Penrith Selective High School
March/April Newsletter 2019
From the Principal
It is hard to believe that this is the final week of Term 1. It has certainly been full of activity and success. I’m sure that you will enjoy reading about many of these in this newsletter.
2019 School Spirit Week
This week is School Spirit Week. The week is organised by the SRC representatives from each year group and their teachers, Ms Horsley and Ms Zhou. Parents and students have been emailed the organisation for the week and we are looking forward to seeing many of the student clubs and other groups also contribute to a number of events over the 5 days. It is a great way to end the term.
Cooler Classrooms- Air Conditioning
We were incredibly grateful to be selected as one of the phase 1 schools to receive air conditioning throughout every learning space in the school. The P&C has funded air-conditioning in almost every classroom over the last 18 years. These funds have been raised through raffles, BBQs, bake sales and P&C contributions. Many of the units had reached or were very close to reaching the end of their lifecycle. Until the Cooler Classrooms program, there had been a lot of thinking about how we would replace the current air conditioning given the cost. We will still need to plan for how to replace the air conditioning in the hall which is not covered but incredibly important given how often we use the hall and particularly the role it plays during the HSC exams. The gym is the other space that hasn’t been air conditioned since it was built in the late 1970s and we have quotes to have this work completed, but will need to raise the funds to have this done. The cost of air conditioning the gym is close to $160,000.
The Cooler Classrooms program has also installed air quality control sensors that monitor the O2 and CO2 levels in rooms. Fans and air vents have also been installed to ensure the air quality is optimal for student learning. Thankfully, the roof of the school is now home to a very large number of solar panels which will offset the costs of operating the new system.
On behalf of the school community, I would like to thank everyone involved in making this project such a success.
Holidays
A reminder that homework is not set during the holidays as we want students in years 7-10 to have a break and spend time with friends. Year 11 students should ensure that they have their notes in order after their first term of work and Year 12 students need to ensure that everything is organised now that they have completed 2 terms of the HSC course. The teachers of HSC classes have set revision work and we discussed some of the additional resources available for students to use in the break.
Farewell- Ms Bertha Coope
This week, we farewell our Head Teacher- Teaching and Learning, Bertha Coope. Ms Coope joined us from Gosford HS in 2017 and to say that she has had a massive impact on the school would be understating her work. Ms Coope is moving back to the Central Coast after being merit selected as Head Teacher at Lisarow HS. We are all going to miss her expertise, friendly nature and ability to make things happen that seem impossible. Thank you for everything!
Ms Coope’s classes will be taught by Ms Nithya Prabha Raghunath who has been teaching at Fort Street High School and has extensive industry experience in computing.
Thank you to all of the staff for their work this term. They are incredibly skilled and hardworking and the students are fortunate to have such a committed team.
I wish all students and families an enjoyable break. Please remember that Term 2 means full winter uniform including blazers and ties. If we have very warm weather at the start of term an email will be sent to parents and students to advise of an exemption. Our uniform supplier, Back to Basics have all uniform items in stock and the clothing pool has a number of blazers available.
Warm regards,
Mark Long
Principal
Community Languages
Dear parents,
A number of students study a language for the HSC through Community Language Schools. Our most common language studied by students in this mode is Tamil, but there might be others. If your child is studying Tamil (eg: At Homebush or Wentworthville) or another language in this mode, will you please email the details via the school email penrith-h.school@det.nsw.edu.au and attention the email to Nathan Wilcox (Our Librarian and Distance Ed/ Community Languages coordinator). Students are not enrolled with NESA until we have this data at school.
Please note that an email has been sent to all parents in the event that some junior students have been accelerated by the Community Language School. This is very unlikely, but we like to check.
Thank you,
Penrith Selective High School
Clubs available at PSHS
For details of meeting times please see Ms Pipio (HT Co-curricular Programs).
P & C Report
At the Annual General Meeting of the P&C held on February 12, 2019 the following members were elected.
President – Praba Prabaharan
Vice President – Jagadesh Subburayalu
Secretary – Malcolm Heath
Treasurer – Shivkumar Ramachandran
Six Executive roles – Soma Groswami, Milind Nivendkar, Tanzin Ahmed, Sreenivasa Bethamsetty, Jason Wang, Priya Rodrigues
Non Executive – Danielle McLoon, Sukhdeep Sandhu, Deepa, Aslyin Chand, Kamal Ramalingam
Auditor – Janine Peters
(Apologies for incorrect spelling)
SRC Report
With nearly a quarter of the year passing by, the most exhilarating and enthusiastic week
is fast approaching, Spirit Week. The SRC has worked relentlessly throughout the term to ensure the week is a success. The SRC, in the collaboration with other clubs across the student body, has worked together to ensure maximum benefits for all.
