From the Principals

Happy Birthday to Us!

It is one of life’s funny quirks that sometimes, someone unlikely points out something that, on reflection, you might have been expected to know. It might have been quite reasonable for anyone in our community to expect that the Principal, no matter how interim, might have known that we are celebrating a birthday. But I’m afraid it had quite slipped my mind. 

We proudly state that we are Australia’s oldest progressive school, and this year we are 90!

While many schools celebrating their milestones might hold special assemblies, concerts, speech nights, and sing rousing renditions of the school song, none of these things are part of our traditions. So how will Australia's oldest progressive school celebrate such an auspicious event? 

Well in true Preshil fashion, I can’t tell you, because it isn’t up to me. 

In true Preshil fashion, it will be the children who determine what we should do. It is their school, and they will exercise their voice and choose how we mark the anniversary.

I’ve seen quite a few Preshil Birthdays over my years. They very often featured an enormous cake iced with green and yellow icing, often with a wonderfully dribbly rendition of our golden eagle, lots of candles, carried on a huge piece of board, maybe surrendered by a cubby crew, on which to parade the enormous cake. 

These celebrations were anything but slick, but they had the hallmarks of why this school is so special - they honoured the process of the children setting the party in motion, and the product was child centric. And I recall that if Mug were drawn towards the cake for some ceremonial purpose, she very quickly absented herself in deference to a small and eager child who might blow out the candles, or cut the first slice. 

We are planning on celebrating our birthday towards the end of Term Three. At this stage, we are hoping to do so on Friday 10 September, the final day of the Arlington Anthology Week, and the day set aside for Term Three’s Doo Dah. Of course, the children might see things differently, and want a different date. I am very happy to be guided by them, because after all, it will be their day to own.

Cressida Batterham-Wilson

 Interim Principal 

cressida.batterham-wilson@preshil.vic.edu.au

Happy Birthday from Josh Brody

Happy birthday Preshil! 90 is quite a landmark. I’m sorry to miss the festivities, but know you will all come up with some fun and creative ways to celebrate this important milestone, green and yellow icing and all. Personally, I think celebrating on the same day as Doo Dah seems like a great choice (can’t wait to 

participate in Doo Dah!), but I’m sure the students will make the right decision.

One of the things I am looking forward to at Preshil is learning about the traditions and values that have been thoughtfully built up over ninety years. I am also excited to think with the community about how to keep blending those traditions with the necessary adjustments we all need to make to adapt to the extraordinary and sometimes challenging changes happening in the world around us. 

Here in California, we are on summer vacation. I just returned with my family from a trip to Alaska celebrating my mom’s retirement from teaching and all the family birthdays we missed because of COVID.

I look forward to hearing about the Preshil birthday festivities and celebrating 91 with you all!

Josh Brody

Principal 2022