Links eNewsletter - Term 2 Week 11 Dear valued member of the PLC community, A Message From the Principal
- Charlie Mackesy, The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse Robert Emmons, a psychologist and world expert on gratitude defines gratitude as the ability to recognise the goodness in your life, which is due to your surroundings as well as the actions of another person or a group of people. As we conclude Term 2, I am grateful at a time when I am sure it would be easy to be filled with disappointment. A term that has not ended as we had hoped it would – borders are closed, travel plans have been cancelled and restrictions are in place. I am grateful for a successful Term 2 and for the opportunity to be a part of this special community. I am grateful for the opportunity to work with incredible young people. I have been reminded of this so many times in the last few weeks – through the talent reflected in the Performing Arts Showcase and the results achieved in many sporting events, including IGSSA Cross Country, Rowing, Netball and Hockey. Through the discussions, I have had with students in both the Junior and Senior School, to the inspiring presentations of Year 12 students with their IB Diploma Extended Essays and the outstanding results in the Mock Trials – which has seen our students make their way through to the State Finals. I have the privileged position of having some insight into the future of our world, and I am so grateful for that – for I have the opportunity to (every day) share in what is good in our world. Our young people. I am grateful for the commitment of our staff – teaching and non-teaching, we have a team of people working hard to ensure learning opportunities for our students and the smooth running of our organisation. At the end of a long term, I am particularly grateful for the positive approach of our staff to a changing and challenging situation in this last week. I am grateful that, at a time when most people are being asked to stay at home, our staff turn up every day. I am grateful for their efforts to support students who have not been able to attend school this week, making resources available and questions answered. I am grateful for their patience in waiting for decisions to be made and their quick response to those decisions and changes as they have occurred. I am particularly grateful to our Boarding House staff for their efforts to support students and families this week, to make sure the students were cared for while in the Boarding House and arrangements were swiftly made to ensure that all students could get home or into the care of a guardian. I am grateful for the strength of our community and for your support throughout the semester. I had the privilege of spending part of this week interviewing those students who wish to be considered for the roles of Head Prefect and Deputy Head Prefect in 2022. Part of the discussion was centred around our school values and while all four of our core values (Learning, Integrity, Community and Effort) were discussed at length, the value of community clearly resonated with all students and is a value that has a strong influence on their school experience. In recent weeks I have appreciated the involvement of parents in our Futures Focus work (which will support and inform important elements of our reviewed Strategic Plan), the support of the Argyle Club to ensure such a positive experience for our rowing students, the Friends of Pipe Band for their ongoing preparations for the 40th Anniversary of our Pipe Band, and PLC Parents for their support of school initiatives across both the Junior and Senior School. I have also greatly appreciated the support and patience of parents this week, I appreciate it has not been the easiest end to a school term. Giving thanks and expressing gratitude is one of the oldest concepts in society. It reminds us of how special, beautiful, and blessed our lives are even when we are faced with challenging, stressful, and overwhelming situations. The concept of gratitude is especially important in the midst of a pandemic like COVID-19 when the world around us is so unpredictable. Research shows that positive emotions like gratitude are closely connected to a person’s health and wellness. Not only do positive emotions promote happiness but they also create an upward spiral in life. Emotions like gratitude and humour also help us cope with anxiety and uncertainty by focusing our minds on the things in life that we value, as well as what is in our control, and what we can give back to others. Cultivating an attitude of gratefulness also can help resilience, which in turn, helps us cope with concerns or problems and provides a way for us to move forward despite the challenges we face. I am grateful for all that we have achieved together in the last term, and I am grateful that the holidays are not far away. I appreciate many families holiday plans may have changed or been cancelled, but I do wish all families all the best for a relaxing break and some time to recharge. I would like to take this opportunity to farewell those staff who are leaving PLC at the end of this semester and wish them all well in their future endeavours. We wish our Director of Finance and Corporate Services, Sam Kronja well as he leaves the school after 14 years. Sam has made a significant contribution to the school in that time. I would also like to thank our Chaplain Rev Manie Strydom for his service to the school over the last two and half years and wish him well in his new role as Chaplain at Wesley College. - Cate Begbie - Principal Junior School EventsWe have been blessed to have had such a tremendous run of events and happenings in the School during Term 2. We have had full attendance assemblies, seven Parents as Learners Sessions, tours, excursions and incursions, concerts, co-curricular, Parent/Teacher and Three-Way Interviews and uninterrupted face-to-face teaching. However, it is with some disappointment that we had to cancel some events this week. Some, like our author visit and Assembly, we can postpone until the skies are clearer. Thank you to the parent community for your understanding when various events and activities were cancelled. Junior School Leadership Team for Semester 2Tomorrow we were due to announce our Junior School Leadership team for Semester 2. My congratulations to the following girls on their election: Head Prefects:
