Penrith Selective High School
February Newsletter 2022
From the Relieving Principal
Welcome back to all our students and families. A special welcome also to our Year 7 students and our new 8-11 enrolments and their families. I trust that all our new students are settling in and enjoying the transition to Penrith Selective High School.
Thank you for your support in returning to school under often changing COVID-19 guidelines. All students have been supportive in following the cohorting, mask wearing and surveillance testing recommendations. The school has so far been relatively lucky with only a small number of positive cases in students.
I am pleased to share the results of our 2021 Year 12 cohort. Our overall rank improved from 37rd to 33rd in 2021 and I am looking forward to seeing this upward trend continue with our 2022 HSC results. It is a pleasure to share that in 2021, we have not one, but two school Duxes. Congratulations to Anav Prasad and Yash Mishra who achieved outstanding results and a very impressive ATAR of 99.40. 7 names will be added to the HSC Excellence Honour Board in the School Hall. This board acknowledges students who achieve the top band (Band 6 or E4) in all courses. Congratulations to Nashrah Samrin Alam, Alyna Arago, Darren Pradhan, Anav Prasad, Paul Sebastian, Savera Shabih and Vishwa Shah.
My congratulations also to the impressive staff at PSHS who were presented with “World Teachers’ Day Awards and Honorary Fellowships” by The Teachers’ Guild of New South Wales. Further details of these achievements are reported on below.
Finally, we look forward to welcoming our parents back on site as restrictions ease in schools. The next P&C Meeting is scheduled for March 15 and will be on-site. At 6:30pm there will be a school tour followed by the AGM at 7pm. You will be asked to register your interest in attending to ensure a COVID Safe plan can be put in place. Details and registration link to come.
Thank you to all who have contributed to the first newsletter for 2022. While it has been another unusual start to the year, our school continues to be a vibrant hub of activity and opportunity for students and staff.
Warm regards,
Jaclyn Cush
Relieving Principal
L-R - Anthony Vassallo, Dimity Scardanas, Jaclyn Cush & Brian Ferguson
The Teachers’ Guild of New South Wales “World Teachers’ Day Awards and Honorary Fellowships” 2021
The school is happy to announce that, once again, our exceptional teachers have been recognised for their outstanding work across many areas from curriculum to leadership to wellbeing to co-curricular and enrichment. Jaclyn Cush, Brian Ferguson, Anthony Vassallo and Dimity Scardanas were the worthy recipients of the Teacher’s Guild of New South Wales “World Teachers’ Day Awards and Honorary Fellowships” for 2021. On Friday, 11th February, 2022, the Awards Ceremony was held at The William Inglis Hotel, Warwick Farm.
Below is a description of each recipients’ contribution to the school’s continued excellence in teaching.
Jaclyn Cush - Relieving Principal
Jaclyn is an exceptional leader and exemplary teacher, instrumental in leading and implementing the professional learning in our school. Her organisation of the School’s Literacy Program has led to greater staff awareness, collegiality and confidence in delivering high quality and targeted lessons to improve the literacy skills of students. Her work has resulted in improved syllabus connections and considered formative and summative assessment practices. In her role as Deputy Principal of Penrith Selective High School, Jaclyn has worked across faculties to build capacity among staff and provide opportunities and networks for teachers to work together to improve their professional knowledge and practice. Jaclyn demonstrates exceptionally high levels of interpersonal skills and emotional intelligence that allow her to interact with the vast range of staff who are at differing levels of experience and expertise. This enhances the Professional Learning, ensuring it is relevant to individual teacher goals and school priorities. Jaclyn Cush is a worthy recipient of the 2021 Teachers’ Guild of NSW World Teachers’ Recognition Award.
Brian Ferguson - Deputy Principal
Brian is an outstanding leader and exceptional teacher, who has been fundamental in developing a new curriculum structure to allow for greater student choice in subjects in Stage 5. Brian’s focus is to deliver high quality and engaging courses to meet the individual needs of High Potential and Gifted students. As a result of his work, students now have access to subjects such as: Critical Thinking, Philosophy, accelerated courses and the Young Experts Program based off the Bridges Academy model, catering specifically for 2e students. Brian is a highly effective manager who leads the Penrith Selective High School Wellbeing Team. This has allowed student welfare to be at the forefront of every aspect of School life with staff having a greater understanding of the educational research that underpins the need for a coordinated wellbeing approach that uses the Seigle and McCoach model of achievement for gifted students. Brian Ferguson is a worthy recipient of the 2021 Teachers’ Guild of NSW World Teachers’ Recognition Award.
