19 December 2022

Newsletter Articles

From the Principal

As Term 4 draws to a close I would like to thank our school community for their support.

I am pleased to report that our 2022 NAPLAN results, VALID results and check-in data results are above state averages and statistically similar schools. Strong gains were seen in Numeracy in Year 9, with 33% of students achieving in the top 2 bands. Reading improved in Year 9, and student’s Writing results continued to impress. In Year 7, 30% of the year group achieved in the top 2 bands in Reading and 42% of the year group achieved in the top 2 bands in Numeracy. At this stage, 100% of our Year 10 students have achieved the HSC National Minimum Standard in Numeracy and Reading.

This is a result of our dedicated teachers, our explicit teaching and learning programs, and our focus on each student’s individual learning needs.

Presentation Day

On Monday 5th December 2022 our annual Presentation Day was held. This was our first formal Presentation Day ceremony since 2019. This time last year, we could not have parents at school events. This time last year, we had to keep year cohorts separate. This time last year, we could not sing the national anthem together. This time last year, the school experience for all our students had been diminished. This year, together as a school community, we claimed it back. Congratulations to the parents and relatives who attended to witness this important occasion in their child’s life. It is wonderful that we have moved out of the shadows of COVID and are able to welcome parents back to our school for events such as these.

Presentation Day

Year 10 Graduation

Our Year 10 Graduation Ceremony took place on Thursday 8th December 2022, and over 200 family members and supporters of our students came to witness their success.

The ceremony was fantastic. Our Year 10 Year Advisor, Ms Kim, gave a very funny and touching speech, and she certainly demonstrated how much she knew this special group of young people and how much she cared for them. You could see that the care and respect was mutual.

We had 200 seats out in the Hall for parents and carers, but in the end, it was standing room only. Afterwards, students and parents mingled and celebrated by the gazebo in the 7/8 playground. We wish our graduating class of 2022 all the very best for the future. They have shared a unique lived experience together that will always bind them.

Year 10 Graduation

Madd Night

On Thursday 1st December we held our annual MADD Night – another milestone school event that we have not seen since 2019.

I am in awe of the talent, confidence, and resilience of our students. To see them shine through performance was amazing. The singing, the dancing, the piano playing, cello playing, violin playing... and the unexpected flash mob Alice in Wonderland theme was truly inspired. We certainly made some noise in Penshurst that night. Probably the most noise this end of Penshurst Street has heard in several years, and the mood was exuberant.

It takes some very special people to give so much of themselves to allow others to shine. Credit must go to Mrs Gabra, Mr Morgan and Mr Payne for their overall management and coordination of this event. Without their passion and dedication, we would not have nights like this, and our school would be the poorer for it. Bravo. Thank you also to Ms Montesin and Mr Swinton, and to our Dance teachers Ms Iskander and Ms Hunter.

Many staff stayed and volunteered to ensure everything ran smoothly, from front of house, to back of house and even on stage. Students and parents alike were glowing as they left, and our parents were abundant in their praise.

Thank you to everyone involved.

2023 Student Representative Council

It is my pleasure to announce our newly elected Student Representative Councillors for the 2023 school year:

This dynamic group of young leaders will be joined by our 2023 Year 7 elected representatives and inducted in a formal leadership ceremony in late Term 1 2023. School Captains will be announced in Week 2 Term 1 2023.

2023 Stage 5 BBQ

To enhance student wellbeing, encourage respectful relationships and foster an improved sense of student belonging at our school, each year we welcome incoming Stage 5 (2023) students into the Stage 5 playground with a BBQ and gelato. This day was held on Monday 12th December and was very successful. The students had a great time, and school staff did a fantastic job manning the BBQ, especially when they had to serve such large numbers. Well done everyone!

I sincerely wish you all the best for the upcoming holiday season, and happiness and good health in the new year.

Ms Noeline Ross
Principal

‘What you think, you become. What you feel, you attract. What you imagine, you create.’

Buddha

From the Deputy Principal

As another school year comes to an end, I would like to thank all staff and students for their efforts. I would also like to thank parents, carers and members of the school community for the way they have supported the school and their daughter’s this year to produce some wonderful results and achievements. I have had the pleasure of reading all Academic Reports for Year 7 and Year 9 and noted how many exceptional, hard-working and committed students we have here at GRC Penshurst Girls Campus.

Year 7 have completed their first year of high school. Many new friendships have been formed and I have witnessed the growth of students academically and socially. Year 8 will bring new challenges in 2023. These challenges are ones that I hope all students are looking forward to embracing and working hard to successfully conquer.

As Year 9 students move in to the second phase of Stage 5 next year, they are reminded that forming good study habits and applying themselves to their work at school in Year 10 is the best preparation for success in Year 11 and 12.

Congratulations to all our award recipients at Presentation Day. It was so good to see so many students being acknowledged and seeing and meeting the many parents who were able to attend the assembly to support and celebrate the hard work and success of their children.

Congratulations to all the students who achieved a Gold Award and were invited to attend the PBL Excursion to Carss Park in week 10. This is a significant achievement and reflects a consistent effort across all facets of school throughout the whole year.

Finally, I wish you all a very peaceful, relaxing and safe break. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

Mr Marland

The 2022 schooling year has finally come to an end, after another busy Term 4 for staff, students, and parents. Thank you to all staff for the efforts you have put in throughout the year to support our students learning, wellbeing and development. Each day, you have organised and implemented valuable experiences for our students to grow and have worked tirelessly throughout the year.

Congratulations to Year 10 students who finished their final year at Georges River College Penshurst Girls Campus. The Graduation Ceremony was a celebration of the success each student has made over the four years they were at our school. Year Advisor, Ms Kim supported our students with kindness, building their interpersonal skills along the way and aiming to instil resilience in all students. It was pleasing to see each student’s progress and personal growth in the many areas school allows such as academic success, social skill development, community engagement, leadership skills or sporting prowess. It was a lovely event attended by many proud parents and I wish Year 10 and their families well for their senior schooling.

It is exciting to be welcoming a new cohort of students and families coming in Year 7 2023 and look forward to assisting with a smooth transition into high school.

Our annual Presentation Day Assembly allowed many students who had displayed diligence and sustained effort to their studies, sport, and community throughout the year to be recognised for their hard work. Many students have achieved outstanding learning outcomes this year and it was pleasing to see them praised by the school and many families who attended.

Year 8 were welcomed into the Year 9 & 10 playground area this week during a BBQ event. Students should now be looking forward to a rest before getting organised for study next year in their chosen elective subjects for Year 9 in 2023.

I hope the holidays allow time to relax with family and friends. After a well-deserved break, I look forward to contributing to continuous improvement for enhanced student learning with the dedicated GRC Penshurst school community again next year.

Ms Dunn

Christmas Doors

Good cheer spread across the school this term. Staff room doors across the school were festooned with Christmas. From decorations that beckoned, glowed and enticed, students had to decide the winner. The competition was fierce. Claims of unfair advantage were whispered, but in the end, it was the voice of the people that won. Congratulations to our TAS faculty! Chosen by the people, for the people.

