Links eNewsletter Term 4 Week 4 Dear friend of PLC, From the PrincipalA Change to the Internal Structure at PLCWhen I returned to PLC last year, I had feedback from several parents around our organisational structure and the complexities that sometimes come with having quite a large middle management group. I also had similar feedback from staff and a number of our students. The greatest complexity it created was sometimes not knowing who to go to for assistance and ensuring communication lines were clear. As a result of the feedback earlier this year, PLC Perth undertook an external review of our current middle management structure as part of our ongoing commitment to deliver outstanding educational outcomes and provide a structure that provided clear lines of communication for parents, students, and staff. In the Junior School, the result of this review was to create two new positions of Pastoral and Academic Care Co-ordinator (PACC), one being focussed on Pre-Kindergarten to Year 2 and the other Years 3 to 6. These roles combine the focus of academic tracking and student wellbeing, allowing one point of contact for parents with children in the relevant year levels. With a commitment to further developing whole school systems and processes, in the Senior School the same role, Pastoral and Academic Care Co-ordinator (PACC), will be introduced at each Senior School year level. Again this provides one point of contact for both learning and pastoral support to students and parents. The new Junior School positions will replace the Deputy Head of Junior School -Teaching and Learning and the Deputy Head of Junior School - Pastoral Care. The Senior School roles will replace both the Learning Co-ordinator and Year Co-ordinator for each year level, and the Deputy Heads of Senior School for each Hub group (Years 7/8, Years 9/10, and Years 11/12). An internal merit-based selection process was carried out, and the following staff were successful in securing these positions commencing in January 2021.
The alignment of these roles across the Junior and Senior School is an exciting opportunity for us to focus on aligning both our teaching and learning, and wellbeing across the whole School as we commence 2021. PLC has also completed a merit-based recruitment and selection process for the following positions which were filled on a temporary basis this year, while the review of the management structure was undertaken. Due to their specialist nature, these positions were advertised both internally and externally.
Ms Jin, Mr Varndell and Ms Pansini have each been acting in their respective roles this year. All roles attracted extremely high calibre applicants and I am very confident all successful candidates will continue to drive education success for our students. Single Sex EducationWe know from regular surveys that many of our parents choose PLC Perth for their daughters because they are seeking a single-sex education for them. To reinforce the value of a girls-only education, I thought parents may be interested in a report I received from the Alliance of Girls’ Schools Australasia (AGSA) analysing Australian and New Zealand PISA data from 2015 and 2018. Students from girls’ schools also reported higher academic aspirations, more adaptive and flexible teachers, stronger feelings of school belonging, and a significantly lower prevalence of bullying. Commissioned by AGSA and conducted by Macquarie Marketing Group (MMG), the analysis includes a total of 314 individual measures comparing the responses and test results of girls from single-sex and co-educational schools. Of these, girls from single-sex schools reported a positive difference on 227 — or 72 per cent — of PISA measures. The report also shows that girls’ schools have a discernible edge over co-educational schools and are better placed to prepare girls for success at school and in later life.
For more information on the results, please click here. - Ms Cate Begbie - Principal Volunteering Opportunity for Years 10 to 12The Boab Network is a not-for-profit organisation which is volunteer-run. They are a part of the Uniting Church and support the Kimberley community of Mowanjum (outside Derby). Students from Mowanjum will be spending a week in Perth from Saturday 16 January to Saturday 23 January 2021 and the Boab Network is looking for volunteers to support the activities by accompanying the students on their outings. For some students from Derby, this may be their first visit to Perth. Activities where volunteers are required include:
