Penrith Selective High School
November/December Newsletter 2022
From the Relieving Principal
Welcome to the final edition of our school newsletter for 2022.
What a year! There has been so much to celebrate this year and as always, it’s difficult to capture in this publication the extraordinary number of achievements in our community.
Celebrating the achievements of our staff
Earlier in October, our school celebrated World Teachers' Day. I want to take this opportunity to acknowledge each of our amazing teachers and recognise their relentless commitment to our students. Four of our talented teachers have been recognized by the NSW Teachers Guild World Teachers Day Awards. Congratulations to Mr Steve Lidster, Mr Karl Serrato, Mrs Konny Kwiet and Dr Anju Katyal on this well deserved achievement.
All the citations are included within this newsletter.
In addition to this our SAO, Ms Brooklyn Dicker was recognised for her extraordinary contribution to our school’s co-curricular and enrichment offerings with a 2022 Penrith Principal Network Award. Brooklyn’s contributions to the co-curricular office have ensured the introduction of more than 6 new and engaging enrichment opportunities for students since February 2022.
Congratulations also go to Mr Steven Lidster, Mrs Stephanie Micallef and Mr Gary McGovern who have completed the 3Rivers4 Learning course with Dr Ann McIntyre. This team successfully completed the leadership course, completing a final group project which was of the highest order. This has afforded each member hours that contribute to half of a Master of Education (Educational Leadership) at The University of Wollongong.
7-10 Assessment Window
At this time of the year our students are welcoming the relief of having all their major assessments completed. For the second year we held a 7-10 Assessment Window with flexible attendance. In our evaluation survey, 98.1% of our students indicated that the 7-10 Assessment Window was beneficial to them. 75.8% of students indicated the window helped to reduce stress; 91.8% indicated it allowed them to better prepare for tasks; 71.7% had increased focus and concentration and 88.5% appreciated having the weekend in between to reset and reflect.
New educational journeys
Every year when we farewell a graduating Year 12 class, we also welcome a new cohort of students undertaking the HSC and an incoming Year 7 group.
Our Year 12 class of 2023 embarked on their first HSC assessment block and made great use of the new collaborative learning study space and the newly structured upstairs individual quiet zone. While there will be some reprieve from new content over the summer break, our Year 12 students should find time to continue study, revision and research. For those undertaking a course with a major work, the summer break is critical in getting started on this.
At the end of November, our incoming Year 7 2023 cohort visited the school on Orientation Day. Under the leadership of Year 7 2023 Year Adviser, Mr Jack Rolls our newly appointed Year 10 Peer Support Leaders did an incredible job with leading this key transition event. On this day we also welcomed our new 8-11 students and we look forward to all our new students officially joining our school community next year.
End of year activities
Since our last newsletter, our first Walkathon since pre-pandemic took place. Walkathon is our school’s largest fundraiser of the year, and we have fallen just shy of our $20,000 target. The donations from families have played an enormous role in upgrading facilities across the school in and outside of the classroom. Years 7 and 8 headed off to Swim School our SRC’s 12 Days of Christmas initiative has begun, Penrith in Performance returned for the first time since the beginning of the pandemic and planning for our end of year Presentation Assemblies are in full swing!
Thank you
Recently, Mr Mark Long shared that he would be staying in the Relieving Director Educational Leadership role for a little longer. As a result, I have been asked to continue relieving as Principal. My thanks to Ms Kylie Lowe who has been relieving as Deputy Principal in 2023, unfortunately she will return to her previous state-wide role in School Excellence.
Finally, I’d like to recognise all our incredible staff and students who have worked together tirelessly this year and for the support of our families. Please enjoy all the wonderful content of this final edition and thank you for a great year.
We wish all our staff, students and families a wonderful summer and hope the new year brings prosperity and joy.
Warm regards,
Jaclyn Cush
Relieving Principal
Mrs Konny Kwiet - World Teachers’ Day Award citation:
Konstanze is a highly experienced and outstanding History teacher and Stage 4 Academic Adviser. Her positive impact on all students is evident in the increase in the number of students wanting to study History and her excellent results in the HSC. Konstanze has been instrumental in leading the Ancient History course for the faculty and in offering accelerated Ancient History to Year 10 students. Her engaging lessons all include her highly successful and unique strategy of: establishing an esprit de corps, building confidence and encouraging intellectual curiosity. Konstanze’s lessons offer students a collaborative learning space built on trust whereby students can develop and refine their skills, challenge concepts, contemplate new ideas and develop their own perspectives. Her class motto of “No one left behind” sums up her passion for providing all students with optimal learning experiences.
Dr Anju Katyal - World Teachers’ Day Award citation:
Anju is an exceptional teacher of Mathematics whose internal, external and HSC results in Mathematics are outstanding. As a result of Anju’s expertise and excellent rapport with her students, she is entrusted with the more challenging courses of Mathematics such as Extension 2 and Compaction classes. Anju offers tutorial lessons to her students, designed to cater to the different level of abilities and learning styles within each cohort.
The tutorials also permit Anju to establish a more supportive, nurturing, engaging and successful environment for all students whilst allowing her to identify any weaknesses at all stages of students’ learning. Her extensive feedback, throughout units of work and in all assessment tasks, provides students with the avenue to improve. Anju is a role model within her faculty and the school. Her leadership, teaching practice and demeanour make her uniquely different.
