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- The Bega High School Year 12 presentation ceremony.
- SCAC muck-up day activities
- Graduation breakfast a rite of passage
YEAR 12 students at Sapphire Coast Anglican College (SCAC) have reached a new stage in their lives.
The 22 students had their graduation assembly at the school on Thursday, attended by their parents, siblings, teachers and some other SCAC students.
“This has truly been an exceptional year,” SCAC principal Andrew Duchesne said.
“Graduation is always significant to the teachers, parents and students as it culminates their education at school.
“I’m proud they will leave here with a world perspective, not just a Bega perspective, and a want to make a difference in the world.”
The emcee of the graduation was head of senior school Greg Thornton, who opened with a Dr Seuss-inspired poem about each of the 22 graduates and his anecdotes about the students had everyone in the crowd laughing.
Jedidiah Clark, Michael Owens, Tully Clark and Mikayla Ndreca were the Sapphire Originals, having been at the school for 13 years, and were presented paper bags as mementos by their Kindergarten teacher Yvonne Brown.
Allen Collins and Marjorie Stanton attended to present the Bega RSL sub-branch Salute to Youth Scholarship in the memory of World War 2 veteran and prisoner of war Ron Stanton.
Chilli Platt received the $1000 scholarship, and Jedidiah Clark, Tully Clark, Jake Duchesne, Bronte Evans, Niamh Nicol and Bronte Cunningham all received certificates for being shortlisted.
“It is a link between you and our organisation,” Mr Collins said to the students.
School captains Sophie Waddell and Jake Duchesne gave their address and Sophie said their year had become a “strongly bonded group of individuals”.
“And I thank you for sharing part of your lives with me,” she said.
Jake Duchesne echoed these sentiments.
“It seems the smaller we have gotten, from 40 odd to 22, the closer we have become,” he said.
They then announced the incoming school captains for 2015, Erin Hayman and Jake Whyman.
“A word of advice for the new captains, it goes quick and then it’s your graduation,” Jake Duchesne said.
Mikayla Ndreca gave a reflection on her time spent at the school, as she had been one of the Sapphire Originals.
“Throughout my 13 years here many things have changed,” she said.
But, she said there was one thing that hadn’t changed, and that was their teacher Ms Brown who had remained supportive throughout their schooling.
There was also musical and dramatic entertainment.
Performing Creepin’ In by Norah Jones was Bronte Cunningham, Brittany Meers, James MacKinnon, Jake Whyman and teacher Steve Clark, before Mr Clark returned for The Listener with Jedidiah Clark.
Niamh Nicol, the sole student who had done Drama in her year, performed a monologue, which was met with applause.
She has been nominated for OnSTAGE, a presentation of HSC Drama performances.
“Her performance for the HSC was very powerful, and you can see the talent she has,” Mr Thornton said.
A slideshow made by the students showed baby photos next to more current photos, and later a film about the lives of the Year 12 class made by Michael Peterson had the audience in stiches.