Penrith High Towers-Alumni

Welcome to our first edition of Towers Alumni for 2019.

The academic year has started well and we have a fantastic group of 150 year 7 students along with 21 new students in years 8-11. Our 2018 HSC class equalled the best ever HSC performance finishing 27th in the state. Both the classes of 2016 and 2010 achieved the same results. The median ATAR for 2018 remained at 91.95 and it has been very pleasing and satisfying to see so many of the students receive scholarships to recognise not only their academic performance but their commitment to community service while at school. Our Dux for 2018 was Jack Lin who was awarded an ATAR of 99.70.

70th Anniversary Planning

In 2020 we will celebrate the 70th Anniversary of the school. Of course, the school has an interesting past as an intermediate school which was when the high school and primary school were combined, the opening of the stand along high school in 1950 on the current site and the designation as one of the 19 fully selective high schools in 1989. As regular readers of this publication would know, we are working hard to welcome everyone back to the school and our plans will step up a gear as we plan the 70th celebrations for what is looking like a spring time event in 2020. We hope to see lots of former students back along with their families for this event and will share the date in the coming few months.

Towers Magazines Online

A very big thank you for all of the support to publish each of the Towers Magazines. It isn’t an easy process as the legislation is quite complex. There is still no set date for publication, but rest assured we are working on it.

Class of 1969 Reunion and School Tour

It was great to hear from Vivien Hanson from the class of 1969. Vivien is organising their reunion and we are delighted that a large group will visit the school for a tour and afternoon tea while looking through the archives on the 29th November. If your year group is having a reunion, please let us know if you would like to visit the school for a tour with the Prefects and we will be happy to make the archives accessible. If you are from the class of 1969 and didn’t know about the reunion, please contact the school and we will pass your details onto Vivien and her team.

Steve Duclos

Further in this edition is an update from Steve Duclos who came to Penrith as Head Teacher Social Sciences (1997-2014) and finished as Deputy Principal (2014-2016). I was incredibly fortunate to work with Steve in my first 10 weeks at the school and he was (and remains) incredibly talented, authentic and committed to students. I couldn’t imagine what my first 10 weeks as Principal would have been like without Steve’s expertise. He was a very, very popular member of staff and many of you will enjoy hearing about what he has been doing since retiring.

Get Well and Best Wishes

I know that two of our former school captains are dealing with some challenging health issues and on behalf of the whole school community we all wish them the very best for a speedy recovery and hope to see them back at school for events at some stage. Without naming them publicly, both have been back at the school to share their experiences with students since I started at Penrith and they had a significant impact on the current student body.

2019 Alumni Night

Finally, details about our 2019 Alumni night are below. Last year, our first event drew 19 former students from every decade of the school. Their insights about life during and beyond school were invaluable for Years 11 and 12. The 2019 Alumni Night will be held on Tuesday 2nd July from 6-7:30pm. We would greatly appreciate your time and advice to the current senior students.

Thank you as always for sharing these Towers Alumni updates with your classmates and if you are holding an event, trying to connect with former students or know of any news that could be added to our term 2 edition, please email it through and attention the email to our editor, Cathie Fayle.​

Warm regards,

Mark Long

Principal

On Tuesday February 12, the prefects hosted our annual Prefects Afternoon Tea. Inviting over 20 different schools, we had around 100 other prefects and student leaders join us on the day. We also had 2013 School Captain Grace Shalders present at our event as our guest speaker. The afternoon tea was organised for prefects and school leaders from many different schools (selective, local, and private) to come together and share our ideas and experiences and build social networks, as well as discuss opportunities for collaborations between schools.

Upon arrival prefects were led to the gym for some afternoon tea after which they were ushered to the hall to begin the activities. Here Grace gave an inspirational speech about leadership and obligations to be considered while entering the HSC year. Afterwards, we had two bonding activities, the human knot and bingo followed by a “School Themed Speed Dating” section which allowed one-on-one discussions between prefects.

On behalf of the PSHS prefect body we would like to thank Mr Long, Mr MacVean, Ms Pipio and Ms Ryan for their assistance in making the day a success as well as Grace Shalders and all the prefects for attending. We are looking forward to holding more events for the school in the upcoming terms.

Anoushka Tharakan & Heidi Lui

The History Interest Group has some exciting projects that they are currently working on. If you are able to provide any assistance with information, particularly names, email addresses and phone numbers this would be greatly appreciated, as these are at times very difficult to track down.