Mr Karl Serrato - World Teachers’ Day Award citation:
Karl is a dynamic, engaging and highly effective teacher, Year Adviser, Transition Adviser and Multimedia Co-ordinator whose expertise, both within and out of the classroom, has resulted in great success in all his roles. Karl’s work in the multimedia space has led to the establishment of a new and ever-expanding leadership body which deals specifically with the evolving technology and media demands of our school and future focused learning. Under Karl’s guidance and tutelage, students are working at a quasi-professional level in both media production and post-production. Karl’s in-depth knowledge of the school’s 5-13 Wellbeing Strategy and, his ability to connect with all students, makes him an exceptional Year Adviser. His deep understanding of the unique educational and social needs of highly gifted students, at various stages of adolescence, is commendable. His desire to improve and enrich students’ learning experiences guarantees his continued success as a teacher and leader.
Mr Steve Lidster - World Teachers’ Day Award citation:
Steven Lidster is a Head Teacher of English who has changed the culture and direction of his faculty through collaborative practice, cooperation and an appreciation of literature. Steven has successfully cultivated an environment which has resulted in improved HSC results with over 95% of the cohort achieving band 5s and 6s in the 2020 and 2021 HSC. His innovative “Bump it Up” program delivers regular, targeted and individualised teacher feedback to senior students to maximise their HSC results. Steven is an exceptional and inspirational leader, both within and out of the classroom. His wealth of knowledge, experience and deep understanding of best teaching practice is generously shared with his staff. Steven provides mentorship, expertise and an effective avenue for his staff to realise professional development goals and leadership pathways. Steven is an engaging leader and a highly valued member of the school
Below: Our staff being presented their award by Education Minister, The Hon. Sarah Mitchell MLC and Deputy Leader of the Opposition/Shadow Minister for Education Ms Prue Car MP.
Karl (centred) receiving his award
Anju (centred) receiving her award
Steve (centred) receiving his award
Ms Brooklyn Dicker and Mrs Chantal Beltran (Director, Educational Leadership)
Congratulations Mela!
Congratulations Mela!
Thank you to Ms Andreatta for supporting all our Duke of Edinburgh candidates.
2022/2023 School Leaders
Year 11-12 studying in their new Senior Learning Space
Year 11-12 studying together in the main library during their first Year 12 Assessment Block
Prefects Update
SOCIAL JUSTICE AND EQUALITY PREFECTS:
As Christmas is approaching, the Social Justice and Equality Prefects have tried our best to follow the theme of ‘giving’. On November 18, the team handed on white ribbon pins in the morning to spread awareness of the White Ribbon Day movement aimed at ending violence against women and girls. We hoped to reinforce the school’s safe environment and empower students to challenge subtle behaviours that perpetuate gender-based violence and inequality. Following this, we collaborated with the Blue Mountains Support Group and Community Centre. In Week 4, we announced the donation drive where students were encouraged to give toys, food and clothes for financially struggling and refugee families in the spirit of Christmas. We put up a Christmas tree where students could donate and after a slow start, major donations came from Ms Pipio, Ms Bolle, Ms Dicker and classes such as 7ENG4 and 9ENG1. By Week 9, we ended up with over $1700 worth of donations, some which were gift-wrapped by fellow prefects and Year 12s. On December 8, Ms Jackie Mayers from the Blue Mountains Group came down to collect all our gifts. The next day, we went to Penrith Community Centre to deliver carloads of donations which the workers greatly appreciated. Our winner of the Pizza Party for the most donations was 9ENG1, who donated an assortment of toys and clothes! They enjoyed their prize during Week 10, celebrating the efforts of this long but rewarding project. The Social Justice team is excited to continue contributing to the school, community and wider movements next year!
Manhishtha Bucktowar, Janinda Wijayagunawardana, Pranavan Prakash and Paige O'Connor
ACADEMIC PREFECTS:
The academic prefects look forward to assisting our school and our peers to achieve their goals and maintain academic high performance throughout their journey in high school. We continue to assist senior study groups, organising new peer support leaders, attending year meetings as required by each Year Adviser and aiding teachers in ongoing school events. From hereon, we will focus towards adding fun activities for the rest of the school to participate in, such as the infamous Rubix Cube Challenge. The Academic Prefects will strive to involve more participation of students around the school within both academic and enrichment activities.
Leah Joseph, Dev Shah, Aatman Joshi, Avneesh Shivkumar and Sasha Madan
FUNCTIONS:
Over the last term, the School Functions Prefects have worked hard in the organization as well as assistance in key school events. One of our first events was World Teachers Day which was a huge success as the hard work and dedication of teachers were appreciated through handwritten letters from students around the school. We gave out baked goods and organised a music performance to show our immense gratitude to our teachers. An article appears further in this newsletter.
Just recently, we had been working with Mr Vassallo and the rest of the CAPA Faculty to plan Penrith in Performance. Penrith in Performance is a showcase of all the ensembles happening in our school over the past year. Through being a part of the production team, it was truly a valuable experience reflecting the amazing talent of students within our school. The event took place at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music and was a huge success with an astounding finale which is featured further in this newsletter.
We have also been engaging with Ms Fayle to oversee Alumni in order to consistently engage with past members of our school. We recently conducted an interview with Ms Ryan who has been with us at this school for many years to get her insight into the changes over the years.This article is featured in the Towers-Alumni Newsletter Edition 20 2022 linked at the end of this newsletter.
Currently, we have been working to organise our Prefect Afternoon Tea early next year which will allow us to engage and network with other schools and their prefect body
We anticipate the organisation of upcoming events and can’t wait to increase school spirit through them in 2023.
Dharani Sutharshan, Angeline Kaitharath Joby, Dharika Sujendran
ENRICHMENT:
The Enrichment team has been busy in Term 4 with the following:
Helping Peer Tutoring for English, Maths, and Science to be back up and running
We’ve been working hard to coordinate with the head teachers of each of these faculties to find junior students who might benefit from tutoring from capable seniors as well - and it’s safe to say that this initiative went off without a hitch! We had over 70 seniors sign up as tutors and similar numbers of interested students. Time will only tell how successful Peer Tutoring was after the juniors receive their yearly marks!
