As the first term of our anniversary year comes to an energetic and eventful close, I can only wonder at how we have achieved so much together. And what a way to end today with ArtsFest! I am so inspired every day by the creativity and commitment of our talented students. Congratulations to all involved!
Our students also shone this term in Salon de Kabarett, Kaleidoscope Kids!, Poetry Slam, and as they prepare for A Midsummer Night’s Dream, another IGS Shakespearean production directed by the one and only Damien Ryan Artistic Director of Sport for Jove. It’s a chance of a lifetime for our students to learn from Damien and we can’t wait to see this new production of The Dream next term.
Over the past 11 weeks, I’ve marvelled at student accolades for achievements as diverse as international figure skating and Olympic Hockey, track cycling, basketball, chess, podcasting, dance, and so much more.
We have come together for Foundation Day, International Women’s Day, Girl Up activities, Harmony Day, and more. We also welcomed many new IGS Early Learners and their families for an orientation session ahead of Term 1 commencing.
We’re honoured to have hosted a large educational delegation from Henan Province as we look to secure a new global partner school in China for student exchange. Watch this space!
We enjoyed a very special visit from Goodooga Central School’s students and staff as part of the Walking Together Program and we welcomed exchange students from Osaka International High School.
Our beautiful Renaissance Centre formally opened this week, in a warm and uplifting celebration that honoured foundational staff member and prima ballerina Manuela Bachmann. We also saw the commencement of The Ultimo Series thought-leadership seminars with Professor Ian Hickie sharing his insights about parenting, education and youth mental health.
I commend our dedicated students and staff for working so hard together over the term. Learning has been celebrated on campus and beyond at language camps, at The Sydney Fish Markets during our first culinary fusion experience for Years 7 and 9, in the Seniors and Teens Empathy Program where firm friendships have been made with our senior students and the residents from Opal Annandale Care Community, on history excursions – and in carnivals, showcases, workshops, and assemblies. We were delighted with the enthusiasm of our students as they engaged with NAPLAN testing; I was very proud of them for trying so hard. Year 12 Geography students embarked on a journey through Greater Sydney to deepen their understanding of Urban Dynamics, a vital component of their HSC curriculum.
Our day trip program in Kangaroo Valley is well underway as we fulfil our aim for every student every year to spend time learning at The Retreat.
Our Year 12 students have been focused and diligent as they forge ahead in their final year and I wish them well for a productive and rewarding time ahead.
Autumn is such a magical time of the year… May you all enjoy the well-deserved break ahead, ready to return refreshed for a term filled with rich learning opportunities.
And what an enchanting treasure trove of anniversary events awaits us in term 2!
Shauna Colnan
Principal
