Penrith Selective High School
July/August Newsletter 2022
From the Relieving Principal
Welcome to the latest edition of our school newsletter. In line with what is happening in our community, this term we have seen a spike in COVID and influenza cases at the school. Thank you to those families who have been keeping students home when they are unwell and testing to ensure the health of everyone.
Our Year 12 students have recently returned to school following their HSC Trial examinations and Year 11 will begin their Yearly examinations shortly. As always, learning in and beyond the classroom continues at an incredibly high level as showcased in this July/August edition of the newsletter. We hope you enjoy!
Education Week
This year, Education Week ran from Monday 1 August to Friday 5 August 2022. Celebrated annually, it acknowledges the achievements of students, staff and public schools across NSW. This year’s theme ‘Creating futures – education changes lives’ was celebrated at PSHS with a number of key events including, a PSHS Leadership Training Day opened by Councillor Tricia Hitchen, the Mayor of Penrith (and Penrith High alumna), the HSC CAPA Showcase and a number of school tours.
Senior Leadership Team
Last week we announced our new school Captains, Vice Captains and Senior Prefects for 2022/23:
Captains: Milvia Mathews and George Mickhail
Vice Captains: Iman Dirron and Tanish Patil
Senior Prefects: Anitha Pillai and Parth Purohit
Congratulations to our new senior leadership team! See photo below. I know that each of you along with the Prefects will continue to serve the school with the same commitment and effort that each of you showed in your internship.
Thank you to all the students who were nominated for these positions. Having met with each candidate and their families, I have absolutely no doubt that this group of students will work wonderfully well together to balance tradition and innovation in their respective leadership positions.
Preliminary NAPLAN results - Congratulations to students, staff and families
Principals have received a snapshot of preliminary NAPLAN results for numeracy and literacy (with the exception of Writing). The 2022 results are outstanding.
A further analysis will be undertaken with the release of the full results, but very pleasingly in the area of achievement in the top 2 bands for reading and numeracy (Premier's Priority Target), Years 7 and 9 continued an uninterrupted upward trend since 2017 and we have exceeded our Premier's Priority Targets.
Congratulations to all students, staff and families for these results. I will present a more detailed summary at the P&C meeting in Term 4.
Individual student NAPLAN results will not be released until later this term.
8-11 Applications for 2023
Last year we shared the record number of applications we received for entry in Years 8-11 at our school. This year, we have exceeded those numbers yet again.
On 6 August, hundreds of students came to PSHS to sit the Higher Ability Selection Test (HAST) with hopes of attending our school in 2023. Our school is one of 9 Selective High Schools that share HAST results and applicants will be notified of the outcome by October, 2022.
Our school’s website is updated with the details for students seeking entry in Year 7 2024 and will be updated later in the year for students seeking entry in Years 8 to 11 for 2024.
My thanks extend to the selection committee, administration staff and invigilators who help manage and implement this process.
Major Upgrades to the School Hall and other buildings
Unfortunately at a school with a rich history, spanning 70 years, leaky roofs are something that we have had to battle at times. As such, it is exciting to share that the roof of the school’s Hall, A block and in parts of H Block and T Block will be replaced.
These major works will see a great deal of scaffolding erected, lots of room changes and some disruption to school access points. We thank everyone for their patience as these major renovations take place.
School Website
Many pages of our school website have recently been updated including the following pages: Sport, Co-curricular and Enrichment, JRC and the Yarning Circle and Indigenous Education pages. New pages include: Hector MacGregor Field, Wendy De Paoli, The Penrith Podcast and Multimedia Team.
You can view these changes and additions here: https://penrith-h.schools.nsw.gov.au/
Finally, thank you to everyone for their support. We look forward to sharing details and photos from our long awaited 70th Anniversary Luncheon which will be held on 10 September in the next edition of our newsletter.
Warm regards,
Jaclyn Cush
Relieving Principal
The 2023 Senior Leadership Team
Mayor's Visit during Education Week-1-5 August 2022
To kick off Education Week, we held a Student Leadership Day. This day saw student leaders from years 7-11 come together to reflect on, evaluate and plan for key initiatives and events.