Helping out with Penrith in Performance
Penrith in Performance was one of this term's highlights for Enrichment - Alex and Mia were involved in performances and were also helpers in the production team with Nirosha and Victor. It’s an annual event that celebrates the hard work and dedication of Penrith’s students who take part in CAPA Ensembles outside of class. We were all in awe of the location of the event - the Sydney Conservatorium of Music - and of the students’ talents. We thank Mr Vassallo, Mr Rolls, and all other CAPA tutors for giving us the opportunity to help them with what was a very enjoyable event.
Helping with the CAPA Tutoring Recital
Every semester, the students who are part of the CAPA Tutoring Programs are asked to display their efforts in the Tutoring Recital. The Enrichment Prefects were there in the background, helping Mr Rolls and Mr Vassallo ensure that the running of the event went smoothly - the 13 students who performed were amazing and are a testament to their own hard work and their excellent tutors.
Organising competitions for next year
We look forward to introducing some new and exciting competitions to you all next year, as well as reviving some oldies (OzCLO anyone?), so as always, keep on the lookout as we’ll be telling you more about these in the new year!
See you all next year.
Alex Vella, Victor Qin, Mia Heredia and Nirosha Manandhar
FACULTY:
The Faculty Prefects are responsible for enriching learning amongst all of the 9 faculties throughout the school, managing and expanding the possible pathways of enrichment possibilities, aiding in subject selections, school showcases and assisting teachers with faculty events. Over the past months, the Faculty Prefects have assisted with the Graduation for the class of 2022. During the event, the Faculty Leaders helped with the planning of the event, helping teachers and office staff with the organisation of the afternoon. The Faculty Leaders also helped with the Open Day for the incoming year 7s for 2023. During these events, the Faculty Prefects helped with the organisation of individual faculty run events during the afternoon as well as assisting teachers and staff with the setting up of the hall and gym. During the Remembrance Day Ceremony, Faculty Leader Cameron Lau and Eric Han, recited a poem as well as the recitation of the Ode.
Shiv Nair, Jayden Kumarage,Cameron Lau and Eric Han
SENIOR EXECUTIVE:
CAPTAINS:
The captains for 2022/2023; George Mickhail and Milvia Mathew present to you this small insight into our leadership journey thus far.
On Saturday December 3, Milvia and I attended Penrith in Performance at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, where we had the absolute pleasure of MCing this event. This event demonstrated the diverse range of talents we have at our school, and we were incredibly honored to assist in showcasing these amazing students to the broader community. It was absolutely stunning to see our school perform at such a large scale for the first time in many years, particularly in such a prestigious venue.
In the final week of school, we have our Presentation Day and night ceremonies, where we will also assist in MCing the event, along with our prefects who will help with presenting awards. It will be a wonderful opportunity to commemorate the achievements of our highly gifted students, and Milvia and I are incredibly excited to be a part of this. Our first full term as Penrith High’s captains has been full of incredible opportunities, and we’re looking forward to starting a brand new year with all of you in 2023.
VICE CAPTAINS:
We are Iman Dirron and Tanish Patil, the 2022/23 School Vice Captains. As Vice Captains, we oversee the management of the Prefect body and assist the Captains.
So far, we have collaborated with the rest of the Prefects, School Captains, Senior Prefects, House Captains, SRC and JRC to help organise and run events such as the Christmas Drive where we helped raise donations for the Blue Mountains Refugee Camp, Orientation Day and our most recent event, Penrith in Performance.
As Vice Captains, we have many plans in the future to raise school spirit in our school and increase participation in events. We are currently working on an initiative which we hope to see run and continue to be when our positions are passed to the next successful Prefect Body.
We hope to be able to successfully manage the Prefect Body and leave a legacy as a reminder of our hard work and dedication as Penrith’s 2022/23 Vice Captains.
The amazing Senior Contemporary Ensemble
Open Night 2022
Thank you to the faculties and students for showcasing all the opportunities that PSHS has to offer.
Mathematics Update
The results for Euler, Gauss and Noether Enrichment are back for 2022 and our students did quite well.
The Year 8 students completed Euler, the Year 9 students completed Gauss and the Year 10 students completed Noether. The best of the results are as follows:
Year 8 Euler
Heer Panchal – Distinction
Anoushka Singhal – Distinction
Praseeda Pathi – Distinction
Sukhmandeep Singh – Distinction
Jeremy Tjiantoro – Credit
Ajithesh Bhaskaran Anandhi – Credit
Raneem Shahrukh – Credit
Vrund Patel - Credit
Year 9 Gauss
Asvin Pushparajah - Distinction
Preksha Shah – Credit
Jeron K Widana – Credit
Ishaan Garg – Credit
There are still a few places remaining if your student would like to join the Enrichment Program for 2022. Just ask your child to pick up an application form from me in the Maths staffroom. (Please remember that this is an extension program for the more Mathematical able student, if your child is struggling with Maths then I highly recommend they email mathspeertutoring@gmail.com and get a free peer tutor.)
AMC results
This year was the second time that we did it online. As a school our results were extremely pleasing, every year we do better than the year before!
We achieved 18 High Distinctions, 194 Distinctions, 328 Credits, 74 certificates in Proficiency and 2 Participation certificates. The High Distinction certificates were handed out on Wednesday assembly in Week 8. The remaining certificates were handed out in their Mathematics classes.