Christmas Doors

English Faculty

As 2022 draws to a close it is important that we reflect upon the experiences within the classroom and beyond and remember all the wonderful achievements that our students have experienced and the level of commitment displayed by the English teachers throughout the year. Within the classroom, teachers have been focusing on further improving teaching practices through more formative assessment measures, which helps with providing students with effective ongoing actionable feedback on areas of strengths and areas for improvement. This helps to optimize our students’ learning opportunities, and further develop their skills in this subject.

We have also worked towards reviewing, evaluating and improving our programs to enrich learning experiences in the classroom. As English teachers, our aim is to enable our students to understand and use language effectively, appreciate, reflect on, and enjoy the English language and to make meaning in ways that are imaginative, creative, interpretive, critical and powerful. Our focus on literacy has delivered improvement in understanding inference in reading. As teachers of English, we will continue to focus on embedding more imaginative, discursive, persuasive and informative writing, and ensure that our students reflect upon and justify language choices.

Classes have been working diligently each lesson, developing, and refining their skills through activities centered on their class texts in preparation for Stages 4 and 5 English in 2023. Within the classroom this term, Year 7 classes studied Drama. One play that our students enjoyed is Shakespeare’s comedic play, A Mid-Summer Night’s Dream. Firstly, students learned about the elements of a performed dramatic text and then had fun reading their character lines. To bring the play to life, our school garden was the idyllic place for students to engage in developing character roles. Our Year 8 cohort completed studying a unit of work on The Media and learned about the language of persuasion. In addition, students enjoyed studying a unit of work on the Transformation of Fairy Tales, whilst focusing on the narrative text type and composing their own fairytale transformation for their targeted audience.

Early this term, Year 9 completed a unit of work on Baz Luhrmann’s Transformation of Shakespeare’s play, Romeo and Juliet. This was followed by a short unit on Advertising, in which students developed an awareness of the role of language in Advertising and how language techniques are utilised to persuade a target audience to purchase a product or service. In addition, our students composed their own persuasive advertisements and reflected on the choices made for language, layout and colour. For the final weeks our students enjoyed learning about the different types and forms of comedy, and how humour can be employed to make serious comments about society. It was definitely a fun way to end the year!

Our Year 10 students appreciated a close study of our Stage 6 Transition unit on Short Stories, exploring and analysing the conventions of each text. Furthermore, our Year 10 students participated and completed the National Minimum Standards in Literacy, Reading and Writing. In the Reading test, 100% of our students reached the minimum standard, and 97% of our students, reached the minimum standard in the Writing test. This is a wonderful achievement, demonstrating the strength of our students’ skills in literacy.

Our Year 9 Drama Elective students have worked diligently throughout the term. They were faced with the challenge of designing and producing a full variety show, participating both on stage and behind the scenes. With great determination and enthusiasm and remaining focused throughout the term our drama students successfully showcased their skills and talents at this year’s MADD Night. The students certainly developed their skills in production design - costume, lighting, and performance. The Alice in Wonderland theme was sensational, and our drama students certainly enjoyed performing their individual roles. Congratulations to all our Drama students and to Mr Morgan for an engaging and memorable performance.

Furthermore, an initiative that our students across Years 7 – 10 were involved in was the COVID-19 Intensive Learning Support Program for Literacy. Our tutors, Ms Ardati and Ms Berios continued to deliver small group tuition to students of all abilities to help enhance and develop their literacy skills, and I thank the teachers for their commitment and professionalism.

Beyond the classroom, I must acknowledge and congratulate all our students who participated in the Premier’s Debating Challenge for Years 7 and 8, and for Years 9 and 10 throughout the year. The Debating Challenge encourages students to work in a team negating various topics on education, media, sport and politics, whilst also developing their reasoning and public speaking skills. I wish all our teams and their coaches, Ms Reid, Ms Ardati, Ms Mulic and Mr Morgan all the best as they continue their debating challenge next year.

Upon reflection, we had another excellent year with a large proportion of our students participating in the Premier’s Reading Challenge for 2022 and I congratulate all our students who took on the challenge and completed it. The challenge encouraged our students to read widely, to experience quality literature, gain new perspectives about themselves and the world around them and enjoy the worlds and characters created by authors. In recognition of our students’ achievements in completing the challenge, our Teacher Librarian, Ms Linquist, Ms Reid and I hosted a morning tea for all our award recipients. We would like to acknowledge and congratulate the following students who received a Premier’s Reading Challenge Medal for being outstanding readers: Prithila and Cindy from Year 9. I look forward to another successful year of our students participating and completing the Premier’s Reading Challenge in 2023.

Remember, reading is a fantastic activity for children and adults to engage the mind, broaden horizons and keep the doctor away! Throughout the holidays, remember to continue to read widely daily, and experience quality literature. Visit the NSW Premier’s Reading Challenge website to search through the booklists for good quality reading. Another option is to find titles of quality books in the Australian Children’s Book Council website.

“The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go! “- Dr. Seuss

Overall, it has been a very rewarding year within the English faculty, and I would like to thank Ms. Ardati, Ms. Berios, Mrs. Gabra, Mr. Morgan, Ms. Mulic, Ms Reid and Ms Linguist, our Librarian, for their dedication and consistent professional practice. I would also like to acknowledge the continual support of our LaST teachers, Ms Prestoe and Ms Noonan.

On behalf of the English faculty, I wish all members of the school community a well-earned and restful end of year holiday, a festive season, and a prosperous new year. Stay safe and healthy!

Mrs Sender
Head Teacher English

Premier’s Reading and Debating Challenge Award Recipients

Season’s Greetings

Mathematics Faculty

2022 was a busy and fruitful year in Mathematics. The yearly reports have been completed and the term is rapidly coming to an end.

Achievements

It is encouraging that seven Year 7, seventeen Year 8, three Year 9 students and five Year 10 students achieved a perfect score in their Yearly Examination. The top achieving students are:

Year 7 – Harper C, Mira J, Charlene L, Amy L, Sofia N, Anastacia V and Hannah X
Year 8 – Kayla A, Khadeejah A, Avaani D, Ella D, Taskiya G, Bella H, Katarina I, Tara K, Kelly L, Bronte L, Erynn R, Ziling S, Ziyu S, Nandika S, Jessica T, Maria Francis V and Yanny Z
Year 9 – Eve B, Hannah H and Krystal L
Year 10 – Maya C, Phoebe C, Olivia H, Kitty J and Carlise H

The Learning Map

In Term 4, Year 7 have learnt Algebraic Techniques, Equations and Indices. Year 8 have studied Linear Relationships and Data Analysis. Year 9 Stage 5.1 and 5.2 have learnt Properties of Geometrical Figures, Probability and Single Variable Data Analysis and Stage 5.3 students have studied Indices and Surds and Quadratic Expressions and Algebraic Fractions. Year 10 Stage 5.1 and 5.2 students have learnt Equations and Trigonometry. Year 10 Stage 5.3 students have learnt Trigonometry and Non-Linear Relationships.

Maths Club: Maths Statistics Research Competition

In 2022, students from Year 7, 8 and 10 in the Maths Club participated in the Mathematics and Statistics Research Competition hosted by the University of Melbourne. The students have spent a term working on their group project and have competed with private, selective and independent high schools. Two students, Elisa L and Arianna L received Certificates of Merits (top 40% of the projects) while the rest of the participants received Certificates of Participation.

