be successful - it was the generosity of the College, in the form of this bursary, that enabled the dream to come true for our family.

From day one, Grace felt right at home. Within a short time, she had a dozen new sisters and her own private bedroom, she was enjoying fabulous catering and endless activities. We would quite often say to her “How’s the resort going for you, Grace?” The Boarding House environment has always had a happy and relaxed feel. Ms Hay, Mrs Langdon and Mrs Callaway have created a nurturing and relaxed haven for our girls.

As we had hoped, the opportunities offered to Grace have been endless. Being sporty, Grace loved the IGSSA sport program and rowing - as well as all the camping trips and retreats.

A highlight of Grace’s time at Penrhos would be the Laos trip, that she was fortunate to participate in during December 2019. We enjoy hearing her often reflect back on the trip, as she considers it was life changing for 26

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her in so many ways – Cambodian curries are now a favourite meal in our home.

On an academic note, the ongoing teacher support has been exceptional - this was particularly obvious through her final exam periods. The preparation and support from the College placed her in a confident position, ready to assail her finals. I’m sure I was not as calm and as well prepared all those years ago!

We know Grace will always stand proud as a past Penrhosian. We have loved being part of the Penrhos community, particularly enjoying the friendships and gatherings with other boarding families.

When COVID-19 came into our lives, we were fortunate enough for several generous Penrhos families to welcome Grace into their home as a day girl. For these new friendships, we are forever grateful – Grace had the opportunity to meet yet more wonderful friends, who can to come visit us during the summer!

Now, as we bookmark this chapter of our daughter’s life, we can quite proudly say that our young girl from the bush has most definitely turned into an extraordinary young woman. Her Penrhosian seeds are planted in well-prepared ground and her flourishing future beckons ahead.

Life as a boarder Isabella Critch Year 11 boarder (2022 Boarding House Captain) 1. Why did your parents decide to send you to Penrhos?

I live on my family farm in a rural country town called Mullewa, which is an hour east of Geraldton.

We had the choice between me travelling on a bus every day for two hours to go to boarding school. My parents eventually felt that boarding would be best – it would open up so many opportunities, not only in terms of a wide variety of sports and co-curricular choices, but also the chance for me to experience city life!

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

My first few weeks at the College involved a whirlwind of sports, activities, making friends and of course homesickness. When I first began at Penrhos I did every activity I could, as I hadn’t had much of an opportunity to try many sports at home - I was ecstatic to be able to do everything and anything I wanted, and to have so many opportunities at my fingertips.

My mum (Jen Critch, 1995) and aunty (Susannah Edwards, 2000) are both Penrhos Old Girls, who loved their Penrhos journey – so, when deciding on a boarding school for me, Penrhos was the clear choice. I am so happy to be in a school where my family has such a connection – I also get to welcome my younger sister into Year 7 next year.

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

My brother is in Year 8 at Wesley College, which is lucky for me, as it means I get to see him between visits home. With my sister coming to Penrhos next year, all three children will soon be living out of home for the first time. I’m guessing this means I’ll be seeing a lot more of my parents!

2. How did you feel when you first came to Penrhos?

I first came to Penrhos in 2017 when I was in Year 7. I arrived as a tiny little 11 year-old who was so overwhelmed by this new place - the College was so huge and very different to my small country school of 50 people in total! I was so nervous - as you would expect going into a completely new environment.

I was also very excited, as I had spent years watching all the ‘big kids’ around my town pack up and go off to ‘the big smoke’ which is what we call boarding schools - I was so excited it was finally my turn to join them.

I am also extremely lucky to have my grandparents living right around the corner from the College - with the added benefit of them being Fremantle Dockers members, so I often get to go to and watch games with them and my brother.

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

I appreciate how lucky I am to have all the facilities that boarding offers me - I get picked up and dropped at all off-campus sports, I have access to a full buffet dinner every night, I am served breakfast every other morning and I get to live right on campus, which makes being late to

school very tricky! Besides all the benefits and facilities available to me, boarding means I get to make friendships and memories that I will treasure forever.

6. What has your highlight been while Boarding at Penrhos?

I’ve been boarding for five years now and I would have to say my top highlight to date is hanging out and playing games in the common room on weekends. My favourite game is Marco Polo, where one of us is blindfolded and by using the ‘Marco-polo technique' the girl then has the challenge of locating the rest of us. It always results in all the boarders being on the floor in laughing fits!