Dimity Scardanas - English Teacher and Stage 6 Academic Adviser
Dimity is an outstanding English teacher and Stage 6 Academic Adviser. Her positive impact on our School is evident within her faculty and around her work with Stage 6 students. Dimity has been instrumental in leading and implementing academic processes for Years 11 and 12 including the introduction and logistics of Wednesday afternoon study groups. Dimity’s work within the Wellbeing Team has allowed all staff to understand theoretically and practically how to support students in their final years. Dimity has created resource materials for studying, timetables, strategies to encourage student motivation, research that underpins collaboration and running regular programs with case management students to target areas for improvement across subjects. Her dedication to students and her work within our School, has ensured that every student is engaged and challenged to continue to learn. Dimity Scardanas is a worthy recipient of the 2021 Teachers’ Guild of NSW World Teachers’ Recognition Award.
Anthony Vassallo - Head Teacher CAPA
Anthony is a highly engaging and dedicated teacher who has changed the culture, nature and lifted the profile of the CAPA Department at Penrith Selective High School in his short time as Head Teacher. The outcome of his work is evident in the 20 plus enrichment opportunities available weekly, to all students, from Private and Group Tutoring in Vocals, Guitar, Piano, etc to Ensembles in Dance, Drama, Band, Choir and many more. His vision is clearly aimed at allowing students to excel in their areas of passion and master their gifts. Anthony is also an outstanding leader who has led, supported and nurtured his early career faculty. As a result, numbers and classes have increased, with his staff delivering high quality, differentiated lessons focusing on the individual needs of High Potential and Gifted students. Anthony has been instrumental in reviving the creative and performing arts at Penrith Selective High School. Anthony Vassallo is a worthy recipient of the 2021 Teachers’ Guild of NSW World Teachers’ Recognition Award.
Past Penrith High awardees have included: Lisa Andreatta, Sue Briggs and Antoinette Pipio.
Antoinette Pipio
HT Co-curricular Programs / LOTE
Congratulations 2021 HSC students!
Congratulations to all Penrith High School Class of 2021!
These students gained Band 6 or E4 in all the courses they studied:
Nashrah Alam
Alyna Arago
Darren Pradhan
Anav Prasad
Paul Sebastian
Savera Shabih
Vishwa ShahOf particular note also are:
Alyna Arago: UNSW Co-op Scholarship
Shrey Bhagat: UNSW Co-op Scholarship
Daniel Biswas: Sydney Scholars
Anav Prasad: MACU co-op Scholarship
Kokulaan Santhakumar: St Andrews College Academic and Bursary Scholarship, Sydney Scholars, University of Sydney Leadership Award
Elizabeth Santoso: UNSW Co-op Scholarship
Rana Singh: UNSW Co-op ScholarshipPlus the following students and ATARs:
Nashrah Alam -96.9 Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) (Civil)
Ishaya Costa -89.05 Bachelor of Architectural Design
Ram Ganesh -90.85 Bachelor of Engineering (Renewable Energy)
Alison Joseph -87.15 Bachelor of Arts (Western Civilisation)/Bachelor of Law. ACU Ramsey Scholarship.
Haryum Kang -93.55 B. Law/Int Studies
Diya Kapoor -95.4
Siddak Kisana - 93.65 Bachelor of clinical science
Aditya Kumar -93.95 Engineering Honours/Commerce Double Degree
Cedric Kutschera -84.4 Bachelor of Business/ Bachelor of Law
Robin Lu -92.35 Bachelor of pharmacy and management
Prithviraaj Paramasivam Balachandar -91.7 Bachelor of Science (Computer Science)
Jamima Rumey Jiffrey -98.3 Bachelor of Commerce/Law
Irene Santillan -88 Bachelor of Media (Screen and Sound Prod)
Congratulations!
ATTENDANCE AT PENRITH HIGH SCHOOL
At Penrith Selective High School, student attendance is promoted and supported by all staff to ensure our students achieve their educational best, preparing them for success in and beyond school. Attendance is actively monitored: common barriers to attendance are addressed; improvements in attendance are recognised; and early interventions are actioned.
