Impact Day: A Headstart

Read Sadeer Al-Zuhairi's reflections on this year's Impact Day

Last Tuesday, the 15th of November 2022, was an exciting day for me as I participated in a meet and greet with incoming Year 7 students. I was fortunate to be selected by my SRC teacher to be part of the team. At the start of the day, we introduced ourselves to Year 6 who were all very excited.

The day had several activities on the agenda. We commenced with a fun get-to-know-you bingo activity. This activity was a cool icebreaker that made most students more comfortable while playing the game. 

This was followed by an information session that covered many topics around basics of high school, including how to read timetables, who to go to for support, and the school day. There was a lot of information for them to take in, but I noticed that they were an amazing audience as they sat and absorbed every word our teachers were saying.

After recess, the Year 6 were given a tour of the school. Thank goodness for the good weather that smiled down on us. This was followed by a Visual Arts activity where students drew, painted, and created their own pencil jars. It was a splish splash of paint that resulted in some beautiful desk buddies for Year 6.

Here's what Year 6 students had to say about their experience:

Selina Vaireka, Cecil Hills Public School: “I enjoyed painting with Ms Shannon and going to the library for recess. I enjoyed making new friends with people from other schools who I am going to Year 7 with next year. The SRC were helpful in helping me not be scared of high school. I really like Sarah and Eesha. I loved learning from my year advisers. They are helpful and I feel like they really care for everyone.”

Chiara Meduri, Kemps Creek Public School: “I really enjoyed the D-I-Y Mason Jar Pencil Holder activity. I love my desk buddy. I look forward to meeting new friends next. The SRC were very helpful and so were my year advisers who were really nice and caring. I am ready for high school. Cecil Hills High School is a great place to learn. Today was the best day of my life.”

Jayme Nguyen, Bonnyrigg Heights Public School: “I really enjoyed having this experience as it gave me a taste of what high school is all about. Cecil Hills is a very arty school. The SRC students were very entertaining, and my year advisers were very appealing. Mrs Lord was nice as well and she makes me not want to do anything wrong. I think high school will be very fun. I am looking forward to all the new things we’ll learn in art and music, and especially maths.”

Tristan Le, Bonnyrigg Heights Public School: “I enjoyed the art lesson with Ms. Shannon. It was very creative. I know it’s made me better in art. Our year advisers were very nice and made me feel comfortable. I am looking forward to learning more about science next year!”

Overall, Year 6 Impact Day was a great opportunity for the Year 6 students to get to know about their future high school. It is an effective way of preparing them for the next chapter of their schooling life. It was a great opportunity for me and the SRC students to upgrade our leadership skills. It was a really great experience and a fun-filled day for both the Year 6 and SRC students.

Sadeer Al-Zuhairi

Student Representative Council