We extend our thanks to Councillor Tricia Hitchen, the Mayor of Penrith and Penrith High School Alumna for delivering her inspirational opening remarks.
Thank you also to Mr Rolls, Mr Serrato and Ms Pipio for providing our students with this opportunity - education really does change lives!
Ms K. Lowe(DP PSHS), Ms J. Cush - Rel. Principal PSHS, Cr Hitchen - Mayor of Penrith, Ms Lee(DP PSHS), Mr J. Rolls (CAPA, House Coordinator, Relieving SRC Coordinator) and Mr B. Ferguson (DP PSHS)
P&C Report
“Some people dream of success, while other people get up every morning and make it happen” Wayne Huizenga
Hope you are having an enjoyable and exciting term thus far!
As outlined in our last P&C meeting (Term 2, week 3), we have successfully submitted the West Invest Smarty Grant application. I would like to thank various committee members who contributed in many ways to make this possible within the due date!
The P&C has been at work for the last couple of months focusing on discussions around community involvement and fundraising activities to involve more parents and further enhance student learning outcomes at Penrith Selective High School. The committee has decided to run a few events alongside the school in the coming months. These events are aimed at providing exciting opportunities for parents and students to mingle, enjoy food and establish positive relationships with the school and staff.
We strongly believe and request your support in the events listed below.
We would really appreciate parents supporting and/or being active participants by volunteering for any or all of the events. Students and staff are also welcome.
We encourage you to express your interest here so each organiser can liaise with you and start planning these events. Feel free to ask questions or queries in the form or alternatively write to us at pandcpenrith@gmail.com. Looking forward to hearing from you!
Thank you.
Mini Mathew
President P&C Association
School Functions Prefect Report
As the School Function Prefect Interns, we have been working with Mrs Fayle over the past couple of weeks as part of our 70th Anniversary celebration to piece together Penrith’s history by connecting with Alumni and gathering items from our archives. These items are currently being displayed in the Penrith City Library and will be transferred to the 70th anniversary luncheon at Penrith Paceway on September 10.
In addition, as a follow up from Alumni Night - where years 10, 11 and 12 students sit down to speak with Alumni about their experiences since leaving Penrith High - we interviewed some students as feedback from the night.
Following are some responses.
Interviews
Gauri Kotera (Year 10)
What part of the night stood out most to you and why?
Probably talking to people who have experienced, basically what we are experiencing right now, because you get first hand information about what they did. And you can use and accumulate that to what you want to do.
How successful was the night? And did it meet your expectations?
I would say it was very successful. Definitely, because I loved meeting all the people.
What did you learn?
I guess I learnt that getting in careers and jobs is very tricky. Because there are so many components to it and you have got to start preparing earlier on.
What strategies will you implement based on the advice given by the Alumni in achieving your future goals?
They told me to take up every opportunity I can get because even if you're not completely sure about it, you're probably better still trying. And that advice really resonated with me and sometime I’m going to try and implement it.
What parts do you think could be improved?
I guess, I wish we had more time to talk to them. Because I only managed to get around to three people and there were a lot of other people I wish I could have spoken to. So I wish we could spend more time with them.
Milvia Mathew (Year 11)
What part of the night stood out the most to you and why?
The Alumni Night was eventful, and the engagement of many students alongside the Alumni was very inspiring and a driving factor throughout the night to take advantage of this great opportunity. The amount of student involvement was one of the highlights of the night and is definitely an event that should occur again.
How successful was the night and did it meet your expectations?
In all honesty, the night exceeded my expectations and set the standards high as the first Alumni Night with my attendance. The hall was filled with enthusiastic individuals eager to learn and advise which really kept the night moving. It would’ve been amazing to speak to all the Alumni in attendance, however there was a large diversity in the group of Alumni, allowing students to reach out to their passions and interests for the future.
What did you learn?
From the various Alumni speakers, I learnt the most valuable lesson; that it won't matter if you don't know what you want to be now, or even 5 years from now because in the end, you’ll end up where you always needed to be. The only difference would be that if you do have a passion or interest that overtakes all other interests, that is what you follow because in life your occupation is your passion and not just a job for jobs’ sake.
