Traditions

What do you think of when you hear the word tradition? In my household, we have a tradition that on the day of your Birthday you have the honour of picking your favourite dinner and dessert to celebrate. It’s the only time I get to enjoy a classic trifle! I also love Christmas traditions and for me Christmas just wouldn’t be the same without Nanna’s traditional Christmas pudding with penny, threepence and shilling coins cooked in. Perhaps your family has traditions around Easter and Christmas or holiday travel traditions to always book the same favourite destination. Whatever the occasions may be, traditions help us to remember what is important and help us to reflect and honour what we hold dear or help us to focus on our hopes and our dreams for the future.

College traditions represent a critical piece of how we express what we value. They remind us that we are part of a community that God has blessed over the past 41 years. On the 28 October we were able to have the Year 12 Graduation Ceremony which is a significant tradition in the life of the College. While the ceremony was adjusted due to COVID, meaning that parents watched online, I am thankful that we were still able to have our Year 12 students enjoy the traditions of this important moment. Graduation gives us an opportunity to express our College values of Faith, Virtue, Service and Wisdom and showcase our wonderful Year 12 students who are role models to those younger students watching. We also had the opportunity to say “thank you” to parents, carers, and teachers for the contribution they have made in the lives of our graduates. I pray that the Year 12 Graduation was also a time to create lasting memories for our students, families, and friends as they enjoyed the chance to pause and reflect how Year 12 have grown over their time at the College. We have appreciated the partnership we have enjoyed with our students and their parents, and we are confident they will have success in the future. We are proud of the young men and women they have become, and we look forward to hearing about God’s purpose for them.

As we send our Year 12 students out into the world, we pray that they have gained a sense of who God is, of how much He loves them, and the value He has placed upon each of their lives. As a College we have encouraged students to be kind, to love and to serve, and to always act with integrity, empathy and mercy. Our Year 12 students will always be graduates of Norwest Christian College, and this College will continue to proudly claim them as our own. We will continue to cheer our graduates on and encourage them to love God and pursue the purpose He has for their lives. Thank you to all the College staff who helped us all enjoy such an important tradition for Year 12.

The Year 12 Formal is also a keenly anticipated tradition which will provide a fantastic opportunity to celebrate and make new memories. We also look forward to the important privilege of supporting Year 12 through their HSC examinations over the next few weeks. For most the excitement won’t match that of the Formal, however, finishing final examinations are key milestones in the lives of young people on their way to adulthood.
 
May God bless Year 12 in their final weeks at the College.

Daryl Hinton
Head of Secondary Years