Exultate, Jubilate! from the Principal
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SPRING 2014 Exultate, Jubilate! From the Principal Another wonderful year has flown by. Huntingtower continues to flourish and our students continue to perform at ever higher levels. We have a determined focus on the development of values, qualities and character, and a clear view of the true nature of each child. This enables us to initially fine- tune the values that motivate us and Earlier this year we took occupation of then later experience the outcome of the new JC Bruce VCE Centre. At the ABOVE: Principal Sholto Bowen, the quality of these motivators. Our official opening, we recognised our Prep Teacher Gill Cutler and spiritual values and our emphasis on long serving Board Member and school Chairman of the Huntingtower Board, David Weil. kindness and respect may seem ‘soft’ architect, Mr John Bruce, by naming the to those with a different set of values; centre in his honour. We are extremely BELOW LEFT: Phil Amos, Robyn Bos however, it seems to me that in order grateful for John’s over 40 years of and Gill Cutler were presented with to achieve greatness in any endeavour service to the school, so this fine centre their 15 Years of Service Award at a we need more kindness, courage, is a fitting legacy to him. The students recent Huntingtower Board Dinner. determination, compassion, energy and staff love the new facilities which and selfless love. I am frequently seem to be working just as intended. and earlier this year sent a bequest overjoyed at the reports I get from Of course all eyes are now on the of $100,000 to support the building strangers about the qualities expressed current building development: the program and development of the by our students – especially when new Middle School. After seemingly school. We are extremely grateful to the students are unaware that they endless months of foundations we them and all our other supporters for have been observed. As our students are beginning to see the structure their generous help over the years. express these qualities I know that they move upwards. The new building are building the foundation of a life full Wishing you all a happy and joyous will be a state of the art, 21st Century of possibilities. Christmas season! educational facility and will provide us We are all very proud of our String with learning spaces that will enhance Orchestra which toured Europe in the high standard of teaching and Sholto Bowen July and competed in the extremely learning that already takes place in our Principal prestigious ‘Summa Cum Laude’ school. International Youth Music Festival in We are able to continue to build and Vienna, Austria. The String Orchestra develop the school facilities because Oceania Accolades and the Netherlands Youth Orchestra of the generosity of many benefactors were awarded Equal First – what a way who include parents, past parents, past Leah Felsbourg - to demonstrate to all Huntingtower’s students and friends of the school. National Taekwondo world-class standard in music! The Wheatley family from Western Champion Congratulations to the entire orchestra Australia has been a regular contributor and to Mrs Bramble for her leadership. Congratulations to Leah Felsbourg of Year 8 for winning the gold medal in her class at the Oceania Taekwondo Championships that were held in Sydney! Well done, Leah! Connor Rowley – National Cycling Champion Connor Rowley was thrilled to compete for Australia in the U19 Team Sprint event at the Oceania Track Cycling Championships in Adelaide. He won medals for all three of his events: gold for the Team Sprint, bronze in the Keirin and silver in the Sprint. Outstanding 02 results, Connor! challenges in completing this project would always be met. Mary Baker Eddy states in Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures (p510), ‘Love alone can impart the limitless ideas of infinite Mind’. The Board is delighted to be able to provide our students with such a high- calibre VCE centre. It is also hoped that the J.C. Bruce VCE Centre provides staff with an inspirational and functional environment where they can inspire students to achieve of their very best. David Weil A testament to Grand Opening: his architectural expertise and J.C. Bruce VCE Centre generosity school’s Building Fund. It gratefully ABOVE: The J.C. Bruce VCE Centre. acknowledges the skill and dedication of members of the school’s building BELOW: The VCE Foyer on the John Bruce is a most significant team as well as those of the other morning of the opening ceremony. member of the Huntingtower contractors brought on site. Members of the Board thank the administrative community. He is a past student, On June 25, the J.C. Bruce VCE staff who took on the extra parent and grandparent and Centre was officially opened by responsibilities associated with this has