The High Distinctions were:
Ashvinth Sothivel Year 7
Vithiya Ravithasan Year 7
Timmy Cheung Year 7
Aaryan Nagpal Year 8
Jai-David Amboang Year 8
Akileish Ramesh Year 8
Jerrin Jomon Year 8
Tim Foster Year 8
Niall Stewart Year 8
William Kulcsar Year 8
Cayden Tjiptowihardjo Year 9
Timothy Gonzales Year 10
Mahathi Bethamsetty Year 10
Dhruvil Patel Year 10
Yajat Patel Year 10
Jai Wadhwa Year 10
Eric Ruan Year 12
Gurveer Singh Year 12
“Best in school” was awarded to Ashvinth Sothival Year 7 for the best overall highest standardized score.
The APSMO is an annual competition in which all of Year 7 and Year 8 enter. The student/s with the highest score from each class received a trophy and these were presented on an assembly in Term 3. The trophy winners were:
Year 7
Vithiya Ravithasan, Finnly Draper, Dev Parmar, Mohnish Shah, and Ashvinth Sothivel.
Year 8
Niall Stewart, Elijah Freeman, Anantvir Singh Basati, Patrick Lim, Joshua Darmawan and Matthew Kim.
On behalf of the Mathematics Faculty, I would like to wish everyone a very happy holiday!
We hope you all have a great break, relax and stay safe. We will see you all in 2023!!
Cheers,
Mrs Sue Briggs
Head Teacher Mathematics
L to R: Sukhmandeep Singh, Heer Panchal, Jeremy Tjiantoro, Anoushka Singhal and Vrund Patel - Yr 8 Euler
L to R: Akileish Ramesh, Cayden Tjiptowihardjo, Jai-David Amboang, Tim Foster, Niall Stewart, William Kulcsar, Timmy Cheung, Timothy Gonzales, Aaryan Nagpal, Mahathi Bethamsetty, Vithiya Ravithasan, Dhruvil Patel, Ashvinth Sothival, Jai Wadhwa, Mrs Briggs, and Yajat Patel - AMC Awards
Ashvinth Sothival “Best in School” for AMC 2022
L to R: Mrs Briggs, Vithiya Ravithasan, Mohnish Shah, Ashvinth Sothivel, Anantvir Singh Basati, Finnly Draper, Joshua Darmawan, Matthew Kim, Dev Parmar and Patrick Lim - APSMO awards
The Penrith Perception - Episode 11
2021 saw the construction of Penrith High School’s Yarning Circle, built by the Eather group. In 2022 the Yarning Circle and surrounding artwork design were completed, allowing for staff and students to work collaboratively and deepen their collective knowledge of First Nations People and culture. The construction of the project involved six Indigenous companies, including in design, landscaping, artwork, and cultural consultation. Our school has a rich history of success achieved by its Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students and we want to celebrate that.
In this episode the team talks to Year 8 student, Elijah Craig, Tanisha Malik and Caron Cyril of Year 11 as well as Ms Lowe, the Deputy Principal.
The Penrith Perception - Episode 12
In congratulating and celebrating our graduates of 2022, we take a few minutes out of their final day at Penrith High to get an insight into their perspective of school now that they've left. On the day of their Graduation, we interviewed a number of Year 12s as they recall their favourite moments with peers and teachers and provide some advice for younger students. For the rest of us, the cycle of high school continues, and we greet new students as our graduates leave. The current Year 7s were asked similar questions on their experiences at Penrith so far.
A huge CONGRATULATIONS to the graduating class of 2022! 🎓
The Penrith Perception - Episode 13
Our last podcast episode for 2022 is currently out on Spotify.
In this episode we hear from the newly elected Captains, Milvia and George, and from the Prefects for 2023 to understand what makes them tick. The Prefects introduce themselves and talk us through their goals and plans as school leaders. Listeners will hear all the processes of becoming a Prefect, reflecting on their leadership journey, and hopefully, words of wisdom for aspiring leaders.
I also want to take this opportunity to personally thank Myat Noe, Holy Kuriakose and Abhi Tamma for their outstanding work with the podcast this year. They have demonstrated true professionalism and dedication to both their studies and the podcast team, sharing insights with our community. I am extremely proud of their efforts and wish Myat the best of luck as she moves on to bigger things in 2023. Holy and Abhi will stay on with the Podcast team in an executive role to support our new members.
Dimity Scardanas - HT Educational Achievement
The 2022-23 Prefects handed out gift packages and played 'A Million Dreams' for the teachers at their weekly Morning Tea to Celebrate World Teachers Day 2022
Celebrating School Counsellor and School Psychologist Recognition Day - 10/11/2022
"Today is School Counsellor and School Psychologist Recognition Day and I want to acknowledge the immense contribution our School Counselling Service makes to our students’ wellbeing and learning experience.
We know that our students’ mental health and wellbeing is critical to their ability to learn, grow and flourish. Our school counsellors, school psychologists, senior psychologists education, leaders psychology practice, mental health and psychology services corporate staff, and more, play a significant role in that. The large variety of positions they hold hints at just how extensive their support is across our schools.
School counsellors and school psychologists help our learners reach their full potential by providing assessment and interventions in the areas of wellbeing, mental health and disability.
Most of us have witnessed the positive impact school counselling services have had. Let’s take the time today to recognise the contribution, collaboration and care that these specialist staff add to our school communities.
For more information about the role of school counsellors and school psychologists, check out School counselling service."
Thank you Sandra Begg, PSHS's School Counsellor!
We do understand and appreciate all the work you do behind the scenes.
SRC Report
The SRC (Student Representative Council) of 2022/23 has had thus far a successful outcome during its annual tradition of celebration of 12 Days of Christmas.
