Penrith High Towers-Alumni

Dear Penrith Alumni,

As you may have read in the previous newsletter, I have accepted a new role based in California, USA as the CEO of Bridges Education Group. Bridges has had a close relationship with Penrith since we engaged with two of the world's leading academics, Drs Susan Baum and Robin Schader in 2017. The work around twice exceptionality has heavily influenced our strategies for students in both curriculum and wellbeing and was so successful that large pieces of the learnings at Penrith High were shared by our talented staff across the NSW Department of Education as one of 4 early adopter schools for the High Potential and Gifted Education Policy rollout.

To say leaving Penrith High is bittersweet is an understatement. For a job I only accepted for 10 weeks in 2016 to now be finishing has been the most rewarding position of my career. The Principalship of any school is a privilege and at Penrith High, students, staff, families and alumni have achieved so much.

I recently had the opportunity to speak with the school’s podcast team, The Penrith Perception and we covered a variety of areas that we have collectively improved for students and staff. In no particular order, I am incredibly proud of:

· The deep commitment to curriculum, assessment and learning for students. Our staff have engaged with many of the world’s leading experts in gifted education and this is evident in classrooms and around the school each day.

· The facilities on a site that opened in 1950 have undergone so many improvements. The Department, parents, students, staff and alumni have all made contribution of money and time. The Alumni Garden, IA Lawn, Cafeteria, Yarning Circle and cricket nets, basketball court gardens, CAPA courtyards and each of the 70+ classrooms could all be favourite spaces. That we now have exceptional spaces for all 935 students and 130+ staff has been a large community effort. The facilities newsletter with before and after photos is always an important reminder about how far we have come and inspires all of us about what is next. An update will be in our next newsletter in 2024.

· Our co-curricular and enrichment programs are equal to any school, in any sector and a key reason why applications to the school have more than tripled since 2016 to be at the top of the state. For many years I have spoken about the reciprocity between academic performance and wellbeing for gifted students. With over 100 programs, activities and clubs, there are ample ways for students to find a passion and their tribe. Student voice and agency is on display each day across all 4 domains of giftedness- intellectual, creative, physical and social emotional and I smile when I see year 7 students connected with seniors through a student initiated club in place to share the passion of that interest. As we know schools are, by design linked horizontally, but our plan has always been to have connections vertically and diagonally so that students can find their tribe - even if it is just one other to start with. Reinstituting Prefects after the pause in 1983 has led to so many essential student leadership roles being created which teach invaluable skills, allow for mistakes to be made and students better equipped for life beyond school.

· Our staff, as a result of the collective work and professional learning opportunities are highly sought after. Almost all of the current school executive have been promoted into their Head Teacher and Deputy Principal roles, many others have taken their experiences to other schools through promotion and more will move into key leadership roles in the coming years. All of our staff (teaching and non teaching) are both caring and exceptionally talented.

· Our respect and knowledge of traditions and shaping the future directions. Our school dates back well before the opening of the high school in 1950. Once located at Penrith Public School, the new school opened in 1950 and was then designated a fully selective high school

in 1989. When I arrived, I was struck by the feeling of division marked by the 1989 repositioning. Some of our most successful alumni come from the pre 1989 cohorts and regardless, we are the same school anchored in the rich traditions of The Towers Mansion, Towers Magazine, our motto Altiora Peto, our school crest and we even hold onto the Brown and Gold on Year 12 graduation gowns despite the move to our new school colours in the early 2000s. Our Alumni is an elite group. Membership cannot be bought, only earned and so many of alumni give back in a variety of ways. It is a piece of work that we will see the true dividend from over the next 10-20 years. I have thoroughly enjoyed meeting many of you on school tours, reunions, alumni nights, spontaneous visits and weaving our shared history dating back to foundation Headmaster, Hector McGregor to now. I hope through the Alumni Garden, 70th Anniversary Captains Book, restored honour boards and the quarterly Towers Alumni publication that everyone feels connected with the school regardless of your graduation year.

