A Note from Nelson

Dear Friends,

The first term has flown by this year, full of student learning and co-curricular experiences. Additionally, there have been some special events across the campuses. The first of these was the biennial Peter Underwood Peace and Justice Lecture. This year, the School invited Palawa elder Rodney Dillon to speak with the Year 10, 11 and 12 students and staff. First, we showed all the students the SBS Documentary, The Australian Wars (Episode 2), that focused on the colonial period in Tasmania. Rodney’s story was heartfelt and profound regarding his personal experiences as a descendant of Tasmania’s First People. He went on to share his views on the Voice to Parliament referendum that many of our Year 12 students will participate in, being first-time voters. Mostly he spoke of the tremendous momentum of moving forward in people’s understanding of what happened here in Tasmania. Personally, he shared that he feels that there has been more progress in the past three years than there has been in the previous thirty. Please find the link to his presentation here.

On March 21, the weather was agreeable and the lack of any Covid restrictions meant that the School could hold its first Whole School Gathering in over four years. All 1,300 students and more than 230 staff members joined together outside on the Argyle Street campus for the event. Its theme aligned with Harmony Day - change/hope for the future, new beginnings and supporting each other. Hope is more than a feeling, it is about action with integrity. A wide range of students and staff spoke, as well as the Primary School Choir, who sang A Better World. I also had the opportunity to share with students about how we can concretely put into practice George Fox’s advice of “Walk Cheerfully Over the World Answering that of God in everyone”.

Finally, I would like to share that we are fully enjoying the new buildings on the Commercial Road campus. The School held a reopening ceremony for the WN Oats Centre after its renovation on 23 March, which coincided with our annual Community Appreciation event. Bill Oats’ children (Stephanie Farrall, Jeremy Oats and Alison Nicholson) were on hand to unveil the plaque. It is a fantastic learning space for students and staff, with seven large flexible classrooms and multiple smaller rooms that can be used as break out spaces. I would like to thank the architects, Bence Mulcahy and H2O, for their vision for this space and Fairbrother builders for bringing the space to life.

The School remains a vibrant learning space for our students and we continue to plan ahead for the changes put into place for February 2024 when the Commercial Road campus reverts to a Years 9-12 learning community and the Clemes building welcomes Years 7 and 8 students, making the Argyle Street campus a Early Learning through to Year 8 community.

All the best for a healthy season ahead.

With Friendship,

Nelson File