Reflections from the Principal

As many of you will be aware, Perth College celebrated its 120th anniversary in 2022. Since our establishment we have forged a reputation for facilitating academic and personal accomplishment as well as providing our young people with the necessary tools to emerge confidently, curious and prepared to face the world with courage and compassion. The year provided us with a wonderful opportunity to reflect upon all that we have collectively achieved as well as look towards what we aim to realise in the future.

There were countless highlights at our School during 2022. We started the year with the introduction of our Sports Development and Performance Program, led by Mr Adam Selwood, aimed to encourage broader female participation within community sporting programs. We embedded a School-wide Wellbeing program, with over 60 students from Years 4 to 12 participating in a Student Wellbeing Forum to identify a range of ideas and opportunities to implement in 2023.

Construction of our new Junior School began in 2022; this is an incredibly exciting initiative. The new three-story purpose-built construction will ensure spaces work harder for our students. Not only providing state-of-the-art learning and teaching facilities but also guaranteeing that classroom and recreational spaces can evolve and adapt over time, supporting the needs of our students and the School as we develop and grow. The new Junior School will not only be utilised by our Junior School students but will also provide multipurpose spaces that will benefit our entire student community. Our hope is to have the building open for use in 2024. I look forward to keeping you all updated about the progress of this exciting project.

I would like to take this opportunity to reflect upon the positivity and resilience of our student community this past year. The year began with a sense of caution as we were unsure of the impact the COVID-19 pandemic would continue to have on our community. Our students remained upbeat as we reconfigured our campus and rescheduled events; they rebounded from initial challenges with enthusiasm and focussed their energy on supporting and caring for each other. I am so proud of how our students rose to the challenges faced and know they will continue to learn from setbacks, take risks and grow into brave innovative problem solvers.

A sincere and heartfelt thank you to all those in our community who have supported the work of the Foundation in 2022. Whether you are a first-time donor or a longer-term supporter, your generosity has helped ensure that the young people in our care are well-prepared to make meaningful contributions to the wider community and live generously. Thank you for being part of something truly special.

Helen Aguiar PRINCIPAL