The Penrith Perception: Recent Episodes
The Penrith Perception
The Penrith Perception podcast is designed to guide Penrith Selective High School students to succeed in life. Its aim is to share wholesome experiences and wisdom from prefects, teachers, successful alumni and professionals at the top of their field.
In Part 2 of our special two part series on Public Education week, we hear from Ms Chapman, an English teacher who explains what Public Education means to her.
This very special two part series is to celebrate Public Education week. We sit down with our Deputy Principal, Ms Lam, to explore what Public Education means to her. This year’s theme is ‘Ignite Your Potential’ - a time to recognise growth, come together and celebrate the strength and achievements in NSW public education. You’ll even hear from some of the incoming OC students, exploring their expectations, fears and hopes for their future high school journey and our special guest, Pate Cooper, who is the Director of Educational Leadership in our area. Join us as we celebrate the power of learning, community and opportunity in our public school system.
In this special crossover episode, Penrith Selective High School teams up with the number one ranked school in the state - North Sydney Boys High School - for a conversation full of insight, curiosity, and collaboration. What can two of NSW's top-performing schools learn from each other? A lot, as it turns out. Join the team as we unpack shared goals, different approaches to academic excellence, leadership, and student voice. Plus, North Sydney Boys drops an exciting exclusive announcement you won’t want to miss. This episode proves that when great schools come together, the learning never stops.
In today’s episode, the podcast team speaks to our school's other leadership bodies - House Leaders and Student Representative Council (SRC). We’ll speak to Eva and Aj who will give us their insights on their leadership journeys throughout the years. From navigating expectations to shaping the school’s culture, we dive into what it really means to lead, and how they plan to leave their mark this year. Leadership isn’t just a badge or a title, it's the countless hours spent moulding our school into the place it is today.
In this episode, the team is on the ground getting all the details, excitement and rush of the best day in the school calendar - Multicultural Day! From sizzling food stalls to dazzling cultural performances and traditional dress, this day bursts with colour, flavour, and community spirit. Reet chats with stall leaders, performers, and students to uncover what makes this celebration so unforgettable. Tune in for stories, laughter, and a powerful showcase of cultural pride and unity.
This year Penrith High School celebrated International Women’s Day on March 7 with a number of initiatives. In this episode, the team speak to Amritha, Giselle and Freya about these initiatives and what womanhood and allyship mean to them. They have a very real conversation about the progress we have made in the journey to equity and the micro actions they and all of us can do to continue for equal recognition.
In this episode the team speaks to our school’s executive Prefects - Rupali, Ryan, Hanami and Jonathan to find out what makes a leader tick. We gain perspective on a school Captain’s sense of duty and the legacy they want to leave behind.
In this episode we have a cast of creative and performing arts students who will talk about their love for the arts and some of the misconceptions about choosing Music, Drama and Visual Arts as a subject. Tommy, Hemish, John and Sreekar are exemplary examples of how passion creates talent.
In this episode, Reet and Shamaila talk to year 12 students, Rupali and Sahithi, about their choice of HSC subjects. From one’s love of Mathematics and the other’s love for Humanities, they are frank, honest and extremely wise in outlining the realities of choosing electives in the junior years and then selecting HSC subjects that contribute to ATARs.
Mr Long was the Principal at Penrith Selective High School from 2017-2023. He has had a marvellous career in public education and especially in selective high schools. In this episode we chat about his career in leadership, his love of education and the legacy he leaves behind as he soars to new heights in America.
In today’s episode we will hear from Mitali and Sophie, two students who participate in Penrith High School’s newly started Cheerleading Program who are eager to share their experiences in our school's exciting new club that I’m sure have caught the interest of many students here.
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.
In today’s episode we will hear from two year 9 students, Srushti and Harry who are keen to share their experiences with basketball enrichment and their takes on this opportunity, as well as why this is one of the best enrichment programs our school has to offer.
In today’s episode we will hear from Ms Berry, who teaches in CAPA as well as two year 11 arts students, Bhavika and Amiya, who are very excited to share their thoughts and personal experiences with our school’s many art programs, including their reasons for choosing it and why they think the junior years should too.
In today’s episode we will hear from three of our senior students, Diksha, Shriya and Shafa from year 11, along with our special guests for this episode, Mrs Richardson and Mrs Micallef who are the Stage 6 Academic Advisers. They work very closely with the students of years 11 and 12 in their HSC journey.
In this episode Yashika and Manasvi talk to two successful participants from this year’s athletics carnival. The carnival is a festive and study-free two days, showcasing our school's many talents and skills in various sports with school records even being broken!
It's finally the end of the term, and what a better way to finish it than with a game of chess? In the past few years chess has seen a resurgence all across the globe with shows such as Queen's Gambit quickly gaining popularity; Even our own school has seen a surge in chess competitors. Today we'll discuss how it all came to start as well as what inspires its players and how you can start playing yourself.
Welcome back to 2023 - and what better topic to reign in the new school year than an episode about our future! In this episode the team discusses sustainability at school particularly with the creation of our new garden. As society becomes more aware of our impact on the environment, this collective movement towards a sustainable future has never been more important.