This year, the SRC had decided to do three separate themes throughout the week, with activities being based on these themes.
The program was:
Monday - the 10 year challenge ( Mufti Day)
Tuesday - memes and vines ( Mufti Day)
Wednesday - the announcement of the winners from the baby competition and best dressed
Thursday - the school’s Anzac Day
Friday - our annual cross country and a sausage sizzle
In addition, the SRC has started planning our most diverse event of the school year, Multicultural Day. Stay tuned for more information about stall registrations and auditions for dance groups.
Halis Rishamsulkamal Year 9 SRC representative
Congratulations Tyler Dent!
Thank you Daniel Su for compiling the video below on the Prefect's Afternoon Tea 2019
Curriculum Committee Meeting
Wednesday, March 27 marked the first Curriculum Committee meeting for 2019. Thank you to the staff, students and parents who attended. It was a highly productive and enjoyable meeting with 14 members present.
The committee focused on key considerations for successful acceleration and Stage 5 Elective models and offerings.
As a result, course entry protocols for accelerated Business Studies are being drafted for consideration at the next meeting and further models and subject offerings for acceleration are being investigated.
The PSHS executive team will continue to explore options for the Stage 5 elective model and will investigate the possibility of running an Enrichment project line and the possibility of combined stage subjects. The executive team will survey students for feedback on the proposal. Survey results will be discussed at the next curriculum meeting.
Students, your committee members are Gabrielle Cant of Year 9 and Year 8 students Raj Sinha, Hashini Perera and Praas Shah. If you have anything you would like the Curriculum Committee to consider, please see these students.
Parents, consultation will continue with your committee members through the P&C meetings.
Jaclyn Cush
Deputy Principal (rel)
Meet the Teacher
Mel Coburn - Social Science
Previous School: N/A
Subject Area: Business Studies/Economics/Commerce/Geography/Legal Studies
University Education:
Macquarie University (Bachelor of Commerce) – Major in Accounting and Economics
University of New England- Master of Teaching (Secondary)
Interests: Soccer, Running, Swimming, Fitness & Music.
Favourite Sport: Soccer
Favourite Food Dish: Anything from Japanese cuisine.
Anything Else?
Changed careers to pursue my passion of teaching after being a Chartered Accountant for over 10 years.
Konstanze Kwiet - History
Previous School: Baulkham Hills High School
Subject Area: History/Legal
University Education: Arts/Law at UNSW
Interests: Reading, travel, food
Favourite Sport: ChessJ I enjoy watching cricket, AFL and soccer
Favourite Food Dish: Masala Dosa, dark chocolate and LOTS OF TEA
Anything Else? I ride a folding bike!
Kylie Craigen - English/Drama
Previous Schools: Taught at Bulli High School, Corrimal High School and in UK: Hextable School, Walderslade School for Boys and East Grinstead High School.
University Education: BEd. English/History University of Wollongong, MEd. University of Exeter, UK
Favourite Things: Love Vietnamese food & working with teenagers!
Also love reading, going to the cinema, stand-up comedy and taking my 4 kids to the beach.
Karl Serrato - English
Previous Schools: Chester Hill High School and Intensive English Centre
Subject Area: English, History & EAL/D
University Education: The University of Sydney (B. Ed. / B. Arts)
Interests: Philosophy, Video Games
Favourite Sport: Basketball
Favourite Food Dish: Burgers (is that a food dish?)
Kelly Lipp - History
Previous School: Chatswood High School
Subject Area: History
University Education: B. Arts Macquarie University, M. Arts (Ancient History) Macquarie University, M. Archaeology University Highlands and Islands, Graduate Diploma of Education Macquarie University
Interests: Archaeology, travelling and reading
Favourite Sport: European Handball and Rugby Union
Favourite Food Dish: Roast pork, can’t beat a classic.
Anything Else? Love playing music (bass clarinet and double bass), spending time with my family and coffee. Love a good cup of coffee.
