As we approach the midpoint of Term 3 in Darwin, I want to thank each and every member of our school community for the wonderful spirit of support and togetherness that has shone through this term.
Recently, we read that we have been rated by a comprehensive analysis by the Murdoch Media Group as the #89 Independent School in Australia and, we believe, the #1 Independent School in Australia with a substantial Indigenous cohort. We celebrate this wonderful form of affirmation that all our hard-working staff are achieving for our students.
It has been incredibly exciting at HRS to welcome our first-ever Study Tour from China from 10–24 August, when 43 international students from Years 7–9 joined us at our boarding house and at school, creating memories and building friendships that will last well beyond the journey itself. The students are from the elite Guangzhou Foreign Language School and are living in boarding, attending our Middle School classes and enjoying tourist adventures like Litchfield National Park. It was quite special to host 150 boarders for dinner last night.
We have also recently enjoyed sharing stories and information about our School at the Barunga Festival and at the Katherine, Alice Springs and Darwin Shows, where our students and staff represented the school with pride.
We have also recently enjoyed our inaugural student-led Sustainability Week, reminding us of the small but powerful ways we can each contribute to a better future for our planet. It was inspiring to see our students so engaged and passionate about caring for the world around them.
Looking ahead for rest of the term, there is much to be excited about. Our school musical, The Addams Family, is progressing extremely well and in mid-September promises to be a wonderful celebration of creativity, teamwork and talent. Furthermore, in Week 6, we will come together for the traditional HRS NAIDOC Week — an important time to honour, learn from, and celebrate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and histories.
I am proud of what we have achieved together this term. Thank you to our brilliant staff, students and families for the many ways you each contribute to making our School such a warm and vibrant community. I look forward to all that Term 3 will bring.
Andrew McGregor
Principal, Haileybury Rendall School
