A Note from Nelson

Dear Friends,

I trust this edition of The Rose and Waratah finds you well. Sections of the nation continue to be forced into ‘lock down’ situations impacting many in our wider community around the nation. All of us want a quicker resolution to the burden of Covid upon the world while, at the same time, I think all of us feel deep sorrow for those across the planet who have suffered greatly because of the pandemic.

As you will be able to tell from this edition of The Rose and Waratah, The Friends’ School community continues to thrive within the Tasmanian bubble. We are incredibly grateful for what our students have been able to experience despite the pandemic. This edition captures a glimpse into our students’ experiences during the first semester of 2021 - Outdoor Education, a Careers Expo, Gardening at Morris, the Clemes Friendly Conference focusing on Reconciliation as well as Art, Music, Dance and Sport. So many rich experiences to celebrate and be grateful for.

In June, we had the opportunity to celebrate the 10 year anniversary of The Farrall Centre - an incredible facility that supports the School and the wider community each and every day. We heard testimonials, saw outstanding student and alumni performances in addition to welcoming Frances Underwood to say a few comments regarding the opening of The Farrall Centre ten years ago. It was wonderful to have the School’s community together to celebrate.

Before I close, I wanted to provide a quick update on the new Sports Centre being built on the Commercial Road campus. We hope to be able to occupy the facility early next year which then would allow us to start the renovations on the current WN Oats building into a state-of-the-art student learning facility. It is very exciting to see the building’s progress day to day from the back garden of Pendle Hill (the Principal’s residence).

I hope you enjoy this edition of The Rose and Waratah, and I wish the best of health to everyone. We are promised the vaccines will arrive in sufficient numbers soon so that lockdowns around the nation will be a thing of the past.

With Friendship,

Nelson