What strategies will you implement based on the advice given by the Alumni in achieving your future goals?
The Alumni all provided great advice, all of which included using all the resources and opportunities that Penrith Selective High School provides all students. We are often unaware of the privileges we have in our school and how far our prospects can take us if we ask for help from Teachers, Alumni, Career Advisers and our fellow peers. There is so much we are still yet to uncover and learn which is why it’s important to never let a stone be unturned.
Another vital piece of advice, work hard. Put into place realistic goals, ones that are attainable for short term and long term. Do not limit yourself by placing all focus on one goal which can affect your potential as an individual. It's okay to not have a specific goal as long as it’s something small, like bettering your lifestyle in the smallest of ways, changing habits and understanding how you function as a student/individual.
What parts of the night did you enjoy and which parts need improvement?
The enjoyment was most prominent when speaking to the Alumni and being able to hear different experiences of school life, career journeys and personal lives. It’s much more calming to know that we have all asked the same questions, had the same concerns and still grown to exceed our expectations and achieve greater than our previous goals.
Alex Vella (Year 11)
What part of the night stood out the most to you and why?
Talking to the different people and different directions of life and seeing where school has taken them and getting life advice.
How successful was the night and did it meet your expectations?
It was good. It was very fast-paced. It was actually better than I expected. It was very good.
What did you learn from the night?
I learnt a lot about universities and careers as well as advice about schools.
What strategies will you implement based on the advice given by the Alumni in achieving your future goals?
One advice I got was trying not to stress out, there are always other ways to get what you want to do.
What part of the night did you enjoy and which parts need improvement?
There could have been more round tables so that the Alumnus could talk to each other and some students did not know which Alumnus to choose.
Angeline Kaitharath Joby
Dharani Sutharshan
Dharika Sujendran
Tanish Patil - moved on to Vice Captain
George Mikhail - moved on to School Captain
The School Functions Prefects helping to coordinate memorabilia for Penrith City Library display for the 70th Anniversary
Naidoc Week Celebration/Multicultural Day
This year's theme for Naidoc Week was Get Up! Stand Up! Show Up! celebrating the many who have driven and led change in our communities over generations.
On July 1 PSHS celebrated the formal opening of the Yarning Circle with the unveiling of our shared artwork. We thank local Aboriginal artist - Rhe as well as the Eather Group for all their generosity and assistance. Thank you to Elina who taught our choir the superb anthem in Dharug.
Our Deputy, Ms Lee, sent this message to the students and staff.
"I would like to thank you all for your assistance and cooperation in the NAIDOC Assembly (via zoom).
Numerous hours of planning and organising have been spent to ensure this event runs smoothly.
I foremost want to thank the students and teachers of the NAIDOC working team for putting the time and effort into creating such a successful event. Also thank you to our amazing PSHS artists who have contributed to the Yarning Circle Artwork. The artwork is simply beautiful and will be treasured for many years to come.
Please find the Yarning circle video below -
Thank you all. Have a wonderful Multicultural Day celebration everyone!"
Doris Lee
Deputy Principal
The rest of the day was dedicated to Multicultural Day with foods from different cultures set up in the gym(due to wet weather) and concerts in the hall during recess and lunch. The day finished with a Year 12 Dance which had everyone clapping and singing.
The day, despite the rain, was full of joy and festivity. A great day to lead into the holidays!
Year 12 Multicultural Day 2022
Penrith Perception Episode 9
To finish off term 2, we bring to you a discussion about DUKE OF EDINBURGH with Mrs Andreatta and Mela Hoffman as well as two special Alumni of Penrith High School - Jola and Alison. Duke of Ed is an internationally recognised award that began in Penrith High School in the late 1900s. In this episode, we talk all about the program, from the camps to the wonders of the outdoors and everything in between. Make sure to listen until the end to hear some stories from all our Duke of Ed journeys.
You can listen to the episode on Spotify or use the link below:
Penrith Perception Episode 10
The latest episode of The Penrith Perception is out on Spotify.
