End of Term 1 - 2024

Year Advisers Report   Years 8, 10 & 12

As part of the History Week festivities I, the Marquess Ponce de Hènry Kendall, have replaced the ill-bred lout Monsieur Newton to give an account of the Year 8 whelps. 

 

Nary a day passes where the students are not hurriedly completing assessments and finishing work as they conclude the term. It is such spirited endeavours that remind me of my impetuous youth. I fondly recall travelling the countryside by carriage, looking down condescendingly upon all those unwashed peasants and sipping my sweetened coffee from hand-crafted porcelain. Ah - it was truly an exhausting pastime!

 

The fourth and final term brings with it a number of new and splendid endeavours such as the “Love Bites” program. 

 

I have no doubt that Monsieur Newton will be returning to his post next term, but until then I hope to have provided a serviceable account.

 

Sincerely

Marquess Ponce de Hènry Kendall

 

Mr Judd Newton

Year 8 Adviser

 

Term 3 done and dusted and now moving to the pointy end of junior school and moving into our final 2 years of High School. This time in 2 years we will be graduating for High School (scary I know). How time flies when you are having fun. 

This term has yet again been another busy term with lots of assessment tasks and school events from Wear It Purple Day, RUOK day to our RIOT workshops. RIOT is an initiative called Resilience in Our Teens, which has a focus on anxiety and resilience in our teens. During the workshop students focused on the following areas:

  • ‘I feel anxious, what does this mean?’
  • What are teens worried about?
  • How the brain functions when we feel anxious
  • Understanding how to manage the brain 
  • and cognitive distortion
  • Becoming our own emotional coach 
  • Recognising emotions and challenging thoughts
  • Calming the mind

All students have started to and will continue to develop an understanding of anxiety and emotions, leaving with a personal toolkit to manage their own responses in a range of situations.

During this term we have also inducted our new SRC members for 2023. I would like to congratulate the following students for being elected as our new SRC: Amelia Stevens, Ava Trundle, Iona Jeannot and Patrick Wenban. I would also like to commend the following students who also applied but unfortunately were not successful this year: Amber Seymour, Brendan Warner, Cooper Hood, and Emily Cui. 

 

A special thank you to Cooper Hood. As an outgoing SRC member for this year, I would like to thank you on behalf of year 10 for your constant support and dedication.

Term 4 is going to be an extremely busy term for year 10. From assessment tasks, finishing year 10 to participating in the Stage 6 Prep Program.

 

Also in Term 4, our Year 10 students have been invited to participate in the first year of a new longitudinal study of young people in Australia. In 2022, the GENERATION study will focus on the activities and aspirations of Year 10 students – what they are doing now and what they think they would like to do in the future with study, training and employment. 

 

Each student who completes the survey will receive an individual summary of their career interests, while the school will receive a summary report of the plans of Year 10 students as a group. No individual student will be identified in the school report.

 

There are plans for another 10 years of surveys in this longitudinal study. Students will be asked if they are interested in participating in later years of the study. If students agree to participate in later years, they will be asked to provide their contact details. Please note that it is not a requirement for students to participate in later years, and all questions in the survey are voluntary.

 

All data will be kept strictly confidential and no individual student or school will be identified in published data or reports.

 

Further information about the study will provided to all Year 10 families along with a consent form. If you have any questions about the survey, please contact Miss Crystal Reynen. 

 

During the holidays it is important that we take time for ourselves and to work on our mindfulness. Mindfulness means maintaining a moment-by-moment awareness of our thoughts, feelings, bodily sensations, and surrounding environment, through a gentle, nurturing lens. Here are a couple of things to try during the holidays.

 

Week 1:

  • Find a new way to use one of your strengths or talents
  • Free up time by cancelling any unnecessary plans.
  • Choose to see your mistake as steps to help you learn.
  • Write down three things you appreciate about yourself.
  • Remind yourself that you are enough, just as you are.

Week 2:

  • Take a small step towards a goal that really matters to you.
  • Start your day with the most important thing on your to-do list.
  • Be a realistic optimist. See life as it is, but focus on what is good.
  • Remind yourself that things can change for the better.
  • Look for the good in people around you today. 

Have a restful and enjoyable break. Stay safe and be kind to others and yourself. 

 
Remember “Self-belief is the secret to success.”

 

Miss Crystal Reynen

Year 10 Adviser

 

 

 

 

Congratulations Year 12! You made it! 

 

We are all so incredibly proud of Year 12 and all their achievements. It only seems like yesterday that they were walking through the gates on their first day of Year 7.   

Year 12 handled the Trials really well and got to working on their exam technique in the lead up to their HSC Exams. They are strongly encouraged to review and study. Please note that teachers are running holiday workshops and students have access to this via the Google Classroom.   

All students who had major works should be incredibly proud of how hard they have worked over the course of time. It was incredible to see all the finished projects at the VISTAS night. I know I found it so hard to choose my favourite piece, they are all so unique. HSC music exams were held last Friday and it was so lovely to hear all the pieces.  

 

As we go through our last week it has been great to see all the different and creative costumes. Year 12 truly have been celebrating the end of this chapter. All of their teachers are sad to see them go, but so excited to see and hear all the amazing things they do in the future! 

 

Year 12 Graduation Day was an amazing way to send off an industrious and vibrant year group. It was lovely to get to celebrate and remember all of the amazing opportunities and fun activities Year 12 have been a part of. I would like to take this opportunity to, again, congratulate all of the award recipients. It was a truly rewarding process to see all the students being celebrated.

 

​Well done and good luck! 

 

Miss Cassandra McLennan

Year 12 Adviser