STUDENT LATENESS & ABSENCES
Arriving at school and class on time is expected for all students in order to:
• ensure that students do not miss out on important learning activities scheduled early in the day
• help students learn the importance of punctuality and routine
• give students time to greet their friends before class
• reduce classroom disruption
Students should aim to arrive at school no later than 8:45am and 7:45am for classes scheduled before period 1. Lateness and absences are recorded and must be explained by parents in the Sentral Parent and Student Portal within seven days of the absence. https://penrithhs.sentral.com.au/portal/login
On occasion, your child may need to be absent from school. Justified reasons for student absences may include:
• being sick, or having an infectious disease
• having an unavoidable medical appointment
• being required to attend a recognised religious holiday
• exceptional or urgent family circumstance (e.g. attending a funeral)
COVID-19 ABSENCES
In cases where an individual student is instructed or required to learn from home due to a COVID-19 related medical reason or Public Health Order they may refer to their Google Classrooms for self-paced learning materials.
If parents or carers believe that their child has a condition that means it’s not safe for them to return to school, they will need to provide a medical certificate. Parents may like to consider speaking with a health care provider to develop a COVID-19 Action Plan.
The educational impacts of lateness and repeated absence from school is shown below. Please discuss this with your child as they prepare for the year ahead.
Ms Scardanas, Head Teacher Educational Achievement
MEET THE DEPUTY PRINCIPAL
Kylie Lowe
Previous School/ Working with the Department: Strategic School Improvement Team – Department of Education
Subject Area: Personal Development, Health and Physical Education
University Education: Bachelor of Education, Wollongong University.
Interests: Sport
Favourite Sport: Football, Rugby League, Netball
Favourite Food Dish: Satay Vegetables
Anything Else: I have written HSC papers for NESA; Co-authored Stage 6 Textbooks in the curriculum area of PDHPE.
MEET THE TEACHER
Shannon Flexman
Previous School: Cecil Hills High School (5yrs)
Subject Area: Engineering Studies, Industrial Technology (Timber, Metals, Graphics)
University Education: M Teaching (Secondary)
B Engineering (Mechatronics and Robotics)
Interests: Playing any sport, Old cars, playing with my kids.
Favourite Sport: Volleyball
Favourite Food Dish: Curry with some tasty spice
Rohini Vimalarajah
Subject Area: Science/ Chemistry
University Education: BSc Chemistry, MSc Chemistry, Post-Graduate Diploma of Education. Other qualifications: Diploma of Counselling and Graduate Diploma of Relationship Counselling.
Interests: Volunteer Work/ Community Involvement (Work for an NGO), Travelling and Cooking
Favourite Sport: Netball
Favourite Food Dish: Lamb Curry
I am committed to eradicating the stigma surrounding mental health in the South Asian community. I have experience offering counselling support to high school students through early intervention strategies and awareness.
Maria Joannidis
Previous School: Western Sydney University
Subject Area: English
University Education: Bachelor of Arts & Diploma of Education (University of Sydney)
Interests: Exploring new ideas through reading, listening to podcasts, or having leisurely conversations.
Favourite Sport: I enjoy watching the tennis over the summer break.
Favourite Food Dish: Anything that comes from my garden. This month I am picking strawberries and tomatoes.
Kelly Robinson
Previous School: None, Penrith is my first school I’m blessed to be teaching at!
Subject Area: English
University Education: Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Secondary Education (Humanities & Social Sciences) at University of Sydney, graduating with Distinction
Interests: Rug punching, film analysis, learning about mental health, and powerlifting
Favourite Sport: I love to watch figure skating or the NBA, but not a sports person unfortunately!
Favourite Food Dish: Any sort of sashimi or seafood platters!
I really hope to contribute positively to this already magnificent school and am really excited to get to know more of the community!
Zahra Noorgat
Previous School: Macarthur Girls High School
Subject Area: History & Social Sciences
University Education: University of Sydney (Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Education)
Interests: Travelling and exploring, cooking for family and friends, and trying new foods.
Favourite Sport: I’m not very sporty, but my home country of South Africa is – so anything they compete in!
Favourite Food Dish: My grandmother’s biryani.
Genevieve Fonti
Previous School: Chifley College Mt Druitt Campus
Subject Area: English at Chifley, History at Penrith
University Education: B Arts, M Teaching (Secondary)
Interests: Reading, professional wrestling, art history, D&D
Favourite Sport: Curling
Favourite Food Dish: Cannelloni
Benjamin Smith
Previous School: Parramatta High School
Subject Area: TAS/Computing Studies
University Education: University of Western Sydney (WSU)
Interests: Technology, coding, gaming, and music!
