From the Principal

Thought for the week

Not the cry, but the flight of a wild duck leads the flock to fly and follow.   Chinese proverb

Throughout my educational journey, I have always taken an interest in the interplay between leadership and 'followership'.  What are the attributes of good leaders? What are the attributes of good followers?  The Chinese proverb I have included as my thought for the week concisely captures my feelings towards authentic leadership. 

I have had the privilege to attend the early morning House Swimming training and House Music rehearsals over the last few weeks and have been heartened by the strength of student leadership I have witnessed.  The School Leaders have run the sessions with enthusiasm, confidence and warmth. This has created an environment where the younger students genuinely want to be there and support the efforts of their house. They want to follow. It has been the way in which the Student Leaders have taken flight that has led the houses, not the cry. They all have my gratitude for the admirable way they have led their peers.

Huntingtower has nurtured and developed this culture over many years and I thank staff, both past and present, for establishing opportunities for our students to experience authentic leadership and to develop leadership skills that will see them well into the future.

When we consider the values upon which our school was founded, Mary Baker Eddy saw her leadership not as an opportunity to flaunt authority or power, but as the means through which to do good—and to grow spiritually.  'All education is work.  The most important is what we do. Not what we say. God’s open secret is seen through grace, truth and love.' 

Luke 22:26 also offers insight 'But you are not to be like that. Instead, the greatest among you should be like the youngest, and the one who rules like the one who serves.'

It is by our deeds, love and gratitude we will rightfully be judged.

House Swimming

The 2020 House Swimming Carnival was again a highlight in our school calendar. Congratulations to Rayner House for taking the cup this year.  The passion of the supporters, the sportsmanship of the competitors and the commitment of the staff made the event a huge success.  Thank you to all the parents who made the effort to attend and cheer on the students.

Car Park Safety is everyone’s responsibility

The safety of our students should always be central to the thinking of the entire HT community. The school has staff on duty to provide additional support to pedestrians and drivers during peak morning drop-off and afternoon pick-up times. I urge all drivers to reduce their speed to walking pace and be patient during the drop off and pick up times. Please respect the staff who are on duty and if you are asked to slow down or given a direction to move on, please follow the instruction. The commencement of the school year is always a busy time and the traffic flow does settle.  Parents are encouraged to:

• sync their pick-up times so they don’t have to park and block the pickup zones
• arrive later rather than earlier so as not to block pick up zones
• use the front entrance for Secondary School students and the back entrance for Junior School students
• meet in alternate nearby places away from the school (senior students only)
• car pool if possible
• encourage those students able to walk, cycle or use public transport to do so

 I thank you in advance for your support and assistance in ensuring our students’ safety.

Parents and Friends Welcome BBQ

It was delightful to meet many families at the P&F BBQ.  A big thank you to Stuart Canning, Poppy Gounaris and all the parent, staff and student volunteers who cooked the BBQ, made popcorn and served countless cups of coffee.  The evening was also a big success because of the amazing talent demonstrated by the various students who signed up for the Open Mic Session.  We had close to 20 individuals or groups who sang, played instruments and entertained a very appreciative audience.  We extend our gratitude to Mr Blazejczak, Mr Pugh and Mr Harper for coordinating and setting up the sound deck, lights and equipment so our students could perform.  Huntingtower’s warmth, love, community spirit and generosity was on display and appreciated by all who attended.

Andrew Houghton

Principal