Please send information about any of the projects below to Clark Stone, Head Teacher History.

Email address is clark.stone@det.nsw.edu.au

We have some exciting projects happening:

1. The Principal's Photo Gallery

We are looking to frame the best photos we can find on all of Penrith High School’s Principals, with a plate stating names, academic qualifications and years as Penrith High School Principal on the bottom of each photo. These will ultimately be placed in the main corridor of the main building. If you have any suitable photos could you forward these on. Any photos would be greatly appreciated.

2. A past Captain's book for our 70th Anniversary

We are gathering information about all of our past captains. Our plan is to create a book which has the boy and girl captain for each year on a double page. There will be the name and year on each page. Each page is intended to have a school photo of the captain (when actually the captain) and a more recent photo beside it.

Underneath this will be four questions:

1. What is your best memory of Penrith High School?

2. What did you think you would be doing after you left high school?

3. What are you doing now?

4. What is the best advice you could give to current PHS students?

We may be able to get some of these responses from the profiles in the back of The Towers.

If you were a past captain could you forward a suitable photo and your responses to the four questions. This will be passed on to the relevant students. Each student has been allocated a five year period to research.

If you know the contact details of any past captain could you pass this information onto Clark Stone.

The intention is to present this book to the school in 2020 with copies for sale and one to be placed in the school foyer.

3. A PHS War Veterans Board.

We have obtained funding from the Department of Veteran’s Affairs for an honour board(similar to the one pictured above) to acknowledge to contributions of past PHS students who have served Australia in times of conflict. If you, or other past students that you are aware of, have served Australia please contact Clark Stone.

This board will be placed with all the other honour boards in the school hall.

4. Constructing a scaled model and computer generated model of The Towers

We have some creative and talented students working on producing a scaled model of The Towers, the building that was on the site prior to the school being built.

At the moment we are considering using lego, but are open to suggestions (and lego donations!). We also have computer savvy students working on a computer generated version of The Towers. We have some high quality photos of the front and both sides of The Towers , but none of the back, or inside the building.

If you have any photos that would help please send us a copy. Both of these versions will be displayed in the foyer of the main building.

5. Working out and marking the Towers footprint.

We are also trying to determine the “footprint” of The Towers, by marking out the line of the perimeter on the ground. To do this we need any helpful information. At the moment we are relying on photos and the position of the two bunya pines at the front of the school.

Congratulations to Tyler Dent (class of 2018) for being awarded the highly prestigious Co-op Scholarship at UNSW for Actuarial Studies. The Co-op Scholarship comes with incredible work placements and opportunities with sponsors and is one of the most competitive and sought after scholarships. It is great to still have Tyler around PSHS as a Mathematics Enrichment tutor. Well done! Tyler is on the left in the photo below.

Students at Penrith Selective High School are offered the chance to participate in a Rowing program conducted by Nepean Rowing Club. A number of students enjoy this activity. It has been wonderful to hear from some former students who had rowed for the school in previous years. We don't know the whereabouts of the old school boats, but are very grateful to Nepean Rowing Club for creating this opportunity. ​

This year's 50th Anniversary Reunion of the class of 1964-1969 including those who came and went along the way will be celebrated with a luncheon to be held on Saturday 30 November 2019 at a venue to be confirmed.

The Facebook group is:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/PenrithHighSchoolReunion1964to1969/

Prior to the Saturday luncheon there will be a school tour of Penrith Selective High School on Friday 29 November 2019.

This will be conducted by the Year 12 students in the afternoon (the exact time is to be advised) followed by a brief meeting in the library.

Please contact Vivien Hansen on:

vivien.hansen@lbwireropes.com.au for further information.

In 1969 I had been asked to choose a book as a literary award for Speech Night. “Oriental Cooking” was the choice - a slim A5, black and white edition with no glossy photos and no pizzazz. Perhaps a strange choice for someone from a meat and three veg background. Even the Mayor's wife commented on it as she made the presentation.

By the end of that year, the HSC results were out and along with a number of my PHS friends, I had won a scholarship to attend Sydney University. It was a teacher's scholarship and a wondrous thing in an era in which young people, especially girls, did not take a university education for granted. My subjects had to be teaching areas for secondary school and despite having spent four years studying French with the great Mr Pereria, I enrolled in Japanese, Italian, Computer Coding and Psychology. In those days Penrith was a pleasant country town and a girl from the “sticks” struggled with the self-proclaimed “beautiful” people of the private school, metro world.

