A Message From the Deputy Principal

Dear valued member of the PLC community,

Once again, we are heading towards the end of Term 1, and it has certainly been challenging and demanding for teachers, students, and parents alike. We are blessed by being part of such an exceptional community and good things are happening around every corner. 

While some activities have been unable to run this term, we have been fortunate in being able to continue to offer students valuable, enjoyable experiences. On Tuesday 29 March, our Years 7 and 8 students were fortunate to meet and train with Hockeyroos, Grace Stewart and Mariah Williams, thanks to the organisation of Ms Medhurst and her team. 

Today, our Year 12 students were celebrated for continuing in ‘feeling 22’, upholding such positive attitudes, amid the additional complexities of the current climate, with an extended surprise Lunchtime activity on the oval.

Over the last couple of evenings, I have had the privilege of overseeing the Years 11 and 12 Parent-Teacher-Student interviews, conducted via Teams. It has been inspiring to see the enthusiasm and engagement of the teachers through the windows of their classrooms. Upon talking to the teachers in between meetings, their knowledge and care of individual students has shone through. I am proud to work with such driven colleagues who continuously complete a day’s teaching, whilst supporting the academic and emotional wellbeing of students who are learning remotely, as well as students who are learning at school, and then conduct interviews after school, before going home to finish planning and marking for the next day.

Students too are resilient, working with diligence and dedication, assisting one another to learn and to enjoy their 2022 school experience, despite the challenges presented. They have remained largely unflappable in the face of missed assessments, changing guidelines, and unfamiliar situations. There are so many smiles under masks around the School and the warmth and support of the community is clear. I ended my last article writing about the importance of a basis of kindness and I see so many examples of this every day. This might be people simply holding a door open, the genuine inquiry as to how you’re going or the student who stops to help someone who has dropped their belongings. When there is so much uncertainty in the world, and sadly so many instances where others’ feelings are not considered, it is worth celebrating these small acts of kindness and thoughtfulness. They fill me with hope for our future and pride in a community that works from a starting point of trying to care for its members.

- Neil Walker – Deputy Principal (Teaching and Learning)

Last week, QANTAS launched the remake of their nostalgic video I Still Call Australia Home with the closing theme 'Together once more', attempting to get expatriate Australians back into the sky after our nation has emerged from two years of closed borders.

In a beautiful Uluru opening scene, intermingled with First Australians and grainy footage of 20th Century immigrant families, I was one of them, the video certainly tugs at the heart strings. It is both effective and focussed.

As an Australian citizen not born here, I find myself constantly giving thanks for the opportunities given to my family and countless others like mine, when in contrast we are surrounded by so much pain, suffering and uncertainty, revealed nightly in heart-wrenching videos on our television screens.  

Why do I find myself wondering if it is wrong to feel so blessed? What have I done to live in such a privileged environment, when countless millions of other families, with the same aspirations as mine, live in poverty, uncertainty, displacement, and the torment of war? Such millions as these do not have a place to call home. 

I have been inspired that so many families from other parts of Europe have made themselves vulnerable by offering their homes as a place of refuge; yet dismayed that nearly 80 years after the end of World War II, not all those seeking refuge are as welcome as others, particularly when they are of different ethnicity or colour to the majority.

We still have a long way to go as individuals and as a nation to recapture the 'Spirit of Australia' that we believe in so passionately yet often found wanting in our treatment of First Nation’s people and refugees. Few remain comfortable when faced with such embarrassment to our national psyche.

In this time leading up to Easter, it is appropriate to reflect upon issues such as these to arrive at solutions for the greater good, as literally millions of our fellow Australians struggle to find meaning in the future. 

Easter is a reminder of God’s deep love for us. For in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus we see God’s love as self-giving, nurturing, hopeful, honest, steadfast, and expansive; the love of God, embodied by Jesus, is unchanging, unending, and unconditional! 

Many increasingly look and search for meaning – for life after the chaos, for hope amidst seeming hopelessness. For me, that hope is, and has always been, in the saving power of Jesus, whom I believe brings new life, even in the midst of death.

It is my prayer that Easter 2022 will be as it was at the beginning, where those who were so afraid, dared to believe that death of the certainties they had known, could give way to new life as never before experienced. That is what is at the core of the message of Easter.

- Rev Nalin Perera – Chaplain        

End of Term

Next week, the Junior School will finish on Friday at the following times:

• Kindy and Pre-Primary will be dismissed at 12.45 pm; and

• Years 1 to 6 will be dismissed at 1.00 pm.

Health and Hygiene

As we inch towards the Easter holidays at the end of next week, I know many families have special holidays and family reunions planned. Keeping in mind, it is critical we support each other as a community and ensure children who are not well are cautious with attending school. Although we know children can quickly go from happy and bouncy to ill, if there is any indication of any illness, please keep your child at home. Thank you for your support with this matter.