Favourite Sport: Is robot fighting a sport?
Favourite Food Dish: I love Filipino food. Especially Adobo and BBQ Pork skewers!
Anything Else? Ask me about my party tricks 😆
Philip Tran
Previous School: Canley Vale High School
Subject Area: Social Sciences (Geography, Commerce, Business Studies)
University Education:
1. Bachelor of Business (Human Resources and Advertising) University of Technology Sydney
2. Bachelor of Education (Secondary) (Human Movement and Health Education) University of Sydney
Interests:
· Camping! Waking up in the middle of nowhere, without any time constraints is the best feeling ever!
· Pokemon Go! I am currently on level 36 and my best Pokemon is a CP 3817 Tyranitar.
Favourite Sport:
· Martial Arts! I trained in Kung Fu when I was a teenager and have since moved on to kickboxing and Brazilian Jiujitsu.
· I have also taught cardio boxing classes in my previous school and at commercial gyms as a fitness instructor.
Favourite Food Dish:
· Ramen! Nothing beats a good bowl of spicy hot ramen, even in summer!
It has only been a few weeks into the school term and I can already tell that this is by far the best school I have worked at. The teachers and executive team are so supportive and the students are so enthusiastic about their education! My son is only about 2 years old, but I already have plans for him to attend this school in the future. 😊
Asma Khan
Previous School: Ilim College
Subject Area: Social Sciences
University Education: Bachelor of Economics, Grad Dip Secondary Education & Master of Education (Leadership)
Interests: Travel, fine dining and watching live plays.
Favourite Sport: Watching Tennis: Go Rafa!
Favourite Food Dish: Indian Food & desserts 😊
I am honoured to be joining this wonderful school after twenty years teaching English and HSIE in the private school system. I am passionate about the power of education and aim to engender a love for lifelong learning like mine.
My motto in life: ‘Carpe Diem’ = ‘Seize the day and make your lives extraordinary!
Clayton Pollard
Previous School: Red Bend Catholic College and Cumberland High School
Subject Area: Mathematics
University Education: University of Sydney
Interests: Programming, Computer Games and Cooking
Favourite Sport: Tennis and Volleyball
Favourite Food Dish: Paella and Malatang
Anything Else? My car is white
Mathematics Update
It is easy to be inspired by our students and see the challenges that they take on! Last year we saw an increase in the number of students entering the more elite Mathematical competitions. We are hoping that the trend continues this year.
Maths Enrichment
Mathematics enrichment is open to the more mathematically able students in Years 8, 9 and 10. If your child is interested, it is not too late to join.
Euler (Year 8) meets on Friday mornings in A.1.5. at 8 am.
Gauss (Year 9) meets on Wednesday mornings in A.1.5. at 8am.
Noether (Year 10) meets on Wednesday mornings in A.1.7 at 8am.
Students who are new to the school this year are encouraged to join in this rich and rewarding program. If you are interested, please see Mrs Briggs in the Maths staffroom asap.
The invoices for this programme will be sent home soon and the $130 cost covers the cost of the material, the tutors, and the registration for the programme. Please pay as soon as possible, but if you are having financial difficulties, please contact Mrs Maria Ryan in the office for assistance.
Mathematics Olympiad Training
Mathematics Olympiad training is held every Thursday lunch in A.1.7. Mr Tan takes this class and welcomes all newcomers who have a passion for Higher Order Thinking Mathematics. It is open to all interested students.
Problem Solving
Year 7 are taught problem solving skills once a week during a Mathematics class. Year 8 will continue to develop their problem solving skills once a fortnight during a Friday mathematics lesson.
APSMO
The APSMO is a problem solving Olympiad in which our Year 7 and Year 8 classes compete against each other and other teams from schools across Australia and New Zealand. The APSMO consists of 5 papers spread out over the first three terms. The results will come back in fourth term. It is compulsory for Years 7 and 8 and the results go towards their Yearly report mark. The cost is $6 per student, and you will receive an invoice for this in March.