Inserting Images:

Year 7 Nioosha H in Mathematics and Statistics Research Competition Certificate of Participation

Year 8 Avaani D in Mathematics and Statistics Research Competition Certificate of Participation

Year 8 Elisa L and Arianna L in Mathematics and Statistics Research Competition Certificate of Merit

Year 10 Kitty H in Mathematics and Statistics Research Competition Maths Certificate of Participation

Year 10 Carlise H and Phoebe C in Mathematics and Statistics Research Competition Maths Certificate of Participation

Australian Maths Competition

This year 35 students from GRC Penshurst Girls participated in the Australian Maths Competition with fantastic results. 32 out of the 35 students achieved a certificate of proficient and above. Five students received certificates of distinction, 15 received certificates of credit and 13 received certificates of proficiency. This means 94% of students achieved recognition.

A Proficiency Certificate was awarded to students who scored at least 32 points out of 135 points.

A Credit Certificate was awarded to a student who was in the top 55% of their year and region.

A Distinction Certificate was awarded to a student who was in the top 20% of their year and region.

Year 7 AMC

Year 8 AMC

Year 9 AMC

Year 10 AMC

Check-In-Assessment

Year 7, 8 and 9 students completed their Check-In-Assessment in Term 4. This Numeracy test included questions on Data, Measurement, Space and Geometry, Number, Patterns and Algebra. The results gathered will assist the Mathematics faculty to develop and implement positive strategies for focus groups of students in the classroom to improve their numeracy results even further.

Finally, it is now the time to celebrate the conclusion of the year and enjoy the festivities. Then, it is time for some reflection and preparation for the learning of Mathematics in the new school year. Regardless of their Mathematics level and ability, students can continue to use the online program Cambridge Go at home during the holidays to consolidate mathematical skills and concepts.

Have a great holiday and all the best from the Mathematics staff!

Ms Qiu
Head Teacher Mathematics

Science Faculty

Another year has drawn to a close and students have completed their final topics of study in Science as well as Marine and Aquaculture Technology.

This term Year 7 students have been studying the Physical World, the Living World as well as Earth and Space. Students completed a STEM assessment task, where they demonstrated their knowledge of energy transformations and forces, by building a toy or musical instrument. Students classified life on earth and compared and contrasted features of different living things

Year 8 students have been studying Investigations, Earth and Space as well as The Living World with a focus on microbes. Students demonstrated their ability to plan an accurate and reliable experiment. Students inoculated their own agar plates and observed the growth of microbes, and they also completed the VALID 8 Assessment.

Year 9 students have been studying the Living World, Plate Tectonics and the Physical World including electricity. Students completed a Depth Study and Multi-media Presentation of an aspect of human impact on the environment as well as the Yearly Common Test. Students have also undertaken experiments where they measured voltage and current and related this to Ohms Law.

Year 10 students have been studying the Physical World and Earth and Space. Students demonstrated their knowledge by completing several practical tasks including the Mandatory Student Investigation as well as the VALID 10 Assessment.

Marine and Aquaculture Technology students have been studying the social and economic importance of marine ecosystems as well as recreational and commercial fishing. Students also undertook an excursion to develop first-hand field work skills while learning about the unique ecosystems of Botany Bay. Students performed measurement tasks and activities that explored both the coastal rock platform and coastal woodland ecosystems.

VALID Year 8

The Validation of Assessment for Learning & Individual Development (VALID) test for Year 8 students was held in the first week of November. This assessment is compulsory for all State Schools and is an interactive, multimedia test completed online. Our students continue to perform significantly higher than the state average and similar schools for each of the content strands and aspects:

• Chemical World
• Earth and Space
• Living World
• Physical World
• Working Scientifically

VALID Year 10

Year 10 students completed the VALID 10 Assessment in Week 8 last term. Our students continue to achieve significantly higher than the state average and similar schools in all 5 content strands, displaying outstanding growth in their knowledge and understanding of science. VALID will assist us to monitor student achievement and inform planning, programming and assessment practices.

On behalf of the Science faculty, I wish everyone a happy and safe holiday.

Mr Adams
Head Teacher Science

HSIE Faculty

As another year draws to a close, we reflect upon the wonderful achievements that our students have experienced. Classroom teachers have been focusing on literacy and guiding students to write in more depth and detail. This has been particularly beneficial to our Year 10 students, as they prepare for the increased rigor of senior studies.

Year 7 Geography

Our Year 7 students have developed their abilities in both Geography and History. We look forward to watching them demonstrate their knowledge next year. As part of the liveability topic, the students were required to produce maps of their neighbourhood.

Year 8 History

Year 8 History have been studying Medieval Japanese history. The students created some very interesting posters from that era. Most students were able to compare Medieval Europe to Medieval Japan.

Year 9 History

Year 9 History have been studying World War I and the beginning of World War II. The students were visited by Mrs. Coghlan, who shared her family history, along with the personal experiences of those who fought in wars. The students gained an insight into the usefulness and reliability of sources, particularly primary sources such as photographs and identification tags. Students created posters that demonstrated various attitudes from the time.

Year 9 Commerce

Ms Kennedy-Webb’s Year 9 Commerce students participated in a class mock trial, where they had a glimpse of the court room procedures and protocols. The students demonstrated their ability to listen and make informed decisions based on the evidence presented. Each class member had a crucial role within the court room, with students demonstrating their natural abilities as magistrate, prosecutor, and clerk of courts.

Ms Kennedy-Webb
Head Teacher HSIE

TAS Faculty

Year 7 Technology

Year 7 students have studied a digital technology unit named “iSMART” this term. Firstly, the students focused on ensuring safe use of digital technologies. Discussions were had on safe and secure passwords and the implications of poor passwords. Discussions were had on their digital footprint and how to stay safe online. Students had some lessons on binary code and created a binary bracelet. Students completed a unit on Excel spreadsheets where they used formulas and functions to make data meaningful. They created charts, whether a column, line or pie chart to display the data. Students also spent some time programming using python language. The students explored programming by coding Anki cars on a track. Students took themselves back in time to compare their lives today to 50 years ago. They found the changes in technology extensive. Students were required to create an information report detailing the impact on the lives of people if all electronic technology (including the Internet) suddenly stopped working. Working cross faculty with English, some classes then converted this information report into a script and produced a movie/trailer on the topic.

Year 7 Technology iSmart

Last semester some classes completed a Farm to Fork Task where they were required to create a documentary that was suitable for primary school children. The documentary was based on their research of a raw food product. A selection of these documentaries were viewed by year 3 and 4 students at Peakhurst Primary School. The students provided valuable written feedback on each documentary. We would like to thank the students and their teacher Mrs Dalton for ensuring the task was authentic and a real-world experience.

