Yesterday we had a very busy but successful day as we ran our five year-based awards ceremonies due to COVID restrictions on numbers. It was such a privilege to recognise so many students across Years 7 - 11 for their talents, hard work and generosity. It was good to see so many parents were able to attend throughout the day.

At the ceremonies we formally farewelled Miss Caroline Devlin, Miss Marie Payne and Miss Clare Grantham. Each of these teachers have made a real difference both inside and outside the classroom and Hennessy is a better place for having them on staff. I would like to thank them for their contributions to Hennessy. Miss Caroline Devlin has taught at Hennessy since 2015 and has  been in the role of Religious Education Leader since 2017, during this time Caroline has shown herself to be a person of great faith and generosity and she has worked tirelessly to deepen the spiritual lives of both students and staff. Marie has been at Hennessy for eight years and has been Rice House Leader for the last three years , in this role she has been a strong support and advocate for the students in her care. Miss Grantham has taught French and worked in the Library this year and her gentle professional manner has been much appreciated. I wish each of these three all the best as they move on to the next stage in their careers.

Years 7 - 10 reports are being sent home today. Please take the time to read the reports with your son/daughter and to discuss feedback as a platform for further improvement in 2021. There is an opportunity for Parent Student Interviews on Wednesday, December 16. Please contact the front office if you would like to book  suitable time.

It would be easy to reflect on lost opportunities in 2020 or frustration concerning the frequently changing COVID guidelines but why not reflect on the positives to come from 2020?

The greeting at the Front Office remained as welcoming as ever and the playground continued to be a place of laughter and friendship on the beautiful shaded lawns. Students quickly moved on from initial disappointment when an event was cancelled or changed to embrace the ‘new version’ of the event. At the start of 2020, we welcomed the largest Year 7 cohort for many years as well as new students in Year 11. Throughout the year many more students joined the Hennessy community.

One of the big positives for me was the way the staff worked together to develop quality online learning with very little warning. Staff took this opportunity to develop new skills and to look for ways to value add for their students. All staff worked very hard to keep in touch with students and their families and to reassure them that we were doing all we could to make Hennessy a safe place.

I really missed was not being able to have parents and carers attend meetings and events. For this reason I felt the Year 12 Formal was an occasion which I will always remember very fondly. It was so wonderful to be able to invite parents and carers (at very short notice) to share in this last very significant Hennessy event with their sons and daughters.

What did 2020 teach us? - to not take our lives for granted, to see that things can be done in new ways, to be grateful, to be kind to others.

Thank you to everyone for making me feel so welcome in my new role and thank you for all you do to make Hennessy a place where we strive to:

‘Live Spiritually, Learn Dynamically, Act Justly … inspiring futures of hope.’

Wishing all our families a Happy Christmas and a safe and restful break where there will be time to catch up with loved ones and to recharge for 2021.

God bless