Tell Them From Me student survey – Term 1
This term, our school, like many other public schools in the state, will participate in a Department of Education initiative: the Tell Them From Me student feedback survey. The survey measures factors that are known to affect academic achievement and other student outcomes. The focus of the NSW-wide survey is on student wellbeing, engagement and effective teaching practices.
More information about the survey is available at: http://surveys.cese.nsw.gov.au.
Copies of the FAQs (in 23 languages) are available from: http://surveys.cese.nsw.gov.au/information-for-parents.
The survey is a great opportunity for our students to provide us with valuable and quick feedback on what they think about school life, how engaged they are with school and the different ways that teachers interact with them. More than 6,300 schools in Australia and around the world have used Tell Them From Me to survey 5.4 million students. Capturing the voices of our students will help improve how we do things at our school.
The survey is confidential. The survey is conducted online and will typically take less than 30 minutes to complete. For students in Years 7 to 10, the survey will be administered during school hours after assessments have been finalised in Weeks 10 and 11 of Term 1. Students in Years 11 and 12 will be required to complete the survey in their own time.
Should you have any questions about the Tell Them From Me student survey, please do not hesitate to contact Ms Rebecca Ross, Head Teacher Educational Achievement, during school hours.
Penrith Selective High School partners with Macquarie University in new research
Penrith Selective High School has been invited to participate in extended research study into Year 7 transition and student success in fully selective high schools in NSW.
The purpose of this study is to learn: (1) what students understand about success and failure; and (2) how effectively your child’s school has supported the transition from Year 6 to Year 7. This information will help your child’s school to improve teaching and learning so all students can be successful in Year 7.
Year 7 students will be asked to complete two online surveys as part of the study. These will occur in school time at the end of Term 1 and again in Term 3. These will be completed in conjunction with the Tell Them From Me (TTFM) surveys to minimise disruption to class time.
Parental consent is required for students to be included in the study. These forms have been sent home and are also available on the Student and Parent Portal.
Students who are participating will be provided with an assent form and login details on the day their class has been assigned to complete the surveys.
Should you have any questions about the Macquarie University research study, please do not hesitate to contact Ms Rebecca Ross, Head Teacher Educational Achievement, during school hours.
Mathematics Update
All grades have now completed their Term 1 assessments.
Enrichment has started with the 3 Euler classes running on either Thursday mornings or Friday mornings. The 2 Gauss classes are run on Wednesday mornings. The Noether class runs on Wednesday mornings. These classes are taught by our Alumni, as they are university students, the classes are held with what fits in with their university timetables. All classes are held from 8am to 9am. The invoices for these classes have been sent out. The $130 covers tuition fees, course costs and resources. Enrichment runs for all of Terms 1, 2 and 3. Students will receive their enrichment booklets at the beginning of Term 2.
Problem solving is now being taught to Year 7 and Year 8, once a fortnight throughout the entire year. The students are being taught various problem solving strategies and techniques to better prepare them for the APSMO and AMC competitions.
APSMO is made up of 5 papers given throughout Terms 2 and 3. This year all of Years 7 and 8 will compete in this Olympiad. The cost is $6.50 and this covers all 5 papers. The results of these Olympiads go towards their yearly report mark. Payment is overdue for this, so if you haven’t paid already please pay $6.50 to the Accounts office asap.
Computational and Algorithmic Thinking, (C.A.T), competition was held on Tuesday April 2. It was a one hour exam before school starting at 7:55am. This year we entered 11 keen students from Years 9 to 12, and we should know by the middle of next term how they have gone. The invoice is $6.50, please pay asap.
The AMC will be on August 1 and it is compulsory for all of Years 7, 8, 9 and 10. The results from the AMC will go towards their yearly report mark. It is optional for Years 11 and 12, students should have registered their interest with me and they will be invoiced this term. If they have not paid before the competition date, then they will not be sitting the competition.
Peer Tutoring is up and running again, if you would like a peer tutor to help with your mathematics please send an email to mathspeertutoring@gamil.com stating your name, year, maths class and areas of weakness. The admin will match you up with a tutor and contact you. This is a free service.
Last year we started a homework help centre for year 12s, this year we have decided to include all years. This runs at recess on Mondays through to Thursdays in room A.1.5. If you have a question with your homework/classwork you can just drop into room A.1.5 and ask for help. You can ask as many questions as you like, but if you have a lot of questions regularly we will recommend you get a peer tutor.
