13 August 2019
On Tuesday 13 August, Mrs Penny Curran-Peters was commissioned as the 11th Principal of Fahan School in a heartfelt ceremony attended by the entire staff and student body, Fahan Board members, as well as visiting principals from other schools.
Fahan Head Girl, Isabella Farid, welcomed guests and invited Fahan School Chair, Mr Charles Badenach, to speak. Mr Badenach explained how the Board engaged extensively with the Fahan Community prior to starting the recruitment process and what a perfect fit Mrs Curran-Peters was for the role of Principal at Fahan.
Mr Badenach, said, “From the outset, Mrs Curran Peters was a stand-out candidate. Being an inclusive, engaging and strong leader who understands the changing world in which we live and the importance of preparing our girls to be the best they can be, are all traits that Mrs Curran-Peters has in abundance.”
Following his speech, Mr Badenach called forward members of the Fahan Community to present symbolic gifts to Mrs Curran-Peters. The presentation of symbols was a lovely highlight of what is valuable to the entire Fahan Community and included various meaningful items.
On behalf of the Fahan School staff, long serving teacher, Mr John Williamson, presented Mrs Curran-Peters with a set of keys to the School, asking her to open the doors to a respect for knowledge and a love of learning and the example of a challenge accepted.
Junior School representatives, Florence Blackwood and Beth Milford, presented Mrs Curran-Peters with a large Liquidambar tree to be planted by her on the School grounds, commenting, “The roots are well established and so long as it has freedom, it will go on seeking the light and grow from strength to strength, as will we.”
Representatives of the Middle School, Ava Monks and Ella Atkins, presented her with a visual celebration of the School’s positive education character strengths and Senior School leaders, Emma Ward and Sophie Young, offered Mrs Curran-Peters a Tasmanian Huon Pine desk set, representing “…hard work, perseverance, learning, studying, sacrifice and most of all, a love of what you are doing or learning to do.”
On behalf of the Parents and Friends’ Association, President, Mr John Padas presented Mrs Curran-Peters with a list of all staff and students in her care, asking her to understand their needs and foster their love of learning.
President of the Fahan School Alumni Association, Ms Caroline Burbury, then presented Mrs Curran-Peters with an engraved tree, the Fahan emblem which is a spreading tree, a symbol of life and growth.
Finally, Mrs Roberta Poynter, spoke on behalf of the Nateby Club, many of whom have been blessed to be part of the Fahan family for up to 84 years. She provided a valuable link between the past and the present, explaining how the familiar sound of The Gong resonating out across the Fahan campus and grounds, welcomed staff and students to classes over many decades. Whilst it now takes pride of place in our recently opened School Archives, this Commissioning Ceremony was the perfect opportunity to hear its unique sound again, commenting, “By beating The Gong today, we welcome you into this unique family and look forward to watching Fahan continue to grow under your guidance and leadership.”
Following the presentation of symbols, Mr Badenach officially commissioned Mrs Curran-Peters as Principal of Fahan School asking for her commitment to the role, as well as asking members of the School to support her in this great responsibility.
In her speech that followed, Mrs Curran-Peters said, “I am humbled and privileged to be Fahan School’s 11th principal, and I am very conscious of the honour and responsibility conferred on me in my being commissioned to lead this remarkable School. I know that I am following in the inspirational steps of those ten principals who have gone before me, and wish to acknowledge the unique and outstanding contribution of each of them. My first weeks at Fahan School have revealed to me a unique culture, a way of teaching and learning together that continues to offer girls an extraordinary home in which they flourish, and I am thrilled to be a part of the future of this School.”
Click here to read Mrs Curran-Peters’ entire speech.
