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REACH FOR THE STARS
building cute, humble relationships with girls in the Junior School to relationships of trust and humour in the Middle and Senior School. It is so rewarding when girls I have never met approach me within the School yard with excited “hellos” and tell me how they can’t wait to have me for a subject next semester. To know that I am becoming the inspiration that I always wanted to be is so fulfilling and I am grateful to have the opportunity to grow as a teacher in the Wilderness community.
Tell us something interesting about yourself. Before studying a Bachelor of Contemporary Art and a Masters of Secondary Education that led me to where I am now, I was a circus and acrobatics teacher for eight years. I have a love (some may call it an obsession) with plants and growing fruit, particularly figs and pomegranate.
In March this year, Principal Ms Jane Danvers, Mr Thomas Keller, and I were fortunate to be invited to attend the Australian Space Discovery Centre launch. The centre is an interactive hub designed to inspire and educate future participants. Since opening, it has become the most visible and accessible part of South Australia’s leading role in Australia’s burgeoning space industry. At Wilderness, we have embraced the opportunities this new industry provides our girls and have been developing a wide range of contacts and resources from within the industry. Over 20 girls attended the Australian Space Forum, where they had exclusive access to space industry experts, and have launched an eagerly anticipated Space Club within the School. Our newly introduced Robotics and Space subject in Year 9 also allows our girls to develop future career skills within a space industry framework. Wilderness already has a history of participation and leadership within the space industry, and we are working hard to ensure that as the industry grows, our girls will be at the forefront of the opportunities it provides. David Pyman Teacher