The Principal mrs anna dickinson
Perhaps the word which has dominated conversations and many media articles over the past two years has been unprecedented. As a society, we struggled to understand the pandemic which hit our world back in 2020 and its impact on the way we live our lives. At a local level, we grappled successfully with the challenges with which we were presented in continuing to provide a quality Loreto education for our students.
appreciation and admiration for all who have ensured that our students continued to receive the quality care
The significant impact of the second wave of the virus required a severe lockdown across NSW and the need to continue to rapidly adapt to a different way of living. We look back at 2021 in sadness at lives lost in our own country and around the world, but with gratitude and admiration for those scientists and health workers working ceaselessly on the development of vaccines whilst caring for our sick and dying.
and support staff for the hours of
I am very proud of the way our staff and students demonstrated resilience, creativity, agility and compassion throughout these challenging months as they reverted to remote online learning. I look back on this year at Loreto Kirribilli with a deep
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and education which are the hallmarks of our wonderful school. The staff of Loreto Kirribilli have been nothing short of outstanding. In acknowledging the work of staff, I particularly express my thanks to our Deputy Principal, Mr Daniel Mahon, the School Executive team, Senior School and Junior School teachers work they have invested in ensuring a smooth continuation of learning for our students. I am truly blessed to be supported by such outstanding, hardworking, caring staff - a wonderful team! I also acknowledge with deep appreciation the support of the parent body and all that they did for their daughters throughout 2021. While the pandemic has affected everybody differently, there are some clear lessons and common themes emerging from NSW and around the world, particularly that face-to-face learning with an expert teacher is the ideal learning environment. Being at school with their teachers and peers
is vital for student wellbeing as well as social and emotional development. We therefore were delighted when the NSW Government and Health released the roadmap for the return of students to school sites. It is with deep appreciation that I acknowledge our COVID-19 task force and maintenance teams for preparing for the safe return of our students and staff in Week 3 of Term 4. COVID-safe plans were developed which included keeping students isolated within year cohorts, managing movement around the site, mask wearing, requiring all staff to be vaccinated, natural ventilation solutions as well as purchasing HEPA ventilation units for each room throughout the entire school. As we awaited the girls’ arrival, we were confident that everything that could possibly be considered for the safety of our students and staff was in place. Standing at the gate and welcoming the girls back to our school site will be an experience I will remember for many years to come. The girls’ eyes peeping out above their masks revealed a range of emotions, some arrived quite apprehensively while others were excited to see their friends and teachers. As the week unfolded,
