​Today we celebrate World Teachers Day – a day to celebrate and recognise the wonderful staff who support our girls to build their knowledge and skills and who help us to create young people who can contribute positively to their communities.

​This time of year is always bittersweet as we prepare to send the Year 12 cohort on to the next stage of their journey. During their last few weeks, Ms Healy and I meet with all the Year 12 students in small groups, over lunch, to hear from them about their Lowther Hall experience and to discuss the aspects that they feel have been of most value to them in terms of personal development.

​Today, 11 October, is the International Day of the Girl Child – a day declared by a United Nations General Assembly Resolution to recognise the rights of girls around the world. It is a day on which we can celebrate girls everywhere, amplify their voices and advocate for them.

​This week I have been in our National Capital where the Year 6 students are (amongst other things) consolidating their understanding of law making and the democratic process. It was wonderful to hear the girls reflect on their increased understanding of the methods of passing legislation once they had sat in old parliament house and undertaken a role play that saw them debate a “bill”.

​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.

We are very fortunate at Lowther Hall to have such a dedicated and professional staff who are united in their mission to provide the very best possible education for our girls. As we continue to experience a significant teacher shortage across the State, many students in other schools are trying to navigate their learning with staff who do not have training in the relevant subject area or, sometimes, without a teacher at all.

​This week, the Education Minister announced that from 2025, government primary schools will be mandated to use a systematic phonics program to teach reading. This is no great surprise as the research associated with the Science of Reading indicates that a program which uses direct, explicit instruction to teach students how to decode words according to the sounds they comprise, is the most effective way to ensure that all learners master the skills of reading for the long term. At Lowther Hall, we already use a systematic phonics based approach in the teaching of reading but we have recently undertaken a full review of this program and will be making some adjustments to it in the coming months.