Counting down to their final day

“It’s over before you realise what’s going on,” Isaac said.

Relieved at finally being back at school after years of COVID-19 disruption, the Year 12 students reflected upon many of this year’s highlights.

“Being home wasn’t fun. Being back at school has probably been a highlight,” Elsie said.

Apart from being able to attend school, the charity ball they held for Caritas Australia was a highlight for the Year 12 students.

School retreat was another highlight.

“Getting to know the teachers and eating lots of food and doing activities to get to know the cohort. Everyone was able to be themselves and we just had a lot of fun together,” Elsie said.

Lucy enjoyed all the responsibilities Year 12 offered her and her fellow classmates. As one of the vice-captains Lucy had additional responsibilities, such as preparing assemblies, which she relished.

Friendship was another theme that was strong among the four students.

Isaac said his mates were a great help to him over the years. For Elsie, the funny memories one inevitably creates with friends in high school were a highlight.

Oscar also highlighted the strong connection the Year 12 cohort formed with their teachers and said he would miss that when school finally finished.

If there is one thing the students will not miss about Year 12, it is the increased workload they faced. Elsie and Isaac were also keen to ditch the structure and uniformity of school.

Maths and English were notably unpopular, while both Elsie and Lucy considered psychology one of their favourite subjects.

With the 2022 academic year now finished, all that’s left for the students is to sit their exams before enjoying the formal celebrations befitting their massive milestone.

Though naturally nervous about the exams, each of the four students were confident in their abilities as well as their determination to study hard and put their best foot forward.

“I’m sure I should be pretty prepared and a bit of hard work the next few weeks and I should be all right,” Oscar said before exams started.

Elsie believes success will come down to the individual, saying if you want to learn and succeed you will do what it takes.

What awaits the students at the end of their school journey will be as varied as the students themselves.

Elsie plans to study occupational therapy at La Trobe University in Melbourne.

Isaac will spend next year as an intern at Kruger National Park in South Africa with the hopes of eventually becoming a vet.

As for Lucy and Oscar, both plan to stay in Shepparton.

Lucy wants to study nursing at La Trobe University in Shepparton before perhaps moving to Bendigo, with her final goal to be a midwife.

Oscar will stay on for a gap year and is planning on going on a Pacific cruise.

Notre Dame College deputy principal Emma Reynoldson spoke of the immense pride the staff at the college felt, noting that despite the challenges, the students acquitted themselves brilliantly and led the younger students with positivity and inclusion.

Positivity was also front of mind for Elsie, who believes that despite soon having to leave the security of school, the opportunities to come will more than make up for it.

“I don’t know what the future will look like. But that excites me as well as in a way because the best things happen when they’re spontaneous,” she said.