As I write this week’s blog, I am sitting in my office decked out as a zebra from the final pages of Graeme Base’s beautifully illustrated book, Animalia, having just attended the Lowther Hall Literary Festival Assembly.

One of the great things about being away, is coming home. You return to the places and people that are familiar and dear, but (usually!) you come back enriched by whatever experiences you have had while you have been away.

Last Saturday I enjoyed reconnecting with Old Grammarians from the last 40 years as they celebrated their 10, 20, 25, 30 and 40 year reunions. These events always give me pause to reflect on the many ways in which the school has progressed and changed over that time.

This week Senior School students have voted for the Prefect Body of 2023, with election results announced on Friday afternoon. This process is one of many that reflects our school value: Respectful Relationships that give rise to everyone having a voice.

It is not unusual to see a rainbow as you move around the Lowther Hall campus. The Noelene Horton Centre, where the girls in Raymond House and Senior School have their Science classes, was specifically designed so that at various points, the glass in the building would refract the light coming through and create rainbows on the walls and floors.

This week I had the delight of visiting the Year 4 girls at their camp in Portsea. I watched them embrace various aspects of camp life, compete beach challenges, take to the flying fox, the high ropes and the giant swing, supported by their encouraging Year 8 mentors and teachers.

Commencing a school term after a break is always a joyous time for me – coming back to the energy of the staff and the girls fills me with a really strong feeling of optimism and positivity.