On Saturday 7 September, more than 500 of our fantastic school community came together at the 2024 Carey Cocktail Party – A Night at The Forum.
Show Girls and Bell Boys welcomed guests into the magnificent Forum. Mike Snell and his dancers provided a fabulous and glamorous first set and followed up with a dancing set that really started the party vibe, and DJ Emma took us through to the end of the night.
We truly hope that those of you who attended enjoyed the venue, entertainment, canapes and beverages but, most of all, being amongst so many of your Carey community at the beautiful Forum Theatre, a perfect venue for an evening of glamour, connection and fun.
Our committee was thrilled to see our event come to life and see you all having so much fun. We are grateful to all those who assisted our team: Gavin Blue Photography, The Forum Team and Mike Snell Entertainment.
This committee builds on the work done by our wonderful former committee members who created fun, social parent events to bring our entire community together. The first event was the Whole School Ball in 2017, followed by the 2019 Ball. While COVID-19 stopped the 2021 event, we were able to run a cocktail-style event in 2022. The Centenary Ball was held in 2023, so we’ve followed up again with another cocktail event for 2024. The feedback that we continue to receive shows that our whole school loves to attend regular events to help build and enjoy our community.
Andrea Fragiadakis leads the committee, and her welcome speech resonated these same philosophies:
These parent-driven, whole-school events are such a special part of the Carey community. They give us the chance to reconnect with old friends, meet new faces and truly appreciate the bond that ties us all together, including Carey Board Members, staff and Leadership Team who’ve joined us for the evening.
We’re incredibly fortunate to be part of the Carey family, and it’s heartwarming to see parents from all sections of the School represented and coming together. It is a unique and special Carey attribute of collaboration demonstrated by parents across the community as our community continues to reflect care, respect and growth across Junior School Donvale, Junior School Kew, Middle School and Senior School sections.
For some parents, this may have been your very first Carey event, while for others, it may have been your last. An important pause in recognition for Year 12 parents: this was your final Carey whole-school event, and we hope you left the evening with cherished memories. We wish all our Year 12 students the very best for their final exams.
Now, I’d like to take a moment to thank the heart and soul behind tonight’s event: our incredible committee. This dedicated group of parents have given their time, energy and passion to make this night happen. I have to say, one of the greatest joys of being part of this committee is the chance to work alongside such an amazing group of parents. It’s been an absolute pleasure, and I’d like to acknowledge each of them: Samantha Carroll, Tina Lakkis, Juliati Lie, Ainslie Pettitt, Kirrily Turnbull and Ying Wu.
Finally, on behalf of the entire committee, I want to thank all of you for joining in on the fun, Carey style. We hope you enjoy the evening – the food, the drinks, the music – but most of all, we hope you left the evening feeling even more connected to our wonderful Carey community.
A Night at the Forum
If you would like to join our committee and work on future whole-school events, please reach out: careyballcommittee@gmail.com
Sam Carroll, Andrea Fragiadakis and Ainslie Pettitt
On behalf of the Carey Ball Committee
