Year 9 News – Mr Christopher Shelston

Swimming Carnival 

Friday 20 March saw the College attend the annual Swimming Carnival. It was great to see so many Year 9 students get involved and represent their house. These days are great days to build community spirit but allow students the opportunity to challenge themselves. 

Guest Speaker – Raquel Bouris 

This week we had the privilege of welcoming Raquel Bouris to speak with our Year 9 and 10 students. Raquel is the founder and creative director of ‘Who Is Elijah’, a globally recognised fragrance brand. She began by sharing when, how, and why she started her company, and spoke about the different jobs she worked in when she was our age. Raquel explained that she didn’t come up with the idea for her brand until 2018. Her inspiration for each perfume begins with the name, she creates the name first, then works to find the perfect scent to match it.

Raquel also spoke about the challenges she faced along the way, reminding us that while setbacks can be difficult, they are part of the journey and make success even more meaningful. Although she finished school in Year 10, she found listening to podcasts and interviews incredibly valuable for her learning. She encouraged us, however, to complete our studies, pursue university pathways, and take in as much knowledge as we can.

Having Raquel speak to our cohort was incredibly beneficial. She shared practical insights into starting a business and left us with powerful life lessons such as “with all bad comes even more good,” “have confidence and belief in yourself because if you don’t, who will?” and her personal motto, “there’s always a way to fix it.”

Written by Ava Allouche and Charlotte Kain-Blatch (Year 9 students)

Attendance

It is wonderful to see that 25% of Year 9 students have maintained a perfect attendance record so far this term. Regular attendance is an important factor in supporting your daughter’s learning, wellbeing and overall success, with each day in the classroom contributing to her progress. Even small amounts of missed learning time can add up over the year, so students are expected to attend school each day and arrive on time.

If you have concerns regarding your daughter’s wellbeing, academic progress, or social dynamics, please do not hesitate to contact me. 

 

Chris Shelston, Instructional Leader of Wellbeing  Year 9