Primary students viewing documentaries

Year 8 Technology

Year 8 students have studied an Engineering topic called “May the force be with you” this term. The students have explored the topics of Force, Motion and Energy. They have explored the uses and analysed the implications of Drone Technology. Many lessons have been spent on problem solving. The students have been given challenges such as building the highest self-supporting tower to hold a marshmallow or marble, with limited resources. They were required to build a table from newspaper that would support a stack of books. They investigated the Mars Rover and created their own working rover. The unit culminated in the students creating a bridge from paddle pop sticks that would support a heavy weight. There has been a competition amongst the classes to be the most successful in these challenges. Lots of learning and lots of fun!

Year 8 Applied Engineering

Year 9 Food Technology

The year 9 Food Technology students have explored the latest food trends in Australia, as well as Internationally. The trends they covered were broad, ranging from the environmental benefits of eating locally produced food, the role of the farmers markets in urban centres, ethical treatments of animals as well as analysing data from OzHarvest and Shopping Ethically. They conducted research on dietary trends and described which factors influenced eating habits and peoples’ acceptance of food trends in society. They were required to present their practical food tasks and display them using contemporary trends in plating, garnishing and decoration of meals. Students studied food photography and identified tools used by photographers to make food look tantalising and appealing. The year 9 Food Technology students really enjoyed this topic as their creative ideas flourished and were tested to the limit.

Year 9 Design and Technology

In theory lessons, Year 9 Design and Technology students have been investigating the work of mosaic designers. Students have analysed how Australian and International designers have constructed mosaic projects over time and the influence of technology upon their design process. By examining the practice of experts, students have experimented with a range of practical techniques in order to model the work of designers in the production of their own mosaics. Students produced a coaster as a method of testing and experimentation, before applying their skills to an item supplied from home. From chopping boards to desk organisers, picture frames to vases, our Year 9 students have produced top quality work which is to be congratulated.

Year 9 Mosaics

Year 9 Multimedia

The Year 9 Multimedia class have been working very hard through their final unit of this subject, ‘Open Multimedia Project’. Having been assessed in all outcomes and having experience in a range of Multimedia software from the earlier units, students are given the option to select a Multimedia software of their choice and learn how to use it. They select the software with guidance from their teacher and learn skills in an area they wish to extend themselves in. Year 9 students have explored various software applications such as Blender, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe InDesign, Adobe Illustrator, and Adobe Premier Pro. Below are some amazing examples of student works using the Blender, a software application that allows users to create 3D models.

How do you like them apples? The 3D models above were designed and created by Year 9 students Karen and Isabelle.

Year 9 Information and Software Technology

For the first half of Term 4, the Year 9 Information and Software Technology class worked on building their Minecraft Museum. In groups of four, students were allocated a school subject to base their Minecraft Museum on. From English to CAPA, Year 9 created incredible museums containing exhibits that highlighted the main values and charms of their allocated subjects. Below is a walkthrough of the Languages and TAS museums.

For the second half of Term 4, students completed their final unit of the year: Authoring and Multimedia. They delved into the world of Adobe Photoshop and completed various projects using the array of features and photoshopping techniques the software has to offer, including creating a ‘Pop Art’ image of their favourite celebrity or influential person in history. See the attached screenshots of student work below.

TAS Museum – Walkthrough

Languages Museum

Embracing the charm of TAS and Languages. The Minecraft Museums above were designed and created by the Year 9IST class.

Year 10 Design and Technology

This term, Year 10 completed their “Framed’ unit by finalising their practical work and documenting the design process in a portfolio. Students had creative freedom, with the only constraints being that their design needed to be made from timber and contain a frame as part of it. The students were very creative and produced a number of unique items.

Year 10 Framed

To finish off the year, students worked in groups to create a wearable item from recycled products. Their ‘Trash to Fash’ garments were inspiring.

Year 10 Trash to Fash

Year 10 Information and Software Technology

After an outstanding 2 years, the Year 10 Information and Software Technology class have successfully completed their course. From their first unit of Year 9 IST (Animation and Web Design) to their final unit of Year 10 IST (Modelling and Simulations), students have explored and learnt a range of topics in Information and Software Technology.

In their final unit of the year, the Year 10 Information and Software class revisited the topic area of Modelling and Simulations. To delve further into this unit, students experimented with simulation games and worked on a variety of Microsoft Excel spreadsheet tasks that related to real world challenges. The girls are to be congratulated for their diligence and consistent effort over the last 2 years. A fantastic job well done, Year 10!

Year 10 Food Technology

Students have been learning about the importance of ‘Food Service and Catering’. Students have examined food service and catering ventures and their respective ethical operations across a variety of settings. Students have planned and prepared safe and appealing foods appropriate for catering small or large-scale functions, including mini cheesecakes, ramen noodles, coconut slice, jam and cupcakes.

The TAS Faculty

CAPA Faculty

VISUAL ARTS

YEAR 7

Year 7 students ended a big year with a fun unit of work to create Pop Art food sculptures. Students explored the Pop Art movement, its key artists, characteristics, features, and ideology, before immersing themselves in the design and construction of giant food sculptures. Working in groups, students created potential designs before collaborating to construct and paint their final design. Using cardboard, newspaper, masking tape and glue for papier-mache, and acrylic paint, students engaged problem solving skills, engineering, mathematical skills, aesthetics, creativity, and construction to produce some amazing sculptures – a veritable visual feast! The girls thoroughly enjoyed this task and discovered skills they didn’t know they had. Well done!

YEAR 8

In term 4, Year 8 explored the Cubism movement, with a focus on the work of Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque. Students learnt about historical perspectives and aspects of the world during this period, as a major influence on artist’s work. Using the art and design principles of Cubism and Abstraction, students were given the task of creating a Cubist cardboard guitar sculpture. Working in pairs, they observed the shapes of a guitar and reassembled these shapes to create a disjointed and abstracted version of an acoustic guitar. Working collaboratively, the girls engaged problem solving skills, negotiation, and aesthetics to construct their sculptures. After construction, the guitar sculptures were painted with acrylic paint and collaged to create some eye catching, abstracted interpretations of the guitar. The girls thoroughly enjoyed this task, ending the year on a positive note – pardon the pun!

YEAR 9

Our highly talented Year 9 students completed their Pop Art paintings on canvas this term which they commenced in mid-term 3, and then continued to work on a self-directed artwork of their choice. Artworks were diverse in form, genre, and mediums, ranging from clay object design, abstract painting, ink landscape, mixed-media, and watercolour painting. Subject matter included animals, abstraction, landscape, portraiture, and still-life. Students were encouraged to experiment, trying new techniques and mediums to diversify their artmaking practice. An interesting and varied collection of artworks were created, as students surprised themselves with their newly learnt skills and final masterpieces.

YEAR 10

To finish the year, Year 10 students were given the autonomy to create a self-directed artwork and were encouraged to experiment with a new artmaking skill/concept they had not tried before or a skill they would like to explore further. Students were highly motivated for this task and produced a wide range of art forms and styles including, portrait sketching, digital art, photographic manipulation, clay object design, charcoal animal sketches on coloured paper, abstract art using soft pastels, and mixed media work. What a talented group of students! I have been impressed by the creativity and skill of these students who produced some outstanding artworks. As we say farewell to Year 10, we are going to miss this talented group of girls but know their future will be bright….

