Senior School

As Term 1 draws to a close, I find myself pausing, as I often do at the end of a term, to reflect on all that has unfolded. Our theme this term, Learning with Vision, has been an invitation to our students to look beyond the immediate: to learn with intention, to lead with purpose, and to begin to see, with growing clarity, the kind of person they are becoming. I have watched them live this theme in ways that have moved and inspired me deeply. 

Learning — In Every Space 

The most important learning this term has happened in the everyday — in classrooms, in conversations, and in the quiet persistence of students who showed up each day and did the work. Our senior students have settled into the term with real purpose. They have grappled with difficult concepts, navigated the ups and downs of assessment, and learned, perhaps most importantly, that mistakes are not the end of the story.  

Beyond the classroom, Year 9 students embraced their first Senior School adventure through 9ASPIRE, and Year 10 through 10CONNECT - weeks of outdoor expeditions and service that asked our students to discover what they are truly capable of. These experiences do not sit alongside our curriculum; they are part of it. 

Wellbeing & Self-Knowledge 

To learn with vision, our students must first know themselves. This term, Year 9 and 10 took part in workshops on friendship, bystander action, and upstander behaviour. Year 9 also participated in Drug Education Network and Pelvic Pain Education Program sessions; important conversations about health and safety. Year 11 students, quietly navigating one of the most demanding years of Senior School, have been closely supported by our wellbeing team as they build the foundations for Year 12. Year 12 engaged with the Sexual Assault Support Service (SASS) on consent and respectful relationships. And we look forward to welcoming Paul Dillon towards the end of Term 1 to speak with our Years 10, 11 and 12 on alcohol and drug awareness. 

Connection, Leadership & Service 

Some of the richest learning this term has happened in relationships. House buddy sessions between Year 12 and Year 9, and Year 11 and Year 8, have seen our older students step naturally into mentorship. Year 12 pen pals have been exchanging letters and sharing lunch with Year 4 students, a beautiful thread of connection they will carry through their final year. Our Year 12s also came together with our brother school, The Hutchins School, for the Term 1 Shield netball event, a combined tradition we treasure. 

Student leaders have led with courage and generosity throughout the term, from the Year 12 Leadership Dinner with the inspiring Christine Finnegan, to our student-run International Women's Day Breakfast, Harmony Week, and a deeply moving Neurodiversity Awareness Week panel. Our students also gave back beyond our gates through Relay for Life, school tours, the School Fair, and the RHH Research Foundation Easter Egg Hunt. For our students, service is not an obligation - it is an expression of who they are becoming. 

"I am so proud of each of them — not only for the events and the achievements, but for the quiet courage of everyday learning: trying, stumbling, and choosing to keep going. They teach me something every single day, and it is the greatest privilege to learn alongside them." 

Thank you, as always, to our families and community for your partnership and trust. I wish everyone a peaceful, restorative break, and we look forward to welcoming our students back for Term 2 with renewed energy and vision. 

With warmth and gratitude,

Suzie Han 

Head of Senior School