It has been a week of endings and beginnings at Lowther Hall this week. Across the School, girls are completing final assessments and finishing up programs for the year as their teachers begin to prepare them for the next step in their journey. Senior School girls are undertaking their examinations, which bring to an end a year of learning across their various subjects. Many transition activities have commenced and one of my highlights has been interviewing every Year 5 student with Mr Williams, as the girls get ready for their leadership positions in Year 6. I have been impressed with the thoughtful and articulate young women who have handled their questions with confidence and aplomb! Meetings with Year 1 girls to talk with each of them about their transition to Year 2 in Raymond House commence on Monday and we have been delighted to welcome new Kindergarten, Prep and Year 7 students this week as they have commenced their journey to become part of the Lowther Hall community.
On Thursday, Remembrance Day, we stopped at 11:00am to listen to the last post played from the Mansion balcony and to spend a minute in silence, reflecting on the cost of war and the sacrifices made by those who have fought in various conflicts around the world. For me, this moment that marks the end of a war that was supposed to “end all wars” is all the more poignant when observed in community at school, where the tragedy of lives lost and cut short is juxtaposed with the hope and possibility that is present in each vibrant Lowther girl. As I watched each Year 7 student place a poppy in the remembrance wall I was grateful that we are now able to be back together to engage in the rituals and gatherings that connect us to each other, to our community, our nation and to history, tradition and meaning. We have sorely missed the opportunity for girls to share the key ceremonies and traditions that help them to make sense of the world, develop their values and feel a sense of belonging. I am very much looking forward to participating in the various community events and celebrations that populate the calendar between now and the end of the year.
Ms Elisabeth Rhodes
Principal