Education is more than academics. It is about shaping lives, fostering wellbeing, and nurturing connected, capable citizens. This belief guides everything we do at Bold Park. Over the past year, I have had the privilege of witnessing the depth of commitment, compassion, and conviction within our community. Creativity, character, and courage are evident every day here at Bold Park, doing school differently, and doing it right.

As I reflect on 2025, it would be a miss not to acknowledge the difficult beginning of 2026, with the loss of Rosa. They say, “Grief and love are forever intertwined; one is the price we pay for the other.” When the world feels unsettled, our role as school leaders is not to have every answer, but to help our communities remember who they are when we are at our collective best. I quote, Hugh Mackay, The Art of Belonging “We are defined more by our interdependence than by our independence.”

2025 was a year to reconnect, revive, and seek opportunities to evolve. In April, Felicity passed the baton to me. Her care, generosity, and steady support throughout that transition deserve recognition. Working alongside her, our leadership team, and all of you during my first full year as Principal has been grounding. Leadership is not a solo act and I cannot overstate how much I appreciate our Team Leaders and the work they do to support their teams and the students they serve. A middle school student recently shared with me: “I left my school searching for belonging… and I found that here.” Those words could just as easily have been mine.

Last year was shaped by purpose and connection, laying strong foundations for an exciting future. For me personally, it was also a year of deep learning and relationship‑building. Your trust matters deeply, and our partnership with families remains essential. So, what have I learned?

We value depth over speed

Learning that is lived, not rushed

We see learning as identity‑shaping

We understand that wellbeing and academic growth are intertwined, not competing priorities

And we care deeply about community, purpose, and belonging

We continue to listen, reflect, and grow together, ensuring every experience at Bold Park reflects our shared values: creativity and play, respectful relationships, and learning grounded in purpose and joy.

Across the school, we continued to priorities constructivist learning and the importance of environment: collaborating, designing, investigating, and problem‑solving. Our hands‑on learning, our transdisciplinary curriculum, stepped‑outdoor experiences, and real‑world projects remain central to our approach.

What we have here is unique and on point! SANDbox thinking may still be evolving as a concept, but it already lives and breathes here. It is documented across our school in the many projects, it is who we are.

In Japan, Sandra Milligan from the University of Melbourne shared this observation: “Universities are sick and tired of receiving students who have been coached compliant, conscientious students who know how to perform, but not how to think.” This is not a criticism of young people, it is a signal that the future will demand something more human, more complex, and more durable. If we buy into a society that sorts people into winners and losers, we find humiliation and resentment (I paraphrase Michael Sandel, The Tyranny of Merit 2020). That is why we resist narrow definitions of success, rather attend to curiosity, agency, and relationships. We know learning is not simply preparation for life, it is life!

To the families who have chosen Bold Park for their child, you have valued the now.
Your child is experiencing an education that honors who they are, without compromise. Our existence sends a clear message to education more broadly: adult success should not come despite school, but because of it. We are our values, our culture, our purpose. The heartbeat of Bold Park is felt through the Arts. They permeate our community by design. This is a curated artistic experience of connection.