In this episode we talk to students Andre Dubier and Gauri Kotera, who compete in exceptionally high levels of sport in cycling and rowing, to discuss what it takes to sustain an athletic mindset. The team also chats to Mr McGinnis who played professional football in the 80s and 90s when he was just starting off in his professional career.
They discuss some necessary pre-competition rituals, who are the hype people behind the athlete and what's in store for their future aspirations. This is a truly inspiring episode whether you are into sports or not.
A special shout out to Abhi Tamma in Year 10 who also co-edited this episode marking his debut on the podcast.
You can listen to the episode on Spotify or use the link below:
https://open.spotify.com/episode/5ZN4L0x4RPuI4NE1ZWJBhh?si=5fe762acd806449b
Library Update
It has been a very busy couple of months in the library at PSHS.
We saw the publication of the 2nd edition of our quarterly, student run, library magazine, Pages From Penrith. The second edition focused on the power of books to understand the world from many different cultures and viewpoints and included, reviews, recommendations, student composed micro-fiction and poetry. We also saw the launch of our student run Friday lunchtime Book Club in which students are free to bring any book they want to read, eat their lunch and chat with fellow book lovers.
This term we said goodbye to our wonderful Library Leadership Club leaders, Niyati Shah and Sharanya Adaikalavan relinquish their positions to focus on their upcoming HSC. The new leaders are Year 11 students, Kashifa Iqbal and Siqi Wang who have taken on the role with professional enthusiasm, and I know they will continue to do a wonderful job. On behalf of all who use the library, I would like to thank Niyati and Sharanya for their professionalism and dedication, you have built a very sound foundation and have left a wonderful legacy to the Penrith Selective High School community.
The 2022 NSW Premier's Reading Challenge came to a close recently and we congratulate all those who participated.
To celebrate the upcoming 70th Anniversary Reunion of PSHS students, Cathie Fayle and I placed several displays of our school’s memorabilia in Penrith City Library. The PSHS display has been in the library for the month of August and will remain there until the 5 September and contains old uniforms and flags, badges, photographs, and documents as well as old and recent editions of the annual school magazine Towers.
The Children’s Book Council of Australia annual Book Week ran from August 20-26 and this year’s theme is Dreaming with eyes open….. To celebrate, we had a display in the library of the shortlisted and notable books for older readers. The winner of the CBCA Book of the year for older readers is Tiger Daughter by Rebecca Lim. It is the story of a young immigrant girl who wants to go to a selective high school and the struggles she faces along the way. The library leaders Siqi and Kashifa also made an announcement at assembly to promote book week and included a quiz with prizes for the winners.
Reading really is a fantastic way to dream with our eyes open and I encourage you all to venture into new worlds and experiences through reading.
Happy Dreaming!
Lisa Roberts
Teacher Librarian 😊
THE WINNER
Book Week Display
Break the Bias Display
Displays at Penrith City Library
HSC Biology Excursion
On the excursion in July the HSC Biology Cohort had the privilege of engaging with Professor Andrew Harman of Virology and Immunology and Research Fellow, Annaliese Ashhurst, to learn about infectious diseases (eg Tuberculosis and COVID ), the immunological processes used to diagnose such diseases (ELIZA and PCR) and the types of vaccines available.
Our students greatly enjoyed and benefitted from conducting a variety of practicals to further strengthen their understanding of the curriculum.
Thank you Miss Lam for the organising of the excursion and to Mr Roach and Mrs Wallace for escorting our students to the venue.
The Science and Engineering Challenge at WSU Kingswood
This involved 7 other local schools, with teams of 4 students from each competing in a range of activities that really tested their mental and practical capacity. It was great to see the collaboration and enthusiasm as the teams developed their ideas into winning solutions.
There is one more Sydney Challenge to see if we have made it into the State Final.
Congratulations!
