2024, the year that was (or nearly!)
As I write this, Celebration Evening for secondary students has just been completed, and was a moving and meaningful final farewell for Year 12 after the completion of their examinations. Over recent weeks it has been impressive to see our Year 12 students living out the athletes’ mantra ‘control the controllables and don’t worry about the rest’ as the leaking of examination content stories have hit the media, producing very strident and shrill responses in some quarters. While Tintern has appropriately made representations to ensure that there will be equality in assessment, it is clear that in the interim our Year 12 students have just got on with the business of their examinations.
In a sense this has been the mantra of the year at Tintern. From our sudden power outage early in Term 1, where we moved calmly and seamlessly into managing what would have been a very challenging situation prior to the pandemic, through the enormous number of camps, productions, ensemble and orchestral performances, sporting events and carnivals, House competitions, and many other events from ELC to Year 12, our students and staff have displayed this same combination of calmness under pressure and determination to do our best.
For our students, these twin attributes will assist them enormously in achieving the future success that they will seek in their fields. For our staff, this is the role modelling that inspires and supports our students and ensures trust and collaboration as a workforce.
As we look ahead to 2025, we will again grow in student numbers and meeting our new students at Orientation activities has been an energising and positive experience. Young people in 2024 are committed, thoughtful, reflective, and optimistic – all indicators of an excellent future at Tintern and for the world more broadly.
With the need for additional teachers in both Secondary and Junior School, as well as some retirements and resignations, we have recruited and engaged a remarkable group of new staff who will commence with us in January. At a time when the narrative around teacher quality and availability is both pessimistic and somewhat negative, it has been exciting and rewarding to meet with and listen to these passionate and committed educators during interview and mock lessons. I am looking forward to the opportunity to collaborate with them in 2025 with real excitement.
I finish by thanking our families for the trust you put in us to educate and develop your children. Our partnership is the cornerstone of their achievement, and I thank you for the trust and support you provide to us that optimises your child’s experience at Tintern. Wishing you all the best for the festive season and relaxing and enjoyable holidays.
factis non verbis
Brad Fry | Principal