The Primary School Peer Tutoring program whereby a group of our year 9 students work with the gifted and talented students from Penrith Primary School is up and running. We meet every Tuesday recess in the library. Each primary school student has been matched with a Year 9 student and they work together through the problems. Watching both sets of students interact, grow and challenge each other is very exciting for myself and Mrs Wilkes.
Sue Briggs
Head Teacher Mathematics
Keshna Jeyandrabalan Year 12
Maths Student Profile
What do you picture when you think of a genius? A mad, crazy looking individual working furiously on a table with paper stacked everywhere, flying all around the place and a blackboard full of mathematical mysteries?
But did you know great minds are lurking in the middle of Penrith Selective High grounds, hiding in its vast rooms and alleyways? Keshna Jeyandrabalan is one such student and I managed a quick talk with her.
So, to begin tell us a bit about what you are up to in Maths?
Keshna: Currently, I am undertaking the 4 Unit Mathematics course. In the previous year, I had completed my 2U and 3U courses as part of the accelerated program.
Any tips you would want to give junior students?
Keshna: One of the key tips I would say is to stay happy and motivated to keep improving and learning, whether it be in mathematics or any other situation. Being positive and dedicated plays a key role in having the correct mindset to continuous improvement.
From my personal experience, I believe that working with my peers was the most effective way to understand and consolidate key mathematical concepts, so I would encourage you to work with your friends and fellow students and learn from one another. Collaboratively working with my peers, I was able to discuss and help others as well as widen my scope not only in mathematics but also in other skills. Also, I would recommend trying different activities across the school, and take up new opportunities as it aids in building new friendships, connections and skills.
Are you actively involved in any other hobbies or extracurricular activities?
Keshna: Throughout my high school life, I have been interested in participating in different extracurricular activities and am continuing to put myself out there to make the most out of the many opportunities that are offered to students. My favourite extracurricular activity that I participate in currently and have been doing for the past three years is Duke of Edinburgh. I am currently on the Gold Level and have been able to work with students from varying talents. Also, as a part of this program I travelled to Wagga Wagga, and was able to expand my connections and serve for the community, WAFRICA, where I had helped an African community in a holiday program for the younger students.
Also, I had the opportunity to take part in the Max Potential Program, where I had worked in collaboration with the principal of Kurrambee School where I initiated a Move-A-Thon for special needs kids - an eye-opener of an experience.
What really interests you about Maths and what do you think is the greatest skill required in maths?
Keshna: Walking into high school, mathematics was my favourite subject and still continues to be one of my favourite subjects as its complex concepts encourage me to solve problems and try and find different methods to solve them. I believe that in mathematics, perseverance is important, as problems and questions will challenge you to think harder and think differently. For this, perseverance is required. For example, when one way of solving a challenging problem does not work, and then the second way does not work either, usually one would give up. However, by continuing to work on this question, by working with others and the will to find a solution, you will be able to solve the problem and thus have persevered and now feel accomplished, with more motivation to try harder questions.
To consolidate concepts, I would recommend exposing yourself to a wide variety of questions and to further improve your accuracy and speed, to keep practising and practising!
What are you hoping to do in the foreseeable future?
Keshna: As of yet, I am still unsure of what I would like to do in the future, but I would certainly like to continue developing my mathematical skills to apply it in the real world.
Watch out for the next newsletter where we will catch up with another genius from the grounds of PSHS!!!
Journalist: Cyril Cherian
Photographer: Troy Affolter
Rowing comes to PSHS
Students at Penrith Selective High School are offered the chance to participate in a Rowing program conducted by Nepean Rowing Club. A number of students enjoy this activity. It is not operated or supervised by school staff and enquiries should be directed to the Nepean Rowing Club Captain, Daniel Waddell for information and training details on info@thenepeanrowers.com
A Message from Careers
Year 12 students can now access the Universities Admissions Centre (UAC) here: https://www.uac.edu.au/
This will allow them to do a number of important processes this year including:
Receive an ATAR
Create a list of university course preferences
Check and change their preference list
Look up specific course information
Apply for EAS, SRS and Equity Scholarships
Please note there is a one-off $70 fee to do this. Once it is paid, all of the services are available in an unlimited way.
The first time students login they need to use their NESA number (sometimes known as their StatewideID) and the PIN sent to them by UAC. Students who did accelerated subjects might have received this last year. After this they use the new login details provided to them by UAC.
