Albany Summer School President’s Report 2026
What can I say? What an amazing Summer School we had and how much work did we all do, almost without realising it. During the fortnight, it didn’t feel like work, until I got home on the last Friday and stopped. Then realised I felt tired. The energy delivered by students, tutors and fellow organisers through the program was infectious and carried me through.
Brilliant job everyone. Everyone being the Committee, the Committee’s helpful family members and the extra volunteers who must just like volunteering and Summer School in particular.
Clear and practical organisation from Angela meant that set up went very smoothly and once again everyone pitched in, doing the allocated tasks in the allocated spaces, as well as helping each other around campus. The volunteer handbooks with maps and rosters works well, particularly with the range of information about tutors, classes and rooms – our students are quite varied in what they recall about the course they are doing. I liked to concentration of courses around Watami and the buzz at morning tea and lunch was wonderful to hear.
Our signs and extra people in carparks and along the way has made it so much more fluid and the trolleys are a great investment. Maybe one day the golf cart will materialise…
Great to have GSG’s Gary on hand this year and the Grammar staff were courteous and helpful as usual, the IT guy was in demand throughout and quite responsive, the cleaner was diligent, all adding up to a friendly, fabulous look and feel of the campus.
The revamped budget process and spreadsheet was great and gave us a much clearer picture of how we were going as we went along. Thanks to Angela, Lyn, Trudy and Vicki for nutting that out and putting it into practice. Also thanks to Trudy the Test and Tag went well. The changes to the reception area and more prominent Tutor display worked really well and had a lot of interest from students and tutors alike. Marvellous job Bella, and thanks to your very able and helpful family helper as well. A great set up. I felt that tutors items were all displayed effectively and safely and everything could be viewed easily.
An Awesome job on Enrolments Vicki. The time, energy, brain-space needed to manage the myriad changes, and Still smile at the end of 2 weeks is remarkable. Hope you have recovered.
Thank you to Vicki and Karen for opening up your lovely homes for the tutor functions, which were Really well attended this year. Jane, Karen and Vicki’s helpers did a fabulous job with the catering. The food was delicious and the functions were very sociable and relaxing for the rest of us.
The coffee van was a Success! Hope his machine gets fixed up for next year. The Spinners were Very happy with their efforts and takings and will be deciding this month if they will be able to come back next summer. It was also pleasing to see many students and tutors gathering on the benches out front of Watami and in the shady courtyard between Watami and the Music area. The weather was great and people took advantage of that.
See you all next year.
Regards from Carol Thomas (President)
2026 Highlights
64 courses were run
31 tutors did the teaching
648 people enrolled from 85 Postcodes
330 bookings came from Albany, 25 Denmark, 34 South West, 104 Perth Metro, 2 Adelaide, 1 Vic, 3 NSW.