Co-curricular

Shaping girls’ futures beyond the classroom

The benefits of a PLC Armidale education are not solely evident in our academic outcomes. Our mission to guide and prepare girls for lives of significance beyond their schooling years has resulted in the development of an extensive and diverse range of co-curricular programs.

These programs have been crafted not in response to social or academic trends, but to provide our girls with opportunities to challenge and extend themselves, and in the process to build and discover the strength of their own character.

Cattle Team

Agriculture is the heart of New England, and PLC Armidale has a deep connection to the land. Our extensive grounds boast working cattle yards and sheds, complete with a small herd of cattle as well as other small livestock.

PLC girls are encouraged to get involved with the Cattle Team regardless of their background. As part of the Team, they will learn about animal care and management, compete in local agricultural shows throughout the New England region as well as the Royal Queensland Show in Brisbane.

The Cattle Team is not just about keeping livestock. It challenges students in every way, providing opportunities for girls to push their boundaries and test their strength both physically and emotionally. It also poses a raft of problem-solving challenges, forcing students to develop and apply their understanding of economics, biology, behaviour, mathematics, logistics and more to very tangible real-world problems.

Visual Arts

Creativity, self-awareness and critical thinking are highly desired traits in leaders both within and beyond the workforce. They are traits that drive innovation, help create empathy and denote an interest in the broader world. PLC girls develop these traits as well as their technical skills within our Visual Arts program.

Within Stage 4 (Years 7 and 8) students gain a fundamental understanding of the frames and conceptual framework and the application of these in both artmaking and critical and historical studies of the visual arts.

Throughout Stage 5 (Years 9 and 10) students are required to be more interpretive and perceptive, aiming to build upon the skills learnt in Stage 4, while allowing them to develop an individual expressive style through their art making.

In Stage 6 (Years 11 and 12) students are encouraged to think both creatively and independently leading towards the production of a resolved Body of Work to be assessed as 50% of their Higher School Certificate Examination in Visual Arts.

Music

Music is a conduit for individual and collaborative expression. It is an opportunity for our girls to explore history, culture, and indeed themselves through sound. PLC Armidale has long cultivated a reputation for musical excellence. Many of our graduates have placed in the top 10% of the State for their HSC, and PLC Armidale graduates are often awarded selection to Conservatoriums of Music nationally and globally.

All our girls take music as a classroom subject from Pre-Kindergarten to Year 8 and may choose Music as an elective subject from Years 9 to 12.

In addition to Music as a subject, the girls are encouraged to take part in one of our small instrumental ensembles, vocal ensembles or choirs. Many of these groups rehearse outside of school hours, offering moments of camaraderie and collaboration to foster strong bonds and a feeling of sisterhood. Performances within and outside the College help students to build a sense of community.

Students who wish to hone their craft further can access specialist tuition from qualified music teachers across a range of instruments. The College has a wide range of instruments available to hire at competitive rates.

Duke of Edinburgh Award

PLC Armidale girls who participate in the Duke of Edinburgh Award join over 8 million young people worldwide who have participated in the program which sees people aged 14 to 24 explore their full potential by voluntarily serving the community, being involved in physical recreational groups, developing new skills, and undertaking outdoor expeditions.

Speech and Drama

Confidence comes with conviction. The girls learn both in Speech and Drama, which cultivates students’ acting, writing and public speaking skills from the foundation years of Junior School. Students from Kindergarten to Year 11 take part in Guild Drama on the final day of each school year. Each student plays a role, from scripting, to music, to costumes and choreography, to stage-running, to acting.

Students in Years 7 to 10 participate in the Middleton Public Speaking Competition as well as the statewide AHIGS Festival of Speech competition.

Dance

Our inspirational Dance, Drama and Creative Arts teacher, Mrs Joanne Wysel, teaches elective drama and dance subjects from Year 9 to Year 12 and runs the PLC Armidale co-curricular dance program. There is a dance class for our Junior School students on Monday afternoons, as well as dance ensembles at lunchtime for the more experienced dancers and students who just want to dance for fun. A Theatresports co-curricular weekly workshop with a group of UNE Theatre Students is also in the planning stage.

Sport at PLC Armidale

PLC Armidale girls are encouraged to participate in sports – not that they need the encouragement. Our girls recognise the positive impacts sport has on their physical, mental and social wellbeing, and so participation is high across the whole College. PLC Armidale is a member of Independent Girls’ Schools Association Sport, Independent Primary Schools’ Heads Association, giving students the opportunity to represent the College at higher levels throughout the region and the State.

Our Community Partnership with the Northern Inland Academy of Sport (NIAS) draws talented athletes and sporting professionals from around the state to our facilities, giving PLC girls and coaches access to professional development.

Sports offered at PLC Armidale include:

  • Athletics
  • Basketball
  • Cross Country
  • Equestrian
  • Fitness
  • Futsal
  • Gymnastics
  • Hockey (Indoor and Field)
  • Mountain Biking
  • Netball
  • Rugby 7s
  • Soccer
  • Swimming
  • Tennis
  • Touch Football