Later, I graduated from the Australian National University, majoring in Japanese language under the legendary Professor Alfonso. The plan to study both Japanese and Chinese was dashed when the Prof advised against it. It was the 70s and Japan was emerging as an international force and a significant trading partner of Australia. But there may have been other forces at work behind my choice. Many years later I rediscovered photos my father had taken of pre-WW 2 Japan. Later, he would become the first British seamen to step ashore at Hiroshima after the bomb.

ANU had advised all language students to spend time in the culture under study so my first international flight was to Japan to attend university in Osaka for a year – I remained for eight; married, living like a local and working as a translator and interpreter.

After returning to Australia and relocating to Victoria, life events took me out of academia and education and into business management. I am fortunate to have been in some of the world's best companies. Prior to the Global Financial Crisis in 2009, while working for a British consulting company, there were many trips back to Japan and other parts of S.E Asia – the feeling of being home lingered still.

As I approach 50 years since graduating from PHS, I have bought a “renovator's delight” in France and spend my year between there and Victoria. And the Japan connection? I have a Japanese daughter-in-law and two lovely grandchildren. It is my fervent desire that they become bilingual. It matters not what your second language is, for the gift of bilingualism and bi-culturalism is the gift of profound insight.

From Penrith to Geraldton

My journey began after a very enjoyable 6 years at Penrith High School. The education I received both prepared me, and enabled many doors to open, for the future. First stop was Sydney University completing a B.Sc, Dip Ed. Next step a M.A. at the University of New South Wales. My wife, Christine, and I then taught in the western suburbs of Sydney before spending a few years as missionary teachers in the highlands of Papua New Guinea. This experience altered my intended plans to pursue a tertiary teaching career.

We returned to study theology at Moore Theological College where I completed a B.Th., Dip.A.(with honours). This led to serving in a number of Anglican churches across Sydney from Seaforth, to Dapto and finally to Panania. Moore College then asked me to head up their External Studies Department which involved training people both in Australia and in places such as Cuba, Chile, Fiji and Sabah. During this time, I also began to run intensive training for pastors in Africa which I have been doing for 25 years. I feel Africa is like a second home and have been involved in countries such as Nigeria, Namibia, Uganda and South Sudan. In between teaching overseas and around Australia I managed to complete a research M.Th (with merit).

At the beginning of 2012, an unexpected change occurred with my election as Bishop of the Anglican Diocese of North West Australia – an outback region covering about 80% of Western Australia. I now spend a great deal of the time travelling around the diocese experiencing … long drives from our home in Geraldton; incredible, varied landscapes (bringing back memories of all those high school Geography classes); and interacting with people from an amazing array of nations. I am still teaching in Africa, plus raising support for a school and hospital in a remote part of Uganda. The workload of my role meant no time to complete a doctorate in education, but I don’t regret that with the fulfilment this role provides.

I am looking forward to the 50th reunion in November of the class of ’69 and thankful for the education that Penrith High School provided in the six years I attended the school.

Gary Nelson

When Mr Long asked to write this report, I wasn’t sure what I should say, however, in sitting down to write it I realised that in mid-April I will have been retired for two and a half years. It is only then that I realised that there is so much more to life after work. My six year old granddaughter still struggles to understand the concept of me now being paid not to go to work but I will leave that for her Economics or Commerce teacher to explain when she makes it to high school.

Even though my wife is still at work we have found the time to continue our love of travel. In recent years there has been a focus on visiting the peoples of the Pacific with holidays to Hawaii, Vanuatu, the Cook Islands and New Zealand. However, in April we head off to Egypt for a couple of weeks (even though the Smart Traveller website says of Egypt – please re-consider your need to travel). We then return for a couple of months before heading off to Southern Africa and Kenya for five weeks. Both holidays will continue to open our eyes to ways in which the people of the world inhabit their little space. They both come with risks, but I still feel that the rewards will be much greater.

When I said retired it probably should have said “90% retired” as I am still doing some work but not teaching in schools. I am currently employed by Western Sydney University where I am presenting a Geography method lecture and tutorial each week in the first semester. I am also one of their Master of Teaching supervisors, so I get to sit down with some of their future teachers whilst they are out on their professional experience programs and offer advice and guidance on how they can become a better teacher. Both experiences have allowed me to continue my input in to a profession that I loved so much.

