Flourishing Together
Communities flourish together and at St Hilda’s our community is grounded in a tradition
of excellence in education and steadfast commitment to empowering young women
to reach their fullest potential. My most sincere appreciation for the warm welcome from the St
Hilda’s community. As the newly appointed Principal, I am delighted to share some reflections
on the past month and aspirations for the year ahead.
At this week’s staff meeting I shared some
of the research that points us towards shared purpose, committed relationships,
mutual learning, abundance mindsets, and collective well-being as the
foundations for supporting our students, our educators and our community to
flourish.
As I reflect on the first month of our School year, our
student-led initiatives really stand out as reflections of how our girls
flourish in alignment with these foundations. From the Year 6 leaders
supporting our younger girls in the playground and classrooms, to
our Senior School initiatives; Galentine’s Day, Rosies, International Group, Sport, Music and the Arts, and the extensive co-curricular and
service activities on offer, our girls continue to champion one another and
live out our school values. These examples are a testament to the enduring spirit of
contribution, leadership, and the pursuit of excellence that defines who we
are. Thank you to our staff and Parent
Volunteer Groups who facilitate the wide range of opportunities afforded to our
St Hilda’s girls and to our girls for making the most of every opportunity.
Last weekend our Open Day had the highest attendance on record
and our students were exemplary ambassadors for St Hilda’s. So many prospective
families shared with me that it was the attributes and warmth of our girls that
was the highlight of their morning. On Sunday, I had the absolute joy of
travelling to Sydney for the OGA event at the Opera Bar where our eldest old girl Gail Stewart (Class of 1956) and our youngest old girls, Liliana Allen and Lily Beaver (Class of 2023) connected with all those
in between for a beautiful afternoon of storytelling. One of the highlights for
me was watching the
interactions and listening to a 1963 graduate share that if any of the girls
needed anything she was but a phone call away. That is the strength of our
threads.
In mid-March our musicians and performers will move into the Granowski building and begin learning in this exquisite space. The Archbishop will officially open the building on Friday 31 May and this will be followed by a Celebration of the Arts evening commencing at 6.00pm.
I wrote earlier this week to remind families about the importance of safety and in particular patience and adherence to road rules at drop off and pick up. I seek your support in ensuring everyone is mindful and careful when travelling around the School grounds.
I’d like to advise that we have made a slight change to our Term 4 calendar. In order to showcase and celebrate the achievements of our Year 12 students and graduating cohort, we are transitioning to a Speech Night (Years 7 – 12) to be held on Thursday 3 October prior to the Year 12 External Exams. All other end of year events and traditions will remain as calendarized.
Educating for strength of mind, courage of heart and character, and the strong threads of belonging continue to be intricately woven into a tapestry of life at St Hilda’s. It has been an absolute blessing and privilege to connect with parents, old girls, and students across numerous events this term.
I would like to highlight but a few recent achievements of our senior girls. Congratulations to:
· Audrey Kuk (Year 12) who has been accepted to attend Harvard Summer School
· Aileen Hu - (Year 12) who has been named as one of three finalists in the QRC/WIMARQ Resources Awards for Women - Exceptional Female QMEA Student of the Year Award
· Aurora Salmon – (Year 11) who was successful in her audition for the National Youth Wind Ensemble of Scotland.
· Flora Yang (Year 12) who late last year completed a European Tour with the Queensland Youth Symphony as a cellist, including a performance in Vienna’s iconic Musikverein, the home of the Vienna Philharmonic.
Thank you for your ongoing support.
Mrs Virginia Warner
Principal
