Year 9, Feature

Where has the year gone? Year 9 is only a few weeks from finishing their final junior years at high school. They are to be congratulated on the hard work, dedication and resilience that they have shown throughout the year. Many of the girls have certainly taken every opportunity to ‘be their best selves’.

This week Year 9 was involved in a crucial initiative, the ‘Back Off Seminar’ with Brent Sanders. The seminar promoted personal safety while enhancing the girls' understanding of consent laws and protective behaviours. Through engaging discussions, Brent was able to keep the girls on the edge of their seats while giving them a wealth of knowledge to be able to keep themselves safe moving forward. It encouraged a deeper understanding of what consent means and how it relates to NSW law in multiple contexts. The girls are encouraged to reflect on this experience and to review the provided information for asserting their safety in everyday situations. It is certainly timely with our upcoming holidays. You are encouraged to engage in conversation about what your daughter has learnt to keep herself safe. The college has hoped that by providing your daughter with this opportunity, she feels empowered with the knowledge and confidence necessary to navigate new interactions safely and respectfully.

As the year comes to a close, I would like to take this opportunity to remind parents and students that students starting Year 10 in 2025 will need the senior elements of the College uniform. While skirts, socks and sports uniform remain the same, they will need the senior shirt, jumper and blazer. The blazer will not be mandatory to wear until Term 2 next year, you may choose to put off purchasing this until a later date. We also ask for you to check both the length of your daughter's skirt and sports shorts. We ask that the College skirt be touching the knee and the school sports shorts be fit for activity reaching their mid-thigh. As with all school uniform items, these can be purchased from Lowes in Penrith Westfields. We ask families to look at organising this before the start of next year or to let the College know if you foresee a problem.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank our year 9 families for the ongoing support they give their daughter to learn, grow and rise to our high expectations here at the College. I hope the Christmas break provides you and your daughter with a chance to refresh, reset and reconnect. We look forward to your daughter's first senior year in 2025.

Mrs Natasha Harper

Leader of Learning Year 9