7. What are your plans for Boarding House Captain next year?

I am so honoured to have been appointed Boarding House Captain for 2022. Ms Langdon, our newlyannounced leadership team and I have so many fun initiatives planned to make next year one of the best ever. We are looking forward to building a stronger bond with our brother school Wesley College, to inspiring student leadership in the younger years by creating an intrayear group council and starting to focus on how we can become more sustainable and environmentallyfriendly too.

Let’s just say I am so excited and looking forward to fully immersing myself in this new and exciting role!

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FROM THE PENRHOS FOUNDATION PRESIDENT

From the Penrhos Foundation President Chris Gee Foundation President

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he Foundation’s role is often a balance between providing security for the long term, whilst supporting College projects to ensure Penrhos remains firmly at the forefront of girls’ education - with cutting-edge facilities and the very best resources.

Meet the Board 2021 Board members • Chris Gee President • Sally Audeyev Vice President • Alistair Baron Secretary • Kay Kelly Treasurer • Bruce Broadbent • Molly Delaney • Helen Jones • Kay Lee • Simon Woods Representatives from the College who sit on the Foundation Board: • Kalea Haran Principal • Stephen Cooper Director, Finance & Administration • Paula Barrow Director, Marketing and Development • Sarah Woods Development Coordinator • Karen Ambrose Minutes Secretary

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College tuition fees cover just 70% of the College’s operating costs, with the balance made up of government funding and grants. One of the Foundation’s longer-term aims is to be able to support the College, students and parents (current and future) by enabling a sustainable level of tuition fees in the event of changes to College funding.

An important part of the Foundation’s support for the College is working closely with the Penrhos Development Office on building and encouraging a range of activities for the benefit of all. Our fundraising approach is designed to ensure the Foundation consistently and proactively supports the College and current students, whilst at the same time promoting a culture of reciprocal support from students, staff, parents, alumni and the wider community.

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

In this first year, we supported: • The Penrhos Full Circle wellbeing initiative led by College psychologist Tracy Hart • The Alumni Memoirs project, in which Year 12 General English students were paired with an alumni partner, who they then interviewed to create special memoirs to document their lives • Presentations by guest speaker Melinda Tankard Reist on hyper-sexualisation and the objectification of women and girls, along with the importance of media literacy, mental health and self-worth

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• An ‘evening in conversation’ with internationallyacclaimed author guest speaker, Dervla McTiernan, with a rare Q&A session and book signing • An eight-week wellness program on self-care and mental wellbeing for our Year 8 boarders • The creation of a design concept for a proposed sustainable garden space in the Junior School Grants to be rolled out in 2022 include: • Sponsorship of the Ngala Maya alumni mentoring program, to support current Aboriginal students and young alumni • Funding to showcase more Ngala Maya student dance performances in 2022 • Celebration of our historic sister school Kobeelya’s centenary • A 70 year staff reunion in 2022 to bring past staff members back to campus to reconnect • A Buddy Bench in the Year 5 garden space pitched by Year 5 students Emma and Rhea who wanted a safe place for students who may be feeling lonely • Jewellery laser-cutting workshops for parents in the new Meg Melville Science Innovation Centre • A commercial pizza oven for the Penrhos community to enjoy • Catering for the Penrhos Classroom Experience in which Year 8-9 families attend workshops to collaboratively complete tasks, engaging parents with the Penrhos learning experience The Helping Hand initiative is in addition to our existing support for Parent Support Groups and the Foundation’s ongoing support for Penrhos’ Round Square membership which commenced in 2020.

Having closely collaborated with the Development Office to raise an outstanding $674,000 for the Meg Melville Science Innovation Centre capital project - via a range of initiatives including cohort campaigns, Annual Giving, the Tuition Fees Raffle, sponsorship of plaques on the feature Periodic Table and naming rights to areas within the new building – the Foundation has very much enjoyed the first year of activity in the new facility, following its launch at the beginning of Term 1 2021. The final piece was completed on 12 November as we officially launched and named the Alumni Lookout on the rooftop garden, having continued to work with the Alumni Committee through 2021 on an extended campaign to raise the funds to sponsor this special place in honour of all Penrhos alumni.

We have enjoyed a wonderful first year working with incoming Principal Kalea Haran. Kalea is a great champion of community engagement and a passionate advocate of the Foundation. As part of the focus on community engagement in 2021 we hosted our first weekend, parents-only event - the Gin and Jazz Soiree - with Kalea as our star guest. The night was a tremendous success (a total sell out with a waitlist!) and we look forward to welcoming parents, staff and friends to similar events in the future.

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

I would like to thank all of my fellow board members, who generously give their time and expertise each year. In particular, I would like to acknowledge new members who commenced in 2021, Kay Lee, Molly Delaney and Kay Kelly.

