Welcome back to Term 4 and to a time of real celebration as we farewell our Year 12s and begin to wind up the year. This juncture makes me reflect upon our Wilderness value of enabling and nurturing a true and courageous self.

Throughout the year we continually cultivate practices that help our girls to become more resilient, vibrant, spiritually aware and confident within themselves. I am lucky enough to witness the effects of this daily, with our wonderfully unique Wilderness girls confidently expressing themselves. Particularly with the senior girls, our approach fosters the independence they will need to carry them through this next stage of their lives.

With many exciting events coming up on the calendar such as the Year 12 Walk of Honour, Valedictory Dinner, Speech Night, prize giving assemblies, Christmas celebrations and more, I encourage our parents to take note of the events in which we welcome you to celebrate alongside your daughter, and as well as the student events that are planned. Heads of School and Heads of House will be in touch with details of these events.

A small reminder that this term all staff and students return on Monday 14 October. We look forward to welcoming you all back and learning about what the girls have been up to over the break.

I’m so thankful that spring is here again. As we move into the warmer months, I would like to remind you of our sun protection commitment and of the vital role parents and teachers play:

• Please ensure your daughter has access to SPF 50+ broad-spectrum, water-resistant sunscreen before leaving for School - SPF 50+ sunscreen is also provided in Junior School classrooms and in key areas across the school grounds

• ELC and Junior School students are required to wear the blue sun hat when playing outside - please ensure your daughter comes to school with her hat

• Middle and Senior School girls are encouraged to wear hats – teachers and parents can role model sun-safe habits by also wearing hats on campus

• Sunscreen, sun protective clothing and hats are requested for all camps, sports, and excursions

• Students are encouraged to use shaded or covered areas when outside on campus and at school events

UV Radiation is dangerous for skin when it reaches a UV Index level of three or above, and Australia has the highest rate of skin cancer in the world. There is an new screen in the Gym foyer alerting girls to the current UV rating.

I hope that by working together, we can significantly reduce the risk for our girls. Sun safety is a life-long lesson and by educating and empowering them to safely enjoy the outdoors year-round, they’ll do so independently for years to come.

Belinda Arnfield
Principal