served on the Huntingtower the President of the Huntingtower project. Board since 1972. The school’s Board, David Weil. His address marvellous facilities and buildings included the following words: The Board wishes to highlight three stand testament to his architectural very significant contributors: Just like our students who start their expertise and generosity. It is most time at sub-primary level and work Mr John Bruce, after whom this fitting that the new VCE Centre be their way through to the highest building is named, our school named in his honour. academic level in the school (the VCE), architect, who reviewed the progress this former sub-primary building has of this project in detail and who John’s address on the occasion of now grown in height, broadened out, is responsible for so many of the the Grand Opening of the J.C. Bruce matured and increased in strength buildings we see around us; VCE Centre included the following and confidence to reach its zenith as words: our new VCE Centre! Our dedicated Business Manager, Mr Robert Kitchingman, who not I completed Year 12 at Huntingtower The Huntingtower School Board only managed the finances to ensure in 1952 at the old site in Malvern expresses its deepest appreciation that funds were always on hand but and then studied Architecture at to the many school supporters who also coordinated many of the who generously contributed to the personnel involved in the project; RMIT. In my work soon afterwards as manager of a construction company, Our Principal, Mr Sholto Bowen, who I received invaluable hands-on initiated the idea of this Centre in the experience coordinating the works of first place. Mr Bowen is a first class different trades to achieve maximum educator. It was his inspired vision performance at minimum disruption and professionalism that enabled the and cost. Board to identify the need for and authorise a project such as this. This VCE project and all the many With strong support from the building projects completed over the Huntingtower community and the last 40 years have been joint efforts. knowledge that the project was a right Huntingtower’s decision to build idea, the Board was confident that any projects as ‘owner builder’ developed 03 1 2 in this way: I was invited to become a In 1995, Sammi Di Rienzo joined the has had a detailed knowledge of member of the HT School Association school, bringing not only his skills, but our subterranean treasures since the in July 1972. Shortly after, the husband in times of major concreting works, 1980s. Both Tony and Peter were active of a teacher, Pauline Mantese, herself those of his extended family. The parents while their children attended an HT old student, was employed by team was joined in the 90s by David the school, and Peter’s in-laws have the school. Robert had been a foreman Bortoli, who is multi skilled in many supplied our structural steel for many with a large construction company and trade areas. More recently Sam’s son, years. joined the school to work on building John, was employed by the school to maintenance. help with building and maintenance. We have also been assisted in site We have been blessed for many years management by Don Cole, a former My position on the Board gave me with the talents of Neil Dalforno and his parent and husband of Megan Cole, intimate knowledge of the school’s assistants who have carefully worked one of our teachers in the Junior needs and aspirations as well as alongside the construction teams School. Don helped with several major an understanding of its financial to adapt and maintain our beautiful projects in the 90s and early 2000, constraints. Robert Mantese and gardens. Geoff Hardcastle as the including the Junior School Gym and I ‘joined forces’ and instigated Maintenance Manager has also worked the classrooms linking the gym to the the beginnings of an ‘in house’ tirelessly to ensure that the building main school buildings. construction team which enabled team was able to do the new works as In recent years we have been assisted projects to be developed with well as ongoing maintenance. minimum cost and disruption to school by Tim Braddley, his brother David and activities. For over 40 years this team We have been blessed with skilful Tim’s son-in-law, Jye. Their wives were approach has increased the size of subcontractors who have kept a careful old students of HT. Tim took control of school facilities by close to seven times watch on costs. The Anstee family have site management on the VCE Centre the size of the original 1954 building. attended to our electrical needs since building. This work was particularly the 1980s. Peter Smith, our plumber, intricate because of the need to build within the constraints of the old 1954, ABOVE: Business Manager Robert Kitchingman, Guest of Honour John Bruce and Fiona McFee, Senior Statutory Planner, Monash City Council.