I would additionally like to pass on my thanks to everyone beyond the Foundation Board for their support in 2021 – particularly to College staff, members of Council, members of the Alumni Committee, the many Parent Support Group representatives and to our generous donors.

Thanks to our donors The Penrhos College Foundation sincerely thanks the following donors, who have generously given to the College since the last Penrhosian in July 2021.

K. Ballard S. Baguley A. Baron K. Baumwol M. Caraiscos H. Cardoso M. Ciancotti E. Chu S. de Gruchy G. Gacho R. Gardner

A. Gunawan K. Di Marco T. Gregg C. Hannah A. Honey D. Izzard L. Jessop M. Klenke K. Lazidis G. Lim E. Lysle

T. Moorhouse S. Moramganti T. Neesham C. Rossi P. San Martin B. Simunovic-Vejo S. Tanna D. Taylor B. Yuan

I wish everyone a restful holiday and I look forward to what already promises to be a full and rewarding second semester.

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Foundation’s Helping Hand delivers with impact

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his year, the Penrhos College Foundation launched its new Helping Hand initiative which involved the award of almost $100,000 in grants to staff and students who presented ideas on how to improve, enhance or enrich the Penrhos community experience for the benefit of all. Grants included internationally renowned guest speakers, parent workshops, a wellness program, a memoir project connecting students with alumni, an Aboriginal support mentor placement, a community pizza oven and a buddy bench for Junior School, to name but a few.

“We have been very impressed with the calibre of proposals received in this first year,” said Penrhos College Foundation President, Chris Gee. “We have been able to fund a broad range of projects with something for all ages and interests.

We were particularly looking for those initiatives that engage the greater community and bring people together.”

In 2022, we will celebrate the centenary of Kobeelya, our former sister school in Katanning and the Foundation has contributed towards celebration of our shared history.

2022 is also the 70 year anniversary for Penrhos; as part of the celebrations, Foundation is also supporting a special 70-year staff reunion to encourage the development of still stronger bonds across our community, particularly across past and present members of staff (who are also, in their own way, alumni of the College).

“We will be opening up applications for Helping Hand grants once again in 2022, so if you are a student or a member of staff and have an idea that will benefit the Penrhos community, please be encouraged to submit it via the College website at penrhos.wa.edu.au/helpinghand” said Chris.

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Meet our 2021 Tuition Fees Raffle winner

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hat a wonderful surprise to end the year for the Petersen family! Amy Petersen held the lucky winning ticket for the 2021 Tuition Fees Raffle and will receive $20,000 credit towards her daughter’s tuition fees for 2022. Amy said she was in shock when Foundation President, Chris Gee, called her on the night of the live draw at the annual Thank You Sundowner on 12 November to say she had won.

“Honestly, I never win anything and I just couldn’t believe it. I think it has taken a few days to actually sink in, but we are so grateful,” says Amy, who went on to explain why winning the prize money could not have come at a better time. “We are about to renovate our house in a crazy COVID-19 building market, so knowing the school fees are taken care of takes a huge amount of pressure off our finances. I’m pretty sure the kids are now hoping for a pool though!” says Amy.

Amy urged everyone to give the raffle a go.

“Absolutely everyone should buy a ticket, I never would have thought I would win! The Foundation both supports the College and offers scholarships to girls who ordinarily wouldn’t get the opportunity to experience Penrhos.

The raffle is an opportunity to support those programs - winning the prize was definitely a fabulous bonus!”

“We would like to thank Foundation President Chris Gee and the Penrhos College Foundation for such an incredibly generous prize – we also want to recognize their ongoing support for the College. Thank you to school staff and to Principal Kalea Haran for giving our daughter such a wonderful start at Penrhos.”

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Photo gallery: Penrhos College events

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Flower Day Founders Day

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Havana Nights Junior School Grandparents and Friends

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Shrek the Musical Year 7 Grandparents and Friends Thank You Sundowner

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Picnic and Pictures Penrhosian Christmas Lunch Dervla McTiernan

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Women in leadership Lieutenant Commander Gabby Dobson Boarding amongst the pines Celebrating 50 years of Penrhos boarding CELEBRATING

YEARS

Extraordinary Women

Biannual magazine for the Penrhos alumni community

Extraordinary Women… and a few good men In recognition of the members of our alumni who studied with us as boys (1952– early 1980s)

Contents

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From the President of the Alumni Committee

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From the Old Kobeelyans’ Association President

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Cover feature - Women in leadership: achieving an equal future

Helen Carr Alumni Committee President

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Boarding amongst the pines - celebrating 50 years of Penrhos boarding

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Out and about

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Photo gallery: Alumni events

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Recap on reunions

From the President of the Alumni Committee eing a member of the Penrhos College Alumni Association means I am part of a network of accomplished and capable women, many of whom are life-long friends. It also means being connected to a community, to which my two daughters also belong. I am proud to share this connection with my girls – and I hope that one day in the future, their daughters will become Penrhos Old Girls too.

