Year 12 Formal

What can be more rewarding for us teachers than seeing our students confidently express their ideas, feelings and thoughts and being willing to share these with everyone? What can be more rewarding than reflecting on how much personal growth has taken place? What can be more rewarding than being part of this important process in your students’ lives?

The two students who volunteered to submit their impressions and reflections of the Year 12 Formal represent many of the delightful Year 12 students we are so proud to teach in 2019.

Ms Inna Zhiv

Head of English

The event to remember!

On 15 March South Oakleigh College held its annual Year 12 Formal at Brighton International Reception, an elegant venue that hosted all the beautifully dressed students who had put lots of thinking into that special night to make it the event to remember. Our excitement was matched by the teachers, who made the formal more entertaining by their friendly interactions with students; whether it was dancing, talking, joking, or taking funny photos together.

Mr Hem and Mr Carroll stole centre stage by their dance battle that attracted lots of students and teachers to the dance floor! Their dance battle moves showed extraordinary skill and were applauded by everyone. Elegantly dressed teachers joined us on the dance floor exhibiting a level of enthusiasm that added an incredibly pleasant and relaxing vibe to the night.

The photo booth was always full of people taking multiple photos with bizarre glasses or hats on.

The decorations made the venue look both magical and stylish. The food was okay but not something to rave about, however our enthusiasm and high spirits could not be destroyed by such a minor issue!

The students and teachers looked fantastic and we made sure to capture as many photos of the precious moments as we could.

It was exciting to see people who usually do not socialise much actually getting involved with the event, which displayed another aspect of their personalities.

The video we put together was not only enjoyable but also showed how much we have grown up since year 7, making us wonder what awaits us in the future …

Thank you, South Oakleigh, for making such an exhilarating experience possible.

Lydia Pouliezou

Preparation for my much dreamt about Year12 formal was one of the most stressful but exciting periods of my school life.

Indeed, the effort put into finding the right dress was a joke because of the endless disappointment when trying on a dress that looked perfect at a glance but made you either too fat or too slim or too ordinary which, surely, is not the impact you want to achieve for your very special night. However, one should never forget the level of excitement when suddenly you find the right dress that fits like a glove making you look a very special and beautiful you.

Endless dress searching was not the only concern in preparing for this special night! What about our dates, even though they are just another accessory for the night! Just kidding!

Moreover, what about the other important accessories that complete ‘our picture perfect’? Deciding on the right hairstyle, the makeup, the purse, the shoes and the jewellery is another expensive but, in the end, rewarding exercise; the important moment of self-discovery.

But, something always goes wrong. The agonising bit is that often something goes wrong at the very last moment, be it your bangs that look like separated teeth, or your makeup that rivals an ‘IT’ horror film or the zipper that does not close well! (I assure you that it is not because you have put on weight but because your hands are shaking out of excitement and eagerness to look your very best!)

Amongst all the turmoil, one positive thought keeps you going: at least your boyfriend will be on time and you will enter the venue like a queen. Alas, boys will be boys forever, and your boyfriend arrives late but, miraculously, you make it nearly on time, puffing and sweating along the way. Upon stepping out of the elegant car you look surprisingly calm, cool and confident, as if you were an experienced big scale party goer!

Your eyes take in the beautiful and nicely decorated venue, amazing looking students and teachers and you reflect on the fact that every bit of your personal effort has been worth the excitement of the night that awaits you.

It is great that our school decided to spice things up and instead of doing the usual photo with our dates we had a photographer who stayed with us the whole night and floated around taking photos of everyone and everything, capturing the fun of the night. The photo booth was a real highlight and it is worthwhile to consider it for next year’s Formal. The food was not that exciting but the desert was yummy.

On the question of music, I can only suggest to future Year 12 students that there should be a much wider variety so that slow dancing can be part of the program, catering for those of us who are hopeless romantics. However, it was great to see students and teachers on the dance floor looking happy, relaxed and obviously enjoying the atmosphere of the night.

What advice can I give to future Year 12s? Try to enjoy your special moment, but try to keep an open mind. Things do not work out the way you plan, at least not right from the start although all your efforts will pay back and you will have the night to remember. Enjoy the shopping process, plan ahead, and have time to explore other options, possibly more beneficial for you. Be daring, innovative and open minded! Trust me, for your formal night, there’s no such a thing as ‘extra’ as Year 12 Formal is YOUR night and you will not get another one after it. This special night is part of the final phase of your school chapter, so make it the event to remember!

Kyri Derzotis

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