I have thoroughly enjoyed watching the Olympics! From the excitement in the pool to the skill at the skate park; the artistry of the rhythmic gymnastics to the strength of climbing; the precision in the dressage to the power in the canoeing – I love it all. Whatever the pursuit, seeing it executed at the highest possible level and remembering the hours of training and dedication required to reach the standard always inspires me. I have been particularly delighted to see the Australian women do so well this year in Paris – there have been some fine role models for our Lowther girls and I hope that they are encouraged to maintain their own participation in sport when they see these athletes enjoy such success and reward. As the current president of Girls Sport Victoria, I am passionate about girls engaging in physical activity. Whether that be through weekly interschool team competition or through seasonal events such as skiing, triathlon or cross country, it is satisfying to see girls throwing themselves into their sport. Not only are their clear physical benefits but the social and wellbeing gains that come through engagement in sport with others, are significant. I welcome programs and projects that promote girls’ engagement in sport and make it easier for them to commence or sustain their involvement. One of the ongoing challenges in sport is the prevention and management of sports injuries, particularly concussions, in high-impact sports. Concussion recovery has had a lot of media attention of late and  certainly at Lowther Hall we have recently reviewed our concussion management procedures. Interestingly, there is very little research about the impact of concussion specifically on young women. This is something that researchers at the Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) School of Medicine, Virginia, USA are hoping to address via a new study. They hope to investigate how male and female adolescents experience the symptoms and recovery of concussion differently and how this might influence recovery and risk of future injury. We are fortunate to have access to this kind of research via our International Coalition of Girls Schools network and I look forward to sharing the results of the study with the school community when they are published. In the meanwhile, we will continue to support our girls in their sports and to appreciate those incredible athletes who inspire us!
Ms Elisabeth Rhodes
Principal