Service hours do apply. For applications, please email lighthouse@plc.wa.edu.au. Festival of ScienceIt’s a celebration of all things STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) this week, with our Festival of Science kicking off today and opening of the Old Collegians’ Association (OCA) STEM Room, tomorrow. The Festival of Science (FoS), organised by a group of staff led by Mrs Jenny Rickwood, provides all our students with a variety of STEM activities. This year’s theme is 'Deep Blue', with the experiments and activities reflecting this oceanic theme. The activities include Ocean Clean Up, Boat Building, Oil Spills, Tidal Turbines, and Virtual Reality on a Coral Reef to name a few. Many thanks to all the parents who also helped out. The FoS was funded by a generous donation by the PLC Parents from the Term Raffle Draw. OCA STEM RoomTomorrow, we will officially open the OCA STEM Room! This project was funded by the Old Collegians' Association and the outcome is exceptional. I consulted with the staff and students to discover what they wanted and needed in the room. The entire room reflects this vision, including electric-driven variable height tables, variable height access to water, a variety of storage and display functionalities, the room and floor colours, and the giant Fiddle Leaf Fig tree! Mrs Leonie Neervoort has been the project manager for the creation of the STEM Room and has worked tirelessly to ensure the needs of the stakeholders have been met. My thanks to Mrs Neervoort. Tomorrow, we will have our official opening of the OCA STEM Room as part of our Junior School Assembly. We will be hearing from Mrs Jessamy Mahony, President of the OCA and a video from Dr Megan Clark, AC. Dr Clark is an Old Collegian who now heads the Australian Space Agency and is acknowledged in the room for her achievements in STEM careers. My sincere thanks to the OCA for funding this project. - Mr Richard Wright, Head of Junior School Junior School Upcoming EventsFestival of ScienceDate: Thursday 5 November and Friday 6 November Junior School Assembly - Year 1 hostingDate: Friday 6 November OCA Junior School STEM Room Launch & Morning TeaDate: Friday 6 November Chapel Years 3 to 6Date: Wednesday 11 November Junior School Orientation DayDate: Friday 20 November Year 9 Outdoor Education ProgrammeWhile we welcomed back one half of our Year 9 cohort to the Senior School, we farewelled the other half as they embarked on the second week of the Outdoor Education Programme. This week, I have touched base with our new Director of Outdoor Education, Mr Casey Ellery, and he tells me that the girls and staff have been enjoying their experiences and are looking forward to finishing the week with some great weather. Pictured: the surfing/hiking contingent in Denmark. Mr Ellery was impressed with the confidence and resilience of our Year 9 students. Congratulations to everyone involved. You can see the photos on our Facebook and Instagram pages. IGSSA Water Polo & SoftballLast Friday, PLC was involved in the IGSSA Water Polo and Softball competitions. All competitors did a fantastic job competing in the searing heat and gave it their best. I hope that the girls involved managed to have a big rest over the weekend. Well done for your efforts. Year 12 Support Your Daughter EveningThank you to the parents who attended our Year 12 Support Your Daughter Evening last night. For those who were unable to attend the event, a link to the recording will be published in the next edition of Links. Exams ReminderA reminder that our Year 12 IB and WACE students are continuing their examinations this week. If you have any concerns or questions during this period, please contact Mr Neil Walker, Deputy Principal – Teaching and Learning, for guidance at neil.walker@plc.wa.edu.au. - Miss Rebecca Watts, Head of Senior SchoolStudent AchievementsTop Results in Geography CompA number of students have achieved amazing results in the Australian Geography Competition and were awarded their certificates this week. Sophya Thomas (Year 10), Edith Hellings (Year 7), Kaitlyn Sin (Year 7), Madeleine Mayo (Year 8), and Fiona Tan (Year 8) achieved results in the top 12% in Australia and were awarded High Distinctions for their effort. Pictured: Sophya Thomas, Edith Hellings, and Kaitlyn Sin. Pictured: Sienna Hanikeri (middle). PLC's Golden GirlsOver the weekend, three students represented PLC at the 2020 WA All Schools State Championships. Sienna Hanikeri (Year 10) pocketed three gold medals in the U16 800m, 1500m and the U16-U18 3000m events. Ashley Spencer (Year 11) also placed first in the U18 400m Hurdles, as well as bronze in the U18 400m event. Bella MacGregor (Year 11) won bronze in the U18 2000m Steeplechase. From The Boarding HouseSome spontaneous fun this week as well as Halloween festivities. Celebrating OCA Bursaries RecipientsFor over 60 years, the OCA has proudly been providing scholarships and bursaries to PLC students. Each year, the OCA awards three bursaries, two of which are for daughters, granddaughters or great granddaughters of Old Collegians. The third is presented to a current Year 11 student for Year 12 for their exemplary participation and contribution to PLC. Each bursary is for $5,000 towards tuition fees for 2021. We are very thrilled to announce that the 2021 bursary recipients are:
Congratulations to these three recipients and also to all of the amazing girls who applied. The application process is very rigorous and the OCA Committee members who sat on the interview panels said all applicants were of an extremely high calibre and a great credit to themselves, their families and PLC. Further information about the bursaries and the application and selection process can be viewed on the PLC website. Parent Events Coming UpPrincipal's Thank You SundownerDate: Friday 6 November PLC Parents AGMDate: Tuesday 10 November Please join us for cheese and refreshments at 6.00 pm followed by an overview of the year at the PLC Parents Annual Meeting, commencing at 6.30 pm. The meeting will be finished by 7.30 pm. Click here for the agenda and minutes from the last AGM. |