Celebrating Leadership and New Beginnings
Last week, our outgoing 2024 Prefects held their final Prefect Assembly, celebrating an incredibly successful year they and their Year 12 peers have had in their final year at School. This year the Prefects’ overarching leadership theme was ‘202for,’ a guiding principle that not only shaped their initiatives throughout the year but a principle that they, together with the Year 12 cohort, lived up to every day. Led by the warmth and ever-positive and caring Daisy Kennet and Sophie Riccutio, the Prefects brought fun to their leadership – a sense of fun found in their deep care for every student at our school and the School itself.
In Term 1, the theme was 202for The Saints Sisterhood, which aimed to add a new initiative to enhance our highly engaged community. The Prefects introduced the Spectators Cup, encouraging students to support each other by attending key events throughout the year. Points were awarded to each House based on participation, fostering a spirited environment that significantly boosted attendance and camaraderie among students. The positive response was heartwarming, showing how much we can achieve when we come together.
Moving into Term 2, the theme shifted to Sharing Your Voice. This initiative focused on empowering students to build confidence from within and with each other, strengthening connections across the student community. This was further supported by drawing attention to the challenges faced by those living rough. Additionally, they organised collection spots for warm accessories like beanies and scarves, benefiting the Mary Magdalene Centre and providing essential support to individuals experiencing homelessness this winter.
In Term 3, the theme promoted was Self-Care. The Prefects emphasised the importance of looking after one’s mental and physical wellbeing, encouraging students to reach out for help when needed. They promoted maintaining a balanced lifestyle through weekly blogs filled with practical tips and tricks for staying grounded. A highlight of the term was the R U OK? DAY assembly, where students engaged in meaningful conversations about mental health and the importance of checking in on one another.
The final Prefect Assembly was bittersweet, as the Prefects were reminded that their time at School was coming to an end. Although they are nearing the conclusion of their journey, their contributions and influence will forever be a valued part of the Saints community. The Prefects and Year 12 students are a tight-knit family of sisters who led their extended family of sisters from ELC to Year 11 with a strong moral purpose. Their purpose was to make every girl in our school know that they belonged and that every girl was valued. This purpose was present in everything our Year 12s did from barracking on the sidelines of sports matches to applauding music, drama and music performances in the theatre, to rallying at Charity initiatives, to walking our young learners to their classrooms in the morning drop off and being in the yard at lunchtime enjoying the company of others across all year levels. We thank them for being such fine role models of our school values- courage, creativity and compassion. We will miss their smiles and positivity.
As one door closes, another opens. Following the final assembly, yesterday we proudly welcomed our new student Prefect team with an Induction Ceremony. I am looking forward to seeing our 2025 Prefects continue with the excellent work of their predecessors. With their fresh energy and innovative ideas, I know they will continue to inspire and unite our student body in exciting new ways.
Another exciting chapter that is about to commence is the construction phase of the North West Build. The construction will officially kick off Monday Week 1 of the School holidays, marking a significant step forward for our School. Fencing will be installed around the construction site, creating a clear boundary for safety while the work is underway. It is very exciting to think about the facilities that will soon be available for our students with this new project. I encourage everyone to visit the ‘Future Directions’ tab in eNews for detailed information about any changes that may impact your daily routines during this period.
As we wrap up Term 3, take a look back at the highlights in our video below. I hope you all have a wonderful holiday break, and I look forward to welcoming everyone back for the final term of 2024.
