From the Principal

Thought for the week:

“As a drop of water is one with the sea, a ray of light is one with the sun, even so God and man, Father and son are one in being. 

Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, by Mary Baker Eddy

Residentials

Last week was a very active and exciting week for students and staff, with Years 7, 8, 10 and 12 away on their residentials. I really enjoyed visiting the three Victorian camps and commend the students on how they embraced every opportunity.  Many of them stepped outside their comfort zone and discovered new skills and strengths. A huge thank you to all our staff for their extended 24 hour care of our students. Without the commitment of our wonderful staff and their willingness to support the residentials, we would not be able to provide such a rich experience for our students. 

Our School Captains, Daphne Gounaris and Lachlan Kelaart, have taken some time to reflect on their time at Huntingtower and the importance of the residentials.

"Sometimes we forget the importance of school camps. Going into camp is always a moment of excitement, but this year came with a slight sense of sadness. This was the final camp in our time at Huntingtower and while this thought was sobering, it also meant we knew we had to make it count. We are very fortunate to take part in a variety of activities at Huntingtower that makes each experience special in its own way. However, what camps have in common is that they offer opportunities for personal growth and development, as well as building new connections in a safe and supportive environment. At the beginning of our year 12 camp, our teachers challenged us to sit with a new group every dinner time, and in the end, it was a challenge easily met. Our time at camp opened our eyes to how truly connected we had grown as a year level. Our previous camps where we spent time rowing down the Murray River and travelling through the Northern Territory had forged us into a real family. At the end of the day, that’s what camp is all about. It grabs you out of your comfort zone, and because everything feels so unfamiliar, you have to learn to lean on the one thing you know you can count on -  everyone around you. We’ve learned many lessons throughout our time at camp; to surf, to pitch a tent, to cook on a trangia, to brave cold nights in just our sleeping bags. Although camp activities like these never fail to arouse a feeling of excitement, we have learnt in our last camp how important the people around you are. It is these people that make camp an unforgettable experience." 

Daphne Gounaris and Lachlan Kelaart – 2023 School Captains

EISM Swimming

On Tuesday evening, Huntingtower was successful in retaining the Division 1 EISM Swimming Champions title. We won the Boys Aggregate, Girls Aggregate and we were the overall winner. Throughout the evening, 10 records were broken, with Huntingtower taking 5 of these.

George broke the 100m and 50m Freestyle record.

Cheng-Yu broke the 50m Breaststroke record.

The Under 15 Boys broke the 200m Medley Relay and 200m Freestyle Relay (Cheng-Yu, Matthew, Emiliano and George).

Team HT was at its best with some amazing individual and team performances. The cooperation of the students to be flexible and fill spaces to ensure we started every race, and the team spirit supporting all members was so heart-warming. We also had a very supportive parent cheer squad who cheered our students on and delighted in our win.

A big thank you to Ms Baynham, Ms Sheehan, Helen Aden, Brendan Powell, Bobson Mansaray, and Craig Kennedy for preparing and supporting our swimming team. Thank you also to our staff who attended and helped as officials or in the stands.

The Huntingtower team spirit is alive and well! 

Andrew Houghton

Principal