The end of Term 2 always brings about a collective sigh from all within the School Community. We are now halfway through the academic year, assessments for Semester 1 are complete, reports will be issued soon, Year 12 working towards their Trial HSC in early Term 3 and generally everyone looking forward to the opportunity to re-charge their batteries.
It is a great time to review how we have progressed this past semester and how we have all contributed in a positive way to the environment at Hills Grammar. The events that have taken place inside and outside of the classroom for Term 2 include:
- A visit from our Sister School in Paris
- Health Beat
- Fieldtrips and Excursions across the curriculum
- NAPLAN Online
- Relay for Life
- Parent/Teacher Evenings for Years 10 – 12
- Music Performance Evenings
- Social Justice Forums
- LEC Excursions and Sports Days
- Trade Displays for Commerce
- Drama Performances
- Music Showcases
On top of this we launched Wellbeing Wednesdays with each year group working together in a series of workshops designed to help all our students feel safe and valued at Hills Grammar. It is often said Wellbeing cannot be defined by a program, it is who and what we are, and while we have Wellbeing Wednesdays, every day we have the wellbeing of our students at the forefront of all we do. Our staff in the Senior School, through their roles as classroom teachers and as mentors, take great pride in caring for each student, and work hard to ensure they build a connection beyond the classroom.
During this term, I have had the honour of having lunch with each of our groups of leaders in the Senior School. These lunches have been an opportunity for the students to share ideas they have to improve their environment. With this in mind, form next term we will be bringing in Crunch and Sip in the Senior School. This will enable students in Years 7 – 12 to take a piece of fruit and water into Period 2 each day. This is an idea from our student leaders, who felt there was a need for many students to be able to have a healthy snack while in the classroom in the mid-morning. Many of our students are at school early and many skip breakfast, hence this is a great way for us to ensure they are eating healthily while at school. This is just one opportunity that has been brought forward, and all other ideas and thoughts have been taken into consideration, so look out for more initiatives to be brought into the school day as the year progresses.
Staffing News
As you are all now aware Mr Ben Donaldson has been appointed as Head of Year 12. Due to this change it was necessary to appoint a Head of McGrath House. From Term 3 this year the Head of McGrath will be Mrs Zainab Raza. Mrs Raza is excited by this opportunity and has had a wealth of experience in the wellbeing space. This means we now have our new Wellbeing Team in place for the Senior School:
Mrs Carrick – Head of Student Wellbeing 7-12
Ms Robertson – Head of Castle House
Mrs Raza – Head of McGrath
Mr Pinter – Head of Pennant
Ms Laidler – Head of McGrath
Mr Worrall – Head of Leadership and Service
Mrs Pereira – Head of Futures and Enterprise
We are all looking forward to working with and supporting you and your children during your journey through Hills Grammar.
Next term we welcome back Mrs Michelle Abi-Hannah to the HSIE Department as she returns for maternity leave. Mrs Abi-Hannah will take History classes in Years 7 and 8 and will work in the Senior Study Centre as another valuable resource for the students in this space.
Reminders
Reports for Years K – 10 will be available early-mid next week with an email being sent to parents once these are available.
Year K – 9 Parent/Teacher/Student Interviews will take place on Day 1 of Term 3 (22 July). Information about this day has been emailed out to all parents of students in K – 9.
Winter Uniform is still to be worn in Term 3 so please ensure all uniforms are ready to go for the start of the Term.
For those who are travelling during the upcoming holidays travel safely and enjoy the time away. For those remaining at home, take the time to re-charge and re-connect. Enjoy your time together and I look forward to Term 3 and all that it has in store for us all.
David Cook | Head of Senior School
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