St Hilda’s: Principal Julie Wilson Reynolds’ message to students after mystery exit

Mystery has surrounded the shock exit from St Hilda’s of its principal. Now Julie Wilson Reynolds has spoken out for the first time about her departure.

THE principal of the prestigious all-girls school St Hilda’s has spoken about her sudden departure yesterday afternoon, but the reasons for her resignation remain a mystery, with no clues offered in a letter to parents or at a special assembly today.

The resignation of Dr Julie Wilson Reynolds, principal of St Hilda’s School at Southport since early 2017, was announced abruptly on Monday by the Anglican Church Southern Queensland.

Dr Julie Wilson Reynolds. Photo: Supplied

In a letter to parents today, Dr Reynolds said she made the “difficult decision” to leave but did not clarify the reason.

“You will have today received the announcement about my departure,” Dr Reynolds wrote in the letter to parents, sent this afternoon.

“I have made the difficult decision to leave, and am looking forward to spending time with family interstate.”

‘WE HAVE LOST TWO STRONG FEMALE LEADERS’

St Hilda’s today. Photo by Richard Gosling

Dr Reynolds thanked the community for friendship and support and said she enjoyed her time at the school.

“In our recent student leader Induction Assembly, I reminded the girls to be strong, kind and faithful and, in doing so, I trust that they will continue to find great success in their learning and in their lives,” she wrote.

Dr Reynolds also spoke highly of her temporary replacement Wendy Lauman, the deputy principal who is now acting principal.

A PRINCIPAL ‘ADDICTED’ TO EDUCATION

Dr Julie Wilson Reynolds wrote a letter to parents discussing her departure.

The letter followed a short “special assembly” at the school this morning to farewell the principal, who had spent the past two and a half years at St Hilda’s. Dr Wilson Reynolds was not present at the assembly.

Students who attended the assembly told parents they were none the wiser on the reason for the departure.

Parents remain baffled.

“The letter we just received basically says nothing,” one parent told the Bulletin.

SUBSCRIBE TO THE BULLETIN FOR $1 A WEEK FOR THE FIRST 12 WEEKS

Dr Reynolds has not revealed why she chose to leave suddenly

“The special assembly lasted less than 10 minutes where they alluded to the doctor needing to return home to her family.

“They likened it to being homesick. People don’t leave a position like that because they are homesick. People don’t just get up and leave in the middle of the night and basically throw away their whole career because they miss their family who are a two-hour cheap flight away.

“If ‘Doc’ left due to illness or personal reasons, that would have been stated and we would have all been sad but supported her decision.”

The staff changes have already been published on the school website.