Recently many Year 9 students and their parents gathered for the Celebration of Learning evening. The night was a great success and this was due largely to Mrs Melanie Marsh. Melanie would deflect this compliment and say it was due to the students, but it is the skills that Melanie and the BRIDGES program have developed in the students this year which enabled the students to be responsible for the success of the evening. Students assisted throughout the afternoon with the setting up of the Kildare Centre with Grace Savor, Megan Singleton, Kiara Lawrence and Maya Hempel being wonderful presenters throughout the formal proceedings. Additionally, the musical items by Rhiannan Marie-Jean, Eloise Holborn and Charlotte Forbes were a highlight of the evening.

As the year level leader, I was asked to recount the achievements of the year. Included in this report are the words spoken that evening.

“I was asked to speak about the highlights of the year and then it became the achievements of the year. To me they are two very different things yet when I thought about them, I realised I would still be speaking about the same. I hope I have you intrigued!

For me to say what the highlight of the year is seems unfair for was it the BRIDGES camp, the House Athletics day, the Swimming Carnival, Brigidine Day, the Lip Sync battle, the rehearsals for the Lip Sync battle, for they were fun, the musical Legally Blonde to see so many Year 9 students on stage, backstage or in the music pit, the trivia or the Homeroom games pastoral sessions and the list goes on. But truth be told, the highlight for me all year has been the Year 9 students. From the moment they entered the Kildare Centre until this evening, I have been mesmerised by them. At the start of the year, they were challenged and they have met every challenge. They have demonstrated the character strengths of perseverance, honesty, a love of learning, humor and teamwork, to name but a few.

Often Year 9 is seen as the year the students are not the junior students at the school anymore, there is a distinct difference between Years 7 and 8 and Year 9, yet the senior students, including Year 10, want very little to do with the Year 9 students. Year 9 is like the annoying younger sibling who just hangs around. Year 9 is the filling in the sandwich, which we pick out and put to the side. Throughout this year, my Year 9 students have been the entrée, the main meal and if you still have room for more, the dessert as well. Picture your favourite meal for each course and you have the picture of these students. They have been the most magnificent three course meal on any menu at any restaurant! The meal has been rated by the Michelin system, but Michelin only gives three stars, which means exceptional cuisine, worth a special journey. Well, this meal broke all barriers and reset the bar at five stars, which means a once in a life time experience, to be savoured, enjoyed and cherished.

They set the standard from the first day and continued to raise the bar. Every day has been a pleasure with them, their energy and zest for life is infectious. We made mistakes along the way, but we learnt from them, we owned them and we moved on. Year 9 students have encouraged and supported each other, they have been the conductor of their own orchestra and the music they have played has been in tune, soulful, enriching and at times, a little bit of rock and roll, the blues and a bit of Taylor Swift!

To say the students entered the Kildare Centre on the first day of Year 9 as the baby giraffe, a calf, who is all legs, gangly, unsteady on their feet, looking outwards to a new world means that they leave the Kildare Centre this evening, and in coming weeks, as the giraffe who has grown into its legs, powerful, strong and steady, who holds its head high, is always reaching for new heights. The Year 9 students can hold their heads high, they are steady on the feet and always striving to do their best with dignity and integrity.

In coming weeks, as they finish their third year of secondary education, they are ready to move into Year 10 and their senior years. They have learnt their lessons well. Whilst there is much still to be learnt their foundation is solid.

So, Year 9 students, I have called you a younger sibling, an annoying younger sibling, a filling in a sandwich, an entrée, a main course and a dessert; a conductor and a giraffe. You are who you are. I thank you sincerely for the gifts you have shared this year, I thank you for being the individuals you are growing to be. The students of Year 9, 2023 have been the highlight of this year, the students of Year 9, 2023 have been the greatest achievement of this year.”

Jane Cowan
Level Leader: Year 9

Duke of Edinburgh International Award  

On 1 November, the Duke Of Edinburgh Bronze (Year 9 students) and Duke of Edinburgh Silver (Year 10 students) were lucky enough to participate in a three-day camp at Wilsons Prom. For this camp, all students who participated brought their own sleeping mat, sleeping bag, food for all three days and clothes in hiking backpacks that were provided by the school.  

On the first day when we arrived at camp, we each had to set up our own tents with our tent buddies and then made our way down to our first activity. The first activity of the camp was a surfing lesson. Surfing was so much fun and all of us caught at least one wave each!  

Later that afternoon we hiked up Mount Oberon, which was definitely the highlight of the camp for most of us. As much as the walk up the big hill felt like it was going to go on forever, the view at the top made it so so worth it. It felt unreal!  

Day two was a massive day full of walking on sand, rock, gravel, up and downhill, which took about six hours of walking (including snack and lunch breaks!). We saw many amazing views of the beaches we walked along and so many amazing rocky areas with different colors. When we walked for a long time, at times we felt like we wanted to stop. However, when our friends helped us remember how amazing we would feel at the end, we pushed on forward! Eventually, when we finished the walk, even though our legs were sore and our shoes were full of sand, our minds were definitely filled with the images of the incredible views we had seen and the funny moments with our friends.  

On our last day of camp, we woke up and packed up our tent then did a 45 minute walk to complete our camp. Overall, most of us who were lucky enough to participate would definitely do it again as we had so much fun, made new friends, made closer connections with friends we already had, got to experience some amazing views and made memories that will last forever.  

Leila Timms and Olivia Roberts
Year 9