From the School Captains

Term 1 is nearly over already and how fast it has gone!  From the Year 12 Formal to senior school sport, we have been kept on our toes with the ever growing demands of senior school. The term began with the most anticipated event for us Year 12s, the Formal.  We had all been extremely busy in the holidays finding the perfect outfit and locking in hair and makeup appointments. The event itself was held at Merrimu Receptions, which has a huge dance floor that had the whole year level up on their feet from entree to dessert.  The food itself was delicious as well. Thank you again to Merrimu for hosting the event.

Another thank you goes to all of the teachers, present teachers at the College and past teachers, who came to join us.  And a special mention to the DJ, Mr. Tori Mulligan. You all made the evening a whole lot more special. Everybody looked spectacular and I feel the Formal brought our year level even closer together.

However, there was no rest for the Year 12s as the very next day was the House Swimming Carnival.  The weather was above 35 degrees but that did not slow down the swimmers. Congratulations to everyone who participated and earned points for their house and further congratulations to Red House who continues to top the leader board in the Swimming Carnival.

Of the eight weeks of Year 12 that we have experienced so far, the Year 12 cohort can probably all agree that this year is going to be a mentally and physically challenging year. No matter how many people say, “your ATAR does not define you”, the pressure still seems to be there. However, we are starting to realise that the pressure may not necessarily be a bad thing.  Yes, too much pressure on yourself will be detrimental to your health, just like any other thing you do in large amounts, however, a little bit may push you forward and give you the determination you need to succeed. The question is, how do you manage your study time and social life to find the perfect balance? That is the question we will be trying to answer through our journey through this year. So, to everyone in Year 12 tackling the same feat as we are, this year will be hard, however, it will only be as challenging as you make it, so remember to have some fun and make the most of it.  (Because this year only happens once.)

Earlier this term, the Year 12 Literature class was honoured to host Sister Paula, a Carmelite from a monastery in Kew. Sister Paula arrived at Glen Eira with the goal of assisting the literature class in their understanding of religion and society in preparation for their first SAC. She was able to provide unique insights from her firsthand experiences in her religious culture, and not only discussed the thematic concerns of Robyn Cadwallader’s novel, The Anchoress, but discussed her own values and life in the monastery.

She told us about growing up with religion, the numerous marriage proposals she’d turned down, and all about the monastery’s bees (most notably how the bee-keepers at the monastery have such a good relationship with their bees that they can distinguish them from the wild bees that roam around the monastery’s gardens). Sister Paula spoke with such ease that none of us were expecting, similarly to how we had mostly predicted her to arrive donned in the stereotypical black-and-white clothing expected from a nun, only to have her arriving in a brown-and-blue attire. After reading such a strong, historical religious text, we were all so pleasantly surprised by Sister Paula’s lightheartedness and optimistic attitude; especially as she talked about the monastery’s means of gaining funds through hand-made football cards.

It was genuinely such a wonderful experience that provided insight to a spiritual and wondrous part of the world we live in, and allowed us to further our knowledge and preparation for our SAC. She also allowed us to acknowledge a fascinating part of society and history that many of us had little experience with. As a class, we thank Sister Paula for coming to see us and imparting her knowledge and experiences on the subject.

Over this year, each of the elected School Captains will be dedicating time towards their own legacy projects, something to leave behind at the school for the years after our departure. This term has allowed for the free flow of all the different ideas that we believe would leave an impact on the school, and has marked the beginning of the execution of the projects. Through these projects, we hope to leave a personal mark that emulates our values and ideals, and ultimately improves our school culture and environment. As to what these projects actually are, however, will be left as a surprise to come over the course of the year.

This term, the Glen Eira College senior girls softball team competed against MacRob in an enthralling game. Through the teamwork and dedication provided by Bridie, Jeni, Pamela, Kei, Ashleigh, Sierra, Taylor, Alanna, Mayaan, Gabriella, and Zoe, we managed to take home a  victory and will now be competing in regionals on May 9th next term.

As a team, we’d definitely love to acknowledge Ms McLean’s presence at the game - and staying so dedicated to our team that even during her maternity leave she visited us and coached us (along with her adorable little boy Hunter!). In our matching red-socks and red-jerseys the Glen Eira team was (and always is) the best dressed team out on the field, however the quality of our stylish coordination does not compare to the talent and hard work provided by the team, training multiple times weekly, and always trying new positions and tactics, and learning new skills even during the game.

Some girls on our team had never batted nor played before, and yet they practised and put in an enormous amount of effort, and ultimately tried and achieved their best. No matter what experience or ability we started off with, every single teammate has improved so much since the beginning of our softball journey, and we are all looking forward to the Regional competition in less than two months.

On behalf of the School Captains and Year 12, we would like to wish everyone a happy holiday and a great year.

Ashleigh Harris and Taylor Lowery

School Vice Captains