Gary McGovern
Head Teacher TAS
PSHS Students who competed in the Challenge
Arucckshan Arooran
Feodora CutajarRachel Ding
Hugh Driver
Jovian Gomes
bradley Kwok
Bradwell Kwok
Taran Margapuram
Oliver Milne
Shreya Saritha
Barenya Satapathy
Krishnendhu Abhilash
Tishya Aggarwal
Ranuga Jayaweera
Amiya Joshi
Gauri Kotera
Sameer Mahajan
Hazel Malhotra
Kingston Mao
Haripriya Mehta
Muhammad Mudassar
Rhea Multani
Ayaan Parkar
Deekshiga Rathinavel Pandian
Eric Ren
Abhijith Sanu
Preksha Shah
Trisha Sheth
Darsh Singhal
Ezekiel Swinn
Sanskar Tbile
George Tsakonas
Zoya Zoya
FURTHER UPDATE
The Science and Engineering Challenge NSW State Final
The team of 32 students advanced to the State Final after success in the Regional Challenge at Western Sydney University's Kingswood Campus.
At the State Final they worked in teams of 4, competing against 7 other Regional Winners in a series of STEM based activities that challenged their knowledge of Science and Engineering through planning, teamwork, decision making, creative thinking and innovation.
Congratulations to every student involved for a thoroughly deserved victory and to Mr McGovern for organising and attending the trip to Newcastle.
Congratulations Tarin!
Congratulations to Tarin Liu who recently competed in the Commonwealth Games Fencing Championships in London!!!
Tarin is an Australian National Sabre Fencer and was selected for the individual (Cadet U17 and Junior U20) and team (Cadet U17 and Junior U20) events in the Men’s Sabre Fencing Competition.
His results are as follows:
U20 – Junior Men’s Sabre Individual
Tarin won his first DE 15/5 and progressed to the final 32, however he lost 15-12 to the British gold medallist and ended up with a rank of 28 out of 42.
U17 – Cadet Men’s Sabre Individual
Tarin lost to England in the top 16 position and ended up with a rank of 10 out of 40
U17 – Cadet Men’s Sabre Team
After beating the hard core Indian team 45-38 in the first round, Australia faced Canada (three left handers 😊) in the semi-final. It was a close match. Australia at the end lost to Canada 45-44 so we shared the Bronze Medal with Wales.
A wonderful achievement!
Congratulations Lachlan Stone and Team!
Clark Stone
Head Teacher History
Lachlan 2nd from right Back Row
Lachlan 4th from left Back Row
Lachlan with proud parents
Sydney West Athletics Carnival
On Julyn26 and 27, we had 11 individual athletes compete at the Sydney West Athletics Carnival in Homebush. The fantastic efforts of those students accumulated 164 points which placed Penrith in 40th Place in the Sydney West region. Two students were successful in progressing through to the NSW Combined High School State Championship which will be held in September. These students and their results are as follows:
Lachlan Stone:
1st 17-19 Boys Shot put – 13.06m
4th 17-19 Boys Discuss– 31.24m
5th 17-19 Boys Javelin – 33.71m
Nitesh Vaidyam
2nd 14 Boys Long Jump – 5.27m
The list of athletes who competed are:
Kevin Balachandar
Reeve Dudhia
Bradley Kwok
Bradwell Kwok
Owen McCann
Aarush Mittal
Rohan Rangineni
Grant Reid
Harsimar Saini
Lachlan Stone
Nitesh Vaidyam
Relays
Girls 14 year old 100m Relay
Feodora Cutajar 14; Lakshitha Chandupatla 14; Eva Motti Abraham 14; Kavya Mehra 14
Boys 15 year old 100m Relay
Bevan Halder 15; Reeve Dudhia 15; Hugh Driver 15; Bradwell Kwok 15
Congratulations to all students!
Julie Letters
PDHPE
Semester One Tutoring Recital
A huge thank you to out tutors: Ying Artwoeger, Edwin Chan, Kellie Manning and Clare Richards. Also, a big thank you to Mr Rolls and Ms Goodman for organising the evening as well as Mr Serrato and his multimedia Team for the amazing photos.
We look forward to the second Tutoring Recital in Term 4.
Music Awards
Thank you to Mr Sandham who has guided our ensemble and continues to work his magic across our music programs.
