A Bittersweet Time of Change

August 27, 2021  

In the life of any Senior School, the second half of Term III is a bittersweet time of change; this year, where so much has changed, is no different. At the end of last week, it was my pleasure to spend time addressing the Year 11 cohort as we confirmed our School Captains and Prefects for 2022. Having spent time with many of these students in Biblical Studies classes throughout the year, I already knew that the leadership potential in the current Year 11s was strong; but having now interviewed and appointed the School Captains and Vice Captains I am truly excited to see the contribution they, and their supporting Captains and Prefects will make to the school over the next twelve months.

In a couple of months these students will become our new Year 12 cohort and will embark on their year of HSC study, having successfully completed their Preliminary year. This cohort have overcome the innumerable challenges they have encountered during Term 3, a term spent learning remotely, and are almost ready to take on the responsibilities of being Year 12 TIGS students.

Meanwhile, by the time you read this, our current Year 12 students will have sat their final in-house Assessment Tasks, with only the final HSC examinations next term standing between them and the employment or ongoing learning that awaits them in 2022. Over the coming weeks, these students will start to receive offers for early entrance to universities and confirmation of their places. As these offers come in, it becomes increasingly apparent that our Year 12s are starting to look beyond TIGS to a range of bright and vibrant futures ahead. 

Whilst we love to share in their successes and achievements there is always a twinge of sadness that these wonderful young people – many of whom have been at TIGS since they were in Kindy, are now ready to move on and take the TIGS values into their next phase of life; serving others and making a positive contribution to the world. Like our Year 11 students, the Class of 2021 could not possibly have known what this term had in store for them when they finished Term 2 back in July, but the way they have risen to the challenges before them and maintained their focus has been nothing short of inspirational.