I have been blessed to be surrounded by exceptional people. My first Director (my boss), Ms Deb Summerhayes is now the Deputy Secretary of the Department of Education. My second, Ms Kay Rigas is the Executive Director for 268 schools in Metropolitan South and West. I have thoroughly enjoyed the conversations with students over an ATAR discussion, a game of handball or any number of other places at school. Our P&C Presidents, Mr David Shead, Mr Praba Maheswaran and Ms Mini Matthews were each outstanding in their commitment to the school and advice to me. Our staff are world class. I could list their qualities, but we see this each day and many of you have also seen this on your visits. I thank them for their work.

For any Principal, their senior executive team and at Penrith High that is the three Deputy Principals and Business Manager make or break the school. Deputies, Mr Brian Ferguson (now Principal at North Sydney Boys HS), Ms Jaclyn Cush (Relieving Principal), Ms Doris Lee and Mrs Maria Ryan, our Business Manager, brought immense depth and contrast to their responsibilities. Words cannot describe the time, commitment and talent the students, staff, alumni and I benefitted from not to mention the many laughs we would have across the days, late at night and occasionally over weekends when interesting events arose. This team is why, in my absence from the school as the Director Educational Leadership for Sutherland it continued to move to an even higher level with Ms Trang Lam (now substantive Deputy Principal) and Mr Anthony Vassallo stepping in. I sincerely thank Jaclyn Cush for leading with such outstanding expertise as Relieving Principal in my much longer than expected time supporting the schools in Sutherland.

Thank you also to Ms Cathie Fayle who has cared for our archives and edited each of the Towers-Alumni since I suggested the idea of “another task” with a wry smile. Cathie has picked it up and run with it and what has been shared and published is special.

I want to express my condolences to the family and friends of Matthew McCarron (1998). Matthew joined us at our first Alumni Night and we connected that night as we both finished high school in the same year, albeit at different schools. He dropped into the school just before COVID lockdowns to view his paver in the Alumni Garden but we had to remain socially distanced and in masks. Matthew was bright, passionate about many pursuits and I know from different conversations highly regarded by his peers and teachers. A life taken too early.

Finally, I thank everyone for the opportunity to both lead and serve the Penrith community and will watch with hope and excitement about how far Penrith High will go in the years ahead. The sky is the limit and as someone who grew up in greater Sydney, Penrith High is a school that models the very best public education offers.

Warm regards,

Mark Long

B.PE, B.Ed, M.Ed (Lead) HFTGN

On September 21, our school celebrated the incredible 6 year journey of the PSHS Class of '23!

In the morning there was an informal Farewell Breakfast enjoyed by staff and Year 12.

This was later followed by a full school assembly where each year farewelled Year 12 with some amusing stories. The assembly finished with our traditional Clap Out - just as when in Year 7 they were welcomed into the school with the traditional Clap In!

Later in the day Year 12 had their official Graduation.

On behalf of PSHS, we extend our heartfelt congratulations to each and every Year 12 student!

May this be the beginning of a bright and fulfilling future!

All the best, Year 12, for the upcoming HSC results!

Congratulations to Gianne Lois Magcalayo for being nominated in ARTEXPRESS - an annual exhibition of exemplary artworks by NSW Visual Arts students for the Higher School Certificate examination.

We are thrilled to announce that our HSC Drama Class has received nominations for OnStage, a showcase of exemplary drama works presented at the 2023 HSC examination.

Congratulations to the teachers and students involved!

A big congratulations to HSC Music students Xing and Paige, who have received Encore nominations for their remarkable performances.

Encore is a showcase of exemplary works presented for the 2023 Music performance examinations.

Congratulations to the staff and students involved!

Congratulations to 2023 HSC Drama students Neelam, Geethika, Leah and Eesha for their OnSTAGE nominations.

Geethika completed her HSC Drama major work in theatre reviewing - crafting four reviews of a variety of theatre performances in 2023.

Neelam, Leah and Eesha completed their major work in scriptwriting - crafting detailed and sophisticated theatrical worlds.

We are very proud of them!