Term 2 Co-curricular Sport Registrations

Students in Pre-Primary to Year 6 are welcome to participate in Co-curricular Sport at PLC. If your child would like to register for a sport, please complete the registration form, accessible via the the button below. A confirmation email will be sent to parents and guardians prior to commencement of the sessions. For a sport to proceed, a minimum of 10 students will be required.

Please note, Term 2 and 3 Saturday morning Netball and Hokey registrations were via a separate registration process and have previously been completed, therefore no further registrations are required.

If you have any questions in relation to Co-curricular Sport at PLC, please contact either Ms Tash Tench, HPE Teacher & Junior School Sport Co-ordinator  at tash.tench@plc.wa.edu.au, or Mr Sam Maxwell, Head of Sport  at sam.maxwell@plc.wa.edu.au.

- Richard Wright – Head of Junior School 

Term 1 Early Finish

Next week, on Friday 8 April, we will be commencing the school day with our special virtual Easter Service. The school day will conclude early, at 1.00 pm. Due to this early finish, our traffic warden on Stirling Highway will be unavailable. We will have staff observing students crossing Stirling Highway, however, they will not have the authority to stop traffic. I ask that, where possible, parents please assist by stopping their vehicles to help allow our students to cross safely over the highway. We wish everyone a relaxing and safe Easter break.

Term 2 Uniform

In Term 2, we ask that all our Senior School students remain in their Summer uniform until the Mid-Term Break. Often there are still very warm days during this time of year, and we want to make sure that all our students are comfortable. On cooler days during this period, students always have the option of wearing their jumper and blazer to help keep them warm.

Piercings Over the Holidays

If your child is planning on piercing their ears during the school holidays, please make sure that any piercings are in line with the School’s Uniform Policy. For earrings, students may choose to wear one small sleeper or small plain (not stones) round gold, silver, or pearl stud in the bottom of the lobe of each ear. Sleepers should be no larger than 12 mm in diameter and studs no larger than 5mm in diameter. We ask that other piercings are not worn, and removed when at school.

Thank you for your help in making sure PLC students are taking pride in representing the School. To read more on our Uniform Policy, please click the button below. 

Library Closed for School Holidays 

We understand that many students like to use the Library during the school holidays, but due to COVID-19 restrictions and in the interest of keeping our community safe, this is not something we can accommodate over the Term 1 holidays. The decision to close the Library for the holidays was made after careful consideration and we understand that this may cause significant frustration. We apologise for the inconvenience and thank you for your continued understanding.

- Rebecca Watts – Head of Senior School

The Final Leg

This weekend, our Year 12 boarding students, along with Ms Edwards and their Year Group Assistant, Julianne, finished their final leg of Quay2Quay. This is a big moment for the Year 12 students, as it is one of the first symbolic events that mark the beginning of the end of their journey as PLC Boarders. That said, they will always belong to the PLC boarding community.

On Friday night, the girls had a fun and competitive game of volleyball in the Boarding House Courtyard. On Saturday 26 March, the Years 7 and 8 students went shopping in Fremantle and were fantastic catching public transport. For some, this was their first time catching the train to Fremantle.

On Saturday evening, girls enjoyed a swim in the PLC Pool to escape the humid weather and the Year 11 students were treated to an outing to Get Chunky, as well as a stroll around Fremantle. 

With only one weekend to go until Term 1 school holidays, we will be bringing much joy to the Boarding House as the students partake in the annual Easter colouring competition, various Easter egg hunts, and an Easter-themed dinner. We hope this leaves our girls in high spirits before they head home for a much needed rest with their families.

- Katherine Hazlewood –
Deputy of Wellbeing and Pastoral Care

Bindaring Clothing Sale – Seeking Student Volunteers

The Bindaring Clothing Sale gives a second life to clothes and accessories, preventing them from going to landfill and offering a cheap source of clothing. The sale is the biggest single event fundraiser for Red Cross in Australia. Funds support important local Red Cross services such as Soup Patrol, Save-a-Mate, Emergency Disaster Relief, and Blood Donations. Last year, the funds were able to support the Australian Red Cross WA ‘Future Ready’ Justice Programme and the Emergency Service Vehicle. 

Students in Years 10 to 12 are invited to volunteer at the Bindaring Red Cross Clothing Sale on Sunday 15 May 2022 between 8.00 am and 4.00 pm, at the Robinson Pavilion at Claremont Showgrounds. Further information can be accessed via the button below. Students interested with parental permission can register their availability for sale day via an email to smiller@mlc.wa.edu.au.

- Chonny James – Director of Wellbeing