At the start of each year, our new class of Year 7 students participate in the Year 7 Transition Week, an action-packed week of fun and activities. The Transition Week allows the newest members of our community to make a positive start to secondary schooling. The week began with our first assembly, centred on Catherine McAuley’s quote “we should be shining lamps, giving light to all around us”. The Year 12 students welcomed the Year 7s into the assembly with a guard of honour, marking a truly special occasion for the newest members of our community.
The first three days of the Transition Week saw the students participating in a range of lessons to familiarise themselves with the systems and policies at the College, from using SEQTA to Digital Citizenship. Later, the students completed activities allowing them to get to know each other and embrace the competitive house spirit, including swimming trials.
The staff and students were also grateful for the assistance from the Year 10 Peer Mentors on the first day. The mentors assisted with the activities and provided positive reinforcement as the Year 7s embraced the changes. The last two days of the Transition Week focused on helping build positive and respectful relationships. It also allowed the students to challenge themselves, and of course, have fun together. On Thursday, the students completed several team building and problem-solving activities. Their final objective: to build a catapult and see who can launch their water balloons the farthest distance. On Friday, all students braved the heat to complete the commando course (which gratefully saw the addition of water pistols). The students also completed either the flying fox or possum glider air activity, and a water-based activity using canoes or kayaks.
Overall, the Year 7 students made a positive transition to high school and embraced each other with a spirit of mercy. Welcome to the Mercedes community!
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[…] school, pastoral care programs play a key role; the Year 7s start their high school experience with Year 7 Transition Week, encouraging students to adapt to their new environment, make new friends and settle into new […]