Primary Peer Tutoring
In 2021, due to COVID we had to cut very short our Primary Peer Tutoring Program that we operate with Penrith Primary School and Orchard Hills Primary School. This extremely valuable program hopefully will start up again at the start of Term 2 this year. The program not only benefits the Mathematically gifted and talented students from these two primary schools but offers an excellent leadership training platform for our selected Year 9 students. All students develop communication, collaboration, and creative thinking skills as well as a deep bond between the primary and high school students.
Each Year 9 student is paired up with a primary school student and we meet every Tuesday recess in our school library. Mrs Wilkes (Teacher PPS), Mr McMahon (Principal at OHPS) and Mrs Briggs (HT Mathematics PSHS) are looking forward to the journey that will occur in 2022.
Maths Peer Tutoring
Maths Peer Tutoring is up and running at full steam! The Year 12 Maths Prefects will organise group study sessions for all the junior Term 1 Assessment Tasks. These will be held in A.1.5. Read the Daily Notices to find out when they will be on!
Anuja Paleti and Juveena Julian both of Year 11 will match students up with a peer tutor if your child is struggling with their Mathematics. All the students need to do is send an email to mathspeertutoring@gmail.com and in the email, say their name, School Year, and the topics that they are finding difficult. The Prefects will find them a tutor and then contact the student. This is a free service and the tutors who are in Year 12, 11 and 10 tutor out of the goodness of their hearts and their love of Mathematics.
General News in Mathematics
Mr Pollard is our newest member of the Mathematics Faculty. He is passionate about technology, and we are looking forward to learning a lot from him this year.
Ms Alrubai is the Year 8 Adviser.
Mr Huynh is the Year 10 Adviser.
Dr Katyal is the teacher in charge of Fair Trading.
Mr Ferrarin is in charge of the Knockout Touch Football team.
Mr Tan is the Table Tennis Coach and oversees the knockout team.
Mr Kim and Mr Pollard run the homework hub in room A.1.4. at lunchtimes on Mondays and Fridays. It doesn’t matter if you are in their class or not, everyone is welcome! No problem is too big or too small – just ask. The Homework Hub is open to Years 7 to 12!
We hope you have a great 2022 in Maths!
Remember everybody is a sum body =D
Warm regards
Mrs Briggs
On behalf of the Mathematics Department
PREFECTS REPORTS
School Captains Report
We, the School Captains, have been working hard to ensure that the initiatives for 2021-2022 are running smoothly and that this year will be one in which the entire school community enjoys. SInce our induction into this position we have been busy organising and leading events such as Graduation Night for last year's graduating class who were able to enjoy this event after long periods in lockdown. This event along with Presentation Night (which was postponed) have been two of the major events that we have organised in our time as Captains. Along with this we have also led the Prefects and helped to facilitate their ideas so that they can be made possible this year. We look forward to our upcoming time as Captains to continue our work as representatives of Penrith High School and ensure that all students feel connected to the school community.
Thanks Penrith and if you have any suggestions please reach out to anyone in our Prefect Body.
Andre Dubier and Gabe Cant
Vice Captains Report
The Vice Captains, since our election, have been assigned the role of managing the 5 prefect groups (those being Academic, Enrichment, Faculty, Functions, and Social Justice) and ensuring that we help them to maintain communication with the executive body and the other prefect groups. The other prefect groups have been putting in a lot of work around the school, working hard to organise events and we’ve been there to make sure that all of those wonderful things can go ahead, from behind the scenes. Along with this, we have been working towards developing a plan for the Year 12 Formal, set to happen towards the end of this year. We’re still sorting out the details, but its definitely going to be a lot of fun!
With a new term having started, the prefect body has hit the ground running. Whilst for the moment the Covid-19 pandemic continues to loom over us and put a damper on our plans, we’re hopeful that we’ll soon be able to go ahead with all the things we want to get done in the rest of our term as Vice Captains.
That’s all from us for now, but stay tuned for more updates soon!
Veerja Patel and Joshua Gange
Senior Prefects Report
One of the responsibilities of the Senior Prefects is to oversee the creation of the Towers Magazine. The Towers Magazine has been published since the school's opening in 1950, with the exception of 1951 and 1988. This month, we’ve been working closely with Ms Roberts (our school Librarian) as well as several other prefects, to develop and finalise the 2021 edition, since we aim to have it finished by the end of February.
Additionally, we have been working with Mr Serrato (Year 7 Adviser) to restructure the JRC, in order to create more meaningful contributions to the school and wider community. The JRC (Junior Representative Council) is a leadership group for Year 7s who are interested in giving back to the school community and preparing for possible future roles, including SRC and Prefects.
