From the Principal's Desk

Our thoughts and prayers remain with the St Andrew’s Cathedral School community, and now sadly, with the St Lucy's School community.

We always expect Term 4 to race. 2023 is on course to do exactly that. 

With camps for Years 6, 7 and 8 full of fun, challenge, and memories to last a lifetime, examinations for Years 9 and 10 looming, and the Class of 2023 almost finished their final papers, sitting alongside this, the Class of 2024 is showing us their style.

Under the leadership of Nicolas and Sienna, many team members have already been visible at our weekly Secondary Assemblies and those using the morning Kiss and Drop facility will have seen their friendly welcome as your sons and daughters alight from the family car. A key to the transitioning of leadership is the unifying opportunity to plan their vision and modus operandi under the watchful eye of a Y Lead facilitator. The team undertook a workshop last week. Determining their catch cry and thinking through ways to improve our School requires all Prefects to work for the common good. Words they used such as participation, belonging, spirit, unity, respect, connection, community, fun and competition are central to the daily lived experience of our students, and it was thus a building block for their journey ahead. How they wish to be remembered in 12-months’ time is always asked at interview for aspiring candidates.

Beginning a series of introductions to the group, I am delighted that our Head Prefects share some of their journey in this edition of House News. And in the coming weeks, each member of the Prefect team will give you an insight to their passions and planned projects. I commend their contributions to you.

Sienna - Head Prefect Girls College

 

Having started at Pittwater House in the Early Childhood Centre, I have been lucky enough to have experienced 14 years of strong leaders who have guided me throughout my schooling journey. As the 2024 Head Girl, it is an honour to be able to build on the legacies created by previous leaders as well as offer support to younger students. 

 

My eagerness toward leadership started in Year 5 at Pittwater House, during our annual College Performing Arts Festival. On the first day, I met the Year 12 College leaders who warmly welcomed my year group into the event, guided us though the unfamiliar Senior School and most importantly, became our friends. Back then, I didn’t completely grasp the significance of these relationships however in retrospect, that leadership teams approach to making all students feel valued has greatly impacted my time at Pittwater House and was a pivotal memory that encouraged me to apply for leadership.  

 

In saying this, I aspire to be a leader who connects all students at Pittwater House. I believe that everybody can flourish to their full potential when they are in a fun, supportive and comfortable environment. 

 

In the following year, I hope to implement a variety of year bonding activities in the areas of sporting, mentoring, creative arts and academics. Not only will this connect individual students throughout our school, but it will also create support groups of people who share similar values and interests.  

 

By advancing and boosting our Cup Groups and Big Bro’s initiative, Nic and I aim to enhance the School's connections amongst students. As Head Prefect, my aspiration is to be recalled for the significant efforts made toward strengthening the Pittwater House community, uniting it as a cohesive whole. 

 

 

Nicolas - Head Prefect Grammar School

It is an honour and a privilege to be a part of the 2024 leadership team.

I started at Pittwater House in the Early Childhood Centre in 2010 and have now spent 14 fantastic years at our School. 

One of my earliest memories of my Pittwater House School days, is the buddy system that involved Kindergarten kids being mentored by Year 6 students. I really enjoyed spending time with and learning from the older boys and I couldn’t wait for that time each week, cherishing every moment.

Leadership is about respect for self, respect for others and taking responsibility for our actions.

In my role as the 2024 Head Prefect, I aim to motivate and inspire our students to be better versions of themselves, to ignite school spirit by strengthening our student connections, and to spark meaningful conversations about our Core Values; honesty, integrity, and excellence.

I aim to develop a positive and inclusive student network, work hard to encourage an ambitious learning environment, and support participation in both team and individual sports and the performing arts.

A good leader is someone who listens and communicates openly, one who provides inspiration and guidance and is positive and accountable.

Sienna and I will be introducing and continuing a number of School programs and initiatives in 2024 that we believe will help our School community to grow.

Our Big Bros and CUPS programs will continue with an emphasis on Buddy Up mentoring.

Our Sustainability project is important for the future of our environment. The development and ongoing management of our School vegetable garden has taught many of us about the benefits of small plot, organic food sources.

Spotlight on Excellence is an idea we will be implementing to build upon our already popular Give it a Go and Give it a Show School Assembly awards. These awards recognise students who are achieving great results in the arts, sports, academia, and the community. 

Our Resilience workshops will continue with an emphasis on Gratitude, to ensure that we are recognising the teachers, staff and students at our School who help us do better.

The Christmas Appeal is a tradition at Pittwater House. The School community donates toys and non-perishable food items to those in need. Sienna and I are excited to continue this tradition and hope to make it the biggest one yet!

Our Leadership Team will work hard to make a difference to our School in 2024.

I believe that our initiatives will help all of us to understand that tolerance, respect, and co-operation are key and support our academic studies and achievements. 

Whether it is the first week of Term 1, or the preparations for final examinations, challenges are at the heart of the schooling experience. Challenges happen on stage, in classrooms, on the sporting field and on camp; they occur commuting, online, and in the playground. When we face challenge, it provides opportunity to build our capacity to handle the myriad of obstacles that life will throw at us. These will be the daily ups and downs and the wicked problems, and work and life problems needing navigation. Courage and curiosity will assist in the process. Daily we need to take risks, explore new possibilities, and test our limits and push beyond our comfort zone. We must persevere. And resilience is key. 

Families play a crucial role in aiding students to build resilience. Your role modelling, in addition to that at school, will show students that challenge is something we all must face and is not to be feared. Yet surrounding this challenge must be appropriate support. Reflecting and story telling around challenge will also assist. And as the American philosopher and pragmatist John Dewey said, “we do not learn from experience, we learn from reflecting on experience.” Our students need to feel comfortable with challenge, to know that struggling is a part of this building of resilience, but also to know that they are capable and will feel success with your support. I am sure you are familiar with the term “bulldozer parent”, the parent who goes above and beyond to remove all adversity from their children’s lives, ensuring success at every turn. Such parents are at risk of creating psychologically fragile children rather than offering constructive experiences to shape a young person.  

It would seem though that we are becoming more needy over the generations… as a baby boomer, I recall my parents talking of the Great Depression and WWII… and thus how lucky I was to evade those times. Their view was that times of immense turmoil, such as war, can lead to individuals working for the common good rather than introspection and is often significant for community resilience.

Therefore, at a time when trauma, tragedy, threats, anxiety, and stress are ever present in our world, we must master and then utilise both our internal and external resources to gain the resilience needed to operate effectively. Never underestimate the power of love, safety, and trust; with connection and social engagement providing a brain reaction that fosters logical and rational thought in assisting us to respond rather than react.

I look forward to sharing our community times in the coming weeks.