Dear Friend of PLC On Sunday and Monday, I attended the Alliance of Girls’ Schools bi-annual conference in Adelaide. Aside from being a great opportunity to connect with like-minded peers, there were a number of outstanding speakers who presented on topics of importance to educating young women. One of the more confronting keynote speakers spoke about the rise of pornography and the challenges this is creating socially. A summary of her key points are below. I will write or speak in more depth about key messages from Maree and other speakers in the coming weeks and months. Maree Crabbe – Girls and PornographyMaree presented sobering statistics about the rise of exposure to pornography for our young people. - Pornography is on the rise with regard to production and consumption (more than 60% of girls and 90% of boys have viewed pornography).
- Young people report this to be their most prominent form of sex education.
- Most young people access pornography well before they have encountered their first sexual experience or in some cases before their first kiss.
- Pornography is now much more aggressive than ever before; depicting an artificial pleasure response from females regardless of how unwelcome or painful the experience may be (88% of the most popular porn scenes include physical aggression).
- Girls talk about boys wanting to initiate ‘signature sex acts’ as seen in pornography, leaving many feel like the object of this experience.
- The major concern presented from Maree was the capacity pornography has to obscure the understandings young people have of what is and is not a healthy relationship.
- Maree raised significant concerns regarding the ability of girls and boys to identify sexual assault, in
particular with rise of highly aggressive pornography, this behaviour could be seen as ‘normal’, leaving both young girls and boys vulnerable.
What can we do now to support our children?- Limit exposure to technology (particularly late at night – perhaps reinforce the alarm clock idea I implemented last year).
- Equip and encourage young people from an early age to critique what they view (naturally I mean all media).
- Help young people develop the skills required to resist pornography.
- Inspire young people to understand that relationships and sex can be so much better than what they may see in pornography – it is a production, not a real representation of a respectful, loving relationship.
Maree spoke about the awkwardness we feel towards having these conversations with our children. On her website, she provides resources for parents that give tips on how you might begin this discussion with your child.
Riding To School The challenges of wearing the full uniform whilst riding to school has been raised with us. A decision has been made that girls are welcome to wear their sport uniform when riding to School. They will be required to change into their school uniform when they arrive at School prior to classes beginning. - Dr Kate Hadwen, Principal
Friday 11 MayMother's Day Breakfast, 7.30 am - 8.30 am
PLC Senior School Cafeteria
Limited tickets available. Bookings close today at 5.00 pm. Book here. Friday 18 May (Cancelled)PLC's Night of Inspiration, Fraser's Restaurant, 7.00 pm
Unfortunately, there have been insufficient tickets sold and to ensure PLC is not left significantly out of pocket, we have had to make the decision to cancel the evening. We are very sorry for the inconvenience this may have caused and thank you again for wanting to be part of the night. Thursday 24 MayParents@PLC General Meeting, 9.00 am, Boarding House Sitting Room
Click here for the Agenda. Friday 25 May (Closing date)PLC Foundation Scholarship
One full academic scholarship each year to a student entering Year 7
Application form here. Friday 25 May PLC OCA Art Exhibition Opening Night Cocktail Party, 6.00 pm - 9.00 pm
PLC Senior School Foyer
Book here Friday 25 May - Sunday 27 MayPLC OCA Art Exhibition, 10.00 am - 4.00 pm Thursday 31 May Parents@PLC Tennis Morning, 9.00 am - 12.30 pm
Cottesloe Tennis Club, 20 Napier Street, Cottesloe
Flyer here. Book here Friday 26 October Open Garden Day, save the date
On Friday 4 and Tuesday 8 May, some Year 9 students participated in training for the launch of the PLC Peer Skills Programme. Research suggests that while many young people share their problems with their parents, in the first instance, they frequently turn to their friends or peers for support. The workshop aims to provide students with the confidence and skills they need to respond in the best possible way when a friend turns to them with a concern and/or problem, while keeping themselves safe. Topics included values and attitudes, listening and responding, problem solving, a focus on strengths and self-care and finding out about helping roles and services within the school
and broader community.