12 Days of Christmas is an annual event organised by the SRC, as a way to uplift school spirit in the anticipation for the Summer Christmas Holidays. The event is for the school community to take part in every day for the last 12 days of school, spreading the Christmas spirit. The event consisted of activities organised by the SRC and other leadership bodies such as a scavenger hunt, decoration of the school, trivia competitions, a Mini Christmas Olympics run by the House Captains and a Pyjama Day facilitated by the JRC (Junior Representative Council) in order to fundraise for a charity.
This year's highlights for the big event include the Decoration Day, where students in classes compete to decorate their classrooms in order to earn a prize, Card and Candy Cane Delivery, The Christmas Fair which includes the P&C stall as well as Variety Day, a school talent show!
The SRC continues to be keen and excited to continuously execute the twelve-day event until the term and school year comes to an end. Furthermore we look forward to continuing to celebrate and organise annual events such as School Spirit Week and Multicultural Day for the school community and in part leave our legacy as a school leadership body.
Cassidy Lauguico Yr 10
SRC President
Walkathon 2022
The students and staff made a great effort to dress up for the day.
Congratulations to the Mathematics Faculty who really got into the spirit!
At the river there was the Tug-o-War between the students and staff.
Thank you to our entire PSHS Community for raising funds and creating such a fun filled day!
Ms Kylie Lowe, one of our Deputy Principals, said about the day " What a great experience for our students and teachers to connect outside the classroom.
Congratulations to the Maths Faculty (pictured below) on your performance, it was a highlight of the day.
Thank you to all staff for your work throughout the day you are an amazing team!"
Ms Pipio, HT Co-Curricular Programs & LOTE, commented about the staff, "I just want to thank everyone for their assistance at the Walkathon. It was the perfect day (just a little rain at the end). These whole school events cannot happen without you! From our walkers to our checkpoint staff - thank you!
A special thanks to:
Glen McNally and Carl Lines - who took all the equipment down, set up, cooked the BBQ and packed up.
Maxine McNally and Brooklyn Dicker - who helped me to finalise organisation, checked the route and ensured all our necessary equipment was ready for the day. Maxine's wealth of knowledge in organising walkathons is amazing and Brooklyn's work ethic and dedication are unbelievable!!
Mary Xiberras and Jack Rolls - their superb organisation of SRC and House Leaders for our BBQ sales and House activities
Trevor Butler and Lisa Andreatta - for their expertise and valued assistance
SASS staff - for the behind the scenes work to ensure the day runs smoothly.
Kylie Lowe - for her continued support"
Congratulations Giselle!
Congratulations to Giselle Guo in Year 9 for her recent Visual Arts success!
Giselle from VA Enrichment was one of the winners of the National Design Competition from the Australian Urban Design Research Centre of the University of Western Australia.
Iain Wallace
Visual Arts
Congratulations Yaashvanthi!
Yaashvanthi Murugan from Year 12 Visual Arts has had her work, Imperial Modern, selected for ArtExpress at The Armory in Sydney Olympic Park and the Blue Mountains Cultural Centre.
I have attached some photos of the work (which definitely do not do it justice). It is an exploration of how oriental culture has been upheaved by westernisation in the name of modernisation.
Anthony Vassallo
HT CAPA
Congratulations Anila Shah Year 10
Emeritus Professor John Warhurst AO facilitated the Convention in which students explored the topic "Should Australia have compulsory voting?".
After hearing from 3 experts and considering the main issues in working groups, Anila and other delegates unanimously voted on the topic.
Senator Susan Lines, President of the Senate, was present to accept the draft Communique.
Well done, Anila!
Remembrance Day Ceremony 2022
On November 10, 2022 Penrith High School’s Years 8, 9 and 11 students commemorated the lives of Australians lost at war in the school’s annual Remembrance Day Ceremony.
The opening address made by Mr Stone, Head Teacher History, highlighted the life of local man and World War Two Veteran Bert Le-Merton. Some of what he said follows:
“Sergeant Bert was a remarkable figure in the veteran community, advocating for the health and wellbeing of Australia’s contemporary veterans.
A retired Sergeant of the Mortar Platoon in the 2/13th Battalion, 20th Brigade, 9th Division of the AIF (Australian Infantry Force), Bert looked for a way to help raise money to make the lives of contemporary veterans better.
On 15 August 2020, Sergeant Bert set out to walk 96 kilometres, the length of Kokoda, as part of the March On Challenge with the hope of raising $10,000 for Soldier On – A fundraising target which he surpassed on the evening of 14 August.
In the subsequent months, Sergeant Bert averaged 1.75 kilometres a day, completing his initial objective of 96 kilometres on October 10, 2020. Bert was greeted at the finish line by the Australian Federation Guard who lined his street in a Guard of Honour, a sign of gratitude for his support of our contemporary veterans. He continued to March On, reaching another significant milestone on his journey by doubling his original goal and reaching 192 kilometres and raising more than $110,000 by 12 February 2021.
By 31 March 2021, Bert had clocked a total of 419.15km walked and $112,223 raised to help prevent veteran suicide.
As Patron of Soldier On’s March On Challenge, Sergeant Bert inspired a nation to take action against veteran suicide and encouraged a national conversation that stretched far beyond his fundraising activities.
Sergeant Bert was recognised for his tremendous contribution to the veteran community and was named as a finalist in the Senior Australian of the Year Awards.
103-year-old WWII veteran, Sergeant Bert Le Merton passed away peacefully, surrounded by family, on the evening of 6 December, 2021”.
Following this, the reading of the poem “The Last to Leave” " by Leon Gellert, read by Eric Han, Year 11 Subject Prefect Leader, recounted the evacuation of Gallipoli by the ANZACS.