VISUAL ARTS – HALLOWEEN CELEBRATIONS

After some years of social restriction, where most social activities and events were cancelled for students, we decided to celebrate Halloween within the classroom setting, so that students could experience some optimism and joy. Celebrations were well received, with girls excited and happy, sharing laughter and surprise. With Year 10 students helping to decorate the art room and displaying their superior drawing skills on the whiteboard, all years were suitably impressed and “scared”, enjoying the festivities, and hopefully cementing some happy memories after some difficult years.

MUSIC

This term in Music Year 7 have continued to explore the four instrument families and looked at different types of instruments from around the world. Their practical skills were also further developed on keyboards while learning the Beatles’ song Ob-La-Di Ob-La-Da. Year 8 investigated Technologies’ impact on Music by researching various forms of Music Technology, from early forms such as the phonograph through to MIDI, microphones and autotune. Some time was also used to catch up on content that was missed las at year during lockdown.

Photographic & Digital Media

This term in Photographic and Digital Media, the students explored the genre of portraiture photography. They learned how to effectively compose and capture portraits of each other with an emphasis on facial and body language. Year 9 discovered the impact that lighting has on a portrait and how subtle differences can completely change the mood of an image. The students were challenged to use their creativity and knowledge in practical outdoor portraiture where they had to adapt quickly to constantly changing lighting and use the environment around them. They produced some amazing results. The students should be very proud of everything they have achieved this year in Photographic and Digital Media.

MADD NIGHT: What an awesome night and a huge success to be witnessed!

On Thursday 1st December 2022 at 5.00pm, the doors of Penshurst Girls’ Hall opened to showcase the amazing performances of Penshurst students who decided to share their talents with their peers, overcoming their fears and anxiety. It was an awesome night, enjoyed by all. The Hall was incredibly packed with parents, teachers, and peers. Every act was unique and together they created a masterpiece.

The quality of the performances was outstanding and the feedback from parents and other members of the audience was overwhelming. The showcase included a variety of items in the areas of Music, Creative Arts, Dance and Drama in a great environment.

A huge thank you to Mr Ben Morgan and Mr Tim Payne who went above and beyond to support the students and to pull together a fantastic night.

A big thank you to our Year 9 Drama elective who performed a series of skits inspired by ‘Alice in Wonderland’. It was so engaging and entertaining. They also helped with the stage sets. The Dance ensemble showcased an amazing individual performance as well as duet dancing. The music items ranged from playing a Piano Solo, Violin Solo, Cello, Guitar, Vocal solo, duet or group performances.

Special thanks go to Ms Maree Montesin and her Years 9 & 10 Visual Arts classes for their outstanding Artwork on display in the foyer which reflected their unique talents and creativity. Well Done Girls and Thank You!

A final ‘Thank You’ to all staff for their support before and during the night; from the Senior Executive to the Executive and teaching staff as well as the SASS staff. Thanks to Miss Brooke Reid for being the photographer of the night and for capturing the most memorable moments of the event. What a Working Bee!

Have a well-deserved and relaxing holiday everyone!

Mrs Gabra
Head Teacher CAPA

PDHPE Faculty

It has been an eventful term with many events and activities that took place in the PDHPE faculty. Students have been ripe with activity engaging in numeracy activities, excursions, MADD night preparations and class verse class sporting competitions.

Some year 7 classes created visual representations of data related to their overall wellbeing. Students assessed their own level of physical, emotional, social, and spiritual health and after creating and discussing the data graphs they analysed the wellbeing levels of the class as a whole. It was determined that students had overall better levels of social and physical health.

Year 10 Child Studies also created visual representations of parental expectations when selecting childcare for their children. Students looked at the raw numerical data and then proportionately converted the data to display in a simpler format. Students discovered that a childcare centre that helps a child to socially interact with other children was of the most important. Some students also compared the parental expectations of parents from different cultural backgrounds.

This term Year 10 Child Studies also learnt about school readiness activities for children to prepare them for beginning primary school. Students then had the opportunity to create their own school readiness activity. Students were required to determine the educational outcome and purpose of the activity prior to creating it. You can see some of their work in the photos below:

This same class also had the opportunity to visit My Little Sunshine Long Day Care Centre. In small groups students were allocated a lesson where we walked to the childcare centre and interacted with the children. Students read books, played games, and did craft with the children and all students walked away feeling elated after the experience. Students reported how they loved playing with the children and how cute they all were. This experience also prompted work experience opportunities at the same centre.

This term students in the Year 9 Child Studies class have learnt about the importance of play for a child’s linguistic, physical, emotional, social, and cognitive development. They have gained an understanding of the different stages and types of play and also experimented with and assessed toys that may be commonly used by young children.

In our Year 9 Elective dance class students spent most of the term practicing and perfecting their dance routine for their performance at MADD night and they did not disappoint! The performance was spectacular, and I would like to congratulate all the girls for their hard work and dedication in Dance this year.

Mrs Iskander
Head Teacher PDHPE

Duke of Edinburgh Award

This term we had 8 students complete the Adventurous Journey for their Bronze award. Students spent two days hiking in Heathcote National Park. This hike occurred very soon after all the rain, which meant we witnessed beautiful waterfalls, but also had to wade through deep waters to stick to the track. Most students had little to no hiking experience and were very nervous prior to the journey, however all students reported how much they enjoyed the experience – leeches and all!! Check out some of the photos and video below:

Duke of Edinburgh Hike

Mrs E Iskander
Duke of Ed Award Leader

Sport Report

It has been a successful Term for GRC - Penshurst Girls Campus in Sport. In week 8, it was the grand final for Summer Grade Sport. There were 8 teams that made it to grand finals and there were 4 teams that were the champions. This resulted in Penshurst being the Champions for Summer Sport. Penshurst were also the Champions for Winter Grade Sport. This is an excellent achievement which only occurred due to the motivated students participating each week and the dedicated teachers willing to coach and umpire the grade sports every week.

The sports on offer in summer grade sport were:
Oztag, Mini-soccer, Volleyball and Softball.

The winning teams were:
Open Softball coached by Mr Morgan, Year 8 A Oztag coached by Ms Cowper and both Junior A and B Volleyball coached by Ms Reid.
Congratulations to the teams and the coaches involved.

This term there was zone bowling at Revesby Workers Club as a new recreational sport on offer that students enjoyed participating in.

Year 7 participated in Tag League sessions that was funded by a Sporting Schools grant that the school received. The sessions were run by qualified coaches each week at Penshurst Park. Students enjoyed learning new skills and being active at a wonderful venue.

On Tuesday 15th November, Bree Pekert of Year 8 attended the Sydney East Softball trial. She was successful in making the team which will play in the NSWCHSSA State Championships to be held 27th February - 1st March 2023 in Blacktown. What an outstanding achievement, congratulations Bree and good luck next year.

Last Wednesday on the 7th December Year 10 had their Sport Presentation Day where students received awards for competing at zone and region in Swimming, Cross Country and Athletics. The Best and Fairest awards for each grade sport for the year were also presented. Congratulations to all students that received awards.

On Monday 12th December 7 students attended the St George Zone Presentation Day at Sydney Technical High. Penshurst Girls achieved outstanding results this year.

