In recent weeks, the Senior Years has been buzzing with excitement. All you will hear in the Senior Plaza is, what flavour 2-minute-noodles everyone has for lunch, the quiet fuss of what exam is on tomorrow or, what assignment is due next week, and, of course, the forbidden F-word… Formal. Our Seniors have put behind them a busy few weeks and it is not slowing down anytime soon with exam block peaking and formal preparations looming.

Our Student Leadership Team has also been hard at work organizing events throughout the school community including Friday Fun Games, which kicked off back in Term 1. This been a hit for the Early Year’s students – and I think it’s safe to say that we have just as much fun as they do! Every Friday, Senior Years students have been spending their lunch times with students from Prep to Year 4 in a wide range of games and activities. While it is clear that the younger years love chatting to us about how 1+1=2, we Senior students also enjoy being in the company of these amazing kids, especially with graduation creeping up on us. This opportunity gives us a chance to look back on our younger years and reminisce.

On top of Friday Fun Games, just recently our Breakfast Club Program has also hit the ground running. Commencing on Pyjama Day, the breakfast club program has gifted many students with a full stomach and bright smiles on their Nutella-stained faces of a Monday morning. Student Leadership Team and both the College and wider community has encouraged the continuation of this program which we, as the Student Leadership Team, are unimaginably grateful for. We hope the impact that this program has on the College remains vivid long after we have said our goodbyes.

From way out west, to sitting the final exams for the term, these last two weeks have caused a lot of stress to students across the College. Predominantly, this pressure begins to build when least expected, and for many students, it can be extremely difficult to deal with in a healthy manner. Throughout this time, one may ask, "why does God incorporate this into our lives? Why, if God wants what’s best for us, does He bring anxiety, stress, or worries, when pressure is already taking its toll on our young lives?" Some let this hard time get the better of them and begin to question their faith, however, only through faith and optimism, can the light be seen at the end of the tunnel. God reminds us that hard times are needed to draw us closer to Him. So, the next time you are faced with life’s unwelcome pressure, remember;

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your request to God” – Philippians 4:6.

Zahra Manteit & Joshua Nimmo