From the Principal

 By Christine Shaw

Class of 2026

At the beginning of each year at the Year 12 retreat, we talk about how fast the final year will fly by and suddenly we have celebrated the Class of 2026 as graduates. They have led the school with heart and a spirit of inclusion and in the year of Felicity, their greatest gift to our community was perhaps the simplest – the gift of joy. They have made Loreto a happier place to be. 

Traditions build and will change with the times, but some traditions we hold close and whilst they have adapted, they are an important part of our rites of passage. On the final day we gathered together as a community in Assembly to share in the celebration of success of each and every Year 12 student. This was followed with the sharing of wisdom to the Year 11’s and they enjoyed a shared lunch and concert. On Thursday evening at the Cathedral, we celebrated Graduation Mass where students received their flower crown and candle. 

Receiving the flower crown is a unique Loreto tradition, rich in history and symbolism. Made by Year 9 students, it marks each student's transition to a Loreto graduate. Originating with the Loreto Sisters, who were honoured with a flower crown as symbols of wisdom and experience, the tradition is believed to have been introduced by Mother Gonzaga Barry. By 1910, students who had spent seven years at Loreto were recognised as 'Jubilarians' and crowned at a special ceremony. In 1966, the tradition expanded to celebrate the entire graduating class. Past students recall crowns woven from flowers grown in the College gardens and ceremonies held in the College Chapel.

Today the crown is a symbol of who our graduates are as Loreto people. In a few short weeks they will sit their final examinations, gather for the Celebration dinner and walk through our gates as students of Loreto for one last time. We’ve talked about this moment many times over the past six years and about their responsibility as a Loreto graduate. Inspired by Mary Ward and the women who have shaped the Loreto story, we encourage our students to live the Loreto values, be outward-looking, and act with purpose in making a difference in their communities and the wider world.  Above all, we discuss how a Loreto graduate is a person of faith and compassion, confident in her gifts and generous in sharing them. 

‘Many think it is nothing to do ordinary things, but for us it is to do ordinary things well.” Mary Ward 1617

I would like to thank Year 12 parents for their ongoing support and for choosing a Loreto education. Being in partnership with the College and your child’s education through both the challenging and the uplifting times is the key to their successes. To those families who leave us this year, thank you for being a part of our Loreto family.

With congratulations and blessings for the Class of 2026.

May our 2026 leavers go forward with freedom in their hearts and justice in their hands. May they embrace sincerity and verity, seeking truth with courage, speaking it with integrity. May they carry felicity within them, bringing joy, hope and compassion wherever life leads. And may they, like Mary Ward, trust that God is with them in all things.