The workshops were conducted by myself, PLC Psychologist, Daleen Engelbrecht and Deputy Head of Senior School, Ms Jenny Crisp, who were all trained as facilitators by the UnitingCare Community. Leadership is one of the four pillars of PLC's strategic plan and is an area that we are keen to continue to develop. The Peer Support Programme is part of our leadership programme. Being able to lead in a constructive way contributes to a school climate that is supportive and positive. We are excited to have launched our first Peer Support Programme at PLC and look forward to rolling it out to other year groups and in the Boarding House. - Rev Gary Van Heerden
Big Day In STEM Festival
Our Years 5 and 6 students had a wonderful day at the Big Day In Junior, STEM day this week. Along with 200 students from visiting schools, our girls participated in hands-on workshops and engaging lessons, exploring technology and what the future holds.
Cyber-Safety EveningRegistrations are now open for our free Cyber-Safety Workshop for Junior School parents. Click here to book your place. Date: Tuesday 22 May
Time: 6.00 pm – 7.30 pm
Venue: PLC Auditorium at the Senior School (entry via View Street). Junior School CarparkA reminder that from 8.00 am - 9.00 am and 2.30 pm – 3.30 pm, the Junior School carpark is for parents with children in Pre-Kindy, Kindy and Pre-Primary only. We respectfully request that parents with older children do not park in this area during these times.
NAPLAN Testing The Year 3 and Year 5 NAPLAN Testing will take place from Tuesday 15 May - Friday 18 May.
- Louise Peyton, Head of Junior School
Junior School CommunicationsParents frequently comment on the volume of communication they receive from PLC. For those with more than one child it’s particularly tough to keep up with all of the events, fundraisers, co-curricular, parent-teacher interviews, sport and activities which are scheduled throughout each term. We are currently undertaking a review to determine how our communication process can be enhanced and improved. As part of this review I will be undertaking a number of G8 sessions to assess parents’ information priorities and concerns. If you would like to be a
part of these sessions, please click here to make a booking and use the password hhuwx. Keryn McKinnon, Director of Strategic Communications
Chapel Years 2 to Years 6 – hosted by 5SADate: Monday 14 May
Time: 8.35 am – 9.00 am
Venue: Heather Barr Chapel NAPLANDate: Tuesday 15 May - Friday 17 May Junior School Assembly – hosted by Year 2 Date: Friday 18 May
Time: 8.35 am – 9.15 am
Venue: Swim and Recreation Centre (SRC) Junior School Cyber Safety EveningDate: Tuesday 22 May
Time: 6.00 pm – 7.30 pm
Venue: Senior School Auditorium Junior School Winter ConcertDate: Wednesday 23 May
Time: 6.00 pm – 7.00 pm
Venue: Swim and Recreation Centre (SRC)
Define ME and Develop MEWhat an exciting week it has been! On Monday we had our Develop ME Day for Year 7 and 8 girls which included a focus on leadership development, an anti-bullying presentation and workshop, and study skills. As a joint project the girls are working on creating blankets for service. This involved learning to knit or crochet. We are very, very grateful to the parents and grandparents who came along to assist in teaching the girls these skills. When you can do both of these crafts, it looks easy but they are actually very complex skills and our blankets might be a while in the making! That said, many of the girls came back at lunch time on Tuesday to continue
practicing their skills and growing their squares. Tuesdays and Thursdays will be days where we will get together on a regular basis to do this. Study Skills SessionOur Year 9 girls enjoyed a similar day with a Study Skills session presented by Jane Genovese of Learning Fundamentals and goal setting, with the day culminating in “Tuff Sista”, a team building leadership and wellbeing activity. Another group completed the second day of their training for the Peer Skills Programme. We will be revisiting the concepts explored in each of the days as the year progresses. Years 7 and 9 NAPLANTuesday, Wednesday and Thursday next week will see Years 7 and 9 girls engaging in the annual NAPLAN testing programme. Testing will take place in the mornings on each of these days. If girls are absent, they will be able to catch up on tests missed during each of the afternoons, as well as Friday. Please make sure that your daughter comes prepared with the appropriate materials for each of these tests including a calculator in working order for the Maths calculator test on Thursday.
