​It has been delightful to have our Kindergarten girls back on-site this week and it was also lovely to see the VCE students who were at school to sit the General Achievement Test on Wednesday. Of course now we are excitedly anticipating the return of the girls in Prep to Year 7 as well as the Year 11 and 12 students on Monday. We feel so sorry for the Years 8, 9 and 10 students who must patiently endure another two weeks of remote learning before they will join us in person!

What a blessing it is to be moving into Spring, with its warmer weather and promise of new life and growth. This week I had the opportunity to speak with the Senior School girls about having optimism and hope for the future, a quality that we try to foster in every Lowther Hall girl!

Earlier this week I shared with the Senior School girls, a new COVID obsession that I have developed, which is watching the Peregrine Falcons that are nesting on the building at 367 Collins St in the CBD. If you haven’t seen the livestream, it can be viewed at https://www.367collinsfalcons.com.au/

​I know that many families will have seen my communication regarding Lowther Hall Senior School teacher, Mrs Cathy Moloney, who passed away this morning. In these strange times, the most fundamental processes of life and death have been challenged as we seek to navigate our way through the world without the comfort of physical closeness and the capacity to engage in the rituals of happiness and sadness that help us to mark occasions of significance. I am sure that many of you will, like me, be thinking of Mrs Moloney’s family and friends as they seek to celebrate her life and mourn her death within the constraints of these COVID-19 conditions.

This week I am celebrating our amazing teachers! When I think about the way in which they have transformed their entire way of working to be able to deliver everything remotely, I am truly in awe.

​At Lowther Hall we value respectful relationships which give rise to everyone having a voice. I spoke to the Senior School girls about this aspect of the School’s Values Statement in their assemblies this week and reminded them of the ways in which we try to foster the development of student voice through committees, voting processes and cross age programs.

​As usual, the Lowther Hall community has adapted to this week’s new reality of Stage 4 COVID-19 restrictions quickly and effectively. There is now only a skeleton staff on site in Leslie Road to supervise those students who are learning at school and to maintain essential school operations.

​It can feel hard to stay positive and optimistic when high numbers of COVID-19 cases are being reported each day. As well as dealing with feelings of despondency and “zoom fatigue” we are all expending energy adapting to the new measures introduced to try to keep our community safe.

As I write today, we are all back in “remote” mode as our school undergoes a deep clean! I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone for the speed with which they have adjusted to the various changes and challenges that the start of Term 3 has already brought in its very first week!