We are very pleased to announce that our Business Directory is live for viewing and will be formally launched in the new year. We have already received over 100 submissions and I delighted that the platform is already being used to connect current parents and alumni with each other’s businesses. The invitation to register is ongoing for business owners and we encourage members of our community to jump online and support one another.

Stay tuned also for the launch of our Mentoring Program, which is scheduled for 2022. This exciting new initiative will provide the opportunity for alumni to connect with and offer professional support to fellow alumni. We will be able to virtually network around topics of interest, shared values, think-tanks and much more via roundtables and other meeting features.

COVER PHOTO Gabby Dobson.

Royal Australian Navy

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To register your interest in both the Business Directory and the Mentoring Program, please head to the alumni tab on the top navigation bar of the Penrhos website.

FROM THE PRESIDENT OF THE ALUMNI COMMITTEE

I am delighted that our 2022 Meg Melville Alumni Endeavour Award recipient is Sarah Shipman, who will use the grant to support and empower hearing-impaired students by providing key strategies and practical advice for the noisy classroom environment. Drawing on her own experience, Sarah aims to modify the school environment via simple adaptations, to make it more inclusive to people with hearing issues E.g. recording lessons so that students may look back and read lesson transcripts and displaying important lesson information in OneNote or on the whiteboard for girls to read.

College. Next year, we will be celebrating Penrhos’ 70th anniversary as well as the centenary of Kobeelya, our former sister school in Katanning.

We are fortunate that our key events have taken place as planned this year, despite the ongoing challenge of COVID-19. Highlights included the Mother-Daughter dinner (at which we welcomed the Class of 2021 into our alumni community), and the Alumni Soirée on opening night of the College Production, Shrek the Musical. We also held reunions for the Classes of 2019, 2011, 2001, 1991, 1981 and 1971, along with our first-ever 60-year reunion for the Class of 1961.

It was wonderful to stand at the top of the Penrhos world with so many of the 167 alumni and families who donated towards the formal naming of the Alumni Lookout on the rooftop deck of the Meg Melville Science Innovation Centre – making our dream of two years a reality. The Alumni Lookout is a symbolic place, from which past students may watch over, guide and inspire our current and future students. We are sincerely grateful to our founding donors, as well to as the many Penrhos alumni who generously give of their time and expertise in support of our College, alumni, students and wider community.

We were proud to acknowledge 50 years of Penrhos Boarding with a dedicated reunion and we also marked the occasion at our Founders’ Day celebrations this year, as each of our current boarders was presented with a commemorative pin to wear on their blazer. Alumni and their families joined us as we presented their daughters and granddaughters with the Alumni Family Badge – also to be worn on the students’ blazers - to symbolise their family’s multi-generational relationship with the

View from the Alumni Lookout

In October we hosted our first Alumni Association Spring brunch event for the whole Penrhos community. More than than 60 guests enjoyed wonderful company and a delicious spread at Gucce restaurant in Applecross. Please see page 13 for a list of reunions and important dates for 2022, we very much hope you will be able to join us!

If you are interested in becoming involved in the work of the Alumni Committee, please get in touch by emailing alumni@penrhos.wa.edu.au - I look forward to hearing from you and to seeing you at one of our upcoming events.

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From the Old Kobeelyans’ Association President Jill Clarke (1972 - 76/77) Association President

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he Old Kobeelyans’ Association was founded in 1929 and is the incorporated body of the former students and staff of Kobeelya Church of England Girls School (1922-1975) and Kobeelya Penrhos (1976-1986). Our overarching goal is to keep the Kobeelya and Kobeelya Penrhos school history, friendships and connections alive.

Harvest has begun and the countdown to Christmas and the summer holiday is well underway. We have been busy planning the 100-year anniversary celebrations and reunion which will take place at Kobeelya in Katanning on Saturday, 10 September 2022. We are looking forward to celebrating the sixty-year history of our unique school and the special friendships formed from 1922 to 1986.

Penrhos College will also host celebrations of Kobeelya’s centenary at its Como campus in Perth next year, with a special garden party and naming event scheduled to take place on Thursday, 3 March 2022.

