Michele Marquet, Acting Head of School

Dear Cranbrook families,

It is hard to believe that we are more than halfway through Term 2! Life across all our campuses continues to be busy and filled with an amazing variety of experiences and activities in which our students may participate. The range on offer is a key way we endeavour to honour and celebrate our students’ individuality.

Last week, the Junior School students thrilled their families with performances at the K-Y2 and Y3-Y6 Music Showcases. Last night, we held a Music Soiree with some of our Senior School students, whilst rehearsals are in full swing across Y3-Y12 for Threads, the upcoming Gala Concert at the Town Hall. This week, our Y3 and Y5 students enjoyed their annual camps, an opportunity to build stronger friendships and challenge their physical risk-taking skills, while Y6 headed to Canberra as part of their inquiry into government. Many of our Junior School and Senior School Debating Teams have enjoyed success making it into the final rounds of various competitions. Auditions are underway for the next Senior School musical, and the cast and crew of the Junior School play production continue rehearsals with enthusiasm. Our students lead busy lives!

With a multitude of different groups and activities running, there are many ways for our students to explore particular interests and passions. We actively encourage participation in a variety of pursuits, drawn from the Arts, the physical and academic domains. It is not necessary to excel at every activity or interest, but rather to foster a genuine and respectful appreciation of these various areas. Breadth of interests is one the best approaches to developing balanced, well-rounded humans.

As students move from childhood into their teenage years, it is vital that as they explore who they are, the adults in their world continue to help them to see beyond our natural tendency to overly focus on those who are most like us, and to only welcome and embrace them. Difference should engender curiosity not derision, something that students between Y5 and Y9 can sometimes find exceptionally challenging. This can be because they are in the peak developmental period for comparing themselves to their peers. It is important we help our children learn to be comfortable in how they are different, as well as how they are similar to others and to extend that acceptance to their peers and others. Thank you to our many families who engage in those challenging conversations that help children develop a respectful attitude to other people, no matter who they might be. This joint work between school and home is some of the most important we can do together. It underpins the ongoing development of character which has at its heart respect.

At different points in your child’s journey to maturity, there can be challenging times. If you ever wish to discuss your child’s development of respect for self or others, please reach out in the first instance to your child’s class teacher (P-Y6) or Head of House (Y7-Y12); our Pre-School Co-ordinator (Abigail McFarlane) for Pre-School students; Deputy Head of Student Wellbeing (Grant Andrews) for Junior School students or Director of Student Wellbeing (Angelique Sanders) for Senior School students.

We look forward to the exciting final month of the term.

Kind wishes,

Michele Marquet
Acting Head of School