Dear valued member of the PLC community,

A Message From the Principal

It is hard to believe that we are already at the end of Week 3 and halfway through February of yet another year. I do feel like I can hear my own mother when I was a young person (and not at all understanding what she was talking about) when she would tell me how much more quickly the years were passing her by. I cannot believe how quickly time is passing us by right now. 

I am not sure if it is the uncertainty or complexity that we are currently navigating that makes it feel as though time is passing so quickly, but when I feel like time starts racing, these are the times I always try to make a conscious effort to slow down and to appreciate the moments, the people and the environment around me.

As we experience a moment in time where we need to restrict some school activities in the interest of the health and safety of our community, we are equally very fortunate to have a team of staff who are consistently exploring opportunities to continue to provide our students with experiences inside and outside of the classroom that go beyond your standard curriculum. I would like to thank all staff for their efforts in the last three weeks and in the planning I have already seen for the term ahead, to ensure that our programmes are of the highest quality. 

‘Quality’ is an interesting concept and one that many of you will have read about on several occasions in the media, in relation to independent schooling and PLC in particular, in recent weeks. It is not uncommon for independent schools to be mentioned in the media and I am not someone who would normally feel the need to respond to our community as a whole when media comes our way; however, in this instance, I would like to ensure that our community has the correct information as I gather a number of families have had questions asked of them. 

Several times over the last few weeks, we have seen PLC referenced as "the most expensive" school in Perth, and on a number of occasions our Year 12 fees communicated.  

Yes, our Year 12 fee (when the ILT levy is included) slightly exceeds the base fee of our like schools. The difference is in the vicinity of $200 a year. 

This fee at PLC is also inclusive of most co-curricular sport, music, and activities which in many of the schools we are compared to, are charged as additional costs to families. 

Our ILT levy also includes access to a quality of devices and support services that are not available in many other schools. 

Below Year 10, our fees are not the most expensive in Perth and yet the annual fee remains inclusive of our ILT levy and most Outdoor Education and co-curricular activities. 

An education at PLC is not about a ‘number’ to be achieved at the end of Year 12. Our vision is to empower generations of young women who are brave, authentic and who will thrive today and tomorrow. In order to do this, we strive to deliver an education that encompasses all aspects of a young person’s life – their academic development as well as their physical, social, and emotional development. This is a programme that allows for diversity of skills and talent as our students explore their interests and passions, to ultimately find a path that will hopefully see them experience personal success and happiness in their life beyond school. Within our new Strategic Plan, we will continue to explore opportunities and offerings that demonstrate our commitment to providing these experiences. 

I appreciate that media can impact our perceptions and influence our understandings, and I would be more than happy to meet with any member of the community who has any questions about our fee structure or the information provided.  

I would like to thank all parents for your patience and support over the last three weeks. While the term has started with some challenges I have been extremely impressed in the positive response of our staff and students in particular, in navigating an interesting few weeks. 

I wish all families a lovely weekend.

- Cate Begbie – Principal

Junior School Swimming Carnival

As the guidelines around schools presently stand, we will be able to hold our Inter-House Swimming Carnival on Tuesday 1 March at Claremont Pool.

The carnival will be slightly different this year with a reduced event schedule. However, rest assured that every student will have the opportunity to swim and compete. The year groups will be separated and the carnival will be a bus-in and bus-out event.

Presently, spectators are welcome to attend, however as we know, this can change very quickly. I hope to give parents an idea of the schedule and further information soon.

Year 6 Outdoor Education Programme (OEP)

With the government ban on school camps, our OEP teams pivoted quickly and created a non-residential programme for our Year 6 students. It is a water-based programme (similar to what the girls would have experienced in Busselton) and is exceptionally well suited to the present weather conditions.

- Richard Wright – Head of Junior School 

Inter-House Swimming Carnival

• Date: Tuesday 1 March 
• Time: TBC
• Venue: Claremont Swimming Pool 

Free Dress Day (Under the Sea theme)

• Date: Thursday 3 March 
• More Info: See the article under Wellbeing and Service 

Assessment Schedules 

For your convenience, please find the Assessment Schedules for each year group below. 

Virtual Year Meetings, Chapels, House Meetings and Assemblies

Senior School staff have adapted quickly to the recent COVID-19 guidelines for schools, and have successfully moved many of our important regular activities into a virtual space. Tomorrow we will have our first virtual Senior School Assembly. Students and their teachers will be able to watch the assembly in the morning in their House Tutor Groups. It will feature a number of items including a special celebration of Chinese New Year, a speech from our 2021 OCA Inspiring Women recipient, an outline of MAD Week, and an introduction to our Student Council.

Sun Safety

With the warmer weather, we want to make sure that all our students are mindful of the heat and their health. All Senior School students should be wearing their panamas to and from school to provide them protection from the sun and we ask that they bring a water bottle to school. With our current focus on good hygiene, we are also asking all students to fill up their water bottles from the water fountains, rather than drink directly from the fountains.

Is your daughter getting enough sleep?

Teenagers need 8 to 10 hours of sleep to perform at their best during the school day, however, we all know that it can be hard for teenagers to establish a good sleep routine. The article below provides some helpful tips for parents to help their teenagers get the right amount of sleep and be ready to reach their potential during the day.

