the end of the beginning

Welfare and Discipline go hand in hand

On the other hand, I was the super organised mum who attended camp with five extra mess kits, extra blankets, jackets, rugs, sunscreen for 200, insect repellent and water bottles -  always worried you'd be too hot or cold! It was probably for those reasons Mr Hickey and I have been such a formidable team for so many years. He has always been the enthusiastic organiser of the team, bouncing ideas off me, turning up day one each year with a new motto and strategic plan for the year ahead. Me, on the other hand, just trying to get over the ordeal of having three children under my feet for six weeks that I was so excited to be back at school! Both of us had our individual strengths but together we have been invincible and I am lucky to have a partner who has supported me tirelessly throughout this bumpy journey. So thank you Paul for sharing this journey with me. I believe we did good!

As year advisers, welfare and discipline go hand in hand. At times, some of you probably felt like you were always in trouble with us. There have been times when I was so furious with you and gutted at your poor choices and let down by your actions. I remember one instance when back in year 10 the boys did something really mean (I cannot remember what it was about but several of you were suspended ) and Mrs James and I were so angry with you that we staged an intervention. I remember talking to you and I was so angry that my voice was wavering like I was going to cry. It was one those days that Mr Hickey and I would sit slumped in your chairs wondering what the hell went wrong. Other days, we were as proud as punch and would happily hi 5 ourselves and tell the world that you were the best year group ever! What was good was that the older you got, the more I felt like you tried to do the right thing as you did not want to let us down. To Mr Hickey and I, it was always about building your character, not your ATAR.

To this day, we have always tried to instill good character traits in you. I am extremely proud of all your fundraising efforts over the years. I believe some of you are that good at selling chocolates that you could sell the boxes back to Cadbury for twice the price! Your keen eye for capturing a potential chocolate market was nothing short of amazing and as a business studies teacher, I was just so proud! In addition, The Biggest Morning Tea was a highlight for me, seeing you all get on board and be involved (even the students who would normally shy away from these events). It was great to see the community spirit in you all. I was thrilled to see that you put others before yourself in your decision to donate a portion of your fundraising efforts to drought stricken school communities in rural NSW.