Dear Parents/Caregivers
YEAR 12 INFORMATION
Welcome to the Year 12 Class of 2022. It will be a demanding but exciting year and we are looking forward to working with such a talented group of students. There are two important events to begin the year: The Induction & Parent Evening, and Retreat.
Year 12 Induction and Parent Evening
All parents and students are invited to the Induction Evening on Wednesday 23 February at the Amphitheatre of the Secondary campus. Please arrive by 6.45pm for a 7.00pm start. The evening is expected to conclude at 8.15pm. It is a special occasion and features an Induction Service.
During the event, our Head of House team will present the Year 12 jumpers and scarves to students. I will speak about the year ahead and give a collection of some ‘grounded’ insights into how students achieve success in this most demanding year.
Year 12 Retreat
The Retreat, 23 – 26 March, gives the staff and students an opportunity over two days and two nights to plan for the year ahead, to discuss best practices and approaches to study and to build connections and relationships. The Retreat will be hosted at Woodhouse Conference Centre, Piccadilly and the program features a number of guest speakers, fun group activities and insightful sessions with your Heads of House.
The evenings are filled with dance lessons conducted by a dance teacher in preparation for the upcoming Formal at the National Wine Centre (Saturday 2 April).
Parents should be aware of the recent changes to the National Wine Centre regulations, entry to the National Wine Centre requires all persons over the age of 16 to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 or have a valid medical exemption. To enter the venue, all persons must provide proof of vaccination or a valid medical exemption and must comply with any COVID-19 directions.
Further details for the formal will be communicated shortly.
Students need to make their own way to and from the Retreat venue. They will spend part of the day at school on Wednesday 23 March, then at lunchtime all students and staff will head up to Woodhouse for the Retreat. All students are expected to arrive at Woodhouse by 2pm. There is a car park adjacent to the accommodation for students wishing to drive. The Retreat will conclude on Friday at 1pm after lunch.
During the Retreat, students will be given some time to reflect on what lies ahead and to consider what the year might mean to their families.
To begin this reflection, we would like to give each student a letter written by you to them – a letter that reminds them of the wonderful support that they can expect from their parents and siblings and one that might give each student that inspirational lift.
It is a letter of affirmation, one that encourages your child to give their best, to make sensible, responsible choices with their study and to persist and be resilient in what looms as a very demanding year ahead.
We hope this letter can be a form of inspiration that students refer to repeatedly throughout the year. I ask that you do not discuss the letter with your child. We would like to surprise them during Retreat with the forwarding of all letters.
The letters should be between one and two pages in length and we prefer you to email the letter to us to guarantee that all students receive them on this day. You can email the letters to Tracey Wilson (twilson@stjohns.sa.edu.au). They are confidential documents and will only be read by your child. If you would prefer to deliver them in a sealed envelope with your child’s name, this can be delivered to Retreat House Reception. I ask that you complete this task by Friday 18 March.
In anticipation, thank you for your contribution in making this activity a successful and meaningful one. If you have any concerns, you can contact either Tracey or myself at any time.
Looking forward to seeing you at the Induction Evening.
Yours sincerely,
CARLEE MITCHELL
Head of Senior School