We are thrilled to share that early in November, we hosted our first Young Experts Symposium! The event was a showcase of the incredible work that our students accomplished during Semester 2.

We were honoured to have Councillor Tricia Hitchen join us as a member of our Alumni. It was also wonderful to see Associate Professor Dr Emma George and Ciaran Smyth (a Community Engagement Officer for Academy U) from Western Sydney University attend.We would like to take the opportunity to thank all the staff,(we even spotted Mr Brian Ferguson, our previous Deputy who has now moved on to Principal of North Sydney Boys High School) and, of course, all the students and families who attended and made this event a huge success.

As Dr George emphasised in her opening address the emphasis did not focus on being the smartest in the room but being the person who works the hardest.

Recently we saw 280 students perform in this year's Penrith in Performance - Momentum at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music.

Former Head Teacher CAPA and now Acting Deputy, Anthony Vassallo, wrote "This year , we witnessed the expansion of the show's program with Drum Corps, Cheerleading and the Stage Band being added to the run. This reflects the momentum in terms of growth in the program's diversity and the evident improvement in the skill set of each item presented."

Anthony went on to thank the many members of staff who played crucial roles in bringing the event to the stage. He also thanked staff who came as audience members in support of the staff and students.

Anthony added in planning for 2024, " we are excited to explore new ways to take these programs to even greater heights and consequently invite you to join us for Penrith in Performance - Elevate."

Engineering is one of the most popular choices for subjects at our school, whether it be as a senior course or as a junior elective. The subject is a compilation of skills vital for technological advancement and for building comprehensive and critical thinking skills. In this episode the team talks to some of our senior students and Mr McGovern for their knowledge, history and expertise on why Engineering is awesome.

I also welcome Snigdha Nishani and Sachika Chakraborty from year 8, who have stepped up as the new editors in the Podcast team - this episode marks their debut. And a special shout out to Shreya Saritha of year 10 who is our new graphic designer.

Earlier this term, our students studying Extension 2 English attended the NSW English Teachers Association Study Day at the University of Sydney. Holly Gerrard, an Alumna whose work has been published in the 2020 Young Writers Showcase, presented to students statewide, making this event very special.

Thank you to our English Faculty for organising our students to attend the day.

Murli Dhir, studied at PSHS and finished year 12 in 2016.

Among his teachers, his Creative Arts teacher, Mr Joyce, always commended Murli’s work.

Murli completed a Bachelors of Media Arts (Visual Arts) at UNSW.

He has been freelancing as Music Video Director and Editor since late 2019.

Recently, two of the videos, which were shot by Murli, have been nominated for 'best music video' at the 2023 ARIA Awards.

Congratulations Murli!

Information courtesy of Pankaj Dhir, Murli's family

Heath Davis was an English teacher at PSHS.

He was brought up in the Western Suburbs of Sydney.

Although he is still teaching as a casual teacher, he has been writing, producing and directing films which have not only been played nationally at cinemas and on Netflix but also worldwide. Heath's movies include Broke, Locusts and Book Week.

Recently Heath has released his latest film Christmess.

After years of work on the project, a local director's twist on Christmas is finally hitting the big screen.

Davis told the Weekender "it was long , but it was joyous, because we knew we had something good."

The film had its world premiere at the Austin Film Festival, something Davis said was an unforgettable experience.

Davis said the positive reception has been overwhelming, suggesting that the love for the film comes down to the fact that it captures the true meaning of Christmas - human connection.

Western Weekender

Everything about the production-the tough times setting, the shooting location in Campbelltown on Sydney's outskirts, the gritty look and even the title - indicates Christmess is not a traditional Christmas film.

Davis calls it "a real Christmas movie" that is about "the stresses, the anxieties, the tears and the laughs" that are all too common as friends and families get together at Christmas.

SMH December 2, 2023

I was fortunate to go to the Sydney Premiere of Christmess at the Dendy Cinema in Newtown which was followed by a Q and A.

Heath informed us that filming took place only over a three week period.