The following students received special awards:
Bethany Hughes - 13 Years Swimming Age Champion
Ahlyrah Lubis - 13 Years 200m record in Athletics
Eva Heaney - 15 Years Athletics Age Champion

The Open Champion teams also received the shield to keep in the trophy cabinet in the Foyer for a year.

Penshurst were the winners of the following grade sports:
Open Soccer
Open Basketball
Open Netball A and B teams
Open Table Tennis
Open Softball

This is the largest number of Champion teams Penshurst has ever received. The PDHPE faculty is extremely proud of these fantastic achievements.

Congratulations to all the students involved. It is wonderful to see so many students participating in grade sport for fun and achieving amazing results. The PDHPE faculty is looking forward to what Penshurst Girls will achieve in 2023.

Happy Christmas and enjoy your holidays!

Sport Organisers
Belinda Laverance and Prue Griffiths

Languages Faculty

This term Year 8 students of Italian studied the topics Sport and Leisure, they learnt about the famous Italian fairy tale Pinocchio and finally learnt how the Italians celebrate Christmas and the end of the Year. Students completed a creative activity called Chi Sono? (Who am I?) in this task the students had to write about themselves in Italian by incorporating various grammar structures they had learnt throughout the year without putting their name on it. The aim of the task is for other students to read the information and guess who it. It was wonderful seeing the creative side of Year 8 come out.

Students learning Japanese have explored the topic of leisure and hobbies in Japan. They have learnt to describe activities they enjoy doing in their past time in Japanese while strengthening their knowledge and understanding of the Hiragana script. Students have learnt about traditional hobbies such as calligraphy, flower arrangements, Sumo, Japanese theatre and many more. This term, students had the opportunity to learn about calligraphy and engaged in writing Japanese Kanji characters using ink, traditional brush, and calligraphy paper. Year 8 Japanese ended the year learning about how Japan celebrates the New Year and participated in making Nengajos (traditional Japanese New Year greeting cards).

Students of Year 9 Japanese studied the topics Celebrations, Making and Accepting Invitations and started the topic School Life. Year 9 were assigned a group task this term to make an invitation in Japanese for an event they would like to host. They had to incorporate a range of vocabulary and grammar that they had been learning. They created their invitations using Canva and their final copies were put on display in our school library.

Students in Year 10 Japanese have concluded their Stage 5 Japanese studies. After 2 intense years learning about the Japanese language in depth, they have learnt the skills to engage in basic conversations over a range of topics including, travelling, describing their home, school life, future career and aspirations and many more. This term, Year 10 focused on consolidating their knowledge of the skills and information learnt over the years. Students created posters to display around A10 that will help their younger peers with vocabulary on topics such as – colours, adjective list, countries, stationery, school subjects and occupations.

Ms Kim & Ms Verchiani
Languages Teachers

Chinese

The Year 9 Chinese class had fun competing in a chopstick competition. In groups of 4-5, students who are apt at using chopsticks had 30 seconds while others had 1 minute to pick up as many skittles using chopsticks. The finalists are Noa F, Lily L, Clare S and Joylen K who picked up the most skittles from their group. The grand winner is Clare S.

Ms Qiu
Chinese teacher

Welfare Report

As 2022 draws to a close, I would like to thank our magnificent students for another wonderful year. Students demonstrated great strength, courage, perseverance, resilience, creativity, leadership and excellence in all facets of their schooling experience. A special thank you to our 2022 Year 10 Peer Tutors and Peer Support Leaders who dedicated their time and willingness to support Year 7 students this year. Thank you to Mrs Janine Prestoe and Mrs Nerida Noonan for their work in leading and supporting our Year 10 Peer Tutors.

Led by our outstanding Year Advisors, students participated in a range of wellbeing experiences throughout the term. You can read about these in the Year Advisor reports. I would like to thank the Welfare and Learning and Support Teams for their ongoing commitment to our students.

In week 10, our Gold Award Recipients were treated to a fun-filled picnic at Carss Park as part of Positive Behaviour for Learning (PBL). Thank you to Mrs Cowper and Mr Morgan accompanying the students.

We had a really fun experience playing different games, building new friendships and having time to bond with our teachers, Mrs Cowper, Mr Morgan and Ms Hamka. We enjoyed a lovely picnic and played bean bag toss, battle blocks, lacrosse and had time to play with the sand and on the equipment. We had the best time getting to know students from other year groups and made new friends. Whilst playing games, we also made friends with other schools that were present on the day, and we got to hang out with our friends in a peaceful and tranquil environment. We all had an enjoyable time. Thank you to Ms Hamka for the ice blocks!

• Samita, Linda and Alice

I wish you all a safe and restful holiday.

Ms Fatima Hamka
Head Teacher Welfare

Year 7 Advisor

Time really does fly. With the end of the year fast approaching, our wonderful Year 7 students have reached a significant milestone in their personal growth and education. Solid friendships have been formed, new routines and responsibilities embraced, and knowledge and skills learnt. A time to reflect and recognise personal achievements.

Term 4 continued with Year 10 peer support, supporting learning, positive interactions and continuing to build on school connectedness and citizenship. Some solid relationships have been forged between our Year 7’s and Year 10’s, who have taken them under their wings and acted as the older school ‘sibling’.

Students also continued to work hard across all their subjects, with merit awards streaming in and the significant achievement of many Bronze, Silver and Gold Principal’s awards received.

The generosity and compassion of our Year 7 girls was also highlighted, with a Christmas box donation from each class filled with various items for children less fortunate, to bring some joy and happiness at a time when families come together to celebrate. A kind and thoughtful sentiment.

With final assessment tasks completed and semester 2 reports finalised, students exhaled, and began to look forward to our MADD Night school concert. A synonym for Music, Art, Dance and Drama, MADD Night has been a tradition at Penshurst Girls until Covid halted the event over the last 2 years. So, with much anticipation and excitement, students across all year groups commenced preparing for the event, participating in all areas including, dance items, singing, musician items, drama and artwork displays, set design and behind the scenes organisation such as sound, lighting, and costumes. An opportunity to showcase the immense talent of our dedicated and creative students. For those of you who came, I am sure you were as blown away as I was, at the standard of talent we have at Penshurst Girls. For those of you who were unable to come, there is always next year. An opportunity not to be missed! Bravo to all who participated and supported the event. You were amazing!

Closely following MADD Night, came Presentation Day. An auspicious occasion to celebrate the academic achievements of our hard-working students. As Year Advisor, it was an honour to announce the names of our Year 7 award recipients, who have worked so hard to achieve excellence. I couldn’t be prouder of their efforts.

Overall, a very busy term to end the year and a time to reflect on the year gone, with recognition of personal growth, learning, academic achievement, participation, friendship, and school citizenship. A first year in high school to cement life-long memories. I look forward to continuing to support such a wonderful cohort of young women in 2023.

To end, I would like to wish all our Year 7 students and their families, a happy and safe holiday, shared with family and friends, and anticipate a new year filled with opportunity and achievement for our new Year 8 girls.

Happy holidays!

