From the Principal's Desk

I hope all our mothers felt the love, support, and gratitude from your family on Sunday; just as you should every day of the year. For our School family we ensured the students could bring their mothers a carefully selected and wrapped gift arranged by our wonderful PHPA. Hundreds of gifts were prepared by a marvellous group of parent helpers; thank you for your support.

And then, the social function of the year! The Pittwater House Mothers' Day Luncheon; and what an outstanding success. Over 220 mothers and grandmothers came together for an event that began at 11am and finished at…. A late hour! I am immensely indebted to the President of the PHPA Mrs Sheridan Millward and the wonderful PHPA Committee and the further volunteers at the end of the lunch… without you all we would not have had such a superb occasion. I was personally deeply touched by the expressions of gratitude and warmth on this my last Mothers’ Day Lunch…it really is the happiest of days that I cherish each year.  

We returned to a local venue to allow us to accommodate everyone who wished to attend. The response was again overwhelming in its positivity. As the photos show, the room looked marvellous. The food was outstanding, and the vibe throughout the day, very special. Your children had been videoed showing their messages of gratitude and love and the video was played at the beginning of the lunch. One of the high points each year is the Raffle, and this year did not disappoint. Over 30 hampers were put together thanks to the generosity of you all in supporting your Network parent to create a basket of excitement, surprise, and desire. They were simply stunning. I have created somewhat of a reputation of encouraging parents to buy a raffle ticket from me, to ensure success! And there are many mothers who do just that, having purchased a ticket from me and taken home their fabulous collection, year after year. So, thank you to all those mothers who sought me out and once more felt the joy of the occasion. 

Although I left the event mid-afternoon to return to my desk, I have pictorial evidence of the large number, (I am told at least half) of mothers who continued to enjoy each other’s company for many additional hours… such is the sense of community, and family, in our School. Frequently I remind you of this significant feature of Pittwater House and you know it is very real when, as occurred again this past week, a group of prospective families shared that the overwhelming sense they got from the morning, was community. Our students use the word, our Staff do, and so do you. 

Whether it is a key annual celebration such as Mothers’ Day, or a marvellous crowd in the Hall for Year 8 Parent-Teacher meetings this week, community shines brightly. There was not one parent at the Parent-Teacher meetings with whom I spoke, who did not feel indebted to the Staff, and the experiences their children were having.

I look forward to our Assemblies each Friday, separated as they are for our Junior and Secondary Schools. I am very proud of our student leaders who own the stage and microphone with such easy composure. And this year, our full-length lesson time for the secondary Assembly held once a fortnight has provided some wonderful content. Last Friday Malia (C9), Henry (G10), Carys (C10), Parker (CG11) and Chloe (CG11) who had the good fortune to go on the European History Tour, shared their memories of this amazing experience. Again, the poignancy given the announcement of Habemus Papam (we have a Pope) occurred a few hours prior to the Assembly, just as the students were in Rome at the time of the death of Pope Francis. It was a time too when we heard from Narelle Hand from the Northern Beaches Women’s Shelter given our wonderful Year 10 student leaders donated the profits (almost $700) from their Bake Stall held last Term, to this charity. The material from Ms Hand was challenging around domestic violence, yet the message was clear, that there are people to support those who find themselves in need, and in the case of Pittwater House, our strong pastoral care offering ensures there is always someone to turn to. It needs to be noted that domestic violence can affect people anywhere, in any socioeconomic sphere, profession or locality. Above all else, kindness is key. This easily moved the message on to that from our Deputy Head Prefects, Luke and Adele who shared the idea behind Dolly’s Foundation Do it for Dolly Day. It was such an impressive sight sitting on stage looking out to a sea of blue… some 800 students, and Staff dressed to support this important national day which encourages communities, schools and workplaces to go blue, spread kindness, and raise awareness of bullying, with the goal of preventing further tragedies.

At the start of the Assembly, and with an encore for all the secondary teachers in their meeting directly after Assembly, we were treated to a superb vocal performance from Grace (CG12), supported by Mr Hardy on Trumpet and three of our Music Tutors. It was a very special day.

It was wonderful to welcome back 3 Alumni last week who spoke to Mrs Finney’s careers program. Matthew Johnston (Class of 2023), Zach Smith and Nick Butcher (Class of 2024) are all studying at UTS having achieved entrance to the highly competitive and elite Scholarship program in Business. Not only do they work in a fast-tracked way, but they are also assigned to a company from their first year of study. There are many exciting opportunities for our graduating students and Mrs Finney continues to shed light on these, whether in Sydney, regionally or interstate. No wonder our students are achieving so highly.

In another first, and marvelous opportunity for performance, our Year 12 Music students took to the stage for an important step in their preparation for their Trials and then HSC exam performance. There was something special in taking this activity off site and I was further impressed by the number of Year 12 and some Year 11 students who attended in support of their peers.  By the time the Soirée began, the room was packed! Sincere thanks to our Year 12 Music teachers Mr Hardy and Mrs Colless and the Music Tutors who provided backup to their students.

It is a hectic time for the Performing Arts with 'Mamma Mia' being the focus for some 100 student through this Term. Watch this space for exciting updates for the 2025 Major Production...change is afloat...and it could be your opportunity... And of course, the Junior School Creative Arts evening.

So, as we prepare for all the challenge, opportunity, and excitement of the coming fortnight, I look forward to continuing my engagement with you all. I do hope the weather will be kinder and the oval enjoyed once more.