Friday 1 July 2022

Principal's News

My Nan is Proud

Annesley is a remarkable school. A South Australian institution, that has touched the lives of over 11,000 old scholars and their families since 1902. It’s been a true privilege to lead the School during what has been a time of tremendous development and opportunity for all members of this community.

My nan, well she’s actually my wife Naomi’s nan who I now call my own, attended Annesley (MLC at the time) in the 1940s. She still reflects today with warmth and fondness of her time as a student here, in particular as Corinth House Captain in 1949. To know that we have made my much loved Nan proud in what the team has created during my time as Principal of Annesley, fills my heart with joy.

Since accepting the invitation to be Annesley’s Principal, I have focused on what is best for children, the students of Annesley, each and every day. Annesley students have much to celebrate and be proud of. Just this week we have celebrated Student Led Conferences where Annesley’s creative and happy students could showcase their growth, development, and true joy of learning with the significant adults in their lives, the three creative Year 1 classes performed a stunning musical for engaged audiences and students moved into the 6 new learning spaces, and Pastor Pete into his new office and meeting space with the completion of Stage 1 of our Master Plan. A wonderful week in the life of our vibrant school community.

A sign recently appeared out the front of the student enterprise, Bouncing Bean café, thanking me. Although I appreciate the sentiment, I really do direct this thanks to the team that I have been blessed to collaborate with. These talented and caring professionals invest in Annesley’s students, our children, with true dedication and flair. The team deserves the thanks, not the individual.

When we return from our Australian adventures, I look forward to transitioning from the dual hats of Annesley Principal and Annesley dad, to simply… Annesley dad.

My Nan is proud. That’s more than enough thanks for me.

Luke Ritchie
Principal

School – Some Things We Can Learn Along the Way

It is fitting, that in my final newsletter, I have co-constructed some reflections with a student. I am a firm believer that children are capable now, not just in the future, and so to partner with Eliane, an Annesley student, in this piece of writing is testament to that fact. During this term, Eliane and I have conducted some research into the changing face of schools and what makes them great places. We interviewed students from our ELC, various year levels in the Primary School and some adults too. Our conversations have been rich and fun, and we are pleased to share some of our reflections below. We hope you enjoy. Eliane and Luke

During our conversations, we have learnt that one of the most important parts of school is the friendships that are made. Those we met with reflected upon their friendships and how the older they get, the number of friends they have sometimes reduces, but the quality and depth of friendships are enhanced. Wonderful friendships at school and in life are those where you enjoy being with your friends, know that you can work through things together and that you have a shared set of values and beliefs. Some friendships from primary school are life long and others are shorter. But we all agree that the people we meet and connect with help us to be better, more well-rounded people. We also agree that the animals in our community create an opportunity for friendship with ‘furry friends.’ We love and care for these animals and they give us so much love back!

Schools should allow lots of different ways to learn. The collective theme that was in all our conversations was that we all love learning by doing, playing games, and having experiences with people from different cultures and different ages. Getting a great education is about learning and using new skills. We love teachers that present us with challenges and it’s our job to accept the challenges, Let’s not forget that the challenges we face could be a once in a lifetime opportunity to develop a specific skill that will make you a better person. We all benefit from trying new things and embracing lots of opportunities to do different things at school. Our teachers always present us with different challenges, in a good way, that are at different skill levels to suit the needs of each student. Teachers teach us new things. We may not know about something; then we are taught, and we know it. When we learn a new skill and it may have the potential to change a life!

Annesley is a school where children continue have a genuine voice, are empowered, and valued as equal members of this wonderful community.

Local Buy Annesley Market

Local Buy Annesley

We had a great turnout at our ‘Local Buy Annesley market’ on Wednesday last week. Congratulations must go to our Board of Directors for organising this event, to the fifteen Enterprise groups who ran stalls, and to the Annesley ensemble who provided the music. From hand-knitted blankets to customised puzzles; from tie-dye t- shirts to fidget spinners; fresh produce from the Annesley Farm; and all manner of delicious baked treats, there was a wonderful variety of goods, created by our students, for customers to enjoy!

The market was also an opportunity for the community to thank Luke for his outstanding service to the school. Rebecca Golley, an Annesley parent of eight years, has seen first-hand the development and growth of Annesley during Luke’s 6 years as Principal. She delivered a moving speech to acknowledge Luke’s impact, highlighting the leadership, direction, pride and purpose Luke has brought to Annesley. We have included her speech in full for those of you who were unable to attend.