- Rebecca Watts – Head of Senior School

Photo Catch-up Day 

• Date: Friday 18 February

• Time: 8.00 am – 9.30 am

• Venue: Hugh Baird Sports Centre 

Free Dress Day (Under the Sea theme)

• Date: Thursday 3 March 
• More Info: See the article under Wellbeing and Service 

Boarder of the Week:

• Claudia (Year 8) - Giving her time so generously and for being such a positive and supportive member of the community.

Room of the Week: 

• Olivia (Year 12) - For her consistently beautiful room. 

Building a Community Through Reflection

This week we have been asking our girls to consider what they think makes a good leader. In the next two weeks, we plan to move through a voting process whereby two students per year group will be elected as a year group leader within the Boarding House. These leaders will be responsible for actively listening to and communicating on behalf of their year group when working alongside the Year 12 Boarding House Prefects. They will play a pivotal role in planning whole Boarding House events and activities and will be encouraged to utilise their problem-solving skills should any challenges arise.

- Katherine Hazlewood – Boarding House Deputy (Wellbeing and Pastoral Care)

Happy Valentine's Day 

One of the things about training for the Christian ministry is that Church History is a rather basic requirement. We have to know something of our past in order to understand where we are in the present moment. It is why a school like PLC is so passionate about its history and the past staff and alumnae who each have contributed to make PLC what it is today.

Everybody seems to know about St Valentine, the patron saint of lovers, epileptics, and beekeepers. I feel sure many of you celebrated the day in some way or another. However, he met with a sad end, executed by the Roman Emperor Claudius in 269 AD for converting people to Christianity and in the case of young men, secretly marrying them, which under Roman law made them ineligible for military service. He was also reputed to have healed his jailer’s blind daughter and on the day of his execution, left the girl a note signed “Your Valentine”.

Less well known in the western world are the 9^th Century Greek Saints Cyril and Methodius, believed to have initially brought Christianity to the state of Kievan Rus in present-day Ukraine. They also introduced a written language known today by its distinctive Cyrillic alphabet, the basis of Russian and most East European languages. It is for no small reason they are revered as the patron saints of the Slavic people. Yet despite this rich cultural and linguistic bond, Europe stands on the precipice of another devastating conflict, as though common bonds matter for little.

So can our remembrance of these saints of another age teach us anything? I believe they can.

With Saint Valentine, most people associate him with love. Yet love is much, much more than a glossy card or a bunch of roses. It is something only learnt by the long, hard labour of life. As Sister Joan Chittister puts it:

"Sometimes it is over before we’ve even known we have it. We can sometimes destroy it before we appreciate it. We often take it for granted. Every love, whatever happens to it in the long run, teaches us more about ourselves, our needs, our limitations and our self-centredness than anything else we can ever experience.”

Such a description of love also applies to our mutual journey in seeking to understand the essence of not only the Christian faith but also ourselves.

History can sometimes appear dry, boring, and uninteresting, but it can teach us much about the “now” that constitutes our daily lives. These saints of another time demonstrate much about patient endeavour; faithful commitment; and dedicated living. In these things alone, we can honour God and indeed, ourselves. Ultimately our journey is about life worth living and we cannot hope for a better future than that, not only for ourselves but for all those who will form part of our lives in the days and years to come.

May God’s Blessing be upon you all!

- Rev Nalin Perera – Chaplain       

Years 5 – 10 Mathematics Extension: Curtin University

PLC has a strong partnership with Curtin University and offers a Maths Extension Programme for all students from Years 5 to 10 with enrollments offered on a semester basis. To find out more and to enrol, please click the button below.

Free Dress Day – Thursday 3 March

Collection of annual contributions for the privilege of wearing free dress over three terms this year is open again. Each $10 contribution will support two World Vision children, 12-year-old Josephine from Zambia and 11-year-old Margaret from Kenya, with any surplus going to other PLC-supported charities.

Free Dress Days are non-compulsory with the first of three scheduled for Thursday 3 March. Students who wish to participate will need to make the $10 contribution by clicking the button below by Wednesday 2 March. Click here to see the poster with information on the theme for Term 1.

Student2Student Reading Programme for Years 7 - 11 Students

PLC has a strong tradition of doing good for others. The Smith Family Student2Student Reading Programme supports vulnerable West Australian children with their reading and comprehension by pairing a PLC student with a younger student in the community.

The 18-week reading programme will see students sharing the same book, reading over the internet or via telephone. The commitment is reading 2-3 times per week for approximately 20 minutes each session with a buddy and service hours can be recorded for the programme.

All students who have not participated in the programme before will be offered training. Support is offered throughout the programme for PLC students by the PLC Lighthouse Service Learning team. 

• Click here for the Application Form. 
• Click here for the Parent Information Sheet.
• Click here for the Eligibility Questionaire. 

All above forms must be returned to the PLC Lighthouse no later than Friday 11 March with training provided later in the term.

PLC Parents Term Fee Draw

Congratulations to Kim and Fiona Stewart who are the lucky winners of the Term 1 PLC Parents School Fees Draw. 

They will have $7,395 credited to their school fees account.

Net proceeds will be used for the purchase of pool starting and timing equipment to enhance the swimming programme across the school.

Thank you to all who participated.

Calling All Artists

The PLC OCA Art Exhibition will be returning in 2022 and running from Friday 20 May to Sunday 22 May.

As always, we need our wonderful PLC community to get involved.  

If you are an artist and would like to register to be part of this year's Exhibition, please click the link below to register your interest. 

More information about the Exhibition and our Opening Night Cocktail Party will be communicated in the coming weeks.