From the Principal
Time for a new era…
In reflecting on the years I have been at Preshil there is no doubt that the School is in a different place from where it was in 2010. This is, of course, hardly surprising in a society and an educational landscape that has seen huge changes take place over that time.
Not being stuck in the rigid, mainstream conventions and traditions, Preshil has had the immense good fortune to have been able to be responsive to contemporary, educational ideas, to give truth to our identity as a genuinely progressive school.
It has been a period of transition which, at times, may well have seemed like upheaval, ‘sturm and drang’!
At Blackhall Kalimna it began with the building of our beautiful Library. Now the hub of so much activity, it was a huge undertaking at the time and a dramatic introduction to the voice of our students, who were unanimous in their opposition to the original plan to have it painted a brilliant Santa Fe pink!
I learned quickly that Preshil students would speak up – and I loved it!
Since the construction of the Library we have set about a steady program of refurbishment and renewal. Modest, considered, with no interest in creating intimidating or glossy edifices, our students know the spaces are theirs; comfortable, accommodating and well resourced. To me the gardens symbolise the environment we want for the students and I have treasured the opportunity to potter and plant for the future.
My time at the Secondary School has been characterised by the School’s commitment to moving away from a curriculum dominated by the influence and culture of the VCE and embedding a clearly articulated, coherent curriculum. Preshil’s culture of collaborative and project based learning, of diversity and inclusion, of questioning and exploration had never been well-served by the VCE’s high-stakes, competitive and reductive approach to education. The International Baccalaureate represented a much closer alignment and offered the School an opportunity for professional development for our teachers ready for the challenge. It was certainly a challenge, and in retrospect, an immense undertaking of hard work for us all. Courageous, radical – and exciting.
What has become clearer with every step in the process has been the appropriateness and the benefits of connecting the School with this globally respected organisation. Research based, intellectually engaging, flexible and accessible for each individual student - finally Preshil has an educational program consistent and aligned with its culture and core values. It is an enticing prospect for teachers and the School is proud of its wonderful educators, who are committed to prioritising the students and their wellbeing as our core business.
I was blessed to inherit the newly written Courage document. Drawn together by a robust and determined group of parents and teachers, this has provided the bedrock for so many decisions, discussions and directions. Representing so many of the enduring voices of the School’s history and encouraging reinterpretation, debate and reflection, Courage has been worth every re-reading.
Now, at the end of one of the most challenging years of schooling I can recall, it is fitting for me to call time. 2020 has tested us all in so many ways and it has been sobering to know how hard it has been for our students to maintain their motivation under the conditions of isolation and deprivation.
Today, the students staged a brief lunch-time concert and a small glimmer of the joy of sharing their performances shone through, reminding us of what we have all missed this year and how much there is to look forward to in the year ahead.
2020 has indeed been a watershed year.
There are a number of people who have been at Preshil for the whole of my time as Principal and share the story of this decade-long journey. However, our memories of troubled times, challenges and achievements are no longer the current experience and the School is now ready for a new chapter.
I have every confidence that the School will reap the rewards of so many building blocks now firmly in place. Preshil is the preeminent progressive school in the state, offering an outstanding IB program, with an adaptive and creative culture. The School attracts families who are seeking an education that is fitted to the post Covid world, whatever that may mean.
Naomi Rosh White, previous President of the Preshil School Council, who wrote School Matters about Preshil’s early years, has remained a tireless mentor and friend to me over my time at Preshil. She was patiently questioning me about what I believed was the most important aspect of the School that needed to be preserved. I remember waffling about this and that, when she patiently interjected to say, “It’s all about relationships!”
I hope this fundamental truth will continue to illuminate the next chapter, serene and brilliant, for our much-loved, unique School.
Thank you for having me.
Marilyn Smith
Principal