From the Principal's Desk

 A very warm welcome to the 8 new families joining Pittwater House this week. To these students and all members of our community, I hope the Winter Recess has provided a much-needed time to refresh and prepare for the term ahead. There was so much illness at the end of last Term, particularly amongst the cast of the Musical, and I do hope students, and staff, have completely recovered.

In addition to welcoming new families, I also am delighted to welcome a number of new Staff, covering for colleagues taking various forms of leave, including Mme Sellies and Mr Hegarty who will return to us in 2026. To Ms Jaggard and Ms Henry who join the Counselling team whilst Ms Excell in on Maternity Leave, Ms Seaton in TAS, Ms Guery in French, Mr Owenbridge and Ms Euers in Maths, and Ms Brown in PDHPE, a warm welcome. And returning from leave are Ms Wilson, Mrs Windsor and Ms Sutton. In addition too, there were several staff who took shorter periods of leave toward the end of last Term.

Many in our community have been engaged in school-related activities through these three weeks. Our Year 12 students spent time with their teachers in classes offering key preparation for the pending Trial HSC Examinations. I am most indebted to these staff for giving of their much needed break, so generously. Recent years have shown how critical these supportive times are, how much the collective focus of the class, and finding strength in consistency, planning, and place of study, has been to ultimate success. I expect to see the Senior Study Centre, open to Years 11 and 12 students from 3.30 to 6.30pm Monday to Thursday, will be used by an even larger cohort from this week.

At the beginning of the break, members of the Cadet Corps undertook promotional courses, and a number of rank ventured to Queensland for the Chief of Army special course, a gruelling schedule, yet providing wonderful memories as they worked with cadets from across the nation. Such experiences continue to be shared, and particularly when our aspirant Year 11 students are undertaking the Class of 2026 Prefect selection process; each year I hear how cadets has impacted their school experience. The sense of purpose, awareness of community, and leadership and teamwork shines through in the interview process.  Thank you to Cpt Blackwell and cadet staff for your ongoing role in growing the cadet experiences.

Our RSM, James (CG11) provided the following commentary:

Over the course of 6 days, the Australian Army Cadets participated in an annual competition in Queensland, Canungra, Kokoda Barracks designed to test teamwork, leadership, resilience, endurance, and other personal qualities. The competition consisted of approximately 130 cadets competing, with 13 teams (teams of 10) competing from across Australia and 1 team from New Zealand (UK team couldn’t make it). Starting with a day of admin after travel, the course then led to a 48-hour assessment period out in the field (hiking to night locations and completing assessed activities) where each team was stationed in a different starting position in the field and was tasked to ‘race’ each other to complete all activities to the best of their ability. The teams had staff with them that would also grade them on their individual outside of activity behaviour – we were being always assessed. There were 13 tasks altogether, that was topped off with an assessed military grade obstacle course at the end of the course. Some of the tasks included:

• Casualty scenario: Our team was tasked to treat 10 injured casualties in a small amount of time – whilst being graded on our attitude to the intense situation, our first-aid skills, and our teamwork to manage the scenario.
• Stretcher carry: The team was tasked to travel on foot to a designated location whilst transporting an adult sized dummy on a stretcher (supposedly 80kg).

Many other activities were conducted that fell in line with the course scenario (lost tourists), that our team was tasked to note down and recount it at the end of the course. After the 48 hours of being assessed, and we were all at the barracks, we endured the obstacle course.

After the obstacle course, the course ended with a closing parade where we did a parade for the Chief of Army, and other high-ranking members to celebrate the victory of the winning teams.

Our team, (NSW 2nd Brigade) consisted of 4 cadets from Holy Cross College, 1 cadet from Waverley College, 1 cadet from St Clare’s College, and the 4 cadets from Pittwater House.

The 4 cadets from Pittwater House:

•  CUO Joe (Year 12)
• CDT RSM James (Year 11)
• CDT SGT Alice (Year 12)
• CDT LCPL William (Year 10)

Our team completed the course exceptionally well, yet we do not know currently of our final position in the results – they have not revealed the full scoreboard. The winning team was the New Zealand Cadet team, followed by the single Australian Air Force Cadets team, then the Tasmanian Army Cadets team.

