Head’s Welcome

After an exciting start to term with the visit of the ‘Circus Allstars’, we are now fully in the swing of things. Our new pupils have settled quickly, and I can hardly believe we are already more than two weeks in.

You may be aware that the College Open Morning is coming up soon on Saturday 5 October, and I would very much appreciate any Year 8 (or brave Year 7!) pupils (and their parent(s)) who would be willing to come in and spend the morning with us in Dunbar to meet and talk with the prospective parents. Having current pupils and parents on hand is tremendously valuable, and if you could spare any time to join us I would be most grateful to hear from you.

On a practical note, many small items of clothing and stationery etc. can go missing, but those which are labelled generally find their way back to us, whilst those that aren’t generally don’t, unfortunately.

Dr Ian Hart

I have been really pleased with the efforts from the boys these past couple of weeks. Classcharts are looking very green across the board which is encouraging. The boys have worked hard on their Div song under the guidance of Max, Jack and Ed, they have all had to flex out of their comfort zones and explore the outer limits of their vocal range!

It was good to see so many parents on College Sunday and catch up afterwards in the Gunroom. I thought the boys put in lots of effort with their uniforms and it showed with their marching, hopefully we will soon have the new Year 9s up to speed and marching with confidence. Thank you also to the PPA representatives for introducing yourselves to everyone.

There is now a Harbinger House WhatsApp group that you can join. Please contact Andrew Sumner for details.

Andrew Sumner

It has been a busy couple of weeks for the boys and I have been very impressed with all of their efforts. In the House Herd competition, positives awarded these past three weeks have seen the lead Herd change three times, with Scottish Red with a seven point lead at present, and all to play for as we progress towards half term. Dom and the Upper Sixth have been working hard with the boys rehearsing for Div song and it has been great to see the performance developing as the rehearsals have progressed.

College Sunday was a great day and all the boys worked hard to ensure shoes and suits were on point. I was really impressed with the boys in Year 9 and their efforts in marching, and also to those who were performing in the Marching Band. It was lovely to welcome so many of you back into Hesperus for drinks afterwards.

Tom Cheney

It’s been a hop, skip and jump for my Illawarriors as we embark on a new academic year with a busy timetable to match. The girls have shown great determination and have achieved many positives while adjusting to the new pace and demands of the school day. I would especially like to congratulate my new girls on adapting so quickly and taking everything in their stride. They have shown excellent grit, and I am proud they are in my Division. I am immensely proud of Illawarra who put on a fantastic display of unity at the College Sunday event. I would like to thank the parents who showed up in large numbers to support their daughters, despite the drizzly weather. 

Lessons aside, Divisions have been rehearsing for the Division music event with a 1970s theme. It has been wonderful to see the girls come together and deliver an outstanding performance. "Don’t blame it on the sunshine, blame it on the boogie." I hope the girls will get some well-deserved rest over the weekend.

Rosie Jewell

Whilst there is no denying that the first few weeks of term have been busy, I have been really impressed with the resilience shown by all the boys in Macquarie. The new timetable will take time to bed in but they have gone about their days with a spring in their step. I’m sure they are starting to get tired and this coming weekend gives them an excellent opportunity to recuperate. 

Our new starters have been particularly impressive and have enjoyed getting stuck into College life. Over this last week, watching them take part in their first Parade was a special moment and their efforts during the Divisional Music competition was another highlight. Of course, they have been driven forward by the rest of the Division who have returned from the Summer in fine form.

An impressive start and we look forward to more of the same as we head towards Half Term.

David Metcalfe

I have been thoroughly impressed by the attitude and adaptability of the boys these last few weeks. Although change can be challenging, they have taken it within their stride and have shown resilience and perseverance. The positives have been rolling in and this week’s wolf pack scores are as follows:

Amwolf - 70 (Nabil 13, Ed 12, Nate 12, Charlie 12)

Ardwolf - 21 (Will 6, Harry 6)

Beowolf - 47 (Otto 9, Jan 8, Harrison 7)

Bodolf - 45 (Rob 12, Harrison 11, Zac 8)

Gunnolf - 34 (Joe 15, Charlie 6, Steven 6)

With regards to the College Sunday just gone, I thought on the whole the boys turned out superbly. The new entrants in both the senior rank and Year 9 squads were ‘thrown in at the deep end’ and they certainly revelled in the chance to show us what they can do. A special mention to Murrewa and the leadership team for their efforts during parade practices to set the standards high and lead from the front. It's great to see them continue the momentum into the Divisional Music competition.

Overall a fruitful beginning to the start of the term and the exeat has certainly come at a good time. I wish the boys a restful weekend.

Steven Thompson

It has been great to see the Division working so hard in the build up to Div Song. As I write this we don’t know the result, but I am incredibly proud of how hard they all worked and the amazing effort put in by our Chief, Amy, in deciding how to arrange and interpret the song. I hope you managed to hear it and if you missed it please have a look on the college YouTube channel for the recording.

I think we were all impressed by how well the Parade went last Sunday. St George was looking very strong with nice straight lines. The Year 9s looked to have mastered the basics nicely and I can’t wait to see them joining the main division.

Jenny Jones