The film has some amazing performances and the theme is definitely relatable to us in so many ways - "at its core, Christmess is a celebration of the human spirit, the kindness of strangers and the healing power of forgiveness."(au.variety.com).

I highly recommend it over this Christmas period.

Screenings have been announced all over Australia and New Zealand.

Look out for it in your local cinemas!

Cathie Fayle

Editor

Recently Kristiana Tala Margate, Class of 2020, and Ms Andreatta were welcomed at Government House for the Duke of Edinburgh's International Award Recognition and Presentation Ceremony, attended by His Royal Highness, Prince Edward, Duke of Edinburgh, KG,GCVO, CD, ADC. Tala was one of 41 Department of Education Gold Awardees.

Her greatest moment was hiking the Kokoda Trail which, incidentally, is also her best life moment so far.

What an incredible achievement and a huge congratulations!

Judy Phillips attended Penrith High from 1948-1950 leaving with the Intermediate Certificate. Some of her peers went on to study the Leaving Certificate.

Judy went to classes in the old primary school building but in her last year she went to Science, Home Science and Industrial Arts classes in the new school building where it is today. However, Science was upstairs (where Social Sciences are today) and Home Science was downstairs(where English is today).

Judy studied English, Mathematics 1 & 2 (Teacher Mr Myers), Chemistry, Physics, Latin and French (Teacher Miss West), subjects which most students studied in her time.

Judy usually went home for lunch because of the close proximity of her home to the school.

On leaving Penrith High, Judy went on doing a course in Shorthand and Typing and worked for a Solicitor for some time.

She married Peter Roberts whom she met in her first year of high school.

To this day she still is in touch with some of her school friends.

In addition, Judy's father, Roy Phillips, was a teacher at the school and he is pictured below in the 1950 staff photo.

Judy still has a great admiration of Penrith High and was very proud of her school colours - brown and yellow at that time, or as her mother called them - chocolate and gold!!

Thanks Judy for the memories!

Harold has sent through a snippet of some interesting memories of his time growing up and at Penrith High.

Harold started at Penrith High in 1949 and left halfway through his 5th year in 1953.

Below are some excerpts from Harold's story.

"We had a 10 acre property". (he explains there was never any need to wear shoes and he often rode his bike and used his heel for a brake. His introduction to shoes was when he went to PHS.)

"There were no high schools between Penrith and Parramatta although there was a Catholic High School at Westmead which I think was a special school. There were no high schools between Penrith and Katoomba. We travelled by steam train in both directions, windows could be opened to get soot in your eyes. Electric trains arrived at Blacktown in 1954 or 1955 and Penrith later that year."

"In 1939 World War 2 had broken out but my knowledge of it was yet to come and when I became aware convoys of Army trucks and other vehicles would travel past our property. On occasions my father would wake me up around 6am when he milked the cow to watch the parachutes (mushroom type) training at nearby Schofield. Schofield had an aerodrome manned by the English where they had Mustang aircraft and we could stand off the edge and watch them take off or land.

During the war there were small aircraft hidden under camouflage around a lot of the Sydney Basin and therefore there had to be airstrips. I remember them at Doonside, Mount Druitt and Berkshire Park. Ten years ago the remnants of a camouflage spot was still evident at Berkshire Park.

We like many locals, had good food during the 2nd World War as we had poultry, milk , eggs and vegetables plus rabbits."

"Finally, from my mother's little black book of wisdom: 'Your whole life lies before you like a field of untrodden snow, be careful how you tread it for every step will show' ".

"Times were different then."

Below are some photos of Harold's time at PHS plus some photos of how it was for Harold growing up.

Thank you Harold! Amazing memories!

With a heavy heart, we announce the sad and untimely passing of beloved Matthew McCarron. As an Ambassador for The Brain Cancer Group, Matt was a selfless advocate while maintaining an active career as CEO of the Lewis Land Group and volunteering as Director of Carriageworks (Australia’s largest multi-arts precinct). A generous spirit, he openly shared his experience of a brain tumour in detail on both personal blogs and as a guest speaker at a 2022 fundraiser in support of TBCG.

