Wilderness Times - 91

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Wilderness Times | Summer 2021

2020 SPEECH DAY ADDRESS

PRINCIPAL’S THOUGHTS Each school year takes us on a distinctive journey. Significant moments are forever imprinted in our memories. None of us could have imagined the usual routines and rhythms of life would be upended quite so comprehensively in 2020. At this time we come together, girls, families and staff to celebrate and reflect on our achievements. This year is no different, albeit that we join so many of you remotely. And we yearn for the time when we can reopen our gates without the need for social distancing protocols. Living through the pandemic has re-shaped everything we do. Around the world, nations, cities, villages, families and individuals strive for a future normal. No one has been untouched by this pandemic. For our students, the experience will be formative, in the same way living through any global crisis defines a generation. As we reflect, it is not COVID-19, however, that takes centre stage. Rather, a more compelling narrative is emerging - the story of how we responded to the protective measures and how we go forward from here. In Australia, and particularly in Adelaide, we navigated the challenge with positivity, with the best science we could assemble and a willingness to trust our leaders. We were called to be flexible. To put the safety and wellbeing of others before our own desires and we responded with cooperation and trust. While at times there have been a few irregularities, overwhelmingly our shared stories have been of kindness,

social responsibility, and a generosity to those at risk. We saw long queues at testing stations as our fellow citizens took responsibility for their health and acted on behalf of others. Trips away and anticipated celebrations were deferred, reimagined online or relinquished with resignation but without malice. People across the community had a shared sense of purpose to readjust. We were in this together. There is an elemental shift in the way we live. We have a fundamental need to belong - to one another, to friends, family, culture, and community. Our earliest ancestors, as hunters and gatherers, recognised the undeniable advantage of communal life over solitary existence. It was social, safe, more bountiful and more fun. Research supports what we instinctively know - our sense of belonging is positively correlated to self-efficacy, self-esteem, and our ability to thrive. Belonging gives us power to act. To build a society where we look for the best in each other - to participate, contribute and bear responsibility for the common good. It is not surprising, therefore, that for young people, their personal connection to school is the single most important determinant of academic success and wellbeing. And it is the relationship between student and teacher that is the strongest contributing factor to the belief, ‘I belong’. A spirit of belonging permeated Wilderness this year more than ever.

We felt it viscerally when we sent our girls home to learn remotely. We saw it manifest on their happy faces when they returned. Each member of our school made an indelible contribution, uniting to stay true to our promise, to provide a meaningful education for the young women in our care. For as Miss Mamie observed in her 1951 Speech Day address, in the long run it is the girls who make the School. Our teachers adapted and responded with optimism, purpose, and determination to do what was needed to continue the learning of our girls, wherever they were. Usual House activities and celebrations were transformed. Sport days refashioned. Performances streamed. We changed, innovated and focused in on what really mattered. Things looked different but were no less meaningful and rewarding. Our professional support staff gave willingly and tirelessly, working long hours to ensure that we were ready, and we could respond. Our exceptional leadership team always held the wellbeing of our girls and our staff at the centre of their decision making, working with dedication and resolve. Our Governing Council trusted us to do our best and walked alongside us every step of the way. I am enormously grateful for the gracious willingness of our parents, grandparents and old scholars to understand, to adjust and to compromise the moments they most look forward to. In particular, I wish to acknowledge our international families


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