The Year 12 English and EAL Oral SAC was held on Monday 17 July. Students presented a five-minute oral selected from a list of contemporary Australian issues. The students were required to express their point of view on the issue and position the audience to align with their arguments. Students spent time over the holidays perfecting their public speaking skills, researching their issue and revising their persuasive rhetoric skills. It is fair to say that the girls were quite nervous before their presentations, but all came out with a smile on their face when it was over.

The Year 12 students set the tone that they are well into the ‘business end of their final year of schooling’ by the early commencement of the term. There is no doubt that their focus should be on their academic studies. Although, it is still wise to have a balance in their daily program and care should be taken to ensure that they are looking after their health with careful consideration of their hours of sleep, a healthy diet and a reasonable amount of exercise.

The Year 12s held a Staff Appreciation Week in the last week of Term 2. Teachers were acknowledged by students with ‘warm and fuzzy comments’ written on gold paper stars. Lucy Tanner (Year 12), Amber Chapman (Year 12) and Sophie Seng Hpa (Year 12) challenged staff members Ms Vanessa Jackson-McRae, Mr James Brown and Mr Brad Hicks to an entertaining debate on the topic that ‘Those who can’t do teach’. The students narrowly won the debate by presenting an inflated opinion of their teachers to oppose the affirmative team. The Library rocked with laughter throughout this lunchtime activity. Other activities held in this week were a lunchtime sausage sizzle so that students could enjoy lunch with their teachers and a Dance Off between teachers and students using the Wii game ‘Just Dance’.

Also, in the last few weeks of Term 2, the Year 12 girls hosted the Annual Scotch versus St Catherine’s netball match. The Senior School girls were invited to watch this spectacle and encouraged to donate a gold coin. The money raised here, combined with that raised at the Fiesta Frenzy, totalled over $3300 and will be given to the White Ribbon Appeal.