In a dignified, moving service dedicated to Matt, his husband Edmundo ended his tribute with the following words that ended Matt's speech at the 2022 Breakfast for Brain Cancer, organised by the White Pearl Foundation. "When you walk out of here today seek out the person that most supports you in life and tell them how much you love them. Call a brother or a sister…parent or relative…that you haven’t spoken to way too long and tell them that you love them. Organise that BBQ with friends that you’ve been meaning to…but haven’t had time to arrange…you won’t regret it.”

Our deepest condolences and love go to Matthew's husband Edmundo, son Elliott, mother Elaine, brother Dom, family and friends. Thank you, Matthew, you'll be dearly missed.

For Matthew, a seizure in the dead of night was the start of an unexpected and unpredictable journey. An otherwise active and healthy 37-year-old, Matthew was rushed to Royal North Shore Hospital in Sydney, where subsequent scans identified a suspected brain tumour.

After consulting with several specialists on the pathway forward, Matt underwent a craniotomy performed by TBCG co-founder Dr Raymond Cook. Further tests revealed that Matthew had a high-grade astrocytoma and required chemoradiation treatment followed by chemotherapy delivered under the care of TBCG Directors, Associate Professors Helen Wheeler and Michael Back.

Throughout his treatment, Matthew has been able to maintain an active career. He has continued in his role as CEO of Lewis Land Group, one of Australia’s largest and oldest privately owned property groups. He has also continued in several volunteer roles, including as a Director of Carriageworks, Australia’s largest multi-arts precinct.

More information about Matthew’s story is available HERE

The article above was supported by Matthew's family and indeed our thoughts are with them all at this time.

Please take the time to read the additional information about Matthew's story at the end, on LinkedIn.

NOTE

Matthew was School Captain in 1998.

A highlight of his time at Penrith High was "making great (and lifelong) friends whilst being challenged in a very supportive environment."

Penrith High was fortunate to have Matthew attend Alumni Night 2018 where he passed on his experiences and knowledge.

He offered two pieces of advice:

1) I am a strong believer in the power of networks to provide both opportunities and a source of advice. Capturing and nurturing networks at an early stage of your career, provides strong support as well as skills that will be invaluable regardless of where your career takes you.

2) The era of the linear career is over! Businesses are increasing to look for people with varied experiences and who have demonstrated a willingness to experiment. Be prepared to roll with the punches and be open to moving in new directions in order to grow.

Mathew truly was a special human being!

If you are interested please email the school on: penrith-h.school@det.nsw.edu.au

Attention Cathie in the library for further details

NOTE: the school was not established until 1950 so bear this in mind.

In addition, if the Alumni listed below(or anyone who can help as to what area of defence they were attached to - Army, Navy, Air Force) could email the school on the above address, it would be much appreciated.

Harry Grimes(Vietnam)

Brian Carney

Alan Ormerod

Ian Dickens(Vietnam)

Anthony Charles Dickens

Consequently their names have not been added to the board as yet.

Please Note

The Defence Service Honour Board will be updated early in 2024 with all the perpetual boards.

See photo below for the current listings.

At present names to be added in 2024:

David Stevens - RAN

Jason Petersen - RAN

It is with great excitement we share the cast of our 2024 Musical - NEVERMORE: THE IMAGINARY AND MYSTERIOUS DEATH OF EDGAR ALLAN POE!

The Musical will be from 2-4 May 2024. More information to follow next year!

This steampunk musical combines haunting music and poetic storytelling to reveal the internal and external struggles of Poe's life. The story blurs the lines between fact and fiction - after all, as Poe himself writes, "All that we see or seem is but a dream within a dream."

Music, Lyrics and book by Jonathan Christenson

Directed by Ellie Kennedy

Email: penrith-h.school@det.nsw.edu.au
Website: http://penrith-h.schools.nsw.gov.au
Location: Penrith Selective High School, 158-240 High St, Penrith NSW, Australia
Phone: (02) 4721 0529
Facebook: facebook.com/penrithselectivehighschool