Newsroom
News
Year 12 Graduation
29.11.17
The 2017 Year 12 Graduation was not only an opportunity to celebrate the journey of the students in our community over the years, but also an opportunity to wish them well as they greet life and take their place in our community. The year 12 students presented themselves with distinction during the evening and parents, as well as staff, were justly proud of the young adults they had nurtured for several years.
At this milestone time in the lives of our graduates, I asked them to reflect on what they have learnt with us at Tenison Woods College. In a community where:
“every learner has a place, every learner has a pathway, every learner will shine.That is our challenge and our celebration. My hope for our graduates is that they have learnt simply, that in life: “every person has a place, every person has a pathway, every person will shine.That is your challenge and that will be your celebration.”
At this time, we are drawn to reflect back on the past. So I reflected back on the years of our students’ education and what are the most important lessons we have taught them. I put it to them that some of their most important life lessons are encompassed in the College themes of the past seven years; our seven chapter titles for our book of life. These days it’s probably more like our seven posts in our blog of life:
2017 Yr 12 Step up to the potential of one
2016 Yr 11 Like a mustard seed …
2015 Yr 10 Walk the talk
2014 Yr 9 Reimagine who we are
2013 Yr 8 Bring your A Game
2012 Yr 7 Be present to one another
2011 Yr 6 The blank canvas
And so we stand seven years later celebrating with the students in the helix of life, that returns to our point of departure together, only so much differently than we left, and with another exciting blank canvas before our students; the canvas, of what I like to call, real life.
So as the students stand before the blank canvas of real life I asked the same questions as I did in 2011.
“What will you paint?
How much will you paint?
Which colours will you choose to use?
How will your canvas invite others to paint?”
Furthermore, I encouraged the students to take confidence from this celebration Thursday evening; confidence to ‘let your light shine’ in the posts that constitute the blogs of their life, and use your gifts to serve others, so that in their giving and service they become the type of people our God is liking and sharing us to be.
I offer sincere appreciation to Sean Quirke and the Senior School Home Class Teachers as well as the Senior School Leadership Team for their efforts in preparing students for their graduation. I also offer a vote of deep appreciation to the PR and Events Team who prepared and presented the evening with their characteristic flair, professionalism, can do and no fuss approach, to craft an unforgettable experience, which, I am confident, will be treasured by our families.
David Mezinec | Principal
