Penrith High Towers-Alumni

Welcome to our final Towers Alumni for 2019. This edition is our 8th and it has been wonderful to end the year with a number of reunions and visits from former students of every decade of the school’s operation as a standalone high school.

The Alumni Garden continues to take shape and has already made a significant impact on the school entry. It was 30 minutes of holding our breath as the historic sandstone pieces from the Towers Mansion were moved for the construction and they now sit proudly as the entry into the stunningly designed gazebo. Before year end, the heritage style seating will be installed under the gazebo along with bins in keeping with the design.

Many former and current students have reached out about purchasing pavers and these are again for sale via the school website link and will be used to build the garden beds around the 60 new standard roses that line the pathways. Order forms can be found here:

https://penrith-h.schools.nsw.gov.au/alumni/alumni-garden.html

The date for the 70th Anniversary celebrations has been set and we look forward to welcoming former students, staff, families and supporters of the school back on Saturday 4th April. The celebrations will start at 10am and conclude at 2pm with an outline of events being available from February 2020. We expect to have a number of food stalls, displays, performances and school tours as well as the official opening of the Alumni Garden. A number of year groups are planning evening events at local venues so although we won’t be hosting an official evening event, please keep us posted of any plans as we would like to share the details on the reunions page of the school website and in the next edition of Towers Alumni. https://penrith-h.schools.nsw.gov.au/alumni/reunions.html

At last week's visit from the Class of 1969, it was fantastic to hear about the plans for an additional event to mark the 70th Anniversary on Saturday 12 September with a luncheon. Paul Hansen and the organising team have provided details for this in this edition of Towers Alumni. Please note the key dates and the limit of 200 people (students from 1950-2010 at this stage). It is sure to be a great chance to catch up with old and new friends.

My thanks to everyone for their ongoing support of the school and particularly to Cathie Fayle and Nathan Wilcox who so diligently look after not only our school library but also this publication as editor (Cathie) and the archives and school tours for Alumni (Cathie and Nathan).

Please feel free to send any photos or articles through to the school using our school email address and attention the email to Cathie. penrith-h.school@det.nsw.edu.au

I wish everyone a Merry Christmas and festive season and look forward to meeting or reconnecting with you as we mark our 70th year of reflecting our school motto - Altiora Peto.

Mark Long

Principal

At: Penrith Paceway

Date: Saturday 19 September 2020

Time: Midday (subject to change to meet catering requirements)

Capacity: Maximum 200 persons

Approx. Cost: $75.00 (excludes bar purchases)

Eligibility: At this time, invitation is only open only to those who attended PHS between the years 1950 and 2010 (this may be relaxed, depending on demand for seats)

Key Dates:

1 March 2020 - final details advertised

1 May 2020 - Ticket sales open

Facebook: Penrith High School 70th Anniversary Reunion

Contact: Jim Mason email <masomika@tpg.com.au>

As a valued member of our alumni community, we’d like to offer the opportunity for you to return to your school to mentor a current young student. Raise Foundation is a registered Australian charity who offer one-on-one mentoring to 10-16 students in high schools. Any new community mentors must be 21 years of age or older and complete a training course, a Working With Children Check, National Crime Check and telephone interview. Current students are invited to attend the mentoring program by teachers who feel the student might benefit from having a positive neutral role model in their lives. If you feel you would like to give back to your school by helping to mentor the next generation of young people and have a couple of hours to spare each week across Terms 2 and 3 of the school year, please apply via this link: https://raise.org.au/volunteer/

Lisa Slade was an Art Teacher at Penrith High from 1993-1997. She has gone on to be a Creative Arts Consultant for the DoE, ran major art exhibitions, been a curator at a number of art galleries around the country, a university lecturer, completed a doctorate in Philosophy and is currently Assistant Director at the Art Gallery of South Australia. She featured prominently on an ABC documentary on Ben Quilty recently.

In her time at PHS, as well as inspiring students with her teaching, she started an Environment Group who worked during sport. The two bunya pines out the front (original homestead gate entrance) were in danger, one looked sick, because the night school and others parked their cars on the roots most days. Lisa was instrumental in stopping the car parking there by getting the school to install treated pine bollards and mulching under the trees. A large cone fell from one of the trees one day. Lisa and her group gathered seeds, grew seedlings and planted them out.

Unfortunately her concern was justified as the sicker tree first lost its top (which crashed down onto High Street about 2010) and then was taken out (about 2017). However, the other tree is going fine and that is in no small part down to Lisa, whilst the seedlings are now beautiful trees. Two are near the front entrance, one is very close to where the sick original was taken out and the largest is near the High Street side of A Block. A wonderful legacy from a teacher who was also very fondly admired by her students.

Nathan Wilcox

Teacher Librarian

In week 7 the Class of '69 returned to PSHS for a tour of the school, led by our Student Leaders, followed by Afternoon Tea in the library where some Alumni memorabilia was set up.

The group noticed so many changes around the school and also presented Mr Long with a gift which was greatly appreciated.

The Class of '69 had a luncheon the following day with 40 plus in attendance.

Guest teacher and eminent poet, Jane Baker(nee Appleton) OAM cut the cake! Jane was a past teacher at PHS.

Thank you Paul Hansen for some of the photos below!

Thank you for coming back to PSHS!

Ann actually started her High School education at Penrith in 1946. Up till then there was only education up to the Intermediate Level. Ann actually watched the progress up to Fourth and Fifth Year and the first Leaving Certificates were in 1947. At the beginning of 1950 it had developed from a Central School to a full High School.

Ann wrote " I feel proud to be a student of the Penrith High School at this vital stage in its growth. My one regret is that I shall be unable to enjoy for long the facilities provided in the new building. I can only trust that present and future pupils will strive to promote the good name of the school and do all in their power to uphold our motto: ' Altiora Peto'. " excerpt from Towers 1950.

Our History Head Teacher is trying to reach out to previous Captains and Vice Captains of PSHS to record "Where are they now?"

If you did hold these positions or know someone who did, can you please contact Clark Stone by email - clark.stone@det.nsw.edu.au

Glenn has worked at the school as the General Assistant since 1998. His work covered many areas within the school - outside and inside - always keeping our ovals and lawns well cared for and any issues that arose within the school that needed his carpentry, electrical or technical touch.

Thank you Glenn! We wish you well in your retirement! Enjoy travelling and spoiling the grandchildren!

Congratulations to our new 2019/20 School captains, Vice Captains and Senior Prefects who were announced in Week 2.

Captains: Sophia Hadjimichael and Ethan Shackley

Vice Captains: Holly Gerrard and Ben Gange

Senior Prefects: Eugenia Kim and Lance Santos

Congratulations to all 26 Prefect Interns who were elevated to Prefects for 2019/20. The group has been exceptional in Term and will continue to provide outstanding leadership and service.

In week 2 of this term one of our very special enrichment programs was recognised when Ms Sue Briggs, Head Teacher Mathematics (pictured second from left in photo below), and Mrs Sharon Wilkes, Penrith Public School Enrichment Teacher, were awarded Teachers of the Year by the Australian Mathematics Trust. Our joint program with Penrith Public sees primary school students mentored by our Year 9 students at Penrith High on a weekly basis. We love working across the fence on a number of projects. Ms Briggs and Mrs Wilkes are already planning on what resources to buy with the $1000 winners cheque. Congratulations!

Email: penrith-h.school@det.nsw.edu.au
Website: https://penrith-h.schools.nsw.gov.au
Location: High St, Penrith NSW, Australia
Phone: 02 4721 0529
Facebook: facebook.com/penrithselectivehighschool