Principal’s Message

She flies with her own wings (alis volat propriis)

At the end of a long and very different 2021, our Celebration Day theme focused on recognising what we can control, in a world where much can feel beyond us. It has, of course, ever been thus - but we learn and relearn this lesson throughout life. It is important that, no matter what happens, our young women know they are strong and capable, kind and courageous. It is important that we remind them of their ability to set the course of their life, to follow their dreams, to be true to who they are called to be. 2022 has been a year where we actively cultivated this sense of independence and grit throughout our community, and this edition of Ut Prosim is a testimony to the lives of Wenonians – young and old – who are walking their own path.

To fly with their own wings, and not the wings of others is the clarion call for this generation. To navigate a way through their life where a young person has done the best they can, to be the best person they can be, in service not to self, but to others.

The 2022 edition of Ut Prosim acknowledges our School community and particularly the women who have graduated and carried with them the character-based traits that are proactively taught while at School and that continue to develop on leaving. We measure success then, not only by consistency of strong and good character but by the diversity of pathways undertaken and richness of lives lived. Ut Prosim, that I may serve, grounds us in all we do, and the extraordinary diversity of how and where this plays out, reflects the courage and strength of women, to fly with our own wings.

Wenona alumnae are everywhere – they are found in university halls, corporate boardrooms, fashion houses, operating rooms, movie sets, courtrooms, and childhood centres. They work on wards, in classrooms, in consultancies, and in homes. They are trekking the world, serving in urban slums, developing IT solutions to complex problems, leading NFPs, and raising families, all as they live out the School’s vision to ‘serve and shape their world’.

While the paths of our alumnae are diverse, their values are consistent. They live lives that reflect our work to broaden student perspectives and engender a global outlook, as demonstrated by the myriad of international university offers achieved by the Class of 2021 alone.

This diversity is reflected closer to home, with the multitude of languages spoken at Wenona, particularly in our Junior Years, and our ongoing focus on Global Diversity. We seek to encourage young people to speak out about the value and joy found in our differences and the importance of building international understanding and developing the agency to bring change in the world, where needed. As an example, our Global Diversity Club’s work was featured at an international symposium earlier this year as an inspiration for other schools and educators.

Finally, as we conclude this year, I want to acknowledge the extraordinary commitment and dedication of our outgoing Chair of the Wenona Board, Mr Gary Turner. Schools around the world have been under enormous pressure, as a result of the events of the past few years, but here at Wenona, we are fortunate to have a Board characterised by patience, calm, wisdom, and grace.

Mr Turner has been an exceptional Chair. He has proven himself to be a visionary, thoughtful, and measured leader with the ability to reduce even the most complex of situations down to three main points. I have learnt an enormous amount from him and am deeply grateful for his leadership and guidance over my time as Principal.

As his tenure at Wenona comes to an end, and the baton is passed into the hands of the very experienced Ms Catherine West, I would like to thank Mr Turner for his years of service to our community. In my farewell talk to the Board, I quoted the words of Pericles; “What you leave behind is not what is engraved in stone monuments but what is woven into the lives of others”. He has invested in our lives, in our children’s lives, and in the life of our community, and for that, we are all very grateful.

I commend this edition of Ut Prosim to you and trust it brings you as much joy reading it, as it does to us walking alongside our community over the last year.