Thank you for being part of the Wilderness community in 2022.

Of all my years at Wilderness School, this is one which will always remain close to my heart. I am grateful to everyone who has made my first year in the role of Principal so memorable—whether as a parent, a staff member or, most importantly, as a student.

When I reflect on the past 12 months, I am grateful for so many wonderful moments. One highlight was certainly the opportunity to send a group of students and staff overseas to represent Wilderness at the Round Square International Conference. This was our first opportunity to resume overseas travel in several years. The Round Square IDEALS—International Understanding, Democracy, Environmental Stewardship, Adventure, Leadership and Service—align strongly with our school values, and we were excited for this group to experience these ideals in another country as they collaborated with students from all over the world.

It was also a one-of-a-kind year for our Wilderness Old Scholars, who participated in a record number of 15 school reunions. These graduating classes all received a warm welcome as they returned to the School for a tour around the campus, through which I had the fortune of seeing Wilderness through the eyes of several generations of Wildy women, before they enjoyed a meal reminiscing together.

On Monday night, at the Year 12 Boarders Parents Dinner, I shared what a privilege it is to have third- and fourth-generation Wildy girls in our graduating class of 2022, who are representative of the strong intergenerational family relationships we have across all year levels. A great strength of our School is the established link to our history, which influences our values and practices; through this, we have built longstanding connections throughout the decades—for families who are new to Wilderness this year, we hope you will always remember 2022 as the first year of your own Wilderness legacy.

Our girls’ growth and development inspire me every day, and I am immensely proud of what I have witnessed each girl achieve this year. I hope that they can each name something they learned, experienced or tried for the first time which will mark 2022 as a special year for them, too.

I am thankful for our passionate and highly skilled educators; with their expert teaching, and the ability to find wonder and spark interest in each subject area, it is no surprise that our girls continue to excel. By working together with our professional support staff—the engine room of our school—we are able to maximise opportunities and student wellbeing, which enables all girls to thrive.

As we head into the final weeks of the year, I hope that you to are able to reflect on what you are grateful for in your lives. What has made 2022 unique, or special for you and your family, or what you are looking forward to most next year?

Thank you all for your support, and for trusting us with your daughters in 2022. This year, our girls have achieved incredible results, conquered challenges and strengthened lifelong relationships—and we cannot wait to build on this in 2023.

We look forward to welcoming your daughters back to Wilderness next year. Until then, I wish you all a wonderful Christmas with your loved ones and a Happy New Year.