Service Leaders:
Arts Leaders:
Baird House Leaders:
Carmichael House Leaders:
Ferguson House Leaders:
McNeil House Leaders:
Stewart House Leaders:
Summers House Leaders:
Finally, my thanks to the staff who have worked tirelessly to ensure the students have had a sensational Semester 1. They certainly deserve the winter break. - Richard Wright – Head of Junior School Last Day of Term 2 – Early Finish
Junior School Cross Country Carnival (Years 1 to 6)
ySafe Cyber Safety Parent Workshop (Pre-K to Year 6)
Rest and ResetI hope that all students and their families are able to have a break these school holidays. With a long term and the changing COVID-19 restrictions, it is important that our girls have the chance to reset before returning to school again in Term 3. I have been so impressed with the way in which our Senior School students have handled the changing situation Head of the RiverI am also very thankful that Head of The River was able to occur on Saturday. Our rowers have worked so hard all season and their performance on the day was outstanding. There was such a sense of community at the event. Thank you to the staff, students, and families who were able to attend and cheer on Team PLC. I would also like to mention the amazing performances we have had at the Chamber in the Chapel Concert and the Performing Arts Showcase on Friday. I am utterly amazed at the way many of our students have been able to balance their involvement across a number of different areas. The talent of our girls speaks for itself and their passion for the Arts was apparent in both performances. Well done. Assembly to Start Term 3To begin next term, we will have a welcome back assembly for students across both the Junior and Senior School. The focus of the assembly will be to recognise NAIDOC Week, which occurs in the school holidays and to promote the numerous activities related to this week that students can be involved in. All students in the Senior School should arrive at School at the usual time and go to their House Tutor Group rooms. We have a number of new students beginning with us and I hope that they are looking forward to their first official day at PLC. - Rebecca Watts – Head of Senior School What Happened This Week in the Boarding HouseWe would like to thank our boarding families for the support of our community this week with everyone helping each other out in their time of need. Our staff have also gone above and beyond in supporting the girls this week, whether it be helping girls to pack, cleaning up, or just being someone to talk to. We wish two of our staff, Darcie McAuliffe and Marie-Luise Sleegers an amazing time as they both leave us for Term 3 to complete their teaching practicums in Broome. We look forward to seeing you both back in Term 4. To all of our Boarding Families, we wish you a safe and happy holiday and look forward to seeing everyone back in the Boarding House on Monday 26 July. - Susie Edwards – Director Of Boarding Co-curricular Sign-UpThe Term 3 Co-curricular programme information and sign-ups for Junior School and Senior School went live on Friday 25 June at 5.00 pm. Please click the button below to secure your places as spaces are limited. Family Service Projects – Term 3Cooking for A CauseYears 7 and 9 Family Service Projects support vulnerable members of the community who are at risk of or experiencing homelessness by providing meals to St Patricks Community Support Centre. If your family would like to be involved, further details are provided in the attached letters. Ronald McDonald HouseThe Year 10 Family Service Project for Year 10 families, supports Perth Children’s Hospital, Ronald McDonald House’s Big Breakfast programme. Cooking teams of four can sign up through the parent co-ordinator. Further details, dates and contact information can be found here. CAS Sleepout for Uniting WASenior School students are invited to take part in a student-led IB Diploma CAS initiative to experience what it is like to sleep rough whilst raising funds for Uniting WA. The event will be overnight starting at 7.00 pm on Friday 20 August, with students able to learn about homelessness via an informative video created by Uniting WA to raise awareness of homelessness. Parent permission form and further information is available here. - Chonny James - Director of Wellbeing HorisonsWest Bus AppWe have some excellent news for families who makes use of the School’s dedicated HorizonsWest bus services. From this week, you can now track your daughter’s bus in real time. Parents and guardians will be able to see each of the four service routes we provide, choose the appropriate service and follow the live location of the bus. To find out how to access the App, please click here. Early Finish Tomorrow (Last Day of Term 2)Term 2 will conclude at 1.00 pm tomorrow Friday 2 July for all students in both our Junior and Senior Schools. Supervision will be available until 3.30 pm for students from families requiring care. To enable us to adequately plan for this supervision, parents and guardians who will need their daughters to be cared for at school between 1.00 pm and 3.30 pm are asked to please fill out this form. The dedicated HorizonsWest school bus services will be available to transport students home at the early time of 1.00 pm, however, if your daughter uses the Transperth services, please check schedules on the Transperth website. PLC Pipe Band 40th Anniversary History Book & ReunionCurrent PLC Pipe Band parents are warmly invited to attend the Pipe Band 40th Aniversary Celebration and Reunion on Sunday 29 August. RSVP for this event by clicking the button below. As part of this milestone anniversary, PLC is also publishing a limited edition commemorative history book of the PLC Pipe Band which will feature every member of the PLC Pipe Band throughout the years. Pre-order your book by clicking the button below. PLC Open Garden Day 2021We are so excited that Open Garden Day will be back in 2021 and scheduled for Friday 22 October! We are now on the search for some gardens to be part of the day. If you are interested in entering your garden, or if you know of anyone who would be interested, please contact the OGD Garden Co-ordinator, Emma Tongue, by email or phone at 0408 339 400. |