Excellence and Confidence – Side by Side
Welcome back to the 2018 school year, which has begun with energy and purpose at every turn. As I write this, it is the final day of the first week, which for me has been filled with images of happy, tanned and relaxed students and staff, and engaging and friendly conversations with parents and other community members.
Every indication, from the 2017 Year 12 students’ final results, our 2018 growth in first week numbers of students, and the passion and energy of the staff during our professional development days, tells me that 2018 will be a stellar year for Tintern Grammar. I look forward to partnering with every member of the community in working together to make it a year of challenge, growth and progress for every student, every member of staff, and our whole community.
Nowhere has a spirit of unity and collaboration been more obvious than in today’s annual Tintern Grammar Foundation Service. Envisaged and brought to life by Rev. Alison Andrew, it was an engaging and moving event. We were fortunate to have significant parents and alumni present, giving the Service a sense of a whole community. It was also wonderful to see alumni Professor Melissa Southey and Penelope Thwaites AM back at Tintern, which enabled us to formally admit them to the Tintern Grammar Avenue of Excellence.
Music and choral accompaniment from the Intermediate String Quartet, the Chamber Orchestra and the Concert Choir were remarkable. Similarly, Lauren Higgins, Jared Nottle and Molly Fleming demonstrated impressive musical leadership throughout.
Thanks to the gracious agreement of Lynne Franke (YG 1958) and Alan White (YG 2008), we were able to have alumni from our paired history supporting one of the School’s most important and dignified occasions. They joined with students from all parts of the School in Reflections on the Past, Present and Future of Tintern, and the Prayers of Thanksgiving. These were offered with a sense of respect and gravitas by our alumni, our 2018 School Captains, Tara McAsey and Jack Read, Year 11 student Meagan Hynson, Year 9 students Oliver Huang and Holly Whitfield, all the way to our two Year 2 prayer readers, Jessica and James (who did a wonderful job and absolutely stole the show!)
Our thanks go to all of these people, along with a number of other staff and students for their contributions to a truly wonderful service.
Factis non verbis
Bradley Fry
Principal