I highly recommend that students do this before June 30 because the contract between UAC and the Government updates at that time and the price for registration may change after that date. This has not been a problem previously because UAC used to open on August 1. This year it is opening early because of some scheduling changes in the background that don’t affect the HSC cohort.
The final date I have given to students to do all of these processes, particularly EAS, SRS and Equity Scholarships (see previous newsletter for an explanation of those), is July 26 which is a date that works around their exam schedules. The course preference list can be updated and changed even after students receive an ATAR, at no further cost.
The next set of dates to look out for is University Open Days which I will post in the next newsletter as not all universities have set their dates. However, most can be looked up on the universities’ websites so check their calendars. Students are encouraged to sign up to university mailing lists or ‘like’ their social media pages to get the most up to date information available.
Chris Buchli
Sport Report
Knockout Girls Touch Football:
What a outstanding performance by the Girls Knockout Touch Football team who went down to Winmalee High School in the first round. It was not an easy game. However, all players gave it their best and developed their skills further. There was outstanding communication throughout the game and even though we lost all players enjoyed the game and thought they all played well.
Knockout Girls Basketball:
Well done to the Knockout Girls Basketball team who played extremely well to go down in the last few minutes to Cambridge High School. The game was close, however in the last few minutes we were unable to come away with the win. Congratulations to all who gave it their best and played with integrity and determination.
Well Done Sinduja!
Year 7 Ancient History Day
On Monday, March 11, 2019 Year 7 Students were able to put their English, Maths and Science books down and attend an Ancient History Day. We had people from Living History Australia, Brisbane visit us. They brought along some replicas of ancient objects such as swords, armour, shields, helmets and much more. We talked about Ancient Egypt and Ancient China. Students were able to wear the clothing and act out scenes that might have happened in the past. We learnt a lot and enjoyed our time listening to the stories.
Our first topic of the day was Ancient Egypt. We talked about how life for the priestess would have been back then, with the help of a student volunteer. The volunteer got to hold a sword and used it to sacrifice a (fake) goat and some fruits. The way she wielded the sword on the goat meant it was bound to start running around crazily! We learned about how a 12 year old girl would have been treated in this era. Wow was that interesting!
We also learned about an Ancient Chinese pig farmer and how Chinese warriors were treated. They were actually treated really well!
After recess we had an opportunity to wear helmets and armour as well as try on dresses and take photos of the objects they brought in. Then we went outside and played a game of military squares in two groups of girls and boys. The aim was to make contact with the other group and the team with the tighter square won-which like every year was the girls! We had a great time!
After lunch we were able to participate in gladiator fights with swords and shields. We also were able to play tug of war and a few more games played a long time ago such as standing wrestling.
Overall we had an amazing time and experience. We learnt things we never knew and had fun.
by Ria Kamalakkannan and Krishnendhu Abhilash-Year 7
Year 10 History Excursion - The Sydney Jewish Museum
On March 19, Year 10 History classes alongside Mr Stone, Mr Hoekstra and Mrs Michels visited the Sydney Jewish Museum. This was an uncontestably insightful experience which was associated with the current topics we are investigating in History.
Year 10 met up at Central and we then all travelled to the Sydney Jewish Museum. We were welcomed by incredible guides who gave us tours of the museum, discussed prominent events during the Holocaust and explored the impacts the Holocaust had on all who were involved from psychological, physical, cultural and emotional aspects.
We had the remarkable opportunity to hear from and speak to a survivor of the Holocaust, 91 year old Yvonne Engelman (pictured), of the former Czechoslovakia, and hear her first-hand experiences of how horrific and indescribable this genocide had been.
As opposed to lecture type work or research conducted online, this experience enabled us as students to fathom and recognise the lasting impact WW2 had on millions of lives. Ultimately, the excursion was a memorable, educational experience which assisted Year 10 in truly comprehending the Holocaust and commemorating all the lives that were lost.
