From the Principal's Desk

In welcoming you all to a new Term and a new Semester, I trust the past three weeks have provided your family with the rest and refreshment needed for what lies ahead. I welcome the 13 new students and their families along with the new Staff joining our team: Mr Evans and Mr Corrigan in the Maths Department along with the return from leave of Mrs Bird, Ms Paton and Mrs O’Sullivan.

Whilst our School may have been largely devoid of students and Staff, there was action a-plenty. Pittwater House does not stop.

Not only in the on-site works occurring, but in the activities provided for students. Most noteworthy was the inaugural Kokoda Trail experience for a group of our Cadets, led by local guides in New Guinea. Our Cadet Unit is an integral part of the Pittwater House community and prides itself in its close links around the Northern Beaches. This inaugural Trek, of 9-days duration, gave the participating cadets an opportunity to push themselves and gain a special appreciation for our wartime service personnel. Our students were certainly required to tap into their reserves of courage and perseverance, and I trust came away with a sense of honour and commitment as they stood beside and reflected on the gravestones of the war-dead. My gratitude to our Officer Commanding, Captain Blackwell for his initiative and leadership of this unique experience together with Ms Dunstan and Ms Hallett. We look forward to hearing the students present some of their unique experiences in Assembly shortly. Captain Blackwell shared with Staff on Monday some of the ways this life-changing journey impacted the group.

A large cohort of our students journeyed to Perisher for the annual Snowsports Championships and Snowsports Camp, where they competed in the Sydney Interschools Snowsports Championships. Pittwater House had 38 students competing, including 4 Junior School students and 34 students from Years 7-11. Of these, 27 Senior School students stayed at the Bungarra Alpine Centre in Jindabyne from Sunday 14 to Sunday 21 July. Again, there were Staff with the students as they competed, practised, and had some free time to hone their downhill and snowboarding skills. There was a mix of podium placement, and a chance to trial against some stiff competition; a great experience for all. The group experienced a mix of conditions, with their bus being forced to turnaround on Saturday from the highly challenging icy road as they attempted to get into the ski fields. Safety will always prevail in our decision-making.

HSC students are at the pointy end of their studies and a significant number took up the highly valued, and most generous support given by HSC teachers during the Holiday Recess. Whether it was Design and Technology major project work, Music, Economics, Legal Studies, French or more, Staff gave their valued time to the students to ensure they are well placed as they prepare for the all-important Trials at the beginning of August. 

The physical transformation of our beloved Swimming Pool, continues.Decades of use is being peeled back to allow for the complete reworking of the base, and subsequent re-tiling. We are very excited about the future for this key facility. It has been messy, noisy and difficult work at this early stage, and we are relieved that the worst is now behind us.

As with the beginning of any new term, or semester, it is time for students to review their plans for success. I trust that the holiday Recess has thus allowed for the reset of resolutions from the Semester 1 reporting period. As we look to the Term ahead, my hope is for each student to set their goals sufficiently high, to work closely with their teachers, and to benefit from the focus and joy of engagement with their peers.

In a time of global flux, uncertainty and deep divisions, our troubled world and sometimes unstable local environs, places responsibility on us as a School, to provide stability and security to all who daily come through our gates. We are focused on this as we seek to work in team, with you.

Meanwhile we celebrated our 63rd Foundation Day on Tuesday with celebratory Assemblies for the Junior School and then the Secondary School. As always there is a collaborative activity to mark the event and I acknowledge the wonderful leadership of our Head Prefects Nick and Sienna whose work with students across the School resulted in an up to date drawn Map of our Campus.

Our Assemblies are always followed by the Foundation Day Relay. There is no finer event across the year. Pictures are worth a thousand words.

Happy Birthday, Pittwater House.

We certainly get into action immediately. Day 2 of term provided what is always a much loved engagement with the messages of books. Yes, the annual Book Parade. There were characters everywhere...and the teachers certainly got into the spirit. This parade heralds the start of our HEROIC Literacy and Numeracy Festival. Mrs Mano shares more of this in her article later in this edition of HouseNews.

With every good wish for the term ahead.