Please mark this date in your diary – more details will be shared soon, and I would love to see everyone there.

We have continued to build upon our link and

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connection with Penrhos College over the past 12 months. In September, Principal Kalea Haran wrote a letter to Kobeelya alumni with an invitation to connect and join the Penrhos alumni community. By sharing their contact details with alumni@penrhos.wa.edu.au, Old Kobeelyans can receive alumni communications, publications and other Penrhos benefits, including eligibility for our daughters and granddaughters to apply for the annual Margaret Way scholarship. I encourage Kobeelya alumni to get in contact if you haven’t received the letter, you can email me at okapresident1@gmail.com Kalea and Community Engagement Coordinator, Caroline Jenkins, also attended our AGM this year to meet with OKA members and exchange ideas.

Both visited Kobeelya again in October and hosted a sundowner at the Premier Mill for our former students and staff on the eve of the Katanning Show. Many stories from across the decades and lots of laughs were shared.

We are fortunate to have so many Old Kobeelyans who are still very much connected and passionate about where we went to school. Each year, we typically have at least three Working Bee events and we are also able

C E L E B R AT I N G

YEARS

IN 2022

2022 Dates

Working Bee @ Kobeelya Friday, 25 February to Sunday, 27 February

Centenary Garden Party Thursday, 3 March @ Penrhos College

Harmony Festival Katanning Saturday, 19 March – museum open

Coffee date Saturday, 26 March or Sunday, 27 March in Busselton – TBC to undertake refurbishment / restoration projects via the generous support of former students. In this way, the old fluorescent lights in the former Coach House, now the museum, have recently been replaced. In addition, the bell, which was once a distinctive landmark of the Kobeelya grounds, is currently under renovation - when complete, it will be proudly displayed at the front of the museum.

One of the goals of the Old Kobeelyans’ Association is to locate and preserve archival material for display at our museum, which is situated in the old Coach House on the former grounds. Visitors are always welcome, we love sharing the Kobeelya story with both former students and new visitors – our museum is open on Saturday afternoons between 1.30 - 2.30pm, donations of old uniforms and other memorabilia are always greatly appreciated.

2022 promises to be a very special year for all of us, as we come together to celebrate significant milestones in the histories of both our Colleges - 70 years of Penrhos and the 100-year anniversary of Kobeelya. We look forward to a year of shared community, celebration and connection through 2022.

Working Bee @ Kobeelya Friday, 13 May to Sunday, 15 May

Pink Lunch Our annual city lunch to raise funds for breast cancer Saturday, 30 July venue to be confirmed

Working Bee @ Kobeelya August - TBC

100th anniversary and reunion Saturday, 10 September – Sunday, 11 September @ Kobeelya

AGM Saturday, 10 September

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COVER FEATURE

Women in leadership: achieving an equal future Lieutenant Commander Gabby Dobson (Humphris, 2004)

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he United Nations’ theme for International Women's Day 2021 is Women in leadership: achieving an equal future in a COVID-19 world, with clear focus on celebrating global progress towards a more equal future. Penrhos alumna Gabby Dobson (Humphris) is committed to making a difference every day through her chosen career in the Royal Australian Navy. Here, she shares her story.

After graduating from Penrhos College, I joined the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) in 2006 as an undergraduate entry Maritime Warfare Officer. Sponsored by Defence, I spent the first two and half years in service completing my Bachelor degrees at Murdoch University. After graduating with a Bachelor of Forensics and a Bachelor of Science, majoring in Forensic Biology and Toxicology, Molecular Biology and Biomedical Science, I started my initial entry military training.

This was my first real introduction to military life. I learned all kinds of new skills, including boat driving, marching, parade and ceremonial practices, first aid, firefighting and military discipline to name just a few.

There was a whole range of leadership and team building exercises to support the incremental accumulation of experience, self-confidence and knowledge - over time, these helped me develop my own leadership style.

I served in a variety of different ships around the country, before being awarded my Bridge Watchkeeping Certificate in HMAS Warramunga. This certificate is a career milestone for any Maritime Warfare Officer; it acknowledges the perseverance, dedication to training, and leadership required to be in charge of a warship at sea. I have now been responsible for the day-to-day safety and operation of warships deployed on missions in the Middle East Area of Operations (MEAO), border protection off the Australian coast, and during international exercises in the South China Sea.

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My career has enabled me to travel the world and experience cultures and communities that are vastly different to our own. I’ve been privileged to serve alongside foreign naval forces in support of Australian defence and security interests, and I have built lifelong friendships with members of our Allied Defence Forces across the globe.