by Bubleen Dhiman (Year 10)
Yvonne Engelman - Holocaust Survivor
Science - Prefects Report
From your science prefects, we wish all the seniors the best of luck and a reminder to keep your head high during these stressful times! To the HSC students, remember to focus on your feedback, use your time wisely and keep working hard for the next block. To the Prelim students, let this first exam block be a chance to find your weaknesses and lift those areas. Remember that year 11 is the year to prepare yourself for your HSC so learn from your mistakes and keep up the good work! Exams are difficult but know your teachers and peers are always here to help. Peer Tutoring is always available with enquiries to be made to the science teachers at any time. Our qualified, kind and ready peer tutors can help with exam or assignment help, preparation for entrance exams or even questions and clarifications from content in classes. Also a reminder that mandatory ICAS payments are due for the students in years 7-10. This exam will account for 10% of your school assessment. Finally, remember to take a well deserved break these holidays to destress. Have fun, be safe and stay mole-COOL! Sonia Tint, Naomi Sunny and Pav Nadagobalan
On March 1 PSHS played its part in Clean Up Australia Day around the school. Well done!
Year 10 Japanese Skype Call
LOTE Report
Year 10 Japanese Skype Call
On March 1, the Year 10 Japanese students had a Skype call with the Year 8 students of Hirohata Junior High School in Japan. During this time together we introduced ourselves and made various presentations on cultures, as well as comparing the differences between our two countries. The Hirohata Junior High students introduced themselves in English, telling us their name and hobbies. There was a large range of interests within the Japanese students, but many enjoyed baseball and basketball, which caused the Year 10 students to cheer them on. They then did a presentation on the differences between Japan and Australia and showed us some of the Japanese school aspects. Afterwards, the Year 10 students introduced themselves in Japanese, gave a presentation about our school uniform and a few Australian staple foods such as Tim Tams and Vegemite, then demonstrated how to make fairy bread (which we eventually ate after the Skype call...). The Year 10 Japanese students had a wonderful time with the students of Hirohata Junior High School learning more about Japanese culture and practicing our speaking ability. Thank you Mrs. Sullivan for giving us this amazing opportunity to connect with Japanese schools overseas and we hope we can meet more overseas students soon!
- Year 10 Japanese Class
Hello everyone!
Maggie Li and Lachlan Reeves here again for this edition of the newsletter.
Congratulations to all the students who have achieved a high level within the kanji test.
So what is kanji you may ask? Kanji is a system of writing inspired from Chinese used to shorten words. Every Thursday lunch, Mrs Sullivan holds a kanji test and students who attend can surpass the level and continually increase their knowledge of kanji.
All students from any grade are welcome to come down to Room T.1.2 (Rm 20), and learn kanji. Although a basic knowledge of Japanese is recommended in order to do the test. For those who are interested but do not know Japanese, Japanese peer tutoring is available. Please contact either Maryanna (Japanese peer tutoring leader), Mrs Sullivan or your LOTE prefects. Similarly, for those interested in Italian peer tutoring, contact Julia (Italian peer tutoring leader), Mrs Pipio or your LOTE prefects.
Congratulations to the following students:
Level 7
Tanvi Akadkar (Year 9)
Ngo Nhat Quynh (Cherry) Tran (Year 9)
Level 10
Kelly Chen (Year 12)
Elaina Zhu (Year 12)
Level 11
Ana Maksimovic (Year 10)
Level 17
Hellen Shi (Year 11)
Special thanks to Mrs Sullivan for running the kanji tests every week and congratulations to all students and especially Hellen Shi, our highest level student.
Duke of Edinburgh Gold Residential Project.
Wagga WAFRICA Project with Lowanna
On November 22, I contacted Lowana and filled out an application form to apply to be on the service project. I had immediately received a reply, which I was really happy, from Nicole, the coordinator of the project, asking me to meet her on November 24 at Lowana, which was located down the road from Penrith High School. Upon meeting with Nicole, I was able to gain insight into both Lowana and the Wagga service project which had been running for over 7 years. The Wagga Service Project 2019 was to be held between January 13 and January 20.
At this meeting with Nicole, I had been told that the year group that I would be looking after would be year 4-5. Also, Ajwang’, a girl from Melbourne, was to be working with this year group as well. Together, we would have to plan activities for the kids to do for a whole week ranging from sporting activities to craft activities. To find out more see the website below.
From Lowana’s website (https://www.lowana.org.au)
ABOUT THE PROJECT:
WAFRICA – Lowana has been working with WAFRICA and their Intercultural Program for more than 7 years. Our volunteers create and deliver a fun and educational summer holiday program for the community youth, including sports and craft activities for primary school children and leadership, career and personal development workshops for teenage girls.