The performance of "Padre’s Prayer” by the School Concert Band captured the solemnity and mood of the occasion, where students were able to quietly reflect on the meaning of Remembrance Day.
The Ode was then read by Cameron Lau, Year 11 Subject Prefect Leader This has been used in commemoration services in Australia since 1921. It was followed by The Last Post, played expertly by Richard Sandham, the Band Conductor, then one minute’s silence and finally The Rouse, also played by Richard, which reinforced the solemnity of the ceremony.
The National Anthem was beautifully performed by the School Choir and School Concert Band and sung very strongly by the audience to complete the formalities.
The student body respectfully reflected upon all those lost in wars, reminding us of the devastating effects war has had and continues to have on humanity.
Mr Stone
Head Teacher History
Sergeant Bert Le-Merton
History Mastermind 2022
On November 25, four selected Year 7 and 8 teams of avid historians, each with five students, from Penrith Selective High School boarded a bus to travel to St Clair High School early in the morning. After a number of weeks of practice sessions, coordinated by Mr Stone, and a grueling amount of teamwork, these students were ready to compete at the annual History Mastermind Competition for 2022. This competition is a highly competitive event designed to challenge the top level history students (230) from 19 schools across Western Sydney. The students competed against over 60 teams in areas such as ancient civilisations, medieval history, Aboriginal History, current events, pop culture and material that went beyond the Stage 4 history curriculum.
The teams were:
Penrith 7A - Sinja Amin, Jessica Liang, Matthew Smyth, Finnly Draper, Quan Do
Penrith 7B - Angadjot Singh, Asraj Virk, Anirudh Duvoor, Dev Parmar, Zarif Wasi
Penrith 8A - Elijah Craig, Isaac CarrolL, Trushil Shah, Elijah Freeman, Lucas Yu
Pernith 8B - Riyanna Fernando, Mitali Garg, Sameen Chaudhary, Aarushi Desai,
Raguram Pirabaharan
After four rounds of questions (each round having 20) where four members of the team had to work together, all four teams had made it to the top four from each year group. Throughout the day,St Clair High School did a wonderful job of hosting so many schools in their school hall and running fun quizzes between rounds about sports, civics and citizenship and various country flags. Along with questions to test general knowledge, every student there felt challenged and learnt something new in an environment with hundreds of brilliant minds and students.
It was then time for the semi-finals where the ranking and pre-decided rules of the competition determined that the Penrith teams from each year were to compete against each other meaning only one Penrith team could make it to the grand finals. The semi-finals, which took the format of Beat the Buzzer where tactics, accuracy and knowledge were crucial in order for one team to correctly answer the history question before the other team on the stage. After two engrossing matches of ten questions each, Yr 8 Penrith B and Yr 7 Penrith A continued onto the grand final. Unfortunately, both teams lost against Redeemer Baptist School, but it was an amazing effort from both teams of talented young historians. At the end of the day all students who participated earnt a semi finalist medal or grand finalist trophy.
The memories made that day, along with the experience of competing against so many schools and being in the top two, and the knowledge gained from the competition is greatly appreciated by the students.
At Penrith Selective High School, we are so lucky to have opportunities like this and we are so proud of every student who participated.
A big thank you to Mr Stone for organising this excursion as well as training us for it!
by Riyanna Fernando and Mitali Garg (Year 8) on behalf of all the teams.
Senior Contemporary Ensemble Performance
They then headed straight to the festivity that was Walkathon.
Thank you for supporting our local small businesses at this event.
String Ensemble Performance
Thank you to staff and students for representing our school so well.
Choir Performance
Thank you to Ms Kelly for preparing the Choir for this event.
Penrith Tree Lighting Ceremony
A massive thank you to the staff who attended and suported the event.
Yr 10 Elective Music entertained us during lunch on 9 December with Christmas Carols! Wonderful job!
Drama Excursion
A special thank you to Rajan Velu, a previous School Captain and current actor in the cast, who came to talk to the students after the production.
Year 12 Formal 2022
This year’s Year 12 Formal was held at The Deckhouse, Woolwich, Sydney on Wednesday evening on 23 November.
The Deckhouse has fantastic views of the Sydney Harbour Bridge and the city skyline, which combined with brilliant weather, contributed to some terrific photos being taken. All students looked resplendent in their beautiful dresses and dapper suits.
Students and teachers enjoyed some delicious food, amusing awards, some fun dancing and the use of a photo booth. Everyone enjoyed re-uniting to share each others’ company, laughter and stories.
All in all it was a memorable night to farewell a wonderful group of Year 12 students.
Clark Stone
HT History
Thank you also to Clark Stone for being the photographer on the night
Some Highlights of PSHS Formal 2022
Swim School 2022
During week 7, 21-26 November, Year 7 and 8 were involved in the Swim School Program. The school was fortunate enough to have 3 qualified swim instructors work with the students in developing their skill and progression in aquatic environments. Our year 7 students will now provide you with a run down of the events during the week:
During Swim School, we have been taught many techniques and methods of water entries according to different scenarios. We have learnt how to do pin drops which is a technique used when jumping high places, this is a great technique as the hand placement is able to protect our nose and vital organs from dropping from different heights. This is just one of the many dives we were taught. These skills are crucial in our modern lives, especially in Australia as we live near a range of different aquatic environments. Each dive was taught with careful consideration on the skill level of Penrith students but it also takes into consideration the thorough explanations on each method.
