Rel. Deputy Principal

From the desk of Candice Byrnes Rel. Deputy Principal

Dear Beverly Hills Girls High Community,

Year 12

First and foremost, on behalf of the whole school community and to echo the words of Ms Iemma, I would like to congratulate Year 12 for graduating and completing their high school journey. We thank Year 12 for their contributions to our school. We are richer as a community for having had them with us, we will miss them, and we wish them every success in the future.

A Story of Adversity and Accomplishment

It is with great pride and excitement that we share with our community, the achievements of one of our Year 12 students, Azka, who is a soon to be published poet.

At the beginning of her Year 12 journey, Azka’s mother passed away. However, despite her heartbreak, this has not stopped her from reaching great heights. Supported by her loving father and two brothers (with all other family living overseas), her friends who have themselves demonstrated empathy beyond their years, and a caring staff who will miss her dearly, Azka has shone. She has continued to strive for academic excellence, successfully meeting the demands of: English Extension 2, English Extension 1, English Advanced, Mathematics Advanced, Physics and Visual Arts, with the hopes of one day becoming a Secondary English Teacher.

Not only has she managed the demands of the most challenging academic year of her life with admirable determination, but she has also done so with a kindness that is heart warming and a spirit that is inspiring to students and staff alike. In addition to her academic journey, she has been integral to a range of leadership initiatives in her position as Senior Student Leader. In fact, at many times during the year, she has been central to supporting others, despite her own turmoil.

Not only has Azka continued to strive to be the best she can be in all her endeavours, but throughout the year, she has also been writing poetry to help her navigate her grief. Amidst the chaos of the HSC and insurmountable loss, she has carried herself with courage, humility and integrity, truly capturing the school ethos of what it means to 'Be Somebody'.

Earlier this term, despite not yet finishing her final exams, Azka received news from an international publishing company that her poetry titled 'The day the colours went missing' is to be published.

Azka's generous spirit is reflected in her own words "When I set out to write this, my biggest hope was to create something that could help a young person (or anyone, really.) see their own complicated emotions reflected on the page and feel a little less alone. I wanted to explore grief not as a single, adult feeling, but as this fragmented, overwhelming thing that can often trap us in the perspective of our younger selves. It’s about all the colours of feeling that go missing after a loss, and the long, non-linear journey to find them again, even if they never look quite the same".

In a world where there is so much negativity and in the face of great adversity, Azka has become a beacon of inspiration and a symbol of strength and courage. We are proud to have played a part in her journey and are incredibly privileged to say that whilst we have taught her much, Azka leaves us with a beautiful lesson in, and legacy of, resilience, courage and triumph of human spirit.

Here is an excerpt from her soon to be published book ‘The day colours went missing’:

grey - the vanishing

i woke up and red was nowhere to see.

no poppies. no cherries. not even my knee                                                                   

                                      (which, yesterday, tripped on the cobbled-back  path

                                      and bled like a sunset caught under glass).

blue had departed, quite quietly too.

no sigh in the sky, and no sign in the blue.

no whisper of ocean, no robin, no ink.

just water that wept in a colourless sink.

A Note on Kindness

At Beverly Hills Girls High, one of our expectations is to ‘Be Somebody who treats everyone with care, empathy and kindness’. With this in mind, each newsletter, I aim to share a snapshot of some acts of kindness that have been observed across the school, so that our school community can better understand the true beauty that exists here.

This edition’s observations of kindness include:

• A Year 7 student approached a Year 12 student, striking up a conversation with her wanting to learn about her experience and congratulating her on graduating.
• Students assisting staff with decorating their faculty doors for the Christmas Door Competition
• A student running to a teacher to help lighten her load as she moved toward her next class
• The pleasant ‘hello’, ‘Good morning’ and ‘Have a good afternoon’ that echo throughout the corridors and the playground
• A student handing in $50 she found in the playground
• Students letting other students go ahead of them in the bus line
• The cheers of support that could be heard across the school when the announcement of school leadership positions was made.

As this is the last newsletter of 2025, I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks to all in the community for making Beverly Hills Girls High the great place that it is.

I wish you a very merry Christmas (to all who celebrate it) and a safe and happy new year to you all.

Warm regards,

Candice Byrnes,

Rel. Deputy Principal Beverly Hills Girls High School