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.

As we begin planning for the rest of the year, we can be encouraged by statements from the Premier and the State Minister for Education this week that they expect a return to face to face learning for students at some stage in Term 4. I am particularly hopeful that our Year 12s and Year 6 students will be able to be back on site in time to undertake at least some of the important rituals that celebrate the end of these two milestone years, even if they need to be somewhat adapted for the current socially distanced context. We will need to wait for further direction before we can make concrete arrangements of course! 

In the meanwhile, our community of parents, students and staff continue to make the most of the remote learning environment. I want to particularly celebrate the contributions of our School Council during this time, which has continued to meet together each month to maintain the strong governance of our School. We are fortunate to have such a dedicated and skilled group of volunteers who bring their expertise and experience to the oversight of Lowther Hall’s financial wellbeing, our risk management and our strategic directions. Most School Council members are current or past parents and therefore also bring a long association with the School and an appreciation of all that it means to be a part of this wonderful community. 

I hope that the presence of the sunshine fills you with optimism this weekend and that you will continue to look after yourselves and those you love. 

Ms Elisabeth Rhodes
Principal