BUSY BEES: A volunteer program where the volunteers deliver quality services, wherever help is needed which can include housekeeping services for families in need or schools that need help in cleaning or arranging items (various jobs)
NURSING HOME VISITS – visit and spend time with patients and residents as well as provide entertainment at Mary Potter Nursing Home
THOUGHTS AND REFLECTIONS
This residential project has definitely made me see things in a different view. Not only were the kids able to learn from me, but I was able to learn from them and the way they think. Also, the girls that I went with turned into 11 older sisters who were wise and showered me with their knowledge and love. We went as 12 separate individuals and returned as a big family full of inside jokes and fun! We were able to connect with one another and through the kids as well. This experience has definitely allowed me to learn skills of adaptability, understanding and helping people and interacting with others. It has allowed me to grow mentally and establish connections with others and enable myself to see how others perceive me, as the kids and the girls that I had gone with would regularly compliment me or mention something that I had done! Along this journey, I was exposed to different people of different races and cultures, enabling the understanding of cultures and the diversity as well. More than anything, this Wagga Service Project has taught me how to be passionate, love and enjoy doing something, whether it is small or big, or for one person or for many.
Keshna Jeyandrabalan
Silver Duke of Edinburgh
During week 10, 23 Year 10 students went on their Silver Duke of Edinburgh Practice Adventurous Journey. Organised by Ms Andreatta, and accompanied by Mr Chapple and Mr Cantlon, we embarked on our trip through Glenbrook and the lower Blue Mountains.
Day 1: Our journey started bright and early at Blue Mountains National Park at the Glenbrook Park Entrance at 8 am. We all got split into separate groups, and with our respective teachers, we set off for the first day of our planned walk. The first day consisted of a lot of bush bashing (some of the hardest of the whole hike), and multiple cases of people being “navigationally challenged”. After walking through the morning, we had a pleasant lunch at Red Hands Cave and then continued on our planned route to eventually reach Euroka Campground by dusk. Setting up camp for the night and cooking our three-course meals definitely put everyone in a good mood not only having a place to sleep and something to eat, but all of our packs being significantly lighter!
Day 2: After getting a good night’s rest, we awoke to our surprise day! We learn we are navigating to Pisgah Rock, a beautiful lookout of the Glenbrook surroundings over the Lincoln and Money Ropes Creek. After planning our routes, we set off to our destination at approximately 7.30am. All the groups made it to the lookout at around 1 pm and we all had our lunch overlooking the beautiful scenery. Then, half the group went adventuring to check out the creek, and the other half went to investigate Attic Cave. It’s safe to say that both groups had heaps of fun and enjoyed themselves on our little activities!! We then all made our way back to camp to have dinner and head to sleep, as most people were getting really tired after the two days.
Day 3: Waking up on our last day, we packed our tent up and packed our rucksacks ready to make our way home. On the last day we walked along amazing creeks and explored deep tracks made in gullies within mountains. Having our last lunch by Camp Fire Creek, we continued walking and eventually made it back to the National Park Entrance where we were picked up by our parents.
It's safe to say that everyone in our group had an amazing time over these three days, learnt plenty of new skills from the teachers and helped embark on our Silver Dukes experience. Overall this hike brought our Dukes group significantly closer and we are all so excited for our next one!! Of course, we wouldn't have this great opportunity without Ms Andreatta, so once again a large thank you for all her hard work.
Izabelle Kotarski and Sinduja Sureshkumar
Towers Prefects Report
- Heidi Lui, William Gao, Lachlan Reeves, Keshna Jeyandrabalan, the Towers Prefects
Some of the Brave Victims - Students - who participated in the Greatest Shave!
Some excerpts from Grace Under Pressure
Post Performance Celebrations!
CAPA News
DRAMA
YEAR 11 PLAY
This term, to learn about the Elements of Production, Year 11 Drama students staged Grace Under Pressure, a play by Paul Dwyer and David Williams which wove together the experiences of the health professionals who look after us. Based on interviews with interns, medical and nursing students, as well as senior allied health professionals and representatives from specialist colleges and peak bodies, this play invited audiences to peek behind the scenes of this fascinating industry.
Thank you to Year 11 Drama for their thought provoking performance and to the audience that joined us!
