Secondary

A Message from the Head of Secondary

Our school is a  wonderful place for young people to broaden their horizons and experience the world beyond their everyday lives. This week, our Year 9 students had the opportunity to delve deeper into the Anglican traditions of our school with a visit to St Thomas’ Anglican church. This “Deep Dive Day” is an integral part of our commitment to our Anglican Ethos. During the day, students learned about the significant role this church has played in our town over the past two centuries, serving as a dispensary, a school, and, of course, a place of worship. They even had the chance to experience a service as it would have been conducted for the church’s first members, challenging them to use the language of the past. It was truly impressive to see our young people step up, take part in Bible readings, and offer prayers using the archaic “thee’s” and “thou’s.”

This day represents one of the many “doors” of opportunity that our principal, Mr Allan Guihot, often speaks about. It may not be the typical experience for a student, but how else can we expand their horizons if we don’t provide these opportunities? We are immensely grateful to our Chaplain, Reverend Jon Cornish, Reverend Dan Berris from St Thomas’, and their team of volunteers, for organising such an interactive and enlightening day for us. I’m certain that each student took something valuable away from the experience, whether it was learning about the church’s history and its significance to our town or simply the chance to share this day with their friends. Parents, I encourage you to ask your children about their experiences, whether it’s the underground cellars, the construction of bricks by convicts, or the 1800’s drum used in place of a keyboard in the church’s organ.

There are many more opportunities for our students to explore as we approach the end of the year. As I mentioned last week, students in Years 7 to 10 have the chance to present their portfolios to staff and parents, sharing their own learning journeys for the year. This is one of our key initiatives in deepening their learning, encouraging them to take ownership of it and make it visible to themselves and others, while honing the essential communication skills they’ll need in the future.

Other upcoming events that parents might want to note include:

– Department of Education Hikes for Year 9 on 9th/10th November and the Gold and Silver Hike from 12th to 17th November.
– Year 11 RRISK seminars, providing our students with important knowledge about alcohol, drugs, driving, and partying, from 13th to 15th November.
– The New Caledonia French immersion trip from 20th to 28th November.
– Nine Lessons and Carols on 21st November.
– Carols in The Amphitheatre on 23rd November.
– Year 7 to 11 End of Year Awards on 29th November from 12:30 – 2:30 pm.
– Awards Evening Celebration at the Glasshouse on 6th December.

We hope that you can join our school for some of these major end-of-year events and continue to support our students as they explore new doors and experiences, helping them grow into strong members of our community.

Paul Rikmanis
Head of Secondary School


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