Caring for each other, in particular our girls, is core to our purpose at Wilderness School. We have always been a community where unlimited kindness and respectful relationships are fundamental.

Late this term, I have had great pleasure in hosting Year 12 House lunches in The Chrysalis, which are one of the special occasions that we hold to celebrate and mark the conclusion of the girls’ time at school. These events provide our Year 12 girls with the opportunity to gather in their five houses with their Heads of House, Form teachers, Head of Senior School and I to celebrate their journey and achievements as a cohort.

It is also an opportunity to witness how relationships, and a House family in particular, have been key to each girl’s sense of belonging. Through morning Form time, House Days, sport carnivals and Glee competitions, I have watched each of these girls grow, celebrate each other’s successes and work towards common goals while building relationships across all year levels and with staff.

With the end of Term 3 approaching, the girls may be feeling the demands of school assessments, their co-curricular schedules or other personal commitments. During these periods of extra pressure, I am pleased that House is a constant space where support is readily available, whether it be from a Head of House, a Form teacher, a House Captain, peer or a ‘big sister’ buddy.

It is connections like these that matter every day of the year. When they need support, I hope girls continue to turn to the friendships they have forged through their time in House, and likewise, that they will be a listening ear for others.

As our Year 12s edge closer to valedictory, we know there will be a great sense of pride for each girl to graduate alongside the girls in her House, and we hope that for the rest of their lives, when these girls hear the words ‘Amaryllis’, ‘Antholiza’, ‘Carob’, ‘Cedar’ and ‘Sparaxis’, they will be reminded of happy memories and the feeling of true, unconditional belonging.