Young people in today's society are constantly being told to focus on the future, specifically life after school, often being asked "what do you want to do after school? What university? What course? Perhaps you want to take a gap year?" Society's focus on the future has left us without the ability to live in the moment. To promote the idea of seizing every opportunity, the 2023 Prefect Team came up with the motto: Embrace the Moment.

Often people reflect upon positive times from their life, lamenting how they'll "never forget this." Whilst we encourage holding close to those good moments, as leaders of the school, we endeavour to foster an environment where reflection is encouraged, and those not-so-glossy moments are prized also. The vision behind "Embrace the Moment" is to take every moment, the good the bad and the ugly ones, and turn them into an opportunity to grow, both in knowledge and character.

Within the context of school life, embracing the moment can have a variety of applications. For our Junior School Students, embracing the moment could be putting their hand up for the dreaded 25m butterfly race at house swimming, or maybe volunteering to lend a hand in gardening club. For our Year 7 and 8 students this could be embracing nerve-racking moments on camp which work to expand their comfort zones. Older students from Years 9-11 could embrace the opportunity to stand up for something they believe in, such as giving back to the community through initiatives like Red Earth or Big Group Hug.  

The motto is notably appropriate for the Class of 2023 as they embark on the closing year of their schooling. The looming figure of the ATAR and its potential to dictate your life, makes the year seem impossibly difficult and stressful. Therefore, it's important to appreciate the moments as they come, especially within school life because we know that they are limited. As a cohort and a community, we need to share the highs and lows and remind each other to 'Embrace the Moment'.

Paige, School Captain & Saambavi, School Vice Captain