2021 saw the construction of Penrith High School’s Yarning Circle, built by the Eather group. Our school has a rich history of success achieved by its Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students and we want to celebrate that. The construction of the Yarning Circle allows all students to deepen their collective knowledge of First Nations People and culture. The artwork design tells a story and provides opportunities for collaboration. The project involved 6 indigenous companies including design, landscaping, artwork, and cultural consultation.
To finish off this term, we bring to you a discussion about DUKE OF EDINBURGH with Mrs Andreatta and Mela as well as two special alumni of Penrith High School - Jola and Alison. Duke of Ed is an internationally recognised award that began in Penrith High School in the late 1900s. We talk all about the program from the camps to all other aspects of Duke Of Ed that you may not know of. Make sure to listen until the end to hear about some fun stories from all our Duke of Ed journeys.
Penrith High School put on its first musical in over 30 years - The Little Shop of Horrors. The shows’ pop/rock musical journey takes audiences from the rough neighbourhood of Skid Row, right through to fleeting fame when Seymour’s flytrap plant gains him star botany status BUT can only thrive on human blood and grows bigger and bigger! In this episode we chat to the people involved in putting on a musical and hear all about its success.
To kick off the year we thought we’d chat to some of last year’s High Achievers, All Rounders, Accelerated students and transfer students. The 2021 HSC year was rocky to say the least, with a large portion of their year 11 work disrupted, more remote learning in year 12, and a delayed start to the HSC examinations. But through the fog of it all, our Penrith High students came out the other side with glowing results and acceptance letters. This episode details their trials and tribulations and how they got through an unprecedented year of learning. We also hear from some transfer students and their experiences at our school.
To close off the year, it's time to meet our new Penrith Prefects for 2022 as well as hand over the baton to our new year 9 recruits to the podcast.
Welcome to Lockdown Diaries Part Two: The Light at the End of Lockdown. With the multitude of stories we received last time for this episode we knew we had to do a follow up to capture the full voice of those in lockdown but also now with the roadmap out, there is light at the end of the tunnel. School return dates are up. Businesses are opening. Some sense of normality will be resuming and we cannot wait to hear your stories about how things will look afterwards.
Back at it again, just in time to close off the term. In today’s episode, we’re hearing about the highlights of online school from our very own students and teachers in this lockdown diary segment. Thank you to everyone who participated. Stay tuned to the end to hear who won the coveted jingle competition and ETERNAL GLORY (oh, and a $20 canteen voucher!)
Prefects, Elizabeth and Sinduja, talk about the real-world application of people challenging expectations in high school and beyond.
Welcome to a STEM-centric chat with none other than Ms Alrubai who is a Mathematics teacher at Penrith High School, AND an advocate for renewable energy through Sydney Alliance’s ‘Voices for Power’ initiative. In this episode, we talk all things STEM-related including the inspiration for working in the field, the corresponding hardships and what's in store for the future of STEM.
AND WE’RE BACK! To the surprise of many, there is actually life after high school and there is a light at the end of this 6-year long tunnel. Today we’re in conversation with our 2020 Vice-Captain, Holly Gerrard, who is currently on a gap year after getting into a Law/Arts degree at the University of Sydney. Holly and Ms Scardanas talk through their high school experiences and study tips with a few bants on the class of ‘20 ;) Ps. Sorry about the late upload, took a week off for exam block.
2nd episode of Prefectalk LETS GOOOO!!! Today we’re talking upcoming events, Perth, covid, perseverance and above all... formula one racing! Join today’s hosts; Sindy, Zach and Jahin in this not to be missed term 2 update. P.S. Sorry about the late upload- we’ve been busy planning content!!! As always, Thankyou to Mark Maxwell for the music!!
Welcome welcome to the FINAL segment of our interview with James Maloney!!! The long-awaited moment is here. We’ll FINALLY be hearing about Maloney’s future at the panthers- so make sure you stay tuned till the end to hear it along with the answers to more burning questions about leadership with co-hosts Jamima and Kokulaan. A special shout-out to Dr. Saxlove for the music.
Welcome to the second ever Penrith High Press episode with the one and only James Maloney! In this segment the NRL superstar spills the tea about a successful mindset and how we can bounce back from our low points. Join social justice prefect, Jamima and a still star struck school captain, Kokulaan as they unpack his wisdom and gain some valuable insights into his life. As always, a huge shoutout to Dr. Saxlove for his music.
Welcome to our very first Penrith high press episode with the one and only, James Maloney! Tune in to hear a very star-struck school captain Kokulaan and Social Justice prefect Jamima discuss career progression with the NRL superstar. As always, a special thanks to Dr Saxlove for the music.
Welcome to our second official episode where we dish out the hot tea on Valentine’s Day and talk quad schools (Baulko who..?) stay to the end to hear Alyna, Zach & Jahin talk leadership and how you can take ownership to make the world a better place. Once again, a special shoutout to Dr. Saxlove for his music!
Some may know him as Mr. Matic, others may know him as the absolute GOAT, but today we dive deeper and discover what lies under his rat tail hair... join us on our very first Prefectalk episode where Mr. Matic takes us back to his international competition days and talks to us about personal growth. With a special thanks to Dr. Saxlove for the music.
Welcome to the first episode of the Penrith Perception podcast where Kokulaan and Rana brief you on the whys and the whats of this series. A special shoutout to Dr. Saxlove for the groovy jazz tunes!
Make sure to follow our Instagram page @thepenrithperception and stay tuned!