I have 2 specific memories of our assessment period and the obstacle course:

Heartbreak Hill

This hill nicknamed ‘Heartbreak Hill’ essentially broke our team’s heart repeatedly as it lasted 9km in uphill slopes, whilst plateauing 7 different times – it made our team think the hill ended 7 different times. This was an extreme experience as we were all heavily fatigued, with the Victorian team on our tail, racing up a hill with the steepest trails, and to intensify the situation, we had to juggle the navigation, ratel (radio calling that was constant), and the team morale (the most important aspect).

Obstacle course

The military obstacle course was a highlight for most participants. It was a long, distanced obstacle course that was conducted early in the morning (in very cold temperatures) and was a race against time to complete the course. The obstacle course included a large a-frame climb, narrow tunnel crawling, submerged tunnel crawling, swimming under barbed wire, climbing over water on rope, a tower jump into a freezing river, and more. The team worked together assisting everyone in completing each obstacle and finished in good time. Personally, I was sent first into (the hardest mentally) obstacle, the submerged tunnel crawl. It was very tricky as adrenaline was pumping and there was no time to hesitate as I plunged into the tunnel water, having to pull myself out (as I was first) because I did not have anyone in front of me to spot me getting out (the water was absolutely freezing).

Overall, it was an amazing and very challenging experience. 

James (Regimental Sergeant Major PHSACU)

And of course, the annual Ski Camp took place at Perisher where 35 students competed for Pittwater House in individual and team events at the Sydney Interschools Snowsport Championships. As well as honing skills, we came away with some podium placements. Congratulations to the studentsand my thanks to the Staff accompanying the group: Mr Carruthers, Mr Gemmell, Mr Heyman and Mrs Maloney for giving a week of their holidays to allow this trip to occur. 

Day One of Term 3 heralds our annual Foundation Day celebrations. Our 64th. On Tuesday we were able to squeeze, with very creative use of space, the whole School into the Hall, for the first time since 2018… it was a magnificent sight to look out to the student body, and with Year 12 all seated behind me on the stage. As always there is a collaborative project to mark the event, and I acknowledge the great leadership of our Head Prefects, Mirabelle and Ruann, together with the marvellous work of Ms Wenman, and Mr Blackwell, in creating the House ‘Hands Project’. Pictures are better than words to capture this new acquisition to the House focus on the front of the Balcony wall. What cannot be seen on the front of each canvas, is the QR code which is placed on the back of each, which lists not only the names of students, and staff whose hand is shown, but a listing of all students in the House, and all teachers assigned to the House as of June 2025. I commend this project to you all, as a further memento for 2025. Along with the whole School photograph taken in early February, these are wonderful additions for our School’s history.

At the Foundation Day Assembly, I delighted in welcoming the President of the Alumni Association, Mr Sebastian Davies Mills, Head Prefect of the Grammar School in 2014. Mr Davies Mills, a lawyer, not only spoke to the gathering of the significance of this day, but presented a new award, the Alumni Prize which will be awarded annually at the Foundation Day Assembly to a student in Year 12. This new award is for the student who establishes and strengthens the spirit of belonging, community and social connection at Pittwater House, the person who knows everyone, and whom everyone knows. They are the social glue of their year and of the broader School community. And they will be the person whom the PHAA hope will continue to build that sense of community once they have finished their schooling at Pittwater House and so can be a point of contact between the PHAA and their year group. 

The award comprises a perpetual trophy, a smaller trophy for the recipient to keep and a very generous cheque for the student.

The most worthy recipient of this inaugural award is Joe (CG12).

The Foundation Day Assembly is always followed by my favourite event of the year, the Foundation Day Relay. There is no finer event and one where the cheering grows with every increasing force as we move from the Kindergarten participants through each year level and finally, to the House Captains. Congratulations to Orrock- Girls relay team and Morgan- Boys relay team.

Happy Birthday, Pittwater House.

May Term 3 be a successful and happy time for us all.

With my warm regards.