Maree Montesin
Year 7 Year Advisor

Year 8 Advisor

The end of the school year allows us to acknowledge and congratulate those students that have achieved academic success. It was wonderful for this cohort to be able to celebrate these achievements with family and friends. But there are so many others that have achieved amazing things this year too that were not recognised at Presentation Day. The girls with the beautiful singing voices, the dancers, the actors, and artists. There are those that have overcome difficult situations and others who have taken on extra responsibilities at home. So many year 8’s have worked hard this year to achieve their best. I want them to know, that I see them, and I am proud of them. Keep working hard and your rewards will come.

Over the 2 years of Stage 4 (2021-22) these students have attained the following awards -

4 Principal Platinum Award (150 merits) - Bella H, Ziling S, Ziyu S, Maria Francis V
20 Principal Gold Award (90 merits) - Roji, Avaani, Taskiya, Bella, Katarina I, Tara K, Kelly L, Rania M, Caelisia M, Zoha N, Kassey N, Bree P, Erynn R, Cynfia S, Ziling S, Ziyu S, Nandika S, Jessica T, Maria Francis V, Zoeanna W,
37 Principal Silver Award (60 merits)
78 Principal Bronze Award (30 merits)
553 Year Advisor Awards

Congratulations to the 11 students that took a chance and prepared and presented a speech to their peers in hope of being elected to the SRC. All of the girls spoke very well and made the voting very difficult. Any of these candidates would made excellent cohort representatives.

Over the past two years this cohort have handed in over 5500 merit awards. This is an outstanding effort and reflects their positive attitude to classwork and school life.

The final week of school began with a BBQ for year 8 to welcome them to their new playground. They enjoyed a sausage sizzle and some delicious gelato while exploring their new area and finding ‘their place’ to sit. On behalf of year 8, I would like to thank Ms Ross and all the staff involved, for such a lovely afternoon.

We enjoyed our final breakfast of waffles, strawberries, and ice cream, to celebrate those that immerse themselves in school activities.

The final celebration of the year was for those students who attained their Principal’s Gold Award during stage 4. We enjoyed a lovely picnic and games at Carss Park. Thank you to Ms Hamka for her organisation of this great day.

As always, it has been a pleasure to be a part of the school lives of the year 8 students. I wish them all a safe and happy holiday season and a restful break. I am looking forward to seeing them all back in 2023 to begin Stage 5 of their schooling.

Tara Cowper
Year 8 Advisor

Year 9 Advisor

What an amazing term (and year) it has been!

Once again, our fantastic Year 9 students have dedicated themselves completely to the quest of lifelong learning, smashing personal bests and exceeding all expectations. Excelling in the realms of academia, sport, and the arts, our courageous crew of curious conquistadors have conquered their first year of Stage 5 with spirit, determination, a steely resolve, and a hunger for knowledge.

Using our Year Meetings to continue strengthening the bonds between students and building a sense of shared purpose within the cohort, we have focused on the practical ways in which we can all demonstrate compassion, show support, and maintain unity, even in trying times. Participating in a range of wellbeing activities and listening with great patience to the ramblings of their Year Advisor, the students of Year 9 have spent the term continually building upon their already-impressive range of communication skills and collaborative practices, finishing their first full year of uninterrupted on-campus learning stronger, more mature, and feeling more connected than ever.

The final term of Year 9 has also provided many opportunities for our students to showcase their unbelievable range of skills outside the confines of the classroom. Participating in many premiership-winning Grade Sport teams, representing our school proudly at regional carnivals, and wowing audiences with their talents in an impressive array of creative disciplines during MADD Night, Year 9 students again proved themselves to be well-rounded, multi-faceted, immensely talented renaissance individuals. Special mention must be made of the Year 9 Elective Drama class, who designed and painted the sets, performed an original scripted piece, and created the concept for our MADD Night spectacular; the Year 9 Elective Dance class, who performed as an ensemble, as individuals, and choreographed the finale; and our Year 9 Elective Photography and Multimedia students, who assisted with painting and installing the sets. A feast for the senses and a resounding success, the night would not have been possible without the efforts of our incredible Year 9 students.

Looking now to 2023, I wish all our Year 9 students a restful and restorative summer break. Congratulations for all your achievements this year; I eagerly anticipate the challenges and great successes that Year 10 will provide. It has been my absolute privilege to work alongside you as your Year Advisor again this year. Bring on Year 10!

Mr Morgan
Year 9 Advisor

Year 10 Advisor

The time has now come to farewell our Year 10 cohort of 2022. First and foremost, I am so proud of their maturity and resilience to bounce back despite many challenges and changes over the last 4 years of their high school life. As they reflect on their time at Penhurst Girls, I hope they can learn from their past mistakes and misjudgements, accept responsibility for their choices and move into their final years of high school life with confidence. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank our parents and caregivers for entrusting us with the education and wellbeing of their daughters and their continuous support over the years.

In Week 6 and 7, all students participated in work experience to understand the work environment and how to co-operatively work with different individuals. Some students chose their work placement to explore future possible careers and others chose their location to look for future part-time job opportunities. During this time, we hope that students gained a stronger sense of responsibility, gained new knowledge and skills, communication skills and maturity. When they returned to school, students were eager to share their experiences and some even have been offered part-time and Christmas casual opportunities during the holidays.

On the 5th of December, we had our annual Presentation Day. I would like to congratulate and acknowledge all the award recipients of Year 10 for their hard work and dedication to their studies and school involvement throughout the year. They have strived for excellence in all aspects of their learning and have continued to challenge themselves to further develop their skills and knowledge across a range of subjects. Congratulations Year 10 and well done.

It is with mixed emotions that we farewell our Year 10 students. After 4 years at Penshurst, they are moving onto complete their final two years of high school education. It is always sad to say goodbye, however, we are excited for them to step into the next chapter of their lives. I am so proud of the resilience and confidence they have developed during their time at Penshurst. I hope they keep close the friendships they have established here and that they always remember to be respectful, compassionate, and kind people.

I wish you all the best and I cannot wait to see what the future holds for you all! Thank you for a memorable 4 years.

Enjoy your well-deserved break and have a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

Ms Kim
Year 10 Advisor

Remembrance Day

On the 11th of November we attended the Penshurst RSL Remembrance Day memorial service. The local community including war veterans, RSL club members, representatives from other schools, and Mark Coure MP were there to pay their respects to people who have been lost or suffered across all armed conflicts.

After that, the service began, and we paid our respects on behalf of Penshurst Girls by laying a wreath. We then went back to the RSL club for refreshments .

Olivia Hewett and Samragi Bista
School Captains 2022

Year 7 & 8 Community Gifts

A group of busy Yr 8 and 7 students have been crafting their little hearts out and we have put together an assortment of 50 bookmarks to give to the residents of Ferndale Nursing Home around the corner.

We spent this morning packaging the bookmarks and pens sets . The bookmarks are ready to go and I will drop them off at the nursing home this afternoon with the intention of spreading some christmas cheer and goodwill! The students did a wonderful job and they are set on producing even more next year!!

The students that were involved in making the bookmarks were:

• Minh Anh Ventura
• Maria Francis Varnava
• Bella Harcombe
• Nandika Surampali
• Verena Maken
• Sofia Navrozoglou
• Anwen Gear
• Anastacia Varnava
• Marielena Karamallis
• Celine Jing Yung Ho
• Hannah Dib
• Harper Cuthbertson
• Sai Kulkarni

Year 7 & 8 Community Gifts

Ms Edeling
HSIE Teacher

SRC Report

What a year it has been for our GRC Penshurst Student Representative Council and Prefecture!