- Sharon Anderson, Head of Senior School
Service and Wellbeing Family Service ProjectsWe encourage parents and daughters to plan ahead and secure your dates for the upcoming Term 2 Family Service Projects. The Family Projects are based on a sustainable model led by PLC parent representatives for each year level, who co-ordinate a roster across term dates. Year 8 Bread
RunBread collection and delivery to Fremantle PCYC for distribution to families in need. Click here for further information. Year 9 Royal Perth HospitalTwo to three families per shift to sort and recycle superseded and unwanted medical supplies for shipping to developing countries. Click here for further information. Year 10 Ronald McDonald HouseFour families per shift, one Sunday per month prepare breakfast for families accommodated at Ronald McDonald House in Subiaco. Click here for further information. Occupational Therapy Parent
Information PresentationThe presentation will cover: - What Paediatric Occupational Therapy is
- Area of a child's development Occupational Therapists support, and the role of OT in a school
- How to identify if your child may need OT
- Assessment and intervention process
Date: Friday 25 May
Time: 2.00 pm
Venue: PLC Lighthouse, Community Room
Boarding House NewsSmiles all round at the Inter-house Cross Country last week Friday! To read the newsletter and see more photos from the Rowing and Cross country, click on the link below to download Boarding House News.
Scholarships PLC Foundation Scholarship The PLC Foundation is committed to offering one full academic scholarship each year to a student entering Year 7 who would not otherwise be able to consider attending PLC due to their family’s financial circumstances. The successful recipient will be selected based upon evidence of strong academic ability, a commitment to the community and participation in co-curricular activities.
Evidence of the family’s financial situation will be requested. An application form and information are available here. Applications close on Friday 25 May 2018 If you have queries, please contact Suzanne Pelczar, Co-ordinator, PLC Foundation.
Email foundation@plc.wa.edu.au or call 9424 6534.
Student AchievementsCongratulations to Bryzlyn Sin (Year 8) who was awarded first prize in the 2018 What's Your Point Inaugural Public Speaking competition. Brynzlyn discussed the way in which digital technology divides our society.
Career NewsRead about the latest university information sessions and other resources, workshops and guides in this week's Career News.
Year 8 Outdoor Education ProgrammeDate: Sunday 13 May - Friday 18 May Year 7 and 9 NAPLANDate: Tuesday 15 May, Wednesday 16 May and Thursday 17 May IDAHOT DayDate: Thursday 17 May WA Champion Schools Cross Country Competition (selected students) Date: Friday 18 May
Parents@PLC Tennis MorningAll PLC Junior and Senior School Parents (of all levels) are welcome to join in this fun, social way to have a hit of tennis and meet parents from all Year groups of the school community. The morning concludes with a delicious lunch. Date: Thursday 31 May - Please note that the date for this event is the day before the mid-term break to accommodate boarding parents who would like to join in.
Time: 9.00 am - 12.30 pm
Venue: Cottesloe Tennis Club, 20 Napier Street, Cottesloe
Cost: $38.00 pp (includes lunch)
Flyer here
Numbers are limited to 40, so get in quick!
Old Collegians Art Exhibition One of the most exciting events on the PLC OCA calendar is approaching. Well-known artist Corinne Barton, will join over 80 established and emerging artists from the PLC community at this year’s Art Exhibition, which runs from Friday 25 May to Sunday 27 May. The exhibition launches with
the Opening Night Cocktail Party from 6.00 pm – 9.00 pm on Friday 25 May. Book online by clicking on the button below ($40) or buy your ticket at the door on the night ($45). The evening includes champagne, wine and beer, canapes, entertainment and a chance to preview and purchase the art works.
The Exhibition continues throughout the weekend from 10.00 am - 4.00 pm on Saturday 27 and Sunday 28 May with entry by gold coin donation. There will be a pop up gourmet café on site all weekend so bring yourself, family and friends along for a delicious morning tea, lunch or afternoon tea and admire the beautiful artworks.
Special thanks to our Major Sponsors.
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