The autumn colours are fading fast and I write this listening to the sounds outside of hockey balls and netballs as winter sports training and competitions get underway.

We are looking forward to welcoming visitors on to the campus for our annual Open Day tomorrow and we have 150 families already pre-registered.

Places in some year groups are limited for 2019 and 2020 entry and we encourage you to alert friends and family to this. This is due in part to more families deciding to make the most of the full Middle School experience from Year 7. 

The Principal's speech this year will be the Principals' speech as Diana Patchett and I will share the welcome to prospective families. It is a privilege to share this with her and a great opportunity for Diana to get to know SMC a little better. She will also join me in hosting the annual Cranmer Square luncheon on Saturday for over a hundred of our Old Girls who are now over 70 years old. They will be given the opportunity to see inside our new St Mark's Chapel which is now looking very much at home on its new site.

Several of the Leadership Team, along with Diana Patchett, have just returned from attending the Alliance of Girls Schools Australasia Conference with the theme of "Fearless girls; fearless women". We value our association with this organisation as it keeps us up to date with the challenges facing our young women in their increasingly complex lives. We will send links to the material from AGSA to you as parents through our newsletters or SMC Insite. 

I also encourage you to read regularly the Careers section on Insite for informative and valuable help for you and your daughters as you navigate the future careers pathways.

I look forward to seeing many of you soon on the sports sidelines and at the SMC production, "Alice!".

Kindest regards

Gillian