14 Nov 2013
One of the privileges of being the Relieving Principal is the opportunity to view the scope of experiences offered at GRC Penshurst Girls Campus from a new perspective. I am very proud of the array of achievements of the staff and students at Penshurst, and over recent weeks these have included:
A Trip to Italy - Mrs Debbie Kimber and six of our Year 10 girls joined with Beverly Hills Girls High School to visit Italy for 4 weeks. Their presentation on assembly last week portrayed the many places they visited and the many first hand experiences of places they'd only seen in textbooks before the trip. They thoroughly enjoyed the chance to practise their Italian speaking skills and represented our school well in all aspects of the trip.
Koori Art Expressions - Mr Garry Belinfante and Miss Lauren Grumitt have been working hard with Year 8 and Year 9 girls to create authentic Aboriginal artworks over the past 6-8 weeks. The submissions were a challenge to judge as they were all very creative, but after input from a range of staff, three out of eight works were selected to move to the Exhibition at the Australian National Maritime Museum. All girls who participated are to be congratulated for their work.
St George Community Awards - This year two of our girls in Year 10 were selected to receive a St George Community Award and I am proud to announce that Brianna J. received the St George Sports Award and Naman K. was the recipient of the St George Young Person of the Year Award.
The GRC Way (previously flagged as PBL in past newsletters - Positive Behaviour for Learning) - During the first week back, the staff and students were formally introduced to our new expectations matrix, which I spoke of at P&C last week. The launch of The GRC Way highlights the values and expectations which underpin all that we do at Penshurst and across the College, and our phrase to capture this is "fostering learners who are Respectful, Responsible and Aiming for Excellence."
The GRC Way has been kicked off with an expectation in the playground around ‘litter' and I would like to acknowledge the work of a team of teachers and the SRC who have created the Litter Campaign. Both the staff and students have been actively involved in promoting this expectation and the playground has become a much cleaner place as a result. Currently, the students are rewarded with tokens for following the expectation of keeping their area clean. These tokens are handed in and, during assemblies; two students from each year are drawn to win iTunes cards as a ‘thank you'.
Road Safety
In recent newsletters, we have reminded you about parking appropriately to pick up and drop off your daughter safely. I would like to reiterate this, as well as the need for your daughter to cross the road safely, particularly in the Penshurst community where buses are caught. Please remind your daughter to cross at the pedestrian crossings at all times to ensure their safety.
Assessment Period
A busy and demanding time for staff and students during the early weeks of this term. Refer to the school calendar for assessment dates. Tips for supporting your daughter through this time can be found at www.studyskillshandbook.com.au(see further in this newsletter for log in details).
Mrs Karen Burke
Relieving Principal