Speech Night

Janet Phemister Prize for VET Runner-up to Dux Jasmine Walter DJ Carmichael & Company VET Dux Jade Johnson Janet Phemister Prize for WACE Runner-up to Dux Poppy Bell Janet Phemister Prize for WACE Runner-up to Dux Noah Hall DJ Carmichael & Company WACE Dux Linda Zou DJ Carmichael & Company IB Diploma Dux Indah Jenkins DJ Carmichael & Company IB Diploma Dux Saskia Flemming

It seems that Speech Night gets better each and every year and this year’s Speech Night, ironically, left people speechless. The evening commenced with the a poignant series of items to respectfully acknowledge our nation’s First Peoples and the land we were meeting on. The unique and informative Acknowledgment of Country written and spoken by 2023 Reconciliation Captains, Kalani Buckle and Emma Holtham, in both English and Noongar language was backed with Mr Michael Spratt on Didgerido. This was followed by the Gorna Liyarn Dancers performing a dance choreographed by Tianna Bin Jacob (2022). I Am Australian was then performed by PLC’s Combined Choirs, Bartok Orchestra, Wind Ensemble, and Senior Pipe Band, with dance performances by Gorna Liyarn Dancers and Dance Company in a truly united representation of PLC’s reconciliation aspirations. Another musical highlight and something unique to this year’s Speech Night, was a moving performance of One Day by Koolulam, a socialmusical initiative aimed at strengthening the fabric of society through massed singing events. In 2018, Koolulam invited 3,000 people who had never met before to sing in Haifa, Israel to celebrate coexistence. The song is a cry of hope, sung in three languages – English, Arabic and Hebrew. On Thursday 8 December 2022, PLC’s students performed its own version of this song arranged by Director of Music, Mr Chris Goff. In combining Senior Pipe Band, Combined Choirs, Bartok Orchestra, and Wind Ensemble, PLC achieved something truly remarkable.

Throughout the second half of 2022, PLC has seen a number of outstanding individual and team successes in the Senior School. From some incredible results in Soccer such as winning the pennants in Senior A Soccer, Year 7/8 B Soccer, as well as the Overall Soccer Pennant, to outstanding runs by Annie Pfeiffer (Year 12) and Sienna Hanikeri (Year 12) which solidified the Years 11/12 Athletics pennant win, it’s been a semester swathed in success for PLC. It was a similar story for the IGSSA Cross Country coming away with the Pennant for Year 11/12 with some incredible runs again from Sienna Hanikeri and Ella Slocombe. Senior A Basketball also took out the Senior A Basketball Pennant aided by their coach and former Perth Wildcat, Mike Vigor. Another pennant title was awarded to the Senior A Water Polo team, who in late October, performed flawlessly in their competition to take out the Year 11/12 Pennant after being undefeated all day. PLC also saw success in Cricket this year with the Years 7/8 B Cricket Team winning the pennant and the Open B Cricket Team also taking home the pennant. PLC also had an incredible Rowing season taking out the IGSSA Head of the River. Read more on page 44.

A thunderstorm may have been forecast, but the sunshine came out for our Years 4 to 6 students as they competed in the JIGSSA Cross Country Carnival on Tuesday 6 September. Held at Alderbury Reserve, runners left it all out on the course with some outstanding results as PLC took home the Years 4, 5, and 6 Champion Pennants! This is an incredible achievement. Whether students ran a personal best or won their race, each student tried their best and displayed incredible school spirit and sportswomanship.

Mr Sam Maxwell has been supporting PLC athletes for 18 years. Initially overseeing Tennis, Cross Country and Athletics, and now as the recently confirmed Head of Sport. Overseeing Pre-Kindergarten to Year 12 students, Mr Maxwell priorities will be providing sporting opportunities for every student, from just getting involved to high performance athletes, and connecting those elite students with pathways to the professional space. A talented tennis player and runner in his own right, Mr Maxwell played tennis as a Junior in the WA State League and has won National Medals in middle-distance running. After leaving school, he transitioned to coaching tennis where he saw a career pathway. He still coaches Wimbledon Champion, Matt Ebden, and until this year was the Head Coach at Mosman Park Tennis Club – a role he held for the last 12 years. Mr Maxwell completed his Bachelor of Laws and Bachelor of Commerce degree from UWA, before joining Freehills in their Commercial Law team. His love of sport and a desire to work with people more than paper led him to set up his own athlete management company, supporting the commercial side of professional athletes. The stable of athletes he has helped has included tennis stars Casey Dellacqua, Ash Barty, Matt Ebden, John Peers, and Storm Sanders, as well as Australian cricketers Jason Behrendorff, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Nicole Bolton, Joel Paris, and Sam Whiteman, among others.