We were so pleased to participate in the 140-year Wilderness School anniversary celebrations. It is incredible to think that we have been successfully educating children for so many years. Recognising this, it remains important in our ELC to stay true to our School Values whilst also striving towards the attainment of our School Mission and Vision.

Our Mission
To enable every girl to be the best she can be throughout her life.

Our Vision
Wilderness School will be a world leader in girls’ education. We will equip each girl to succeed in her personal and professional life.

All this combined, it is always my hope that as we warmly welcome back old scholars and their daughters to the ELC, that Wilderness still feels the same, but at the same time, that it is not the same. This is a delicate but vitally important balance as we continue to develop through the years.

Advancing Reconciliation by embedding Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives is always important and has most definitely been in the forefront of our minds during Reconciliation Week. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives is one of eight key principles that underpin practice in the approved Early Years Learning Framework for Australia, ‘Belonging, Being and Becoming’. The Framework states (2022, p.17) that ‘embedding Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander knowledges and perspectives encourages openness to diverse perspectives, enhances all children’s experiences and assists in the authentic advancement of Reconciliation.’ It is this authenticity that we are striving for in teaching the children about what has come before, whilst they prepare with their education for what will come next. We are confident that our girls will make a positive mark on the world in this field and many others in the years to come!

On another note, On Wednesday 22 May, we participated in the National Simultaneous Storytime by reading ‘Bowerbird Blues’ written by Aura Parker. It has been described as a moving story of longing and connection, and under the guidance of our teachers, every time this story was read to the children it provoked further thinking and learning.

Last Wednesday evening, 29 May, I hosted directors from a range of Independent Schools in our ELC for our termly meeting. Conducting the tour through the centre was an incredibly proud moment. It was a wonderful celebration of the intertwining architectural and pedagogical characteristics that make this environment both a home and a place of inspiration and provocation for our girls. Every day I know what an incredible privilege it is to lead and learn in our ELC, but this served as another important reminder. One of the proudest moments from this evening’s session was seeing how hard the team worked between the conclusion of school and the opening of the event to ensure that everything was perfect, which was another example of the pride, dedication and commitment our educational team has to our ELC.

Following this event, I concluded my two-year term as co-chair of the Early Childhood Curriculum Reference Group at AISSA (Association of Independent Schools) on Thursday 30 May. Although my leadership of the group has concluded, I will remain very involved in this group. Thursday’s spotlight session in this meeting was led by Jade Brook from ‘Australians Together’ who spoke from the heart and shared transformative practices and key ideas from the Australians Together Learning Framework. This learning will continue to inform our team about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives and will influence and improve our teaching and learning going forward.

Above all else, your daughters have continued to advance towards the Learning Outcomes of the Early Years Learning Framework in their own ways and we are very proud of all their personal achievements. Thank you for your continued support as this partnership is the key to progress in all areas.