Whilst 2022 has certainly provided its share of challenges, our enthusiastic and dedicated Student Representative Council and Prefecture have refused to allow the additional pressures of this tumultuous year to slow their pace or soften their resolve. Convening weekly in their office at the rear of the school library, representatives from each year group have continued to work in collaboration with one other and members of the broader school community to negotiate and plan initiatives to improve the student wellbeing here at GRC Penshurst.

As this remarkable year now draws to a close, it is time to offer thanks and bid a fond farewell to our incredible outgoing Student Representative Council and Prefecture of 2022. As our captains and prefects move beyond the confines of our campus, we wish for them every future success; so, too do we offer our sincerest gratitude to all the students who have worked so diligently to support their peers through what has been another unpredictable year.

Of course, the year’s end also means that it is time for new elections to be held and next year’s Student Representative Council and Prefecture to be elected. With a record number of candidates in each year group, the competition was exceptionally tough. Each candidate was required to present their case before an audience of their peers, followed by an anonymous online ballot. Students listened intently to all speakers before deciding upon their representatives for the next school year. This decision proved extremely difficult, as every candidate demonstrated that they possess all the necessary attributes of an excellent student leader, and each provided a compelling case for election.

Congratulations to the following students, who have been elected as members of our Student Representative Council and Prefecture for 2022, and will be formally inducted by Ms Ross at our Leadership Assembly early in the new year:

Year 10 Prefecture 2023:

Sonya Aebersold
Linda Chi
Annabelle Jeyachandra
Susumna Kharal
Prithila Acharjee
Lilly Farinola-Belogiannis
Norah Nakarmi
Yina Jin

Year 9 SRC 2023:

Rania Martin
Bree Pekert
Roji Basnet
Ziyu Song
Myrie Waetford
Kayla Arasyid

Year 8 SRC 2023:

Harper Cuthbertson
Marielena Karamalis
Anastacia Varnava
Nioosha Hosseininejad
Amel Adra
Hannah Dib

Social Justice

The Social Justice Committee has had a productive and successful year this year. We are up-to-date with our sponsorship for our two sponsor children, 6 year old Mary from Zambia and 8 year old Patrick from Burundi. We sponsor these children through World Vision.

This term the committee promoted Operation Christmas Child; we take part in this project every year. This is a project of Samaritan’s Purse. It is a hands-on way to help children in need across the world by filling shoeboxes with toys, hygiene items, school supplies and fun gifts. Boxes are collected and distributed around the world to children living in vulnerable situations.

Each roll call class is given a shoebox to fill with small gifts for either a boy or girl. This year there was also many students decided to do their own boxes and we would also like to thank them for their kind generosity.

All together as a school, we filled over 50 boxes and raised over $450 for the postage of the boxes.

We would like to thank everyone for their ongoing support and donations this year. We wish everyone a Merry Christmas and we hope you enjoy the summer break. We will see you in 2023.

Ms Verchiani and Ms Ardati
Social Justice Committee Co-ordinators

Primary Links

After two years of Covid interruptions, 2022 saw our Year 6 Primary Links Transition Program back in action. Throughout the year, students from 12 local primary schools spent 8 weeks becoming acquainted with the ins and outs of High school life. This included being able to navigate our school, manage a five- period timetable and arrive at school by 8:30am.

Through the wonderful expertise of our Primary Links teachers- Mrs Cowper, Mrs Harrison, Ms Montesin, Ms Nguyen, Mr Adams and Mr Morgan our visiting Year 6 students were challenged to step out of their comfort zones, make new friends and learn new skills. Highlights amongst the students included making keyrings in TAS, gaining their Bunsen burner licenses in Science, constructing poems in English and creating detailed drawings using a Mira Mirror in Maths.

We look forward to seeing many familiar faces amongst the Year 7 cohort in 2023!

Ms Edeling
Primary Links Coordinator

Snapshots from Primary Links 2022

Careers Education

Year 10 students completed their Work Experience program over weeks 6 and 7 of this term. Students were required to source their own placements and did incredibly well at finding a range of excellent opportunities. We had students working at Dental practices, Physiotherapy practices, Radio Stations, Cafes, Dog Grooming businesses, Pharmacies, Primary Schools and more. Students completed a work experience diary over their placement in order to consider the many facets of work such as dress, working hours, work health and safety, job qualifications and training. Students completed an evaluation at the conclusion of their placement to think about their working conditions, the value of their experience and either existing skills or skills they learnt on the job. Parents were also asked to complete an evaluation of the student’s experience. Research has shown that parental involvement in careers education increases student awareness about careers and improves confidence in work related skills. Students came back from the experience with a new understanding of various occupations and the world of work. Some students even secured a part-time job from their placement. Students will be awarded with certificates of participation in the program and should be proud of their efforts.

In 2023 Years 7-10 will be provided with opportunities to develop their awareness of employability skills and career exploration.

Year 7 will focus on developing awareness of their own interests, values and skills, whilst addressing stereotypes within the workplace and setting goals.

Year 8 will begin to develop their own resumes, design vision boards, review employability skills and attend a ‘Saving and Spending money’ presentation in Term 1. This module focuses on spending and saving choices, how decisions now can affect future finances and how conscious consumers can positively impact people and the planet.

Year 9 will complete activities to further home in on their resumes, cover letter and interview skills. Begin to consider work health and safety in the world of work, review employability skills and delve into further career exploration. Year 9 will also enjoy a presentation, ‘Making money work’ in Term 2. This module explores ways to make money to help build financial independence and how to navigate the workplace including understanding their rights at work and managing superannuation and tax.

Year 10 has a busy year ahead of them; subject selection and work experience will be their major events, however, there will be workshops to prepare the girls for these experiences. Year 10 will attend the HSC & Careers Expo which provides students with access to speakers from Universities, TAFE and training colleges, career, employment and gap year information.

Careers is an integral part of learning, and I look forward to working with your daughters in 2023.

Mrs Jessop
Careers Adviser

Skoolbag App

This is just a reminder to all families that GRC Penshurst Girls Campus has its own school app, developed by Skoolbag. Once installed, you will be able to receive the latest news, newsletters and push notifications from GRC Penshurst Girls Campus.

The app is free to install with no in-app purchases and is available on the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store.

One of the key features of our app is the ability for us to send you alerts directly to your smart phone. You can customise your app experience by choosing which content within your app you wish to receive as a push notification.

Installing the app

• Open the Apple App Store or the Google Play Store and search for and install ‘SkoolBag’.
• Open the SkoolBag app and Click ‘Sign Up’.
• Enter your email address, create a password and click on ‘Sign Up’.
• Open the confirmation email and confirm your account.
• Open the app, Click ‘Add/Remove’ and search for ‘Georges River College Penshurst Girls Campus’.
• Click ‘+’ to add our school, now you can see our school, under My Schools & Services
• To customise the app, click on the 'Groups' tab and select which year group information you'd like to receive.