This week we have revelled in the return of the Years 8, 9 and 10 girls to face to face learning and enjoyed the energy that their return on-site has brought. It is joyous to see the girls reconnecting with one another, enjoying their classes and making the most of their lunchtime and recess breaks to catch up with friends.

​As a passionate educator, I am always interested in new research that can shed light on young people and the various challenges that they may encounter. Our work as Lowther Hall educators is informed by research about learning and teaching which has been curated and written about by John Hattie, Robert Marzano and Loris Malaguzzi, helping us to craft classroom experiences for the girls that will be meaningful and that will assist them to synthesise, remember and apply the concepts and knowledge that they encounter.

As we prepare for the Lowther Hall Literary Festival which begins on Monday, I have spent some time this week reflecting on significant books. Much of the reading that I do these days is non-fiction, and of late, I have been once again dipping into an all-time favourite, Martin Seligman’s the Optimistic Child. If you haven’t read it, I wholeheartedly recommend it!

​It has been delightful to have our Kindergarten girls back on-site this week and it was also lovely to see the VCE students who were at school to sit the General Achievement Test on Wednesday. Of course now we are excitedly anticipating the return of the girls in Prep to Year 7 as well as the Year 11 and 12 students on Monday. We feel so sorry for the Years 8, 9 and 10 students who must patiently endure another two weeks of remote learning before they will join us in person!

What a blessing it is to be moving into Spring, with its warmer weather and promise of new life and growth. This week I had the opportunity to speak with the Senior School girls about having optimism and hope for the future, a quality that we try to foster in every Lowther Hall girl!

Earlier this week I shared with the Senior School girls, a new COVID obsession that I have developed, which is watching the Peregrine Falcons that are nesting on the building at 367 Collins St in the CBD. If you haven’t seen the livestream, it can be viewed at https://www.367collinsfalcons.com.au/

​I know that many families will have seen my communication regarding Lowther Hall Senior School teacher, Mrs Cathy Moloney, who passed away this morning. In these strange times, the most fundamental processes of life and death have been challenged as we seek to navigate our way through the world without the comfort of physical closeness and the capacity to engage in the rituals of happiness and sadness that help us to mark occasions of significance. I am sure that many of you will, like me, be thinking of Mrs Moloney’s family and friends as they seek to celebrate her life and mourn her death within the constraints of these COVID-19 conditions.

This week I am celebrating our amazing teachers! When I think about the way in which they have transformed their entire way of working to be able to deliver everything remotely, I am truly in awe.

​At Lowther Hall we value respectful relationships which give rise to everyone having a voice. I spoke to the Senior School girls about this aspect of the School’s Values Statement in their assemblies this week and reminded them of the ways in which we try to foster the development of student voice through committees, voting processes and cross age programs.

​As usual, the Lowther Hall community has adapted to this week’s new reality of Stage 4 COVID-19 restrictions quickly and effectively. There is now only a skeleton staff on site in Leslie Road to supervise those students who are learning at school and to maintain essential school operations.