Family Profile - The Murphy’s

The Murphy Family

St Paul’s enjoys a vibrant and welcoming community of families whose support enhances the learning experience of our students in many valuable ways.

Over the last twelve years, the Murphy family have not only entrusted St Paul’s with the education of their three daughters, they have also been instrumental in the development and direction of the school’s thriving softball culture and wider sports programme, as both coaches and players.

Who is the Murphy family?

The Murphy’s are a family of five who live in Glenmore Park.

Wendy: Mother, wife and school teacher (Special Education) Daniel: Father, husband and fire safety professional Kelsey: St Paul’s graduate 2014, currently studying a Masters of Teaching - Drama/ English (after completing a Bachelor of Performance in 2017) Eliza: St Paul’s graduate 2016, currently studying a Bachelor of Teaching Bridie: Currently in Year 11 at St Paul’s

Why did you choose to send your children to St Paul’s?

Our first introduction to St Paul’s was in the early 2000’s when our friends’ children were attending the school. We attended a school production and were very impressed with the grounds and facilities. We made further enquiries and thought that St Paul’s would be a good fit for our daughters, with all that the school has to offer.

In the now twelve years our daughters have attended St Paul’s, it has been an absolute pleasure meeting many of the school’s beautiful families and watching our girls and their friends grow into confident young adults with the world at their feet.

What are the things you engage with at St Paul’s that you really value as a family?

We have always enjoyed the many social events open to families of St Paul’s, including movie nights, the school’s Christmas celebrations and the fundraising initiatives coordinated by both students and the Friends of St Paul’s. We have also been privileged to attend more formal occasions like school award nights, assemblies, the Debutante Ball and Valedictory Dinner. The Visual and Performing Arts productions of St Paul’s and the many sport activities our girls have been involved in have also been particular highlights.

What are some of things your children enjoy at St Paul’s?

Kelsey has a passion for Performing Arts and was involved in Drama, choir and Music groups at St Paul’s. She loved

all of her Visual and Performing Arts (VAPA) tutors, who provided a dynamic environment for learning. While developing her abilities, it was also a place where she created amazing friendships and wonderful memories. Kelsey will often share stories about her senior Music class and her teachers, Mr and Mrs Jarman.

Eliza enjoyed the St Paul’s Leadership Programme, the Duke of Edinburgh Award camps, and the many sports she was able to take part in. Highlights from her Secondary School years include the Gold Duke of Edinburgh Award trip to New Zealand; an IB Geography excursion to the Gold Coast; and the opportunity St Paul’s afforded her to attend the All Australian Girls Softball Team tour to Hawaii.

Following in her sister’s footsteps, Bridie also loves participating in the co-curricular activities that St Paul’s has to offer. She enjoys Drama, and highlights the Year 10 ‘Clue’ performance as particularly special. Bridie values the comradery and school spirit that comes from playing house and inter-school competitions and she has a lot of fun participating in the school

sports carnival. “Go Strathdon!” Bridie values taking part in the Independent Sporting Association (ISA) sport on Saturdays, as she gets to play the sports she loves while socialising and enjoying time with her school friends.

What are some things you find challenging as parents (or as a family)?

Time management is always a challenge to achieve a balance between studies, sport, work, social interaction and down time.

What has been a highlight for your family so far in 2020?

This year, St Paul’s created ISA Softball history in being the first school to win both the Junior and Senior premierships in the same season. With Eliza coaching the St Paul’s Junior Softball Team and Daniel coaching the Senior Softball Team, our highlight for 2020 was sharing the joy of this achievement with the teams, their families and supporters.

Staff Reflections

“Kelsey Murphy’s involvement in co-curricular Arts was superb! She was involved with nearly everything - choir, theatre, musicals and more…Kelsey has an amazing singing voice, which she shared confidently and generously with the St Paul’s community and beyond. She also blitzed performance in the HSC Extension Music course! Her performance quality in Music and Drama was, and continues to be, dynamic. It has been exciting to reconnect with Kelsey as a professional post school. I look forward to our continued friendship and collaboration for years to come.”

Cathy Jarman, Music Academy Coordinator.

“Eliza Murphy engaged in a wide range of the co-curricular programmes on offer at St Paul’s. In particular, she excelled in the Duke of Edinburgh Award and greatly contributed to the school’s sporting programme, doing so with genuine humility and the ability to encourage all those around her. This is seen most notably in her softball sporting achievements, representing St Paul’s at all levels with pride and dedication. Her commitment to softball both as a student and an alumni has been highly valued, contributing to the success we see in the programme today.”

Darryl Kelshaw, Secondary School PE Teacher and former Sport Academy Coordinator.

“Bridie Murphy is a phenomenal softball player. In her position as pitcher, Bridie has few opponents who can make contact with the ball and make a base. Her outstanding ability and hard work has earnt her a place in numerous ISA and CIS teams and in 2019 she was named in the All Australian Girls Softball Team. As a result of her outstanding achievements across various sports, Bridie was awarded the Duffy Medal in 2019, the highest sports honour at St Paul’s.”