Abbotsleigh's 134th Birthday Celebrations
By Mrs Megan Krimmer | Headmistress
The first week of Semester 2 is always exciting. Not only is it the time that we embark on new learning adventures, but it is also the time that we celebrate our incredible school’s birthday. Indeed, it was 134 years ago on 20 July 1885, that Abbotsleigh was born.
It was a great pleasure to welcome back Stephanie Borys, Head Prefect 2006, as our guest speaker in today’s birthday assembly. Stephanie ‘is a political reporter in the ABC's Parliament House bureau in Canberra. She reports for the network's radio current affairs programs AM, The World Today and PM. Prior to joining the ABC, Stephanie was a federal political reporter for Macquarie Radio. She also worked at 2GB as a reporter, and was a producer for the Ray Hadley Morning Show. Stephanie won the Brian White Memorial Award in 2010, and was a finalist the following year. She has also been nominated for a NSW Kennedy Award for outstanding radio reporting’.
Stephanie was also an outstanding Head Prefect, and today, she inspired every girl, Old Girl and member of staff with the stories of her life since leaving Abbotsleigh. We are so proud of Stephanie and we were delighted to hear of her many adventures and successes; she has certainly spent her time living out the Prefect theme of 2006: ‘Aim high and don’t be afraid to dream’. The girls, the staff and I would like to thank Stephanie very much for giving up her time to speak to us today.
Our 2019 birthday assembly was full of hope and joy and I would like to thank our Junior and Senior School Music Departments and our talented girls for the beautiful music they provided in our three venues: A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square, and Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is by our Jazz Ensemble and vocal soloist Annabelle Stuart (Year 11) in the Assembly Hall, Midway March by John Williams played by our Symphonic Winds in the PDCH, and String Quartet Op.1 No. 4 in G major (Haydn) performed by our Junior School’s Clocktower Strings in the Chapel.
The assembly ended with a great rendition of Happy Birthday to Abbotsleigh, the cutting of the three winning cakes – designed and baked by Audrey Kennedy (Year 7), Emily Yan (Year 6) and Anouk Hakewill (Year 5), and the singing of the School Song, To Abbotsleigh, lyrics written by Mrs Robyn Claydon in 1975 on the occasion of the School’s 90th Birthday.
After the assembly, every girl and staff member enjoyed birthday cake and our Old Girls enjoyed their very special Black and Gold Lunch.
Happy Birthday Abbotsleigh!