Throughout my career, I have been encouraged to push myself.

I have thoroughly enjoyed the challenge of working in a traditionally male-dominated environment, where I have been empowered to navigate a career pathway that sees me in a representational role here at the Naval College.

I have always been supported to develop myself both personally and professionally, having been sponsored to complete my Masters in Strategic People Management and given numerous opportunities for mentoring, leadership development and performance coaching. The current Navy culture is incredibly supportive of inclusion and diversity in the workplace; the usual obstacles one might expect females to encounter in progressing within an organisation have mostly been overcome due to a progressive culture, backed up with policy and governance to support

COVER FEATURE

2012 deployment to the Middle East

HMAS Creswell

the balance between career progression and competing family demands. As a mother of two young sons, I have found I have been supported in both my return to work and in my continued advancement in my chosen field.

not be worthy of my place in this organisation, I know that through my training, strength of character and dedication I have earned my successes to date, and I am confident that I will have the good fortune to be selected for a Command position in the future.

In my current role as Executive Officer of the Royal Australian Naval College (RANC) at HMAS Creswell, I have the honour to lead a high-performing team of staff whose focus is the training of new entry officers; facilitating their transition from civilian life into military service. In June, we graduated 173 new officers, of which almost 25% were female. This graduation was a special moment for me, as it was my first as XO RANC. I love having the chance to shape our newest leaders; particularly being a role-model for females joining the military, showing them they can step outside of traditional gender roles to achieve great things.

The Navy of the past is no longer; culturally, we have evolved into a thinking, fighting Navy where diversity in our workforce is recognised as an asset to capability.

We recognise that it is vital we embrace diversity; dismantling the many barriers to participation and capitalising on all skills, perspectives and experiences regardless of gender creates a culture of inclusion and inspires all members to flourish.

Sophie McPhail, Year 12 to train under Gabby Dobson leadership After a rigorous application process spanning 12 months - including one-on-one interviews, psychometrics, medical testing and Officer-selection board, Sophie McPhail (Year 12) has been accepted into Officer training in the Royal Australian Navy. It is a dream come true for Sophie, who has been focused on joining the RAN for the past five years with a view to specialising in Naval intelligence.

The McPhail family has a strong connection to the RAN – Sophie’s Dad served as a Clearance Diving Officer and her brother, Samuel is training to be a Marine Engineering Officer. We wish Sophie the very best of luck, as she moves to HMAS Creswell in Jervis Bay, NSW in February 2022 under the leadership and guidance of the Royal Australian Naval College’s Executive Officer and fellow Penrhos alum, Lieutenant Commander Gabby Dobson.

Even in a non-traditional vocational area for Australian women, as a proud member of the ADF I have felt empowered to follow my dreams, and continue to pursue greater challenges as doors open and I create opportunities for myself. Whilst I can occasionally suffer from a bout of ‘imposter syndrome’ and feel I may

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Boarding amongst the pines at Penrhos

CELEBRATING

YEARS

Wendy Quadrio (nee Stephen)

My time at Penrhos College has many highlights - I was very lucky to be in the College’s very first intake of boarders and one of the first Year 12s to ever study on the Penrhos campus in Como. Of course, at the time everything was completely new and exciting.

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n the newly-built boarding facility, Colwyn House, students lived on the upper floor where the bedroom cubicles lined the four sides of the building. Each cubicle had its own narrow window, that overlooked the sandy building site and pine trees.

Back then there was lots empty space on campus, which meant plenty of opportunity for us boarders to race skateboards up and down the hills – thinking back, it was probably dangerous as we didn’t wear helmets, but luckily no one got hurt!

which meant a very convenient trip over to school in the morning.

The four corner cubicles, slightly larger than the other rooms, were given to each of the four Year 12 boarders. A bridge connected the upper storey of the Boarding House to the top floor of the classrooms,

The building was also home to the Principal’s Office, as well as to rooms for the Boarding House mistress (Mrs Montgomery) and her assistant, who was always available at night.

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Downstairs in Colwyn House was a state-of-the-art kitchen where sometimes, just before bed, we could enjoy a hot chocolate. Then there was a dining room, lounge area and smaller rooms - including a music room where we could practise the piano. On Sundays we would have Sunday dinner, which I will always remember as typically including stale cake!

Back in 1971, the fashion was for white baggies (widelegged jeans) and skinny rib tops, which we knitted for ourselves in purple wool. We wore our hair long and gathered on either side of our heads covering our ears.

Our uniforms were worn as short as possible above our knees.

