This week was a week of contrasts for me, as I enjoyed the start of my Year 12 Leavers鈥� interviews as well as hosting the Year 6 students鈥� Orientation Day in the High School as they prepare for their move across the oval in 2025.

The transition 鈥榯o Big School鈥� is a fascinating one; a carefully curated process planned to set students up for High School, ensuring a positive start with sufficient challenges to ensure personal, social and academic growth. We put in place multiple supports and we know the children transitioning from our Primary School, which helps a lot. There can be nowhere else which takes as much care as we do to pass on appropriate information, to provide a fresh start for those who need it, to set up situations and activities to make the students comfortable with each other in their new habitat.

Often, parents are the people most concerned about the transition and they don鈥檛 help when they pass on awful tales of their own first week at High School. I started Year 7 myself with appalling stories from my dad about what he had endured at that time in his life. I can assure you that they weren鈥檛 happening when I went to school and they certainly aren鈥檛 now; sharing these with kids who are naturally nervous about a change in their lives isn鈥檛 helpful in any way.

At the other end of the age spectrum, the Year 12 Leaver interviews are for me a highlight of Term 3, as I witness at first hand the Carmel graduates 鈥� the young women and men about to leave our school. Every year the students openly share their experiences of 91抖阴 and I consider carefully what they tell me. I love to hear of the most influential teachers who have affected their lives and who they will remember for a very long time. It is also always wonderful to see just how many of our students reflect the characteristics of the Carmel graduate that we co-created 鈥� if you haven鈥檛 seen the document recently, it鈥檚 worth a read and located on our website here.

Another good read for the weekend is one of my favourite books of advice for parents bringing up teenage boys - Celia Lashlie鈥檚 鈥�He鈥檒l be OK: Growing Gorgeous Boys into Good Men鈥�. I came across Celia when I was teaching in New Zealand and she was impressive; the first woman to run a male prison and fabulous when talking to classes of boys. I like her writing style and the advice she provides, even though some of it is hard to hear.

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Shabbat shalom.

Dr Julie Harris

Principal

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