Farewell to Micheal Bowden

Your footprints lead the way into our future, one which we hope will be brighter, more kind, and more equal because of you.

THOSE WHO FORGED THE WAY

Stand’ by the Wilderness Choir. The formalities concluded with a historical uniform showcase, with Middle and Senior School girls modelling various uniforms from across the decades and a Founders’ Day piece of cake for each student. Our old scholar guests were then invited to join us in Browns’ House Drawing Room for morning tea and a tour of the School. My first Founders’ Day at Wilderness could not have been more special, and it was poignant to observe the splendid motto ‘Always True’ still resounding across the generations. I would like to reiterate the words of SRC Secretary, Ishani Sood, who addressed our Founders’ Day guests: “You are those we look to from the past – those that have gone before and forged the way… You are also the ones we look to for the future. You have faced things throughout your life that we will never face and fought battles we will never need to fight, with dignity, courage, and resilience. In many ways, you are our example and inspiration. Your footprints lead the way into our future, one which we hope will be brighter, more kind, and more equal because of you.”

FAREWELL TO MICHEAL BOWDEN

DIRECTOR OF INFORMATION, COMMUNICATION AND TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

Over the last five years, Micheal has held the role of Director of ICT. During this time, he has upgraded the ICT infrastructure including the WiFi network, the servers, ensured the disaster recovery systems were robust and reliable and implemented a new evacuation system. In 2021, he moved the girls in Years 7 and 10 to PC laptops to ensure that they could use the software required in multimedia and digital technology that was not available on Apple laptops. There has also been an upgrade of the technology available in the classroom with the implementation of Webex Boards, which allow student collaboration and effective use of technology. These changes were all considered and ensured that staff and students have the flexibility to use technology in the delivery of educational programs. A key focus for Micheal on his arrival at Wilderness was to make the ICT Department and the staff accessible to girls by opening the space in The Hive. He achieved this quickly and efficiently for the benefit of all. The importance of technology for innovative and creative education has never been more important than it is for our girls today. This was evident in the last 18 months as staff and students negotiated the challenges of COVID-19, with online education becoming a necessity for all girls in Term 2, 2020. Wilderness was able to transition to online learning using the Webex platform in 24 hours, which meant that no girl was disadvantaged in their education. This agility was primarily due to the foresight and leadership of Micheal and his team in The Hive.

Throughout his tenure, Micheal has always been willing to go out of his way to help at school functions assisting with all the audio visual and technology needs at major events. This included Valedictory Dinner, Speech Night, the Boarders’ Fashion Parade and Music Department events. His support was greatly appreciated and enjoyed by the School community. We wish Micheal all the best in his new venture as he moves away from the education field into the business sector, working for the City of Marion Council. There is no doubt that Micheal leaves the ICT infrastructure in a strong position and he is thanked for his leadership and foresight over the last five years.