Over the next month, we will be collaborating with the SRC for school events including School Spirit Week. We are also planning to create a schedule that will allow each grade to have a week to decorate the school’s Kindness Wall. This will give students the opportunity to be creative and aid in school spirit and grade relations.
Rachel Mathew and Athena Auw
Faculty Prefects Report
It’s a new school year, and that means many exciting events within the school are coming your way! With this, we have sent out surveys on potential, interesting events that our staff and students may be interested in. The advantage of being a Faculty Prefect is that we get to host a number of activities in multiple themes - from Science to Music, or Technology to History based activities! Events such as a rollercoaster construction challenge, a short story competition, and board game tournaments, are few of the many events we have in store for our whole school to get involved in!
As Faculty Prefects, we are also an important asset for the communication of student-to-teacher and teacher-to-student. As such, we share roles in keeping in touch with the teachers within the faculty to notify us of any concerns or interesting ideas they may have, such as student support in academics and assistance in running events and external-based competitions. This includes the handling of the Junior Ensemble Auditions.
We continue to support other Prefect teams in their own initiatives and events, such as peer tutoring and clubs.
Below are some photos of us with teachers from around the school!!
Shreya Patel, Rionne Bondal, Riya Jain
Social Justice and Equality Prefects
The Social Justice and Equality Prefects have worked extremely hard to support our local community, particularly the Blue Mountains Shoebox Project, in support of refugees and asylum seekers in Australia. This initiative was a great way to help those less fortunate during Christmas and ensure those in tough situations feel loved during the holiday season. It was especially rewarding writing messages to those receiving gifts, knowing that we were able to lift their spirits by showing that they are thought of and loved, regardless of their circumstances.
We are currently working on the upcoming celebrations of International Women’s Day and Harmony Day. Two days that celebrate the diversity and achievements of our students, teachers and anyone in our lives who have made an impact. In such a diverse community it is vital that we develop a safe environment where no one feels as if they do not belong, and these days are an amazing way to remind our school of the support the Prefects, Teachers and peers have to offer.
Alisha Ahmed, Halis Rishamsulkamal and Samantha Buda
School Functions Prefects
The School Functions Prefects are a part of the 2021/22 Prefect Body and mainly focus on working behind the scenes to bring some great events to the school. Although COVID has kept us on the low, we are becoming a bit more involved as we transition back into normal on-site school and you will get well acquainted with us over the next few months.
Towards the end of 2021 and the beginning of 2022, we worked hard in organising a Prefect Afternoon Tea, which is an event held annually by the prefect body where prefects from other schools are invited to discuss the importance of leadership roles in several different environments (with food and a load of games!). We are planning to have this event scheduled for the Tuesday of Week 2, Term 2 and are very keen to compare how the experiences of prefects beyond Penrith High School differ and what we can do to get through issues of leadership.
We are also organizing an Intergenerational Alumni interview where we invite various past students who have graduated and ask them several questions about their personal experiences within the school environment. We are hoping to have this event in Week 1 of this term and are eager to hear from our wonderful past students, and to stay connected with multiple generations of past students.
Many other interesting events are being planned and we hope to share them soon. We wish everyone good luck as we come into exam blocks and hope you stay safe as COVID continues to be a problem. Thank you for your support!
School Functions Prefects
Christopher Kwon, Shivangi Agnihotri, Luke Byun
Enrichment Prefects
During the beginning of this term, the Enrichment Prefects have been hard at work restoring the many clubs, peer tutoring programs and other outside of school enrichment programs. The centralisation of the peer tutoring program being so important to the school has been at the top of our list. By bringing together Maths, English and Science peer tutoring, we are better able to ensure tutoring sessions run smoothly and in tandem with each subject. Bringing clubs back has also been a major focus, as with COVID, cohorting has been a major issue that many club leaders have had.
We plan to continue working on these programs. With peer tutoring, in person sessions are scheduled to start as soon as the anticipated resolution of the cohorting occurs. Currently work is underway to match tutors with tutees and to develop a system that ensures tutee/tutor accountability. Clubs are now getting more active, as the organisation side of things are starting to be completed. As far as clubs go, an event planned once cohorting is over, is the Club Expo for which we will start organising meetings and preparations.