My boarding experience was slightly different to most other girls, as my parents decided I would benefit from a full boarding experience living with the other students even though we didn’t live far from the College. It suited me because I didn’t have to worry about getting to school each day or carting my books back and forth. It also meant I couldn’t get out of doing homework – the compulsory study every night did wonders for my weakest subject – Maths - which improved so much, I even started to enjoy it.

There are so many memories that I could share. One of our most iconic moments was in Year 12, when all the Year 12 boarders decided to hold a séance with a Ouija board in the Boarding House – we were all

ready to believe in life on the other side. Sometimes I would go home on Saturday or Sunday, for lunch.

Mum would pick me up and get me back to the boarding house before dinner. This also meant I could practise driving her mini, so that by the end of first term I had my licence – another great memory of my final year!

Obviously, I was very lucky compared to the younger boarders who mostly came from rural WA and who were often very homesick to begin with - I also remember a Year 8 student whose family was in Papua New Guinea. After the first two weeks of their first term, most girls were just about over feelings of homesickness, but they still had to wait weeks at a time before seeing their families – of course, at that time there was no internet, mobile phones or social media, so we were much less connected with our loved ones and the outside world… but in 1971, life in the boarding house amongst the pines, was also a lot less complex!

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2021 boarders celebrate 50 years of boarding

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Out and about The Penrhos College Marketing and Development team invites alumni to contribute to The Penrhosian magazine by emailing news items to alumni@penrhos.wa.edu.au. We publish alumni submissions in good faith, in the spirit of sharing and celebrating good news.

Sarah Commander (2006) recently married on Saturday, 18 September 2021 at the Guildford Grammar School Chapel, to Matthew Monkhouse (2005, Guildford leaver). One of her sisters, Alice Commander (2004) was Maid of Honour and other Penrhos leavers were in attendance, including Lucy Commander (1998). Sadly, Sarah’s other sister Catherine Commander (2000) was unable to attend due to COVID-19 travel restrictions.

Since graduating Natalie Dawson (Easther,1983) married the love of her life, Ric (Hale School, 1978) in 1992. Ric has since been her champion and support, believing always that a woman is more than a man’s equal.

Natalie lost her father to suicide in 1991 - she freely shares her tragic story, to promote open discussion and support about mental health and the impact it has on families. In the context of support, Natalie also shares her story to highlight that - although she had left Penrhos nearly 10 years before her family tragedy - both her fellow collegians and the Penrhos and Wesley pastoral care teams rallied around her through that exceptionally difficult time.

Natalie has since gone on to finish a B.Com, CPA and MBA, being awarded a scholarship to complete two units at Harvard and MIT as part of her MBA. Natalie fondly imagines a few of her former teachers might quietly choke on their coffee on learning of her later academic success - she admits she was not best known for her scholarly pursuits whilst at Penrhos, preferring sport and drama along with the more social aspects of College life.

Jen Winley (1995) was recently appointed by the West Australian Symphony Orchestra as Assistant Conductor for 2022. Jen completed a Bachelor of Music Performance in Percussion at the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts, graduating top of her class in 1999. She was a participant in the West Australian Symphony Orchestra’s 2020 and 2021 Emerging Conductors program and is now one of Western Australia’s brightest rising stars in the conducting world.

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Natalie’s career has taken her to West Papua, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, India, Thailand, USA and across Australia; unfortunately, not always in the most salubrious locations as her work was focused in the resources, infrastructure assets and industrial manufacturing sectors. She recently returned to Australia in July 2021 as a result of COVID-19 and is very much enjoying being home.

Natalie recently joined the Penrhos College Council.

When she bumped into Miss Cooper following her appointment, Lyn laughed and said she remembered Natalie as “naughty” and “one who liked to test

boundaries” – Natalie is pleased to be remembered, and also to know she has not really changed! She is enjoying working with members of Council, whom she considers to be talented and hardworking current parents, alumni and parents of alumni, who invest considerable time and passion into the College.

Penrhos Alumni Amy Dwyer (Schultz, 2011) married Royce Dwyer in March this year, in front of 100 close family and friends at Meelup Farmhouse. Amy’s bridal party also included her close friend from Penrhos College, Zoe Bodycoat (2011).

Louise McKay (2003) started playing the cello at age 7.

Since graduating Penrhos College she was the Associate Principal Cello for the West Australian Symphony Orchestra and has had the opportunity to play at worldwide events like the Academy Awards and the Oscars. Louise’s desire to help others and have a positive social impact led her to expand her education, choosing to pursue an MBA at HHL. A fresh graduate, Louise now works as the Operations Manager for OpenSC, a startup driving responsible production and consumption with supply chain traceability and transparency technologies.