I am still involved as a volunteer with New South Wales Combined High Schools Rugby League Association and enjoy the opportunity to give my time at their State Carnivals. This also provides the opportunity to catch up with friends (retired and working teachers) that I have had in this association for the past 30 years. Volunteering can be such a rewarding and humbling experience and one that all should undertake at some stage.

To all those ex-students that I am still in contact with I would like to say how proud I am of your achievements and the many and varied paths your lives have followed. I hope too that your life is also as rewarding. To the staff at Penrith High School I will say that I still miss you but as life moves on the saying goes “your friends are like stars, you can’t always see them but you know they are always there”.

As an Alumni of PHS, congratulations on the unveiling of her portrait in commemoration of being the first Aboriginal woman elected into the House of Representatives.

The portrait, unveiled at Parliament House recently, depicts a proud, determined Linda Burney wearing a fabulous red ensemble by Australian designer Carla Zampatti.

"I didn't want it to be another portrait of someone in a suit," the Labor frontbencher says of the painting, which will be displayed in a gallery dominated by white, male former prime ministers and presiding officers. We are extremely proud, Linda Burney!

Brooke Nolan reminisces:

From 1993 – 1999, I was a student at Penrith High School. I had the privilege of being taught by some outstanding teachers during this time, particularly those in the History and English departments. In 1998, I won the Sydney Morning Herald Young Writer of the Year Competition for the Western Sydney Division. My English teacher at that time was Mr Rick McLellan. At the moment, I am writing my first novel.

I remember working on The Towers as a student at PHS.

I have just finished a PhD in Anthropology at UWA, so most of my published writing to date has been academic. I conducted ethnographic research for 12 months on Wawonii, a small Indonesian island east of Sulawesi, and this is reflected in the journalism I did for The Jakarta Globe and the journal articles I wrote for Inside Indonesia and other academic publications. These are some of those pieces:

https://www.insideindonesia.org/boys-under-the-blade

https://www.insideindonesia.org/a-mysterious-illness

https://www.insideindonesia.org/australian-law-on-rote

I hope this may encourage PHS students to think big (beyond exam results) and aim high (towards whatever they feel is interesting, rather than expected).

Warm regards,

Brooke Nolan

Benjamin graduated from PSHS in 2010.

Congratulations Benjamin on your new role in West Side Story!

Benjamin graduated from ED5 International with a Diploma of Performing Arts in 2016 and has since been mapping out an impressive career in the Entertainment Industry.

He appeared on stage at Tokyo DisneySea for a season in Big Band Beat. Since his return he has performed in Tap For All’s Colour eMotion, The Royal Sydney Golf Club’s 125th Anniversary celebrations, and entertained the crowds on the red carpet at the Opening Night of Priscilla, Queen Of The Desert.

Benjamin has continued his acting training at Screenwise and the HubStudio, and recently assisted voice coach Amy Hume on her Linklater Intensive workshop.

West Side Story marks Benjamin’s debut in musical theatre and he is delighted to join this spectacular Opera Australia production.

My name is April de Haan and I am a YMCA NSW Youth Parliament taskforce member this year, in my 2nd year at Macquarie University studying International Studies, after being a YMCA NSW Junior Parliament participant in 2013 and a YMCA NSW Youth Parliament participant in 2015 and 2016, during my studies at Penrith High School. My role as a YP taskie involves leading young people in years 10-12 through a program which provides them with a platform in which to voice their ideas regarding policy reform. I am a part of the Parliament and Education portfolio within the taskforce, as these areas best align with my passions, and I lead a committee which represents Justice, Inclusion and Diversity.

Patricia recently came back to PSHS for a visit.

She went away very happy with her copy of the Towers and extremely pleased that she could find her name in the attendance book for 1951.

She was only here for part of year 7 and year 8 as her father travelled with work - attending 14 schools in her short high school days.
She did go on to do nursing(midwifery).

It was a pleasure to show you around the school so you could do some reminiscing!

Email: penrith-h.school@det.nsw.edu.au
Website: https://penrith-h.schools.nsw.gov.au
Location: 158-240 High Street, Penrith NSW, Australia
Phone: 02 4721 0529
Facebook: https://facebook.com/penrithselectivhighschool