On Wednesday evening, we hosted Showcase. Here the Year 12 girls displayed the major projects they had worked on over the year for the HSC. The quality of the pieces was outstanding. On display were works from Visual Arts, Design and Tech, Music, Dance, Society and Culture, Aboriginal Studies and History Extension.

Each piece reflected considerable planning, devoted attention and a commitment to excellence. It was thrilling to hear the girls explain their written pieces to the audience, sharing the complexities of their research and formulation of their responses. It was highly entertaining to see and hear the maturity of the dance and music performances. These pieces had clearly been practiced and fine-tuned for many hours. It was inspiring to view the Visual Art, Aboriginal Studies and the Design and Tech pieces. To read the background and inspiration of the works and see the beauty of the product created through this interpretation was wonderful.

I am confident each family would have been involved in the process of these pieces being created and completed. There would have been hours of encouragement, support and critical feedback given, lots of affirmation and plenty of collaborative problem-solving offered. Thank you to all the families for the crucial role you played in enabling your daughter to complete a major work. You must be very proud of the finished product. I also extend my thanks to the staff who guided and supported the girls through the process. We are very blessed to have such strength in the capacity and skill in our staff.

For many girls, the opportunity to create a major work provided an avenue of self-discovery and self-awareness. Every girl had a little of themselves on display on Wednesday evening, which brings with it some vulnerability and sensitivity. Congratulations to all the girls on taking the risk and giving their best. I was moved by the topics the girls chose to represent through their works, some personal, some of broader issues and some more practical. What particularly pleased me was the very strong evidence of young women who had a voice, who had something to say and who wanted to be heard. It was a great celebration.

The evening before Showcase I had the good fortune to visit the Campbelltown Catholic Club where the project presentations of students who had participated in the Max Potential Program were on display. Schools in the Macarthur area are invited to put students forward to participate in the Max Potential Program which builds leadership and independence through a coaching program and the creation of a community-based project. Angelina from Year 10 participated in the program this year. She did an exceptional job in both developing her leadership skills and in the project she created for ‘Wilma’. Congratulations to Dee Raquel Joma who coordinates the program and to the Campbelltown Catholic Club for supporting the program.

Next week we will be acknowledging R U OK day. We are all very aware of the growing number of people with declining mental health in our communities and families. Girls will be encouraged to reach out to each other on that day and check that those around them R OK. I will leave you with a quote from William James, the American psychologist and philosopher who studied religious experience and free will and died around this date in 1910.

“Be not afraid of life. Believe that life is worth living, and your belief will help create the fact”

Blessings

Sue Lennox - Principal