Eric Ruan, Seniru De Silva and Arya Chavan
Academic Prefects
As the new school year began, the Academic Prefects assisted with the Year 7 Transition days. The Year 7 Transition days went smoothly as the new year 7s were oriented about their classes, the school and also participated in the House Cup for house points. Working alongside us were the Peer Support leaders and Multimedia team who have done amazingly to ensure the transition into high school for year 7s wasn’t daunting. Furthermore, we have also been working in the background to plan for upcoming events for year 12. In doing so, we aim to make the transition out of high school an enjoyable experience and leave a legacy that can be carried forward!
Other upcoming events include year 7 Gala Day which we are looking forward to planning with Mr Serrato and Mr Rutherford. We have also been communicating with the academic advisers to initiate an academic plan for each stage; to ensure that students feel supported with their schoolwork. We’ve attended many year assemblies to introduce ourselves and provide tips for effective studying organisation and time management habits. In doing so, we hope that we can leave a lasting impression on years 7-9 to assist in their transition to senior years.
Stay tuned for the upcoming events that we are yet to plan and organize!
Academic Prefects
Olivia Lee, Papri Mallick and Zoe Elizalde
Congratulations Boys!
Clark Stone
HT History
L-R - Pavethen Krishnakumaran, Rionne Bondal, Abhinav Santhakumar, Cameron Lau & Lachlan Stone
Sports Update
It has been a mixed start to the year with Covid restrictions continuing to interrupt our sporting calendar. Notably, we were unable to hold a Swimming Carnival in any format and had to withdraw from Grade Sport, along with other schools in our zone.
Pleasingly, we were still able to use our local recreational sport facilities in the community in which to continue to run weekly sport for all students. Furthermore, we have been able to continue our commitment to Knockout Sports and supporting students in trialling for Zone and Sydney West teams.
Zone Swimming
At the time of writing this report, we had gathered a modest-sized swim team to compete at the Nepean Zone Swimming Carnival on Tuesday 1 March. However, the team features some excellent athletes who have made it to Sydney West in previous years. We look forward to sharing their successes with the school in the next edition.
Representative Sports
We have had several students trial for a place in Nepean Zone teams to compete at Sydney West, with some competitions having already been held and some terrific individual achievements being recognisd.
Santhosh Samuel has been selected in the Sydney West Open Boys Cricket team to play at the CHS State level.
Rebecca Ferguson and Barenya Satapathy represented the Nepean Zone at the Sydney West Open Girls Volleyball Championships on 11 February. Similarly, Dominic Arreza, Joshua Gange, Christopher Kwon, Varun Pareek and Abhinav Santhakumar all competed in the Nepean Zone Open Boys Volleyball team at the Sydney West Championships on February 11.
Meanwhile, Dhruvan Chandupatla and Aarnav Prashanth both represented Nepean Zone in the Boys Under 15s Tennis competition at the Sydney West Championships. Both boys played very well, each winning 2 of their 4 games.
Finally, Rionne Bondal, Cameron Lau, Abhinav Santhakumar and Lachlan Stone have all been selected in the Nepean Zone Open Boys Basketball team to play at the Sydney West Championships on 28 February. See article below.
Knockout Sports
Inclement weather has resulted in the postponement of several knockout matches at the start of this term, which is only serving to build the anticipation within each of our teams who are eager to play. For several Opens teams (referring to open-age divisions), the team will consist of primarily the same players for Quad Schools, so the knockout matches serve as great practice ahead of the annual tournament next term.
Quad Schools
As reigning Quad Schools Champions, there is a buzz around Penrith High School the likes of which have not been seen or felt in some time. It is evident in the enthusiasm of students desperately trialling for a spot on the teams. This year, the tournament has been brought forward to the middle of Term 2, Monday 23 May 2022 to be co-hosted by Baulkham Hills and Girraween high schools. Congratulations to the following students who have been appointed as a Team Captain:
Girls Basketball – Alisha Ahmed
Girls Soccer – Simarpreet Gill
Girls Touch Football – Zoe Elizalde
Girls Volleyball – Cherry Tran
Boys Basketball – Lachlan Stone
Boys Soccer – Santhosh Samuel
Boys Touch Football – Andre Dubier
Boys Volleyball – Abhinav Santhakumar
Mr Rutherford and Mr Elias
Sports Coordinators
New Date - 70th Anniversary Luncheon (Delayed due to COVID)
Penrith High School's 70th Anniversary Reunion is to be postponed to Saturday 10th September 2022.