On the back of this, our String Ensemble has been selected by the Arts Unit to perform as a featured item at the Arts Alive Choral Concert at Sydney Town Hall.
Congratulations!
Ensembles Program
The students were from our Drama Ensembles, Dance Ensembles, String Ensemble and Choir and they performed their Semester One repertoire.
Thank you to George Mickhail Year 11 and Freya Stewart Year 9, Ensemble Leaders who were selected to compere the event, Sudhiksha Karthik Year 10, who was selected as a soloist to perform the Anthem and Jeremy Spikmans Year 9 who accompanied the mass choir on cello.
Congratulations Sudhiksha Karthik
Sudhiksha Karthik of Year 10 has been selected as a soloist for an Arts Alive Choral Festival Concert at Sydney Town Hall. These spots are extremely rare and VERY difficult to get into, particularly for vocalists and means she will sing Ave Maria solo. To listen to her audition, please visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MZF3FCuNkdE (personally I was captivated in the last minute and am excited to sit in the audience for the performance).
Sudhiksha was one of leads in the Musical earlier in the year, is a lead singer in Jack's Senior Contemporary Ensemble and entered this audition in her own time (with feedback from teachers).
Congratulations!
Anthony Vassallo
Head Teacher CAPA
Congratulations Drama Ensemble!
Several students also opened another evening performance as members of the Greater Western Sydney Drama Ensemble who performed their piece 'Cruising for Murder'.
Thank you Ms Lawson, Ms Magi and Mr Vassallo for their work!
Annual Penrith Eisteddfod
Alex Lin in Year 11 received two 1st places, a 2nd place and a Highly Commended Award.
Patrick Lim in Year 8 received a 1st place, a 2nd place and two Highly Commended Awards.
Aileen Duan in year 7 was awarded a 1st place and a 2nd place.
We congratulate Isaac Zhao and Victor Qin on their performances as well.
First Aid Course
41 students took up the opportunity to complete their First Aid Certification. Prior to the day they completed their pre-learning workbook and registered with The Royal Life Saving Society of NSW. Then, on Tuesday July 26, they had their assessment day. It is with great pleasure that I announce all students successfully completed their first aid certification with flying colours. Here are some of their thoughts about the course.
In this course, as a group we learnt many crucial life saving skills and techniques that were coached to us over the course of the day. While this was an educational course, we still managed to have tons of fun while training, whether it was using dummies or bandaging each other in the most creative ways. Most importantly, the hilariously dramatised situations in which we had to administer first aid to a 'casualty' were the perfect balance of fun and practical application of our skills.
Thank you to Miss Andreatta for organising and giving us this opportunity!!
Bhavika Kakkar Year 10
It was great to learn such valuable life-saving skills throughout the day, in a fun and engaging way! Would definitely recommend this course to the coming grades :)
Veerja Patel Year 12
The course was such an educational and enjoyable experience where I learned a great amount of skills that will be helpful in the future. The interactive aspects of the course were really fun and the use of dummies and real-life scenarios was extremely memorable. The theory was also delivered in a really clear and understandable manner so we won’t easily forget. It was such a wonderful experience and very greatly appreciated!!!
Anchita Eranki Year 10 :)
Very interactive and hands on course, great for people like me who learn best through a kinaesthetic learning style. Will definitely remember these skills and content for the rest of my life, and I would recommend this course to anyone wanting to learn a new skill or try something new.
Parth Patel, Year 11
It was a really valuable day, as we learned important life saving skills that we may need in the future. With the instructors showing us demonstrations of each scenario, and how to perform effective first aid in the case of an emergency, we learned a lot of new information too. I also felt it was really reassuring, to know that in the event of an incident, we will be able to do our best to support and save lives.
Krithika.Sujendran Yr 10
The course was a very fun and interactive educational experience that allowed me to be able to use resources that engage me with real life first aid scenarios. All of the work done with my classmates helped me learn effectively, while still enjoying the lesson with a laugh.
Tonmoy Roychowdhury Yr 10
Congratulations Giselle Guo!
This is a huge achievement especially given the very high volume of entries in the competition (in the thousands).