Performing CPR is a skill that is important to know, and performing it properly is of utmost importance. We were taught to perform CPR with the help of instructors and dummies. The dummy would click when a compression to the chest was performed correctly, and the hand formation was taught, as well as the rule of performing 30 beats followed by 2 breaths. Breaths were performed by lifting the head, opening the mouth and closing the nose before doing mouth-to-mouth. During more extreme cases, we were taught to use the defibrillator; learning to activate it and properly applying it using the dummy. We were also pressured into completing the task quickly, keeping real life scenarios in mind as time would not be given in an actual situation.
We also learnt about many rescue methods and tools. When saving someone in need within a water environment like a pool, it is crucial to know how to use given equipment to rescue someone. There are different tools utilised for different situations. For example, if the person in need is nearby, a voice or reach rescue is required. You can use a pool noodle and reach out into the water so you are able to pull the victim to safety. Make sure you are lying down on your belly so you do not fall into the pool. Another method of rescue is a rope rescue. It is used when the person in difficulty is further away, you would use a rope to pull them in. The technique on how to collect the rope and safely throw it was taught. The victim was then pulled into safety.
Survival techniques were taught along with the different scenarios in which they could be used. This included freestyle, backstroke and survival backstroke. Freestyle being the fastest stroke can be used to get to someone quickly. Backstroke and survival backstroke allows the person in difficulty to breath with ease whilst still moving in a direction. These swimming techniques can allow you to conserve energy, stay alive and are of utmost importance.
Personal Floatation Devices (PFDs) or life jackets as they are commonly known, were fitted and the students were taught to float in different positions (ie, on our backs, in a ball, or with a group). When you have a life jacket on, it's impossible to sink unless the life jacket is damaged.
Floating is an important skill to learn because you require little energy to do it meaning you can continuously do it for long periods of time. In the situation of being stranded in the ocean for whatever reason without something to help you float, you could float on your back until help arrives.
Ashwathi Poozhiyil, Irene The, Jennifer Chen, Manha Bhuiyan and Sinja Kamalanathan
Welcome Year 7 2023!
On Tuesday 29 November PSHS welcomed Year 7 2023 and new students in Year 8-11 2023 to their Orientation Day.
Feedback from parents and students was outstanding. They were amazed by the professionalism of staff and especially of our students.
Our students were highly personable with parents as well as flexible and welcoming with our new students - there was nothing they could not solve!
Thank you to Mr Serrato and the multimedia team who were able to operate solo ensuring we have photos from year 7 by day 1; PE for the use of the gym for the Enrichment Expo led by Hazel Malhotra with support from Ms Pipio; SASS staff for supporting the flood of parents with payments and forms; Ms Grice, Ms Kwiet and Ms Michaels for their words at assembly as well as Ms Cush and Ms Lee for their strong words on what our school has to offer.
Finally, of course, a thank you to our students who made all of this happen - this includes, our Captains for being MCs, Peer Support Leaders and executive members, House Leaders, SRC, Multimedia Team, Prefects, Elijah Craig, Marlina Hanna, Cillian Dunne, CAPA ensemble leaders and co-curricula leaders, string ensemble, choir and musicians.
A proud day for Penrith Selective High School!
Jack Rolls
Teacher Music/ House Coordinator
Penrith in Performance 3/12/22
Penrith in Performance, a tradition at Penrith High School, made a return on Saturday 3 December. However, the event looked and felt slightly different this year due to the broad team that contributed to the event. Some of the new facets of the event included:
The relocation of the venue from our school hall to the Verbrugghen Hall at the Conservatorium of Music. This reflects our expanded ensemble programs and the growth that has taken place over the past few years.
The inaugural performance of Altiora Peto, an orchestral piece composed and conducted by Richard Sandham. This piece will be woven into many of our formal ceremonies and will be a part of our ensemble program’s core repertoire.
The introduction of the Year 7 Choir, conducted by Annabel Goodman. This initiative is an expansion of classroom content but focuses on bringing the cohort together at the end of their first year of high school to celebrate their achievements.
The inclusion of our combined finale. This will change each year, but it is an opportunity for students across the school to come together from Year 7-12 and perform an item together.
I am extremely proud of our team of conductors, teachers, choreographers, directors, tutors and production staff, and thank them deeply for their work. From the late-night phone calls with a 'a quick question', to the early morning coffee catch ups, to the weekly rehearsals, to the drafts and re-drafts - nothing was too much. To Annabel Goodman, Jack Rolls, Richard Sandham, Iain Wallace, Cameron Ferguson, Rachel Kelly, Ellie Kennedy, Tara Lawson, Ben Smith and Anne-Maree Magi - thank you!
I would also like to thank the co-curricular office and SAS staff for their work. In particular, Maria Ryan, Antoinette Pipio, Danica Pattison, Brooklyn Dicker, Amelia Perri and Jeannie Guy who worked behind the scenes to support the event. It would be remiss to not thank Mark Long and Jaclyn Cush who have been catalysts for the event coming together and provided consistent guidance across the planning and implementation.
Thank you to the staff who supported our students in attending rehearsals. I understand how valuable class time is and I thank you for seeing the value in this event. A special thank you to the staff that were able to attend last minute.
Please take some time to watch the finale, an arrangement of Titanium by Sia, performed by the Penrith High School’s Combined Ensembles Program.
At present, we have ricocheted from the challenges presented to our program over the past few years and as we continue to move forward, we will build momentum in 2023.
Anthony Vassallo
HT CAPA
PSHS Library Update
What a year it has been in the library at Penrith Selective High School!
This year saw the launch of our Library Leadership Club, initiated by Year 12 students Sharanya and Niyati. Members of the club include students from all year groups and involved activities such as: working on the circulation desk, shelving, organising displays and competitions and working on the library magazine “Pages From Penrith”.
