Principal's News

TERM 2 2023

Dear valued member of the PLC community,

I hope you and your families have had a wonderful break and are looking forward to returning to school on Wednesday.

Over the past months, we have undertaken a PLC Brand review, which has been an interesting and worthwhile journey.

From this work, I would now like to introduce you to our PLC Core Pillars, which I believe define who we are and what we stand for very well. At PLC, we do not judge ourselves by the number our students receive at the end of Year 12, but by how successful our students feel 10 years after leaving PLC. Do they feel professionally successful? Do they have good friendships and connections? Are they emotionally well? Are they physically active? These Core Pillars describe the priorities PLC has for our staff and students, and are at the heart of our Strategic Plan, which we will present to parents later in the year. 

Lead Authentically

At PLC, everyone is a leader.

We nurture every student for who they are, and how they see themselves. Students are known, valued, and encouraged to lead themselves to pursue their unique passions.

At PLC, we consistently prioritise and strive to support each student’s unique journey. We provide opportunities for students to lead, to be led, to partner, and to support their peers in and with the local community. 

Central to this pillar is ensuring all staff also feel valued, understood, and supported to thrive and develop, professionally. We expect all staff to reflect and develop their own leadership styles and consider how they may change in various situations. This pillar is about exceptional teachers modelling, encouraging, and providing opportunities to develop a personal and effective leadership style.

Learning Takes Many Paths

We set a mandate to explore passion.

When education stands as the preparation for a unique and varied existence, every student can be guided to see for themselves. That is where aptitude shows itself, through a modernist ‘why not’ attitude to the opportunities and possibilities of life.

PLC students will grant themselves permission to embrace challenge and have a go. They will then grant themselves permission to excel. We offer countless opportunities for students to discover things they didn’t know they were good at. We encourage our students to regularly try new things, to start something new, and to be comfortable being uncomfortable. 

Our staff embrace life-long learning and explore their passions. We support staff to be agile; to continuously evolve their competencies and remain future-focussed. We routinely challenge each other to engage in new ways and model continuous learning.

Balance Defines Us

We are resolute in the belief that education, in and of itself, is where real privilege lies. That, regardless of circumstances, our students take advantage of that privilege to apply themselves to their full potential and to recognise that we are all part of something bigger than ourselves. We strive to unlock an educated worldview, and every day we value an open and diverse culture.

PLC is a school with a social conscience that supports efforts to 'leave the place better'. Young individuals can take small steps to make real changes.

Research has shown that we are at our best when we feel good (mentally well), function well (physically well), and connect to others (finding community and purpose), and there are many ways we provide our students and staff with opportunities to learn and grow to support their own wellbeing.  

Our Past Moves Us Forward

Our heritage informs our culture, and we protect our permission to evolve.

PLC is a school where oversight and scrutiny go hand-in-hand with an evolutionary mindset.

We know where we come from and have a firmly held mandate to protect where our past has brought us – and where it will take us next.

We look to our many extraordinary Old Collegians who inspire our current students to know what is possible. We are proud to come from a tradition of being brave, being bold, and being confident in the decisions we make. Our students continue that tradition through their own agency and voice. They have the same duty to contribute to the making of a modern legacy.

In holding our history and heritage in such high regard, our staff connect and contribute to our culture. Our actions reflect our values, and our values drive everything we do.

While we continue with the work we do for our students, I believe these Core Pillars beautifully describe PLC Perth, who we are and what we stand for.  

As always, I thank you for your support.

Kind regards,

Cate Begbie
Principal

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