You can read her entry here
https://www.whitlam.org/what-matters-2022-shortlisted-entries/2022/7/25/silver-thorned-roses
The History Faculty will keep you informed of her final result when this is released.
Stephanie King
History Faculty
Duke Of Edinburgh - Silver Practice Journey - 2022
Every year, Duke Of Ed Silver students from Penrith High School go on a three-day two-night camping trip as their practice journey. Unfortunately, the itinerary was severely affected twice due to uncontrollable extreme weather. However, thanks to Miss Andreatta, we were able to finally proceed, she organised our camp multiple times prior and put in so much work, for which we are all incredibly grateful, to get us through and outside for our journey. So, on 10 August to 11 August we went on our Silver Award Practice Journey, followed by 12 August participating at the Sydney West Orienteering Championships.
On the 10th and 11th for camp, we started at Blaxland and hiked through a series of mountains and roads to our very unique campsite: Penrith High School! Due to last minute changes to the plan, we ended up sleeping at school, near the Yarning Circle and cricket nets beside D.1.1. Although during the day hike itself, there were many aspects that highly challenged us both physically and mentally, the overall experience is very memorable. Although we also applied what we had learned from our past experience during the Bronze Practice Journey, we learnt so much more as well. From climbing up steep mountain sides, watching over from high lookouts at the view, talking into walkie-talkies, buying snacks and slurpees from Seven Eleven, to trying everyone’s creative dinners, making modified s'mores without an actual campfire. Every moment - was unforgettable.
Although we had all gone back home on the night of the 11th, the very next day, we made our way to Nurragingy Reserve in Doonside. There, for the first time after many years, Penrith High School participated in the Sydney West Orienteering Championships in the year 9 and 10 division. Orienteering is where we are given a map, and are required to utilise navigational skills and a compass to reach our finish point as fast as we can. Considering it was our first time, we even achieved spectacular results. For some special mention: Boys Yr 9 and 10 → Reeve Dudia (4th), Neave Joseph (5th), Darsh Singhal (6th); Girls Yr 9 and 10 → Jocelyn Yunardi (3rd), Shyla Vashisht (4th), Kyra Srinivas (5th); Relays → Penrith 3rd (Simardeep, Shyla, Darsh), Penrith 5th (Ronish, Neave, Reeve). Congratulations to these people, and everyone else who participated! Not only did we learn orienteering, but the entire time was very exhilarating, running around with friends, competing against schools, and even taking in the spectacular Reserve!
These past three days were some of the most eventful, adventurous, and memorable moments of high school so far. The Duke Of Edinburgh Award is such an amazing program that allows students to experience things they would never imagine themselves doing -from heaving 12kg rucksacks over mountains and walking for over 8 hours a day, the experiences that came out of this camp most certainly grew our resilience and motivation to push on, and the reward of arriving at the campsite and unwinding with friends and teachers feels so fruitful, and brought everyone so much joy. We highly recommend other students also participate in the Duke Of Edinburgh Award, as well as the Orienteering Championship, as you are guaranteed to have an amazing time.
Silver Duke of Edinburgh Award participant
Year 10.
The Silver Dukes Group
Bronze Duke of Edinburgh Training Day
On August 5, students enrolled in the Duke of Edinburgh Bronze Award Program participated in a Training Day for their Adventurous Journey. The Duke of Ed Bronze Program invites students to enhance their skills, community service, and physical fitness over a period of time, culminating in a two-day Adventurous Journey in which students completing the award hike in a certain location - this year’s Adventurous Journey takes place in Euroka Clearing.
To prepare them for this Adventurous Journey, Duke of Ed students completed a Training Day, which covered areas of the Adventurous Journey such as how to pitch a tent or cook a meal. First off, everybody was assisted in adjusting the straps on their pack in order to be able to walk comfortably. Next, everyone was given a brief instruction on how to pitch a tent. For lunch, students were given the opportunity to use a camping stove to cook their own food, and the day finished with an activity on planning a journey.
Overall, the day was an extremely fun and educational experience for all involved.
Bailey Bass
Bronze Duke of Edinburgh participant
Year 9 student
The Bronze Dukes Group
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