Library displays were many and varied and were centred around themes such as International Women’s Day, NAIDOC Week, Shakespeare, travelling through reading, to celebrate Multicultural Day, Halloween, and new books.
Our last display for the year had a focus on kindness. I would like to thank Niyati and Sharanya for their wonderful legacy to Penrith Selective High and due to the wonderful foundations, I know that the club will continue in the safe and capable hands of its new leaders, Kashifa and Siqi.
The promotion of reading for pleasure plays a significant role here in the library and we continue to add both classics and new and contemporary titles to the collection and there have been more than 5,500 loans issued through the circulation desk. We have also added Wheelers e-platform to our library catalogue, allowing students and staff to browse and borrow e-books and audio books at any time.
This year also saw the introduction of a Book Club, initiated, and run by Year 7 student Maryam. Students are encouraged to come along with their lunch and read and discuss any book they like. This encourages them to share their love of reading as well as providing a platform for discovering new books. I am looking forward to seeing the Book Club grow as we move into 2023.
I wish everyone a safe and happy Holiday Season and hope that you all find plenty of time to read and as the author Garrison Keillor says “ A book is a gift you can open again and again.”
Happy holidays and happy reading!
Lisa Roberts
Teacher Librarian
Congratulations Cassidy of Yr 10!
We are very proud of Cassidy and the team -2022 Debating Champions!
Thank you Multimedia Team
You will often catch our Multimedia leaders working behind the scenes at school events. These students work across portfolios including photography, videography, sound, design and post production. They may not be as visible as some of our other leadership bodies but their contribution to the school is just as significant.
Recently the team spent time harnessing their skills and developing some new ones in Leura.
Thanks for capturing so many memories for us this year!
A Duke of Edinburgh Update
2022 has been a fabulous year for the Duke of Ed participants.
We have had people learning to drive, playing musical instruments, learning to referee, art making, public speaking, podcasting, developing drama skills and much more.
Students have participated in personal fitness, yoga classes, basketball games, martial arts classes, athletics, roller-skating, badminton, dance and running to mention a few.
Their service to their communities has been evident in the school gardens, their involvement with Parkrun, supporting others through peer tutoring and school service, in the uniform shop, charity work, service to temple/church and environmental work.
Their journeys have taken them to the Warrumbungle National Park, Blue Mountains National Park, camping on Cockatoo Island, The Bondi to Manly Walk and the northern suburbs of Sydney.
Well done to all the students who are making progress with their Award. Your determination, persistence and ‘stickability’ is worth it in the end.
A huge congrats to those who have completed their Award in 2022. 35 students at the Bronze level, 8 at the Silver and 2 the Gold.
The following young women have demonstrated great tenacity over the past three years, achieving their Bronze, Silver and now Gold Awards and for that, they deserve a massive congratulations!
A few words from Mela Hoffman, 2022 Gold Awardee: “Completing all levels of the Duke of Ed program has been very challenging, particularly during Covid, but also incredibly rewarding. My favourite section was definitely the Adventurous Journeys where I got to explore more of the great bush in NSW and hang out with people I maybe wouldn’t normally. The tremendous commitment of the Duke of Ed Awards has taught me many important skills like teamwork, organisation and perseverance that I know I will carry with me as I move into University and eventually the workforce.”
Mela Hoffman:
Physical recreation: Swimming, bushwalking
Skill: Artmaking, driving
Service: Soup kitchen assistant, Award assistant
Adventurous journeys: Somerset, Blue Mountains National Park, Bouddi NP and Sydney’s Northern Beaches, Upper Blue Mountains: The Megalong Valley and the Six Foot Track, Bits of the Bush and Beach, Warrumbungles NP
Residential: Honeywell Engineering Summer School
Samantha Buda:
Physical recreation: Swimming, personal fitness (HIIT, yoga and walking)
Skill: cooking, crotchet, driving
Service: Church service, donation of handmade products, school service
Adventurous journeys: Somerset, Blue Mountains National Park, Bouddi NP and Sydney’s Northern Beaches, Upper Blue Mountains: The Megalong Valley and the Six Foot Track, Bits of the Bush and Beach, Warrumbungles NP
Residential: NSW Youth Parliament
Wishing you all a fantastic break, I hope many of you have wonderful holiday adventures!
Ms L Andreatta
PSHS Duke of Edinburgh Award Leader
Garden Club
See the before and after photos!
Remembering Stephanie Doohan - Class of 2008
Stephanie Doohan attended PHS from 2003-2008. She was a talented and dedicated student who excelled in her classes and had a passion for Music (especially the drums), English and History.
She went on to attend the University of Western Sydney on a full scholarship, studying a Bachelor of Music, for which she achieved a Distinction. She continued her studies with a Bachelor of Music (Honours), followed by a Masters of Teaching, where she also received a Distinction and was awarded the Dean's Medal for Academic Excellence.
Steph became an amazing Music and English Teacher who cared deeply for her students- who adored her right back!
In 2021 Steph was diagnosed with Breast Cancer and even throughout numerous treatments she never lost sight of what mattered and wanting to help others. When the opportunity arose for her to speak at the Alumni Night with senior PHS students, she was excited to come back and share her experiences - being the proud former student that she was!
It breaks our hearts to share that Steph passed away on the 9th of November after a 14 month long battle with Breast Cancer at the age of 32.
She will never be forgotten and lives on through the impact she has made on so many lives. Her family, friends and students will keep her memory alive through the passion, grit and determination they apply to all they undertake. Just like Steph.
Hayley Clancy - Steph's Best Friend
Thank you Hayley for your lovely words.
May Steph Rest in Peace!
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