From the Head of Year 12 – A Year of Change and Transition

It has been such a delight for the Year 12 students to start their final year of secondary schooling physically on campus and thankfully we have moved into Term 2 with much excitement and anticipation for the final terms ahead.

Term 2 started with a beautiful celebration of our Year 12s at their Year 12 Formal which recently took place at the Glass House with the theme of ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’. Students, partners, parents, and some staff had the opportunity to relax and dance, enjoying each other’s company on a memorable night of festivities. Now, back at School, students have once again turned their attention to their studies, in preparation for their SACs and eventually their VCE examinations. 

Indeed, beyond the Year 12 Formal and the beautiful memories created, 2022 is emerging as a monumental and significant year of change on so many levels. To be a young person navigating this ever-evolving world is no mean feat. Add to this the weekly world of SACs and Outcomes, as well as the joys and pressures of adolescence and the anticipation of the transition from secondary school to life beyond school, and we can clearly gain insight into what it may feel like to be a young person on the cusp of adulthood in 2022. Taking time to pause and work with our students, whether we are teachers, support staff, or parents is pivotal in the growth that occurs. I can assure you that our students really do appreciate the support and care that they receive. 

As it is often stated, Year 12 marks a watershed year on so many levels. It is the school year of many ‘lasts’ – our last whole Year level photo day, the last Cross-Country and House Athletics Carnivals, the last Easter Service, the last Rowing season, the last Debating season, and the list goes on. What I have noticed as the year is unfolding is the genuine care and connection that our Year 12 students feel towards each other and their School. Time and time again they express deep gratitude for the opportunity to participate in and contribute to School life as leaders of the student body.  

From the very first day, our Year 12 students embraced the Leadership Conference which took place at Trinity College with gusto and a desire to be kind, focused, and effective School leaders this year. Inspired by past St Catherine’s School students, Miss Jessica Martin (’13), Miss Mackenzie Leyden (’17), and Dr Emma Thompson (’15), our Year 12s felt supported not only by the community of teachers and parents around them but, by the St Catherine School alumnae.

Jessica, Mackenzie, and Emma’s words of encouragement served to remind our current Year 12s of the hundreds of Old Girls who have passed through the Gates of 17 Heyington Place and are now responsible, active, and dynamic women in society. In this way, the Year 12 Leadership Conference served as a real witnessing of the St Catherine’s School tradition coming to life as our current Year 12s were reminded that they too are an integral part of this beautiful continuing tradition. As daunting as the future may sound, by sharing time with Old Girls, our students see that ‘it’ can be done, and that they too can move through their secondary schooling, making a difference in their own lives and in the lives of so many others in society through their respective professional pathways.  

Key messages during the Leadership Conference that students have carried with them in their Year 12 experience so far, include:

  • Be true to yourself
  • Be respectful of others
  • Be kind
  • Aim high – go for your dreams
  • Be the best that you can be
  • Be responsible
  • Your voice matters

These messages were reinforced in a moving communication with The Hon. Julia Gillard, former Prime Minister of Australia and currently the inaugural Chair of the Global Institute for Women’s Leadership at Kings College London, and the Australian National University. Ms Gillard conveyed to our Year 12 St Catherine’s School students the importance, need, and complexity of ‘modern leadership’. She reflected on the significance of her own school experience, inspiring our students even further: 

“Personally, my own time at school fuelled my feminism, and my passion for politics, and helped shape the future trajectory of my life tremendously. It was a chance to immerse myself in a world of knowledge and ideas, and I revelled in the chance to debate them with my peers. I hope your time at school provides the same kind of opportunities.”

Being reminded of the importance of one’s passions and the power of making each day count to achieving one’s goals is another crucial message that resonated deeply. Students were impressed by the accessible nature of the former Prime Minister and her sage advice to make the most of the opportunities that they are afforded. We were reminded that achieving one’s goals takes time and can be borne out of the most apparently routine daily practices. Persevering and not giving up on our passions is key. 

Everyone’s Year 12 experience is different. Everyone has their own Year 12 story, and every story is of deep value and meaning, contributing in a formative way to the adult that one becomes. Year 12 is a time for dreams but also a time for action. Educating students to be respectful, fearless, and courageous in the decisions they make and the steps they take is fundamental in empowering today’s youth. 

However, change and progress do not happen overnight – it takes time, patience, and courage. As Ruth Bader Ginsberg reminds us: “Real change, enduring change, happens one step at a time.” Quite often, young people are in such a hurry to get to their destination that they lose sight of the beauty of this experience. Yet, ironically, the very experience they are bemoaning may become a sweet memory and a lesson to be remembered, at some point in the future.

Whether it be changing one’s study habits, changing one’s attitude to learning, changing one’s writing style, or even changing direction in life, it requires deep thought, time, conscious commitment, inner strength, and strength derived from the knowledge that we are not alone but supported along the way. 

Ms Vasiliki Spanos, Head of Year 12