Tickets already purchased will be transferred to the new date. If the new date is not suitable for you, a full refund will be made.
Venue: Penrith Paceway.
Years: 1950-2010
Time: 12 noon, for lunch at 1:00 p.m.
Tickets went on sale on Monday 21st June and will continue until all sold and will cost $75 each.
Tickets are only available from Eventbrite
STOP PRESS
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FIRST RELEASE OF TICKETS ARE ONLY AVAILABLE TO THE SCHOOL COMMUNITY FROM NOW UNTIL MARCH 7 - ONLY FROM THE LINK BELOW:
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From March 14 a second and final release of tickets will be available to the public.
BE QUICK AND ORDER TODAY BEFORE THE LIMITED SEATS HAVE BEEN SOLD OUT!
Updating Honour Boards/Sports Records
We are in the process of updating the Honour Boards in the hall.
We would like to confirm the Duxes:
1.from the 50s and early 60s (see below)
2. 1966
In Addition, we are also trying to find the Junior Sportsman and Junior Sportswoman of the year for;
1987
1990
1991
1992
1993
If you can help please email the school on:
penrith-h.school@det.nsw.edu.au
Attention Cathie in the library.
Thanking you
Recognition of the Duxes in the 50s and early 60s (according to Towers)
If you or someone you might know could elaborate further regarding the information below please contact Cathie in the school library or via the school email:
penrith-h.school@det.nsw.edu.au ATTENTION Cathie
Duxes in the 50s and early 60s
During the 50s the Fletcher Award was given to students in all years to encourage them
to continue their studies. It included a monetary donation.
Students in 5th Year sat for the Leaving Certificate.
In 1950 - Margaret Duncan and Alan Holswich received the Fletcher Award in 4th Year.
In 1952 - Marcia Kirkness and John Day received the Fletcher Award in 5th Year.
John Day came 2nd in the state for Physics and Chemistry and was placed
in the top 30 in the state for the Leaving Certificate
In 1953 - M. Eckford and A. Bills received the Fletcher Award in 5th Year
In 1954 - PHS held its first Speech Day in April at the Nepean Theatre
Jocelyn Cooper and Anthony Walker received Fletcher Awards
In 1955 - Jill Reid and Anthony Walker were named Duxes of 4th Year
In 1956 - Dawn Morgan and Jim Finnimore were named Duxes of 4th Year
In 1957 - Dawn Morgan and Jim Finnimore were named Best in the Leaving Certificate
In 1958 - Joyce Anderson and Robert Cuckson were named Best in the Leaving Certificate
Robert Cuckson was mentioned in the state group of the Leaving Certificate
In 1959 - Margaret Finnimore and Michael Walker were named as Duxes of the School
In 1960 - Michael Smith and Meryl White (Prox. Acc.) were named Duxes of the School
In 1961 - Bob Munro and Yvonne Fripp (Prox. Acc.) were named Duxes of the School
In 1962 - Ian Jay was named Dux of the School
In 1963 - Elizabeth Finnimore was named Dux of the School
In 1964 - Richard Douglas was named Dux of the School
In 1965 - Herman Nacinovich was named Dux of the School
In 1966 - no Dux recorded in Towers
In 1967 - Stephen Johnson and Ian Coleman named Duxes of the School
Michael Handley - PHS -'85-'87 - Finished Army Service as a Lance Corporal
WERE YOU A STUDENT OF PHS WHO SERVED IN THE DEFENCE FORCE OR KNOW SOMEONE WHO DID?
Would you like to be recognised on PHS Defence Force Service Honour Board? Or, have your friend or relative recognised who attended PHS?
The servicemen and woman shown are a few whose names have been recognised or are on the list to be updated.
If you are interested please email the school on: penrith-h.school@det.nsw.edu.au
Attention Cathie in the library for further details
NOTE: the school was not established until 1950 so bear this in mind
In addition, if the Alumni listed below could also reach out to update some details:
Harry Grimes
Jason Peterson
Stephen Thompson
Brian Carney
Alan Ormerod
David Stevens
Ian Dickens
Bill Wheeler
Penrith Selective High School
Email: penrith-h.school@det.nsw.edu.au
Website: http://penrith-h.schools.nsw.gov.au
Location: 158-240 High Street, Penrith NSW, Australia
Phone: 02 4721 0529
Facebook: facebook.com/penrithselectivehighschool