On Friday, 15 October 2021 our enrolments team held the annual Penrhos Wesley Esperance Sundowner. Kate Guest (2002) and Tara Wells (de Landgrafft, 2002) had the opportunity to catch up and reminisce on their days shared as Penrhos boarders.

On Saturday, 23 October our 1978 leavers came together at the home of an Old Girl - there was much fun and raucous laughter as all enjoyed the reunion, with many hoping this can be a regular event!

Kathryn Brayshich (1980) has been a successful Dental Surgeon and practice owner in Geraldton WA since 2002. She is a keen sailor and participated in the Fremantle to Exmouth Yacht Race in May 2021. Kathryn has also become a member of the Geraldton Surf Lifesaving Club and is now qualified as a Bronze Medallion trainer and assessor.

Keely Bathgate (1981) attended the University of Western Australia on graduation from Penrhos, studying Architecture and has since been married and had two beautiful daughters, aged 20 and 17 years old. She is now busy raising her family and spending her time volunteering.

Claudia Gould (1999) has had a very busy few years giving birth to her beautiful sons, Bruce and Eliot in 2018 and 2020. During this time, she has also completed a Master of Financial Planning degree from Griffith University in 2019, along with completing the CFP program with the Financial Planning Association and starting a financial advisory practice in June 2021 called Flourish Life Wealth, after 18 years working in other firms. She is enjoying the challenge and juggle of a young family and a new business.

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Photo gallery: alumni events

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50 Year Reunion Shrek Alumni Soirée

Reunion recap

Save the dates

Class of 1971 50 Year Reunion - Friday, 13 August 2021 We were delighted to host our Class of 1971 alumni back on campus in October for their 50 Year Reunion. The evening started with a sunset tour of the grounds, followed by a seated dinner in the Colwyn Centre. Many happy memories were shared as the ladies enjoyed reminiscing - we were even joined by two of our founding boarders, who entertained us with stories from the first year of boarding at Penrhos College – how times have changed!

Class of 2020 - Leavers’ Reunion Friday, 11 March Staff Reunion Friday, 18 March Class of 1992 – 30 Year Reunion Friday, 20 May

Class of 2000 20 Year Reunion - Friday, 3 September 2021 Twenty years on, the Class of 2001 took a walk down memory lane as they toured the campus to see all of the changes that have taken place since their graduation – including the magnificent Creative Arts and Design Centre and the newly developed Meg Melville Science Innovation Centre. Gathering in the Colwyn Centre afterwards to reconnect with their fellow classmates, it was fantastic to see so many Old Girls come together to celebrate this significant milestone! The chat and laughter didn’t stop as everyone shared exciting stories and caught up on each other’s latest news.

Class of 1982 - 40 Year Reunion Friday, 20 May Class of 2012 - 10 Year Reunion Friday, 17 June Class of 1972 – 50 Year Reunion Thursday, 21 July

Celebrating 50 Years – Boarders’ Reunion - Friday, 10 September 2021 This year marks our 50th anniversary of boarding at Penrhos, and to mark this significant milestone - a half-century of delivering our special home-from-home environment to more than 1,260 girls - we hosted Penrhos boarding alumni and staff for a very special 50-year anniversary event.

Class of 1962 – 60 Year Reunion Thursday, 21 July Class of 2002 - 20 Year Reunion Friday, 22 July

Thank you to all those boarders who joined us to help celebrate the ladies enjoyed a tour of the campus and the renovated Menai Boarding House, before heading to the Colwyn Centre to truly begin the celebrations. It was wonderful to hear stories from across the years and to be joined by significant Penrhos community members including past Principal, Meg Melville, long standing staff member Laurie Packham, and former Head of Boarding, Erica Herron.

Drama Productions Reunion Friday, 14 October

Class of 1961 60 Year Reunion - Friday, 17 September 2021 Hosting our first ever 60 Year Reunion, we were delighted to welcome the Class of 1961 back to campus. The ladies enjoyed a social lunch as they compared memories of their learning environments with the incredible facilities of today’s Penrhos College. Those who joined us brought along school memorabilia and photo albums, collected over their time at the College – each provided a wonderful insight into the rich Penrhos College history, and we look forward to welcoming the ladies back on to campus again for more alumni events in the future, including 70 years of Penrhos in 2022.

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We warmly invite you to connect with us and each other via our dedicated Penrhos alumni social media channels on LinkedIn and the Penrhos College Alumni Facebook page.

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Alumni Lookout launch

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