NIDA PERFORMANCE
Thank you to Mr. Vassallo, who organised a group of students from the National Institute of the Dramatic Arts to perform William Shakespeare’s “A Tale of Two Kings” for Year 9 on Friday March 29. It was thoroughly enjoyed and helped some to dare to say I enjoy Shakespeare!
DRAMA ENRICHMENT
This term Drama Enrichment, which runs on a Monday morning has devised a small audition piece for Schools Spectacular. Their piece uses conventions of Greek Theatre to explore the condemnation of Medea. It is exciting to see students across various groups working together to demonstrate excellence in Drama. We look forward to next term as they prepare for the LightsUP Drama Festival.
ART
ART ENRICHMENT
We are so proud of the students who have submitted a total of 21 works to the Youth Week Design Competition. This competition is about what inspires young people to create, and the incredible efforts of these students is inspiring in itself. 4 of the works are pictured below.
As a result of students’ outstanding work, we received $500.00 worth of Art Supplies which will be used by Art Enrichment to further enhance their works. Further, Ana Maksomovic in Year 10 was selected as one of three winners in the competition and attended NSW Parliament House to receive her Award.
ART ACROSS THE CURRICULUM
Year 8 Visual Arts stepped back in time and created Ancient Egyptian inspired canopic jars. Students used their knowledge of ancient Egyptian culture to design, form, sculpt and glaze their own canopic jars.
MUSIC
OPEN MIC NIGHT
Several students across different grades will be performing at Penrith Council’s Open Mic Night on April 11 at Triangle Park. If you’re not a performer, then come along and enjoy a free showcase of Penrith’s best talent. Along with free entertainment there’ll be a pop-up record shop and food.
Congratulations to Anwen Gregory in Year 8 and Divinia Eather in Year 12 for demonstrating courage by showing and sharing their unique gifts and talents.
AUDITIONS
The Penrith High School choir, bands and ensembles as well as some individuals have sent in auditions for the 2019 Pulse Showcase and Schools Spectacular.
We wish our students the best of luck and look forward to hearing of their successes.
CHOIR
Congratulations to our Choir who are currently participating in InConcert which will see them perform at Sydney Town Hall. Further, they have gained entry into the Pulse Combined Choir, enabling them to Perform at the Sydney Opera House on July 4.
STRING ENSEMBLE
Penrith Selective High School hosted the Pulse String Workshop in Week 10 and 11 of Term 1. This workshop has brought together students across NSW Public Schools to work with elite tutors and musicians to refine their skills. Further, this workshop was our audition for the Pulse String Ensemble which may see our String Ensemble take the stage at the Concert Hall of the Sydney Opera House.
What to look out for!
There are so many new opportunities for workshops and competitions which will help you develop as a creative artist. Please consider some of the events on this list, or research for one that’s right for you!
MUSIC
- Talent Development Project auditions are still open (The Arts Unit)
Boys Vocal Program (The Arts Unit, closes May 24)
PULSE Showcase individual artist auditions are still open
Vocal workshops (Sydney Conservatorium) with:
Naomi Crellin (Idea of North) – May 18
Tony Backhouse – August 3
Mara Kiek – October 19
Young Women’s Jazz workshops (Sydney Conservatorium)
DRAMA
All the World’s a Stage (NIDA Holiday Shakespeare workshop)
Screen Acting Boot Camp (NIDA)
VISUAL ARTS
Drawing from the figure 2019 (NSW Art Gallery)
Decorative Dishes (School Holiday workshop NSW Art Gallery)
FILM/PHOTOGRAPHY
Film By the Eucalyptus (The Arts Unit)
Nikon Small World Competition 2019 (Closes April 30, 2019)
NIDA Found Footage: Horror Filmmaking, Grades 7-10 (NIDA)
With love from:
Your CAPA Prefects (Sara El Youghun, Tyler Williams and Divinia Eather)
Music Teachers (Mrs. Whittaker and Mrs. Ridgeway)
Art Teachers (Mr. Bauman and Ms. Andreatta)
Relieving Head Teacher Mr. Vassallo
NIDA Performance
Drama Enrichment
Art
Art Across the Curriculum
Our choir will participate in InConcert at the Sydney Town Hall
Penrith Selective High School
Email: penrith-h.school@det.nsw.edu.au
Website: https://penrith-h.schools.nsw.gov.au
Location: 158-240 High Street, Penrith NSW, Australia
Phone: 02 4721 0529
Facebook: facebook.com/penrithselectivehighschool